A bit of a hole-in-the-wall with a very casual vibe and a sports theme. Lots of outdoor seating, bright colors, and a decent beer selection, as well as limited hard liquor. Funky music, soccer in the TV and friendly bar tender makes this a good place to drop in for a bev or spend the afternoon watching a match. Just note that there are 2 port-a-potties and one gender neutral restroom. read more

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Fun divey soccer bar. Would go back. Mostly outdoor seating. They had a food tent set up when we were there which smelled pretty good

One of Portland's coolest places to go- especially any sunny afternoon you are free. We always start our Zoo visit with a PZ slush. It's awesome they have rad Portland Zoo beers, other local beers and a Guinness draft line. If you want to turn it up a notch ask Jacob for the Four Roses bourbon. Soccer matches on the TV's...Check Portland Zoo social media for up coming events like DJ's and food trucks. The place has a great neighborhood vibe that makes it a super fun. Meet me at the Zoo! read more

Cool little brewery bar. This a soccer themed spot. They have some tasty beers and a couple non-beer drinks too. The bartender, Matt I think - maybe ..., was great. Fun to hang with. They have some fun games in here too. Check it out! read more

Stopped here on a wintery day and it had a cozy vibe. Only a few stools and a small bar they have two TVs which I was informed normally plays soccer. They have some different beers on tap, and in cans. Mostly beer with a small selection of liquor. In the summer they have a huge outdoor area with music and food. During the winter it's just a chill sport to watch sports and get a beer. Local spot for sure. read more

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I've been telling the SO we need to go to the Portland Zoo for forever now. But we just never got the chance. For about a year the SO has been pondering what kind of animals. Maybe one lion and a bunch of reptiles was the line of thinking. He was looking forward to a zoo that closed at 10pm and was right in our backyard. Walking by the house that has a little bunny foo foo only excited him more. Walk in and all he sees are signs telling us not the feed the animals and a bar. This place is great! Super casual and no frills. There is literally only drinks, but the space in the back is gigantic. Tons of seating and with a mix of picnic tables and oil tanks. Go and enjoy. read more

Portland Zoo - people sitting at tables under a neon sign - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Those frozen painkillers are next-level. I got a little nutmeg on top. Fun time, casual atmosphere, great drinks, cool merch.

Not impressed with this bar. I came here because it is dog friendly and they definitely were welcoming so that's why it gets 2 stars. Beyond that it was pretty disappointing. $12 for a weak vodka soda is crazy. It was 45 and raining outside yet a door was wide open so it wasn't warm or comfortable inside. Definitely felt it was an overpriced hipster joint. read more

Hole in the Wall, Local's Bar, whatever you want to call it; this was one of the best bars we've been to in Portland. The drink menu had good variety, the vibe and music were perfect, and all the dogs were Life! We almost missed it, as there weren't really any signs other than their neon sign in the window. First off, thank you to Jen for being an AMAZING bartender and having great conversation with us. She was super bubbly and talked to us about the bar, the neighborhood, and helped us pick out drinks. We ordered several different local beers, can and draught, including one made by Portland Zoo. They don't have food beyond some chips, but welcome outside food. They have a few different seating areas, all of which allow dogs. This is a very dog friendly place, and our dogs got to interact with at least 10 other dogs there; everyone knew to bring their pets lol. We sat at one of the barrels in the covered area where the live music was playing. Very spacious and a lively place. If you want something a little more chill or with more seating, they have picnic tables. Local or not, this was a great place to spend a few hours and meet some new people. Go make some friends and have a beer at Portland Zoo. read more

Portland Zoo - a table with two glasses of beer on it - Bars Near Me - Portland, Maine

This is an interesting little spot on the East End. It's tiny and from the outside looks like an itty bitty shack kind of place - which makes it even more enticing. This is a laid back spot, with an open wall leading to an outdoor space, which is nice. There's a small bar area, and some stools and wall-attached tables to lean on. Good beer selections, they take credit cards, friendly service. There is one bathroom, and it's gender neutral - I love that. They also were cool with us bringing in a little dog. Really relaxed place for locals to enjoy. Plus, they're right down the street from Baharat - get your drink on, then go inhale some falafel! It's fun. I can't wait to come back in the summertime and enjoy the outdoor space. read more

What a cool little bar. You know when you see a tiny house on tv and they make such perfect use of the space that you delude yourself into thinking you should buy one? Portland Zoo is kind of like that. And ignore the exterior appearance because inside is not divey. It's the small (pun!) touches: coat hooks under the bar and on the wall, a super clean bathroom nearly the size of the bar, two great tvs tuned to sports. Everything is thoughtfully designed. But the cool attitude truly differentiates The Zoo. In the outside world I'm a quickly aging local that watches the news every night and goes to bed at 9:30. But in The Zoo, it's like I'm in some alternate universe where I'm not...that. Maybe it's the bongo drums, or the ridiculously friendly bartenders (mainly Josh, one of the best in Portland) that make you feel instantly at home no matter who you are. And this place attracts every possible type of person. One suggestion: your bar is the size of my living room, and I definitely wouldn't have a three person band/DJ perform there. Just saying. The beer selection includes nearly all the local breweries on draft and cans, along with several canned ciders, wines, and limited hard alcohol. There's no mixers, because that's not so cool. Several local businesses sporadically provide food, but it's generally not a dinner stop. Surprisingly, it's one of the few indoor dog friendly spots in town. The Zoo is a great new bar where you can drink many local craft beers (or a $3 Coors Banquet) while the bartender bangs the drums and tells you the best joke ever. I just wonder what it's like after 9:30. read more

Great outdoor space, positive/upbeat vibe, with picnic tables, indoor garage like covering with TVs for games, perfect for NBA playoffs, and fantastic pours! read more

Definitely check out this place. Frozen Pain Killers are awesome!!! Service is outstanding service!! The atmosphere is great. Enjoy soccer game. read more

Amazing beer selection. When we were here, a nice Jazz combo (keyboards, guitar, sax, 2 x drummers) was groovin through some simple bit pleasing rythyms. Great atmosphere. Great crowd. On a summer Saturday afternoon, this is the place to be read more

Awesome little bar with lots of outdoor seating and a great selection of canned ciders for gluten free folks. Chill vibe. Hidden gem.

Awesome spot that we found when wanting another beer after all the breweries around closed. They serve local craft beer and even have some bar food. Great ambiance and we almost felt too cool to be there! Killer music lineup and bartenders were super nice. Can't wait to go back! read more

The main bartender lied to my face and then ignored me at the bar. Context--this place is known for hip hop music and the white DJ is currently playing pseudo-Indian inspired trance beats. The DJ was supposed to stop at 9 PM and the bartender promised he would stop at 10:30 PM because a lot of people hate the music here tonight. The bartender reassured me that it would stop soon and then proceeded to take my friend's order at the bar and every other person and then finally took mine at 10:30. The bartender lied to my face and then decided to provide the worst service possible. As one of the very few minorities here tonight, I'm very upset I even decided to visit my good friends in Maine. This place is not welcoming to diversity. read more

I have never been treated so poorly as an of age, female individual entering a bar. After asking about a certain beer and beginning to order a drink, the bartender not only felt the need to remind me this was a bar I was at (hence the reason I was there) and told me I could not buy more than one drink for me and my friend (which sounds reasonable if it wasn't condescending). After already having checked my ID, I took my card back and did not order a drink. The bartender felt the need to send a second person to check me and my friends IDs, when not a single other person in the bar had their ID checked twice. Keep in mind we are all well over 21. I will never return here for a drink again, or recommend it to anyone that doesn't want to be treated like they are 12. read more

What a great find! They're making it work. We got here on Day 4 of opening after CoVID shutdown and the waitstaff has table service down! They recently got their brewery license and have 2 collaborations canned & are serving. YUMMY! read more

This is the best bar in Portland. It's a little hole in the wall that's super intimate. There are no tables - just a bar in the center and a counter running along the wall. They've got two tvs that are usually playing the game and/or some entertaining weird movie. The bartender is a real cool guy who is friendly and down to earth. The best part is they're always playing great '90s hip hop in the background -- Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Mobb Deep, Naughty by Nature, A Tribe Called Quest - you name it! They've got an awesome beer selection too. I'm particularly fond of their large sour beer collection - many of which are quite refreshing and not overly sour. This is definitely my favorite new spot to get a drink at in Portland. read more

Condescending and rude bartender. In a city with a million places to grab a beer, I'll go spend my money where my business is actually appreciated. It really seems like the notion of hospitality is not a priority for these d-bags. read more

I love zoo! Outdoor seating. No fluff. Just friends and beers. Dive bar meet neighborhood bar. Thank you for introducing me as you'll always be my first choice. read more

A small, fantastic bar with a super nice crew. It's listed some places as a dive bar and it really is tiny, but I haven't found anything really divey about it otherwise. So far it's a good amount of space for the number of people usually in there and I feel a little guilty putting this out on the internet. Maybe it should be kept a secret. That being said, while when walking up to it you may feel nervous opening up the door, it's always been a super friendly bunch in there every time I've gone. Quite a mixed bag as well. The last time was over the holidays but you had a few dudes at the bar who looked like they just got off their union shift and a bunch of yuppy-ish young professionals, but they were buying each other shots before long. It's also a great spot to unintentionally run into the local brewery crews as it's situated between Rising Tide, Oxbow, Goodfire, etc. Maybe buy them a beer! The staff so far when I've been there has been one of the two owners and their bar manager, all of whom are super nice and you can feel good about supporting them. A great draft and bottle list, some ciders and wines, and even some straight up booze (see shots, above), but don't expect mixed drinks, just some sippers or shooters. I've heard the rumors of half-sized italian sandwiches from the quality A&C Grocery up the way, but have yet to hit the Zoo when those are flowing. They also had some empanadas one night. Not sure how they feel about bringing in any outside food, but I haven't seen anyone try that. It's a great cozy winter hideout, but this place is going to be the JAM in the summer. Lots of picnic tables, open barn door to the bar, same casual vibe. Austin Street on Fox now keeping weekend hours 'til 9, Oxbow's newish patio and the Frite Shack, and the Zoo. The best time you'll have this summer in Portland is all in about 1/4 mile radius. read more

Walked in here looking for the Austin Street Brewery before noon on a Saturday. Matt gave us directions. The brewery didn't open until noon, so we turned around and went back to have a beer with Matt, who was watching the soccer game. GREAT LOCAL BEER Selection, great beer knowledge and both Josh and Matt are good bartenders. Didn't stay longer than a couple of beers, but the hospitality, selection and atmosphere was outstanding. read more

We just arrived in Portland and stumbled upon this place after dinner! This place was amazing! By far the coolest bar and the bartender Chris made us feel sooooooo welcomed and gave us so much insight to area breweries, cideries, and restaurants. If you're hip and cool you should visit this place! The ambiance was 10/10!!!! read more

I don't really know how to explain the vibe of this place other than it feels like you and your buddies turned your parents garage into a really cool bar. Like maybe the coolest bar ever. read more

Best spot in town for any age! You may be dubious if you're on the older side ( over 35 ) but feel right at home with the beats, vibes, and truly kindest/coolest bartenders. Absolute must place to have a see/drink when in Portland! read more

Found this place on accident. Man am I glad we did! Awesome atmosphere and awesome beer selection. Very laid back and dog friendly! Will stop by again on our stay in town! read more

This place is wicked dope. It's right in the epicenter of a brewery crawl across east bayside and up to Washington ave, offering a selection of different beers representing the Portland area and beyond. There always seems to be some event happening if it's a food cart or a Premier league match, and the employees are efficient and fun. read more