You ever have one of those days when somebody comes up to you and plops a big ole tit of a chicken in front of you and you just tear into the thing and realize you'll never eat anything else in your life? That is, until you turn your attention to the wedge of a jojo next to that beautiful wet-tshirt-contest winner. And by wedge, I mean you could park a god damned RV on the bank-iest bank of the Willamette, put one of these under a rear wheel, throw the RV in neutral, and open a trampoline park inside. If you canceled the lease on Playdate PDX and are reading this, don't steal my idea, you prick. Anyway, I digress. Potato jojo wedge. Back to it. I brought home some as leftovers three months ago and my eight year old is still tunneling through them like she's a mole dropped into some f-ed version of Candy Land. Look, I know the fine bartenders here promise chicken and jojos the same way cable promises service: it'll arrive somewhere between the hours of 6 and 10:00 PM. But sit your ass in the chair, get a PBR and wait. Because, much like the bygone era of cable, when the boob shows up uncensored, late at night, and wrapped seductively in paper and BBQ sauce (don't judge me! You tuned in too!), you weren't thinking of the guy with the extra long butt crack and ill fitting button up. Oh no, my friend, you were thinking about the sauce. BBQ, ranch, sweet chili, . . . or ketchup (you immature shit). read more

This is another "Old Portland" establishment that still holds up. Even on a Sunday night, the place was busy and also it was an MLK holiday. My friends were at the bar and I managed to get a seat next to them. I was smart to ask my friend to place a food order since they are known for hot fried food to take their time. I ordered a drink and caught up with my friends. There were complimentary treats which I gladly enjoyed. Once my food arrived, I enjoyed the jo jo's with buffalo dipping sauce as my go to. The fried chicken hits the spot and the staff is very friendly. It was great seeing 2 people working instead of just 1 person doing everything. My order was affordable too once I closed my tab. Old Portland for the win once again and will continue to support, cheers! read more

Reel M Inn - Chicken and Jo Jo aka mode - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

It's 11:30pm on a Friday, the sound of pool balls smack loudly in the back as you slowly saunter in from the freezing depths of 40 degree weather. The long line at the dimly lit counter seems daunting, loud laughter and Portland state hats welcome you while glasses of dark liquor clink - then you smell it. The sharp whiff of freshly fried chicken. Your senses suddenly reawaken, Warmth is felt through the finger tips. Your eyes lock onto number 15 and watch intently as it comes your way only to pass you. "The wait is 1.5hours for fried chicken." Is the worst thing you'll hear tonight. You buckle down and order a beer, lending your ear to your newly engaged friend in hopes her story can quell the hunger for fried chicken. God I'm hungry. If you're one person get the 4 piece and be prepared to defend your plate from enemies known as 'friends'. As you imbue deeper into the mead and moonshine your defensiveness in wanting to share will dwindle. This is a solo adventure type of plate- but also get your own!!! This is the crunchiest, juiciest, hot fried chicken. So good you'll burn the roof of your mouth type o hot. This chicken will trigger your anxiety attachment issues - as you eat you'll want more. But this is all you ordered, and if you order more now it will be another 1.5 hours! No! Just No! Dammit keep your hands away from my chickennnn. The jojos are also phenomenal. With love. read more

This is a bar that offers Fried Chicken plates for some food, and it's delicious. And since it's a bar, the full bar is a great feature. And, my two favorite parts of this bar, is they usually have specials on my favorite beer, Miller High Life, and they have some slot machines in the bar since it's an Oregon lottery location. The only bad part of this is the size, it's small and can get crowded. read more

If you have a problem with this bar, you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a great bar. If you can't wait for fresh fried chicken, you have no idea what it takes to fry chicken. read more

Reel M Inn - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

It's been awhile since I've eaten at Reel M Inn as I've been getting my FC fix at other places and at their sister restaurant lately. I love that despite having not been here in awhile, everything was the exact same since I last been and it's pretty much the exact same since I first started coming here like 10+ years ago. The layout, the paint, the furniture, menu boards, etc its all the same with the exception of upgraded video poker machines. The most important question however, was did the chicken stay the same? There are a ton of good to great fried chicken places in Portland at various price points and variety, yet there aren't too many places that stack up to REI (1st Street Pocha is one of my other favorites). On this day they were running a Breast and 2 Jojo special for $5 which was a steal and even better because I wasn't that hungry. It took about an hour to come out and OMG it was freaking massive. I forgot how big these suckers were but the breast was thiccccc! The jojos are always massive bc they are basically 1/4 of a potato, however on this day the breast was so darn large, that it made the jojo's look tiny by comparison. Upon first bite, it tasted as good or even better than I can remember. I couldn't believe how damn juicy the breast was. Breast is probably my least favorite part of the chicken, I hardly ever get it...but I know that they never fail to cook em perfectly at REI so I felt safe getting them here. The amount of juice coming out of that breast meat was like a potsticker it was so cool. The whole thing was so large and piping hot that I opted to eat it with a fork and was able to drench each piece in their homemade ranch. It's wild to me that a tiny operation like this can make homemade ranch off minimal staffing and charge so little for food. It was comforting knowing that in the tumultuous times we are living in, both in terms of local favorite restaurants closing and how rapid the political landscape has been changing, that Reel Em Inn has felt like it's been insulated from the outside world and has been preserved from a time when Portland was the quirky weird Portland that made it great. read more

Reel M Inn - Better and cheaper than Popeyes - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cheap drinks and amazing fried chicken and jojos. I've heard the wait here can be brutally long but we popped in for lunch this past Saturday and had a great experience. This is a proper dive bar. The bartender working that day was very friendly and efficient. We probably waited 15-20 minutes maximum for an order of chicken & jojos with a corn dog. The chicken and jojos were fantastically crispy and delicious. The chicken was juicy and the jojos super fluffy inside. They were super hot tho- I knew they were too hot and inhaled them anyway, burning the roof of my mouth in the process. Fortunately there was another $3 montucky cold snack at the ready. read more

One of the best dives in Portland for a reason. Tasty fried chicken and jojos at a perfect price. Friendly service and outdoor seating are a plus. If I lived any closer I'd probably go once a week read more

Reel M Inn - 3 Piece Chicken Dinner - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

food took almost 2 hours but honestly you should come here only focusing on the fun that you can have with friends and just view the food as a delightful bonus!! the food was bland but no negatives really just neutral hot food that absolutely gets the job done for people drinking!! i loved the size of the jojos it made me feel like a dinosaur. one jojo in and you can immediately feel the meteor hit. read more

Reel M Inn - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Just simply the best fried chicken I've ever had. Not just in portland, but anywhere. Be prepared to wait for it- it's cooked to order and not fast food. read more

If there was a negative star id put one. Horrible service!! Horrible chicken!!!? Like I waited an 1hr1/2 for basic ass chicken I would've made at home. I thought reading the reviews it's worth the wait. Coming into it yea some ppl say it's a wait ok but it's not worth it!? Don't come here if ur not drunk or wanna wait for a 2hr seat. Bar food not worth to get drunk don't expect anything! Set it to low below that bar. read more

Nice folks , GREAT CHICKEN AND WEDGES AND GREAT VALUE. $16 for a 1/2 chicken and 4 giant jojos is the best deal around. 3 of us waited for about 40 min after ordering but worth it read more

What a unique but great place to eat and people watch, if you're into that kind of stuff. Got the wings and ordered a chicken thigh with the jojo's and it was a full plate of perfectly cooked chicken, crispy but not greasy and when i say fresh from the fryer i mean it!! The only thing that i would do differently is not get the sweet dipping sauce and get two of their ranch.... I know everyone recommends someone's ranch as being the best but there is something differently amazing about this one. The service was great, you could just tell by the atmosphere there is a great amount of respect for everyone. read more

This place is a local gem. They must visit while in Portland. One of the best dive bars that I've ever been to. The bar is a bit on the smaller side, but they do offer some casino machines and also have a pool table. But that's not what you come here for. You come here for the amazingly price beer and alcohol specials, and the chicken. If the alcohol specials aren't enough to get you here, the chicken will. If this place was a standalone chicken restaurant, I would still visit this location just to have their chicken. That's how great it is. I'm glad I have some local friends that recommended this place to me, this will always be a place I visit when I am in Portland, I recommend you do there same read more

Reel M Inn - Dark meat combo 3 Legs with 4 Jo's - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Classic dive bar. Warm and toasty on a cold day. Jalapeño poppers and onion rings were really good. The tenders were huge and delish. All good. Will def return. read more

Fried chicken ranks top on my food chain, and Reel M Inn has it locked down as one of the best! The wait for their prized chicken goodness can be quite long (1 deep fryer) at 1 hour plus, but I am certain not a single person will complain once you've eaten here. I often bring a side of white rice and Thai sweet&sour sauce as accompaniment to complete my experience. Their perfectly cooked juicy fried chicken and Jojos will be sorely missed once I move back to L.A. read more

Reel M Inn - 2 drums and 2 Jojos & a a side of dark meat - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The legendary dive bar for their fried chickens and jojos. Can confirm both are indeed amazing! Made to order so they were piping hot. Crispy on the outside and veeery juicy on the inside. The one bartender does everything from making drinks to cooking chicken so do be patient. It took around 45 mins for us to get our order but it was very much worth it. Grab one, or two, of their many cheap drinks and then hang while you wait for their amazing fried chicken meals (so cheap too!) We split the Mixed Dark Meat Meal and Onion Rings for $16. The inside is way cozier than you'd think judging from their exterior. Eclectic decorations and lots of fairy lights. Definitely a must try spot in PDX. read more

Reel M Inn - Onion Rings - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Standout dive bar. Longer wait for food but we drank and socialized and chatted with the other bar top patrons. We knew it was going to be a hot minute so made sure to get there early. The chicken and jojos are definitely worth the wait. Service was fantastic, cheaper than if we went out to a sit down establishment but this one unpretentious and welcoming in only what a proper dive bar can do. read more

See all

Food was just okay! I don't know if it was worth the hype but I appreciated the low cost and solid taste. However, we weren't feeling so hot after we ate it so unsure if it was the food or if it was something else but it wasn't fun. Another thing to note, while it seemed that many other people struggled to get a table or had a long wait, we had no problems on a Tuesday evening around 5pm. The place is small and chicken is made to order so plan accordingly! Service was excellent as well, very friendly and accommodating. Jojos were like a 1/4 of a potato each. You won't leave hungry, that's for sure! read more

See all

It takes time to get your food, but it's so worth it. One of my favorite things to do is to get a beer, find a spot at a bar or a table, read my book and wait about an hour for fried chicken. The portions are generous, affordable, piping hot, crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. It's one of my favorite places to go. The folks who work there, work their assess off and deserve your respect. They always raise money for good causes and have the best friend chicken in town. read more

This is the type of place you go to for good local vibes. When ordering food the bartenders lets you know the wait time. Ours was about 1 to 1.5 hours, yes its a long time but in that time we had fun. We ordered drinks, we played pool, and we table hopped. A lot of people Friday night so you may not find a table right away. Other bar goers were friendly and so were all the bartenders/staff. The chicken and jojos were good. Chicken juicy and Jojos crispy. My only negative would be both could do with a little salt but a fun time. read more

The chicken truly was worth the wait. Pretty cool little tavern, had a great time. Saw a couple people celebrating birthdays with friends. read more

Reel M Inn - 3 Piece Chicken Dinner - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best fried chicken EVER it can take awhile but it's worth the wait! It truly is a neighborhood dive bar, where I've witnessed drunken drama. Service was fabulous, the barkeep took everything in stride. I've eaten in and take out. Drunken drama is part of the experience. Amusing to witness, but....don't get involved! LOLOLOLOL read more

Perfect dive... stiff drinks, solid service, and great people watching. Worth the visit. read more

Reel M Inn - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is my neighborhood bar which I do frequent at. I was in here for 5 minute using the ATM when bartender named "Kay," with the blue hair and facial piercings asked for my ID. I told her to wait while I finished my transaction but she needed it right then and there. So I handed her my ID while I was still in my transaction and my card was still in the ATM. After she looked at my completely legal ID, she decided to tell me I needed to leave because apparently she thought that I didn't belong at their bar. Then after I asked her why my services weren't accepted here she said it was because I was too drunk even though I never purchased a drink or drank beforehand!! I used to love this bar and play VP at this bar. I USED TO WIN AT THIS BAR! Now I don't feel accepted at this bar because of their employee, Kay, read more

I was so excited to actually end up near here and give this historically good chicken. Unfortunately I left a little disappointed. What's good! Great friendly service. Also a very good value. I didn't feel cheated in any way. I appreciate the dive bar vibe. For instance the bathroom that is definitely for only one even though it contains two toilets. The chicken had a nice crispy outside. I appreciate that is was fresh and very juicy. Unfortunately that was it. No seasoning inside or outside or really any sort of breading on it. Inside has a lot of connective tissue and wasn't very tender. Possibly a symptom of under marinating. The jojos were a little over done and hard on the outside. Not really a pleasant bite. It's possible that I was just unlucky. The house made ranch was interesting. I detected a hint of horseradish perhaps. I do not like horseradish but that's on me. The timing is definitely goofy. I ordered my chicken at 2pm. I received it at 225 and could not actually eat it until 3 and still burned my mouth something fierce. I took a little peek behind the bar and saw the single small fryer. Maybe there is more that I didn't see but this food is definitely not quick. I didn't mind but it took me a little by surprise. read more

Reel M Inn - 3 Legs with 4 Jo's - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cheap $2 PBR's are always the way to my heart and they have them here. Fried Chicken was also well priced and nice and crispy. Need to come back here sometime soon. read more

Reel M Inn - Fried Chicken Thighs and Jojos - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Hands down my favorite fried chicken and fries place! It takes like an hour to receive any food orders, but once they come out, it's amazing. The chicken and fries are huge pieces and piping hot! The atmosphere is cosy and it's a great place to chill and grab a drink and catch up with some friends. They do have a pool table. read more

Reel M Inn is one reason I will gladly go to the east side. The best fried chicken in all of Portland: small bar but a very friendly crowd. Single bartender who is also cooking the chicken. She gave us a "warning" that the wait time is one hour. My reply "it is worth it" read more

This spot is legit. The food takes awhile & comes out hot. I love how crispy the onion rings, jalapeños, jojos, & chicken are. Their house made sauce was fire. There's free pool to play and of course drinks! Apparently my friends ordered Jell-O shots, which I thought was fun. Sadly I'm on a sober streak, but I could say that chicken was FUEGO. read more

Reel M Inn - 4 Wings with 4 Jo's - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Waited over an hour for 2 chicken strips when I saw every person before us leave. It was completely over cooked and inedible. I have came in so many times but never had food because of the wait times. Not worth it. I don't get the hype. read more

I'd heard about this place for years and finally went with some friends. The bartender was super nice and made a good Bloody Mary. Unfortunately, I feel like the food is a bit over hyped. I also think something went wrong as people who came in after us were getting their food before us and the bartender brought us a plate of jojo's to make up for it. We waited over an hour for our food. I'm from the south and have had a lot of fried chicken. No one will ever make it as good as my grandmother did. Anyway, the fried chicken here was pretty good, but I've had better, and it was a bit dry. The jojos are terrific and some of the best I've had. We also tried the corndog, fried pickles and onion rings, which were mediocre. For my money, Sckavone's makes the best fried chicken I've had in Portland, with Screen Door being a close second. I would maybe come here again as it's a fun time, but I don't think the food is worth the long wait. They should just flatten their chicken like other places in town do so it will cook faster, and make the jojos smaller. read more

If you know us you'll probably immediately recognize that we were never going to be into this bar. And their order system- also not a fan. But I'll be damned if they don't make the best jojos I've ever had. Actually this was the first time for us having this local delicacy, so by definition they were going to be the best. But fast forward, we tried many other versions- and these were still the best. Don't sleep on their chicken either. Also excellent... Slather some of their sauce on that chicken and potatos... magic, man. read more

Reel M Inn - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I love a good dive bar! Friendly bartender, cheap drinks, people having fun singing, and good food. It took about 45 minutes for our food to be ready, but who cares! It's made-to-order and that person was slavin' in that little cutout of a "kitchen". The chicken was fried perfectly and it was so juicy and tender. Hands down one of my favorites. read more

a 2-Star rating, for the ONLY TWO bartenders that are actually decent human beings! WARNING*** CAPSLOCK REVIEW, too lazy to change, not angry, just passionate about the BS that occurred!!! NEVER GO THERE REGULARLY! NEVER GO TO THE BATHROOM WHILE WAITING FOR FOOD OR THEY ASSUME YOU LEFT AFTER WAITING AN HOUR FOR YOUR HALF-BIRD! AND NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE GET OFFENDED BY A GROUP OF REGULARS THAT HAVE ASSIGNED SEATING AT THE 7-9 BARSTOOLS IN EXISTENCE, AND QUIETLY MENTION YOUR DISCOMFORT TO THE BARTENDER WHO IS A PERSONAL FRIEND WITH SOME, IF NOT ALL, OF THOSE REGULARS, BY REFERRING THEM TO BAR BULLIES... AND NEVER MENTION THAT JACK'S CHICKEN IN NORTH PORTLAND IS STEEP COMPETITION IN FRONT OF ANYONE, NOT EVEN CUSTOMERS OUTSIDE WHILE LEAVING! Seriously, we are in the age of reviews online and in real time and they cannot handle verbal feedback? What was really nice, was one of the nice bartenders politely told me I was 86'd and a few days later, I ran into one of the only nice regulars I met there, and we chatted and she and that nice bartender who had to 86 me or confused as to why any of this even occurred. And they saw me there often and probably more so than the others. I believe the owners should really question who they have working there and who they have regularly occupying their space. If someone cannot share how they were treated unfairly a few times by people who worked there and regularly occupy the only available barstools there (possible to happen, and anyone who regularly goes to places like this knows exactly what I'm talking about that it is possible) maybe the rules of service has changed and the owners need to really reconsider the majority of employees and regulars they have that are actually acting like bullies and inconsiderate people could be why their business income sucks and the reason prices need to be hiked! If I am going to be treated with more respect at a place that charges lower prices, of course I am going talk about that place no matter where I am! Sorry that the service employees cannot handle honest feedback regarding their poor service, and I stand by my choice to go somewhere else to eat. I did not realize the requirement was that I had to eat in order to drink at this particular bar. I thought eating was an extra luxury. I did not mention names because I have not spoken to any of these people and I am not going to just violate privacy, but everyone knows who they are the one beautiful regular that has more soul and heart than most human beings I've ever met, and the two bartenders who are just rock awesome one is daytime and one is nighttime, both of them are either my height or shorter and I am 5'5" so now you two really know who you are and the beautiful soul regular knows who they are -if anyone reads this. LASTLY, THE OWNERS ARE REAL PIECES OF WORK KNOWING HOW BUSY THAT PLACE IS AND HOW THEY HAVE ONE PERSON SERVING DRINKS AND FRYING FOOD! I CHALLENGE THE OWNERS TO DO THAT JOB FOR SIX WEEKS, ALL SHIFTS ON THE BUSIEST OF DAYS... I DOUBT THEY COULD DO IT, WHAT A LACK OF EVEN A SMIDGE OF HUMANITY TO MAKE PEOPLE WORK IN THOSE CONDITIONS AND PAY THE LOW PAY THEY DO! PAY SURE HAS NOT RISEN MUCH SINCE COVID SHUTDOWN AND THE SHIPPING STRIKES THAT CAUSED PRICES TO DOUBLE, BUT I SURE DID PAY THAT PLACE ABOUT DOUBLE THE PRICES SINCE. read more

I saw this place on Netflix so I thought why not give it a go. When first walked in it was dark and gloomy. This place was like the "soup nazi on Seinfeld " feeling when ordering your chicken. Chicken took about 45 minutes because there were like 4 orders ahead of mine. Not busy at 1:30pm on a Tuesday Very small establishment. Like a hole in the wall dive bar. I wouldn't complain because you will get a death stare and a mind reading of "I don't give a burnt toast ....." No drink prices posted so you will have to ask. As I was observing other peeps drink orders the bar tender lady had a very heavy hand pouring generous amounts. I ordered the three legs with four JoJos $12 with ranch Because they were out of thighs and wings. The first bite was piping hot and the batter had a hard exterior crunch to it. I am not a fan of the harder batter but it was still good. So maybe let it rest before taking a bite. Tecate $2.50 Great price! Left with a burned mouth and probably will see some blisters in the morning but that's my fault because I love to bite into hot chicken right out the fryer. The JoJos were the size of the the leg and basically you get a whole potato if you put all 4 pieces together (but I got 5). It was a good one time experience for me. read more

Reel M Inn - Menu 9-13-2022 - American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

This place is a friendly neighborhood dive bar with super friendly bartenders and the most amazing fried chicken. You've got to sit and have a beer or two while you wait for your chicken order but it's well worth the wait. read more

Jo Jo's!!!! And the jalepeno poppers, I'd wait just for those. There is always a long wait, they are busy enough to never answer call ins but I keep coming back cause it's worth the wait. Besides, you can always drive over to Lauretta Jeans for a slice of pie while you wait. read more

Perfect little dive bar. Pretty chill when I was there on a Sunday afternoon. The fried chicken was extremely good and the bartenders were really nice. read more

Kay is awesome Bartender. The drinks are perfect, and the Vibe is on point. I come here to relax after a long shift. The patrons and employees are awesome. Great neighborhood bar! read more