This place has a unique, quirky vibe that stands out. From the vending machine offering nostalgic 90s trinkets to the fun Zoltar machine, there's a lot to explore here. The atmosphere feels casual and fun, with friendly staff adding to the charm. However, my experience wasn't perfect. I didnt get the chance to eat here since there's another spot nearby that caught my attention. Still, the overall vibe and the fun elements made the visit memorable. Definitely a place for those who enjoy a divey offbeat experience, though I wouldnt recommend it for those looking for a quiet night out. read more

I'd give 3.5 stars if I could. Great dive bar with strong, affordable drinks. Can get a little bro-y in the later hours. Cool corner location with some outdoor tables for when it's nice. Solid spot overall. read more

Cool, funky, warm, nostalgic (in a good way), and SKEE-ball! Keep on being so so wonderful, dear Slammer.. thanks for being here read more

10/10 for kitsch and quirk. I enjoyed the random vending machine with the 90s memorabilia package, the Zoltar machine, and the divey vibe. Staff was nice too! Didn't eat there because have you seen the ramen place across the street?! Next review coming soon. Overall a winning combo. read more

Slammer Tavern - 90s time capsule innards - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great bar, fun vibe chill scene. coolest place in that area. way better than most bars near there. read more

Walked in here on a whim after going to Creepy's (it's within walking distance). The place is small, but there is outdoor seating and a clean bathroom. We owners bar hopping so we each had a drink and a shot, good prices, nice bartenders, even the people at the bar were talkative and kind. I wouldn't recommend the spot of a large gathering, it's small, but otherwise it's a nice place to grab a drink and chat with a small group. read more

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Visited Portland and toured the beer bars. This is one of my favorite dive bars I've ever been to. It's awesome!

Went for my 21st birthday and had tons of fun! Tim was absolutely amazing and gave me a free drink and a free round of Jell-O shots for my whole group! Along with that, we got free music credits and he made sure that our time there was a time to remember!:) It's a very cute little tavern and I would 100% recommend going and checking it out, very friendly atmosphere. read more

Lovely bartenders and very chill vibe. If you're coming in casual or dressed up, nobody cares either way. Also super fun vending machine with mystery gifts! read more

Slammer Tavern - View out the window - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

No frills tavern. Solid outside seating, and a shit ton of bike racks. Safe spot to lock up your bike as well. Sometimes the music outside is a bit loud to be able to hold a convo, but we still managed. read more

This bar is so fun and has the best lights and fun little machines inside you can get random little things

Don't come on a day other than Friday or Saturday when it's empty. But Slammers is fun on weekend nights. Gets pretty rowdy and can take a while to get a drink but the jello shots are good and it's a fun time. read more

Always will love this place. Laid back and fun! The service is friendly and welcoming. It can get busy so I go earlier. If you want a good drink and atmosphere check it out! read more

Classic dive, sassy staff, strong drinks, sticky floors and lots of lights. Great place to end the night

Went to Portland on a 12 hour day trip, stumbled upon the slammer, best dive bar experience I've had in a minute! Ask for Julie she will take care of you and make you feel as if you were a local. Get a PBR, a salty nacho & do some ski ball. Atmosphere is what you would expect from your typical dive, but it really is chill going & good camaraderie of Portlands people. It's a true dive bar experience! Check out the black-and-white photo booth, the mystery, ART vending machine, and the outside Sunset view seating. Coming back just to visit Julie! Thank you read more

Slammer Tavern - The Slammer Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Slammer Tavern is the quintessential dive bar! And I love it! Cheap drinks, fun atmosphere and Christmas all year round :)

Cool dive bar with Christmas lights. This is a no frills place. Service was attentive. Plenty of seating outside and inside. We took advantage of the weather and sat outside. No food, but the beer was flowing. read more

Thank you for the wonderful Christmas and everyone who helped our lil family out this year big shout to Slammer Tavern and all the staff

Total college bar. This place is hoppin! Bring your friends. Get some drinks. Drink the drinks. This is a very good review!

I never leave Yelp reviews for anything, but I just had to take a moment to talk about how excellent this bar is. It's a cozy, fun spot with very reasonably priced beverages. The service here is outstanding. Julie is an absolute gem of a person and is 100% the reason I will always return to this bar when I visit Portland. This bar rules! read more

A holiday must!! So fun. Bring cash so you can tip your waitstaff! They work their butts off! read more

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Popped in here last night for a drink and it was such a good time! I've driven by this place so many times in the last couple years but never stopped in. I LOVE dive bars and I am shocked it took me so long to get a drink here. Bartender was super nice, drinks were what you'd expect, and prices were pretty low. They don't really have a food menu so don't expect to eat here. But you can grab some small snacks if you want to. I think you can also order food in. Anyways. Definitely on my new list of fav Portland dive bars. Like some other reviews said, don't underestimate this place! read more

Don't underestimate this spot. It might be on the divy side but it hits different. My friend and I stopped here first to get the night started with cheap drinks before heading out to "more upscale" locations. We ordered some shots and weren't planning to stay long but the vibes and the playlist kept us sticking around. We ended up leaving and checking out other spots and then realized every place we went to was so boring compared to Slammer Tavern. So we headed back! To our surprise, the staff remembered us from earlier that night (and what we had ordered). Maybe that's normal in this industry but we really appreciated that gesture and loved how friendly the staff was. Though it was our first time here we felt like regulars. Will definitely be going back! read more

Two Asian gals walk up to the bar to order. Then two non-Asian gals walk up to the bar after us. Guess who the bartender helped first? Guess who decides to walk out and spend money elsewhere? Xmas lights are cool. Unequal treatment of customers not cool. read more

This place is the best!! It's a dive bar- but that's the vibe. You might not be able to get an espresso martini- but you will get a good strong drink. The bartenders are super fun, the music is a vibe. All around a fun bar. In the summer it's even better!!! read more

Just the kind of dive bar you want in your neighborhood. Stiff, cheap drinks served by fun/sassy/friendly bartenders, outdoor seating with great views when the weather permits, some games, small but clean inside, and the ability to laugh at itself. My favorite time to go is when it's slow and the sun is going down, that way I get the best service and the best views! Basically your quintessential neighborhood dive bar. read more

Almost everyone I know has had a terrible experience here, so I figured I would share mine.... Tried to go here a few months back and was denied for "smoking weed." I was walking over with my good friend and boyfriend and we were sharing a cigarette. We finished smoking the cig across the street, put it out, and walked over. We tried to explain that it was not weed, we had not smoked weed, and that we had no weed on us and they would not listen or budge. Never have I ever had this issue at any bar in any city I have lived. It's important to note that weed is legal here in Oregon, so even if I had been smoking weed I'm not sure why it would have been an issue. read more

This is a very interesting dive bar. Friendly staff and great drinks. While we were there, the owner had pizza delivered and shared with everyone. read more

friendly staffs, price is very cheap(compared to the bay area) $5 for a double pour is good, but still in our opinion not strong as we thought. Will repeat if in town next time. read more

The Slammer...clearly you should understand why by name alone I had concluded that this was a gay bar.Friends informed me my assumptions were false...however I was still skeptical. Finally a night of drinking lead me to The Slammer...and minus gay men this bar was fitting of the name. I walked in, past a drunk guy puking on the bench. Appalled, but with a bladder ready to burst I headed towards the bathroom. I was met by an older drunk women who informed me she had just taken a shit but urged me not to worry as she had generously sprayed the stall down. Holding my breath I braved the bathroom. Later, drinking a beer on the patio, I could smell the synthetic flower in my hair. Per usual by the time I reached the bottom of the glass I was in a better mood. The puke had been hosed off from the patio and my sense of smell had adjusted to the bathroom deodorizer that chug to my garments. By that time we were convincing the entire bar to do the wave, which was completely successfully, I was in good spirits. The Slammer is not a gay bar , but It's the kind of place you can get rowdy, do the wave, puke, and inform the person after you in the bathroom you just took a shit..it's that place. read more

Slammer Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I dunno why i haven't wrote a review of this place that i've patronized for years......what's to be said that ain't already been said? Oh yeah.....don't order any of their food until your reallllllllly drunk. trust me. read more

Slammer Tavern - Matrix: Reload......okay beer reload - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This dive bar is fun and funky. I can't decide if "Slammer" refers to where you are going afterward (as in, "going to the slammer" (jail)) or what you are supposed to do with your drink (slam it) once you eventually get served. I was here just before Christmas, and they have an amazing collection of nutcrackers all lined up above the bar. The ceiling was covered with multicolored Christmas lights, which lent a festive air to the place. I wish I could say the service was better; it took for-ev-er to be served, even though it wasn't that busy. While slow, the bartenders are nice and friendly. Parking is pretty easy on the street, and it's not in a dodgy part of town, so thumbs up for that. If you're looking for a funky and fun place to grab a beer or a simple cocktail -- artisanal concoctions are not why you are here, okay? -- then check this place out. It's fun! read more

Slammer Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

After seeing this place on a Friends Facebook, I put it on my list of places to go. Imagine my surprise when our Barfly Bus took us there as one of the mystery locations! Jackpot! I was sure they'd taken their Christmas lights down and we'd have to wait until next year but the owner Lizzy (of 30 years) says "You don't take your lights down until I take my lights down!" I was thrilled for that! With the regular crowd and a school bus full of us, one drink was all the staff could handle getting us in the 30 or so minutes we were here. Our host gave us the 10 minute warning and we were about to take off when he realized we were missing 4 people. They were still in The Slammer playing Pacman. I get it. I didn't want to leave either, but we had 3 more bars to get to before midnight at our final destination. I honestly have no idea if they had food, but I didn't care. Beer was on my mind and a lovely seasonal amber was what I got. Next Christmas season, this is a place you have to drop by if you are all about Christmas lights. If you are into a really cool dive bar with an even cooler owner, swing by any time. read more

super cute and friendly staff i loved the lights all around and they had a few fun old school games

Extremely racist. My Asian and black friends of color were treated with blatant disrespect by the two bartenders (a white male with long black hair and a white female with missing teeth and bald spots). I as a gay man was also given dirty looks by the two for dancing with my boyfriend. Would not recommend for people of color or LGBTQ+ folks. read more

Thanks to Chris (aka Chris Ian), this is the best bar we found in Portland. This was one of our first stops when we made it in town and it ended up being our most frequented spot. The bartender, Chris, is so fabulous and hilarious. Although I don't drink, my friend was quite pleased with her beverages and they certainly seemed to get the job done ;] Fun crowd, great owner, great bartender, yucky boy's bathroom (don't ask), better girl's bathroom, and a removable stool... all great things. I cannot WAIT to come back!!! read more

Slammer Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Interesting dive bar that is kind of set up like a diner, with some outdoor seating. The bartender was a weird dude, who told way too long to check our IDs when my friend I were clearly at least 21 (actual ages 28 & 30). The couple at the bar next to us were three steps away from doing it on the bar, which again was odd, but whatever. There seemed to be a ton of cool local dive bars in Portland, and there wasn't anything particularly cool about this one, so I'd say 3 stars is about right. read more

Slammer Tavern - Dive Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Terrible bartenders who turn off the music that you've paid to play. I would not recommend going here.

There's something a bit off putting about a bar, when the bartender immediately changes the music on the jukebox if HE doesn't like it. As far as I knew Portland was supposed to be sooooooooo diverse and all embracing of pretty much anything and everything. Yet, if someone (me) played something other than Kendrick Lamar, or some other rap the bartender pretended to relate to, he quickly would change it. Bartender, take note, your pseudo-God complex is a major buzz kill. I mean, your job is to pour drinks, let people be social within a healthy capacity and listen to the music they PAY FOR. Like what kind of small minded person immediately changes the music on the juke box just because HE doesn't like the first 10 seconds of a song. Bartender .. if you want to be so small minded, please do it in the privacy of your own home, and listen to the Kendrick Lamar album on repeat to your heart's desire . But in the future, when people put money into the jukebox at this establishment, please don't rip them off repeatedly in order to force your own musical tastes onto everyone else. Please grow up and stick to simply pouring drinks. If you want to be a DJ then buy a turn table and some records and start doing parties. Please stop being a douche and get a new personality as soon as possible. read more

We were in a group of 10+ celebrating a friends 30th birthday last Saturday, 7/22, when we decided to go to Slammer to have a drink. I was completely turned off by the bar staff lack of friendliness, ability to acknowledge my presence as I am standing right at the bar, and for taking orders from people that were there after me. I understand a busy Saturday night but a simple "hello, I will be with you in a moment" is better than letting me stand there for nearly 15 minutes. Plus it would be helpful to hire a bar back to allow the bar tenders to actually make drinks for paying guests. Myself and many of my friends and family will not be going back. read more