Honestly, I don't know how they do it. Their food is amazing quality and fun but their prices are affordable.

I'm a big fan of their sister bar/restaurant, Old Gold, so I was eager to check this place out. It's great they chose the old dump convenience mart thing to fix up into a new neighborhood bar. The inside is nice - big and open, with a shuffleboard table along one side. I do wish they had another, or larger TV's for watching whatever game might be on. The outside patio are is also large and roomy, great for enjoying nice Portland days. The drinks are standard, and it's order at the bar service, which is fine by me. As for food, I tried the burger, which was very good. Not the best I've had in town, but solid. The rest of the menu looked good, however I was really disappointed that virtually all the other entrees are deep fried or heavy cheesy. I'm sure they're tasty, but how about a decent healthy option or two? Or gluten free options (other than the tiny snack plates) like at Old Gold? I guess what I'm getting at is that this is a great neighborhood watering hole, but not the type of place I'd have dinner at too often. read more

Tough Luck - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Met some friends here on a Tuesday evening. There was plenty of room and parking in the lot. Service was super friendly! Love the big space. I ordered the hatch chili burger and fries. The burger was yummy (she's slim but we'll balanced ...though I ended up removing some bun toward the end). The fries were so good and crunchy - I think beer battered. Would love to come back. I wanted to play shuffleboard but it was nonstop busy lol. Ah well. read more

Very tasty on draft Manhattan! Several on draft cocktails, never seen that before. Comfy booth. Cute decor. Tater tots were ace, didn't order anything else. read more

Great bar, good space, and much needed in this neighborhood. The owners are seasoned bar owners, I predict this will become a staple of the community. Back here from two years ago for their anniversary event. As I predicted in my previous review, this place has done great! Anniversary glass time! read more

I'm from out of town and stopped by Tough Luck because it was down the street from my Airbnb. The large patio space was super nice and the indoors was relaxed with TVs, music and nice air flow. I enjoyed a couple cocktails that were both unique and tasty. I snacked on the mixed olives which came with super good toasted bread. I had friendly interactions with the employees. I would definitely visit again next time I'm in town. read more

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TL has rapidly become a neighborhood institution. For reasons unknown, the new chef took the amazing Korean fusion menu (as described here in ecstatic reviews and photos) and replaced it with pub food. The Korean fried chicken bowl, pork belly/bacon fried rice has been replaced with, among other things, a huge pretzel with optional $2 cheese sauce. No offense if you love a good pretzel, but the ones at Breakside Brewery and Hopworks are better. Can you really be called a chef if you just spruce up what every bar and brewpub serves? Certainly you don't get to wear the puffy white hat. They still have an impressive bar to make a visit for drinks worthwhile, but we'll certainly be going back to Tamale Boy or the new pizza place across the street for eats. Goodbye Shrimp Chips, Kimchi Grilled Cheese, Spicy Tofu, Bánh mì...we held a memorial for the old menu the other night, over drinks. All that remains is the Sriracha...which I guess you can put on your pretzel. read more

Tough Luck - Sriracha is all that remains of the once great Korean eats that is no longer offered. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Staff is incredible. Food menu is solid and specials keep it fresh. Try a signature cocktail when they offer it.

Cool place to get a drink and watch a game at. The bartenders are super friendly and accommodating. The food here has like any Asian twist to it. The Korean pancakes had like the Chinese sausage in them and the Spicy Korean Fried Chicken Rice Bowl came with a Tom kha sauce over the rice. The drinks are tasty and bartenders are even great at making mocktails. read more

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This is our favorite weekend spot. The entire restaurant opens their walls so even indoors there is plenty of air flow. They offer plenty of outdoor seating both covered and uncovered. Their house cocktails are delicious. The front porch is a great Saturday afternoon in the sun drink. They have an excellent beer selection. Their burger is my favorite I've had in Portland! The chicken confit is also supremely delicious, however a bit heavy and rich, so be hungry when you order it. The barley bowl with green goddess dressing is also very good. Highly recommend! read more

I came here with a group of friends for a going-away party in the summer. $5 for fries is steep, as is $5 for a corn dog, but I loved the orange rind wine spritzer I ordered. It came in a champagne glass, which gave it a fancy feel. Portland is lovely in the summer so it's a great idea to have a garage door wall opening in front so you can seat yourself outside on nice days or sit inside but have an outdoor feel. Luckily, parking is still free in this side of town, so enjoy it while you can. read more

Chekin' out the new joint in the hood. Pretty excited, it looks fun! Shuffle board in the house - Whoot whoot! Most excellent outdoor space, dogs allowed (we are in Pupland after all). Giant glass garage doors for the front of the building. Several dozen high 4 tops and a plethora of booths available, as well as bar seating. Full, FULL bar, a dozen or so taps and bottle/can options too. Not sure how long they have been open, but business was hoppin! As directed, got in line and ordered at the bar. Korean inspired menu-kimchi is an ingredient in most of the dishes. We got the chicken rice bowl and the buttermilk wedge salad. Both not too shabby Looking forward to hanging in the sun and enjoying the lucky vibes! read more

Tough Luck - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Amazing location, drinks & staff. I have appreciated coming here since they opened up. Great addition to the community. read more

I am really excited to have a new bar in the neighborhood! I am hoping they they will work out the kinks, as I have many of the same complaints as others who have reviewed . I have been here twice, once on a busy Saturday, another on a quieter Tuesday. The good : great ambience, decor and location. Lots of street parking and a parking lot. Tough Luck is walkable throughout the Woodlawn neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. It looks great inside, as they honored the character of the original building, which has previously been a convenience store. Even though it was crowded, seating was easy to find . There is very nice patio seating where dogs are welcome. They have a great craft cocktail menu. Both of the drinks I ordered were great. The food we ordered was also good. The bad: the service is disappointing. They have a sign that says to order at the bar (And signs on individual tables in case you miss it) but this is easier said than done. I found it hard to get a bar tender 's attention, even when I was at the front of the line . The bar seating leaves no space. I'm 5'1" tall, so standing behind people seated at the bar meant I was too far for the bartender to see me easily. I ended having to go to the side of the bar , after I was unable to get anyone 's attention on two different occasions throughout the night. The wait for food was about 45 minutes on a,Sat night and we ordered twice. The portions are so small! The term "small bite" is literal, as in , one dish ordered was a literal bite. It was so small, it looked like play food for a doll. It's about what you can expect from a sample at Costco. We also ordered 3 plates of peppers do share. They tasted great. They brought us a tote of condiments, but no plates. I also found the food and drinks to be expensive for the size and simplicity. I expect a $10 cocktail, but not that small. Neutral : kids are allowed until 8. It's really not a place for kids. It's not fun for the kids or parents. Bottom line: this is a solid neighborhood bar with a few kinks that will hopefully be worked out soon. read more

I have seen this place a ton of times because I LOVE Tamale Boy. Love it. But I usually go for lunch and I'm not into boozing so early in the day. Well, the other day we went to watch the playoff football game (man, Bears, what a disappointment!!) Besides the volume not being on for the game (I do like listening to Chris Collins and Al Michaels, otherwise I am HAPPY for the volume to be off), this place was AWESOME. The bartender was SUPER friendly and had a good sense of humor. He came over to our table and cleared stuff off the table and also was attentive with water refills. The food was delicious! Higher end food, with prices as expected. We had the beet salad, pretzel, and wings - all were amazing. I wish that this place were right down the street and maybe had a pinball machine or two. I would go every single day and be totally okay with accepting my addiction. :) Oh, I also love the decor - super creative. read more

Tough Luck - Wow - so good! Worth it. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The cocktails were top notch, the bar tender friendly and knowledgeable. Super laid back vibes with high class drinks.

Giving it all 5, because the food and service was amazing. Not to mention that the vibe was very welcoming in here. The bartenders are friendly and very helpful with their knowledge in the selections they had. But most importantly let's chat about the food, it was finger licking BOMB. Kudos to the chefs!!!! It was sooo delicious and not heavy at all!!! Saved room for second round! I would recommend this place, it was right next to our Airbnb so it was nice for once to walk right next door to a 5 star bar/lounge. If you haven't checked out this place, bring your friends and enjoy. read more

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I've been wary about dining out during a pandemic, but for my 6 yr anny with my fiance I wanted to get out of the house. We ended up at Tough Luck - a place we'd gotten dinner + drinks at before. They had open seating outside and clear signage with instructions. After I found an open table appropriately distanced from others, we placed our order over the phone. The website was easy to use and we had no problem. Our order arrived quickly by a server wearing a mask and everything was very satisfying. Drinks were on point and the steak was phenomenal. Since we paid when we ordered online, we were able to leave whenever we finished. Overall, we felt safe and cautious while still feeling some sense of familiar normalcy. Nice job TL! read more

If I didn't live in the Woodlawn neighborhood, I'd probably give Tough Luck a (still very solid) four stars. I'm just so fucking stoked to have a great whiskey/cocktail bar in the neighborhood that, fuck it, they get five. The list of Old Fashioneds is varied and every option is tasty. Rye is my go-to, but you can get an old fashioned with Japanese whiskey, Mezcal, fuck, even gin. Yes, GIN. It's good, I promise. They're all good. They've also got a great list of seasonal cocktails and a DAILY DRINK SPECIAL, but the star of this show is the big wall of whiskey behind the bar. The whiskey selection is very good. Not a fan of liquor? Yeah yeah, they've got ten taps of well-selected beer and cider, too. The food is nothing to scoff at either. They have some good standby snacks (shrimp chips with pimento cheese, tom kha fries, lap xuong corndog) and entrees (korean fried chicken rice bowl, char siu pork belly fried rice, grilled kim cheese), but their daily specials extend to food as well. The food specials seem to rotate slightly more slowly than the drinks, but my experience has been that they have a new special at least every few days. Bartenders are friendly and they make good drinks, the food is tasty, and they've got a huge wrap-around patio. What more do you want? Oh, but fair warning: they allow kids before 8pm. read more

Tough Luck - Tiki Day special: Jungle Bird. In a real life goddamned pineapple. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Tough Luck is one of my favorite bars in Portland, and they've really approached COVID-19 safety in a thoughtful way: the expanded patio is great, the QR code / online ordering works well, and the drinks are as delightful as they ever were. Eventually it'd be nice if there was a way to leave your tab open online, but for now, there's no better place to kick back with a Negroni or a bucket of Miller High Lifes. read more

Tough Luck - Aperol Spritz & Negroni - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I've been eyeing their weekly cocktail specials on Instagram for a while, and then finally when they posted a drink I could not resist, I knew it was time to come in. What a cool place! Super friendly and helpful staff. Awesome beer selection. We were having dinner late but decided to grab a snack. We ordered the olive plate thinking it wouldn't be much for $6. Boy we were wrong. We got 4 huge slices of crusty warm italian bread and the most amazing marinated olives and pickled items. It was incredible. I cant wait to come back and try more! read more

Tough Luck - The drink that brought me in - Persimmon Whiskey Sour - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place has some good solid things on the menu but I miss the old menu that felt a little more eclectic rather than the standard pub food. I absolutely love this place in the summer, it's a cool spot to hang outside but anytime we sit inside I end up getting overstimulated. It is LOUD! even when this place is empty the acoustics are something to be addressed. There was one night it was just me and my partner and one other person in the entire bar and I felt like I was yelling and couldn't hear him at all. I've felt this way on several occasions. And they have a DJ come in on the weekends... I immediately leave when they show up otherwise you are saying goodbye to any possibility of conversation.... I mean it's a neighborhood bar... not looking for a club vibe.. The staff is always friendly and the drinks are good. I will be back in the summer months. read more

Crystal is the best, always a joy to see her. Great little bar. Great ambience and decor

The staff at Tough Luck is excellent. It is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Great Food and well-balanced drinks. Bartenders Matt, Jay, and Oliva deserve a special shout out as they are fantastic. Yo bring the Pabst Easy back though. read more

Was here on a Friday night, having a blast with my friends. The bartender (the dude with a mustache) yelled at us for having a good time (we were playing shuffleboard) we celebrated after a good shot and he came down on us pretty hard. It was a really weird situation. The bar was empty and we had been been there for a few hours!! It is frustrating to spend a ton of money there and then get yelled at for enjoying ourselves! What kind of bar is this? Don't you want your patrons to enjoy themselves? I have been there a few times and enjoyed myself, but this was weird!!!! Sidebar- Solomon is a great bartender and the only reason I would consider going back!!! There are other places in pdx... if you want to stay open you have to have better customer service! read more

Really impressed. We liked the bar before, but we've been laying low since March. Wow! Great fries, incredible burger. Staff was super nice and friendly. They do a great job to make you feel safe + normal. Husband was raving about the fries and I ate most of them with vegan ranch. Everyone wore masks and was friendly. I can't wait to go back. read more

I loved everything about this place. The decor and concept are unique and fun. The bar has an exceptional selection of liquors, as well as a good craft beer tap list offering several different styles. The staff was outgoing, knowledgeable, and friendly. The food was TOP notch... I enjoyed some of their small plates including the Kimchi and the Seaweed Salad - very nice. I then had a Spicy Korean Tofu Bowl which was exceptional. I couldn't help but finish every bite. The food is Asian fusion, and the chefs know exactly what they are doing. I would recommend this spot to anyone looking for something fun and different while visiting OR. Not to mention, that it's a neighborhood bar, so the locals must be thrilled to have them within walking distance. Thank you for the in memorable experience Tough Luck! I will be returning! read more

Tough Luck - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

5 stars for the price, quality of food, and DJ Seriously what station are you guys playing???? We paid $29 (after 20% tip) for dinner and drinks for two which is pretty cheap. I got the grilled kimcheese(had pear, cheddar and kimchi) the first half was bombbbbb but I let the other half sit a little too long (was too into the warrior trailblazer game) and it got cold and soggy which made it not so great to eat. So eat it quick when you get it! Bf got the $10 spicy chicken (or tofu) sandwich + brew combo (cheap af but only on game nights) and the sandwich was so good (prefer over grilled kimcheese) it was like a honey buffalo flavor? And it came with some type of pickled veggies which was delicious as well. The toughchalada was good and only $5 too. Super cool vibes, not too busy on a Wednesday game night, and it looks like they have a lot of diff types of alcohol on deck. Would stop by again if I'm ever in Portland, hopefully on a weekend since they also have DJs! read more

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This place is great! Creative menu, nice drinks - it's a good solution when you don't feel like eating anything in your fridge on a Tuesday night. My husband and I are always looking for easy going dinner places that serve quality beer (for him) and wine/cocktails (for me) that have more than burgers/fries on the menu. Menu here is asian fusion with a comfort food vibe. Some things are better than others but there's something for everyone with lots of fun small plates for sharing (get the shrimp chips)! IMO food is slightly overpriced - entrees hover around $13-$14/plate but if you go during happy hour you get $1 off entrees, beer and well drinks. Staff is friendly and working their butts off. We saw families w/kiddos there too so more boxes to check in the awesome category. read more

Came here during my first night in Portland and I can honestly say that I appreciate the service and venue a lot. It's in a fitting residential location, accessible as can be and the bartenders and servers are absolutely friendly. Customer service is A1. The ambience of the place was very relaxed and there was plenty of room to chill with friends. I'm not a huge fan of their food -- while I did enjoy their wings and beer battered fries, the Chinese corndog had a very off-taste compared to other Chinese sausages I've had. Alcohol here was okay though. read more

I went here on a Friday night with my boyfriend to meet up with a group of friends. It's a low key spot good for talking. They have some seating outside in front. The lighting is dim. The have mostly whiskey, bourbon, and rum cocktails. I had a Seattle Cider. We also had beer battered fries with THE BEST TURMERIC AIOLI. Definitely order an extra side of that aioli. It's bomb. read more

Tough Luck - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Some friends and I came for Last Wednesgays. It was jam packed! Literally two lines from the bar all the way out onto the sidewalk. The bartenders were keeping up as best as they could. That being said....some of the drinks were somewhat hastily made. Of the 3 drink orders my table placed 2 of them were all wrong. Missing ingredients or just made completely wrong. We didn't order any food because of the lines (you have to order food at the bar). Aside from the food and drink, the ambiance was fantastic! The indoor outdoor seating is completely functional. The bar is really organized well. Bathrooms were nice and clean. I would come here again; but definitely on a day when its way less crowded. A for effort. read more

4/5 for a great ambience, nice signature cocktails and shuffleboard for my neighborhood bar. I have yet to try the menu, so an additional review may be required. Friendly staff with great recommendations and the atmosphere has intimate lighting and a modern feel in the interior. Great patio for the summer and across the street from Tamale Boy and Hi-Wheel so you can easily spend a whole evening eating and drinking with friends at these neighborhood establishments. read more

This restaurant is listed as checking vaccine status on Eater PDX. We went there this weekend and they only asked about vaccine status when I asked if they wanted proof. They did not ask my companions for any proof. They should not be listed as requiring proof of vaccination. read more

Great place to hang out and get some drinks. We really enjoyed the ambiance, especially the ouija board wall. We loved their old fashion options and the happy our prices! The food is nothing to write home about but better than your typical pub food. We tried the Mac and cheese and the chicken pot pie. The pot pie could have been flakier. The bottom was pretty doughy. We'll be back to try their other cocktails soon! read more

Love this place. I commend them for all their Covid-19 protocols. Regardless of the pandemic...a great bar ambience, friendly / professional staff that understands the neighborhood and the food is great - highly recommend the hanger steak and carrot puree, tater wedges and broccoli. Shuffle board and awesome patio for the win! read more

For a bar, this place has amazing food. The bartender, I think his name was Andrew?, I might be wrong, was awesome. Made an amazing Japanese old fashioned. We got the fries and I followed it up with the pork belly ramen. Great ramen, and I'm always looking for a great ramen place. read more

Tough Luck - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best chicken bowl I've had in Portland, or anywhere for that matter. Husband enjoyed he Texas toast grilled cheese (stole a bite = thumbs up!) Friendly, quick staff, and excellent shuffle board with a light up scoreboard you control with little toggle nobs (although I would have enjoyed shuffleboard a little more if I won...haha!). read more

Tough Luck - Shuffleboard with light up score board you control! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Stopped in here for a drink and a meal (a short walk from our Airbnb across the block). Super friendly service, and a shockingly large selection of bourbons and well priced cocktails. Bartenders are experienced and helpful. This is a fun joint full of great conversation. Be sure to get a dealer's choice old fashioned! All the food is scratch fresh and well priced. They also have a nitro Manhattan on tap! read more

So there's a Huge sign above the Shuffleboard table when you walk in that bears the name of the bar and what I assume is what they pride themselves on. Sez "Tough Luck -Stiff Drinks- Square Food". Well I haven't had the food but I'm guessing it's "round" Bcuz the drinks are the exact opposite of stiff and that depends on the bartender that pours it for you but never strong. Been there 4 times and YET to have a "stiff" drink. Not McMenamins weak but not far behind. Lame. Eh yo Tough Luck.... Change the sign or start pouring a drink like your closest neighbors! Disda hood after all! Ha Sincerely, A guy who would frequent the place but won't waste my money on the drinks. Maybe the food? ahhh Rollin the dice..... read more