This is a good reliable liquor store in a nice part of town. This is one of the few spots in portland where I would feel safe leaving my nice jacket in the car while I run inside real quick to grab something. This liquor store is a little crammed on the inside but the staff is friendly and helpful and they have everything you could need. It's also in a convenient location right next to multiple resteraunts, grocery stores and even a hair saloon. read more

See all

I've been a loyal customer at Uptown for over 15 years. I'm a home owner, tax payer and spend money within the Goose-hollow area. I had the terrible position of either buying from the heavyset male cashier, Greg, or go elsewhere. I have never said more than a " thank you" to this animal. I came in last week and put my merchandise on the counter and he picked it up and yelled at me that " he wasn't selling to me". I walked out thinking WTF just happened? So I try again last Saturday to buy Vodka and I walk in at about 11:00. The place was was packed. I get two steps inside and the same very large tattooed man, Greg, yells across the room that he won't be serving me today. I was shocked and so very embarrassed. I walk to the back to see if the owner was in. He came outside and buy this time I'm in tears. The owner gives me a song and dance routine. He says there is obviously a problem here and get what you need this morning but you should start going to 10th Ave. Please do not give your money to this place. Please. There are obvious mental health issues with this Greg cashier man. Greg yelled and screamed at me for the last time. BTW I was told by several employees after the first incident to just come in on his days off and try to ignore him. Greg, you need help. The owner needs to take a class on how to resolve conflict. Several poor reviews about Greg and his erratic behavior read more

Try hiring people that a) acknowledge people when they're being spoken to b) have some resemblance of a personality. Will never come back again. If you are requiring card and not cash. POST A SIGN. read more

Apart from the fact that its very conveniently located for us , what brings us back here again and again is the good service however that has changed in the past few months . I loved the old staff , who were super friendly and very good with recommendations and suggestions . This place is very well stocked and has some great variety. I have often bought more than what I needed just because I saw something unique here .They do store mixers and small sample bottles of a few things as well. The prices are not crazy like a few other shops in Downtown. If you had been looking for something specific , chances are they might just have it . read more

I live in California, and was trying to find ways to buy a special bottle of Capel Pisco that is shaped like the Moai statue on Easter Island as a gift for my friends, who live in Portland. I couldn't get anything shipped or delivered to them. I spoke with Connor at Uptown Liquor, and he was super helpful in finding the bottle, and completing the purchase for me over the phone. I wasn't exactly sure what day they would be able to pick it up, as I sent them a surprise gift with a note about where to pick up the bottle. Connor put their names on it, and confirmed that it would be ready for them whenever they stopped by. I super appreciate all the help! read more

I like the way Yelp asks me what keeps me coming back to a business. In this case, like duh, booze. That's right, I like my booze. I would buy my booze by the tanker load if I could. But really, where would I store all that liquor in a small studio? The folks here are always super nice and helpful. If what I'm after is not on the shelf, they are quick to offer their assistance by checking back stock. They are happy to offer recommendations and have a pretty decent selection of boozy goodness to choose from. Another nice thing is that everything is out in the open so you can pick up and inspect any bottle you like. It's not like the downtown liquor stores where all the liquor is out of reach behind unwelcoming counters. From time to time, I have had the good fortune to arrive when vendors are offering tastings. I've tried some good stuff here on several occasions. If you're in the neighborhood of downtown this is a prefect place to get your liquor needs met. Oh, and bonus points because they have a parking lot. 2015 - Review # 69 read more

Nice Staff. Ruthie, cashier, has been there 20+ years. Parking lot is pain. Staff will be eager to help. read more

Uptown Liquor - Vodka & Gin sampling - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

If I could give them a zero I would. They had a bottle of scotch clearly marked with a big pink tag was on sale for $99. Was formerly $119. When I placed it on the counter the man says "that's $119 please" I pointed to his sign and said it says here $99? He went to the shelf ripped the tag off the shelf and mumbled something about distributors and tags. Then rudly says "you want it ?" I said no you are advertising it for 99 dollars. He said " no 119 I can't sell it to at that price. I left and will probably never return guess I didn't have enough tattoos for the guy. read more

They always have the obscure liquor that I need for special recipes. A fun place to shop for alcohol.

The guy that works here with the mustache is super rude & sexist. I came here with a group of my girl friends that are all in our late 20s. I was the person buying the alcohol and he said he scanned one of my friends Id and said that it says she's under 21 but she is 24 years old!!!! He totally profiled us and had no valid reason to treat us in such a manner. He wouldn't sell us the alcohol and was super rude to us! He sucks! I'm never going here again and I do not support this store. read more

5 stars alone just for the fact that they carry Leblon cachaça here so I can happily make caipirinhas at home. When I moved here from San Francisco last week, I brought my only bottle of liquor which happened to be Leblon and I was worried that once I ran out, I wouldn't find it anywhere here. So let me get this straight, I learned that here in OR, you can only purchase liquor from liquor stores only (I must say that I was pretty weirded out not to find costco sized 1.75 liter bottles of booze at Costco or regular ol' liquor at Safeway or Trader Joe's here) but are they all behind the counter? I like that this store (as tiny as it is) has a good selection of liquor (including absinthe). I was able to find exactly what I was looking for and even picked up a bottle of 12 Bridges gin just because it's a local Portland gin and since I live here now, why the hell not? (plus it's in a really pretty bottle!) read more

Ta-Dow Bitches - Liquor Paradise! I don't know what's keeping me from giving this place that last star, but in good faith I cant for what ever reason. I mean they even have free 1-hour parking which is a huge plus for anything in downtown...I think it's because I've been to the mountain top (BevMo) and there is no turning back. Since Oregon insists on raining on my alcohol parade by not letting me buy my liquor and beer at the same place, Uptown Liqueur will suffice. I mean I shouldn't hold it against them for following the law...but I do...that 5th star is reserved for rule breaking. read more

Oof. Best liquor store in Portland? Do we only have like 3 liquor stores then? Honestly, what the hell? This place is smaller than my apartment, located in a dank corner of a strip-mall, has staff that mostly seemed too young to drink themselves, and prices that are pretty much dead-on par for the course. Now, that being said, they had plenty of booze and it WILL get you drunk. I have nothing against this place, but I seriously can't imagine a more run-of-the-mill liquor store. I guess dodging the WA taxes is a big plus, but it's hard to do real comparison since I've never lived there. I thought those 2DaysInSeattle billboards were promoting a new horror movie. If we're going to get into state comparisons...pick any from the tri-state area and a liquor store like this would be considered so pedestrian it's not even worth a review. There are liquor stores of this caliber or better practically every 2 blocks. In Jersey there's a state-wide chain called Joe Canals...literally 20-30x the size of this store with ninja staff writing their own mini-reviews of local wines and liquors tapped below the product with tastings and entire aisles full of drinking accessories from martini glasses to ice picks. Again, not saying that Uptown Shopping Center Liquor is BAD, but it is what it is. If this is the best liquor store in PDX then we are officially D-league in liquor retail. Alright, back to drinking. read more

Really awesome liquor store in a great location. Parking is a pain in the a**, but it's 23rd - what can you do? Excellent selection of local and hard-to-find alcohols, great staff, exceptionally reasonable pricing. My new go-to liquor store in Portland. read more

ALL LIQUOR STORES ARE NOT THE SAME. Uptown may seem like a small strip mall liquor store with barely anything to offer, but that's not true! IT IS THE BEST LIQUOR STORE in the Portland area because it provides liquor to most of the restaurants and bars in Portland. What does this mean to the liquor enthusiast? YOU CAN ASK FOR JUST ABOUT ANY KIND OF LIQUOR AND THEY HAVE IT! Ever tried Lazzaroni's Amaretti di Saronno? Tastes as good as their cookies. Ever made martinis with Crater Lake Hazelnut Epresso Vodka? YUM! Go to this liquor store, tell them you are looking for a particular taste and they will give you some great options! read more

They have Root Beer Schnapps here! This will help with my root beer float cupcakes I'm making. The old gal in at the register is always nice and always takes out her glasses to peer at my I.D. read more

Constantly hoards bottles for restaurants and bars despite OLCC rules. Consistently shows bottles in stock, only to give to restaurants and bars. Hope somebody reports them. Just go and search for any harder to find bottle - they always show a stock, sometimes 6-7 bottles but will never sell you, the average joe. read more

As a Seattle-ite, I really enjoy crossing the border to do a little shopping. Especially with the phenomenal liquor taxes in WA! Parking wasn't a problem for me, but I was here during the day on a weekday, so take that into consideration. Coming to a place with helpful service, great selection, amazing prices, and exceptional browse-abillity like the Uptown makes shopping for your annual selection of 3 boxes of liquor one of the best possible experiences, to boot! I got an amazing selection of big bottles, fancy liqueurs, specialty whiskies, and more for under $1000...which is not something you can even say is possible up in Seattle. Make sure the trunk is empty, kids, I'll be back next year! PS. Kids, do not drink alcohol, it's illegal if you're under 21 :P PPS. I tried the Moonstruck Oregon Distillers chocolate box, as well, and am loving that it's available on Amazon as well as from Uptown, considering the likelihood of me returning to Uptown anytime soon to get these amazing sweets! read more

They said they would do a special order for me. Took my name and phone number and order. Never ordered it. Wentvin today and when I asked if they were out of Dubonet, which i have been buying there for 2 years, they just said "we dont carry it anymore." No explanation. They just don't care. I have been a regular customer for 4 years. I won't be back. read more

BEST. LIQUOR. STORE. In Portland. No. Scratch that. Best store in Oregon. Largest selection of Grappa here is especially what brings me back. Where other stores may have one or two- Uptown has at least a dozen. And a knowledgeable, friendly staff. Keep rockin it! read more

I had a berry liqueur at a party and loved it, but couldn't remember the name of the berry or the liqueur later. When I went to Uptown Shopping Center Liquor Store to buy a bottle, I just remembered that it was made of berries, had the most intense deep ruby color, tasted like liquid summer sun and that it was in a tall green bottle with a silver smallish label. Pretty lame, huh? The very nice lady didn't think it was lame at all. Without batting an eye, she walked right over to the liqueur, picked up the bottle, put it in my hands, and I was just in heaven. She agreed it was pretty damn wonderful. Oh yes, it's Marionberry Liqueur out of Hood River Vineyards. It's not just this knowledge of their liquor stock or instantly helping out in a super friendly way, it's also the cleanliness of the store and its light and brightness. The store feels safe as well. Some of the liquor stores in town are truly creepy if not seedy. I've been in one that frightened me enough that I walked out after being in the store for just a couple of minutes and without purchasing anything. Anyhow, I've driven to this location for several years just because I like it and don't want to go elsewhere. It's frosting on the cake that I live within walking distance now. Give it a try some time. You'll see the difference instantly. read more

Great selection of liquor and a good amount of it on hand. Very friendly staff who are more than willing to assist you. Much better than the liquor store on sw 10th ave. The only downside is that they are slightly more expensive than the pearl specialty liquor store. read more

I'm so torn between a 4 and a 5 star review! This place is fantastic, Ruthie is a doll, and their liqueurs section is a bit of a dream. It's super safe feeling inside, and probably my favorite liquor store in Portland that I've been to. They have grain alcohol for my limoncello and liqueur making needs, and the prices overall are quite fair. :) Sometimes they do free tastings too. read more

Friendly staff (especially Ruth, who's a real gem). Good selection. Nice to be able to walk up and look at all the bottles (instead of straining to see them behind a counter). Very important to me (as I walk with Zoey most days and like to run my errands when possible) is that they are dog-friendly. More than that, they keep dog treats behind the counter. Easily one of Zoey's favorite spots! read more

This is my neighborhood (across the street) liquor store. I think it might actually be the only one I've been to in Oregon. I used to get carded every time, now I get an apology from the cashier (owner??) whenever a new guy cards me. (Somehow this is infinitely better than the Freddie's employee who says "It's ok, I carded you yesterday.") Sometimes they have in-store samples, and they always have Jameson, what more can I say? read more

I've been a customer of the Uptown Center Liquor Store for almost 20 years snd I used to love the place! Service was impeccable, the staff was knowledgeable and courteous (Ruthie comes to mind). I don't know what happened to it, but now the staff is rude and almost scary in both looks and demeanor. One heavily tattooed and pierced guy stands out for his brusque behavior and attitude and other staff is not much better. Ruthie, who worked there for almost 12 years, left partly because of him and I have had enough of his treatment myself. Last time there, I asked to talk to a manager and was told he wasn't there. When I asked when he might be back, I got an icy stare and no response. I will not frequent this establishment any longer unless management makes a change in its employees. Edit: please check the dates of other reviews. This place used to be great! Sadly, things have changed drastically! read more

I think this is one of the best liquor stores in Portland. Great selection, friendly service and easy parking. One of the main reasons my BF and go here is because of their great Grappa selection - they have more than any other liquor store in the area. I would highly recommend this place. read more

Unfortunately I had a bad experience here. I came in with a group of friends, all women in our mid to late twenties, and as one of us tried to purchase alcohol he rudely said he needed all of our IDs. We obliged. The first ID he took he didn't scan. Then he took my friend's ID (a CA license). She is short and has a young face. He scanned it, and said she was under 21. She's 24 and her license reflected her DOB. He got flustered as we calmly asked him to check our other IDs and refused to do so or sell to us. I understand that the system may have had an error, but feel that he could have handled the situation better and made a better judgment call had he checked the rest of our IDs. Will not come here again or support this business. read more

Uptown almost certainly has the best liquor selection in Portland and quite possibly in the state. As Paolina T noted this is because they supply most of the better bars, hotels and restaurants downtown. Huge selection of single malts, bourbons, Irish whiskey -- even vodka for those afraid of real booze. The staff has always been exceptionally helpful and friendly (and encouraged me to bring in my dog). read more

i'm gonna go ahead and join the cavalcade of glowing reviews of uptown liquors, and it's NOT just because it's pretty much the only game in town for me. (seriously, portland, get it together! i moved from san francisco, where you can get liquor ANYWHERE, and i am SPOILED!). uptown has an amazing selection, multiple price points, ample room and space for browsing, a great, helpful, sociable staff, and some cool "novelty" attractions. yes, i can admit that i like to just LOOK at really really ridiculously expensive liquor sometimes. anyway, i digress. uptown rules. they even have other booze friends in ample stock, like cherries, olives, bitters, and mixers. PLUS they carry choice selections from distillery row- hot monkey, i'm a-lookin at you! i make gourmet edible cocktails (read: jello shots) as a hobby, and they have everything i could ever want for my test kitchen. AND, to top it all off as an added bonus for a dog-mom, they always give my tiny one treats when i bring her in for a shopping spree. i've never ever had a bad experience here! read more

A long overdue review. I gave up drinking spirits, Jan. 1st 2014 actually Dec. 31st, 2013. So my review is based on before 2014 . Corner store in the Uptown Shopping center. Lots of parking, Great selections! Helpful Staff esp. RED :) read more

Not nearly as expansive as a BEVMO but this is surely a liquor store worth going too if you are in need of such beverages. There is a great selection of almost every kind of alcohol you could want with pretty much every budget in mind. They accept credit cards, the selection is not behind the counter, and there were enough customers in there on one fine saturday afternoon to make it's good style speak for itself. read more

They rock. Thanks guys. Always helping out when they can. Thy really take care of their neighbors. Great people.

They have what I want, and the staff is really nice. I hate needing to deal with a liquor store to get a bottle, but I can't complain about Uptown. A great, knowledgeable staff, good selection, and good prices. What can I complain about? read more

At least it has been in the past. The store is changing hands. Ruthie has been a great asset. I hope that she is not replaced in the transition. read more

Stay away. Poor customer service and care. We have been long time customers and today they finally blew it. They have a "policy" that they decided was more important than caring for a good customer. I grabbed the wrong wine for my wife, I was out of the store for minutes at most, they just checked me out and they wouldn't exchange it for the right flavor. My fault I grabbed the wrong one, but it wasn't like I was a one time customer, I am a member of their "frequent buyer club". No more. We went there due to proximity to our house even though they are overpriced. Now we will plan and buy elsewhere, somewhere where they care about the customer. read more