The Yamhill Pub

In a word: wow. This is a dive. I mean really a dive. Not a Portland kinda dive, a real, honest to goodness dive bar. The kind where you fear for your life a little – from the other patrons, from getting diseases from the glassware, from the neighborhood characters milling about the door of Yamhill Pub.

Dark, shotgun-shack style space with graffiti on every surface (and not the stylized, well-heeled artsy stuff either). Small, maybe 10 stools at the bar plus some crappy tables and chairs. Dirty. Industrial strength cleaner smells assault the nostrils. Unfriendly but not necessarily unwelcoming. The bartender was pretty nosy actually. Maybe he doesn’t get many outsiders coming in and the regulars we saw were anything but chatty.

Full bar and an eclectic mix of taps including everything from PBR to Pono. Décor is not much, save for 2 plaques proudly displayed citing this establishment as top PBR volume sales achiever for 2012 and 2016. Extensive VHS video library which seemed to be the extent of entertainment on offer save for a jukebox and a pinball machine. They take cards, but an ATM machine is also on premises. Prices are provided as an unsolicited courtesy verbal warning upon delivery of drinks.

Paraphrasing the words of our wise bartender – food at Yamhill Pub is provided for legal purposes only and is not recommended for actual consumption. That being said, I still had to restrain my husband from ordering a hot dog to fulfill some kind of internal dare he gave himself. Or maybe death wish.

Address: 223 Sw Yamhill St Portland – [Google Maps]

 Quadrant: Southwest, Downtown 

Happy Hours: 10am-4pm and 4-8pm (different deals)

 Full kitchen: Hahahaha, no

Jalapeno Poppers: No

Breakfast: Nope

Outdoor Seating: If you include curb seating

Distinguishing features: A real deal dive bar

Words by KC Shomler Author of Falling Out of Love With My Career

Photos by Steven Shomler

Website Wizardry by Arthur Breur