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Start a Top 5 for Dive BarsEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Portland Monthly. Updated July 2026.
Yamhill Pub · Downtown
Yamhill Pub has operated downtown since 1934, and Portland Monthly calls it about as divey as Portland gets, a relic of a grimier era with wall graffiti as part of the draw. It has outlasted most of its contemporaries and remains a benchmark for the city's classic dive scene.
Reel M Inn · Southeast Division
Reel M Inn is a dark, no-frills bar known nationally for fried chicken cooked to order from a single fryer, which can mean a long wait. Portland Monthly notes the wait is part of the ritual, and the chicken is widely considered worth it at this Southeast Division mainstay.
Jerry's Tavern · Northwest District
Jerry's Tavern in the Northwest District closes earlier than most dives, but Portland Monthly singles out its food as unusually good for the category, calling out Buffalo wings, fried cheese curds, and sliders. It is an option for drinkers who also want a real bar-food menu.
Slim's Restaurant & Lounge · St. Johns
Slim's has been open since 1911 and keeps its diner-style tile flooring intact, per Portland Monthly, alongside a food menu the guide calls above average for a dive. It is one of the oldest continuously operating bars in the St. Johns neighborhood.
Ship Ahoy Tavern · Eastmoreland
Ship Ahoy Tavern has run since the 1940s in a cramped space Portland Monthly notes is popular with Reed College students and other neighbors. Its longevity and unpretentious layout make it a reliable stop for a classic Portland dive experience near Reed.