Olivia Bucks, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In a city like Portland, the places we hang out with friends play a big role in defining who we are. And when favorite places go away, their absence tugs at our heartstrings.

Earlier this year, we took a nostalgic look back at Portland neighborhood bars and cocktail spots that had faded into history. They included legendary spots like downtown's Sydney's, where there was live music and singing bartenders back in its 1950s heyday, modern spots like Northwest Portland's cocktail spot Brazen Bean, as well as dive bars like North Portland's famously grungy Blow Fly Inn.

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Readers immediately chimed in with more favorite watering holes that they missed. They included spots like downtown's legendary blues bar The Candlelight Room and Southwest Portland's stagecoach-stop turned roadhouse The Tillicum.

OK, enough crying into our beers. Yes, these beloved bars may be gone. But Portland still has plenty of great drinking spots where the there's spirited banter, frosty glasses and new memories being made every day. Here's a look at some of our favorite bars that are alive and kicking.

Don't Edit

Huber's Café

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

With apologies to alphabetical organization, any tour of Portland venerable watering holes rightly ought to begin at downtown's Huber's Café, the city's oldest restaurant and bar, which has been in operation since 1879. It's known for its turkey dinners, but the real reason people head here is the signature Spanish coffee, which waiters make tableside with flair (and flare -- the drinks are set on fire before serving).

The connection between the turkey and drinks goes back to the bar's early days, before it moved to its current location in 1910. At the original spot, drinks came with a free turkey sandwich -- an effort to keep dock workers from overdoing it. During Prohibition, the menu expanded to keep the business afloat. It wasn't until the 1970s that the place became known for the rum, Kahlua and coffee concoction.

411 S.W. Third Ave.

Don't Edit

The Alibi

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This North Interstate Avenue tiki-themed bar catches your eye long before you set foot inside. The Alibi features one of Portland's most-distinctive neon signs, featuring illuminated torches and cocktail glasses.

It opened in 1947, when post-war America was fixated on Polynesian culture. In Portland, that fascination could be seen in places like Kon-Tiki and Trader Vic's restaurants, but the lone survivor from that era is this popular karaoke spot.

Don't Edit

Jamie Hale, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Once inside, the tiki theme continues, with murals depicting tropical scenes, and surfing bric-a-brac scattered throughout. While bartenders mix up Mai Tais and Rum Runners, karaoke singers belt out everything from Pearl Jam's "Jeremy" to the Dolly Parton/Kenny Rogers duet "Islands in the Stream."

Want to sing? The microphones are waiting from 9 p.m. to close seven days a week.

4024 N. Interstate Ave.

Don't Edit

The Ambassador Restaurant & Lounge

Don't Edit

Olivia Bucks, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Karaoke is also king at The Ambassador Restaurant & Lounge, a Rose City Chinese restaurant at Northeast 47th Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, where the mics are open nightly. In this 2009 photo, Ben Amundson, left, and Ryan Lawrence choose their karaoke songs on a computer

4744 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

Don't Edit

Billy Ray's Neighborhood Dive

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

For almost two decades, Billy Ray's Neighborhood Dive has been living up to its name. Housed in a historic building on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard that's been a string of taverns for more than seven decades, this is a place for grabbing inexpensive pints on Rainier, trivia nights, and picking tunes from a great jukebox.

2216 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Don't Edit

Cassidy's Restaurant and Bar

Don't Edit

Michael Russell, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Heading to a show at the Crystal Ballroom? Come early and grab a bite and a drink at this West End bar. Cassidy's has been mixing up cocktails since 1979, and the vibe is classy, with dark-wood paneling and an ornate bar. There are two happy hours daily (4-6 p.m., and 10 p.m.-2 a.m.), where you can indulge in pork belly ramen or a hefty cheeseburger on a brioche bun. Pair it with an old-school drink like the New Orleans classic Sazerac.

1331 S.W. Washington St.

Don't Edit

The Cider Mill Restaurant & Lounge

Don't Edit

Joel Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Cider Mill and its sister restaurant Fryer Tuck Chicken have been serving Portlanders since the 1920s. The food is a mix of bar fare -- chicken tenders, nachos, burgers -- but the real draw is the neighborhood vibe, along with karaoke and live music.

This 1987 photo shows bartender Gary Martin of the Cider Mill serving Maria Howard of Renner's after the two were inducted into the Bartenders Hall of Fame for their community service.

6712 S.W. Capitol Hwy.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The Driftwood Room

Don't Edit

Melanie Conner, Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

When the 1912 Mallory Hotel was converted into the Hotel deLuxe in 2006. Portlanders had one big worry: Would the new owners get the retro vibe of the Driftwood Room and leave it alone, or would the ruin it by giving it an update? Fortunately, the bar's dark lighting, brick-backed bar and wood finishes were kept intact, and the Driftwood Room remains one of the coolest places in town to grab a cocktail.

The atmosphere evokes the 1950s and '60s, and it's easy to imagine Don Draper sipping a martini here while visiting Portland on business.

729 S.W. 15th Ave., inside the Hotel deLuxe

Don't Edit

The Florida Room

Don't Edit

Beth Nakamura, The Oregonian/OregonLive

When it's cocktail time and you're craving a Bloody Mary, there's only one serious choice: North Portland's The Florida Room. Ease into one of the retro booths and survey the Church of the Bloody Mary menu, with the classic combo of tomato juice and vodka taking some interesting twists. With a light nibble of Pigs in a Blanket or some zesty fries, it should hold you over until dinnertime.

435 N. Killingsworth St.

Don't Edit

Higgins Restaurant and Bar

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Before this Southwest Broadway restaurant became Higgins in the 1990s, it was home to the hard-boiled, old-Portland Broadway Inn, a bar that was famous for its murals, stiff drinks and strippers.

Traces of the old place still exist in the Higgins bar, though polish has replaced the grit. This is a popular spot for pre-theater drinks, and the house burger has a much-deserved legendary status.

1239 S.W. Broadway

Don't Edit

Holman's Bar & Grill

Don't Edit

Marv Bondarowicz, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Holman's Bar & Grill has been a popular spot for pinball, pool and cold brews since the 1930s. The bar, which sits at the crossroads of the Kerns, Laurelhurst and Buckman neighborhoods, started out as a workingman's lunch counter, then turned into a bar with the repeal of Prohibition. It was renamed Holman's in the 1970s, and its popularity with both neighborhood regulars and hipsters hasn't waned.

During the morning, the menu features hangover helpers like chicken fried steak, and the happy hour menu has some crazy deals, like hamburgers sliders with fries for just $4.25. During weekend brunch, there's a Bloody Mary bar where you can customize your elixir with unique hot sauces and condiments. Don't forget to spin the wheel to see if your meal is on the house.

15 S.E. 28th Ave.

Don't Edit

Joe's Cellar

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

In the last few years, the north end of Northwest 21st Avenue has been undergoing a transformation from a gritty industrial area to an upscale home of new apartment buildings and restaurants. But Joe's Cellar keeps the neighborhood's blue-collar roots alive in classic dive-bar fashion.

The restaurant and its adjacent bar have been open since the early 1940s (though it closed briefly in 2013 to correct structural problems that had weakened part of the 110-year-old building), and in its early years catered to dock workers. In recent years, it's become a haven for pool players, hipsters, and people looking for seriously strong drinks.

In 1998, The Oregonian's Bob Hicks captured the essence of Joe's Cellar: "JC's is the kind of place that's built into the cultural chromosome pool: If you're American, you know this kind of joint when you're still in the womb. Fake-wood paneling burnished by years of smoke and grease. A waitress everyone knows, slipping over to splash a refill in your cup and then going back behind the bar to light a cigarette."

This photo shows patrons in 2008, before Oregon's indoor smoking ban went into effect. Before the ban, Joe's Cellar was one of the nightspots that was popular with smokers. Today, the air may be clear, but you can still see smoke stains in some of the bar's ceiling tiles.

1332 N.W. 21st Ave.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Kelly's Olympian

Don't Edit

Kraig Scattarella, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This popular downtown bar has been around since 1902. The name Kelly's Olympian references the bar's early days, when it was the place for getting beer from Washington's Olympia Brewing Company. During the day, it's a popular lunch spot with downtown workers looking for hefty burgers and sandwiches. At night, it's a popular live music and DJ venue.

Kelly's underwent some big changes around the turn of the Millennium, when a shoeshine stand and smoke shop that were at the front of the bar were removed, allowing more natural light in during the day.

This 1985 photo shows longtime bartender Fred Hutchins setting up a round of drinks.

426 S.W. Washington St.

Don't Edit

The Low-brow Lounge

Don't Edit

Joel Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The unassuming Low Brow Lounge arrived in the then-evolving Pearl District in 1998, and was an instant hit with hip, young people who liked its cocktails, killer happy hour deals, and addictive tater tots.

Somehow, the Low-brow has managed to ride out the Pearl's gentrification. Over the last two decades, the Northwest Hoyt Street bar has seen the neighborhood around it go from low-brow to upscale, but the lounge's vibe remains decidedly divey. It's a nice reminder of what the Pearl was like before high-rise condos and trendy boutiques took over.

1036 N.W. Hoyt St.

Don't Edit

Lutz Tavern

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Doug Beghtel, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Woodstock neighborhood's Lutz Tavern has been around since 1947, though it closed briefly in 2010 before opening the next year under new ownership. According to lore, Lutz was the first Portland bar to serve dirt-cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon beer in cans, long before it became cool.

Upon reopening, Lutz was spruced up a bit, and featured a pub menu featuring wings, burgers and a spicy corn dog made with jalapeno batter.

4639 S.E. Woodstock Blvd.

Don't Edit

McAnulty & Barry's

Don't Edit

Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

When Oregon City's McAnulty & Barry's tavern opened in 1923, it catered only to men. It was owned by Art McAnulty and Tommy Barry, who kept the bar going even during Prohibition, when it relied on pool tables and ice cream sundaes to keep people coming in. McAnulty died in 1939, but Barry kept it running.

In this photo from the early 1940s, Barry held out a sign for thirsty customers: "No Beer." It was not uncommon for taverns to run out during World War II.

The bar didn't allow women until after Barry died in 1972, and it didn't hire a woman to work there until 1975.

The bar has moved several times before landing in its current location in 2015, and it continues to be a popular spot for playing pool. It's considered Oregon City's longest-running business.

820 Main St., Oregon City

Don't Edit

My Father's Place

Don't Edit

Beth Nakamura, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The Southeast Grand Avenue bar My Father's Place has been dishing up hearty plates of biscuits and gravy and chicken fried steak since 1978, when the Industrial Eastside was still very much an industrial area, and not today's neighborhood of trendy restaurants and upscale coffee roasters.

My Father's Place has long been a favorite with local musicians, and the late Elliott Smith was a regular here before his solo career took off in the late-1990s. But the biggest draw of the restaurant/bar is its long hours -- it's open 365 days a year, and is closed daily just for the 3-1/2 hour stretch between 2:30 and 6 a.m., making it popular with graveyard shift workers in the morning, and rabble-rousers late at night.

523 S.E. Grand Ave.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Nick's Famous Coney Island

Don't Edit

Benjamin Brink, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The iconic Hawthorne District bar Nick's Famous Coney Island was opened by Nick Carlascio in 1932, who sold it to Frank Nudo in 1960. Nudo, who had worked there for a few years, vowed that he wouldn't change the no-frills business, and over more than four decades he kept the menu simple, the portions large, and the banter friendly. Under Nudo's ownership, Nick's became legendary for fully loaded hot dogs, beer, and political and sports talk with a parade of Oregon politicians, local athletes and celebrities, and everyday working men.

After Nudo sold Nick's to new owners in 2008, they closed it for seven months to give it a deep cleaning and some equipment updates. When the restaurant reopened the next year, Nudo's legacy was honored with Frank Nudo day, which gave longtime customers a chance to wish him well and see how he was doing.

Don't Edit

Benjamin Brink, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Local artist Nene Bradley painted a portrait of Nudo in 1977, which featured a distinctive handlebar mustache he wore that the time, along with the label "Coney King." The portrait still hangs in the restaurant.

Nudo passed away last year at 83. Appropriately, a celebration of his life was held at the bar.

3746 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.

Don't Edit

Nob Hill Bar & Grill

Don't Edit

Donald Wilson, The Oregonian

Known by the nickname The Nobby, the Nob Hill Bar & Grill has been a Northwest Portland neighborhood fixture for more than six decades.

In 2004, The Oregonian captured the atmosphere: "Located anywhere else in town, 'The Nobby' would just be called a great dive, but because it's on swank Northwest 23rd Avenue, it must be dubbed a fabulous one. The pub is a mealtime hideaway for hamburger-hungry neighbors and Good Sam hospital staff. And after the first visit you pretty much get used to hearing a guy in green scrubs order the Hit and Run (a quarter-pound patty with chili, cheese and onions)."

And patrons are loyal, even when the lights go out. In this 1979 photo, Nob Hill-goers sip beer and wine by candlelight after a power outage darkened Northwest Portland and other parts of the city.

937 N.W. 23rd Ave.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Reel 'M Inn

Don't Edit

Oregonian/OregonLive file photo

Southeast Division Street has undergone quite the transformation in the last decade, with big apartment buildings and trendy restaurants turning the once-gritty street into an upscale (and parking-challenged) destination. By some miracle, the divey Reel 'M Inn has survived, and continues serving its famous fried chicken and jojos.

The tavern's survival wasn't always certain. Last year, it looked like the bar might shutter when its lease expired at the end of this year. But the building's new owners ditched redevelopment plans and have vowed to keep the bar intact. Division need to hold onto what's left of its old-Portland realness.

2430 S.E. Division St.

Don't Edit

RingSide Steakhouse

Don't Edit

Fredrick D. Joe, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Portland's famous RingSide Steakhouse has been one of the city's top dining destinations since 1944. But for many people, the big draw is its incredible bar, where you feel like you're a part of history with every sip of a dry martini. Sports memorabilia adorns the walls, and a seat at the sunken bar is a perfect place for people watching.

Deal alert: The daily happy hour from 9:30 p.m. to closing time (plus 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays) is one of the best deals in town, with dishes like steak bites, steamed mussels, clam strips and beef meatballs going for less than $5 a pop.

2165 W. Burnside St.

Don't Edit

The Sandy Hut

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The same folks who own The Alibi have also preserved the Northeast Sandy Boulevard dive bar The Sandy Hut, which presses on while the area around it undergoes gentrification. The walls feature a restored mural by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld, depicting American pop culture icons like the Marx Brothers and Frank Sinatra enjoying drinks.

In 2015, the bar got an extensive remodel that removed paneling that covered windows, allowing more light in during the daytime.

1430 N.E. Sandy Blvd.

Don't Edit

Shanghai Tunnel

Don't Edit

Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The underground Old Town bar Shanghai Tunnel has an almost dungeon-like feel, with glowing lanterns meant to evoke the early Portland era when underground tunnels were home to all sorts of criminal enterprise. The bar mixes up Asian-themed cocktails with names like Crouching Tiger that pay homage to martial arts films.

In this 2008 photo, people take advantage of the bar's outdoor seating, where there's prime people watching during nice weather. It's neighboring bar, Berbati's, alas is no more.

211 S.W. Ankeny St.

Don't Edit

Skyline Tavern

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Talk about living up to a name! Skyline Tavern sits atop the West Hills in a wooden saloon space that's been attracting people for more than 80 years. It's a popular post-hike spot for visitors to nearby Forest Park, and offers dramatic views of the Coast Range on clear days.

New owners gave the bar a mini-makeover in 2016, but it's hardly changed the feel of the place, where you can eat grilled Olympia Provisions sausages while drinking a Breakside pint, then retire to a game of horseshoes out back. It's rustic and downright wonderful.

8031 N.W. Skyline Blvd.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The Slammer Tavern

Don't Edit

Joel Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive

There's a sign on the door of The Slammer Tavern proclaiming it's the friendliest bar in town. And it's hard to argue with that. Bartenders are friendly, and the basic menu of sandwiches and sausages remain wallet-friendly.

The area around The Slammer has quickly gentrified in recent years, but there's still a tofu factory next door, and the bar's mood is still decidedly divey.

During the holiday season, the staff goes a little crazy with decorations, as if Santa went overboard with egg nog.

500 S.E. Eighth Ave.

Don't Edit

Space Room Lounge

Don't Edit

Joel Davis, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The upper Hawthorne District's Space Room Lounge has an outer-space theme, with stars on the ceiling and art that glows under black lights. And talk about food deals: during happy hour, you can score mac 'n' cheese with bacon bits or steak bites for just $4.

In this 1995 photo, bartender Shelly Luff prepares one of the bar's famously big drinks during the holiday season.

4800 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd.

Don't Edit

Twilight Room Tavern

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This University District bar has been around since 1969. The Twilight Room is one of North Portland's better places for watching sports and playing pool, and features a dog-friendly patio that's a good spot for drinking on hot nights.

Here's how The Oregonian described it in 1992:

"From the outside, the Twilight Room looks like a hundred other taverns in a hundred other neighborhoods, a low-slung gray box with a neon come-on over the door.

"But the T-Room, as the regulars call it, is the all-but-official watering hole for the nearby University of Portland, the front door to the back door of the school.

"It's the place to shoot pool while sipping a couple of beers.

"It's the place to go for good, cheap sandwiches, led by the namesake T-Burger, while reliving the big game.

"It's the place for endless talk about plans and problems, love and letters, the place to wrestle with the meaning of books and the value of ideas."

The T-Burger, which is loaded up with ham, a fried egg, bacon and cheddar, is still on the menu for $12.49, along with a long list of sandwiches, wraps, melts, and tater tot nachos.

5242 N. Lombard St.

Don't Edit

Virginia Café

Don't Edit

Samantha Bakall, The Oregonian/OregonLive

This low-key restaurant and bar across from downtown's Central Library actually has more than a century of history. The original Virginia Café opened in 1914 at Southwest 10th Avenue and Stark Street, and at the time, that part of downtown was known for seedy hotels and prostitution. It's fair to say the clientele was "colorful." You could get a ribeye steak for 65 cents.

In 1922, a second location opened on Southwest Park Avenue just south of Morrison Street. Both locations struggled to stay in business during Prohibition, but thrived in the 1940s and '50s.

Don't Edit

In 1964, a sister restaurant, Iron Horse, opened on Southwest Broadway. The following year, the restaurants took out a full-page ad in The Oregonian to celebrate the business' golden anniversary. All three locations offered a screaming deal to mark 50 years: A ribeye steak dinner, including a salad, potatoes and a dinner roll, for $1.50.

Don't Edit

Motoya Nakamura, The Oregonian/OregonLive

By the late '80s, only the Park Avenue location remained, and had become a popular drinking spot with people in the 20s and 30s. In 2007, the building was sold to make way for what would become the Park Avenue West building. The owners found a new location only a few blocks away, and on the Park location's last day in 2008, longtime customers led a parade to the new locations, carrying barstools and other bits of décor to the new location.

These days, the menu is mostly bar fare of burgers and sandwiches, though there's a nod to the past with the $12 London Broil plate. The daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. offers a long list of draft beers for under $5 (including Pabst for just $2.25).

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

The White Eagle Saloon

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Of all the pubs that are owned by McMenamins, The White Eagle Saloon holds a special place in our hearts. The North Russell Street bar opened in 1905, and originally catered to the city's Polish community.

In the 1980s, the bar became a focal point for the city's blues scene, and you could hear then still-emerging artists like Robert Cray and Curtis Salgado here regularly.

These days, the nightly music could be rollicking hip-hop one night, and low-key folk the next. And its proximity to the MAX Yellow line has made it a popular pre-game spot during Blazers season.

836 N. Russell St.

Don't Edit

Yamhill Pub

Don't Edit

Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

The downtown dive bar sits right on the eastbound MAX tracks, and is an absolute zero from the outside, with a dirty green awning that's been stained by years of exposure to the elements, and exterior walls that are positively grimy. Inside the walls are covered with graffiti, and shabbiness runs amok.

But if you're looking for a place where you'll see motion rings on the top of your cheap Pabst every time a trail rattles by, this is it. We're not really sure what the allure is, but it's still around, so someone's going here.

223 S.W. Yamhill St.

Don't Edit

Yur's Bar and Grill

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Stephanie Yao Long, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Northwest Portland's Yur's Bar and Grill is co-owned by a former NFL player, so it's no surprise that football reigns. In fact, this is the place for New England Patriots fans during football season.

In 2015, Jennifer Welch (from left to right), Sprague Whitehouse and Jarrett Stewart watched the Super Bowl here with hundreds of other members of the Boston Sports Fans PDX group.

717 N.W. 16th Ave.

Don't Edit

Did we miss a favorite?

Don't Edit

Olivia Bucks, The Oregonian/OregonLive

With the exception of the White Eagle, you probably noticed that this list didn't tackle the McMenamins empire of neighborhood pubs and taverns. We're planning a more-comprehensive look at those funky brewpubs in the future.

But perhaps we missed your favorite watering hole. Tell us what you love about it in the comments, and we may share recommendations in a future story.

Don't Edit

More Portland history

Don't Edit

Collage by Grant Butler, The Oregonian/OregonLive

Looking for more stories about how Portland has changed over the years? We've got you covered.

-- Grant Butler

gbutler@oregonian.com

503-221-8566; @grantbutler

Don't Edit