Portland Center Liquor Store

Strangely, Oregon has designated «liquor» stores, where they only sell liquor, no wine, no beer, a bit of other beverages. But yes, 95% of what they sell is liquor.odd. Whatever, my stay in Portland was strange so why not, I just went with it. The staff was super friendly, they had a great selection, that’s about it. Thanks!

The owner and all the staff are super nice. They have a great selection, and a great amount of mixers. My go to liquor store.

Its a block away so I can’t give it less than 5 stars ;)
It’s hours are bsaically the best… open till 10pm, open on sundays til 6pm… Im sure you catch my drift.
I usually kind of stick to my usual vodka purchases but when I’m feeling adventurous or lost, the employees have been very knowledgeable. They also had a lot of variety of the non alcoholic variety like mixers and garnishes.
Their selection of each liquor seems to be very vast so I will need to need to start trying new things.
Doesn’t hurt that plaid pantry is next door if you need any other munchies or mixers… or champagne :)

Clint and Daniel are beyond helpful if you need assistance. Being a bourbon enthusiast, I have difficulty finding new and hard to find gems, but they have little problem helping me! Thank you!

My favorite in town. Friendly, lovely people. Booze is booze and the OLCC makes certain there are no deals, so it makes a difference to buy from nice folks.

My go-​to store. Todd and staff are very friendly, and super knowledgeable. Don’t be fooled by its appearance, this store has one of the best overall selections in the Portland area, without the attitude some stores carry.

Two years later and I’m still using this as my one-​stop-​shop for all my liquor needs. The collection here is not only expansive, but it keeps on expanding. Due to the location and environs, it comes across as your average OLCC outpost, but don’t let the shabby-​chic charm fool you. They may not have a fancy-​pants location like a few other spots, but the selection is deep. Todd knows what’s up when it comes to quality liquor and stocks some really interesting stuff.
Just the other day I scored a bottle of Hibiki 17, as well as some tasty Weller 107. Hibiki 17 is not something you see on shelves every day. And just to inform those less in the know, Weller, which you can often find on shelves, is the same bourbon used in Pappy. Some folks call it the ‘poor-man’s Pappy’ yet I prefer the more apt title of ‘smart-man’s Pappy’ since it costs a fraction of the price, tastes pretty much just as good, and you can find it often year-​round.
Anyway, enough bourbon education for one day. Stop by Portland Center Liquor (if you can find it — just map it on Unilocal) and do some digging. You don’t have to dig far to find many solid labels.

I don’t drink a lot but I came in for a couple birthday gifts since it’s a convenient location and was surprised by the customer service. I’m short and I look under age even though I’m 24 so I always hated going into these stores because I felt they were skeptical of me. These guys were friendly and helpful, they even asked if I wanted a cold bottle of the one I was purchasing, not something I’ve experienced at a liquor store. All around polite and I didn’t feel like a criminal, this is a luxury! (Short people, you know what I mean, the struggle is real.)

This is my go-​to liquor store. They have an extensive selection of liquor (including tons of local stuff!) and mixers at very reasonable prices, and the staff goes above and beyond to be friendly and helpful. I swear, they’ve probably tried every single item in the store because whenever I ask for recommendations or advice, they’re able to give me a pretty comprehensive rundown of the subtle differences among the items I’m choosing between. As an indecisive person, I know that I can just walk in and get a rec for anything, and I’ve never been led astray thus far.

This is the friendliest liquor store in the world hands down. We were instantly greeted and helped from the point we walked in the door. I just came in to grab some cheap vodka whiskey and a few limes. They helped us find mixers and then on top of that gave is a bag full of limes for almost nothing. On top of that this place is open till 10!

I found this liquor store on accident while walking to get a pedicure, and I am so glad I did! Very friendly staff and a huge selection of vodka, whiskey, bourbon, etc. They also have almost every size you could want. I will definitely be going back here for all of my hard alcohol needs.

Nice little neighborhood store that makes you feel like you walked into a candy store. They’ve added more selections over the years.
Very helpful staff. They pointed me to where I could find Carpano Antica before most stores began carrying it.

I travel to Oregon often, I always make it a point to stop in at Portland Center Liqour Store. They have a great selection with friendly helpful staff, The owner/​manager Todd is very knowledgeable. They stock the finest scotch whiskeys. rums, tequilas and vodkas. Truly an epicureans paradise.

Wonderful selection! The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. This is the only liquor store in Portland that I go to. Easy downtown parking.

As a bartender, people often ask me for advice about where to buy their spirits. Oregon has a state agency called the OLCC that regulates the sale and distribution of all alcoholic beverages, and prices are carefully managed so that they are essentially the same at every liquor store.
That being said, how and why would you choose one store over another? In my mind, it all comes down to customer service! Stores have to set themselves apart by demonstrating competence and stellar customer service, since they can’t beat each others’ prices. This is good news for you as the consumer!
When considering selection, we refer to Pearl Specialty Market & Spirits at NW 9^th and Lovejoy. They have the best displays and the best selection. However, their customer service is often poor, which is always a bummer.: /​When considering overall experience, we always refer to Portland Center Plaza Liquor located at 2075 SW 1^st Ave! Their phone number is (503) 241‑9354 and they have free parking in the lot. They’ve been there for years, and the owner knows everything. I highly recommend this outstanding small business.

This is the best liquor store downtown, and possibly in all of Portland. The bottles are out on shelves, so you can look at them and you don’t feel like you’re doing something frowned-​upon like those shops with all the booze behind the counter. The staff is really friendly and knowledgeable and are happy to guide you to the best purchase, accounting for price and taste.
Also, The owner is a super friendly old man in a sweater– It’s almost like I’m buying whiskey from Mr. Rogers.

Somewhat hidden away, this store has a pretty wide selection of alcohol at reasonable prices. It also doesn’t hurt to have the friendly staff! I’ll definitely be partaking in their wares when I’m in need of a gin and tonic.

I’ve been searching and searching and calling around all these different liquor stores in search of 1800 golden margarita mix — the great mix with 1800 tequila already included. No one seemed to have it. Well I called this store and yes again — came up zero. BUT — As soon as I hung up she called me back to tell me I could search on
and that would tell me if it was available anywhere. Given how controlling the OLCC can be that didn’t surprise me… Well sure enough — I guess OR doesn’t sell this product!!! WTF. I could find it in WA but not in OR. She was so helpful I know where I will be shopping for liquor needs from now on.

I don’t remember how I even found this place. I’m sure that many others that go here don’t remember much afterwards either.
This place is in a low key shopping center with a couple other stores not too far away from PSU. Every time I go to drop off or pick something up at the dry cleaners next to it I now have an excuse to stock up on some booze as well.
They have just about every brand and flavor to choose from in whatever I’m looking for, at a reasonable price. Visually it’s an ordinary place with no bells and whistles, but with extraordinary products.
Great service, I’d have to say the staff are practically humanitarians by having this place open to serve the community.

How can this place not have reviews? Yes, it’s tucked in a strip mall and kind of out of sight, but it’s the closest liquor store to me now and I’m diggin it!
They’re well stocked and prices are on par with other stores and service is very friendly. I don’t feel hesitant or stupid in the least to ask for recommendations on any kind of spirit. Great that they’re open on Sunday.