The B Side Tavern

I like dive bars with personality.
Gangsta Rap coloring book? Yes.
Charging station for your phone? Yes.
Window seats? Yes.
Right next door to Sizzle Pie? Yes.
B-​side panties for sale? Yes.
All of the above and the bartenders are the best.

I don’t leave 1 star reviews often. In fact, I think this is my very first one. I even held off leaving this review until the day after my visit so I could calm down a bit. Because I was quite angry.
Last night my group of 5 friends took an Über to come to this bar *specifically* because it had good reviews on Unilocal.We were greeted, ordered our drinks, sat down near the door and not even 10 minutes later began witnessing a fight just outside (literally in the doorway) of the bar.
Two young men engaged in a pretty serious altercation leaving one bleeding severely from the head. The entire thing lasted all of about 30 seconds.
A (drunk, but non-​disruptive) member of my group began to film from inside. I understand this is in poor taste. We told him to stop. But, with the tavern being a public place, it is within his legal right to film.
Here’s my favorite part of the night though– the response of the employees at B Side Tavern. When the fight broke out, all employees ran to the door and yelled at them to stop and leave. Those in question left to carry on the fight elsewhere down the street. Instead of calling the police, filling out an incident report or making sure their customers were okay, the bartenders flipped US off, cursed at us and yelled at my group to «get the f*ck out.» When we asked «why,» we weren’t given any reason but «the bartender wants you out, you need to get out.»
I’m still pretty stunned. I have no clue what we did, as a group, to piss them off. Maybe it was the fact that we watched and didn’t do anything? Maybe it was because one member filmed the fight? No matter the reason, what an unprofessional and downright horrible way to handle it. We did not finish our drinks. We did not tip. We will never be back.

My favorite punk rock dive bar! Not queer, but VERY queer friendly! Deep pours and wonderful staff! I have so much love for this place!

Drinks are cheap, staff is nice. Great music selection, and the outside patio is set up very nicely. This is the go to place for my friends and I when we are around burnside towards the bridge. Oh and bonus, Sizzle pie next store!

I am a big fan of b-​side, been going off and on for years. Nice back patio area that’s covered to sit and enjoy the day, not bad having sizzle pie next door either

After many pretentious stops in Portland, it was awesome to find a bar with Bad Religion and Iron Maiden on the juke box. Great stop in for the less than hipster Portland visitor.

Bartenders were awful. The girl was a total b****. The dude was an a**hole. Walking in the door, «uhm IDs. Now!» It’s 2am so yeah it’s the end of the night, the plan was to just grab one quick beer since we work service industry and had been serving all night, they close at 2:30, so it should be fine… She gets this rude attitude and says «uhh you know you only have TEN minutes, right? Can you really finish anything in ten minutes?» So we decide ok. Kinda rude, let’s just share one so we know it’s quick. So we order one, and she says, «yeah, and?!» And stares at us. And we repeat it: just the one. Again she says «AND?!!» So we told her annnnd that’s it. Just one. We still tip her and take a seat, and immediately after we do the dude flashes the lights several times and yells to everyone (maybe a dozen people out back) «time to go: yeah bar’s closed! Get out: yeah, I mean all of you! Get out.» This was at 2:05…then he decides to start groping all over some girl in a miniskirt and glares at everyone but the girl letting him grope her as she «says goodbye.» Seriously, young people don’t understand the service industry anymore. Don’t be rude. It’s really not that hard. The people next door have you beat. Won’t be coming back here.

Great punk/​weirdo bar in Portland a couple block from the east side of the river. I had fun during a happy hour 1 $ Hamm’s yo! Great jukebox full of metal! Helmut!

The bartender (I think her name was Violet) was amazingly friendly and genuine. Such a great dive bar… And you can bring Sizzle Pie in. I will definitely be back for that patio in the summer.

Alright place for a cheap brew, did not try any food, I’m not even sure if they have hot food. Back area is a paradise for smokers, if you are into cancer. Found some of the regulars a bit haughty when someone mentioned they were from California. Though that sort of xenophobia you see everywhere lately.

Perfect essence of a Portland dive bar. Looking for a place to grab a beer, B-​Side was right across the street from our previous destination. The smell of old cigarettes hits you the moment you walk in the door, but the bar keeps are friendly and get your draft poured before you can change your mind to leave.
After ordering our pints we found a place at the bar along the window to enjoy some people watching. With a host of magazines along the wall, one can be comfortable hanging out here by themselves while waiting for their comrades to join them. We were here right as the work day was wrapping up, so it wasn’t too crowded. But visions of people standing elbow to elbow were definitely possible.

Its a dive. The beer is cheap, people keep to themselves. The place has the vibe that its a shade of its former glory.

A real Portland dive bar. Cheap stiff drinks, heavy music, great jukebox, and badass regulars. All of the bartenders are awesome. Very comfortable place where you can feel relaxed but have fun and get drunk. Warm patio. They even let you get a slice of pizza from Sizzle Pie and eat it at their bar with your drink. Place rules.

I love patios.
I love them less in fall & winter.
Except I love B Side’s year-​round.
They understand lizard women like me who are permanently freezing. That’s why their patio is both covered and heated (really heated!). I could spend a January night out there, no problem.
Get a $ 2 can of Tecate with lime. This place is a legitimate dive bar with an even more legitimate patio. You can even grab a slice of pizza from Sizzle Pie next door and come back over to eat it at B Side. They are a 10 minute walk to Sassy’s and a 2 minute walk to Doug Fir Lounge.
I’m pretty much always down to come here.

B Side! I’ve been to Portland a bunch but didn’t experience this place until my most recent trip back in January. My friends up there frequent it and I get why.

Sweet bar. Kinda divey, but the beer was cold and priced right. Other adjectives one could use to describe this establishment: grungy, hipster-​y, edgy, Portland-​ish.
Worth stopping in for a beer or eight.

This is a terrible bar, the bar tender is unfriendly and over pours the drink. He is giving away free booze to patrons and the drinks taste terrible. The owner needs to fire this employee, he is losing money for the bar.
No drink menu and the bartender offered little help to decide. He hates his job and its obvious.

The B Side Tavern really should have a sign that says anyone welcome here… at any one time the patrons are a microcosm of Burnside and the neighborhood. From hipster to mullets from baby boomers to Millenials…
The B Side offers a full bar… ample beer… a nice patio and my favorite part… the use of old x rays to shade their over the bar logging… brilliant and a nice example of smart recycling.
I’ve been here a number of times and frankly don’t recall if they even offer food. For me. this is a place to drink…
Its dark… a little dusty… nondescript it’s artsy in a way and perhaps a tad abused.
The word trendy is not part of the B Sides vocabulary… and why should it be?
There is no pretense… no need for concern of appearance… it’s your old college buddy’s slightly trashed apartment… with a big patio.

The sorta place that after only a few visits the awesome staff makes you feel like a regular. Stiff/​cheap drinks, mostly older original «hipster» crowd, bar staff that is always nice and who actually thank you for tipping.
In other words a great neighborhood dive bar with good people and booze.

The last time I was here, I think people were still allowed to smoke inside. I don’t smoke and don’t like smoke, but the smoke might have made this bar.
This is a dive bar. Nothing less. Nothing more. We tried to go across the street to Burnside Brewing, but they were closed on a Monday. Ended up here and they had a Burnside beer on tap. The Stock Ale to be exact. I decided to get it. Figured they brewed it across the street so it must be pretty fresh.
I noticed a lot of signs and stickers about bacon in this bar. Not sure what that means. I thought maybe we’d see some giant plates of bacon coming out of the kitchen, but there was no sign of any food anywhere in here. Not that I was hungry. I just thought a place that serves alcohol has to serve some kind of food. Meh.