The Snug

I had walked by this pub for the past year and never gone in. I went in on a whim on a Tuesday night and was met by a much cleaner, larger bar than anticipated and the best character I’ve yet to meet at a bar ever: Michelle, the bartender. Sassy, hilarious and vulgar, she made a banal night hilarious. I will definitely be back to this neighborhood gem.

We read the reviews and were not disappointed! Stories by Michelle will bring us back for more. Great spot!

The Snug is an odd gem in Portland. It’s far enough from downtown to not be overrun with tourists, but close enough to walk if you are one. The staff is incredibly friendly and has won several awards for it. The beer menu wasn’t huge, but had a good selection of local brew across several styles. The atmosphere and patrons are fairly townie, but cozy and comfortable with nice benches and big tables. Drinks were super cheap as well.

Most likely the best bar in Munjoy Hill. This place has a great deal of personality and I happen to like it. If you like to be served by a robot go to your favorite franchise.

If you are looking for a good bar to get assaulted by the bartender, you have found your bar! I am a huge fan of a good local irish pub and have heard good things about this place. Boy have I heard wrong. Upon entering with my take out box of pizza from dinner (there is a pizza place next door) the bar tender came up and grabbed my throat and threatened that I don’t eat eat it. She literally grabbed my throat and told me not to eat… yes Unilocal readers, you read that one right. I have never in my life been assaulted or threatened, but to have it happen in a well established bar is beyond words. This place is lucky I didn’t call the police. If you think it’s appropriate to have your bar tenders attack customers, than you need a serious dose of reality. She was a woman with lots of tattoos so watch out folks. This place doesn’t deserve your money or your time.
I would also like to add that as someone that is spent a long time in Ireland traveling the country and meeting locals, this is the poorest representation of an Irish pub I have ever seen. True Irish pubs are welcoming and their bartenders, waiters and customers are the kindest people I have encountered. Shame on you, Snug for employing such rude people and being such a misrepresentation of what a real irish pub is like.

Passing through town and found this gem. Michelle is quite possibly the most engaging, interesting, and fun bartender I have ever come across. I wish I lived here, I felt at home as soon as I walked in the door. I will make a point of visiting this place whenever I am in Portland.
Did I mention that I love Michelle?

I think I’ve fallen in love with The Snug, or maybe with Michelle, but they’re basically the same thing. Everything about this place is as wonderful as its Irish pub name. The atmosphere is relaxed and cozy with a little bit of sass in the air. It’s sassy simply because of the bartender Michelle and I loved every second of the interactions I had with her. Know what you want when you approach the bar and if it’s anyone but Michelle, turn around and wait for her to return. At one point there was a man-​tender, but he was awkward and uncomfortable. After that, we made sure to only get our drinks from Michelle.
When my co-​workers and I first got here, I think the sound track of Free Willy was playing, but Michelle knew every single word and «ah». She lip-​synced the entire song playing to us as she was taking down our card information and it was nothing short of hilarious.
Drinks are cheap and strong. There are little booth things if you feel like getting intimate with the group you’re with. Don’t be rude and you’ll have just as wonderful-​a-​time as we did!

Kind of an interesting little bar. Good for seedy underground gatherings. The kind of atmosphere where our forefathers would meet to plot the Revolution. The bartender was a hoot. Called me a «quirky cunt» and complimented my nails A+
For drinks we got a Moscow Mule and a Dark and Stormy. Both good choices. I don’t remember if there was any food.

We came here after a bit of a hike from Eastland Hotel, and it was well worth it. After exchanging a couple of good jokes with the bartender, we enjoyed a fresh Guineas and Allagash. Locals came in with their incredibly well behaved dogs, which made the atmosphere of the pub that much more friendly. Highly recommended, location be damned!

After a particularly tough day filled with family dynamics, and then, trying to make my way through city bureaucratic mumbo-​jumbo for an article I’ve been working on for too long, I just wanted a bar where I could walk in, feel at home, have a few beers and then, head for home.
The Snug seemed just far enough out of downtown to not be trendy, and not far enough up the hill to be afflicted by foodies and hipsters.
I’d read the reviews and knew about Michelle. The Snug’s resident bartender is a sort of legend in Portland town.
Given my shitty day, I figured I’d walk in, hate it, and find out that Michelle was just another overrated pseudo-​celebrity in a town crawling with these types.
Fortunately, it was the former for me.
There were two people at the bar when I walked in. I knew immediately my bartender was Michelle, but I asked. She said, «who the hell wants to know.» I told her my story and she laughed and downplayed being voted «best bartender» in the poll conducted by The Phoenix.
I felt at home and before I left, I’d made a couple of great acquaintances just sitting, sharing beers and talking about life.
I even got to experience a celebrity sighting, or at least, a «pseudo-​celebrity» sighting just before leaving The Snug.
I’ve never had a favorite bar in Portland, although there are a few I like. I think The Snug is my new go-​to bar when in town and wanting to wet my whistle.

This was my first visit and I’ll definitely be back. The atmosphere is very relaxed and welcoming. The music isn’t too loud and you can actually have a conversation. The bar has plenty of comfy stools and benches. It was quiet the night I went but I could imagine it could get pretty crowded and be difficult to get served at the bar. You can’t beat the beer prices either. $ 5 for Allagash Black on tap isn’t too shabby!

I really don’t even want to write a review because I don’t want anymore people finding out about this place. In Portland it’s one of my favorite places to grab a drink. The bartenders are awesome. Music is at a perfect volume. I never have to yell to the person next to me. Seems like all patrons are friendly and «non combative» unlike some of the other local watering holes.

This place is actually not a bad dive bar. The beers are good but I guess u can’t screw up a beer that much. They allow dogs here which is pretty cool and the private booths are a good place to sit when one requires modicum of privacy with friends. So why a 2 star? The bartender was obnoxious, inappropriate, unprofessional, and borderline racist. We were there last year with some friends and she started making some really poor ill colored jokes about his ethnicity and race. She thought it was funny but we didn’t. Some of friends have been there before and said that she is «harmless» but that is no excuse behind the bar or anywhere else! She later realized how ignorant she was and tried to apologize but it was too late… My friend being a gentlemen that he was still tipped her very well but I don’t think any of us will be back…

(Review from 2011)
I love this place. As the name implies, it’s cozy and comfortable. The beer selection is good, the clientele mellow, and the pizza next door (which you can bring in) is tasty.

I’m definitely team Michelle. Great bartender, great person. Introduce yourself and don’t be an A-​hole!
Very comfortable, long bar. Happy hour 5 – 7 with $ 3 drafts… Good deal, good selection. Nice mix of people. I don’t understand the appeal of the «booths» though, completely blocks you from the social atmosphere of the bar. Food list is more of a snack list but it’s cheap and AWESOME! Try the pretzel panini. Went in on a Thursday after work and it was packed but Saturday night it was dead. Hmmm… Thinking it will be a new regular spot for me!

We went late one night after a Portland Symphony concert. It had a great vibe and lots of cool people. We had lots of drinks and a great time. We’ll be back

I’m willing to bet had the unparalleled likes of Michelle the Barkeep been tending, this might have been a five star joint.
Alas, she wasn’t.
The Snug, so named for the enclosed booths beside the bar, is a pub, and a fine one at that. A dozen beers on tap flex local breweries, a few a bit further away, and another handful across an ocean or four. Rickety high tops and the aforementioned hideaways make for divey charm and enabled public snogging, if that’s your thing. Happy hour runs from 5−7p, if that’s also your thing.
The beer may not be the coldest in town, and for pulls in the epitome of sud snobbery, I noted none of the pints matched the glass. Pittance, I say! The real oddity was the background music: a seemingly dual-​sourced mashup of Deftones and top 40 that most definitely streamed from two outputs. Just loud enough (in equal parts) to really detract from conversation and make for a fast getaway to another nearby watering hole.
Can’t imagine it’s an ongoing occurrence, as only Miley would be so disingenuously attached to opposing genres to actually go for that kinda style. Thus, I’d definitely knock back another in future travels, and I’ll keep fingers crossed that Michelle is at the taps.

I stumbled down the hill to The Snug the other night to meet a friend and conspirator for drinks and, well, conspiring. Clutching my beagle with one hand and my wallet with the other, I bellied up to the bar for my usual when Michelle took notice not of me but of the unkempt wads of receipts poking out of my wallet. Without a moment’s waste, she grabbed it from me, chiding me for holding on to such useless paper, and for keeping my cash in such disarray.
«Why do you need all these receipts?! What, are you going to claim them all on your taxes?»
I hung my head in shame and admitted that I had no use for them. She spoke the harsh, cold truth.
«You need to throw this s*!t away! Right now! There’s no reason for this mess!»
I mustered a weak protest, that I had coupons in there.
«Coupons?! Are you an old lady? No.» Michelle was sorting my cash at this point, orienting it all the same direction and arranging it in ascending denominations. She then commanded me to go through my receipts and pick out the things I truly needed while she fixed me my drink. I limply complied and then handed back to her essentially every piece of paper I’d had crammed in there. With the exception of a coupon for dog food knowing she couldn’t argue with that. She whisked the bundle away to the trash behind the counter, presented me with my drink, and then gave it to me on the house.
And that right there is why the Snug is the best bar in Portland.

Disregard any «negative» reviews… Michelle the bartender is fantastic. Yes, she swears, busts balls, answers stupid questions with snarky comebacks, and deals out high fives. It’s what makes it a fun place. Unbunch your knickers, don’t take it personally, and you’ll have a great time.
The bar itself is properly dim with dark wood. There’s about eight or so beers on tap, with several local offerings, and of course, Guinness. Wouldn’t be an Irish pub without a proper pint of Guinness. Full bar as well if you want liquor.
Great bartender, great bar.

A pretty standard-​fare Irish pub in a town that has deep Irish routes. It’s also in the Irish part of town, so there’s that. If you’re looking for a pub on Munjoy Hill, you can’t do much better.
They’ve got a good selection of beers, and the prices are reasonable. The real reason to come here, though, is for Michelle the bartender. She’s all attitude and tattoos, maybe a little out of place in an Irish pub, but man is she good at her job. I have seen this girl handle the bar by herself when it was packed, and she made it look easy. I swear she’s double jointed by the number of pints she can pour simultaneously and hand out.