The Top Five Places to Drink in Portland This Week

Your weekly Buzz List.

1. B-Side Tavern

632 E Burnside St., 503-233-3113.

More than a year and a half after a fire forced it to close, B-Side Tavern is back. The classic East Burnside punk dive—which was immortalized in a Red Fang music video—quietly reopened in May, and even more quietly, it's back patio finally became safe for hanging again last month. With summer weather kinda, sorta, maybe almost here, it's a great time to grab a Rainier and an American Spirit and get back to pretending like New Portland never happened.

Related: Beloved Punk Dive Bar B-Side Tavern Has Finally Reopened Following a Long Recovery from Fire Damage.

(Rocky Burnside)

2. Hi-Top Tavern

5015 NE Fremont St., 503-206-4308, hitoptavern.com.

The latest enterprise from the bar group behind Paydirt, Tough Luck and Old Gold continues Beaumont Village's unlikely transformation into a bar district. The TV room in the back and the massive patio just beyond it are welcome additions to the neighborhood, and the cocktail menu has summer in mind—the Sweeter Hits, which use a hefty dose of peach combier for tartness, earns its $12 price tag.

Read the full review: Hi-Top Tavern Continues the Coolification of Beaumont Village.

(Rocky Burnside)

3. Alter Ego Cider

2025 SE 7th Ave., 971-229-1445, alteregocider.com.

Cider houses with beer bar sensibilities are on the rise, and the brand-new taproom from Alter Ego is a welcome addition to the scene. Its flagship concoction is the Brut, a semi-dry cider with a palate-tickling sweetness that fades into a sour finish just as the bubbles break. If you're seeking a halfway point between cider and beer, the Snakebite blends the Brut and a bright, clean lager from Level Beer, and the end product is wonderfully crushable on a hot summer day.

Read the full review: Whatever Your Drink of Choice, Alter Ego Cider's New Taphouse Will Make You Feel Welcome.

(Christine Dong)

4. Tulip Shop Tavern

825 N Killingsworth St., 503-206-8483, tulipshoptavern.com.

There's not a lot to complain about at Tulip Shop Tavern, the new business located in the old Pop Tavern. Aside from the black-light mural and the crackle of peanut shells underfoot, the most noticeable upgrade is the revamped beer menu. Co-owner Tyler Treadwell's vision of the beer world he advanced down the street at Saraveza is put to good use here, with a draft list heavy on buzzy brews from local breweries like Wayfinder and Ruse.

Read the full review: Try as Old Portland Might, There’s Little to Complain About at Tulip Shop Tavern.

(Henry Cromett)

5. Bloodbuzz

4233 N Mississippi Ave., bloodbuzzpdx.com.

OK, so the weather might not be fully complying yet, but it's still technically summer, and there are few better lunchtime combos this time of year than a plate of Matt's BBQ and a stiff drink from the indie rock-themed cocktail cart that sits next to it on the patio behind Mississippi beer bar Prost. Among the menu's standouts is a bubbly Aperol and grapefruit hangover cure called Dry the Rain, named for a Beta Band song.

Related: Portland Now Has Two Bars Named After Songs By the National. What Would Singer Matt Berninger Think Of Them?

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.