A Roadside Attraction — Restaurant in Portland

Cash only.

Met a new friend in town while visiting Portland for the weekend and she brought us to this little hidden gem (when I say hidden...i really mean it) for a couple of drinks. If you are visiting from out of town and didnt already know about this place, you'd probably walk right by it. There's no flashy sign, nothing that really indicates its a bar, or shouts "COME IN HERE!"Just an old rusty pedicab that sits right outside the bar. But once you walk in, it's like walking into narnia (a whole different world). the outside patio is super adorable with wooden bench seating, a big wooden swing, and a few metal wired chairs and tables.

inside, its dark, red, and divey. there is a pool table towards the back and more table seating. we came in the afternoon so the place wasnt crowded and most everyone sat outside. the drinks are pretty cheap with beers taps, cocktails and wine at $3-4.

the bathrooms were a little confusing for me, as i didnt realize they were single bathrooms. but once you see that there is no door to the bathroom stall, you'll realize that you might want to lock the main bathroom door.

other than being a cash only place, i loved this place! if i lived here locally, this would be the spot i'd meet my friends at...

True to it's word, this place is an attraction on the roadside of America's soul. Or something like that, you get a bit strange when you hang out here, it's got plenty of character and characters, and you're certain to have an interesting conversation if you don't mind butting in. A once-roaring open fire pit has been replaced with a safer cast-iron beast of a stove, but you don't have to worry about the roof catching fire anymore.

I think most of us locals liked the fire better, modern safety codes be damned. You don't have to be fatalistic to like this place, but it certainly helps. There's some decent food on the menu, a small but solid draft list, a pool table stuffed in the back room and an actual record playing jukebox. It's not fancy or high-class, the opposite, actually, without being a total dive bar. It's got that special touch that makes it feel like home without having any single thing you'd keep in your own.

Well, except the booze, and the bartender. He could stay. Makes some...

A Roadside Attraction is the epitome of what makes Portland so special. The courtyard entrance is a hodgepodge of chairs and lounge areas reminiscent of some Bohemian enclave in 1965. On entering, the clientele is also a hodgepodge of all ages and persuasions. Fortunate to find two places at the bar, the person next to me was kind of enough to wipe the bar in front of me offering, “ Let me clean that for you.” “Why, thank you!” The friendly bartenderess poured my local vodka the way I like it, and smiled the whole time. This is a happy place, but it is cash only. A Roadside Attraction represents what I love about Portland. No one judges, and everyone is allowed to just be. Our engaging server gave us suggestions for our dinner at Kachka and she was right on. We wanted to return to A Roadside Attraction after dinner, but we were too full. However, we will return on our next visit...