Pool is a great social icebreaker at bars, and pinball is a great way to avoid talking to people at bars.
Games at bars are a win-win way to preoccupy social and anti-social drinkers alike. There are the classic bar games of darts and shuffleboard, and then there are drunken oddities like the life-size Jenga. And Portland is the perfect place for these shenanigans, as it’s packed with video games, mind games and booze.
Here’s a breakdown of a couple of Portland’s best bars with games.
Ground Kontrol
511 N.W. Couch St.
503-796-9364
M – Sun noon to 2:30 a.m.
Granted, there’s the obvious bar with tons of games: Ground Kontrol. Stacked with over 20 pinball machines (including Addams Family and Elvira versions) and a maze of arcade games, you might never even make it to the bar.
Ground Kontrol even brings back some childhood memories, with games ranging from Paperboy and Ms. Pac-Man to Street Fighter and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And it has a pinball tournament coming up in April, and is also hosting regular Rock Band game nights. That’s pretty much everything a gamer and an alcoholic could ask for.
Blitz Bar
110 N.W. 10th Ave.
503-222-2229
M – Sun 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Blitz brings the Pearl’s class to a dive bar, with a hint of the fraternity college crowd. Its basement is a den of entertainment, filled with air hockey (a great outlet for drunk aggression), shuffleboard and plenty of pool tables. It’s worth noting that pool is free Tuesday nights. And just don’t go during a Friday or Saturday night if you’re actually trying to reach the games. Think impossible.
Triple Nickel
3646 S.E. Belmont St.
503-234-7215
M – Sun 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m.
The southeast dive bar Triple Nickel is a good spot for the typical bar games and cheap drinks. It’s equipped with pool, darts and Batman pinball. Not to mention the giant Jenga for the drunk who likes a life-sized challenge. And if that isn’t enough, just stumble across the street and over to the Avalon arcade—just remember not to bring your drink with you.
Billy Ray’s
2216 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd.
503-287-7254
M – Sun noon to 2 a.m.
Billy Ray’s has a good assortment of pinball games, pool tables and even a Pac-Man machine for those who find themselves in North Portland. In the dry season they offer outdoor ping pong, which may or may not be a good intoxicated pastime considering the success of beer pong (which is not offered).