1967 W. Burnside
(503) 224-0033
Okay, so The Matador isn’t the nicest place, and it doesn’t have the best drinks, and sometimes the clientele is less than desirable. But gosh darn it, The Matador is one the best dive bars in Portland. Being the self-proclaimed bar connoisseur that I am, I can make that claim with confidence.
The d퀌�cor at The Matador isn’t nice by any stretch of the imagination, but it is still a really comfortable place to hang out in.
There is a jukebox that is pretty decent. If you are lucky, some nights there is someone at the front of the bar DJ-ing.
There really is only one thing that bothers me about The Matador, and that is the girl’s restroom. I am typically not picky about bathrooms, but this one just creeps me out. The door that leads into the restroom seems to always be open and the doors on the stalls don’t lock. So there is a crack that allows you (the person hovering with your skirt up around your waist) to see into the bar from the stall. I always feel like the people at the jukebox and the pool tables are watching me.
The word on the street is that the men have a pretty decent restroom with a “cathedral like” urinal. I don’t know if this is an urban myth or not.
This particular night I ordered me up a Kahlua and Cream. My drink was its usual yumminess, but it is pretty hard to screw up a Kahlua and Cream. I think the cost of the drink was in the vicinity of $4. I have had plenty of other drinks at The Matador and they all have been good.
The help there is very nice. One cute waiter that has been there for a while is worth the drive down Burnside to check this place out.
Even though he is a cutie, The Matador is not a “pick up” kind of bar. So if you’re looking to get a lot of action you may want to head somewhere else.
So, take the bull by the horns and find out about what you’ve been missing … go to The Matador.