Spare Room Restaurant and Lounge

I LOVE this place. It’s in my neighborhood, it’s cheap and easy — winning!
The atmosphere is much like other fun dive bars. Strings of lights all around this place, cheesy decorations and mirrors make it feel like home.
They have a decent sized dance floor which holds karaōke at times, an actual stage for bands separate from the dance floor, big projector that they show movies on, smaller TVs as well, pool tables, the usual.
I would have easily given this place 5 stars but my experience with one person really continues to screw it up. There is a server, Sarah T, who is unlike any other friendly staff there. I hope management reads this. She is always so overworked and complains about it. She is always complaining about how exhausted she is. She’s without a doubt the sloooowest at serving us. Everyone else is awesome… but she is dismissive, has little manners and should really consider another field besides customer service. Honestly when I walk in and see her, I often turn around and leave. And the times that I stay, I regret it. The thing is I don’t usually complain about service but she’s just bad and leaves me wanting to not go back… to one of my favorite spots. I’m sure she’s a good person, she just needs to not be working there.
So if u see her, turn around! Otherwise, enjoy!

This place is great. A fantastic happy hour and the karaōke is super entertaining.(I only experienced the two twice, this place was mostly just a daily bathroom for me)
I lived in a camper for over a month staying on 42^nd and I went into this place to use the bathroom morning and day and night every single day and I never got kicked out or talked to about it. These guys are true champs for letting my homeless ass in there to do my daily business multiple times a day for over a month.
Or they just never noticed me.

This bar is awesome, and if you don’t at least go to this bar once to check out Erotic City the Prince Tribute band then you are stupid and deserve whatever you get… unless you get $ 1,000,000.00 for some reason, because you don’t deserve that.
Cheap drinks, decent (and cheap) food, chill crowd, and sometimes a PRINCE TRIBUTE BAND. Also I’ve been told that this is a great place for karaōke.

When I go to karaōke I like to drink alcohol so I really appreciate that the lighting inside the Spareroom is so dim and romantic because otherwise I’m afraid that strangers will notice how drunk I was last night while butchering Shania Twain’s «Any Man Of Mine.» Also I think they need new microphones because I think they might be clogged, I practiced several songs for four hours prior to going to the Spare room and when I sang my song I heard this wretched off key feedback that distorted my glistening timbre into a cowboy’s demonic swan song. It must be embarrassing for most Americans that sing at the Spareroom to hear their own voice in their ears like that. However I can’t review that microphone specifically so it won’t be affecting my five star review because I ordered four jello shots and they were effed up strong and the beers i ordered were cool too and the staff was still serving me so I cannot complain and the bathroom was clean.

I am unfortunately writing this review after a very negative experience at one of my favorite bars. Spare room is usually a really great time. I go for karaōke which they have Monday to Wednesday. The karaōke is fun, a simple book with nothing too special, but a good crowd and friendly kj’s…MOST of the time. I usually go on Wednesday night when the KJ is friendly and his side kick, rockin Raymond is hilarious and so sweet. This time some friends and I ended up there on a Monday, Raymond was there being friendly as was one of my favorite bartenders, but he KJ host was very rude and honestly nasty. I will admit that they were VERY busy and clearly not set up to handle the 60 plus people there for a birthday party, but what this KJ said to my friends was completely uncalled for and unacceptable.
First of all, he talks over singers WHILE THEY’RE SINGING, and makes comments about them. It’s already nerve wracking enough for some folks to bear their soul and sing their favorite song in front of strangers, it’s unneeded to have some guy TALKING OVER YOU while you do it.
One of my friends requested Killing Moon, which wasn’t in the books, he called her up to ask her to pick another song. She chose Baker Street, knowing it was in the book and the host snickered at her. As if that wasn’t enough when she came up to actually sing he literally said «I f*king hate this song» right to her! Part of karaōke is that we all end up listening to songs we don’t like sung by nice folks who probably aren’t great singers. The whole point is that it’s fun and this guy was a total dick to her, sucking all the fun out. I’ve NEVER seen a KJ be so incredibly rude to a singer ever before in my life.
He was also VERY rude to my other friend, literally yelling at him for putting in a song «under a different name» even he hadn’t put in a song at all before that moment. It was accusatory and rude, honestly very nasty and uncalled for. I understand it was busy and there were a lot of singers, but there’s no needed to get aggressive with patrons.
Luckily this experience will not keep me away from Spare Room, but I will likely never return for a Monday night karaōke session unless I know that this host will not be there. I hope to never encounter them again. They made me feel unsafe because of their aggressiveness and it was a huge bummer to have such a nasty experience at what is otherwise a very laid back, friendly, awesome dive bar.

This old bowling alley is a typical dive bar. Interesting graffiti in the bathroom and cheap stiff drinks. Dinner type menu with breakfast all day (can’t beat that!)
There is generally parking on the street, but they do have a few spaces in a small lot.
There is awesome people watching in this place. Enough said.
They have plenty of seating, high tables, low tables, the bar. There is a good sized dance floor, live music sometimes, Karaōke sometimes and a pretty good jukebox.
A giant screen TV is playing some sport if there is not a live act going on.
They have pool and video games in a side room, which is always fun. Video Poker at the bar.
The neighborhood is fun.

Despite the location, it’s about as diverse as a rodeo. The staff are resentful that they have to cater to people who aren’t there to waste their money on bingo. The only plus is the size of the dance floor when they have a decent party. The outside area is about as big as a corporate elevator. The bouncers are totally creepy, older men who have made even my toughest, women friends uncomfortable. Unless you have an AARP membership, avoid this place.

I love the spare room! It has everything that you would ever want in a neighborhood bar, plus things you didn’t know you needed. cheap drinks, karaōke, large menu w/​decent food made better by the fact that you can order a chicken fried steak breakfast until 2 am, bingo, daily food specials, super friendly staff, and great live music on the weekends.
Monday night bingo is a huge pull for me! 7pm run by Columbia Lion’s Den: $ 1 a round to play (3 cards).

The Spare Room is in a world of its own… it’s like traveling back in time. The bartenders and servers have always been friendly and on top of things. I like the mix of ages, ethnicities, races, backgrounds, socio-​economic levels, and styles that come in. It’s a very unpretentious scene, which can be refreshing! You feel like everyone can just be themselves and really relax. Oh, and the steak bites with marinated mushrooms and onions are pretty amazing. I like how people easily just dance and get goofy on the dance floor; this place provides that kind of chill atmosphere. The couch and coffee table in the back (with TV), give you that living room feeling, if you want that. Something for everyone!

What a funky, delightful place. Good place to eat and drink while waiting for your laundry to finish. Pleasant staff, good pours and REAL sliced turkey in their club sandwiches!

You can’t Google «Portland karaōke bars» without landing on the Spare Room. It was karaōke that brought me in on a Tuesday night at 10pm, driving all the way out to NE Portland after picking up my date in Beaverton. Set up in an old bowling alley (from whence it takes its name, presumably) the Spare Room is the very embodiment of a dive bar. (Beers on tap: 3. Two of which are Bud Light and Pabst.)
It’s a label they have claimed and made their own, however, and they wear it proudly. My date, seeking to recreate a drink of her own creation, asked if they had any raspberry purée. The bartender replied, «We’re kind of a dive bar, honey.» As such, the replacement vodka lemonade arrived in due time and, wow, was it a kick in the pants. A glass of vodka with a shot of lemonade. It was enough to make my date overcome her nerves and actually get up and belt out some Adele on the karaōke floor, so mad props to the bartender for making that happen.
Portland is an interesting town: a living, breathing dichotomy of foodies and mixologists who are inherently too casual and don’t actually want to ever dress up or work too hard. Perhaps this is why we have so many fantastic dive bars. The Spare Room, I can safely say, is the monarch of such establishments, offering an expansive kingdom that includes two bars (one might not actually be operational), a large dining area, stage, and dance floor. Its denizens hail from all walks of life, representing various ages, creeds, colors, and vocal abilities. If you’ve never been there before, its seeming attitude of willful ignorance toward all things classy may initially strike you as unsettling – but you will quickly warm up to its nonchalant charm. And by your second vodka lemonade, the large, bearded man to your left is suddenly your best friend. He will then grace you with a rendition of Barry White’s «You’re the First, the Last, My Everything» that will restore your faith in the human spirit.
Truthfully, I have never been so impressed with a place that was trying so little to impress me. I doubt the entities who run the Spare Room really care about getting five stars, and that’s exactly why they’re getting them.

Upon moving here, I thought I was stuck with this place like having to live with an undesirable relative. You see, it’s only a block away from where I live, and I like to drink. You have to understand that to me, the cheesy signage and seedy locale were off putting at first. Kind of like your great aunt’s lipstick hue or gaudy floral dress, it was an eyesore. It’s dark and has no windows, due to once being a bowling alley. That and the fact that there are a few older casualties at the bar just waiting to die, adding pepper to their beer immediately made me give it the name «the Spare Tomb.»
It didn’t take me long to feel comfortable, though. The thing is, I like to walk into a juke joint and bust the balls of the bar dwellers and play old rock songs from a cheap box. You see, Im originally from Cleveland and almost every juice stand back home is reminiscent of the «Tomb.» Actually, the drinks are close to being as cheap without the strict «Boston pour» hand of the eastern half if the country.
The food is just OK, but really good for price and portion. The 4 dollar breakfast and lunch special will definitely fill your gut. Every day of the week has a different cheap special, too. Two tacos for a buck on Thursday? Stop living off ramen, college kids! There is also always a new soup each day with the exclusion of the reoccurring Friday clam chowder. Not my personal favorite!
My favorite portion of the bar is an area that looks like your rad uncle’s rec room. It houses two pool tables and a Williams pinball table «The Machine: Bride of Pinbot» (which is a solid table from the early 90’s.) A huge dance floor is smack dab in the middle of this huge emporium if debauchery and includes a stage that hosts karaōke Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights as well as bands on the weekend. The area to the right of the stage is set up like a living room with couches, recliners, coffee tables, and a tv. Perfect for an intimate gathering of friends!
The down to earth staff, slow at times, make you feel like you’re just rapping with another bar regular. As mentioned before, their hands are made of lead! A hint: if you’re a video poker addict the machines pay out often due to high traffic. It’s safe to say that this bar has grown on me and is now my «Cheers» and is not a bad relative, but a fun pal.

Super dark dive bar begs for you to get a DUI.
Delicious Bleu cheese burger. STRONG Ginger/​Whiskey drink.
CHEAP!

I will write what I texted my friend to get her to come out and hang with me this past Friday night:
«We are here. 4 Chicks wailing on guitar, drums and synthesizer. No cover. Cheap drinks.»
The band was awesome but the crowd was dismal for a Friday night. Of course, this was the evening of the E. Coli water disaster (Never Forget).
We played pool, had about 5 drinks and walked out with a tab of $ 17 + tip. The waitress even bummed me two smokes. I’d go back but would hope to be there when it’s hopping!

Last Saturday I saw Prince… well, Erotic City — a Prince tribute band — basically the same thing right? For $ 5 I got to hear most of my favorite Prince songs performed by a guy in a purple trench-​coat and black lace.
Fast forward to Sunday morning… weird-​ass dreams thanks to cheap tequila, my legs were a little sore from DANCING, and I am happy to report no bruises from the old man who hit me when he either slipped on the dance floor from someone’s spilled drink or maybe he was just really awful at break dancing? We’ll never know.
They don’t particularly shine for having a great audio system or food or décor, but I like the atmosphere — one side is basically a bowling alley cocktail lounge where old timers can talk about the good old days while getting drunk. On the other side, you can hit the dance floor (while also getting drunk). There’s something for everyone (who likes sitting in dank bars), including easy access to bus line 75 which could take you anywhere from St. Johns to Milwaukie.
I’d like to thank the folks at the Spare Room for providing me with a great night of entertainment, a dive bar with table service, strong drinks, and for just existing. I need more moments like last weekend.

This was probably my 4^th or 5^th trip to the Spare Room. I’ve always thought it was alright — still do, really. But this trip kinda torqued me off due to really, really bad service. Yes, yes, I know they were understaffed. This was a Thursday (2÷27÷14) and I think there was only one woman working the floor.
What bothered me was that she made several trips around to the tables in the bar, but purposefully avoided ours. What the??? I’m still not really sure what the deal was.
Perhaps because we were two women? I know there is a «thing» about women being bad tippers so consequently women get bad service (and then consequently women tip badly). I don’t think that’s it as there was a table of women behind us who were being served.
Because we were mixed race? The same table behind us were of various ethnicities, so that probably wasn’t it.
Maybe one of us reminded her of someone she hated?
We had made a number of trips to the bar, but when we wanted to order some food, I flagged her as she walked by – she ignored me.
I yelled at her – she ignored me.
I yelled louder – she ignored me and walked faster.
I yelled a bit more – she ignored me, but another patron stopped her and told her «hey those ladies are trying to get your attention» She couldn’t seem to find a way out of that, so…
Success!!!
So I hate to give the Spare Room only two stars, but I’m note sure how to otherwise voice my displeasure. Really, the management shouldn’t have such a sourpuss working for them in a customer service role. In the past they have had amazing wait staff.
And by the way, I still tipped well, because once she waited on us, our service was adequate. Too bad she missed out tips she would have received by serving us our drinks throughout the evening.

The Spare Room lives up to its name as one of the top dive bars in the US. Cheap, tasty food, vinyl booths, 70s décor, friendly waitstaff, vintage exterior signage, and respectable Bloody Marys.
I first heard about The Spare Room via a link on Facebook. A friend had posted a list of the top 33 dive bars in America (
), and The Spare Room was featured alongside a handful of other dive bars I’ve enjoyed over the years. With a trip to Portland already booked, I figured I’d pay a visit while I was there.
Although the bar opens at 7 am daily, none of the Unilocalers had elaborated on The Spare Room’s breakfast, so my Portland friends and I decided to go for brunch. According to the menu, many of the breakfast entrees aren’t much more than $ 4 before 11:00 am. Alas, it was already 11:30, but my Denver omelette with hashbrowns and toast only set me back about $ 7.50. My friend ordered bacon and over-​medium eggs, which she said were executed perfectly. The four slices of bacon that came with it were thick-​cut and crisp. My other friend ordered the chicken fried steak which arrived absolutely smothered in gravy. When we were done, we all ordered sandwiches to go, to be eaten while watching a football playoff game on TV later that day. The California sandwich has thick slices of roast turkey (not luncheon meat), avocado, bacon, and tomato, and it was amazing.
From what I saw of the two bars, the huge dance floor, and the stage, I can only imagine how the place comes alive at night. I will have to save that research for a future visit.

This place was awesome. I went for New Year’s last week, and I had a blast. The two bands they had playing were really good, and the service was amazing. My friends and I were seated at the bar, so the whole night I watched the two bartenders work their asses off nonstop for five hours without missing a beat. There was a line almost for the entire time we were there, but they kept it moving, only stopping near midnight to count down to the New Year. And then they dove right back in, slinging the whiskey and PBR’s like nobody’s business.
The place itself seems to be in the middle of nowhere (I’m only really familiar with Downtown Portland and parts of SE), but it was worth the cab fare. The dance floor was spacious. And until some drunk idiot blew chunks over everything after midnight, the men’s room was surprisingly clean.
I really wish we had a bar like this where I live in Los Angeles.

If you want to get drunk and eat for cheap, this place is for you.
We ordered their special Jim + Coke and split their burger. Our bill only totaled $ 10. WHAT!!!
The Jim + Coke tasted like pure alcohol, no coke. I didn’t like it, but I like drinking. So I downed it anyway.
The burger was delicious. It’s a good amount for one person, not two like we tried to do. It was cooked well, beefy and juicy. It’s about the same amount of beef that In-​N-​Out serves on their burgers, but the whole portion is a bit bigger. The fries were also crispy, but not too crispy, with a good amount of salt.
Great price + value. Not the greatest atmosphere — very divey and dark.

The drinks are super cheap & super strong!
Came here twice in one day the first time my friend & I had lunch from their happy hour menu, we had gotten the BLT sandwich which came with a side (either French fries, tator tots or salad (?)) I of course got the tots. $ 4 for this meal! Talk about a great deal!!!
The second time I came was for drinks, I had a Jim bean with coke & boy did it put me on my ass lol! One drink & I was glowing. Loved it!
More places should be like this! Highly recommended.