SIN night roundup
I hope I don’t get fired for saying this, but working in the service industry totally sucks. Not only does it suck in the “is unpleasant” sense, but years behind the counter have effectively sucked away any of my affection for mankind as a whole. Eight hours of fake smiling at people I hate generally leaves me in an emotional coma from which only two things can restore me: booze, and talking mad shit. This is where the Service Industry Night comes in: armed only with a food handlers or OLCC card, the grumpy, thirsty working girl can find comfort, camaraderie, and stiff, cheap drinks at numerous bars offering discounts for industry workers.
Bar of the Gods
4801 SE Hawthorne, 232-2037, Mondays
The BOG is always slightly too dark and slightly too loud—not so great for conversation, but the perfect place to silently pound drinks until your post-work hostility subsides. And with $1 off wells and drafts from 8 pm-midnight, there’s plenty of time to take the edge off. It’s also a total meat market, in case your method of taking the edge off includes random bar sex (hey, whatever works—just make sure and change out of your ranch-stained work shirt before you go).
Night Light Lounge
2100 SE Clinton, 731-6500, Sundays
The Night Light is cute, mellow, comfortable, and proudly supports the alcoholism of the local service community. With $1 off drinks and $2 off great food, it’s worth checking out this Clinton Street hot spot next time you have a night off.
Dino’s Inn
1008 SE Hawthorne, 232-9516, Tuesdays
For the person who likes a little entertainment with their alcohol binge, Dino’s hosts slamming DJ Big Deuce, and strippers! Deuce’s spins an expert selection of music from rockabilly, surf rock, lo-fi, garage, punk and more, and drink specials include 50 cents off beer and wine. So get a little nasty on your SIN night and rediscover this classic Hawthorne dive.
Beulahland
118 NE 28th, 235-2794, Wednesdays
Sweaty scenesters, bartenders who feel your pain, and happy hour all night with an OLCC, food handlers, or union card (that’s $3 micros, $3 wells) make the now bigger and hipper-than-ever Beulahland a choice SIN destination. And though it can be hard to eat after slinging food for other people all night, Beulahland’s SIN includes $2 nachos and burgers to soak up all the booze you’re drinking. Try the nachos, which, though simple, approach drunk-food perfection in the best way possible: layers and layers of cheese. Damn, that’s some hot nacho action.
My Father’s Place
523 SE Grand Ave, 235-5494, Fridays
It’s not much of a discount (50 cents off drafts and wells), but it is one of the few bars in town with a weekend SIN—most places save their discounts for slow nights at the beginning of the week. Many a drunk night begins and ends in the comfy booths of My Father’s Place, so if you’re drinking there on a Friday anyway, don’t forget to pull out the industry card and save yourself some money on a round of super-stiff drinks or cheap beer.
Salvador Molly’s (Eastside)
3350 SE Morrison, 234-0896, Mondays
Salvador Molly’s goes a bit heavy on the flair—but as long as I’m not the one wearing it, that’s fine with me. Their industry night features happy hour all night ($2 pints, $3.75 rum drinks), and a pirate-themed $2.50 bar menu that includes cheesy poufs, garlic fries, potstickers, and the random but brilliant offering of a 40 percent discount on tacos. Just don’t talk to me like a pirate, please.
Wimpy’s
517 NW 21st, 223-5153, Wednesdays,
I’m a big fan of Wimpy’s because it’s a scrappy little underdog bar in the glossy and yuppified realm that is Northwest Portland. Also, it’s three blocks from my work, and the bartenders are all friendly and hot. The regulars are a welcoming cross section of cute, heavy-drinking hipsters, and old guard, pre-trendy Northwest types. Industry discounts start at 9 pm, with happy hour prices all night ($2.75 micros, $2 wells), but get there early to enjoy $2 vodka drinks in their huge, shady backyard. ■