BC’s Restaurant

Well now that there’s no music there and they’ve replaced the friendly staff with other people, B.C.‘s isn’t as fun of a place to go to. If you like to gamble they have live and video poker there. The tacos are excellent. The drinks are a little pricey ($ 3.75 for a Pabst, about inline with downtown prices). I’d go there if I wanted to meet someone and have nobody see me, or if I wanted o find an empty pool table, but that’s about it.

You know you’re in a dive bar when even the women’s restroom smells like piss. There is video poker, a couple of TVs for visual entertainment, enough interesting characters for people watching, and a couple pool tables. The drinks are on the spendy side and nothing special. It used to be pretty cool but in my recent visits, I’ve been none too impressed.

I’ve only been here on nights that they have djs and it’s been a little cramped. However, there seem to be fewer and fewer smaller venues for that particular scene so I can’t really complain. I also like that they have a couple of pool tables. I can’t say much about the food or drink because I haven’t tried either there but it seems to be a fairly standard dive bar in that aspect.

This divey little gem is SE Portland’s best secret for techno, tech house, and minimal djs and dancing on a couple Friday nights a month.
Don’t come in expecting top-​shelf cocktails and fancy attire — it’s a very casual place. The crowd is a great mix, the drinks are cheap, the bartenders hot, and the food is good.
I personally recommend the tacos — at $ 1.50 each, with carnitas, carne asada, and pollo to pick from, they’re a must have. The burger is ok, and there’s a lot of just pretty standard bar-​fare on the menu. But talk to Jorge the cook, and he’ll hook you up!
The parking lot usually gets packed early on, so you’re best parking on the street — or walk/​ride your bike. There’s a few racks to lock up to. It’s pretty easy to catch a cab for the ride home too — no waiting for hours like at places downtown.
I usually hit up first Fridays for Static — run by local techno label Subsensory. They have a rotating roster of djs, and occasional out-​of-​town guests.
Fourth Friday is Flash, hosted by Nude Photo Music — another local label. In spirit of full disclosure, I run Nude Photo Music. We host a different guest DJ every month, with talented producers & djs from SF, LA, and Seattle — supported by a local favorite.
If you like techno, tech-​house, minimal, etc — you’re going to love both those nights. If you’re looking for hip hop, pop, or rock — you’ll be disappointed.

Only reason we ventured into BCs was to support a friend doing karaōke that night (and that’s where most of the two stars come from) although I don’t believe they do ‘oke anymore. The bar is spacious, with a couple pool tables and a poker hall upstairs if you’re into that, but space and billiards don’t exactly set you apart from the herd of bars in Portland, where a libation station exists roughly every block. BCs had little character beyond that, but perhaps for the drunk asshole hovering around the pool tables struggling with whether or not to fight someone, cry or fall over. Also, on the night i was there ALL the beer taps went down. Literally NO DRAFT BEER available in the bar, with little available in bottle form beside overpriced Budweiser (to be fair, Bud is almost always overpriced). Later the owner came in to fix the problem, couldn’t, and just gave up… seems like a bar emergency to me, but what do I know? I’m just the one in there spending what little money I had on mediocre cocktails (at least pour ‘em strong on a night you run out of beer!!)
Anyway, we stuck around for our friend, and would gladly go back to support him a second time (he’s a great KJ), but that would be the only reason I’d step foot in BCs bar again… if you’re looking for a dive bar in the area, just go to Sewickly’s Addition on Hawthorne where the drinks are generous, cheap and the weekend bartenders are great.
By the way the bartender was nice despite her drink options crumbling around her. If you live within a block or two of BCs then perhaps its a worthy place to grab a brew (obviously broken tap lines was just a fluke, if a poorly handled one by ownership) but I wouldn’t go out of my way.

Was there last night, and they don’t have karaōke anymore. Seemed open to the possibility of getting it back if they can find a KJ.

We hit up BC’s as a last minute, late night stop on Friday. A good friend was there, so we decided to drop in on the way home after drinks at EastBurn. This was our first time here, and as we descended into the basement lair of the establishment, we were somewhat taken aback at the large number of people shaking their groove thangs to electronic /​house music, with the majority of them were wearing «tracksuits».
A tracksuit dance party? WTF? Hell, I’d throw on a tracksuit quicker then an overweight, gold medallion, chain wearing Jersey boy, especially when combined with a night of dancing and debauchery. And I was just finding out about this?
The TLB and I use to be regulars in the house music scene; from late nights at Ohm, to seeing the sun come up numerous times at Ararat, to every other Friday’s for Jet Set at Crush. We made a good number of close friends and acquaintances during this time, yet as we get older and God forbid mature, our late night’s of dancing and debauchery are few and far between. Leave that for them young’ens, I say. However, as we wandered in, it was nice to see a few familiar faces… although I am starting to think that before I know it, I might be seen as that «creepy old guy in the club». Good thing I have a Tall Hot Leggy Blonde on my arms…
My favorite part of the evening was the faux door guys; they didn’t work there, and there was no cover. However, in lieu of showing ID, they were requiring a quick hit of something green and medicinal. I didn’t inhale.
Free jello shots delivered from the cute waitress that evening was also a plus!
The music seemed to lack the creativity, immersion and flow of some of the older & more established DJ’s.
We only stayed for about an hour as it was getting late, and this old guy needed to get home and get some sleep.

Bodacious Classics, you guys?! Imagine my delight when I heard that BC stands for Bodacious Classics. (i cannot write those words again… look how ugly they are, let alone, sound)
I’m not certain if I’m happy or sad that they just shortened it to BC’s. Either way, it’s a pretty great and spacious bar that suits my taste for no-​nonsense drinking.
Unless that nonsense is karaōke, and in that case I’m all-​nonsense.
Tuesday night karaōke here is a gem and the fellas who run it are peaches.
In addition to having a great song book they give out trivia prizes every so often between songs!
I won a Barbara Streisand and Barry Gibb record! (genius)
People dance!
I cannot stop exclaiming!!!
phew.
I advise that you go to this bodacious bar and enjoy yourself. It’s likely you’ll have a hell of a time.

Holy dark, dank & seedy Robin, we have a new Batcave!
So, I’ve been meaning to check this place out for, oh something like 5 friggin years, and last night I finally had my chance.
When I walked into my new dark, underground lair I was immediately blasted with what I can only describe as an incredibly efficient air conditioning system. My sidekicks & I sauntered up to the bartender & ordered a reasonably priced pitcher of Blue Moon– they even had the oranges. When we got there at about 830 there was only one other table with maybe 7 regulars at it. there were 3 or 4 people on staff which surprised me.
They have a giant mirror that they write their specials on. The specialty shot was called… are you ready?
” The hand release” for $ 5– how rad is that?! Turns out it consists of Jaeger, Peppermint Schnapps, & 151… does that make your teeth shiver or what?
They have a LARGE karaōke stage (karaōke on Tuesdays!) with a pretty impressive dance floor and a staff member that can hit both the high & low notes of Roy Orbison’s «Crying»… that’s some sweet shit. Not only is he capable of doing so– he willingly did so most of the night, to different tunes of course.
So, an hour or so later & 3 pitchers in, one of my sidekicks decides we need Jaeger shots. The guy that delivered the Jaeger shots turns out to be pretty cute & wearing a bitchin hat. I have no idea how I pulled this off, but I totally talked him out of it! All it cost me was my number, and a teeny, tiny, won’t be missed piece of my soul.
This my friends, is where my tale of the radness ends, for Jaeger is like cryptonite and it erased my memory of all events after consumption.

I can’t tell with what great pleasure it gives me to be the first to review this bar. I just popped my Portland Powell cherry two days ago and I’m trying to discover all the delightful treasures on this beautiful, historical, industrial, busy, dirty street.
I am currently looking for a neighborhood bar that will serve my drunken, no-​driving, pre-McDonald’s runs. Looks like BC’s will do the trick! Any place that has pudding shots is a class-​act. But I question the consistency of the pudding. The bartender confirms: it is actually a FLAN shot. Caliente!
We had DJ Pulp Friction spinning some tunes. I confess, I thought they were going to be showing a dirty movie, and I think I would have preferred that instead. But they also have an 80s night, and you can bet your Aunt Sally I will report back on that.
Low-​key, dirty dive bar 0.2 miles from my apt?
BC’s, it looks like this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.