Plan B

F the haters. I would throw a flaming bottle of gasoline through the Pope’s bedroom window to see a show here. From the drinks as stiff as a 2×4, to the unbelievable shrine to Charlie Manson, how the hell could you feel like you shouldn’t belong here? So shut up, and get your ass over there now. Drink and eat yourself into a mini coma. Now!!!

We went for HIVE night, and this place was awesome! It has a really good lay-​out. It even has a huge outdoor patio, which is very pretty at night. The drinks are decent priced and they had two dj’s (one outside, one inside). Speaking of DJ’s, the ones for HIVE night are very good. love the selection of music.
The patrons are seems to be very friendly. We were had a friend from out of state visiting and were trying to get him laid (sadly we were unsuccessful)… However, I learned that most of the patrons are very kind to an annoying goth girl coming up and saying «My friend thinks your cute,»…
I would definitely come back to this place. if only to dance beneath the stars. :)

I must be an old man, cause damn it gets loud here. The patio is huge and has a nice covered area. Some decent punk/​metal bands play here, which is very appealing. Sometimes the trek from N/​NE is a bit daunting, but hey sometimes it’s worth it.

I came here for Hive (the Goth night) for some good music and good times. After being a regular at a similar club down in Sacramento, I was excited about checking out the Portland scene.
While there were some major differences in people, I found the whole experience to be amazing. It’s definitely not everyone’s cup o’ tea, but every human encounter I made was a friendly one. From the punk bartender (who kindly whipped me up a hot toddy to thaw my freezing hands) to the couple making out in the dank bathrooms (only the first stall on the left side should be used) to the random guy who started talking to me in Japanese, each person seemed to be a real human bean. (haha. beans.)
As for the venue, yea it was weird, and dark, and dirty. But it was also cheap, straightforward, and good. The food was well-​priced, the drinks were strong, and the people were cool. It felt right, like this is the kind of place where people go to dance their asses off without watching dumb hoes getting hit on by the average douchebag.
I’ll be back! And if this review doesn’t make sense to you, I’m not sure I want it to.

My first visit here was about 7 years ago. I have been maybe two other times before just this last Sunday night for HIVE. Since I know a couple of my friends are regulars here, I decided to join them on a slightly spur of the moment escape.
It’s pretty much exactly how I remember it.
I love the DJs, and they do an excellent mix. The only complaint I have is that the volume of the indoor system is nearly deafening. If you want to have any sort of conversation, you are relegated to the outdoor patio area. Had this been summer, and not the beginning of February, this would have been just fine. After the first hour, I could no longer feel my feet or hands and was forced to go back inside to thaw out in shifts.
There is an outdoor heat lamp, but it was apparently out of gas. After a couple honest attempts to start the darn thing, we gave it one last, forlorn look and walked away. Every now and then I’d cast a glance towards it and sigh.
I can’t comment too much on the bar, bartenders, or alcohol selection. I had arrived about 20 minutes before my friends and ordered one Raspberry Vodka mixed with Sprite. There was no one else at the bar, so my order was taken right away and made very quickly. On the whole, I am not a big drinker, usually having only one drink at any given social situation. My friend, however, is quite the lush and he has nothing but compliments for the mixes at Plan B, saying they are perfectly strong. His girlfriend had plenty of club sodas that she never seemed to have to wait for.
The bar was not terribly full that night, whether this was the aftereffects of Super Bowl or some pandemic I had not yet heard of, I cannot say. Good conversations with a couple new people were enjoyed, but the freezing of my extremities put a wet blanket of misery over the whole evening. How the scantily clad girls still had full mobility of their limbs is a mystery no one could answer. I had a thermal long john top, full length jeans, knee high fuzzy socks, and a thick trench that never came off.
No comment on the food, because none was ordered. Word of mouth says it is better than your average bar food, and I will have to test this theory someday.
Perhaps this summer.

Headed down here to support my friend and his band. Their music was great, but this place really didn’t seem that wonderful to me. Maybe I’m getting old but some things just didn’t jive in the experience. Finding the ATM in here is tough because it’s nestled in-​between the bar and what I assume was the sound board area in this tiny little cubbyhole. It’s damn near hidden when anyone at the bar is standing up and blocking your view of it and dark enough that when you get there you can’t see the keys. Whatever, it’s just an ATM but it irritated me.
The inside is typical bar/​music venue. Nothing special. They have a large area outside and I stepped out to entertain my occasional smoking habit. Low and behold I came across some furry little friends scurrying about under the tables outside. Probably would have given this a standard 3 star but when I encounter rats running around my feet while I’m out it just sets me back a bit. Hopefully they’re relegated to the outside.

Seems like a cool place…
I’ve been here 3 times now and it’s generally a pretty decent time… good crowd, nice enough bar tenders.
sometimes the bartender take a bit to realise that you’re there… but it happens. The drinks are decently priced and they have good music usually playing… sometimes live bands.

I’m a fan because I got too drunk to remember how much fun I had. Oh vacations…
I’ll have to visit again next time I’m in town!
Good Shows!

Great music venue and awesomely large patio. Super friendly service. Our full review is on our podcast at:

Good show for a good price 2 dollar pints of pbs and hams. 24 oz bottles of steinlager for 6 buck and array of draft beers for i dunno how much.
Nice big outside patio for smokers and people want to talk. The place has a ton of show and crazy events.
Most of the time all the events are free and a show can range from 3 to 10 bucks.
This place looks and feels like a typical punk and metal bar with pinball and a good juke box.
This bar come complete with a merch selling sop with a semi circular boot for band sitting also contains it fresh charlie manson tap water for your self serving needs.

They say you’re hardest on those that you love the most, and I guess that’s the place I’m coming from as I write this review for Plan B (and the goth night HIve).
Plan B is where the ye olden Gawth Club Hive was moved to after it retired from Lola’s Room. Back in the day when I was young and actually had fun wearing corsets and dressing like a terrible extra from The Hunger, Hive was the the place to be for Gawth Clubbin’ in this city. Sadly, times have changed. I still love Owen and think he spins one of the more authentically Deathrock/​Swirly/​Gothic Rock nights in the city, but the crowd draws and the crowd itself are just not quite the same.
Truth be told, Hive go-​ers went from from elaborately dressed Victorian chicks and 80s-​esque Deathrockers to the PVC, night gown, and Hot Topic nightmares sometime around the move. I’m not sure how it all happened, but it’s not my thing. I’m alright with feeling like a terrible extra in The Hunger, I’m not ok with feeling like a terrible extra of The Crow.
Another thing that changed with Hive is they added in the more Stompy/​Industrial/​whatever music out side. Brian Backlash is an excellent DJ although I’m not partial to a lot of the music he plays he constantly will sneak in a track or two through the night that makes me take notice (U2 or Patti Smith for instance — he makes it work trust me).
The inherent problem with the two DJ set up is this: Both sound systems are up ultra-​loud so you can’t hear the other one. If all you wanna do is dance — Awesome! If you wanna talk, hang out, try to scam on chicks/​dudes/​trannies/​whatever you’re shit out of luck.
So that’s my review of Hive, now onto Plan B itself–
Sorry guys, the service blows almost consistently. This is one of the only bars in Portland I have ever had to wait in line for ten sometimes twenty minutes to get a drink. And this happens almost every time I go. Whether it be an emptier night at Hive or a jam packed Poison Idea show. On top of that drink prices don’t seem to be consistent… (However, I have noticed that the wait time is shorter for some reason when Stef is working… hold onto her…)
Food. The food is good. I enjoy the food. I don’t enjoy having to wait OVER an HOUR for a grilled cheese at half full goth night. Really guys?
Another gripe is I go there fairly often and yet the staff seems to change on a week by week basis. That just seems fairly sketchy to me and it’s kinda weird having to deal with new bouncers/​bar tenders/​etc all the time. There are of course a few solid employees, but it seems like every show you’ve got a completely new crew. Why?
All that being said, Plan B does book some good shows, but seem to be a little out of touch with Punk scene. With so few venues left Plan B really has the opportunity to build itself as a great venue and bar — why skate by on mediocrity when you could build your business into something competitive and great?
Edited to Add:
Dean, who books shows, and also works the bar is also a really great guy and bar tender and I feel after re-​reading my review I did a disservice not mentioning Dean as a major asset of Plan B.

I’m nearly speechless to explain how good of a time I had here.
We rolled into a very quiet night last Saturday (dark calendar, no bands) with approx. 45 people and proceeded to takeover the bar with only a little warning.
Each drink was well priced and well poured, the food was apparently good (I didn’t eat any, but the drunkies surely did)
And not only did they let us do copious amounts of stupid «here hold my beer» ideas… THEY AIDED AND ABETTED US in said plans.
Any place that has wheelchairs with which to carry out said random and exuberant acts of stupidity is good in my book.
I’m far more of an punk rocker than a metal-​head so the music was meh to me… but the huge space was nice, the staff were UBER friendly (okay, did hurt they were kinda purdy too)
And I had a goddamned blast. Needless to say, If I’ve got a big group again, I’ll be heading this way next time I’m in town.

Plan B,
Why are you no longer opened on Mondays? Or was this a one time thing? You have been a place that has offered an array of great memories:
Meeting up with my sister as she finishes off one of those drunk bus’ for literacy things (only in Portland); sunny summer afternoon with then new boyfriend; re-​living the experience of high school punk shows; oh yeah and happening to be there when a rousing faux-​pro wrestling match emerges out of nowhere, complete with *slutty* ref/​flag waving girl (or whatever that should be referred to as).
Yes. This is a great SE Portland establishment. Hit this one up on your bike tour through Industrial/​Inner SE. Cheap eats/​drinks. Huge outdoor patio.

Ok disclaimer – I do not own any metal, leather, fishnets or red lipstick. So this is not a place I would go, however, it was on my bus tour and as a true Unilocaler I have to Unilocal about it, right?
If you are into any of the above things that I am not this place is effing cool as hell. It’s dark, they show movies on the wall of a building next door, a grip of outside seating for those who smoke (and lots of folks were). The décor is very unique and goth and creepy, but pulled off very well. They have a stage inside for their local metal bands and that is very nice of them.
Alas, this not being a «Jenn» place is not the reason for the two stars. No no, I do not judge or roll the way of snarky bitch. The two stars is for this… If you know that you are hosting the last ever concert of Portland Rock demi-​gods, which will draw a HUGE crowd – AND – you’re a stop on a bus tour with 60 lushes you better have some booze to keep the masses happy.
Utilizing my Unilocal ap I thought I’d see what was good here – beyond the Hamm’s and PBR that were obvious choices in the hands of almost everyone. Mojito a fellow Unilocaler suggests – ok, I can get on board with that… No mint?! Ok… how about an Alabama Slammer for our bride-to-be…no slow gin?! Ok, now i’m getting angrier than the screaming from the stage. No PBR? No Hamm’s left? WTF?! Ok, fine I’ll resort to my normal microbrew and get my homegirl over here a kamikaze.
Did we leave because we were clearly in the wrong joint? No we left because the wrong joint ran dry.

4-​m rating. One of my favorite bars. Rock /​punk bar theme with great variety: daily events, cheap good food & entertainment.
Interior pics on this site are out of date… place is filled with booth seating, pinball & pool, inside/​outside live music venue, inside/​outside dj music venue, big & great covered/​uncovered patio, check out the Charles Manson booth!
Bar is cheap and generous. Check myspace page for show calendar. Cover charge (if applied) has never gone over $ 5 in my experience.

Great jukebox! Rivals the Rialto in its glory days (before it became a Serious Pool Place and redecorated.) We had great service, quick and friendly staff and strong drinks. The bar munchies are glorious artery clogging things. Just had the cheese fries this time but I seem to be in this part of town a lot, so no doubt I’ll have a chance to try more.
Doggie friendly too!

Wow, Plan B. Way to live up to your name.
Under no circumstances should Plan B be your first choice for an evening out. I happened to come here last week to see my friend’s friends’ band play a gig and while the ambiance is crazy in a loveable way, and the outdoor patio is an excellent smokers refuge without seemingly damning them to a scuzzy alley beside the bar, the actual BAR part of this bar was sorely lacking. When someone orders a simply drink like, oh, say a beer or maybe an amaretto sour, you should be able to make it in under 5 minutes. OK, how about under 10 minutes? Why does it feel like you’re reinventing the cocktail behind there, buddy? Once you actually get your drink and want to cash out, be prepared for another long wait.

I guess it truly matters who’s behind the bar. I came back to Plan B recently because my buddies with whom I was doing a pub crawl liked the spot. Against all my Unilocal senses, I conceded.
And, boy, was I glad I did! That night, they had a special 1/​3-​lb bacon cheeseburger with fries for $ 6.75 USD. Talk about awesome. I nearly inhaled the burger. I think it was in the ‘special sauce’ that they used. Man, that was one good mofo burger. When I do decide to return to Plan B, they better have it again on special or, better yet, make it a regular on their menu, because I’ll definitely be a fan henceforth.
Now, back to the bartender– she used to work at the Reel ‘M Inn and, if you know the set-​up at the Reel, you know that the bartender has to be one helluva multitasker. And the one at Plan B that Friday night was killer good. Too bad I didn’t catch her name, but I’ll never forget the ink she had on her left shoulder. It was, um, hmm, I guess I did forget.
Oh, well, I guess that warrants a return visit.

There was a writer who had a birthday party/​book reading/​slideshow tonight. It was fun, THE WRITER’S PART. The ONE bartender was nice enough to make me a drink or two, EVENTUALLY. But what up with the knowing you’re having an event and only staffing two people to run audiovisual, tend bar, make food and serve the food. For like, over 200 people. ARE YOU FRICKIN’ KIDDING ME?!
At one point, I was gagging from thirst and there was literally no one behind the bar FOR OVER A HALF HOUR. WITH hundreds of people in the place. Eventually I saw a bartender running around with a rats nest of power cords and cables. That was better than the time he went missing earlier and I noticed he was hanging out on the patio for no particular reason.
It took an hour and a half to get a side of vegan chili cheese fries. They were a massive bargain, literally enough for 10 people for like $ 4. We would of seriously been happy with enough for 8 people in only an hour, or 4 people in half an hour… seriously.
It never ceases to amaze me that venues hold events to show off their junk (which really, in normal circumstances, Plan B has a few things going for it), but they understaff and just take a giant steaming we-don’t-care-if-you-parch-or starve-​to-​death dump on a few hundred future patrons.
Stoopid. Won’t go back for sure.

*before reading, please note the date this review was written…
Plan B is a «backup method for preventing pregnancy» and is «not for routine use.»
Ok. noted. I won’t come here too often.
Plan B can «reduce your chance of pregnancy after unprotected sex.»
Sweet! But this is conflicting with the first statement…
«It is important to know that Plan B is not RU-​486 (the abortion pill).»
Phew. I mean… I’m ok with a bar being named after emergency contraception, but «the abortion bar» just doesn’t seem as catchy.
But after seeing their AWESOME patio — I hope they have some of these namesake pills available… cause add booze and hormones to a warm summer evening under sparkly patio lights = you’re only a Marvin Gaye song away from baby makin’.