Springwater Station

I would give this place a better rating but then everybody would start coming here. I love this place because the food is excellent, drinks are excellent and it is never too crowded for comfort. A hidden gem that I will enjoy or years to come. The seedy bike path gives a slight unsavory image that works to my favor and keeps the hipster crowd across the street at cartlandia.

How the hell does this place pass inspection? Man it can’t be safe to eat here! Wow! Looks fine on the outside but the moldy walls with holes in them, and the greasy tables tell the truth. Don’t eat here! My stomach still hurts.

Most relaxing bar in the area. Don’t care for the younger bartender to much. They designed the place a little differently than what it used to be. The pool table is in the outside room and you used to be able to smoke in there but now you have to go out by the trail to smoke… anyone who knows the trail and the area, knows that smoking out there at dark isn’t the most comforting idea. It seems low profile and they never let anyone inside that is already too drunk, which is very nice.

The worse thing about this place was April, happy to say she has moved on to the dump dive bar she worked at part-​time. She was so trashy I would
not go in there when she worked. The best fish and chips, chefs salad in PDX. Deb, Marci and Tona are great bartenders.

This place looks like a dive but the food and the service was awesome. We were in from out of town looking for a place to eat breakfast/​lunch. Hubby wanted breakfast and I wanted lunch. Both were delicious. The waitress was enjoyable and efficient. I hate to use the term matronly but the waitress was like having Mom serve your meal. We would definitely go back for the swrvice alone but the food was great too!

From the looks of the building design, both inside and out, this bar/​restaurant must have been a beautiful place 20 or so years ago. It is not currently a dive bar — but just give it a couple more years of neglect and it will easily fall into that category. We ordered simple fare: a cheeseburger with a side of potato salad, and a veggie wrap. I was expecting a ‘cold version of veggie wrap. .. fresh spinach, onions, tortilla the works, and egg extra, but it was chopped spinach more like BURRITO. No matter it was good and I’m happy with my dish, that was huge! Also ordered was a side salad, which turned out to be HUGE, also! So far as the food was concerned, there were no complaints. The side salad was diversified and as fresh as it gets. The cheeseburger was perfectly done. The potato salad was homemade and good. Service was OK. It was the atmosphere that was depressing: flood stains on the ceiling tiles, fly trap hanging down in the corner, glasses above 5′ level (are they clean or have been there 20 years ago and are used for ‘decorative purposes?) right next to a cash register/​overhead TV. White buckets, we spotted about 4 on our way out, sitting by a hallway, and listen to this to add to all the negativity, I almost tripped on their rug on our way out the door. This was during lunch, so imagine someone tripping that same rug DURING THE NIGHT and intoxicated!

This bar has a VERY relaxing atmosphere, filled with green décor, dim chandeliers with leaf designs, comfortable seating and a fireplace.
Atmosphere is very important to me. My lover and I come here to enjoy a drama-​free, cozy and welcoming setting, unlike other bars in the area.
The Oatmeal Cookie drink is probably my biggest reason for continuously coming here… it is absolutely DELICIOUS, also very inexpensive for a drink of its kind, and served in a pint glass, not a tiny little typical cocktail glass.
Truly an unexpected gem in an otherwise pretty crappy area (82^nd avenue), and one of the only places on this street where I feel safe and relaxed.

Overall, there is nothing wrong with the place, other than their extreme lack of marketing & waste of great potential. For it’s crappy location, it’s actually got a good location (hang with me here). It’s directly on the Springwater Trail & no other bars/​restaurants are located off the trail until you hit Sellwood. It is off 82^nd though, down in Felony Flats so you can imagine the «diverse» type of crowd. Example: guy decked out in camo gear calling people «turkeys» as an insult.
Inside it is DARK, dank & dingy. They did have a nice bartender. Didn’t try the food. Beer selection was better than expected based on atmosphere: 2 local micro taps & then, of course, all the domestics.
Here is where is really gets fun: the décor! Left over metallic crap from someone’s house last time they redecorated. For real. Remember the late 80s/​early 90s dark plush furniture with contrasting swirl designs? Asian-​inspired black & gold wall hangings? Sparkle-​flecked mirrors? There was actually a labrador-​sized golden dear statue in front of the granite fireplace (next to stacked boxes of what I’m hoping contain more fabulous home-​decors just waiting to be set out).
Their outside patio is where it really fell apart for me: Faded green Rubbermaid chairs along with their stored curbside trashcan & coffee cans for cig butts. Worst part: The roof top is closed, permanently. A bucket lid hangs on a wire hanger strung across the stairs and in faded marker: «do not enter.» I asked the bartender what was up with the roof and she replied, «I guess it used to be open a long time ago, but now we only have the main level» (What?! You have got to be kidding me!).
Great potential, but it sure would take a lot of work. At the end of the day, it’s an über-​dive on south 82^nd and I won’t be back.

Great bartenders that make awesomely strong well drinks. Marcy makes a mean drink called an Oatmeal Cookie that tastes, yep, like a damned oatmeal cookie. AMAZING!
Their sweet potato fries are also pretty good. Just wish their TVs were a bit less intrusive.
With all their bike parking and location RIGHT by the Springwater corridor, it’s a wonder they don’t have a sandwich board outside and a deal for bicyclists craving a Lemon Drop or something. Hmmm… they should really get on something like that… Anyhow, check ‘em out! They’re my Lower Lents wateringhole of choice.