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On October 9, the Hawthorne Boulevard landmark sports bar Claudia’s closed after a 65-year run — but regulars weren’t left wondering what would happen to the space for long. In a quick turnaround, fellow longtime Portland sports bar Suki’s took over the space just 10 days later. Suki’s II comes from owner Phil Chung and operating partner Bradley Stephens who are also behind the Northeast Portland cocktail bar Cereus, which opened in 2022.
“Being one of the oldest karaoke bars in the Northwest buying the oldest sports bar in the Northwest, it was kind of this magical thing between [Claudia’s owner Martin Spathas and Phil],” Stephens says. “We feel like we have a lot of the similar culture when it comes to being a neighborhood ‘bar for all.’”
Phil Chung’s parents, Suki and Ann Chung, opened Suki’s original location in 1996, just south of downtown and the Portland State University campus. It initially operated as a steakhouse and was a destination for live music. When Phil Chung took the reins of the family business in 2005, he swapped the steaks and live bands for burgers and karaoke.
These days at the bar, patrons wash down Korean-inspired dishes like bulgogi beef tacos and kimchi fried rice with dollar ponies of Miller beer. Coinciding with the bar’s expansion, chef German Galicia is working with Ann Chung on an updated food menu that will be rolled out at both locations. Suki’s II will also offer weekend brunch from Friday to Sunday.
The team plans to slowly make renovations but retain the feel of the storied watering hole. Longtime patrons can expect a similar scene to its predecessor — sports games playing on TV, karaoke, and video lottery. Suki’s II hit the ground running with karaoke from Fridays to Sundays, but will offer it daily once a new sound system is installed.
The new location also plans to host more collaborative sports events, starting with a Portland Trail Blazers community happy hour in partnership with Bleacher Report and Jack Daniel’s on Sunday, October 29.
“I jokingly say that Suki’s I is a karaoke bar with sports,” Stephens says. “Suki’s II is a sports bar with karaoke.”
Suki’s II is located at 3006 SE Hawthorne Boulevard
