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14 Spots to Day-Drink in Portland

Here’s where to go for a martini with lunch

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Portlanders seem to love shirking the norm, from wearing jeans to fine dining restaurants to ignoring the customary wait until 5 p.m. to imbibe a martini. Luckily, there are plenty of Portland bars and restaurants that cater to those who prefer to drink while the sun is out, or just to get started earlier on the next day’s hangover.

For those who don’t mind the disapproving glare of passersby, jealous that they aren’t also nursing a margarita at 11 a.m., here are 14 spots that are open with drinks earlier in the day. As usual, this list is organized geographically, not by rank.

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Urban German Wursthaus

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The Urban German serves light, German-style beers that are just made for day-drinking purposes, especially alongside the restaurant’s array of grilled sausages. It’s easy to spend an afternoon sipping dunkels and pilsners in the yellow-walled dining room decked out in beer posters, but even more so out on the balcony patio, which offers a stunning view of Portland’s beautiful St. John’s Bridge.

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Das ist gut

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Freeland Spirits

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The fact that most distilleries in Portland open — and close — early means they all encourage at least a bit of day-drinking. Freeland Spirits is no exception, except that the large, window-lined modern tasting room is one of the only in town that serves full-size cocktails. Along with martinis and gin and tonics made with the floral gin, the bar serves wine, beer, and a full food menu of sandwiches, salads, and other sundries.

Mock Crest Tavern

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An essential North Portland watering hole, the low-brow Mock Crest Tavern opens at 9 a.m. daily, serving breakfast and drinks at its diner-style counter and out on the patio. Its friendly neighborhood vibes mean that no one will be judged for that 11 a.m. whiskey highball, and it always gets busy with daytime revelers when happy hour kicks in at 3 p.m.

Red Star Tavern

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Hotel bars are always a reliable place to grab a day-drink, and the stylishly vintage Red Star Tavern is no exception. Open in the early hours of the morning, the bar offers a solid selection of cocktails with an emphasis on whiskey for those who want to go all-in.

Open at 11:30 a.m. most days and 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday, Prost isn’t open as early as some of the other bars on this map, but the cozy German tap house features a generous array of light, crisp, low-proof German “biers” that are best enjoyed out on the sun-soaked patio. Plus, getting up early for beers means Matt’s BBQ in the Prost Marketplace (probably) won’t be sold out, so daytime revelers can enjoy some smoky ribs and brisket alongside boots of lager.

Mi Mero Mole

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The spacious, casual counter service restaurant Mi Mero Mole is open on weekdays at 7:30 a.m. (and noon Saturday and Sunday) for breakfast bowls, burritos, and tacos, as well as margaritas and other agave drinks. There is no rule, legal or moral, that prohibits someone from ordering a margarita alongside a breakfast bowl or lunch burrito, though most workplaces would likely frown upon it.

Produce Row Cafe

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One of Portland’s most historic watering holes, Produce Row still opens for lunch daily at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. on weekends), serving its impressive line of draught beers, bright and refreshing slushies, and full lunch menu. Inside is lovely, with the vintage wooden seats and wall murals, but during summer it’s even nicer out on the fully enclosed patio, hidden from the judgmental glares of people not day-drinking.

My Father's Place

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Turning on the lights at 6 a.m., My Father’s Place opens early enough that it can’t actually serve alcohol for the first hour of service. It works, as the low-ceilinged bar is basically a diner, but once 7 a.m. rolls around, customers can add whatever bloody mary, mimosas, or vodka and Squirt they want to their order of pancakes and bacon. There’s not a lot of natural light through the windows, papered with signs and posters as they are, so drinkers getting started early should be wary when leaving or risk being blinded by the fact that yes, it’s still the middle of the day.

It’s totally okay to drink during the day when it’s a killer bottle of French wine at the Parisian cafe-esque Canard, because then it’s not day-drinking, it’s just European. Also, Canard is open as early as 8 a.m. during the week and 9 a.m. on weekends with said bottles of wine, as well as cocktails and espresso drinks. It even has a section on its breakfast menu called “day drinks” with a champagne cocktail and a Japanese highball, in case any more encouragement was needed.

Doug Fir Lounge

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Though primarily known as a music venue, the wood-cabin-styled Doug Fir Lounge serves as the bar for the Jupiter Hotel, which means a 7 a.m. opening for all the hotel guests to get breakfast and champagne. When 3 p.m. comes around, the bar switches over to happy hour for those looking for day drinks at a more “reasonable” time.

Sassy's

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It may seem unorthodox heading to a strip club as early as 10:30 in the morning, but there’s also nothing more Portland than grabbing a pre-lunch gin and tonic and hanging out at the bar of this windowless, punk rock venue. For those who want to take in one of Portland’s more popular attractions, there are dancers right at the opening, but even if not, it’s considered gauche not to throw down the occasional tip.

Radio Room

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Not only is it open every day at 9 a.m. with the full drink menu on offer, but the diner-style bar Radio Room is open 365 days a year for year-round day-drinking. With an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, full bar, cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee drinks, it’s easy to while away a day here, especially out on the double-decker patio with a view of Alberta.

Dots Cafe

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An eastside institution, Dots Cafe toes the line between a dive and a diner, but manages to be a bit classier than both with its tufted red leather booths and velvet paintings adorning the walls. It’s open at noon on weekdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays with a sizable lunch menu and a full bar that includes a generous draught list and slushies made for daytime sipping. Visitors can choose to hide inside from the sun or watch the bikers riding down Clinton from the small picnic tables outside.

The Observatory

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Open at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, The Observatory offers solid pub food, along with a list of drinks like the cumin centipede, a nice tequila pick-me-up for day-drinking. For those who feel guilty drinking a cocktail during the day, it also offers a list of sparkling drinks, because everyone knows that mimosas and spritzes don’t count.

A post shared by Torrey Moore (@brodys_dad78) on

Urban German Wursthaus

The Urban German serves light, German-style beers that are just made for day-drinking purposes, especially alongside the restaurant’s array of grilled sausages. It’s easy to spend an afternoon sipping dunkels and pilsners in the yellow-walled dining room decked out in beer posters, but even more so out on the balcony patio, which offers a stunning view of Portland’s beautiful St. John’s Bridge.

View this post on Instagram

Das ist gut

A post shared by Mark Gretzinger (@digsafe) on

Freeland Spirits

The fact that most distilleries in Portland open — and close — early means they all encourage at least a bit of day-drinking. Freeland Spirits is no exception, except that the large, window-lined modern tasting room is one of the only in town that serves full-size cocktails. Along with martinis and gin and tonics made with the floral gin, the bar serves wine, beer, and a full food menu of sandwiches, salads, and other sundries.

Mock Crest Tavern

An essential North Portland watering hole, the low-brow Mock Crest Tavern opens at 9 a.m. daily, serving breakfast and drinks at its diner-style counter and out on the patio. Its friendly neighborhood vibes mean that no one will be judged for that 11 a.m. whiskey highball, and it always gets busy with daytime revelers when happy hour kicks in at 3 p.m.

Red Star Tavern

Hotel bars are always a reliable place to grab a day-drink, and the stylishly vintage Red Star Tavern is no exception. Open in the early hours of the morning, the bar offers a solid selection of cocktails with an emphasis on whiskey for those who want to go all-in.

Prost

Open at 11:30 a.m. most days and 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday, Prost isn’t open as early as some of the other bars on this map, but the cozy German tap house features a generous array of light, crisp, low-proof German “biers” that are best enjoyed out on the sun-soaked patio. Plus, getting up early for beers means Matt’s BBQ in the Prost Marketplace (probably) won’t be sold out, so daytime revelers can enjoy some smoky ribs and brisket alongside boots of lager.

Mi Mero Mole

The spacious, casual counter service restaurant Mi Mero Mole is open on weekdays at 7:30 a.m. (and noon Saturday and Sunday) for breakfast bowls, burritos, and tacos, as well as margaritas and other agave drinks. There is no rule, legal or moral, that prohibits someone from ordering a margarita alongside a breakfast bowl or lunch burrito, though most workplaces would likely frown upon it.

Produce Row Cafe

One of Portland’s most historic watering holes, Produce Row still opens for lunch daily at 11 a.m. (10 a.m. on weekends), serving its impressive line of draught beers, bright and refreshing slushies, and full lunch menu. Inside is lovely, with the vintage wooden seats and wall murals, but during summer it’s even nicer out on the fully enclosed patio, hidden from the judgmental glares of people not day-drinking.

My Father's Place

Turning on the lights at 6 a.m., My Father’s Place opens early enough that it can’t actually serve alcohol for the first hour of service. It works, as the low-ceilinged bar is basically a diner, but once 7 a.m. rolls around, customers can add whatever bloody mary, mimosas, or vodka and Squirt they want to their order of pancakes and bacon. There’s not a lot of natural light through the windows, papered with signs and posters as they are, so drinkers getting started early should be wary when leaving or risk being blinded by the fact that yes, it’s still the middle of the day.

Canard

It’s totally okay to drink during the day when it’s a killer bottle of French wine at the Parisian cafe-esque Canard, because then it’s not day-drinking, it’s just European. Also, Canard is open as early as 8 a.m. during the week and 9 a.m. on weekends with said bottles of wine, as well as cocktails and espresso drinks. It even has a section on its breakfast menu called “day drinks” with a champagne cocktail and a Japanese highball, in case any more encouragement was needed.

Doug Fir Lounge

Though primarily known as a music venue, the wood-cabin-styled Doug Fir Lounge serves as the bar for the Jupiter Hotel, which means a 7 a.m. opening for all the hotel guests to get breakfast and champagne. When 3 p.m. comes around, the bar switches over to happy hour for those looking for day drinks at a more “reasonable” time.

Sassy's

It may seem unorthodox heading to a strip club as early as 10:30 in the morning, but there’s also nothing more Portland than grabbing a pre-lunch gin and tonic and hanging out at the bar of this windowless, punk rock venue. For those who want to take in one of Portland’s more popular attractions, there are dancers right at the opening, but even if not, it’s considered gauche not to throw down the occasional tip.

Radio Room

Not only is it open every day at 9 a.m. with the full drink menu on offer, but the diner-style bar Radio Room is open 365 days a year for year-round day-drinking. With an extensive breakfast and lunch menu, full bar, cocktails, beer, wine, and coffee drinks, it’s easy to while away a day here, especially out on the double-decker patio with a view of Alberta.

Dots Cafe

An eastside institution, Dots Cafe toes the line between a dive and a diner, but manages to be a bit classier than both with its tufted red leather booths and velvet paintings adorning the walls. It’s open at noon on weekdays and 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays with a sizable lunch menu and a full bar that includes a generous draught list and slushies made for daytime sipping. Visitors can choose to hide inside from the sun or watch the bikers riding down Clinton from the small picnic tables outside.

The Observatory

Open at 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends, The Observatory offers solid pub food, along with a list of drinks like the cumin centipede, a nice tequila pick-me-up for day-drinking. For those who feel guilty drinking a cocktail during the day, it also offers a list of sparkling drinks, because everyone knows that mimosas and spritzes don’t count.

A post shared by Torrey Moore (@brodys_dad78) on

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