Marie’s, a St. Johns bar with hardcore Blue Velvet vibes, has become the home of Dub’s, a soul food pop-up known for its fried chicken. While its chicken and waffles is a killer meal any day of the week, the fried chicken “dinner” is a much more shareable bar snack — tender, crispy pieces of well-seasoned chicken are straight-up unreal dipped directly in the garlicky mashed potatoes.

When pairing bar snacks with beers, it’s hard to beat cheese curds, but they’re not readily found in the Portland area. Luckily, rustic, Packers-themed tap house and bottle shop Saraveza is all about Midwestern cuisine, serving baskets of golden-fried squeaky cheese curds. Crispy on the outside, with long stretches of molten cheese on the interior, they’re perfect paired with a crisp lager or hoppy IPA and a sports game.

While the dark, gilded lounge Expatriate is unmistakably a cocktail bar, it’s also a destination for its bar snacks alone. The James Beard sandwich is unconventionally good with just onion and butter on fluffy white bread, the hot and sour Indian spiced fries are a fun twist on a classic, but the Expatriate nachos are the real draw. Made with wonton chips, spicy lemongrass beef, and Thai chili cheese sauce for extra heat, the nachos pack a punch that is cooled with the addition of some cream. They’re only available between 5 and 6 p.m. or after 10 p.m. until close, but it’s well worth heading in for an early or late snack and a cocktail.

A friendly little neighborhood spot for craft cocktails and draught beers, the Knockback features an often under-appreciated drinking snack on its menu — popcorn. The generously portioned bowls of popcorn come two ways: The first is a vegan spiced popcorn tossed with cumin, paprika, and nutritional yeast. The dirty popcorn gets bacon bits, “popcorn spice,” Romano cheese, herbs, and capers for a meatier, heavier version.

McMenamins has pubs, restaurants, and venues all across town, many of which are renovated and restored vintage buildings. And while the group can value consistency over overt quality, one thing cannot be denied: The cajun tots are legit — just barely spicy, but flavorful, salty, with crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside consistency like any good tater-tot. No matter what, it’s a reliable dish and honestly worth a visit just for them, especially with a cocktail made with one of McMenamins spirits.

Currywurst is a pretty classic German fast food dish — a sliced sausage gets some curry ketchup and fries for a quick, salty snack. But at the hardwood-filled German bier bar Stammtisch, it’s elevated just enough to be an excellent bar treat without getting too fancy. The sausage is pork and veal, the fries are perfectly thin and golden, and the curry ketchup is made in house. It’s best enjoyed with a large mug of lager in hand.

Canard, the restaurant with Parisian vibes from renowned chef Gabriel Rucker, was the buzziest spot in Portland when it opened last year, and the slider-sized steam burgers play a major role in its popularity. In fact, they inspired the creation of Canard, and for good reason — a small beef patty blended with French onion soup base, some pickles, and a slice of American cheese between fluffy Hawaiian buns, these bad boys are hard not to down one in a single bite, especially when paired with a cocktail or glass of French wine. Luckily, at $6 a pop ($3 at happy hour), it’s not too pricey to do so.

Oysters-on-the-half-shell might be the consummate Portland bar snack, and visitors to the subterranean cocktail haven Pépé le Moko will have to pass right by a person shucking them on their way downstairs. It’s really a good excuse to down a dozen or two of the briny, silky shellfish, and it’s guaranteed that they’re of the utmost quality and freshness.

The chic, hip bar and nightclub Revelry serves soju shots, infused cocktails, and DJ beats nightly, as well as a pretty killer menu of bar snacks with a distinctly Korean spin. The pinnacle of this is the fried chicken, large chunks of boneless chicken with a sticky, sweet, and spicy gochujang sauce and chunks of peanut brittle mixed in for good measure. It’s decadent and unforgettable, and goes down too easily with a few shots of soju.

While bar food is often fried, meaty, or both, the austere, industrial cocktail and wine bar Shift Drinks opts for a lighter, fresher take on it. This is exemplified with selection of bruschetta, a few of which change seasonally, like a summer heirloom tomato, prosciutto, and basil bruschetta. The ever-constant one is the classic, with fresh ricotta, basil, and roasted tomatoes. It pairs exceptionally well with a number of the bright, vivid wines on the menu.

It should come as no surprise that the food at the bright and breezy wine bar Ok Omens is as good as it is, as the menu is helmed by chef Justin Woodward of the lauded Castagna next door. Larger fare like fried chicken or its “girlfriend spaghetti” make it a reputable spot for dinner, but for those looking for a small snack that pairs with almost any glass of wine, the beignets are the way to go. Rather than the sugar-powered ones found at NOLA’s legendary Cafe du Monde, these fried puff pastries are filled with Tillamook cheddar for a more savory bite.

Eater’s 2018 Bar of the Year, the sunny, colorful Palomar is devoted to Cuban comfort food and drink, including the fabulous fried croquetas de jamón. These ham and bechamel-filled fritters make a lovely accompaniment to the daiquiris and other Cuban cocktails that adorn the menu. Diners who don’t eat meat will find plenty of fun options, though, including fried yuca and a number of styles of fried plantains.

Ike’s Vietnamese fish sauce wings might not just be the most iconic bar snack in Portland, but possibly its most iconic dish, period. These legendary “umami bombs’ are sticky, slightly sweet, and complex, and served with a side of vegetables for balance. While they’re available at Pok Pok Wing shops around town and, of course, at all the Pok Pok locations, it’s at the busy, industrial Whiskey Soda Lounge that they can be enjoyed with a few rounds of cocktails.