Double Barrel Tavern

A nice and lively neighborhood place for drinks and even DJ’d music. I was there for this past New Year’s and had a great time. Great drinks and a cool shuffleboard table. It’s also pretty spacious for a bar.

Go here for the beer and service. The food is a pale comparison to their sister restaurant Gold Dust Meridian. The wings, ‘fried pickles’ and some other forgettable dish we ordered were just not good. We had two ‘signature’ cocktails and they were just not good. We finished with two beers and left. They have a nice outside but the menu was just one miss after another. Sad.

Decent enough food and drink. Really good wings. Big complaint about the service below:
We got there as a big group was leaving and jumped into a booth. Two extremely drunk girls claimed the booth was theirs but that we could share it with them because they were only having one more drink. We shrugged it off and humored them, trying to be gracious. Even had small talk just to keep things polite. They were real sloppy drunk. They kept leaving and coming back complaining about us under their breaths. We tried to mind our own business. Then they came back and took this big stand. Demanded we leave the table even though there was a big group of us and there were other empty tables that could suit their party of two, not to mention they had no initial claim of the table. It was childish and they wouldn’t let it die so we got into an argument with them. The lame door guy took their side and all 9 of us paying patrons, women and men, had to leave.
Looking at the other reviews. Seems like overall people like the food but I see a lot of complaints about staff.

This is our go to place when we just want a good burger and a drink. The atmosphere of this place has a cozy ramshackled feel, with a nice fireplace, three pinball machines and tons of vintage bar paraphernalia. It’s a good place to go on a rainy day.
There are many taps and the bartenders generally serve up drinks with a generous pour. The burgers are all pretty good, the champ being the Double Barrel burger. It’s fat pig of tasty goodness, reminding me a bit of a monster In-​N-​Out burger. The buffalo fried cauliflower is also amazing, if not just for the fact that they actually found a good use for cauliflower. Battered, fried and buffalo sauced, I actually prefer these to most of the real chicken wings I can find in town.
And the fries. I don’t know where they get these fries, which are like giant wide curly fries, but they are great. Maybe they can make a basket of these with chili and cheese? I need that!

The beer still isn’t cold, but its not room temp. They hired a new guy who is quite nice. Even on a busy-​ish weeknight, he gave me his attention and offered me a sample of one of the beers. Another lady who was working there happily held my beer behind the bar while I ran to the restroom. I haven’t gotten any curt or bad service here, so I will probably return. Two of their three pinball machines failed in the ~hour and a half I was there so they just unplugged them. I wish those worked better because its the main reason I go here as opposed to other close by bars. Okay beer, decent service, pinball machines that mostly work within walking distance gets it 3 stars that should really be 2.5ish.

I know it’s a hunting lodge.
But I always think it’s a tiki hut. Every time.
A hunting lodge wouldn’t have so many gaps between the shingles… The climate for a gapped roof would make sense nowhere, but the most sense… Well. Nowhere… Inside?
.Touché.
Blazer games are the only reason I come here.
And, as I write this, we’re in off-​season. Recently we got some bad news about LaMarcus.
So I’m like. Pretty sure I won’t be contemplating that roof anytime soon.
But for the Blazer games, when the Blazers are playing okay, this place is alright. I think it is. I mean, the game is shown on a projector. And it might be muted. I don’t remember. But sometimes muting the game is better. I don’t need to hear that noise. Announcers, cheering crowds and automotive commercials out-​dub-​stepping each other.
Just let my friends and I make jokes and drink beers.
Because I have some friends who decided this is the place they watch Blazer games. And I like my friends.
Double Barrel, you got lucky.
Happy hour is okay. I do like the single barrel burger. It’s like, something I could whip together with shit that is in my fridge. Only it costs three times more. And that’s comforting! The american cheese single. Thousand island dressing, iceberg lettuce. A definite local crowd. It’s like, post-​skater-​tots. Everything is thick-​rimmed.

Your tots are awesome. Sweet pickles on a burger? Fire your grandmother and try again, sad sap. Yuck.

Great food, great prices. I actually think the buffalo wings at Double Barrel are a hidden gem in Portland – perfect texture with a great sauce. When I came in on a recent Friday night, the vibe was pretty good. For a bar on Division, I think Double Barrel is simple and accessible. It feels like it’s been around for way more than a couple years!

Gosh, I hate to write a bad review. I’m no troll but — Love the décor and theme, dj’d music, and the food is pretty good, but of my four visits I haven’t loved the service. Though I’m old school PDX and very used to my drink served with attitude, even disdain, it might need to come down a notch here. It does detract from this bar as a choice of venue, which is sad because the theme is up my alley. I’ve notice that some of the wait staff float among the other bars they own and seem to have the same problem across the board. Bring me a napkin with my meal, don’t get mad because I ask. If I’m standing at the bar, note my presence if you’re going to make me wait. That sort of standard service stuff. Thanks!

I was here on a Thursday when it wasn’t too busy but there were enough people to have a line about 2 deep. There were 2 bartenders working, one seemed nice and I wished I had interacted with him more; the other was a woman with long blonde hair. I was waiting for an opportunity to make my order and they were very obviously having an argument/​disagreement about who was working harder/​who was busier. Very awkward/​tense waiting there while they’re both loudly slamming glassware and throwing profanities around. ordered a cider then she walked away to pour it while i was in the middle of trying to order wings, she comes back with my cider, and I place my order for food. food was decent, pretty much the only thing that is saving this from being a 1 star review)
went back in for a second time to buy a drink for my friend, asked for a well vodka martini (because honestly, it wasn’t for me so i’m not super invested in what kind of vodka) and when I ordered it she said with obvious sarcasm «ooh, well martini, yum.» are you freaking kidding me?!? think whatever you want in your head but please install a filter between your brain and your mouth, especially while on the floor and on the job. her condescending comment was totally unnecessary and she is the sole reason i will do my absolute best to not come back here.

The Double Barrel is a saloon with great drink specials and good food. Spacious and full of games, it’s got a fun, high-​energy vibe that makes it a good place for the peak of a big night.
Come here for the «Six Shooter» special, which features a draft of Rainier and a generous ration (easily more than a mere shot) of good whiskey, which rotates each day from a list of seven. Sometimes bourbon, sometimes rye, always a step or two above well. It only costs $ 6. A shot and a brew isn’t fancy, especially when both are fairly basic specimens, but it’s a great deal on a tried-​and-​true product. Props to the Double Barrel for making it Rainier, too, and not PBR or Hamm’s or something like that. It’s just better that way. In case you’re not into fizzy, simple, macro-​lagers, they’ve also got a decent list of microbrews. While they’ve also got a list of cocktails and some don’t look bad, I’d probably go elsewhere for them, and focus on beer and neat whiskey.
The food is good. Most recently, I had the «Dixie Burger,» which features homemade «chow-​chow» (a vegetable relish that’s a bit sweet, a bit mustardy, and a bit sour) and cream cheese, and that’s it. No superfluous condiments, so you can actually taste the three parts of this sandwich. Also, I was impressed with how juicy the burger was, especially considering that I didn’t specifically ask for it to be medium. I also recall the wings being pretty solid, though I haven’t had recently enough to review them.
If you’re the kind of person who likes to play games with your friends when you go out, the Double Barrel has you covered. They’ve got several pinball machines, shuffleboard, and Big Buck Hunter, among others. Whether you play these in earnest or with tongue in cheek is up to you – I saw examples of both there, coexisting peacefully.
The Double Barrel has a Texas cowboy sensibility that’s a little ridiculous, but not so over-​the-​top to make it unpleasant. While the wooden barrels, old beer signs, and long bar are OK, the taxidermy and faux wagon-​wheels are a little much. But it doesn’t seem to seek to trick patrons into thinking that it’s an old Western bar as much as it seeks to pay homage to one. And that’s OK. While there may not be enough patina to its cluttered decorations to justify all them, it doesn’t feel at all sterile or out of place as a bar.
Overall, there isn’t that much to say about the Double Barrel. It’s got drinks that are simple, cheap, and good, and the food is a cut above your average dive’s food. Come here if you’re feeling like an overload of food, booze, decorations, music, and other external stimuli. You’ll find all of the above, served with abundant good cheer.

Went to Double Barrel on Tuesday of burger week around 2 pm. No wait, great service and the burger kicked the booty of the burger from last year. Not to mention that they have these wacky awesome spicy fries.
If you like the buffalo Trace bourbon as I do then you should make a point and check it out. Oh yeah: shuffleboard!

Love whiskey? Love the idea of the South? Think Django Unchained minus the racism. Okay, that’s a horrible example. Think of the Western Doctor Who episode, or Firefly without the futuristic pool tables. If you don’t get any of these references, don’t worry about it. I ain’t here to talk movies, I’m here to talk about some mighty fine drankin’.
Before you judge this place based on the low-​ish star average, please skim those 1-​star reviews first. You’ll find that they were mostly written by out-​of-​owners who did not understand they had to order at the bar and found that confusion offensive enough to merit 1 star. What. I feel a fierce need to defend this place, because Double Barrel deserves better.
This bar is great. I love the Southern saloon-​esque style, from the wood paneling to framed pistols and Johnny Cash over the stereo. The window light is beautiful during the day — good for taking photos of your drunk friends, or Instagramming your alcoholism if that’s your thing. I also love the big openness of this place and the casual, relaxed atmosphere. I never feel judged when I walk in, and I always see a variety of interesting walks of life. This place is by no means overrun by hipsters or judgy rich folk. It’s just people, mostly good people.
The friendliness of the bar staff has varied every time I’ve been, but it’s never been awful. Genuinely warm at best and apathetic at worst. But it doesn’t bother me (I’ve lived here 5 years — I’m pretty used to apathetic bartenders).
I go to DB because of the whiskey, good food and ambiance. I like that they have a backroom that I can relax in with my laptop, and I like that they have a variety of sitting configurations for different-​sized groups.
Summer tip: they do have air conditioning, but it’s a big place, so it never feels super cool in there. But find a vent and sit yourself under it, and you’ll be in a much better mood.

Location, location, location: conveniently located across the street from the bus stop.
With 11 minutes until the bus arrives, Jacqueline K. and I decided that it was a good idea to grab a quick beer at Double Barrel Tavern. (Like I said, convenient!) Bartender gave us a quick rundown of all the beers they had on tap. We were sold on the $ 2 beer. Hey, sometimes you just need it quick and easy!

We went on a busy Friday night to meet friends. The food is surprisingly good. We had an assortment of their apps and I loved their onion rings — very light and crispy, more like tempura batter. The cauliflower bites were basically just tossed with Frank’s Red Hot but still good.
Seating was kind of a chore because of the layout but eventually we managed to snag a large booth to fit our crew.

Ok I just worked out and need to study for an exam. So what do I do? I head to New Seasons of course. But it’s too late for their wok because it’s past 9. But I’m craving a burger anyway so I can shut the f$@# up about that already.
So I check Unilocal while on the 4 bus to SE Ladd, the stop across New Seasons on Division. This place didn’t show up on my search actually, probably because I kept zooming in and out and the app couldn’t locate everything. But I realized that this place was right next to New Seasons so it was very convenient… and they probably had burgers.
After picking up some chocolate milk from New Seasons, I walked in, observing the crowd outside. I sat down and was told I couldn’t drink my chocolate milk inside… not a problem. I drank it outside.
But today, I asked them if I could drink it inside, and they were totally cool with it.
So anyway how’s the food. Well the fries are shaped like spiral sea shells and taste delicious. They use Heinz ketchup (the not-​so-​portland kind). They contain a lot of potato and I need that starch right now after my squats. I ordered a double barrel burger yesterday, and it was so juicy. It made me slightly queasy because I inhaled it in order to catch a bus. Today I ordered just the single barrel (one quarter pound patty). They have cool games and stuff so I might bring some friends here sometime.

Came here with 4 friends and was rejected by the «bouncer» because he thought the group wasn’t fit to drink in this establishment. No one in my group was intoxicated. We had picked the bar because of good food.

Cool spot for drinks in the area, but I would skip the snacks next time. The jalapeño poppers were weirdly coated with a thick bread batter and the jalapeños were almost raw in the center.

Not long ago, when I saw that KJ’s Bar and Grill had gone out of business and brown paper covered the windows, the fear struck. You know the fear. If you live near Division/​Seven Corners, you fear a house or commercial establishment for sale is going to get torn down to make way for condos lacking off-​street parking. So it was a major relief to see Double Barrel set up shop in KJ’s old quarters. A typical tavern with pool tables and pinball games.
To be fair, I’m not sure what realistic expectations are for service in neighborhood bar & grills around nine on a Sunday evening.
We walked in and saw menus resting atop the tables, indicating to us that food was available. Nonetheless, we were not acknowledged by the bartender that was tending to a barely-​21 crowd that was milling around the bar. It didn’t appear any other employees were working.
We plunked ourselves down at a table and sat for fifteen minutes. Nobody from Double Barrel came over, so we left. Too bad, it looks like they have a nice range of eats on their menu. The good news is we were able to obtain food and drink at nearby Nightlight Lounge.
Update 5÷2÷14: I’ve been told by someone very close to me (i.e. my spouse) that Double Barrel makes some extremely good burgers and fish sandwiches. Ditto on the tater tots. I’m also told that the menu now states that you need to order food up at the bar. Knowing that, I’d be willing to give Double Barrel another crack.

Double the Barrels and double the fun!
Dichotomies ready? Let’s fire this gun:
Open yet cozy. Old-​timey yet new.
Classy not pricey. And nice enough, too.
Lovely inside yet with patio space.
(Ride Sally Ride: the best drink in the place.)
Seven of Corners would normally find
Me cursing at traffic and losing my mind
But true to their aim, these barrels have shot
A dart through my heart, so I’ll be there a lot.