Tip Top Tavern

I’ve bartended for years and admittedly judge bartenders to the standard I hold myself too. I hate to admit it, the bartender we had here last night, was probably better than me. She was awesome. She was so busy but our drinks stayed full, and she seemed happy, never stressed. The key is that she never stopped moving. In a busy bar, if you stop to think «oh god, I’m so busy» you just messed yourself up. I wish I would’ve gotten her name, in retrospect it may have been on the receipt. But thin, attractive bartender in the long brown dress, with the fun scarf in your hair, YOU ARE GREAT! And we had food which was delicious and served hot! Which always makes me feel like my food was prepared right and delivered fresh. Thank you cook!
Oh and drinks and dinner for two people? 40 bucks? I mean more than one drink each? That’s crazy! What an awesome deal. We went to another bar and paid 100 bucks last Friday for drinks and burgers. Heck, a 12 pack and Burger King would’ve cost 35! Love, love, love this bar!

Best breakfast deal in town! Texas toast two eggs a bunch of bacon and hash browns for 5 $??? Just a great place to blend in and get a great meal and couple of beverages!!! Love this place. The service is exactly what you would want at a dive bar, a little edge and a little attitude. Love it!

Confused why this place has the touch tunes jukebox app only to have the bartender (not Katya, she’s wonderful) get nasty to us about songs on it being played because «the old regulars don’t like them». As if regular patrons should somehow know which songs are acceptable?
Have been coming here for years, we weren’t there to annoy anyone with music.

Been going here for years. Unfortunately the hipsters have tried to infiltrate along with the hopheads (weed smokers) who stop in after visiting the pot shop up the street. I only stop in on rare occasions.
I read the reviews and laughed. It’s a local tavern and the attitude is part of the gig. You’ll get treated as you treat the staff. Do us «regulars» in The Couv a favor and stay in Portland ;) if you don’t like the atmosphere.
Got to earn your status which is why I like this place and the staff. Kataya is the greatest and runs the place with a fair hand. Step out of line and she will put you in the green book.

Super rude staff, basically had to beg for service, bussed our own table repeatedly and continued to be treated with disrespect. If you don’t know someone that works there… expect to be treated like trash.

Update: I tried going in again without my backpack a few weeks later since I was kicked out for wearing it. Even after explaining that I ride my bike downtown they interrupted me and quickly escorted me out without explanation. I got kicked out again for not producing an ID when I ordered my SECOND beer. She never asked me when I ordered my first beer. She took my second beer out of my hands and told me I had to leave.
I witnessed numerous people not getting carded, so I’m not sure why I was singled out, but I have my suspicions. I will never step foot in that place nor will I promote it in any way.

My son, Marty, has been hellbent on going to this place for quite awhile. Before I let that old fart son take me there for the first time, I figured I would check it out by myself.
First of all, parking in TERRIFYING. However, I’ve been handy capped for my years now, so I get to park where I want, when I want. There is not a parking lot.
Let me fast forward 30 minutes. Now I’m walking inside and it’s everything I imagine. Gram gram has a new scale to rate bars by. And I rate this place 4.6 «Grams».
The waitress asked me if I wanted a beer before I even sat down. +1 GRAM.
Then it’s also a restraint. I was able to order a patty melt. This patty melt was different from other party melts, so I asked the cook, what gives? He told me (sidebar, there is a growing problem with males in the kitchens in restraints. I just don’t understand these times. Women were always in the kitchen in my day because we were never able to develop any real life skills. A crippling blow to nostalgic night.) anyways he told me each onion is handpicked by a fully waged employee and that these are fair trade onions. I asked HeyZues how I know it’s fair trade and he said each fair trade onion had a sticker on it.
Party melt with fair trade onion +1 GRAM.
The third GRAM point came when I went to the bathroom. Warning: Grandma talk coming. They use Charmin Ultra Soft 2-​ply toilet paper. Which is septic safe and strong, too – and you can use up to 4x less. Quite the treat for a woman who uses toilet paper like it’s going out of style. +1 GRAM.
The people. I met one person here who ventured ALL the way from Hawaii. We talked about his obsession with span (I thought he meant c span, the tv network. But I wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. I was just picturing him and I or him with his shirt off making me a bacon breakfast. Sexy Hunks Herr +1.
Class isn’t dismissed yet so sit down.
Where we picked up And lost a partial GRAM.
They sell sell cigarettes. GRAM GRAM HAPPY. so I bought a pack and lit up a heater at the bar. Apparently they made this illegal several years ago, I won’t lie I knew that. But I can usually get away with it because I honestly look like I’m about to die. +1 GRAM for buying Marlboro reds. -.4 for yelling at grandma.
NOBODY YELLS AR GRAM

Regulars are killing this place. Bartenders treat it like high school and personally involve themselves in your own personal business. Kitchen still pretty good.

Same owners as Garage. Usual not too long of a wait. Got attitude a few too many times from the bartender. When you ask the bartender to stop serving your friend whos black out drunk and her next one is «on the house» it kind of pisses you off.

Pretty decent place. Super busy but you get your drinks! I like the jukebox and outside patio. Totally random crowd! I like that. I kinda feel like I’m at my dads bar. But the crowd is all over the map. So that helps! There is plenty of seating for big groups of friends. Good place to grab a cold one with the guys or girls and catch up.

So the deal is a Friday at 10pm in old town downtown Vancouver with over 47 (yes I stopped counting at 47) customers in this bar and only ONE, yes I said one bartender. Who’s doubling as the cook… I’d have to
Say the serves is less than I’d like.
Waited 39 minutes to get pull tabs because the bartender was busy. She really was busy too, plus really nice. But NOT COOL TO WAIT THAT LONG.
We really just feel so bad we don’t even want to order another drink. Sad.
Hoping that this isn’t a business chooses that maybe just maybe someone called in sick… Sucks. Going home now after only one beer

I found this place back about the year 2004 and used to frequent it as a regular stop! but then moved out of the area I haven’t been here in all that time ! I met an old friend here today after a gap of many years without contact with either my friend or the Tiptop which was simply a Beer Joint when I was here last but now Cocktails! My how things do change when one is not around to see them? And the Breakfast was very good which I ordered today October 1^st 2014. it was great !, I had the Biscuits n’ gravy with eggs and Hash browns on the side also coffee ! And it was all up to my expectations! If you desire a great Breakfast without a high price you will like this, The Breakfast chef a young man is most skillful; The entire menu is varied there being much more than simply Breakfast? And I might add the coffee keeps coming my cup was never empty as I don’t drink anymore ! I will stop here again;

Great neighborhood bar with excellent food (chef stopped at the table and said he was new), very cold pitchers of beer, pull-​tabs for the wife and an interesting clientele. We both had sandwiches which were generously filled with meat on very fresh bread. The French fries were perfectly done and hot. All in all, very good food, friendly bartender and an interesting afternoon in the downtown area.

I love Tip Top! They may be an older establishment but they have a great drink and food selection as well as an awesome staff! You can’t beat the prices either! Plus… Taco Wednesday… what more do I need to say?!?

Dive Bar, Local Watering Hole, Hole in Wall… whatever you call it then this place is that. No frills… just a full bar, various games to play, TVs, nice staff, and plenty of seating.
This place seems to normally cater to the 40+ crowd and that’s not a bad thing at all, but I just felt out of place. This place is fine… it’s just not for me… yet!
Parking is found on any of the nearby streets.

My favorite spot in the couv! Great bartenders, $ 2 Tip top brew, .50 cent taco’s, free ping pong and tv’s every where. Cant beat it, this place just ROCK’S!

I came into town and met a group of friends here for a night out to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The was enough room to support a large table and the service was quick and friendly enough.
It is not too loud to carry on a conversation. Parking is adequate. The place is clean and non-​intimidating. After drinking beer for several hours, I was so surprised by the amount on the bill being so low, that I wanted to stay for another two hours.
I will return!

This is a great divey bar. The regulars are friendly, and the bar staff is smart, quick, and talented. Drinks are reasonable, and strong. There’s ping pong in the back, and foosball. Large tables are good for groups, and there’s a smoking area outside. I haven’t had any food, but intend to. I’ll be back!

Worth coming back to.
During the Cruisin’ the Gut, there were only bartenders inside and they were ON IT! I was impressed. They could have been cranky because it was non-​stop but they were smiling and just going through the bartop. It was really nice to see and made for a pleasant visit.
During Cruisin’ the Gut, they gate off a large portion of the parking lot so you can drink and see the cars. You can enjoy being outside or inside. I will definitely go back!

I am very happy to have Tip Top about 2 blocks away from home.
It is the perfect bar to just pop into to have a drink and relax. This is not a pretentious crowd, It is a mix between young and old people just looking to have fun for a bit.
The bartenders are so attentive, friendly and helpful it’s a bit alarming.
Their drinks are not over priced and wednesday 50 cent tacos is the perfect deal.
Tables are big enough for a big group, but I like to go there with my bf to have a drink, play some ping pong and beat all the records on buck hunt.
So definitely come to Tip Top, but dont you dare beat my score.