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Alibi Restaurant and Lounge
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2:30 am
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
129 reviews for Alibi Restaurant and Lounge
Review Highlights
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"Authentic, organic buttress of Tiki tres chic." In 65 reviews -
"Things to know: Karaoke every night, I'll be back." In 6 reviews -
"...yet-fabulous vibe make this place a fun spot to grab a few..." In 5 reviews
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129 reviews in English
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Review from Alfredo M.
Portland, OR
5/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
How have I not posted a review of one of my favorite bars in Portland, the brilliantly tacky Alibi?! I'm not sure what it is, but this place puts a smile on my face every time I walk through the wooden door into its otherworldly interior.
My joy builds as soon as I spot that massive exterior sign reminiscent of vintage Vegas and pulling into the ample parking lot doesn't certainly doesn't diminish that. Then its through the door, past the red vinyl booths (with faux candle lighting, like a 1970s era romantic restaurant) and the regulars at the bar, and usually to a seat in the black-lit, tropical-ish side tables.
Karaoke at the Alibi is at another level than most bars in PDX. This isn't your average, disinterested KJ catering to an apathetic crowd of sad drunks. Led by the excellent KJs, Karaoke nights at the Alibi are the main event.
Singers must have energy, confidence, and flava. If you bring it, the crowd will love you...this is what they're here to see later in the evening. Get there early though to ensure you have a good seat...it fills up fast.
As far as cuisine and libations go, obviously the Alibi serves great classic tiki drinks. Yes, most people can only do 1-2 of the sweet, fruity cocktails before switching to something more normal. That's probably for the best as they're deceptively strong.
The menu isn't exactly cheap, but it has a wide variety of options from Hawaiian-inspired dishes to a green chile cheeseburger (heaven for this adopted New Mexican) and late night diner-style options. Everything I've ever had has been tasty and the portions have been ample.
Finally, all you claustrophobics should beware of the men's room...the narrow corkscrew entrance and actual facility remind me of most domestic airplanes...all part of the enduring charm of the Alibi. -
Review from Norm C.
Portland, OR
4/2/2012
If you want an awesome hamburger or chicken wings, this is the place.
Even if you are a vegetarian, the veggie burgers are great as well.
The best dish is their chicken wings. I've had them all over the city, they are by far the most juicy and plump chickens. The batter is tasty and the wings are huge.
Much better than Fire on the Mountain.
Just a nice small place for good food. I don't care much about the decor, since the prices are great and so is the food. -
Review from Leslie E.
Portland, OR
3/17/2012
Whhhaaaaaat? What's NOT to love about the delightfully tacky decor?
My drinks were excellent, which I definitely needed before singing 3 karaoke songs. I really liked the crowd, everyone around me was so nice.
What's cool too is that the karaoke is seperate from the main bar area, so you really don't have to participate if you don't want to.
It'd be nice if they had a patio, OR you could bring your drinks outside, but hey. Really no complaints here. -
Review from Valerie W.
Beaverton, OR
U-G-L-Y you ain't got no Alibi, you're ugly....yeah, yeah....you ugly.
OK - so perhaps the Alibi isn't ugly....to some....it is eclectic. Chalked full of oddities and Tiki decor. Awesomely old school seating and bar. Dimly lit with some interesting light fixtures. I like the Alibi. It's different. It's "hip" in an odd way...and yes, the food and drinks ain't bad either.
On my most recent trip here I ordered the Aloha plate. Kahlua Pork and Shoyu chicken with a couple scoops of rice and mac salad. For just under $10 it was a huge amount of food. Plenty for two meals. My date had a Hawaiian chicken sandwhich of sorts which looked quite tasty and priced reasonably as well.
The drink I ordered I was a bit saddened by. Pardon for forgetting the name - it was a wide array of rum and fruit liquors listed on their "stronger drink" type menu. It was good yet small. And for $10 - likely not worth it.
If you can hang on til' 9pm or come in later they have some awesome karaoke. Cheesy, yes, but it's all part of the uniqueness that is the Alibi.Listed in: "Must Try" Places
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Review from Sarah L.
Portland, OR
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
There's a kitchy greatness about The Alibi. But wow - don't eat the food.
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Review from Todd A.
Portland, OR
3/3/2012
Big fan of the Alibi Happy Hour.. probably the best fried/comfort food happy hours I have found around town. I would give 4-starts - but we had a pretty disappointing experience a few weeks ago. I called the Alibi around 6:25 to confirm that their happy hour ran until 7 - they said yes and told me I had about 30 minutes. I show up there just after 6:40 only to have the hostess tell me that they went by bar time and that it was too late for happy hour. I had my heart set on some cheap fried food (zucchini sticks) - so this was a major let down. Ended up going to the chinese place across the street instead.. look for that review in the near future
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Review from Gillian W.
Portland, OR
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place isn't too bad, but yes it is good for what it's known for.. the Karaoke. Food is alright but I wouldn't go here for just that, would go for the entertainment for sure. I've been a couple times now, love the bar area, big and deep, not a bad place overall.
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Review from Olivia T.
Updated - 7/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I just had to upgrade The Alibi one more star. I dig this place after the renovation. I like the new karaoke stage with big screen in the background so your friends, enemies, and frenemies can sing along with you. New decorations = upgrade.
They also revamped their food menu. Now, they serve Hawaiian food. You can get Kahlua Pork, Chicken Shoyu, and Hawaiian ribs here. The Hawaiian menu choices are not that big, but still it's something new. I ordered the Shoyu Chicken & Kahlua Pork combo for $9.99. HOLY SMOKES, the portion of the plate was hugeeeeeeeeeeeee. It came with rice and Macaroni salad. My man & I couldn't finish the whole plate in one seating. We took the left over home and had it for the next day.
Tropical girlie drinks here are still refreshing and delicious. Service was meh. One server for the whole area by karaoke stage = not a good decision. It was hit and miss. I asked the server what was the food special of the night and she said she didn't know. She said she would checked the board and after 30 minutes later she still didn't tell me what the special was. Even after she took my food order, she didn't tell me what it was. I guess more training is needed.
Anyway, I will come back here again for some Hawaiian food and karaoke time. Besides, I kinda miss that guy who sang Bryan Adams' "Everything I do, I do it for you" in the flat drunk wasted key. He's that good.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/11/2010
Tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki....
Karaoke karaoke karaoke karaoke karaoke...
Tiki… Read more »
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Review from Warren C.
9/1/2011
Came back here last night for the first time in a few years as a karaoke customer and I am completely amazed by how much effort they have taken to renovate this place. I used to come here during the day as a Freightliner employee hangout but never partook in the karaoke here as my previous experiences here for it were sub par. The sound system was horrible, the music list was below average, and they were still utilizing an old laserdisc system which in the karaoke world nostalgic for the videos that come along with the song but not for its current music selection which were easy to find songs like "Lady In Red" but not so much for anything new and current.
I was happy to find that they have updated their system to be computerized and speakers to industry standard. It was nice that they have a projector screen so everyone can sing along with the person on the stage. The dj is very friendly and when it comes to the rotation is fair and not looking for your tip to determine your rotation. I was surprised how busy it was for a Wednesday night but it was nice to have people get into your song while on stage.
Service was fairly good. Our server this evening was pretty attentive considering how busy it was and when I received a drink that was made incorrectly he quickly came back and got me another one. I would definitely recommend this place for the karaoke aficionado as I can see why this place is a great Portland venue. -
Review from Julia L.
Oakland, CA
3/18/2012
Wow, rudest service ever. I know it's St. Patrick's day, but after a half hour of waiting to place my drink and food order, the red-haired male bartender told me I couldn't order with him because my friends just sat down and that a cocktail server would take my order- literally at the same moment I was ordering- one drink and some cheese sticks. Talk about a lazy guy. He made me the shittiest drink I've ever had, $8 btw, and this is Portland. I've been to the Alibi many times and had a great time, and am not too picky about service, especially because I am not the best waitress myself, but this guy was a total DOUCHE. I was so annoyed that I didn't tip him and he had the nerve to tell me I should since he was making my drink. If he had just been really busy but then took my order and been cool about it, I would have tipped my usual 20-30%. But for a jerk like that? Hello, yelp. Dude has got some karma biting his ass soon, no doubt. it's hard to be that much of a dick and manage to keep a job long...
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Review from shelley b.
Portland, OR
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Funny place....great decor inside (at least that's what they tell me-i can never see in there). Its like walking into an episode of The Twilight Zone and the theme is Gilligan's Island!
Nice strong drinks - friendly barkeep - loose video machines - terrible show playing on a nice flat screen - id rather watch the bulbs burn out than stupid crap that bartenders don't pay attention to when their working - 3 words to live by: Atmosphere Atmosphere Atmosphere. Still..... -
Review from Holy-foo' X.
Portland, OR
12/17/2011
The very name suggests they are eager co-conspirators in your every sleazy whim..
If longevity alone is enough for stars galore on Yelp Reviews, then the Alibi is truly all aces--its very own star tri-fecta-- Ursas major, minor and Orion Belt, all seamlessly woven into the spangles of your funky-ass polyester Disco leisure suit I cannot begin to describe how amusing and even rejuvenating it is to see this place STILL. IN. BIZ-NESS! That the place has gained a new lease on life in the present era through heavy promotion of another curiosity from quasi- antiquity, karaoke, just adds to the delight.
I have no idea when the tiki-decor was put into the mix, but this is a fairly recent innovation (note: anything after about 1999 to me is "Very recent" to my way of thinking). Back in the day, the Alibi exuded a Vegas-cum-ali-baba vibe....
It's not as though every trace of N. Interstate "as it was, for decades" is completely gone....Not so! Those uber-skank, bottom-of-the-barrel hourly motels are still a short hop, skip and a jump from the Alibi. Though you would have to be extra careful gettin' to 'em from the Alibi, crossing the Max tracks! One wonders just how many tricks over the years, that wound up at those motels, were turned at the Alibi. One can only speculate. For you gambler's: what's the over-under on whether or not they've changed the sheets in those hourly rooms anytime in the past MONTH?
Along with Wishing Well and the notorious L-U-N-G Fung, the Alibi is top tier, old school, snicker fodder for the locals. Sure you can get dirt cheap drinks there, at least during HH, but the kitsch is there to take in and enjoy virtually any time of day. They do passable grinds, though I've rarely forayed past the appetizers. Alibi, we pour a long, strong one out in salute to you, for the very many you've poured out for us all, for so many years..... -
Review from Scott A.
San Francisco, CA
7/11/2011
Theme restaurant and lounge with karaoke with enough theme to make you barf. In a word "overkill".
They have karaoke, which is great if only the KJ was. We get here and granted it's packed, but the KJ asked if it was my first time singing tonight, to which I said yes. He said it would be a 2 hour wait. I guess he doesn't work new singers into the rotation like I think is best to give everyone a chance to get up. Lame. It might help if he had any kind of life or personality in him. Dry and dull. By the way, it took 2 1/2 hours to get up and some people sang twice before I got up. The KJ also had no personality, like a BINGO caller. B-17, O-43 and so forth. Put a little life in it buster.
To the place's credit, they have a very good song list. -
Review from Jim S.
Portland, OR
1/30/2012
This place is like a Tiki version of the Cheers bar, where everyone knows your name. We love this place and enjoy going there at least once a week for the food and drinks (we don't sing karaoke). The atmosphere is kitschy, the food is good, and the bartenders know how to pour a tasty beverage. I didn't give it 5 stars for a couple of reasons: the chef at lunch actually does a better job than the chef at dinner, and I agree with a previous reviewer that it makes no sense to discriminate which part of the restaurant you sit in for Happy Hour prices. If the bar area is full and you're forced to sit by the fireplace, or if you bring a big group that can't be accommodated in the bar area, why should you get penalized for that?
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Review from katrina q.
Portland, OR
9/17/2011
Having only gone here post-renovation I cannot tell you how it compares to it's old face. I can however give you a good idea of how it is now, which is GREAT!
This is where I go when I want a drink, don't feel like going far, and don't want to pay ridiculous prices.
The atmosphere is totally fun and kitschy in the best way possible!
Whether it is after 9pm and time for karaoke(which is a blast) or I'm sitting in the lounge just after work the service is great, the food is pretty damn decent, and the drinks are strong!
Also in the lounge they play all the old songs which is a refreshing change from lots of the bars around here which insist on playing new fangled crap.
Great place for a kooky date night! -
Review from Ana M.
Once I get my pajamas on it's rare that I'll return to normal clothes for the evening. When my boyfriend mentioned to me that his friends were at Alibi I don't think he had any idea I would rally for the occasion. One thought of a previous visit which featured me singing R & B, being booty grinded, all while a staff member politely asks one of our party to stop dancing on the table and I was out of my PJs in a hot flash.
What I had forgotten was that past evenings spent at Alibi had been heavily alcohol laden. When I walked in I thought to myself, " I have never been to this place". Alibi is a tiki bar, to be quite frank even drunk this particular theme is a little overpowering for my pallet.
I settled down in the main lounge with a nice view of the stage. What I witnesses was a mid 30's ladies night gone wild. The difference between chopsticks and Alibi is the quality of singers. Chopsticks is where the Pros go to die. Alibi on the other hand is strictly fun. I happen to like the ole' pros rather then three girls screaming together into a microphone. Not that any of this is a bad thing, you just have to be in the right frame of mind for The Alibi. It is great for parties; in fact that's what I saw the most of. You can make reservations to ensure a space that accommodates the size of your party. Service is on point even though the place is filled to the brim. You'll wait about an hour on a busy night for your song, but only a few minutes for your drink to be filled, so weight the options as you see fit. For me I'd say it is a bit too chaotic to enjoy. I prefer The Hutch, or wherever BabyKetten happens to be that evening which is by far the best karaoke in town.
Should you find yourself at Alibi, proceed with caution..or shit loads of alcohol. -
Review from Samantha O.
Portland, OR
12/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
I don't really enjoy coming to karaoke here. The books aren't great, the Kj's are blatant in their bribe taking and favoritism of friends. Food is mediocre and ridiculously over-priced.
Friends like going here, so I come on occasion. I have fun because I like the people I am here with. That and the drinks are strong. However, the sound system is awful, the layout of the space for karaoke is so un-fun when it's packed (and well, it's always packed) and the service is anywhere between ok to being completely non-existant. I've sat for nearly an hour trying to get served something other than water and got real heated once the idiot covering our area asked if we had been helped yet. I didn't just get up and leave because I was auditioning for something. Otherwise, I would have. Straight up.
But one of my best friends got 86ed from here because of the behavior of someone else that was with them, after being a long-time regular. I am definitely going to try and take my karaoke business elsewhere from now on. -
Review from Jim S.
5/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Consistency is an undervalued Indicator when rating businesses. I value it highly as I want to trust that one great experience is a norm not an exception. Alibi is consistently, consistent. You know what you are in for when you leave your house, every time.
What are you in for? Tiki bordering on absurd. An eclectic potpourri of clientele that will entertain you, shock you, anger you, delight you and mostly just make you shake your head in wonder. A really good pour. Apt, not attentive service, gracious and completely unpretentious KJ's, some actually diverse and edible Bar food, and some of the very worst but spirit filled Karaoke you will hear in your life.
Four stars for a dive Bar is pretty high marks from me, but in this Genre I say....
Do it Baby, Yeahhh! -
Review from Rick S.
This review is based only on the karaoke at the Alibi, not the food, drinks or service.
Bottom Line - Karaoke is fun here, but if you're serious about karaoke, be forewarned that their song selection has something seriously to be desired. The atmosphere (with all the people and waiter service) is pretty good for a bar.
So beginning early in 2011, there is a new setup in the karaoke section. While its nice and fancy, I offer the following points to make it better:
There is now a big screen that displays the karaoke words for all to see,... only it's behind the singers, meaning they're blocking a lot of the screen. (The singers now read off a small monitor at the front of the stage). I suggest moving the screen to right corner so those of us in the audience can see the words and sing along.
The rotations of singers don't make sense at all. Don't punish people who arrive early! When new people put songs in, they should go to either the end of the current rotation, or be injected into the next rotation at the same point that they put their song in during the current rotation. This means each rotation will get progressively bigger as more and more people arrive.
One big positive: The Monday and Tuesday night KJ (Andy) is so very nice to look at. We all have mad crushes on him.
If you're looking for better karaoke and better song selection, I recommending checking out http://sailingonproduc... (they travel from bar to bar during the week). -
Review from Kimberly V.
Portland, OR
9/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The wise Brice B. told me that karaoke is like Brice repellent to him. And I get that. With some karaoke, the act can come off as a little desperate, a little flamboyant, and a little akin to cats mating on the roof of your home. Some people, maybe reasonably, don't want to be part of that.
But if anything seriously turns you off about strong drinks, a friendly-drunks-on-a-boat atmosphere, and watching your friends alternately honor and defile all your favorite songs, then I guess we can't be friends.
Bummer, dude. We could've had so much fun at the Alibi together. We could have clinked our Moscow Mule glasses together, tossed the plastic leis around each others' heads, reveled in the dark with only the glow of the karaoke lyrics to see by, and bobbed to Ana M. pwning "My Pony." I wouldn't even try to push you onto the Yellow Line tracks after our night of tiki merriment has ended.Listed in: Karaoke? OK!
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Review from Larry B.
Yerington, NV
10/11/2011
My wife and I went here for Happy Hour and dinner.
I ordered a Bloody Mary..Lets say this about it. It tasted so bad like the Tomato Juice had gone bad It was brown and spoiled, Or they used Ragu Spaghetti Sauce as the mix. not sure. I asked another person at the table to tasted and they could not even drink it they spit it out.
We could not get Happy Hour as we were sitting in the Dinning room and they would not give us the Happy hour prices or menu. Huh?
My wife and I ordered the Prime rib Seafood platter at 18+ dollars each.
I ordered the Prime RIB Very Rare and deep fried scallops and it came very well done at the least. The scallops were uneatable and very very fishy tasting. There were 6 of us there and not one of us had a good meal.
The service was Bad also.
The soup and Salad for dinner came after the Entree. Huh? really?
My wife ordered a Caesar Salad and it was just a dinner salad no dressing. I ordered the Clam Chowder soup and I had to even ask the waitress where it was after almost half finishing the Prime Rib.
I could not tell if it was Clam or Bacon or Potato soup it had all 3 in and the Bacon way over powered anything else. I love bacon myself but want clam chowder to be clam chowder.
None of us in the group of 6 will be back. -
Review from Adrienne I.
Portland, OR
4/16/2011
I am so pumped about this place. Karaoke in the back. Plenty of places to sit. Tiki til you die and a great music to match the theme in the non-karaoke section of the bar.
The drinks were huge and super strong. That might have been a situational thing but, I'll be back for more Elvis and tiki for sure! -
Review from January M.
Portland, OR
8/27/2010
What in the hell is that big ball of fire in sky? I think it's going to kill us all.
Do you know how many bars are actually open during the day in North Portland? Not many. Do you know how expensive air conditioners are? Very. When the thermostat rises above 85º, I explode cranky bitch everywhere. On these horrible, horrible days, (which are blessedly few here in Puddletown) The Alibi is where I go between work and sundown to avoid slaughtering the innocent.
Last summer my coworker and I would leave our soul-sucking customer service jobs for this neon lit, freon cooled darkness.
Someday Yelp will allow users to review businesses based on time of day and such, but until then, we'll have to break it down this way: The Alibi during the evening? It's like the bar in "From Dusk 'Til Dawn" but replace "vampires" with "drunken suburbanites" and "bloody carnage" with "jigger pours." I would frequently leave broke, sober and hating my fellow man.Listed in: SPF 80 Proof
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Review from Caitlin H.
Portland, OR
2/11/2011
Must haves: Pepperjack Mac N Cheese (Happy Hour Only)
Best drink: Straw Hat Sally - tastes like sweet fruity goodness.
The Alibi in NoPo is one of my favorite places to go in Portland for Happy Hour (and late night drinks).
Their pepper jack macaroni n cheese is amazing (creamy and tasty baked mac n cheese), and only offered at happy hour.
Their happy hour prices are very cheap, and the food is almost always delicious. For about $13 plus tip my boyfriend and I can get a huge meal with a beer. Their soups are usually pretty good - I had their chicken dumpling soup last night and it was great. Usually their Hawaiian food is excellent, but last night we got the Luau (?) Pork and it tasted like hot dogs. Weird, but true.
Service is either excellent (especially during happy hour - we always have wonderful service during happy hour. attentive and friendly staff.) or awful. The only time I have ever run into bad service there is at night - but they are also always packed at night.
Also - the Karaoke here awful - do not listen to the hype! The sound system is atrocious, the KJs are not very friendly, and you are very lucky if you get to sing (because there are so many people trying to sing). As someone who frequents Karaoke bars, I feel like I have a basis to make this opinion on.
I recommend bringing friends here for cheap happy hour or strong drinks late at night. The decor and Tiki bar theme are very fun. -
Review from Lori F.
Portland, OR
10/26/2010 3 Check-ins Here
The thing that concerned me the most upon entering the Alibi was the decorations. I mean who doesn't like to feel like they are on a tropical island located in the heart of North Intersate? I do! However, this tropical island is made of paper, giant wooden tiki men, plastic and straw. If a drunk patron lit a match by accident the whole place would burn to a molten crisp.
Aside from the hazardous decorations, it was so dark in there I was afraid I would get lost on my way back from the restroom.
One extra star for our waitress who forgot our drinks but was nice enough and had the best mullet I have seen since 1981. When our drinks finally came they were undrinkably sweet and not at all strong. Their menu had a whole list of options but the vibe + the awful drinks + Mulettica made us want to leave immediately.
I guess if I was drunk enough and I dug karaoke, I wouldn't mind this place. With so many other rad places to karaoke in Portland, why bother with this chaos? -
Review from susan c.
Portland, OR
1/16/2011
We had the best service, nicest waite staff and the food was excellent.
Good music and fun, neon hula girls, Larry's favorite drinks, just makes you want to come back. See you next week! -
Review from Jenny C.
"But do you have any drink specials that involve fire?" a friend asked the kind waitress as she reached for her wrinkled ticket book.
"uh... the building is from the 50's and the ceiling is made from cork... so..."
Holy hell, really? My eyes shot upward. What do you want to bet that chocolate brown ceiling was actually snow white when the place opened? The decades of cigarette smoke that have infiltrated the wood paneling booths and kitschy tiki paraphernalia have obviously left their mark even after the smoking ban of aught nine. And although the dark colors and ambiance are actually the resultant of interior design trends of days gone by, it just goes to show if you wait long enough your decor will be cool again.
So one has to wonder... Who needs a fiery beverage when you can have a tropical themed cocktail that appears to levitate within a luminous cloud of awesome?
Of course it kind of has to be your thing. Honestly I got diabetes inducing sugary sweet drinks out of my system in college, as did my friends. So as we crowded together in a booth and ordered what turned out be weakly poured well drinks we took turns flipping through the four inch binder of songs for the Karaoke and flagging down the waitress (a challenge in itself) for another round. Here's a place where you order two drinks at a time and call for another round halfway between them. On a packed weekend night expect a good 15 minute wait for table service. God help you if they have to change a keg and it will be a half hour before your pint will show up.
But in that time you've got the spectacle of song and dance, of a lively Karaoke Jockey running the show, and the joy of shouting "YOU SHOULD TOTALLY SING THAT BILLY IDOL SONG!" across the table to your mates.
Yes, it's as dated as the audio-animitronic Enchanted Tiki Room show at Disneyland, and arguably the karaoke singing is just as a bad as squawking of the macaw hosts. But from sweet drinks to screeching sounds, and from visual overload to the unavoidable touchy closeness of patrons at Portland's Alibi your senses will be challenged. And you can be damn sure they will loose.
Just like when cork meets fire. Or so I hear.Listed in: r|o|t|d
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Review from Alex L.
Atlanta, GA
10/22/2011
The four is for the karaoke. The service sucks. The food is, well I'd rather eat mc donald's. I asked for a menu when the kitchen was open, I had to grab a menu then go to the bar where I found my absentee server, when I was told I needed to order quick because the kitchen was closed (ing). It was her first day and I was a party of one, so the lesson is only come in groups. Things to know: Karaoke every night, I'll be back. I'll just bring my snack.
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Review from Terra G.
Portland, OR
4/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great bar food! Good portions, and always a blast listening to karaoke.
Great place to get booze and talk with the down to earth North Port-landers... -
Review from lindsey r.
Austin, TX
7/9/2008 ROTD 9/19/2008
I've found my holy grail of drinking establishments. I live for Annette Funicello, neon signs, umbrella drinks, and gaudiness in general. Stumbling upon this place was like the second coming of all that is good and campy.
Drunks are in the front, party booths with karaoke (every night!) are in the back. The booths are huge, and on a Tuesday night, it had just the right amount of participants. Kudos to the man singing Bryan Adams with true heartfelt emotion--no sarcasm there, my friends.
The ladies' bathroom is definitely amazing, and definitely ripped from a tackyass '70s trailer. The list of fun fruity drinks will please anyone who answers to the name "Moon Doggie." They range from $6-$7, and I got a Mai Tai that was delicious enough for breakfast.
Our server was real nice, but I can't help but think they deserve better uniforms. I mean, a black polo with embroidery? This is a freakin deakin' tiki bar! I'd suggest coconut bras, but that's sexist, right?
I'm already planning my next outing here. This time I'll be prepared with a fake bake tan, white lipstick, and Frankie Avalon on my arm. -
Review from Elizabeth E.
Portland, OR
6/7/2008 2 photos
This is a little slice of old-school cheap & chintzy Vegas right here in Portland and as the Karaoke Leader (DJ??) pointed out, it has everything: lots of mirrors, strange things on the wall, free parking, food, and steak knives...so really, what more could you want?!
The Alibi is all flashing neon lights from the outside, and dimly lit, smoky tiki bar on the inside (complete with karaoke, a section for video poker, and a few tables by a fireplace). An extra plus - the ladies bathroom has been stolen from a real-live trailer...well I don't know this for a fact, but I can think of no other explaination for the faux-wood panneling, the closet-style door, and the strange fixtures.
$1 gets you singing access all night long for Karaoke, starting at 9pm, 7 nights a week. The sitting areas accommodate huge groups, and they will take reservations for groups of 10 or more. The drinks are a little weak and the food is greasy, but the beer is cheap and the karaoke can't be beat.
In short: I have big love for this strange and wondrous establishment. -
Review from Doug R.
Updated - 3/24/2009
Go during happy hour. I got a $2 burger basket that was pretty damned good. I had some of Don's chicken strips and they were also much better than what you usually get in bars. They only have food on late night happy hour, so I don't know if the HH drinks are similarly valued.
But the rest of the prices are freaking ridiculous. I don't think I've ever complained about drink strength in a review (could be wrong) but I had 4 whisky sours for $4.50 each and walked out feeling completely sober. The food prices are outrageous.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/7/2008
Waitaminit, I don't like karaoke, and I'm not particularly into tiki bars, why am I reviewing Alibi?… Read more »
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Review from Danielle K.
Portland, OR
3/8/2008
Oh, man, after visiting Thatch, I thought that the Alibi would have some stiff competition. Um, OTHER WAY AROUND.
This place is made of WIN.
First of all, Alibi has its own parking lot. Yes, people, it matters to me. Because I hate parallel parking. Because I drive my car (I know, I need to cut my carbon footprint). Because I feel safer when I don't have to walk a few blocks in unfamiliar territory at night.
Secondly, the blinking lights and signs are just effing classic. With these huge babies, it's pretty much impossible to miss it.
Thirdly, the Alibi takes lessons from one of my favorite BBC shows--Doctor Who--by emulating the elusive Tardis: It's A LOT bigger on the inside than the ouside lets on. Holy cow, this is, I guess, a great use of space! All the drunken regulars hang out at the big bar up front, while, if you walk back, well, it just doesn't end. Go up a few stairs, and say hello to about a million and a half booths big enough for even our Yelp gang!
Fourth, Alibi serves up karaoke steaming hot EVERY night of the week. The KJ rocks in her '80s pantsuit with ruffle at the top, while she sings "Love Connection." None of that new-age rock-'n'-roll crap from Mazatlan. Oh, and she actually lets you sing a few times! Oh, oh, and she complements your singing (even if you botched the Backstreet Boys' classic "I Want It That Way") and doesn't take payoffs. And she gives you leis for party favors!
Fifthly (is that even a word?), they have a super-duper expansive list of Tiki drinks. So many, I couldn't even read all of them. So many that when I asked the waiter what he recommended, he had to ask me a bunch of questions about the flavors/alcamahols I prefered, and he STILL couldn't tell me. And the tater tots were golden perfectness. I had to ask for prices, though, because the menus didn't have them. Drinks, according to our waiter, cost between $6.50 and $7. But they're pretty complicated/sweet/awesome.
Sixthfully/finally, you have to check out the ladies' restroom. A few Yelpers described it as reminiscent of their grandparents' motor home. It's really small, has wood paneling, and the ONE stall has an accordion-style door and one entire wall is a darkened mirror that reminds us of the double-sided ones in interrogation rooms. Great for good times...if you're drunk. -
Review from Stephy S.
San Francisco, CA
11/9/2007
If all the neon signs in Vegas mated with an old broad with a tiki obsession and by some miracle they created a love child that was born with a cocktail umbrella permanently glued to its head, then you would have the Alibi. And you would have me hanging out with that kid every night!
This place is awesome! It is kitsch to the umpteenth power and if there's one thing I love, it's a cheesy dive bar with an even cheesier motif and some cheesy singing to boot. Yep, as if the decor and fruity silly drinks weren't enough, there's also karaoke. Could it get any better?
Yes, it could, because yelpers Gabe C and Laura N got up and sang last night and killed it. There was also a really weird serial killer looking Commie that got up and sang. There was a guy sitting and reading alone that got up and sang. There was the coolest grandpa in the world that got up and sang. And there was even a dorky little dweebie white guy that got up and sang Chocolate Salty Balls. Priceless.
This place just houses the most random assortment of characters and I really enjoyed it. Oh and I have to mention the bathrooms. I think when they built them, the average height must have been 5'3 because these saloon doors with no lock on them were hilarious and my tall ass wasn't covered at all, but oh well, what can you do.
I should deduct one star for the really nasty buffalo wings, but I won't even though they were gross. Just don't order them. The chicken strips were good though and I loved our waiter and give him immense props for putting up with awful singing and still smiling through it. Nicely done sir!Listed in: Portland Hot Spots
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Review from Chloë W.
Austin, TX
3/25/2009
I have to admit, that sometimes I am thankful for having been a peusdo-punk-rock-good-grades-while-skippin'-class- and-still-graduating-early-and-infrequent-band-gee k-dater nerd in high school. That special lack of shame is valuable when I do such ridiculous things as write about my dirty, dirty love of The Alibi for God and all the World to see.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I, Chloë W., had never sang real live, honest to god, out in public karaoke until my 21st year (psssst, that was a year ago, fellas) ... but as with any bad singer, I discovered early in my (pre-legal) drinking career that alcohol and singing go very well together. I mean, who knew that drinking made you a better singer? Exponentially so!
So, when first invited to karaoke at Alibi, many moons ago, I was apprehensive, yet intrigued by the notion of a karaoke bar-cum-tiki bar, because, well, I love a good train-wreck, just like everyone else. Oh. My. God. That was the night that I discovered that a fruit-laded cocktail and a rainbow lei can make anything (even bad singing) a completely bizarre, and amazing, experience.
and though I still hate singing... I mean, really, I hate it... my discovery that my BFF's "Twist and Shout" routine it is even more gratifying to participate in when wearing a rainbow lei and drinking a Mai Tai, just keeps me coming back. Over and over and---shamefully-- over again.Listed in: "Find Me In" Version 1.0
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Review from Laura N.
11/8/2007
Can I get a witness? Because you know you're on to something good when the men surrounding you are drinking a 'grass skirt' a 'coconut bra' and a 'riki tiki tavi'...and loving every cherry charged, umbrella laden sip.
The Alibi is everything your 1950s Vegas heart could desire. The "under the sea" vibe comes complete with black-lit fish tanks, dark coves where couples canoodle under palm-trees, and 3-D hula girl encouraging patrons to gamble away their sorrows.
The characters were as kitschy as the climate, from the crooning Commie in the corner, to the waitress who cared far more about singing some smokin' Shania Twain karaoke than about taking an order.
I wish I could award the performance of the night to our very own Gabe C for an amazing take on the Bee Gees 'How deep is your love'...but the rousing self-proclaimed "white man rendition" of Chocolate Sweaty Balls takes the golden trident this time. (Gabe, if we would have waited for your rendition of System of a Down's "sugar," the tables may have turned.) -
Review from Gabe C.
Portland, OR
11/9/2007
I haven't walked out of a bar this satisfied in awhile. Maybe I spent too much time living in Vegas...maybe it was all the surfer music my mom listened to...maybe I just have crappy taste, but I thought this place kicked ass.
THE GOOD - Strong drinks. Totally Tiki'd out. Karaoke EVERY night from 9pm-Close. Fun crowd filled with freaks (the good kind) from all walks of life. Considering how dark and dank it was...not really all that bad on smoke. Although it was a weeknight...weekends might be pretty bad. Hell, with the laws changing soon, I can't imagine it makes any difference now. Easy to find, right off of I-5. Close to an equally cheesy hotel in case you get too plowed and need a cheap place to crash. Clean restrooms (pleasantly surprised).
THE BAD - Yes you can believe its bad...not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good....WUH! (that's was 'sposed to sound like RUN DMC).
THE UGLY - Who cares. Get drunk. Be happy.
IN SUMMARY - Karaoke every damn night...SCORE...I will be back...oh yes...I will be back. Perfectly awful in every way. Oh Alibi...you dirty little tiki bar...I'm coming back and giving you a proper workin' over.Listed in: Yeeps - The List
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Review from Tres B.
Denver, CO
12/31/2009
Way out on "the old road out of town" lies the Alibi, a national Tiki treasure. Authentic, organic buttress of Tiki tres chic. Kitschy and clever and very busy on weekends with the best karaoke in town.
The drinks are huge and powerful. The Mai Tai will have you flat on the lanai in the blink of an eye (Hey I should trademark that) Any punch drink will feel like you were (punched).
The food is mostly sturdy bar fare, a good thing as you will need to be fortified.
TIP: I've dropped in here on some late afternoons to enjoy the tiki mystique mid-week because at night all you're afforded is a peek that's oblique due to the crush of happy patrons, both bold and meek..
Oh and on weekends, everyone gets a lei. Some get a lay. -
Review from Vince T.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2008
There is one reason, and one reason only to head to the Alibi: Karaoke.
That and getting really drunk. The Alibi serves very stiff drinks, I am a personal fan of their G and T's or whiskey coke, better make that a double.
This is a very smokey, very fun tiki bar that has a more than exuberant and loyal following of their karaoke.
A few tips for the first timers:
-If you want a table in the back, get there before 10pm on a Fri or Sat
-Be sure to tip the DJ, at least a $1 per song
-Please, sing along if you know it, but if you're only making it worse keep it to yourself
-Dancing in the area near the mics is encouraged if you feel so inclined
-Free food will be coming out of the kitchen at some point in the evening (9:30 usually), get it while its hot -
Review from Kayleigh T.
Vancouver, WA
7/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
So this place is pretty much amazing. It has enough tiki to take it from creepy to fabulous, every drink has an umbrella, huge list of specialty drinks at reasonable prices (try the grass skirt!), yummy tots, and some really amazingly awful karaoke. The place gets packed on a weekend night and you'll see all sorts of people in here! I'm a fan.
What could make this awesome place five stars? First, the bathroom is terrible. It's hard being a girl and having only one bathroom stall. Add to that the fact that the bathroom makes you feel like you've stepped into a 1970's single-wide trailer, and you have a recipe for disaster. Second, the karaoke could need a little work. I love karaoke, and I live for my moment where I get to stand up and make people pay attention to me for 3.5 minutes. There is no way to know where you are in the rotation, and the KJ has the personality of a wet mop....or maybe it just seems that way, since many of the waiters and patrons have personality to spare and then some. Despite these shortcomings, I'll be back.
