On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: American (Traditional), Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Pearl DistrictMon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"My absolute favorite place to eat! Every month has a different themed special from another country. Check the website for the current…" read more »
Loading...
sorry for the half assed semi lame review..
more of a heads up then anything else...
the place has been renovated - boy was i surprised when i walked in today.
looks smaller then before.. but now they have really comfy couches and the decor makes it look more upscale.. though popped collars are still plenty
i'll update this when i come up with something worthwhile to say
update: props for having mmmbop on the jukebox
update 2: happy hour food is pretty good
Not exactly what I was looking for on a Friday night- on my BIRTHDAY. Here was the scene.
Being carded...
Dude: Happy birthday. Cheaper drinks are upstairs.
Me: Thanks!
Inside...
3 Drunk Guys: HEYYY ISSSYOURR BIRRFFDAYYY!! Guess whaaat? We gonna beattheeeseguyssessasss at shuffleboard. I wanna buy you a drink... waassaayeerrr naaaame?
*Me, run to the bar*
Bar... first trip...
Jessica(super nice bartender, she got the two stars): Hello!
Me: Something strong. Something cheap.
Jessica *mix mix mix*: $3.
Me: *sip*... OKAY! (It was like two straight shots of vodka... yum)
Downstairs...
*my friends and I sit on table, this drunk blonde girl notices my crown*
Girl: EEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK *shrill*, ITSS YOUR BIRTHDAY THAT IS SO COOL HOW OLD ARE YOU? OMYGAWD! EVERYONE ITS HER BIRTHDAY!!! *SHRRILLLL*!
Me: Yes. I'm 22-
Girl: 22!!! OMYGAWDDD 22!!! THATS SOOO COOL!
*two dudes behind her, eyeballing her ass. She's drunk enough to go home with both or anyone in the whole bar*
The scene:
The bar is covered with girls caked with makeup, drunk.. and potentially high school drop outs. Boys who dress young, are old, sipping drinks and looking for the drunkest girl to go home. I am appalled. No dance floor. Pool tables have girls sitting on them. Lame lame lame. One more time: LAME.
I am 22 and too old for this crap.
If I was 18 going on 20, I think this place would be highly ranked on my book, but because I'm not, I really wanted to escape. They asked us to wait for about 5-10 minutes at the door. I looked at the windows and it was obvious there were plenty of space. It was silly.
The only reason I went here was for a friend's Birthday. We celebrated it at a very nice restaurant and someone suggested to go here afterwards. Big mistake. The funny thing is, people were talking about it as if it was the it place to be. I think they were needing something different and off track.
i don't think I yawned more at any place then I did here. It's loud, full of young college people, and questionable about the cleanliness of the place. I truly wanted to escape and after an hour which I felt was more than I could bear, I jolted out of the place. I know, it's not where you are but who you're with. I was with 20+ friends and this place was definitely not happening.
Don't get me wrong, it's great for college going people, not so sure a working professional. I liken it to Chuck E Cheese for adults, but with louder, bolder music and minus the characters.
If you 're wondering where the LaCosta wearing people went, you need only come the Blitz.
Blitz has its good and bad points.
Good:
the food is decent and sometimes the bartenders pour good drinks.
Bad:
It's like a college frat party without the fun.
I'm not above hanging out occasionally at a popped collar bro bar, but sometimes Blitz is like hell.
A guy propositioned my friend here - using a "Hello my name is..." sticker. Instead of a name underneath, it read "Are you free tonight? Or will it cost me?" We didnt find the sticker until we actually left the bar. The guy sorta just stuck it on her and bolted - no introductions, no "Hey, did you happen to notice what I stuck on your back?", no nothin'.
As you can see, there's definitely a frat boy mentality at Blitz, a lot of 20-something boys and girls playing shuffleboard and slurping PBR out of a paper bag.
I loved how cheap the drinks were, though. As a San Francisco resident, getting a vodka tonic for only $4 when its not even happy hour is a miracle.
If only there were a way to split reviews of an establishment. This is a lunch review.
The food here is very "bar". Burgers, sammiches, personal pizzas.
Go up to the pictures and click on the picture of the pizza. Notice the ruler across the box. When they say 12" pizza, they mean diameter, not circumference. It's got what I consider to be the perfect crust. Crispy on bottom, puffy on top. That's the, um, crap I can't remember what it's called. Sausage, bacon, Canadian bacon, pepperoni. And that crust.
It was $9.
Nine US dollars.
Minimum two meals. Three if you're small stomached.
Hellz yes.
I work nearby so I end up here for lunch pretty often. And I used to work for the guy that owns… Read more »
The main thing about Blitz that bothered me was that when we left, there was a line almost around the block to get in. My issue was that the place wasn't even full, there were seats available everywhere, it was like they were letting the line build up in hopes that people would think it was hoppin inside...it was not hoppin.
Although the drinks were strong and the bartenders were friendly (stars #1 and #2), you have to weave through a sea of popped collars and sideways baseball hats drinking jager just to get to the bar. The drink prices weren't bad, $8 for a double vodka cran with a strong pour.
They had lots of bar games which should get them lots of points, but on a Saturday night, they were all guarded by said mentioned guys above that gave you skeevy looks when we approached. Could have been good times, but they wouldn't stop guarding them even though they weren't always playing them. Boo...
Good place to stop for a couple drinks, no cover charge, but it's more of a stopover then a hangout spot.
I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of Blitz. I guess if you are looking to escape the otherwise austintatious atmosphere in the Pearl, Blitz is a good choice. In my opinion, though, Blitz brings out a whole new "type" of pretentious.
Do you remember being 13 and walking through the local mall's food court/ school quad/football stadium, feeling your schoolmate's eyes on you? Like, you're being watched, but not necessarily in a good way? At that age, you think you can sum a person up by how they look for that 1/2 a second.
When you're above 21, it's not so true. In a club, you might know if a person's hot & worth dancing with in a 1/2 second, but in a "laid-back" bar like this, you probably want to stop staring. That vibe- in addition to the wall between the pool tables & the bar area that makes it feel really small and intimate- honestly creeped me out.
I guess it's just me, though- because Blitz seems to get a lot of good reviews. Maybe I just needed another beer.
This place used to be practically be my home for happy hour. The bartenders are so easy to friend and good god do they pour heavy.
It's since mellowed out as the real gems have moved on, but it's still a fabulous stand by for a great burger and open place to hang out.
Best time to visit: Saturday for college football, weekdays for lunch + after work
It becomes a bit of a meat market Friday/Saturday night, but if you're looking for a place to pick up an attractive lady/sir, this is a great option. Especially if hella-sketch Barracuda isn't for you.
Time for another Good Idea/Bad Idea.
Good Idea: Going to Blitz for lunch!
Bad Idea: Going to Blitz at night. (unless you like SOOPER crowded bars)
A quick note on the Bad Idea. It isn't HORRIBLE, but do expect it to be crowded at night, and even though they have pool, shuffleboard, darts, and air-hockey, there are usually several groups of people on or waiting for each one. I am a fan of being able to buy drinks without having to stand at the bar for extended periods of time and wonder whether shaving and flaunting my moobs would be worth the faster service it would bring.
On the Good Idea, this is an awesome lunch place. They have a good menu and are usually completely empty for lunch. The burgers are some of the better ones we have encountered at our office's Burger Thursday outings...and they have tots! Plus, what is better than leaving your cubicle to play some pool over lunch?
Super points for them being non-smoking.
The upside to this bar is it's one of the few in the Pearl that's like a real bar. It's got shuffleboard tables (although one seems to have a serious tilt), an air hockey table, and all the other necessary bar games. You can get some seriously strong drinks as well. Bonus for me that it's non-smoking.
Unfortunately the food is also bar like....greasy and predictable. Also the clientele can be a little irritating on some nights.....overdressed....and beginner drinkers (don't use the bathroom on a Saturday night).
I've been here twice and both times left unimpressed. It's more "bar" than most places in the pearl but still caters to the silk-shirt-tool crowd.
My favorite part of the evening was mingling with the upstairs bartender who seemed well out of place in the establishment. She spends the opening of her shift paper bagging tall cans of PBR which are sold for $1.50.
If you're looking for entertainment, walk downstairs with one in your hand and count how many dirty and confused looks are shot your way by the crowd. "Wait.. you can't bring that in here!"
If you vacate the premises by 10pm you'll miss the die hards. Stay any longer and you're back in freshmen year of college.
After four drinks, the quesadillas were perfection. The morning after, my leftovers were disgusting.
They've got shuffleboard (yay!), air hockey (yay!), and various other bar games. It's supposedly the Pearl's dive bar, but prices reflect more "Pearl" and less "dive." =/
There are two distinct atmospheres to Blitz (until it gets to be about 10pm on Saturday night, then you're just screwed). I like that. There is a smaller, more intimate bar upstairs, complete with TVs and a pool table. The pool table isn't in the best position to play though. One side is severely close to a wall, making any sort of decent shot absolutely impossible. Take a trip down the stairs and you're in a super-cool basement. Air hockey, shuffleboard, darts, and more pool are available for your pleasure. The bigger bar is down here too.
They have a mediocre selection of beer, but you can definitely find something to fit your fancy. I only dealt with the bartender upstairs, and she was super cool. When we realized that the pool table was short two balls, she gladly went downstairs to snag us some so we could have a complete set. Awesome.
While the place is definitely laid back compared to most everything else in the Pearl, I definitely don't feel like coming back when it's crowded. The crowd that tends to take over just isn't my cup of tea, but there is fun to be had within the place.
Listen, I can have fun anywhere. And I do, but Blitz is NOT my bag.
But if you're into college-y dudes in caps and girls in satin tube tops, checking each other out, get it girl!
It IS the pearl, who did I expect would show up?
$1.50 cans of PBR.
'nuff said :)
There are so many things to like...what's not to like?
I dunno. I wasn't all that wowed. I dug they had shuffleboard, but doubt I'd ever really play it. I dug the 2-level action. I dug the booths, open space and relaxed vibe.
But c'mon...I spent almost as much for a double Makers Mark and a Beer as I did for an order of Calamari and 2 signature cocktails at Mint/820...which was a MUCH more satisfying experience...I assure you.
The service, wasn't bad, but didn't wow me either. Welcome to Modern Mediocrity in the Pearl ladies and Gents...I present to you The Blitz Bar...adequate in every possible way.
Since when did Blitz become such a hot spot? The past three times I've gone there I've been stuck in line for at least 20 minutes. Once you get in, it's a U of O reunion, which is cool...I guess.
The Good: Fun bar for twenty something drunkards. Good location, so when you get tired of it you can go to other bars within a few blocks.
The Bad: Depending on the bartender, your alcohol content varies drastically. Ridiculously crowded, with a minimum 5 minute drink wait unless you're a cute girl.
The Ugly: Large Marge, the rotund trucker my friend hooked up with last time we went (just kidding).
Seriously, this bar is pretty fun. If it weren't for the wait and the inability to walk from one place to another without bumping into 20 people, it would be even more fun.
Recommendations: Get there early, don't harass the bouncers (the idiot behind me was heckling them, which isn't the smartest thing in the world), and be nice to the bartenders. My tab should have been at least $80, and my bartender only charged me $21. I'm pretty sure it was because I wasn't being pushy when she was making drinks.
Sunday nights aren't bad. Only a few people besides Yelpers were there. A great assortment of games to play, many televisions to watch sports, good pours, and the food looked great. We snagged an area lined by couches downstairs in front of one of the big screens. Kinda felt like we were in a friends basement. No complaints.
Decent pool bar, but both my wallet and my friend's nice jacket were stolen... also, not my favorite frat boy-esque crowd.
Totally a crowd-pleasing bar and thus the perfect place to go with a group of friends.
Upstairs you'll find outdoor seating (when it's nice) and a nice low-key dining/bar area (that has live music some nights).
Downstairs is the realm of party: shuffle board, darts, pool, couches (for hanging out of course), a large bar area, plenty of TVs playing the latest sports games, pinball, and a selection of group games (like Balderdash) that they have on hand for people to play at any of the many booths.
The staff are friendly and the beer selection is limited but its a great place to hang out and have fun. I completely love the decor which is fun and unique without being pretentious and over-the-top.
The best part about Blitz is that it feels like you aren't in the Pearl anymore. Don't get me wrong, I love the Pearl. I live there and I love the uber-trendy places in it. Sometimes it is just nice to go to a bar that feels like a BAR.
The food is total bar food quality: fried and greasy, just how I like it. You can get uninspired pizzas, greasy burgers, and run of the mill salads. Buy hey, we're drinking here and none of that matters RIGHT? If you are truly looking for good food, go to Ten 01 across the street.
The selection of games downstairs is awesome. You can play darts, pool, shuffle board, and video games. One night I was there they were having a Guitar Hero contest, which is not my thing, but looked like people were having a good time.
This is a great place to "get away" from the Pearl while in the Pearl. Give it a try for something different or for the time you need to go to a more laid back place.
Very fun, smoke-free bar. Free pool on Tuesday nights and happy hour Monday through Friday 4-6.
Bonus: Shuffle-board!
I love this place: Smoke free, they serve pitchers, and the prices are affordable.
I had a great experience there one night when it was slow and the bartender opened up free pool for my friends and I.
Great place to grab a drink in a relaxed atmosphere. Food is pretty good as well.
Eeeh, blah. The "speciality" cocktails were overpriced and not special at all. I paid $7 for a blackberry lemon drop that got me about 4 sips - I didn't realize that this was a 1/2 size cocktail. The self-proclaimed best margarita in town tasted like a cheap mix. Not to mention there are too many barely 21 year olds and annoying college kids. Bonuses ... air hockey and internet juke box.
I was amazed to see I had not wrote a review on one of my new faves in Portland. So whats not to like about Blitz? Live music upstairs, Pool, Sports TV, and Shuffleboard downstairs. They even give you the option to hang out outside where you can mingle with the people walking by.
The barkeeps are always nice and the food is decent as well. I have yet to go and not found myself having a good time. I have met a lot of cool people around my age here as well. I think my buddy Tim summed up how we feel about Blitz pretty well we love it. I also like that it is smoke free inside because I am more familiar to the smoke free bar scene in Cali.
So do yourself a favor and go to Blitz!
This was a saturday night after 11pm that we stopped by. Although I'm sorry to say that I wasn't in the right condition to thoroughly enjoy the place being under the influence upon arrival.. from what I remember, the place was fun, there was a fight by the men's restroom if you like live action drama. You can drink and play all sorts of games downstairs. There's a huge set of comfy black couches in the corner if you just want to sit for a minute. The crowd is in their 20s but sometimes I don't mind hangin with people my age for once.
Enter: Hungry family of three looking for a good place to eat lunch and take a load off after heavy shopping in the Pearl District while on spring break from Sacramento.
Waitress: Welcome to Blitz Bar; sit wherever you'd like.
Family: Nods, sits, and eyes scream, "Feed us! "
Waitress: Hands menus to family and asks for drink orders.
Family: Everything on the menu looks great. Salads, sandwiches, comfort food, burgers, all with fun names like "We Found Nemo Fish and Chips" and "Bernie Mac and Cheese."
Family proceeds to order, waitress brings food promptly, everything looks, smells, and most importantly, tastes GREAT!
Exit: Happy, satiated family of three with only very mild damage to wallet (sandwiches with fries only about $5).
Summary: Will definitely dine here again when in Portland next time. By the way, I didn't even realize until half-way through our visit that there was a bar downstairs. I just thought it was a fabulous, small restaurant!
I stopped by with friends last week because two of my favorite Portland musicians, The Dimes & Jasmine Ash, were playing. It was an impromptu show and I wasn't expecting too much, but was pleasantly surprised by the new Blitz!
As Nordy commented, "It's reminiscent of a Pittsburgh basement, yet hipper and with a better beer selection."
I loved the downstairs and the red particleboard booths, cement floor, chalkboard bathrooms, pool tables, dart areas, internet jukebox and wait . . . . . . drumroll please . . . SHUFFLEBOARD TABLE! Whoo-hoo! Who can argue with that? And there are two entrances. One off of Couch and one off of 10th. (For those who smoke, and those who don't!) The decor reminds of That's 70's Show, except if it was called That 90's Kids-In-A-Basement Show- very playful and sarcastic. My favorite sign is NICE RACK by the pool tables, compliments of Jager.
Btw- Request the "Chuck Norris Roundabout to Yo Face." It's a reeeeally good drink even though Chuck is mentioned in it. I think the next drink they need is a David Hasselhoff Sprinting in Red Shorts. (But it might be too disgusting!) ;)
I think they are still under construction....unless you consider polyuethaned wafer board a nice finish. This place always looks empty because the entrance area on the street level is small and there is usually no one there. The basment area has a bar and pool table w/ the usual tv's and neon beer signs.
Forgettable and the bar/wait staff was not very friendly.
I am a 23 year old guy who likes to go out with his friends after work on Friday's. After looking around a little back in March, we stumble upon Blitz. It looked fairly promising. We entered into the street level and found to our amazement that it was somewhat small and rather quiet seating area with a menu straight ahead. A waitress sees us and mentions that there are quite a few people downstairs. We proceed to find a little oasis underneath this rather unassuming place. Pool tables, TVs, darts, a little shuffleboard(I am pretty sure what you call it), booths, tables, couches. Yeah, you could say we were a little stoked. Not only was the atmosphere cool, but it was a Malibu promotion night and there were Malibu Girls giving out free taster shots of a few flavors of Malibu Rum and giving out free things such as t-shirts and plastic Malibu brand cups that would light up. The people there were on the younger side, so I appreciated that aspect as well. No longer would I have to be hit on by mothers of 3 that are twice my age. High fives all around. Granted, they have every right to go to cool places too. Drinks were average priced and had a pretty decent variety of beer on tap and in the bottle. I actually tried the Miller "Chill" for the first time there not too long ago, which is rather tasty, but I will save that review for another date. The food was pretty good too. I had a fried fish sandwich called "frying Nemo." It had to be good....and in fact was pretty tasty. After having calling and dragging a few friends out of their little residences to join us, they get there and realize that there is a great time to be had there. The bathrooms(at least the men's) has a big chalkboard around the perimeter to write witty quotes, anecdotes, etc. to your fellow bar patrons. I have had a great time there and the staff/bartenders are friendly and pretty cool to converse with. Go and experience Blitz for yourself and be prepared for a fun time with some friends!
Cheers,
Tim
this place has awesome fries!!
we went here after the holiday ale fest. i love that they have live music upstairs but it was so loud we had to seek shelter in the basement. it was pretty hot and crowded downstairs but we managed to snag a booth in the corner. i expected crazy delays due to the crowd, but our waitress was awesome and got us everything lickety-split. i agree with alec b. this place is totally un-pearl. more of a college bar vibe and tons of fun either way.
seriously though, get the fries.
The food is really good and has unique names. There's an upstairs, downstairs, and an outside area which can all hold a lot of people. The bartenders are very friendly. Good rest stop in the Pearl.
Loved the live music above the bar and all the fun downstairs! Don't forget to write a message on the chalkboard walls in the bathrooms!
I really enjoyed this bar. The crowd was young and very friendly, probably because there are so many games to play and people need partners or competition! When my friend and I went there were the perfect amount of people, not to crowded but definitely very lively. The drinks were good, lots of entertainment and right by the street car... all pluses!
I have only been here during the day (to eat) but the food was really good. I think the cook went to the same school of burger making as henrys because they tasted very similar (which is a good thing).
This place stinks. Frat boy central, expensive shot poor drinks and bad music (not just one kind, you could hear three crappy songs playing at the same time.)
"Social Hour" Tues.-Sat.…
Neighborhood: Old Town
Coffee Happy Hour Mon - Sat
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Southwest Portland
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Sports Bars
Places within walking or MAX distance from my…
This includes the Pearl, Nob Hill, and…
My coworkers and I are searching for the best…
These are places I went with The Yeeps. The Yeeps…
Here are a few of my favorites, and others I've…
