Dixie Tavern
| Dixie Tavern | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The bar's interior in 2022 | |
 | |
| Restaurantinformation | |
| Established | 2005 |
| Owner(s) | Dan Lenzen |
| City | Portland |
| State | Oregon |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′25″N122°40′23″W/ 45.5237°N 122.6731°W |
| Website | dixiepdx |
Dixie Tavernis abarinPortland, Oregon,United States.
Description
[edit]Dixie Tavern is a two-levelbarat the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Couch Street thenorthwest Portlandpart of theOld Town Chinatownneighborhood.[1][2]Portland Monthlyhas described the business as a "rock & roll tavern" with live music, multiple bars, and regular 80s nights.[3]In 2017, Grant Butler ofThe Oregonianwrote, "This Southern-fried rock and roll bar... is known for female bartenders who dance on the countertops toBon JoviandLynyrd Skynyrd– very "Coyote Ugly,"circa 2000. Dixie Tavern may not be trendy, but it's one of Old Town's most-popular bars."[4]Lizzy Acker included the bar in the newspaper's 2017 list of "23 places to go dancing in Portland" and said Dixie Tavern offers dancing tocountryandrock music.[5]
History
[edit]
Dixie Tavern was established in 2005, opening the space which previously housed Cobalt Lounge. In 2020,Portland Monthly'sMargaret Seiler said the bar was "one of the few 21st-century new businesses outside of the South to use Dixie in its name".[6]ThePortland Mercury'sAlex Zielinski has described Dixie Tavern as a "country bar" with security staff and without a strict dress code.[7]
The business is owned by Dan Lenzen. In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic,Lenzen worked with the Old Town Community Association to advocate for a "night mayor" to "liaison between hospitality businesses and city government".[8]He said the bar suffered economic loss and the neighborhood saw more crime during the pandemic.[9]He also joined the Rose City Downtown Collective, described byKATUas "a group of downtown Portland businesses and organizations is asking for help in rebuilding 'the spirit' of the city's core, which has been hit hard by months of coronavirus restrictions and protests".[10]In 2021, Lenzen advocated for extended hours,[11]and he and Dixie Tavern employees blocked off nearby streets, a service which had previously been provided by the city for security purposes.[12]He was appreciative of the city's efforts to clean up streets ahead of theMLS Cup.He hoped the work would continue and said, "Here's a plea to all the people in charge of being able to get activation: we need this, what we’ve done today. We all need this. A vibrant downtown is important to the entire region."[13]
Reception
[edit]In 2014, Drew Tyson included Dixie Tavern inThrillist's 2014 list of "Portland's 10 (Best?) Bad Decision Bars".[14]The website's Pete Cottell included the bar in a 2015 list of "10 Portland Bars You Should Avoid Once You're 30".[15]
Brooke Jackson-Gliddenincluded Dixie Tavern inEater Portland's2020 overview of "Where to Throw a Bachelorette Party in Portland". She wrote, "Country fans know Dixie is the place to be for dancing, but the bar dips its toes into other styles of music so everyone can have a good time. Plus, Dixie can host big parties, for those looking for their own space among the ruckus."[16]
References
[edit]- ^Riski, Tess; Mesh, Aaron (11 August 2021)."Old Town Clubs Reopen Amid Gunfire—and Ex-Soldiers Stationed in the Street".Willamette Week.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-24.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Eadens, Savannah; Sparling, Zane (28 January 2022)."'Verbal altercation' spurred fatal shooting in Portland's Old Town, bar owner says ".The Oregonian.Archivedfrom the original on 4 February 2022.Retrieved3 March2022.
- ^"Dixie Tavern".Portland Monthly.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-03-03.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Butler, Grant (25 May 2017)."Party city: A visual history of Portland nightclubs".The Oregonian.Archivedfrom the original on 19 October 2021.Retrieved3 March2022.
- ^Acker, Lizzy (24 May 2017)."23 places to go dancing in Portland".The Oregonian.Archivedfrom the original on 12 November 2020.Retrieved3 March2022.
- ^Seiler, Margaret (30 May 2020)."Today's Internet Artifact Is This 20-Year-Old 'Portland Mercury' Music Calendar".Portland Monthly.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-02-02.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Zielinski, Alex (4 July 2019)."Discriminatory Club Policies are Pushing African Americans Out of Portland's Nightlife".Portland Mercury.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-11-15.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Allison, Megan (2020-09-01)."Business owners in downtown Portland propose 'night mayor' position".KATU.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-01.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Allison, Megan (2021-02-09)."Businesses in Portland's Old Town conflicted over reopening".KATU.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-02-10.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^"Downtown Portland's plea for support to 'rebuild the spirit' of the city".KATU. 2020-12-02.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-12-31.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Allison, Megan (2021-05-16)."Portland nightlife industry pushes for later curfew as other virus restrictions ease".KATU.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-05-17.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Kavanaugh, Shane Dixon (4 August 2021)."Portland officials ended safety measures in Old Town's entertainment district. Then a teen was shot to death".The Oregonian.Archivedfrom the original on 4 August 2021.Retrieved3 March2022.
- ^Allison, Megan (2021-12-11)."Downtown Portland businesses benefit from MLS Cup crowds".KOMO-TV.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-13.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Tyson, Drew (15 January 2014)."Portland's 10 (Best?) Bad Decision Bars".Thrillist.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2021-12-27.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Cottell, Pete (19 August 2015)."10 Portland Bars You Should Avoid Once You're 30".Thrillist.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-11-08.Retrieved2022-03-03.
- ^Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-01-28)."Where to Throw a Bachelorette Party in Portland".Eater Portland.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-12-31.Retrieved2022-03-03.
External links
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