the Matador

Ah, the Matador on Burnsy. If you want to fill your head with inebriation and you're on a tight budget (and who isn't in these times of global economic climate change?), well, you've come to the right place, my friend. During Happy Hour from noon til seven, pints of Pabst flow for a buck, and strong well drinks go for $2.50. Don't bother ordering a double; it's quite unnecessary. Pitchers (the giant glass ones, not those plastic fake-pitchers) of PBR are always $6. They have good bar food, mostly under $6, including a generous portion of chicken wings. Two pool tables are available, DJs spin discs in the evenings, the air is filled with sweet, sweet smoke and Bowie's on the juke box. A fine mix of the hip, the geeky, the jocks, the sports fans, the punk rockers and the drunkards. You don't have to wear pants or even underthings, as my group discovered unwittingly one remarkable eve. The Matador is a big, all-encompassing tent, and its sturdy tentpole is the love of having a good time. This, gals and fellows, is what Portland's all about. Now go shotgun that Hamms tallboy.

20th and West Burnside.