Dots Cafe

Good ol' Dots! Always well-priced for drinks & food. Good service & fun vibe. Great neighborhood spot! More like 4.5 stars

Walking into Dots Cafe feels like tumbling down a dark cave a beloved haven with the requisite retro décor. It's where people gather in oversized booths, knocking back strong, no-frills drinks, cheap beer, -debating tunes. Once your eyes adjust to the gloom, delve into the diverse menu and you might just find a pleasant surprise. It's all about good grub in hefty portions at wallet-friendly prices. DJs spin the decks most nights, keeping the vibe alive. I have been hearing about this place since summer 2000 and - I gotta say, it lived up to the legendary status.

Great happy hour with good drinks and a rock n roll vibe with a diner-style backdrop. Nothing special here, food wise - just total bar vittles, with the usual fried thangs, nachos, wings and tots - but the drinks are better than your average dive diner would have. Cool, lo fi decor with nutty wallpaper, offbeat lighting and kitschy meets creepy undertones, make for a great casual and inviting atmosphere (at least in my book- which is kinda tattered). It's a diner-like layout with vinyl-covered booths and standalone tables, but with a bar in the back... and it all is somehow cooler than it should be. Don't bring any attitude, and suburbanites should steer clear - it just won't work for you.

I was happy to give Dot's a go since friends go here often and have recommended it for eons. I go to a lot of things alone but it felt awkward to go here by myself to grab a bite. After a movie at the Clinton Street Theater, me and my vegan friend wanted some food. I don't normally identify my friends on their dietary requirements. It is always great to be mindful though since I try not to be that jerk who assumes places have options because a lot of spots have like one thing they can make into a vegan thing so if there are a few places, why not chose the one with more options for us all. She was actually pretty excited because she had seen several options online but there were far more options she saw on the menu. Really a lot of the menu offers options. We took turns ordering at the bar and they were super friendly. My food came out fast - I just grabbed a chicken strip basket and an RC. It was good and I was not expecting a huge amount. I had to take most of it to go which reheated great later.My friend got the vegan kitchen sink fries which come with numu vegan cheese shreds, vegan bacon bits, pico de gallo, salsa, jalapeño peppers, spicy tofu sauce and she added black beans, guacamole and ranch. She also wanted lunch for the next day so she ordered a vegan Korean BBQ soy curl sandwich which is sesame ginger spiced soy curls, carrots, fresh jalapeños, cilantro, gochujang red chili paste, vegan mayo on a hoagie roll and a side of spicy tofu sauce. Her food took forever. First the bar tender came over and said that the cook had accidentally made the fries non vegan. Then a lot longer time later the chef came over said that he had run out of vegan cheese and then left again. We were like, wait.... so that was SO long ago - does that mean he had to go get more cheese as we still were not told when her food would arrive. When he brought it out she said it was missing the Guac she had paid for a side of. He almost started arguing with her saying that the order he got mentioned nothing about that and she offered to dig out her receipt so he went and got that. I felt so terrible for her because in the end everything was way over salted so she really did not enjoy it but it took so ridiculously long for it that we were exhausted and done.The vibe here is really good to with insanely weird art and dark lighting. So, in a pinch they've got a menu that can maybe help you out.

Food is always delicious and staff are a fun wild bunch who will chat with you about music, horror movies and even like to hear what you are excited to see over at the Clinton Street Theater. They are my go to when I'm at a film festival at Clinton Street Theatre for a to go meal.

Again, the bartender is incredibly rude and thinks it's a positive personality trait. I have the utmost respect for the service industry, but this guy acts like you're interrupting him. He was making a woman's drinks wrong and she complained and he laughed at her. He then made my girlfriend's drink wrong and then yelled at her for not hearing him say what was in the drink. The music was loud, which is great. But it's hard to hear anything from behind the bar, where they force you to order your food. I think they need to stop offering their employees shift drinks. If I really wanted to be a dick about it, I could have called the OLCC, but I don't want anyone to lose their job.Also, the food has gone downhill. Considering I have been coming to this place since 1996, it's gotten progressively worse. Never again. And they keep reporting my reviews to be removed. And I will keep posting them. Eat my butt.

It's hard to watch something you love die. I feel like this old portland staple has been circling the drain for some time now. Tonight I pounded the final nail in the coffin of an old friend. The food was terrible. There was so much salt in the Korean BBQ soy curl sandwich, that every molecule of water in my body revolted. I'm not kidding, inedible. The staff was trying, but why no table service when you still have 4 people on, standing around? I'm looking forward to burying the memories made in this place and welcoming whatever the next incarnation is...

Stopped in for a late night snack and a drink on a weekday and found this fun little dive bar. Drinks weren't expensive and they have daily deals going on with even cheaper options, and a menu they were serving fairly late. We shared a plate of nachos and blueberry gin gimlets while we ate and people watched. Very vibrant environment! Our bartender/waitress seemed nice and didn't hover.

Five star vibes inside,, but my fries were very undercooked :( love the vegan Flanders sandwich though!

Worst food I've honestly ever had in Portland. Take some pride In What you do Jesus... like McDonald's is better than this place real bummer