Local Lounge

Portland, United States

3.9

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 503-282-1833
Website:
local-lounge.com
Address:
3536 NE Martin Luther King Blvd, Portland, OR, 97212
Northeast Portland, King
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
220 ftNortheast Martin Luther King & Fremont
240 ftNortheast Fremont & Martin Luther King
350 ftNortheast Martin Luther King & Beech
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Parking
Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Good For Dancing
Yes
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Has TV
Yes
Has Pool Table
Yes

Today

Today 3:30 pm – 12:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Portland) 10:16 Tuesday, 24 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 3:30 pm – 12:00 am
Tuesday 3:30 pm – 12:00 am
Wednesday 3:30 pm – 12:00 am
Thursday 3:30 pm – 12:00 am
Friday 3:30 pm – 2:30 am
Saturday 11:00 am – 2:30 am
Sunday 11:00 am – 2:30 am

Description

Specialties

Live music & other events on a nightly basis every week; rotating tap list and liquors from local distilleries; a healthy menu; sincere, worldly-​yet-​accessible staff. Be sure to check our website or Facebook page for upcoming events!

History

Established in 2009.

Located at 3536 NE MLK, a few steps north of the corner of MLK and Fremont, Local Lounge is dedicated to serving our neighbors in one of the most diverse areas of the greater Portland Metro area. We are looking to meet the white collared and the blue collared, the starving artist and the hopeful musicians, the young and the old, the liberal and the liberal, the Blazer fan and the Laker hater, men and women, gay or straight. If you’re looking for great food, stiff drinks, and excellent company, you’ve come to the right place.

Meet the Business Owner

Randy F.

Business Owner

As one of three owners of the Local Lounge, a gay-​owned and operated neighborhood bar in NE Portland, Randy has generated a reputation for advocating local musicians, artists, and yes, drag performers. The eclectic and diverse clientele are all in part due to his efforts in facilitating a safe, friendly, and hospitable environment that welcomes all people from all walks of life. As of 2016, he has been awarded with an Excellence in Business Award by the NNEBA here in Portland.

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Nearby

Near this location:
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ft
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3532 N E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
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20 reviews of Local Lounge

No registration required
Place rating: 3
Portland, OR
I enjoyed an art showing here by the local artist Butch Williams.
It’s a great simple bar space and they are very involved in the community to host special events, game nights etc so that it can be so much more than just another bar. Bravo to the cast and crew that make this place special. I love that Portland has no gayborhood and ends up with these amazing neighborhood LGBT friendly places that value community over big city gay scene.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
First visit and I’m loving it. Friendly neighborhood atmosphere, good drinks, and fabulous service. My new hangout!
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
All are welcome here. Lot of regulars at this bar right on MLK. Friendly owner engages guests and makes you feel welcome.
A few rotator taps and drink specials. I haven’t had food here.
Lots of events — check their window for flyers on upcoming events, music.
Love the rotating art pieces. Lottery, clean bathrooms. Opens at 3:30pm.
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
An intimately pleasant gay bar. I was surprised at the neighborhood feel, and the friendliness of the patrons. I fully intend to return when I am back to town. At the end of the day, it is still a bar, but it has a far better feel than so many other gay spots I have been to before.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
I love this place. Stiff drinks, gracious staff, friendly customers and a fun atmosphere. I felt like I could be myself and have a good time with my friends.
Place rating: 5
Green Bay, WI
My favorite local bar. Always nice friendly people both tending and in the bar. Reasonably priced and the food is tasty. Only been to a couple events but have been busy and good entertainment for sure.
Place rating: 5
Las Vegas, NV
Just like any bar. It is what you want to make it. My suggestion is to come in relax and have a great drink and some food. They have music and a wonderful music. If you are looking for some fun come in during the great special event nights.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
Nice little neighborhood bar. It hasn’t been overly busy the two times I’ve been in, but have had solid service and friendly conversation.
Try the Disco Tots or Fries — very good.
I haven’t yet been here with any events, so will update if I hit a busier night.
They also have a pool table and video poker.
Place rating: 2
Portland, OR
This place is soooooo DRY!!! If you truly have no life and/​or bored then you go to the local lounge.
A.) 2Pac should NEVER be played in a gay club, period. Watching a «Thug» switch with his pants sagging is NEVER a good thing.
B.) The lounge was full of girly men & masculine women. WTF!!!
C.) 2 big LGBT Rainbow Flags hanging from the building entrance (Ok not really my preference but whatever).
D.) The drinks were watered down.
E.) The pool table was lop-​sided.
F.) The music was so loud that we couldn’t even hear each other.
G.) The food was pretty lame but thankfully there’s a Subway next door.
GOOD LUCK!!!
Place rating: 3
Portland, OR
Inconsistency pisses me off. The website shows a totally different menu than what is available. Very disappointed going for dinner based on their published online menus and the menu presented.
Love the space and all that. Their website and social media sites need to be synced, they currently are not.
Service and bartenders are top notch!
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
This is a fun place to grab a drink and gab with friends.
It is sort-​of in the middle of nowhere, which is my only complaint.
The local usually has decent music playing. The bartenders are friendly, but could pour stiffer drinks… I think it’s best to order a double.
I’ll be back when in town and friends want to go!
Place rating: 4
Honolulu, HI
I want to say that I came on a Tuesday night. It was pretty empty when I wandered in. I simply wanted to get drunk and this cavern of a lounge did just that.
I would like to speak more of the bartender. I didn’t get her name. I know that she wore plaid and had lip rings — but then again this is Portland — and that is somehow the dress code or part of it. She was awfully nice. She kept the beer coming along. I would like to commend her about the house salad.
Apparently it is a member of the House Specials list for $ 4.00. I really didn’t care about the cheap price. I wanted something healthy — at a bar — which is pretty odd. The salad was served on a modern rectangular dish and piled high with croutons. There was Ranch salad. The bartender went in the mysterious kitchen — which is to the right and in the darker part of the large room — to make it. She came back and it was the best salad I ever had at a bar. I know that it sounds odd but it was good. There was ’90’s music playing on and America’s Got Talent. The beer was good and I’m willing to come back again on a night that doesn’t have any people.
Place rating: 1
Milwaukie, OR
Oh no. The $ 5 cover and the pat down at the door should have been a clue. Doesn’t seem like a safe hang out. The DJ/​music was way too loud. We couldn’t even talk amongst ourselves over the music. Friendly bartender. I won’t be interested in returning.
Place rating: 5
Portland, OR
This place is the best. They support so many communities, lesbian, bears, artists, even church stuff? Awesome. Non profit fundraisers, acoustic shows, loud dances, birthday parties… You guys are family!
I’ve seen all generations, races and cultures here. I’ve met straight people who feel comfy there also. The owner is great to work with. Great art, food, and atmosphere. Parking is tough to find, and too small for big events though.
It’s a gayborhood of it’s own! Hugs
Place rating: 4
Boston, MA
My first time to Local Lounge was first Twerk. I wasn’t a fan at first because of the small dance floor, but I loved the music so much I have gone back several times. I’m used to the small dance floor now and I just shove my way in there to dance. The bartender is nice and there are seating options available throughout the bar.
I have not been here outside of Twerk, though.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
Very relaxed atmosphere gay bar and in a «daring» location to open one. I say that though in a proud way — kudos to the owner!
Place rating: 4
Happy Valley, OR
Been here twice and The environment is very relaxed and chill. The bartenders are nice. The drinks are good, The only downside for me was the portions of the food were a bit on the smaller side. The tater tot casserole was good but so tiny. I will def be back.
Place rating: 4
Portland, OR
A welcoming, mellow, inexpensive lesbian bar on the east side… yay! The music is definitely hit or miss but there are always lots of people dancing who don’t seem to care that the dj doesn’t really know how to mix records. Friendly female staff and only a couple of weird leering dudes. Overall, a fun place to hang out on a Friday night.
Place rating: 4
Beaverton, OR
Great bar! It is about time they started opening gay bars somewhere outside of the Pearl. Nice interior — the décor is fun but not over the top and I liked the layout. Some bars do not have good spaces set up to actually sit and talk to your friends. This bar has lots of perfect spaces set up, pours a good drink for a good price. I will say I am impressed someone finally opened a non dive bar in a dive bar side of town giving people over there options. It looks like they also do a lot of fun stuff throughout the week as well bringing in small crowds.
Place rating: 4
Nashville, TN
Although Local Lounge is waaaaay across town from where I live, I still like trekking over to this little slice of awesomeness. And it’s definitely little! Weeknights is normally good for people wanting to grab drinks and food with friends, while weekends are perfect for those who are down to party. I personally enjoy coming for «TWERK,» which is a queer, hip-​hop dance event hosted on the 4th Friday of every month. First time I went it was ok. Second time — much better! The space can fill up quickly, and when it does, it gets hot in there! No worries though, because you can easily step outside if need be to cool off.
The drinks are definitely priced right ($ 6 for two beers!!!), the bartenders are attentive, they have some pretty good seating options, and there’s a pool table in the back. Me likes this. My friend and I came over for some beers and a couple rounds of pool on a weeknight. It wasn’t packed, there was no cover, the games were free, and the music was good. Hells yeah! I’ve seen some people complaining about the neighborhood, but I haven’t had a problem. I love this bar.