Pala

Pala was our first stop Saturday night, so a drink was in order… but alas, Pala serves the WEAKEST drinks I’ve ever tasted. I am honestly not exaggerating when I tell you that my friend and I are nearly convinced there wasn’t alcohol at all. I had a martini and like I said, it was the first drink of the night, so I expected to feel and taste at least a little flush! For this we will not return, just gives me bad vibes that they are ripping people off like that. Otherwise the music was fun, dance floor inviting, although pretty empty at midnight. Definitely more mainstream than other techno/​electro spots in town.

After the Ohm decided to turn its back on the House /​Techno scene that served it oh so well for so many years, Pala is really the only downtown club still pumping out that deep chunky house music on a regular basis. It is hard to review a place that is always filled with family… from the DJ’s, to the promoters, to the staff, to the patrons, they are all folks that are more then just familiar faces. These people represent the best of the House scene and other then After Dark, Pala is the place to go for hugs, drinks, music, booty shaking and good times. Oh, and late night debauchery!
Keep your eyes out for House Call every Wednesday night and any weekend show promoted by Matt-​e Star… always guaranteed to be good.
The drinks are good and the vibe is even better!

Nice bartender serving drinks with the OLCC required amount of alcohol, not too much, not too little. If you were hoping for stiffies, better go to Dirty Bar across the street, in more ways than one.
Brick wall, non-​smoking interior with small dance floor right up on the DJ booth. Cushy cabana-​like booths with south asian pillow décor. The tag line is something like Fashion, Music, Bar. They had fashion TV above the bar on a recent TH nite. But that’s about all I saw. I did catch that they had a fashion show on their 3^rd Anniversary. Music was house and this night, there were some fun dancers and it was A-​OK to get on down with yourself.
Not a Burner crowd to be sure, but hanging out with Nordstrom shoppers and hoodie boyz ain’t all bad.

I have come to love this place. Best place in town to consistently hear great house, trance, and other electronic dance music. The inside of the bar is NON SMOKING — which I like! There is a nice covered smoking area outside as well. Covers are always reasonable. Friendly people, friendly staff, the food is good too and served all night. I have been here by myself a lot and met a few new people and the dance floor is a nice place to be, with or without a partner. Check their website for their calendar. More people need to go, it isn’t as busy as it deserves to be. I agree with the other person’s opinion regarding the Dixie. There is better music here. Check out the Wed night «Housecalls» nights, good music, no cover, cheap food, etc!!!

Pala consistently brings the best house/​trance dj’s from around the world to Portland. They also host some of the best local talent. It’s such a shame this town doesn’t like to boogie on down to the funky beats. I have no idea why the locals choose to goto Dixie across the street over this place. They also have a small private parking lot in case you people must drive. The vibe at this small intimate club is always good.