A long-standing bar in the Burnside Triangle area looks to me moving to northeast Portland this year.
Scandals bar at 1125 SW Harvey Milk Street will be closing in mid-September, according to a recent report from KGW8. This is a gay bar that has been in the area since 1979. Now, the owners are opening a new all-age space at 827 NE Alberta Street, and it is expected to open Oct. 1.
The owner of Scandals, David Fones, recently submitted a liquor license application for the new space in Alberta under the name Scandals East. This will have both indoor and outdoor seating, live music and karaoke. In a recent social media post from Scandals, the staff thanked the community for all of the support for the past 46 years, noting the nonprofits the business has partnered with and the other connections made along the way.
“We are looking forward to making a new all-ages family friendly queer space,” said the recent post. In another post, the staff cited economic struggles from the COVID pandemic being a main reason the current location has to close down.
The original Scandals is one of Portland’s oldest LGBTQ+ bars, and it is located in the Burnside Triangle area. It serves many cocktails, as well as street tacos, casual dishes like mac-n-cheese and sliders, and appetizers. The menu for the new location has not been confirmed.
The new bar and restaurant will be in the center of the Alberta neighborhood, at the same address as Carioca Bowls at the corner of NE 9th Avenue. The current phase of construction inside the space is not known at this time.
What Now Portland has reached out to the owner, and this article may be updated.
