Sloan's Tavern Is Closing - Bridgetown Bites

Photo credit: Drew Groove via Facebook

Opened in 1979, Sloan’s Tavern, is set to close this year; that’s over 40 years in business. This week I’ve read a lot of tributes to the place in its owners, matriarch Shirley Sloan and her family (Bob Sloan died in 2013). So what’s going to happen to the place? Shirley sold her lots to a developer, and it sounds like retirement is in the plans. A mixed-use apartment building will be built on those properties.

Sloan’s is located in an area that was the heart of the Albina district as it existed before the construction of I-5, Memorial Coliseum, and the expansion of Emanuel Hospital—home to the majority of Portland’s Black population (Sloan’s location was home to Albina Cash Market back in the day).

Over on the Eliot neighborhood blog, they tell the origin story of Sloan’s:

“In 1959, the Sloan family first came to Eliot to rent a space for their body shop, Sloan’s Custom Body and Paint, which still does business today. The body shop stood next to the Gay Paree tavern, which itself had been in business for almost 30 years and had been an anchor of the then-bustling Russell Street. When Gay Paree came up for sale, Shirley and Bob Sloan decided to purchase the space and grow their family business. After an extensive remodeling project, Sloan’s Tavern opened for business in 1979.”

Notable elements of the decor there at Sloan’s is the “frozen in time” 1970s look inside; the semi-truck cab jutting out from the building; and the Chicago Coin Band-Box jukebox, a rare thing to find anywhere in the U.S. (it’s estimated there are only about 10 of them operating around the country). Put in a quarter and you’ll see the figurines at the top dancing and playing the musical instruments in their hands, in time to whatever tune you picked (mostly Country music).

The food is familiar to those who enjoy American-style pub food—what’s different here is that most of the food on the menu is homemade. The fish-n-chips, “made in a beer batter of Shirley’s own recipe” is notable. The fries are hand-cut. Another popular item is the Emanuel Special sandwich: ham and turkey with jack and cheddar cheese served on a soft french roll (named in honor of the Emanuel Hospital lunch crowd). You can order a whole or half sandwich; those hand-cut fries or crisp salad (with homemade dressing) are extra.

Willamette Week in 2016 highlighted the regular transformation the bar would make over the week. “What started life as a blue-collar watering hole is now, depending on the night, a lesbian bar, punk bar and goth bar.” What I can tell you is that a lot of people are going to miss this place, which is closed on weekends and shuts down by 10pm the rest of the week.

I took a look at permitting for this location—on the records as 28 N Russell but there are multiple lots—and a pre-application conference earlier this week was scheduled. The discussion was about building a 5- to 7-story mixed-used building at this location (20,000sf site). 110 to 150 units could be created there, plus off-street parking in the rear.

Here are what I understand to be the lots in play: