Hey Cricket Fans! Sticky Wicket Will Open in North Portland

A new sports bar called Sticky Wicket will open in the old Park Tap House space in St. Johns. Its aim is to be the primary sports bar in Portland for cricket fans, but other international sports will also be shown, along with good food and drink. I reached out to the owner, Michael Rasko, to learn more.

Sticky Wicket: What’s in a Name?

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “a sticky wicket,” and it does indeed have its origins in the game of cricket; you also may have seen it connected to croquet. The phrase itself means “a difficult situation,” but that is not what is implied about Rasko’s bar.

“I named it Sticky Wicket because it was whimsical and not taken by other U.S. companies,” he explained. “Though I later found some international companies doing something very similar with the same name.” He hopes the bar will be a draw for cricket fans—and perhaps even as a watering hole for local cricket players.

Cricket, the Game

Not to be confused with Cricket the magazine, the game of cricket is popular in the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, India, and a number of other places around the world. And while you might not think of the U.S. as a cricket-centric kind of place, the interest in the game is growing. Many immigrants from the aformentioned countries and regions bring their love of cricket to the U.S., therefore diversifying the enjoyment of sports in this country.

In fact, cricket’s popularity is growing in the PNW, in particular. Here in Portland we have the Portland Metro Open Cricket League. An Axios article indicated that there are youth leagues in Portland and Seattle, “growing from 70 participants in 2017 to 1,000 in 2024.”

And did you know (I did not) that there has been Major League Cricket in the U.S. for a few years? in 2024, the U.S. co-hosted the T20 World Cup, with India vs. Pakistan. U.S. News reported that the game sold out in a 34,000 person stadium.

Michael Rasko, the Owner of Sticky Wicket

Michael brings a variety of experiences with him, from marketing to food. When it comes to hospitality/food, he worked at the Korean chain bb.q Chicken for a time. But it’s his work in marketing that more extensive, and includes running Rasko Digital Marketing, as well as his work with Oregon Episcopal School and Jordan Ramis.

He has been working with bar & restaurant consultant Chris Schneider during this process of building Sticky Wicket.

The Location

As I mentioned earlier, this location was previously that of the Park Tap House. They closed last November. One of the things that was important to Michael when it came to picking a location, was reasonable access. “We knew we wanted to be in Portland city limits because we wanted walkability for people in the neighborhood,” He said. “And we think we’ll be able to get some people from the suburbs driving in, as well,” he added.

The Space

Along with being in a walkable neighborhood surrounded by a vibrant commercial scene (nearby is Gracie’s Apizza, the McMenamins movie theatre and pub, LoveVerona, Yuginong, and Sparrow Bakery, among others), the interior’s design was appealing. “I loved the high ceilings, the exposed wood, big windows, lighting, and that one cozy corner with a sofa and lounge chairs,” he explained. “So I intend to do very little with the build out, because so much of it is already great!”

That said, he does have a few new ideas, including dedicating some of the beer taps to batched mixed drinks and building nice shelving for higher-end liquor.

What You’ll Find at Sticky Wicket

As I mentioned earlier, the concept of Sticky Wicket is a sports bar for cricket fans. This means they will always have one TV on Willow, which is the dedicated channel for cricket.

With the other TVs (it sounds like there are six), they’ll expand the core focus to include soccer (already very popular in Portland) and sports that are notable but considered “alternative.” This includes Aussie rules football, surfing, skateboarding, and rugby, among others. And on that last point Michael says, “Portlanders from Great Britain who we spoke to concerning cricket expressed a disappointment with the availability of Rugby games at pubs.” So, Sticky Wicket can fill that need.

Their overall aim is to be the place in Portland—and America—for foreign sports.

“It’s extremely rare to be able to find a sports bar that shows cricket games in the U.S.,” remarked Michael. “In the major league cricket subreddit, you’ll see someone asking where to go, and no one can provide anywhere to reliably watch cricket.” He hopes that finding places to watch cricket games will eventually become normal, so this is his contribution toward this end.

Eating & Drinking

Aside from being able to watch a variety of sports, they will offer food and drink there at the pub. The food menu will focus on simple pub food with British and Indian influences.

UPDATE 5/23/25: Kelley Confer, Michael’s wife, designed the menu and will be cooking while they train new staff in the kitchen. Here are some of the items they will offer on their food menu:

• Pub Pickle Plate. A variety of vegetables in Kelley’s signature brine recipe with garlic confit. This will be half priced on Portland Pickles game days.
• Bangers and Mash. This will be half priced on new minor league soccer team, the Portland Bangers, game days.
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Fish and Chips

They applied for a Full On-Premises liquor license, which allows them to sell beer, wine, cider, and cocktails. Their current plan is no minors allowed, but they may adjust that with an amended OLCC application.

They have put together a menu of specialty cocktails made with fresh squeezed lime and lemon juices, and strawberry puree they make in-house. They chose the cocktail names to honor the game of cricket, St. Johns as a neighborhood, or the Lindsey Lofts building that was once the location of a Masonic Lodge.

• Pimm’s Cup, the traditional English cocktail.
• The Portland Pickletini, a Martini made with their own pickle juice recipe.
• James John the Magnanimous, their take on a Paper Plane.
• The Kingswood, their take on a French 75 Sour.
• The Bonfiglio, a mezcal cocktail.
• Secret Guild, their take on a Dark and Stormy.
• Drink Before Wicket, a strawberry Margarita.
• Kelley’s Point, an Espresso Martini.
• Snakebite, the traditional English beverage of half lager and half hard apple cider.

Sticky Wicket Wishes

“I hope my customers come in and appreciate the unique offering that I provide,” said Michael. “Some of my friends who are bigger [cricket] fans than I am have told me that they used to ask for a cricket game to be put on … only to be told that the bar didn’t have that channel, and they learned to stop asking. So they have to buy the channel themselves and usually watch at their home alone.”

“I’m trying to help these guys, and people like them, have a chance to watch in community and share their excitement with others,” added Michael.

UPDATE: Sticky Wicket’s grand opening is planed for Friday, May 30.

This sounds like a great addition to the sports bar scene in Portland. I hope all goes well with the prep for Sticky Wicket, and wish Michael and his team only the best in this process.

Sticky Wicket [opening May 30, 2025]
8401 N Ivanhoe Street, Portland
Sticky Wicket website | Instagram | Facebook

Updated May 23, 2025.