Skip to main content
511 NW Couch St., 796-9364, groundkontrol.com. Noon-2:30 am daily.
Step into the blue, pimple-disguising light. Portland's
favorite beercade, Ground Kontrol, offers two stories of LED-backlit
nostalgia fraught with nerdgasm and accompanied by real fake-cheese
nachos ($4). The main arcade on the bottom floor is arranged in tight
rows of entertainment, with a few underlit tables and chairs in an open
area to wipe your brow after a tough match of Raiden II. Upstairs,
you'll be internally debating which popular sci-fi, fantasy or animated
theme is best suited for optimal pinball experience. Just kidding; it's
obviously Judge Dredd. The place has a fully stocked liquor cabinet at
the downstairs bar, but everyone knows the thing to do is to grab a pint
of Replay IPA with a friend who also misses Big-era Tom Hanks, and lay
claim to one of the 80-plus gaming options. Just make sure you pick the
side with the easiest access to the cup holder.
Happy hour: 5-7 pm Monday-Saturday, 5 pm-midnight Sunday. $1 off wells and beer.
Entertainment: Arcade cabinets, pinball, live DJs, live comedy, quiz shows, free play on second Thursdays and last Wednesdays from 5 pm-2:30 am.
Our Favorite 178 Portland Bars | Bar of the Year: Stammtisch | Best Bars No. 2-5
Strip Club Hangouts | Sports Bars | Shot 'n' a Back | English Bars | Dessert Cocktails
Patio Bars | Bars That Look Like Houses | Skee-ball Bars | Cart Pod Bars
Where to Eat After Bar Close | The Most Important Little Bar 'Hood in Portland
WWeek 2015