Bailey’s Taproom is the Best Beer Bar on the Westside

In a world of beer-geek dens, Bailey’s Taproom welcomes all.

(Bailey's Taproom)
By Pete Cottell

213 SW Broadway, 503-295-1004, baileystaproom.com. Noon-midnight daily.

Established: August 2007

In a world of beer-geek dens, Bailey's Taproom welcomes all. Rounding into its eleventh year in existence, it's by far the best and most popular beer bar on the westside, often packed to the rafters with equal shares of old-school beer nerds, tech dudes and tourists alike. There are apparently spreadsheets and formulas behind this success; beer buyer Bill Murnighan tries to keep just the right balance of esoteric, trendy and accessible beers on the 26 house taps. If the crowd gets too thick for your tastes, retreat upstairs to the Upper Lip, a sanctum of rare beers where you may find Bailey's owner Geoff Phillips or one of the bartenders drinking from one of 10 excellent taps they chose for themselves. If all those imperial porters and Belgian tripels give you a case of the munchies, don't forget that Santeria, the tiny Mexican restaurant across the alley, delivers fantastic drunk food directly to the bar.

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