Aura

Like many other reviewers, I’ve spent time in clubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Regardless, Portland clubs are very small-​city and miss the mark. Aura is no exception as it falls short with 2 stars for the following:
It was still early (10:30?) and the doorman accusingly told me to smile to match my photo. My ID says I’m not a little girl, treat me like an adult if you want me to return.
The girls offering wristbands had the, «I have somewhere better to be» attitude. On the flip side, the girl at the desk inside was awesome. Here and there I’d see her dancing and having a good time right there at the register, always love people being able to have fun at work!
The promoter, Chemie, who got us our table was cool and enthusiastic. Once I made my way through the club and dance floor to get the atmouspheric vibe I found these things:
WAY TOO MANY MEN. It was like Alaska up in this joint, a man to lady ratio of 6:1, at least.
It reminded me of the underage club The Escape circa 1997-​with all the creepy older guys herding toward the outskirts of the dance floor waiting for a girl to walk by and grab her ass or something. No joke, I walked though with my purse ON MY BUTT.
Did I mention there were no ladies? I was actually trying to find some cute girls to bring back to my guy friend’s table to liven things up and… well, there were none!
There was feedback coming from the sound system all night. The DJ had a few failed attempts to mask it by talking.
Around 12:45, the bathrooms were filthy, not stocked and very small. It was so confusing because here you have these fancy pants 1 way mirrors in the stalls but you look at everything else and you’re like…“Ew”.
Again, there were no women at this club, but the big plus with that was no line to use one of the few stalls in the bathroom :)
The VIP bartender upstairs was rude, we asked about special price drinks and he pointed to something while nodding. Our promoter had told us there were $ 3 drinks. When we ordered 2 shots and a vodka-​soda, he said, «23.50″. THEN he explained that he was pointing to the menu that said there were only 3 drinks for $ 3.50. Oookay, super job guy. With those communication skills I am sure his relationships are fabulous…“Well, I *pooointed* to the other hole…»
Okay, I’m concluding this, I swear. Around 1ish, some guy got stabbed on the dance floor. No, I’m not kidding. 4 cop cars and a friggin’ firetruck.
There is a really limited menu late at night, I ordered the pita bread and hummus. 20 minutes later our server told me there was no hummus. I never got to look at a menu to actually see what was being offered even though I asked the server and Chemie for a menu. We didn’t end up eating.
There won’t be a next time for Aura, it’s awkward being one of the few females in a club full of eager men carrying knives and posted on the walls ready to grabass.
They need to clean up the crowd and revamp. (Duh Aura, stop charging hot women and they will come in herds-​how come every other club gets that but you?)
I heard Fez is way better and in the same building.

My aura definitely needed a shine so what better place.
We were here for early HH only and we were the only people at 5.
You get quite the deal from fondue with veggies/​bread, to drinks that are so incredibly cheap. (I needed that fondue let me tell you to soak up all those drinks).
The space is very unique, almost like a funhouse with the mirrors in odd locations, and even in the bathroom where you can peek at the dance floor but they can’t see you. The walls and hallways have you walking around and sometimes even bumping into areas that dead-​end right into a mirror. And I was here before the lights were dimmed so I can imagine the place when it’s more dark. In fact when you go to places like this before they are «ready» it definitely has a different aura to the whole feel of the place.

My boyfriend and his friend had purchased the Skyline lounge for $ 500– I’ve been to cheaper tables in LAS VEGAS and clubs in Hollywood… but it was Halloween weekend and we all wanted to have a good time, so we chose Aura because we loosely knew a promoter there who promised to show my friend and I a «good time in Portland».
Well the night starts off with them calling us and saying if we aren’t at the club by 11:00 PM we had to pay cover charge even though 10 people were INCLUDED in the $ 500 we spent, so there’s no way we’re paying more for that. We were completely harassed by the bouncers, I asked one his name (Victor) and to talk to his manager and he pointed outside to some female and said she was his manager… later after talking to his ACTUAL boss a week later, I learned there are no female managers there and he’s full of shit.
Later on the person who brings out our champagne was rude to us and later I learned she wasn’t even supposed to serve it b/​c she was a hostess and probably didn’t have her OLCC permit… ok Aura…
What really made the night lousy was someone drugging my drink, and me passing out and subsequently getting kicked out. The bouncers were nowhere around as some guy put me in his teal SUV and luckily my boyfriend who was giving them my information because it was left there (but thankfully found) ran out in time to pull me out of the car. This definitely turned into the scariest night of my life, and the scariest part is that I heard a couple more stories of people being drugged (and watching their drinks) at Aura, so it appears bartender (s)? are very very shady.
And true to the other reviews they played a mix of trance/​house/​top 40 for the one hour I was there. The crowd had the typical creepsties on the sides and unattractive gogo dancers. Never had any of the food so can’t comment on that either, but if you really must give this club your time DONT pay anything for «VIP» its easier to drug people on that floor apparently. Since that event I had talked to the manager Andrew about my experience, and learned that apparently our night was «not protocol from his employees» but I would still not recommend ever going here unless you want to risk getting raped!

Hmm. Not sure what to think about this place any more. The last time I went we paid over $ 20 to get through the door just to turn around in about 15 minutes. Overly crowded, pricey drinks, and *interesting* people.
It was great years ago… maybe it was because I was younger then, but the different levels was exciting and the music was fun to dance to. I even had my 23^rd? birthday at Aura. It’s kind of a joke unfortunately.
The only time it’s good? Happy hour. Go for happy hour.

We got here early for an event, so this review is with that in mind.
I’m in my early 30’s, in a long-​term relationship, and have kids. I’m not a douche bag club rat. The first thing I noticed when walking in was the smell. It stinks like a football locker. The dj sucked. Was playing disco and the bass was at least a full second behind the track.
We ordered happy hour food and drinks, 2 minutes before it ended. Not bad. The clam chowder had a handful of clams steamed in the shell, none in the chowder. But kind of cool. Not great, not bad. Fondue was not good. Tasted like American cheese. And they serve it with super skinny bamboo skewers. We used our forks. Then the fries. Not bad, sweet potato fries, not bad, zucchini sticks… Unrecognizable. They were mush. I will say this: good lemon drop.
Would I come back here if not for a charity event? Nope. Not a chance.

This was my first time at Aura, and ill say it was a blast!
The cover charge is pricey, but it is a pretty spacious and busy place on a Saturday night! The music was awesome, perfect for my drunk-​dancing needs =] The DJ was also good about throwing in some requests for songs that we had!
The bar had a good selection and tasty drinks!
I’ll be back here for sure!

I can see Aura appealing to a certain crowd. Most of the people in my group had a good time, although it came at a price as significant portions of the evening were spent ordering champagne by the bottle in our «VIP» table (like a regular table, but silly and pretentious). I will admit, the people watching was pretty interesting. However, the atmosphere was a cesspool of colored lights, shitty music and ornery assholes.
Aura is not my scene but if you have a penchant for pounding bass, light effects, dress codes and aging bros… Check it out!
Also, if you’re someone who has always fantasize about peeing on a dance floor, this is your place. The bathroom has a two-​way mirror that allows you to look out while using the urinal.
I think there may be something to that… «Aura, it’s for people who have always wanted to pee on a dance floor.»

Aura feels like a club that is trying to be very Californian, but to people ago have never been to California clubs.
The idea is in the right place, the execution is not. The multicolored lights illuminate what seems to be a very warehouse-​like place. Décor aside, the building feels like a place I would expect college people to go for 80’s music night and live bands, not a «high-​end» Ultra Lounge, and certainly not like any of the places of LA, San Francisco, or Las Vegas, in which it attempts to emulate.
The night I was there, the DJ seemed to have playlist ADD, trying to fast-​cut 30 seconds to a minute of different songs, but with no sort of coherency (or even tempo matching). To be fair, perhaps it was just an off-​night, or maybe he told his buddy he could play DJ for a bit or something, but it sounded very amateur.

*HAPPY HOUR review only*
HH starts at 5pm ends at 7pm; all day Wednesdays
The $ 4.50 aura burger with fries & $ 4 signature caesar are a must try. These portions are the same as what’s served at dinner so it’s lots of food at half the price.
The burger was juicy & the pepper jack cheese, onions & spanish chorizo added to its already amazing taste. The caesar was my favorite of the two. It’s not like other caesar salads; add fried garbonzo beans, pico de gallo & a spicy caesar dressing & it blows all other caesar salads out of the park!
This was not at all crowded on Wednesday night & if that’s the case for every evening then I’m down with HH at least once a week here! Who’s with me?!

Came here for a birthday party last Saturday night. We got there around 11 and waited in line for about 10 minutes, then paid 10 bucks for entrance (girls pay too!). If you want your coat checked, that’ll be another 5 bucks. It’s definitely more on the swanky side, and I love the fact that there are places to sit without having to get bottle service, when you get tired from dancing. Music was loud and they have a great sound system. DJ played a mix of hip hop and fist pumping music.
The bathroom is dark and inside the bathroom stalls, part of the wall is glass. Why the design is so, I have no clue. I suppose it’s so that you never have to miss what’s happening outside. I never got to check as to whether you can be seen from the outside (yikes!).
I’ll probably go again next time… but I’ll leave my coat in the car, since it gets really HOT in there!

Okay, yes this place is heavy on the trollers and breezies, but how is that ever going to change if normal people won’t go there?
Aura has an amazing happy hour, all day on Wed, with 2.00 wells, but every time I go in there it’s empty at that time and I don’t get it. Their staff is experienced and amazing, and even I can’t complain about the HH prices because they’re less expensive then the dive bars I frequent.
Friday nights is ladies night, and the club sets up a VIP lounge for women and gives out champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. I am a big fan of ladies being pampered and pampering ourselves, so I appreciate a club that makes a special effort to cater to women.
I will continue to go there and drag my super awesome unpretentious friends with me kicking and screaming because a downtown Portland club deserves a real Portland crowd and I’ll do anything I can to oust the bridge and tunnel people from my city.

One of the douchiest places one could go to in Portland, on par with Douchey Couture. The bouncer is one of the a total jerk… he was all attitude and pretty pretentious (as to be expected from such a douchey establishment)…
I never want to set my foot in this elitist establishment again.

If you ask me, «Where can I get the best burger ever?» well that is a loaded question.
Now ask me, «Is it possible to get a kick-​ass burger and fries for 3 bucks?»
«Yep, at Aura’s Happy Hour, you’re welcome.»
The happy hour menu is regular ass menu for half price, and without the bro-ho’s and woo girls. Well, they show their faces at the end of happy hour, but who can blame them, these strong ass well drinks are like 3 bucks! The most expensive item at happy hour was 5 bucks?! I would never set foot in here after dark, it’s not my type of place, and that’s okay.

Who knew Aura the dance club serves delicious happy hour? They have $ 3 Hamburger that comes with FRIES! Who can beat that? I love happy hour in this city and so far I’ve never seen a combo like that for less than $ 5. That’s just insane.
You need to pair that with the $ 4 Lemon Drop. It’s a strong Drop. I’m not saying this because I’m a lightweight, but it was strong. One drink was enough for me and with just less than $ 10 (before tip), I had one of the happiest hour in town. :).

There’s something I find a little off about Aura. It’s a pretty nice place in theory– in the sense that it’s got the strobe light action going on and a few levels to explore; however, it just seems a bit run-​down. Being there, I felt like everything (including the floor) was probably sticky.
When I was in the bathroom a group of girls were fighting (oh, and bombed of course), and on the dance floor I thrice saw people fall over each other drunk off their asses.
I was with great people during my night there, so good times were had (even though I found the zing-​zang-​zoong electronica music a bit strange to dance to).
Essentially, it seems like the kind of place to go to if you’re a college student, but definitely not if you have expectations for an upscale club.
And as for the crowd: A little dressier than Dirrty, but jankier than Departure. Where have all the beautiful people gone? Not to Aura, that’s for sure.

Calling all douche bags, calling all douche bags! I had the unpleasant opportunity of going to this place for a friend’s birthday. When we arrived we waited outside in the freezing cold while the bouncers let a series of men in their 20’s who acted like millionaire’s (eyes rolling) pass the line.
Once the bouncers finally granted us access into this elite establishment I was mortified by the pretentious, pompous and overly rude crowd. Example, I was walking to the restroom and a larger woman was in front of me. She walked in front of a group of young men and one of those men actually had the audacity to go behind her and bite her ass, which his douche bag friends found absolutely hilarious. Of course she turned around and was completely mortified. I went over and made a comment along the lines of «I hope you get treated like you treat others» which started a monologue of berating comments towards me.
All in all, I believe this club attracts people who think they are better than the rest of society and think it’s ok to treat others poorly simply because they are the elite that get to skip the line in a ridiculous club in Portland.

* * * * Review of Happy Hour Only * * * *
I am not a clubing type, so this is a spot I never expected to visit. I vaguely recall an altercation going down outside this place one night when I was on a NW pub crawl, and two things came to mind as I quickly scurried by just as cop cruiser pulled up: (1) is that actually a dress or has she removed her pants? and (2) that bouncer looks fierce.
Turns out, long, long before the micro dresses arrive by the cab load to try to score free drinks from the men who come here, Aura hosts a great happy hour for the after work crowd. I met a group of Yeeps there recently, and the hour was very happy indeed.
Delicious vodka cocktails for about $ 4. Their happy hour food is essentially their entire food menu, for half price. Not half portion, but half price. The serving sizes are huge, the burger and fries delicious, and the Caesar salad, which I did not order, made such a lasting impression, I simply must go back to try it myself. It comes with fried garbanzo beans scattered all over the top.
Our server and bartender were both quick with the refills. We were the biggest group in there by far. In fact, it was pretty lacking in the patrons department. I suspect that will change with time. This is one happy hour worth re-​visiting.

I have no idea how girls do it. No matter how cold it is, a short skirt is the most dominated piece of women article I see when it comes to night life. I was in a long sleeve and from walking to Aura from the car to waiting in line, my body was literally shivering. Then I see a bunch of women with a fraction of my body fat in short dresses and skirts. Puzzling. Mad props though especially in that Oregon chill.
I remember vivdly two statements my friend told me the night we went to Aura (a Saturday). First in the beginning, «Don’t compare this to LA.» Later on while inside, «Dang, it’s actually crowded tonight.»
If I recall correctly, $ 10 cover charge. Here’s the sweetest deal, $ 7.75 for a Johnnie Walker Black Label & club soda. Sign me up sweetheart. I think after a while my bartendee just made my drink when she saw me approach her. To her, «Thanks shorty, I got you girl.»
The music was pretty good, they seem to please the crowd. It was a nice mix up of various hip hop, ranging from West coast all time greatest hit to present radio beats. Occasionally mixing in some hipster electro here and there.
The crowd was pretty diversed, ratio was guys heavier as always. I saw lots of drunk grinding and random face sucking going on.
The men’s restroom was flooding from the urinals which sucked. I had to raise my jeans everytime I walked in there. Only cool thing in there was the double sided mirror, conveniently located right in front of the urinals. While you’re breaking the seal, you got a nice view of the dance floor area where I just witnessed more tongue swapping taken placed.
This spot wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. Dress code seemed pretty chilled.

Again, this update is about the restaurant, not the nightlife.
It’s been a while since I have had happy hour at this little spot on West Burnside. I was politely greeted by the hostess who seated me promptly anywhere I liked. The bartender came by and took my drink order right away; still $ 3 for basic cocktail well drinks. They have extended their happy hour menu to include more food items ranging in the $ 2-$.450 range. The mini burgers have been upgraded to include 2 additional flavors. Fries still come with the burgers so it can easily be treated as a meal alone. Cheese fondue now includes other tasty items to dip including apples. Vegetarian options are also present.
The portions are still great for the happy hour price. The quality shows in the care the cook puts into the creation of the dishes. I had the chicken quesadilla it now comes with fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. After finishing the plate up, I was full just right. A friend of mine came to the restaurant and ordered the fish taco’s. From what I heard, he enjoyed the great portion size and the various toppings that came with the meal.
The service was great. The hostess came by periodically and made sure the water was kept full. The bartender knows how to make some great drinks that aren’t dilluted or watered down. The best thing about the place is that it is still low key. Not too many come by for happy hour so there are always a great place to sit at one’s liesure.

This club was my first experience in a, I guess the word would be, more upscale club.
Yeah, no thanks.
The whole time I was there, it was like an awkward high school dance. No, scratch that, middle school dance. Not many people were dancing whatsoever, and a majority of the patrons were doing their best imitations of a wallflower. More people were upstairs staring at the sparse smattering of dancers. Call me crazy but if I’m at a club, I’m there to dance!
The bartenders were snooty and the drinks were spendy. But the bathrooms were kind of neat (see previous reviews of that too!).
I’ll stick to my less classy establishments next time.