Beauty Bar

I just don’t understand WHY they closed :(It was my favorite bar in Portland due to the fact that they play GOOD music. Good music as in old school 80s/​90s hip-​hop and R&B. The DJs never believed in top 40s and that unce unce Nicki, Rihanna, or any other music sell out crap. Drink prices were awesome and they are not shy when they pour those bottles. Knocked down half a star for closing down and knocked another half due to it being cramped on busy nights. Other than that I’ll always remember walking into a spot with a dope vibe.

$ 10 for a martini and a manicure! The drinks were good and the décor is really kitsch and fun at this 2 story bar (think pink sparkly walls, old fashioned hair dryer chairs, and lady silhouettes). They have indie karaōke on Wednesday nights and I’ve heard good things about the dance parties on the weekend. Seems like a great place for a ladies night.

I had an amazing night at the Beauty Bar. The «beauty» part of the title comes from the evening manicures and the retro hair dryer chairs, but there’s nothing sissy about this place. Several men got manicures and when I left, the guys out-​numbered the girls 5:1. Gray did a great job on my nails and she is really friendly. The bartender was also cool and made my drinks perfectly. The upstairs area could use a bit more lighting. Tonight was karaōke night and I swear there is a conspiracy because everyone who sang did really well. Music styles ranges from blues to alternative to rap to elvin rock (I have no idea what it was, but gnomes would have enjoyed it) to R&B (remember En Vogue?). If I lived in the area, I’d probably be a regular Beauty Bar patron.

I really liked the idea of the happy hour martinis and manicures. What I didn’t like was the poor service and that they changed their business hours without changing them on their website (which they still have not fixed) or on their outgoing voice mail message. I had a group of people meet here at 4pm, the website specified first come first serve, and we ended up having to wait a hour outside since they were not open yet. When we finally were let in there was an overpowering smell of bleach and cleaning solution throughout the dingy bar. I let the bartender know about the website/​phone msg hours but she didn’t seem to care and she acted as though we were inconveniencing her.
The manicure was what you would expect for the price though she did cut my finger because she filed one of my nails too deeply on the side. She was nice however and actually seemed concerned that the hours had not been changed on the website/​phone msg and told me she would let management know. She seemed especially concerned since she said this change was not recent and had occurred about 2 months ago.
From other posts it looks like maybe we just went on the wrong day with a bartender who really didn’t care about her job or her customers. I won’t go back… too many good bars in PDX to frequent to get rude service!

Went here with a group of 8 on a Saturday night. Here’s the good & bad:
Good:
Cute concept
Fun photo booth upstairs
Tasty cocktails
Nice bartender
Bad:
We got there 30 minutes after opening and they were already out of martini glasses.
There was one bartender on a Saturday night.
The upstairs area was only partially lit. There was a creepy dark corner with no lights that none of us wanted to go near.
The bathroom was out of toilet paper (again, 30 minutes after they opened).
The graffiti in the bathroom, while entertaining, scared me a little.

i love, love, love the beauty bar!
it was a friday, girls night out and we started at the beauty bar to all catch up and have a few cocktails.
the bartenders were friendly and made amazingly strong drinks. the guy bartender made a special homemade drink for one of my friends that was real sweet and delicious that almost tasted like skittles. the vodka tonics were great as well. but honestly how can you go wrong with those?
not only were the drinks strong but they were also cheap. my tab at the end of night only came to $ 8. i know i drank waaaaaaaay more then that, because i ended up stumbling out of the bar that night.
the décor was super cute! i’m a big fan of the retro and vintage look inside. i also love the photo booth upstairs we all crammed into to capture the joy of the evening.
i know for a fact i’ll be returning to the beauty bar.

I went to Beauty bar with a girlfriend to check out their $ 10 manicure and martini special. We were one of the first ones there but had to wait about 45 minutes to get the manicures since they only had one tech working. The girl was lovely, but you get what you pay for so don’t go in expecting a great manicure.
That being said, the drinks were great and the bartender was super friendly. I might go back, but it’s not some place I would see myself seeking out regularly.

Go on first Fridays. DJ Sacrilicious spins then, and he’s great.
There’s a fun photo booth upstairs, and I’ve literally never seen anyone take a bad photo. It’s super fun to do with your girls or with your significant other.
Strong drinks, gets a little sweaty on the dance floor (points!!), and the retro chairs are bonus.
The bathroom runs out of paper towels early on in the evening, but don’t be alarmed! Your hands will dry quickly as you dance dance dance.

This place is definitely fun. I’ve been here twice and both times were enjoyable. The first time I went the group we didn’t get our nails done. We hung out downstairs and got a bottle champagne that was good and reasonably priced.
The second time I did get my nails done with a group of girls, and it was also enjoyable. We drank lemondrops, which were reasonably priced. The only down side to getting your nails done there is… the lighting isn’t great so the paint job isn’t the best. It’s a fun place to take your girlfriends tho!

A bar so girly, even the boys liked it! This place is a definite throwback to my favourite hair-​a (hair era? Eh, forget it) of bouffants and big blow-​outs. With hair dryers attached to the seats and pink everywhere, this is definitely my kind of club.
Our bartender was a total gem. She knew exactly what kind of drink to make us, even with very little to go on. («Um…something fruity,» or «Like, something that will get us wrecked. But still tastes good. Right?») She was super nice and a very knowledgeable mixologist.
The DJ was pretty sweet, and I loved the crazy Americans we met here who had driven 12 hours from California on a spur-​of-​the-​moment road trip. Who knew we could end up becoming best buds with folks who acidentally stole our table?
Thumbs up for the photobooth, too!

sweet. karaōke, stiff drinks, dark corners, photo booth, pretty décor. go for it.
one thing though… i may be crazy, or i was already too drunk, but the last bourbon i ordered ended up a gin somehow. i HATE gin. i could still taste it in my mouth the next day. can’t say that’s happened to me elsewhere, and i’m pretty sure it wasn’t an accident. if it happened. whoop.

Beauty and the beast? Aye, no. Beauty and the bar… or rather, the Beauty Bar.
It took my friends and I a bit to find this lovely little spot-​granted, we were visiting from out of town. I’m glad we did not give up our search. As we walked further down 3^rd, eventually we spotted a sign with the silhouette of a woman and her beehive sticking out from the building. Sure enough, this proved to be the Beauty Bar.
We walked in to find a dimly lit bar that was decorated all in pink with various sized mirrors and old-​school beauty ads adorning the walls. It was perfect! We made our way over to the couch in the corner, and passed some old hair dryers (you know, the kind that used to lower over your head and blow warm air from all directions) that were masquerading as seating. We looked up and saw that the bar also had an entire upper floor! Ooo, the excitement was too much. We had to go have a look.
Upstairs consisted of more seating with couches, chairs and hair dryers, washrooms and a photo booth. Some of the chairs were set up near a railing that overlooked the lower floor, and what became the dance floor later in the evening.
The bartenders were fab! We each bought a round of drinks. When my turn came, I had no idea what kind of drink I wanted. I said to one bartender, «I’m not sure what I want exactly, but I’d like something fruity.» She looked at me inquisitively and turned to her coworker for a suggestion. The coworker started to make one and then just said «Oh don’t worry about it, I’ll come up with something.» She made us a round of hanky pankies. Good call! Especially when I got to walk upstairs and ask the group if they’d like some hanky panky. Hehe.
Just as we were leaving, it looked like the Beauty Bar was just getting warmed up. A DJ had started to spin, and a couple of girls had already hit the dance floor. I wish we could’ve stayed longer, but alas, many of us were shipping off for Canada the very next day.
The other highlight of the visit was a group from California. They were more friendly and entertaining than any Canadians I’ve ever randomly met in a bar (step it up Canada). Next time I’m in town, I’m so cashing in on this manicure and martini idea.
I left thinking: There’s no place like home, but man I wish we had a spot like the Beauty Bar!

I like this, yes I do.
$ 10 manicure and martini, yes it’s true.
PS, Space heaters are a great idea. And a photo booth? Yes, Ma’am!

Ladies night delight. Every night. And not a man in sight. Apparently all this pink sparkling bliss brings out the crappy poet in me. $ 10 mani and martini was the perfect birthday present to me from my lovely friend, without who I never would have known about this deal.
Now my nails are black and glittery like my soul. I feel complete.
If you’re able, get there at 4p when the deal begins, they can only do a limited number each day, so you may be out of luck if you come too late or have to wait an hour or two. Not that waiting an hour or two in this place is painful at all. Even though it’s girly and nice, it has a nice seedy side to balance it out. Great music too.

A great place to start any girlie night you have planned. What could be better then sipping a fancy drink and getting your nails painted for $ 10? Almost nothing.
It’s surprising how nice it is compared to all the places around it. The lady who painted my nails was great.
On another note the cosmos I had there were the strongest cosmos I’ve ever had.

$ 10 for a drink and a manicure??? Yes, just get there early. Check website for details.
We had fun and the bartender was extremely friendly and made our several drinks expertly… she definitely has experience in customer service.
We will return for Monday movies… I think they’re showing Reservoir Dogs!

Beauty Bar is an incredible oasis in its dingy location of Ash and 1^st Ave. I’d heard that this place did manicures and Martinis for $ 10, but I had no idea how adorable the actual bar would be. The entire place is «dolled up»: pink, ladies silhouettes, and salon chairs to boot. I expected the bar to be filled with young women, but there were actually several men (straight too) at the bar. The girl who did my nails said she’d even given 2 very «manly-​men» manicures earlier that evening.
My friend and I went to Beauty Bar on a Saturday night, when their happy hour Martini & Manicure goes from 6pm to Midnight. You can choose from about 10 different signature cocktails, all of which looked delicious. I ordered the «Francoise» with lemon vodka, champagne, and raspberry. Not only were the drinks above-​par, but getting the manicures was so much fun! The girl who did our nails was young and bubbly and not a professional manicurist, but who cares? I now have sparkly ruby nails and I love it.
This bar is a lot more than the M&M though. As we were leaving, these two very flamboyant men (one had sparkles in his gray hair) were setting up shop to do rockstar makeovers and hair for anyone who wanted it. And they have DJs and dancing just about every night. Albeit quiet, this bar has a lot to offer

Oh, hello, Beauty Bar, I had to see it to believe it. I’d heard about the NY and LA locations and I couldn’t quite wrap my head around how that was going to translate in downtown Portland, OR. Chi-​Chi cocktails, glittery formica, and manicures on the corner of SW 1^st and Ash? No way.
But then I went. And I loved it. And I’m not afraid to admit it.
Walked into a very pretty room, black and pink and gold, shimmering walls, with a long bar taking up most of one side of the room. I sat at the bar and asked the bartendress, «Is this Fugazi?» Oh, yes. Yes it was, and she was thrilled that I knew that. Thus began a totally rad visit to Beauty Bar, and the first instance of this place’s P-​Town translation. See, you can be girly with fancy nails and punk rock at the same time.
Here’s the deal with the Martini/​Manicure Happy Hour: for ten bucks, you get one of their signature martinis (which are awesome, with top-​shelf booze, freshly-​squeezed juices, and charming names) and a manicure. But you’ve got to get there right at 4 pm to get on the list or you’ll be out of luck. The manicurist is only there a limited amount of time (beginning at 5 pm) and the spots fill up before she’s even in the building.
Second example of Beauty Bar translated into Portland-​speak? The «Portland Manicure» deal consists of not a martini but a Tall Boy and a shot of whiskey. Hell yes.
We had a blast trying different cocktails (rad bartender’s ipod playlist as accompaniment) and split a pressed sandwich which was basically a fancy grilled cheese that came with carrots and two adorable tiny tangerines ($ 7).
I don’t normally let other people paint my nails, but I wanted the full experience. Best manicure ever? No. But it was so much fun and the gal who did our nails was not only cuter than a button but friendly as all get-​out. And they don’t pretend to be a salon. Considering the drink is six bucks, the four dollar manicure was about on par.
The DJ showed up (nightly), the volume increased, the lights dimmed, and I could see myself lounging here in the near future, photobooth and all. Hopefully, I’m not breaking any code by announcing to the Interwebs that this would be a great place for straight dudes to pick up hot girls. But keep in mind that while Pretty In Pink, with perfect MAC eyeshadows, and glittery fingernails, they will be way more punkrock than you.

Beauty Bar, you’ve come for me!
As a recovering resident of Southern California, Beauty Bar and I go way back. I’ve spent many fun filled nights in its clutches. When I heard they were opening one it Portland it sent shivers down my spine. yes yes yes.
You can get a manicure, drink, dance, and get your photo taken in the photo booths that takes credit cards! If beauty bar LA photo booth could talk it would tell you tales of infidelity, exposed private areas, and just plain hot nasty good times. I have that same hope for it’s new Portland location, and from my first glimpse into the place I can see that’s where it’s headed. Portland needs a new hipster bar like it neeps a hole in the head — however I think Beauty Bar is a nice addition and I welcome it with open arms. It is a good sized location making it ideal for dancing. Also they upstairs is nice for just kicking back.
From the grand openings I can see that these are just first few pages in our long passionate love story together. Reunited and it feels so good!

I love this place! I had always wanted to go to the one in the City (SF) and somehow managed never to go. I’m a sucker for cute names, vanity, and a good time. They had a Martini & Manicures happy hour for $ 10 — and worth every single penny!