Donnie Vegas

Donnie Vegas reminds me of the Citgo gas station I worked at as a teen. The happy hour deal for Moscow Mule is a steal at $ 5. They use Rachel’s ginger beer from Seattle which has a most pleasant taste and is superior to Black Seal.
The bartender jumped on the bar to adjust the signs. I marveled at her. She was a sight to behold and friendly to boot. I went to the restroom. The Bruce Lee vs Mike Tyson mural on the walls made me realize I found a nice place to stay for an hour or so.

Drinks are incredible! One of the best cocktail bars I’ve been to in Portland. Cool vibe, fun atmosphere. Moscow Mule

Taptails, hotdogs, beers, and good vibes! This is a good spot to come with a group and have a good time. Good service and great drinks!

Solid bar. Simple. Music was pop punk. Good beer and cocktail selection..

Hands down, the best no-​frills bar in town. $ 12 gets you a beer, a shot, a hot dog, AND room for a decent tip? Yeah bud! The banh mi dog is the standout of the bunch. Don’t expect haute cuisine. It’s a bar. That serves hot dogs. Enjoy yourself.

Excuse us, the couple in the back booth, drawing faces on the walls, sharing a beer, and enjoying only ourselves a bit too much. Sorry for not sampling your fine draft cocktails, or getting to know the regulars through small talk at the bar.
Forgive us for only paying attention to each other, for discussing caucuses when it looked as though she was whispering what may have really been on her mind.
I did manage to enjoy a quick game of Elvis pinball while she freshened herself up before departing. Never mind the fact that you had to witness our canoodling as you exited the front door long after last call. Maybe you were oblivious to the thought of how you might spend your last hour with someone you fancied that you might never see again. Though, we both wouldn’t have spent that hour any other way, at least not in public.
Please pardon our interruption. She will have to wear her hair down lest she feel recognized upon her return. If you do, be kind to her gentle, beautiful soul.
It should go without saying, we had a great time at your bar; a time I will never forget. Hopefully your experience was just as good.

Contrary to popular belief, one does not need to be heavily intoxicated to consume a hot dog… I am not a hot dog eater, but I enjoyed the curry dog here.

Donnie Vegas is a welcoming, pretense-​free bar with some of the friendliest staff ever.
Their hot dog menu is simultaneously simple and creative, their ever-​changing taptail selections are deceptively delicious (and tend to pack a decent punch), and the draught beer selection is solid. They have happy hours every evening AND late night specials most nights, so that’s awesome… not to mention they serve up the cheapest tallboys in town at $ 2 a pop.
Love the patio area, too. Who doesn’t enjoy a game of cornhole after anonymously collaborating on picnic table sharpie drawings?

What can I say? This is my favorite spot. Every bartender is friendly, laid back and accommodating. You can catch a game, a good drink and a dog (the new dogs and buns are a huge improvement) in a pretense-​free environment that has everything you want in a dive bar without any of the grime. I love this bar.

Hot dog! Beer here! Donnie Vegas is like the best of a baseball game without the balls, but plenty of bats and strikeouts. The male to female ratio was 7 – 0. Men may be winning when it comes to Donnie Vegas, but there were no winners.
Of course, a local Portland bar with the hipster level turned down to normal and Vegas vibe adjusted to maybe, makes Donnie Vegas a legitimate option when strolling along this section of Alberta Street. I stopped in for a local IPA and Seattle Dog. Neither was as «fabulous» as Vegas. Instead they were o.k. The bartender was the same.
What happens in Donnie Vegas may not stay in Donnie Vegas, but if you’re already in the Alberta Arts District and wanting no frills grub and drinks then stop in cause … Hot dog! Beer here!

What I love about this place is the Moscow Mules on tap, and they make there own ginger beer.
The outside seating out back is great, and there is corn hole.
They are known for there interesting hotdog options. They looked like regular old dogs to me, on the roller dealy like at 7 11, but I hear they put some good stuff on em. I’m not a pork eater, so I’ll just have to say others have enjoyed them.
I plan to be back and hang in the back yard. Great on a sunny summer day.

Best cocktails AND they are on tap (so they come to you super fast)! Also, great place to watch a game or play a game on the back patio.
The dogs are also legit. The bahn mi dog and Seattle dog are both delicious.
Great place for meeting with a big group of friends.

Magic mike was filmed here. So was the sequel. Plus they have amazing draft cocktails, corn hole, and draft cocktails.
This is what every dive bar should be.
Also Jeremy is an ass hole. Oh and get the Bahn mi dog.

The atmosphere is great and the bartenders are knowledgeable and friendly. I said I was in the mood for something like an Arnold Palmer and the Texas Iced Tea was recommended (iced tea, ginger beer, and bourbon with a lemon wedge) and it really hit the spot. And the hotdogs are delicious! Will definitely be coming back to this chill neighborhood hangout.

Taptails — 8 cocktails on tap — Negroni and the beloved Moscow Mule — we were informed they need to be shaken the barrel that is every 45 min. Perhaps this is why our Moscow Mule was more sweet than alcohol based. That beig said, they are served in pint glasses for $ 7 a piece, $ 5 on happy hour. I totally can see on a über hot day downing these things.
For the dogs, they are good, and everything is homemade– two kinds of beans in the chili although my friend insisted it tasted like hormel. I thought the hot dogs were well cooked. I had the homemade pickles which had not brined for enough time and were ummmm new cukes.
Music– I grew up liking punk, but listening to it in a hipster bar that serves hot dogs at midnight is not melodious. On top of that, it was blaring to the bar tender’s delight and not the patrons. The gal behind the bar even had to push the ipod forward a few times when even the hipster millenials commented on the discord.

«Taptails? What the hell are taptails»? was my thought coming into DV with a big group of people. Two minutes later, question answered — cocktails on tap! Hu-​duh. They have about 5 options and I went with the Moscow Mule — YUM.
They also have some creative hot dog choices — basically your classic hot dog but with a bevy of different topping such as the Bahn Mi (hoisin, pickles, cilantro), Seattle Dog (cream cheese & caramelized onions) and Currywurst (caramelized onion, cilantro, scallion, house curry sauce). The dogs are great, but the BUNS. THE BUNS. This place really sells itself short with the crappy $ 1 grocery store buns they use. I simply don’t get it. With fun toppings like those, why wrap it up in cheap crap? That’s all I could think when I was eating my Bahn Mi dog. Good… but the bun… anyways…
It’s pretty spacious both inside and out. They also had cornhole in their patio if you want to toss around some sacks while enjoying a cool drink. You order at the bar, as per usual with Alberta joints.
This would definitely be closer to a 4 star if they step up their bun game. If you’re going to serve hot dogs, really, chose a better bun!

This is a decent place to get a «taptail» as they call it, but let’s even be honest there, you’re not saving a lot on those 7 – 8 bucks, and they are «pretty good» at best. If they were more like 5 – 6, it might be note worthy.
The actual hot dogs were a huge let down. Low quality dog on an over zealous bun, not much dog, too much bun, neither of which are very good on their own any way.
Wanted to be a fan, but found it to roughly still just be a low level dive bar with a half-​witted gimmick, good if it had been cheaper, and they had bothered to buy good quality hot dogs.

Disappointed. That is how I, my wife and friends felt after eating here. We were all looking forward to it due to the well earned respect that the owners have earned. Sadly, we all left with the belief that we shall not return.
The high point was the service. The single bartendress was very good for a «dive bar.» Unlike a bar down the street (Knock back), she actually acknowledged new clientele and let us know exactly how the operation was run… order at the bar, food will be delivered. She was able to answer «idiotic» questions about the menu in a respectful and knowledgeable manner.
Another high point is the back and front patio. Both are wonderful when the weather is cooperative.
The low points… First, the taptails. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t what I received. Basically, what I got for the Moscow Mule was a Jose Cuervo margarita mix with vodka and supposed ginger. I tasted the mix, got no ginger, and did feel a little of the vodka. For edification a Moscow Mule is traditionally at least 20 parts ginger beer, 10 parts vodka, and 1 part lime. This taptail was the opposite of that. But, it came out of a tap, so that’s unique.
Second, the hot dogs. I ordered the currywurst, naively believing it to be a bratwurst with curry. Alas, no, it was the regular, small, hot dog with ketchup and presumably some curry thrown into the ketchup. As someone that is not a fan of ketchup on hot dogs, you can imagine my feelings. My friend had the Banh Mi hot dog which, I believe, is a take on the Vietnamese sandwich. Two problems, hoisin sauce is Chinese. Next, I don’t think Mayonnaise is used in ANY Vietnamese dish. But hey, I could be wrong.
I understand the owners want to be seen as a «dive bar,» and they may succeed at that. For me, there are plenty of true dive bars on Alberta that deliver what I expect (e.g. Binks, the Know, The Hilt) without trying to be something more. IMHO, Donnie Vegas tries to be something more, but succeeds in neither being a dive bar nor «something more.»

This is my new favorite neighborhood spot. The owners and bartenders are very chill and friendly, $ 2 PBR, interesting hotdogs, and a nice big bar. I recommend the Tokyo Dog — cream cheese, kogarashi, and scallions. And apparently they have a huge back patio which I can’t wait to check out this summer.
My feedback is that they should get better buns, or at least toast them. And a pinball machine!

After an afternoon of hangrily stomping around the office I thought I would go to one of my usual Alberta haunts. I drove about east to west before I remembered the DV was now open. I stopped in with low expectations for a simple wiener to fill my growing hunger. What I got was the receiving end of an awesome sauce explosion. Nick recommended the Bunh Mi Dog and something I couldn’t understand. «Fetch me the best of you dogs trice!» I declared as I climbed aboard my cluby stool. He came back with a Bunh Mi, Seattle, and a Chilli dog all of which I devoured along with a delusions Pilsner and Moscow Mule on tap. On tap?!
I shall return.