Montana’s Bar
11721 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97216
Hours:
Monday-Sunday
10:00 AM – 1:00 AM
Grade: 4 out of 5
Drink Price Points:
$3.25-$7.50
Bar Seating: Seats 6 (L-shaped bar….lower case!)
Yes
Food: 2 out of 5
Bathrooms: 2 out of 5
Yeah…well… if ya gotta go, ya gotta go. Take a deep breath, hold it and dive in.
Surrounding Area: Heading west on Stark, you’re pretty clear to make an easy right into the parking lot to the back. Traveling east on Stark, good luck as the entrance is only a few car lengths from the stop light so whenever there is a red light, opposing traffic will block you. Just drive past it, take a left into the first street available and do a U-ee.
Review:
Apparently in late summer 2025, the owner changed the color of the exterior from a friendly forest green to a dark Portland rain cloud gray which did nothing to change what’s inside. Look in the dictionary under the meaning of “dive bar” and Montana’s will be the picture. But I say that with a friendly tenor. It’s a great dive bar. Just a third of the trilogy of bars owned by the same owner. Montana’s has way better ambiance over it’s sister companion bars, Sadie Mae’s and Start Street Tavern.
The moment you enter Montana’s, you are starstruck by the stunning dark brown industrial carpeting with worn red seating at the bar (6 chairs) and lighting provided by the neon bar lights on the wall, two televisions and the six gaming machines. It’s a tight fit when there’s a crowd. Just a little wider than a train car. Six gaming machines sit across the bar and bathrooms creating a cozy, “mind-if-I-invade-your-space?” feeling. Eight more tables are positioned around the far end of the bar with first class views of the single pool table. A multitude of table sizes and a variety of chairs surrounding them gives you that coach-style seating one gets from Southwest Airlines. Pricing is friendly and you can often buy a round for you and some new friends and not get sticker shock with the final tab (but get a look at what people are drinking before playing big shot).
There’s a music box for your entertainment with full Lottery accoutrements.
Hungry? Montana’s plays with a solid minimalist menu consisting of Chicken strips with fries ($9.50), French fries ($3.50) and a corn dog ($2.00) cooked to perfection in the same oil as the first two menu items. They all taste the same so just go with what you have in your wallet. The staff is solid and have been working there awhile. They do a good job of keeping the place as clean as possible and don’t take too much flack from the solid cast of regular characters that fill the room nightly. ONE NOTE: This place does a great job of staying open and providing food on holidays for those who could use some holiday cheer. Big solid for that.
Smoking lounge is just outside the back door with no seating but plenty of chatter from the mensa members. Ample parking in the back if there aren’t too many cars but becomes a tight fit when all stalls are filled. Don’t be in a hurry to leave as you’re blind sided to passing pedestrians at the exit and the tight getaway onto Stark Street. Good luck taking a left. Just take a right, then quick right at the light and one more right and that will take you back to 122nd then choose your option.
Bathrooms sparkle with the richness of dive bar bathroom ambiance. Take shorts breaths then move quickly out. Fake like you washed by fake ringing your hands when you leave. No one will be the wiser.
