East in Chinatown has a bring in your Ipod night during the week. Just be open to other people's music too, K?

I am glad to be able to sit there for more than 1/2 hour without feeling asthmatic, crowd is cool, bartenders are cool, and they have nice art that on the wall that varies every few weeks or so. Wish you could somehow pay to play your own i-pod, as the bartenders do. Does anyone in town do this? I used to go to a bar in Hilo on the Big Island that for $1.00 would play your own CD.

Fine if you're a big beer drinker but the bartenders "don't mix the liquors" which is lame.

It's a bit smoky but it is a bar- enjoy while you can! Too much going for the Basement to mention: Ms. Pacman (always thought she was sexy), jukebox you won't find anywhere else, fish tank, a friendly crowd...

Don't for get the above par tap selection (ummm smoked porter) all at a decent price. Even the house wines look good.

The Basement is not a bad place to get down. It has a really good jukebox. It's a nice place for a basic thing of friends.

It is a bar for crying out loud, there might be some smokers, but there are smokers at tons of places around pdx, and the Basement is no worse than many of them. But on to my point - they now have booze! A pretty small selection, but Makers is all I need anyway!

This place is truly fantastic! A real parragon for the smokiest of smokers........I went there 3 years ago and can still smell the sweet scent of cigs in my skin. But seriosuly folks.......why bash a place because there are smokers there.......maybe even lots of them....smoking in a smokey bar. I understand some of you may not like smoking, but perhaps you should be writing reviews on health clubs or prenatal units at your local hospital. Seems a bit small minded for such a "liberal" town, but to each their own. If you don't smoke, or are annoyed by smokey people and places....maybe you shouldn't go there. In any case, this place can be a really good time, cheap beer, friendly folks......and maybe even some non-smokers. Give it a shot if you are up for it, it not.....have fun somewhere that you will.

Just walk in the door and breath deeply and get your fix. A person could die of smoke inhalation in this place.

Verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry smoky. Part of the problem is that it is so damn small, and there is no ventilation whatsoever. Speaking of small, at certain times, don't expect to find a place to sit. I think they've expanded a little since the last time I was there, but there are like 3 4-tops. The rest is cram-your-ass-wherever-it'll-fit seating.

HOWEVER! Gotta love the cheap-o Imperial pints, and the fact that it is perfectly acceptable to use the table-top video games as a place to rest your weary bones (although it is good form to get up if someone actually wants to play). I love the atmosphere (minus the smoke). Very laid back and low-profile.

This is, by far, the smokiest bar I have ever been in. Last night, a couple friends and I stopped in for $1.75 imperial pints of PBR. At first it wasn't so bad, but then more and more roll-yer-own patrons came in. The crowd was so strange. On one side were the middle aged hippy smokers. On the other, young, bleach blonde, Cobain sweater wearing, pigtailed, baby doll hair clip, hipster smokers. In the corner-get this-a pack of runners? In long johns, shorts, and cross trainers. Runners that ran to drink PBR and smoke cigos. Good luck running home. Weird. And finally, around the 3(?) sided wrap around were the loner smokers. Anyway, the space is very small. So if you go there and you don't smoke-you might as well. If you do smoke, don't bother wasting your cigos in this hole. There is enough second hand smoke to addict a small country.