Mississippi Studios and Bar Bar

3939 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227, USA

Address:	3939 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227, USA
Phone:	+1 503-288-3895
Site:	mississippistudios.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 8

Xess Dx

If you hate Portland hipsters you will have a hard time enjoying yourself here. But if you can get past the ironic moustachioed and "put a bird on it" mentality of many of the patrons, you will find a brilliant place. You can come here as a destination of choice for many reasons - first and foremost for live music. The music hall is brilliant as a small, intimate venue to catch a ton of acts youve never heard of but will love, and a few everyone knows, but theyd rather play to a small crowd than a packed arena. Those shows are usually word of mouth, or mid afternoon and hosted by local radio stations. You could come here for Bar-Bar, which is either a perfect middle-of-the-block stop for a pub crawl down N Mississippi, or for a place to take your friends or a date to hang out at on any given night. Service is good, slow at times, but they pour good drinks and are attentive. Hard to find attentive service in this town sometimes. On fairweather nights you could come just for the patio at Bar-Bar, its comfortably tucked off the street and your best patio choice on N Mississippi as you can get good food and booze in one spot. If youre a newcomer to town its a place to quickly become familiar with, and if youve been here a while and havent been, well thats just strange.

A Private User

I’ve been a Mississippi Studios enthusiast for as long as I can remember. Okay, like: two years. But in my opinion, two years is a long time to go to a place nearly every week and not be sick of it. This venue has grown tremendously since the first time I’ve ever been. With the addition of Bar Bar, spectacular fries, their back patio and many other additions, they’ve opened up the space (and delicious factor) a ton. Another plus is that Bar Bar is ideal if you want to chill out after a show without running to the other side of town. If there’s ever a show you want to see and it’s at Mississippi Studios, GO! It’s without a doubt; the most intimate venue in Portland and the experience is an opportunity that you’ll likely never get again. It’s amazing to have had the opportunity to see the bands/artists that I’ve seen in such a great setting: Foster the People, Local Natives, Joseph Arthur, Passion Pit…oh, what I would pay to re-live these nights again. Kind of crazy how this place can be so intimate and deep on some nights yet, an amazing dance party during others. Overall, my favorite venue for shows, great sound, cheap tickets, cheap drinks with easy bar access, and a guaranteed good night!

Jeff Forsyth

I usually have a really good experience at Mississippi Studios and BarBar. But, I had an incident where the staff simply called a customer a liar. There is no recourse for the customer in this situation other than leave. It was about a customer finding a credit card on the ground and trying to do the right thing by turning it over to the staff. In this situation, the customer relations experience was horrific and there has yet to be any follow up by the staff. Ive attempted multiple time to communicate with the staff since the incident. But, each attempt is left with silence on the other end. Since this incident, I told my story to several groups. And there seems to be agreement that the staff is woefully unable to sustain or achieve good customer relationships when things go sideways. With a simple order and never a need interact with the staff, this can be a good experience. If there is even a slim chance that the staff needs to assist in something, avoid this place. Im still hopeful that they reach out and turn a negative into a positive. And I will ammend this review once they perform any sort of communicaiton. Until then.....

A Private User

Mississippi Studios is hands down my favorite venue in Portland. I have been to a variety of different shows here, ranging from the most laid back of folk shows, to heavier energetic punk shows, seated shows, and standing room only shows. All of the shows have been very pleasurable experiences. Its always good when a venue can not only handle a good sized crowd, but not feel sparse when the show isnt at capacity, and Mississippi can definitely pull that off. When the club has about 15-20 attendees, which doesnt seem to happen very often, the long slender room still seems fairly crowded. The Bar-Bar side of the club offers one of the best burgers I have had the opportunity to have around town. The offerings are standard bar fare, but with an attention to quality and flavor. Most venues I attend, the food is usually lacking, as the club focuses on the libations and music, but not here. This is the perfect club to not only catch a great act, but also have a great dinner and quality beer on tap.

Christine Van Duzer

Its been a bad night for me. I spent way more than I should have on over priced drinks after being rejected by a job interview that I was counting on. The service was good, the drinks were good. I was polite and friendly with the bartenders. As we were slow to leave, the doorman picked up the receipt and commented on my tip. I know I left a tip of about $0.50 a drink, which is low. But considering I have very little in my bank account, I couldnt afford more. I would have never expected to be heckled and judged for leaving a tip at a bar. I told the guy I was broke and he argued with me. Shaming your customers into tipping is not okay. You made me cry. Congrats! Is your dick bigger now??

Megan Lien

Ive honestly only been to one show here but the sound was great and I had a great time. The venue is small and the bands that play there are small too. Shows are really cheap but generally the bands are unheard of. I went because this small band I used to follow in Seattle made an appearance. I like the decor, it has a different almost old-fashioned feel to it that makes it feel like youre in a converted home. I checked out Bar Bar next door and they made a pretty fab margarita and had some tasty fries. I wish I was hip enough to say that this is my regular hang-out, I feel like it should be, but Ive enjoyed myself on my few visits and Ill definitely be coming back for more!

Edgar Ruiz

Whether youre catching a show at Mississippi Studios or grabbing a drink at Bar Bar, or both, this is a great venue to do it. Daily shows keep this place filled with a diverse crowd. A plus if youre someone who enjoys meeting new people. Bars on both sides make it easier to grab a drink without having to wait long (which can happen on weekends). The atmosphere and the vibe you get when you come is positive. Patrons come to enjoy great drinks and good conversations. Dont forget to try a burger. Theyre consistently tasty. The beef they use always tastes fresh. The fries are equally good. If youre on Mississippi Ave. do yourself a favor and stop in.

Bryna Sampey

I like Bar Bar! Theyre fancy and casual all at the same time. Blue jeans professionals, for sure. I havent had the luck to attend a live show here (yet) but when the babysitter stars align, itll happen. Their "box" is awesome. Homemade corn nuts. Seriously, thats a real thing, and barbar has them. OMG. Add in all sorts of other little goodies and its like that time when your mom packed you a particularly AWESOME lunch at school. Except you can have a fancy grown-up drink with it. So its pretty much the best night out ever. Take a taxi here, for sure, because them drinksre TASTY.