The Alibi, Portland, OR (restaurant)

Name:The Alibi
Type:restaurant
Street:4024 N. Interstate Ave.
City:Portland
State:OR
Zip:97227
country:USA
Phone:503/287-5335
Status:operational

Description:
The Alibi was founded in the late 1800s as a highway stop for travellers between Oregon and Washington (hence the address). In 1947 a new owner converted it into a Tiki themed restaurant/bar. Most of the present decor dates from a concentrated effort in the 1970s. Sold a few years ago, the Alibi's new owners had to pledge to retain the original decor and themed viands.

There is a full bar and restaurant, with karaoke. The interior is densely decorated. Features include a day glo bas relief of hula girls in tropical setting, entrance shaped like a barrel, and "carved to death" details. Booths, tables, and bar seating is available.

Also of note just down the street is the massive neon sign for the Palm Motor Court. The figural neon palm trees (complete with blue neon monkey) make a great beacon when seeking the Alibi on rainy Portland nights.

I just found out about this place. I have never been in a tiki bar, so I will have to check this out sometime soon. I will have to bring a camera sounds pretty cool!

Decor fantastic (you walk in through a barrel!), drinks awful. Like Diet Cherry 7-up and Potato Vodka awful. Unless, of course, that's your thing.

Definitely worth a visit.

And no top-shelf rums...Bacardi Gold is about as exciting as it gets.

tigertail, you'll have to join us for a NW Tiki Central happy hour one of these months. They're held the first Friday of each month, and they alternate between Alibi and Jasmine Tree. You can find out all about NW Tiki Central events by going here and signing up for the mailing list: http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=6400&forum=4&46

We also hope to see you at the NW Tiki Crawl in June. Details here:
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=12695&forum=4&24

wow thanks for the invite! I am excited I have never been to anything like this before. The tiki crawl in particular sounds like a hell of a lot of fun!

I think some Alibi updates are in order. First, I'd like to note that Alibi owner, Larry White, is a friend of tiki, and went out of his way (despite a serious heart condition) to make sure the NW Tiki Crawl was well taken care of during our time there. Larry's a great guy, and, though he's not steeped in the Tiki tradition, he respects it, and has made a habit of asking those of us in the know for advice when it comes to decorating and remodeling.

The wonderful Alibi sign is undergoing a full-scale refurbishment, and thanks to Larry for calling on the NW Tiki makeover team, it's not going to be purple and teal. The sign painters they called in are actually third generation of the family that did the original sign, and we talked them into the closest thing possible to an authentic restoration. It's going to be beautiful when finished, which should be in the next month or so.

Al (with the ponytail) is no longer the head bartender at the Alibi, and the drink quality has improved remarkably. Though still geared for mainstream tastes, the bar now stocks some better rums (it's one of only 2 bars in town I know of that stock one of my favorites, Cruzan Blackstrap), and the new head bartender, Reid, will make your drink extra sour if you ask him to.

New menu designs are underway, and they incorporate a more classic (and less clip-arty) look. I saw the proofs last week and they're going to be very nice.

Some upcoming remodeling projects will include a thatched roof over the bar, the repair and refurbishment of the long-forgotten fountain, and a new look for the awful mirrored fireplace. I'm meeting with Larry and his wife, Carla, tomorrow to pore over an Oceanic Arts catalog, so you can expect to see some new tikis and lamps in the near future.

All in all, the Alibi is in the process of sprucing up, but not "modernizing" in any way. Larry is no longer under any obligation to keep the place the way it's always been, but now he does so by choice, and is determined to maintain the Alibi's famous tiki charm.

If you have any suggestions about how to improve the Alibi, please post them here or email me directly and I'll pass them on. Before you say, "Ban smoking", I can tell you that's not going to happen until the state mandates it, nor will Larry kick the lottery habit. Other than those things, suggest away, and I'll let Larry know what you're thinking.

Viva Alibi!

My #1 suggestion is to keep it dark! I LOVE how it takes a couple minutes for my eyes to adjust as I enter the Alibi, and I love how the darkness gives the nooks & crannies a sense of mystery.

I haven't tasted the new bartender's drinks yet, so it would be improper for me to scrutinize that, but I'm gonna anyway: MEASURE! No tiki bar can make good drinks without measuring -- despite having to get drinks out pronto to a packed crowd, they know at Trader Vic's and at Tiki-Ti that your jigger must be your constant companion.

This is so wonderful! Huge congratulations and thanks are in order to all the people who are working together to keep the character of the Alibi intact.

Hooray for Larry and tikimaxton! How many times do you hear that a classic tiki place (or any old place for that matter) will be remodeled (cringe), and they actually care enough to bring it closer to the classic tiki style, remove some of the tacky add-ons from the 80s, and try to make the drinks better? Not once that I can recall.

Marvelous news!

This is great news...now I'm even more sad I'll miss Friday's happy hour. I especially excited to hear that the rum selection is improving!
:drink:

Another update - you can decide for yourself whether it's good news or bad news: OLCC rules have forced the Alibi to discontinue their "family dining" setup. This means that minors are no longer allowed in any portion of the premises at any time.

I had the blackened prime rib sandwich today for the first time - to DIE for! If you're a carnivore like me, I highly recommend it!

we stopped into the Alibi for dinner .. my friends were WOWed with the decor and food fantastic as usual! the place is even nicer than the last time we visited. great waitress, lounge-y music playing in the background.. i love this place!

i dont remember these great platters.. at first i thought the waitress was carring a tray with 2 of our meals on it.. i was stunned to find out, this was mine!

Seafood Combo (scallops, clam strips, shrimp, oysters, stuffed shrimp and halibut, served with a huge salad and garlic bread and i chose onion rings as my side...

Time for a bump and an update if anyone has one...

I'm going to be in Porkland (hehe, sorry had too) Oregon for one night next Tuesday and wanted to know if this place is still worth the treck? I'm going with a co-worker and I'm gonna have to make a huge effort to make it out there. Any updates on the place????

Oh heck yeah it's worth it. The Alibi is "over the top". I was up there for the NW Tiki Kon in June. Larry (the owner) told me he was trying to change and add more but it seemed to me that The Alibi was just right. The place is fairly good size with lots of nooks to get lost in, and heavy on the Tipsy (Tikis per square yard) scale. Beautiful, ya gotta see it.

Search for the thread on the NW Tiki Kon in the Tiki Events forum.

you MUST experience the Alibi. the food, drinks and decor are fantastic..and the vibe puts it over the top!

ditch the coworkers if you must.. just get the to The Alibi!

Hey all, I live near Portland and believe it or not, I have never been to the Alibi.
I was wondering if this would be a restaurant to take the kids to or not. Another post said it was no longer a "family restaurant," so does that mean no minors?

Thanks

No minors at the Alibi. The interior and ambience are awesome, but food is average and drinks are below-average. Also pretty smokey-smelling, if that bothers you. And karaoke takes over later in the evening.

I'd put the food at above average for bar food. The drinks are pretty much the same lackluster level of quality as every commercial Tiki/Exotica bar I've ever drank at. (Which I admit is not a long list. And Noodles in Las Vegas is the exception on that list.)

Occasionally one bartender seems to be able to put out a decent tropical beverage, but I generally stick to wells and beer. The house Bloody Mary (their own mix) is usually dang good.

Mid-afternoon is a great time to hit the Alibi. You beat any evening crowd (and there's no chance of running into karaoke which is LOUD) plus it's so dark inside you have no idea it's daytime.

SO I finally made it to the alibi a few days ago to celebrate a young friend's 21st birthday. This being my first tiki bar, I can't rate how the drinks were. I had to take it easy with the alcohol because of a gout condition, but did have one drink: a "Hula Hoochee" (coconut rum, orange juice,cranberry juice) which was quite good, and I also sampled a bit of a pina colada which was also good. I was originally going to order a pina colada, but was disappointed to learn it doesn't come in a carved out pineapple there.

I loved the interior decor, but as an artist with an eye for detail I couldn't help but feel some of it was a little worn out looking, and that there needed to be just a little more polynesian eye candy, particularly some kind of water feature like a waterfall. I loved the blacklight mural, but it needs a little touch up to get it looking its best again. Overall though it is some great retro decor.

The food was surprisingly pretty good: I got a sampler Hawaiian platter (basically a pu pu platter), and some pulled pork BBQ sliders. I am not normally a fan of shrimp, but I really liked the coconut shrimp on the platter. Could have done with a bit of fresh poi to go along with it, but I imagine that would be hard to come by here. Can't have everything.

All of this though really is minor nitpicking, I completely enjoyed myself and loved the aloha atmosphere. Not really a big fan of karaoke, but I had fun trying to sing "In the Tiki,Tiki,Tiki Room". :wink:

Only thing is I forgot the darned camera! Oh well I am sure I will be back and this time with the camera.

[ Edited by: tigertail777 2011-07-14 02:53 ]

We always like to stop in when we're in that part of town. It's a great bit of history.

Thank you Jeff! Beautiful shot! After having visited this classic Tiki joint for the first time again since I photographed it for Tiki Modern in April of 2002, I am sad to find it sorely under-represented here on TC. Luckily it is still in the same condition than it was at my first visit. Here are some snapshots I took of some of the glorious features of the place:

The best original collection of Beachcomber lamps:

That great modernist soffit bamboo ceiling:

Fun faux Witco artwork (photographed in 2002) made by "Artistry in Wood":

And the entrance hut:

I am now 95% convinced that this "hut" must have been taken over from the Portland Kon-Tiki when that place closed in 1980. Here is why:

Stephen Crane's The Luau became the pattern after which he modeled his Kon Tiki restaurants, especially the first two, the Montreal (1958) and the Portland (1959) Kon Tikis:

After entering the Luau, you would find yourself in a small hut, from which you would reach the different sections of the restaurant. I have never seen a photo of it in situ, but there was an illustration of it in the Luau's menu:

With the help of this illustration, I recognized two remnants of the Luau in the Hanalei Hotel courtyard (where they had been brought after the Luau closed): That now iconic Tiki, and the hut itself:

Now, both of the Kon Tiki's blue prints show that this hut was copied for each of these follow up restaurants. It was called an "Entry Tepe":

Here is my previously unpublished shot of the "Tepe" at the Alibi, from 2002 (lit with the support of TikiMaxton!):

It is just half of the hut, but since I have never seen a structure like this used in any other Tiki Temple, I peg this to be the Kon Tiki Tepe!

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2011-08-04 07:36 ]

Wow - great shots bigbro... I need to make it to Portland now.

Was in Portland a couple weeks ago. Stopped in for a couple drinks. I was the only person in the place. Had 2 strong drinks. I asked if I could buy a drink menu, she didn't know how much to charge. I told her Frankie's sells them for $3.00, she said OK !!! Cool. Now if they would only make a MUG...

Going through the city of Portland archives I found this great shot from 1963 that shows the Alibi with a much simpler (though still great) neon sign and thought some of you might enjoy seeing it.

I was there a few weeks ago - I went around lunch and there were a few patrons there. I walked around a while and realized quickly how much tiki style was crammed into that place. While probably not everybody's favorite, I really loved the black-light, glowing mural of the hula girls.

dcman

Hey Vintage Roadside! Thanks alot for posting that picture above!! What a great shot. You're right, it's not as grand but still awesome to see the progression. For being one of the more older, original Tiki Bars, there sure doesn't seem to be too many pictures of it.

Thanks again and keep em coming!
Mahalo, TabooDan

Okay, I'm going up Portland way next week.
Anyone visit this place lately?
What's a good day/night?
Who's the bartender(s) that can make a tasty tiki cocktail?

Thank you kindly,
TT

The sign and decor are still wonderful and intact, but do not apply current craft cocktail standards to the drinks. It is still more a neighborhood bar than an urban hipster watering hole.

and Tom please try to take some pictures of the great Palms Hotel sign up the street.

Thanks!

Boris, Thanks for the Palms sign link....that neon is killer!

Val and I visited The Alibi on our Portland trip a couple of weeks ago. Armed with the knowledge from this thread, we got what we were expecting. The decor really is great; I made it a point to sit where I could marvel at the entrance hut. Service was very quick and enthusiastic. Even if you're only going to stop for a drink or two, The Alibi is worth a stop when you're in the area. I'm Karaoke-adverse, so we visited pretty early during happy hour. Of course the downside of visiting early is not seeing the fantastic sign lit up.

I took a few photos, but unfortunately I didn't sanity check the interior shots before leaving and they're not the best quality.

Higher resolution versions are up on Flickr

kevin

I'll throw a few of my pictures up here as well. Great place and well worth checking out. Waitress said they may have their own mugs soon...

Fun place,
great cheap fried foods,
so so tiki drinks,
get strait rum, or beer.
:wink:

Jeff(btd)

Munktiki just posted on Facebook that Larry White, the owner of the Alibi, passed away.

Yeah, it is an end of an era in Portland Tiki. Tonite was the unveiling of the limited edition Tiki mug @ The Alibi. My health and my pocketbook didn't allow attendance. Next several drinks will be toasts to Larry. He's gonna be missed.

Zombie
Sucks, all juice
:(

Yep, but you don't go there for quality drinks you go there for the vintage mid-century tiki atmosphere. :)

aloha. tikicoma

The Alibi is the Bahooka of Portland. As the case of the Bahooka proves, these places can be there one day and the next they're gone. Value them for what they are while they are still there.

Don't get me wrong,
The place looked awesome.
It would just be nice to have a good drink as well,
I don't think that's to much to ask for.
After a few sips the bartender asked "so how's the SWEET drink?"

!

Yep! Sven is right. From the pics this place looks very cool. Although I have never been here, sometimes we just have to take the good with the bad. Great decor, bad drinks. Like it was discussed in that other thread about that temporary Tiki bar back east.

Aloha!

I am trying to find out if anyone may know anything about where the old Alibi sign from the 50's went! I believe the new sign went up sometime in the mid 70's but am not entirely sure. The Portland City archives don't have many photos from that time, so it makes it hard to nail down a date.

Any information would be of great help! I'm currently working at the Alibi, and would love to find the old sign (if it still exists!)

Here is a color picture of the old sign that was on a Portland remembered site.

This is the sign I'm looking to locate!

On 2015-08-02 11:45, tikidon wrote:
Here is a color picture of the old sign that was on a Portland remembered site.

Hello Everyone!

We recently acquired 25 vintage Tiki Lamps from the basement bar of Roy Ell, the father of The Alibi! They had been virtually untouched since the 60's. I have posted larger photos of them all in TikiSkip's topic 'Guide to Tiki Bar Lights' ( http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=48762&forum=5&101 )
Here's a mashup of all of them!

The bottom right photo is an old photo of what Roy's home tiki bar looked like, and still does!

Awesome INFORMATIVE posts Dixon. The Lights, History, and the home bar shot is why I visit TC. WELL DONE. BTW, Any luck w/ that killer original sign? Thanks again, OGR

On 2016-03-08 16:20, Or Got Rum? wrote:
Awesome INFORMATIVE posts Dixon. The Lights, History, and the home bar shot is why I visit TC. WELL DONE. BTW, Any luck w/ that killer original sign? Thanks again, OGR

No luck with the original sign yet. The current one went up sometime in the 70's, which means that the old one came down between 1963 and 79. Here's a pic of the current sign from the 70's, back when it still had actual flames coming out of the torches on top.

I would totally go here if I were even as close as one state away.
What an AWSOME place.

That Quilted pleather wall, those squat club chairs, Perfect!

Have seen new tiki bars with F-ing benches! And even one with those plastic patio
chairs that are super cheap.
And the drinks are still like $11.00 bucks or more.

This place has that old school vibe.
Man TC folks go to this place and don't be one of those "damn I wish I had gone to the Kahiki before it closed" people.
I put a sign in my restaurant telling people to go to the Kahiki before it closed.
When was the last time you saw another restaurant tell you to go to another restaurant.

And now that the place has heard that the drinks could improve that they too will work
with you in that area.
You need to remember that a place like this may have trouble putting $12.00+ drinks on their menu.
I know when I raised my prices ten cents people went NUTZ!

I for one will help in anyway with lighting if needed at no cost.
If you need one of those lights outside retied this I can do as well.

Thanks again DixonAlibi, being on TC can only help your restaurant.
I was born into the restaurant biz and know how hard it can be.
Had many people over the years bail me out with help when I needed it and
try to repay that karma debt back when I can.

Welcome to TC!
BEST OF LUCK!!

On 2016-03-08 17:15, tikiskip wrote:
I would totally go here if I were even as close as one state away.
What an AWSOME place.

That Quilted pleather wall, those squat club chairs, Perfect!

Have seen new tiki bars with F-ing benches! And even one with those plastic patio
chairs that are super cheap.
And the drinks are still like $11.00 bucks or more.

This place has that old school vibe.
Man TC folks go to this place and don't be one of those "damn I wish I had gone to the Kahiki before it closed" people.
I put a sign in my restaurant telling people to go to the Kahiki before it closed.
When was the last time you saw another restaurant tell you to go to another restaurant.

And now that the place has heard that the drinks could improve that they too will work
with you in that area.
You need to remember that a place like this may have trouble putting $12.00+ drinks on their menu.
I know when I raised my prices ten cents people went NUTZ!

I for one will help in anyway with lighting if needed at no cost.
If you need one of those lights outside retied this I can do as well.

Thanks again DixonAlibi, being on TC can only help your restaurant.
I was born into the restaurant biz and know how hard it can be.
Had many people over the years bail me out with help when I needed it and
try to repay that karma debt back when I can.

Welcome to TC!
BEST OF LUCK!!

Thanks Skip!

We are definitely more of a volume bar/club, and always have been, so it makes it a bit harder to do the more 'craft' tiki cocktails. That being said, we are working on a supplimental drink menu that will boast more high end liquors, classic recipes, and our own twists. We want to have something for everyone!

In talking with Roy Ell's son, we've learned that he was constantly trying to out-do the Portland Kon-Tiki and he must have done quite a bit right to outlive the Kon-Tiki!