Dig a Pony (bar)

Last updated
Dig a Pony
Dig a Pony logo.png
Dig a Pony, Portland, Oregon (2022) - 1.jpg
The bar's exterior at night, 2022
Dig a Pony (bar)
Restaurant information
EstablishedJuly 28, 2011 (2011-07-28)
ClosedJune 2022 (2022-06)
Owner(s)
  • Elizabeth Elder
  • Devon Treadwell
  • Tyler Treadwell
  • Bryan Wollen
Previous owner(s)
  • Jacob Carey
  • Aaron Hall
  • Page Finlay
Food type American
Street address736 Southeast Grand Avenue
City Portland
County Multnomah
State Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code97214
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°31′03″N122°39′38″W / 45.5174°N 122.6605°W / 45.5174; -122.6605
Website digaponyportland.com

Dig a Pony (DAP) [1] was a bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon. [2] Named after the Beatles' song of the same name, [3] the business opened in mid 2011. Dig a Pony closed in June 2022, following an ownership change.

Contents

Description

Dig a Pony was a popular bar on Grand Avenue, at the intersection with Morrison, [4] in southeast Portland. [5] Named after the Beatles' 1970 song of the same name, Dig a Pony had a 40-person horseshoe-shaped bar, as well as a century-old piano, vintage church pews, and stained glass. [6] According to The Oregonian , the walls were "decorated with vintage pictures, animal skulls, color-coded books and a two-tiered bar lined with glittering bottles". [7]

The menu included American cuisine [8] such as sautéed mushrooms with soft egg and French fries, chicken thighs with stewed tomatoes and almonds, and a barbecue tempeh sandwich served with avocado and citrus coleslaw. [9] The drink menu included a Bloody Mary called Blood on the Bayou, [10] and the Lomo (bourbon, ginger drinking vinegar, yellow chartreuse, orange bitters, soda water). [11] The bar began using cheese from Bandon-based Face Rock Creamery in 2015. [12] The business has served pie and Montel Spinozza for Thanksgiving. [13]

When Burger Stevens moved into the kitchen, the menu included hamburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, a Cuban-inspired sandwich with barbecue pork, ham and pickles, and broccoli with green ranch and pickled peppers. [14]

History

The bar replaced longtime Greek diner Niki's Restaurant. [15] [16] Partners Jacob Carey, Aaron Hall, and Page Finlay opened Dig a Pony with Gregory Gourdet as consulting chef. [17] The bar opened on July 28, 2011, with Josef Valoff as kitchen manager. [9] Within a few months, several interior decorations were stolen, including a taxidermy pheasant nicknamed "David Bowie". [18] The bar hosted an anniversary celebration featuring free music. [19]

In 2015, the bar and Face Rock Creamery's president Greg Drobot hosted Mongers' Lodge Night featuring cheese samples, cocktails, music, and happy hour specials. [12] Don Salamone, owner of the food cart Burger Stevens, moved into the kitchen in 2018. [14] A walk-up window for Burger Stevens opened on the Morrison Street side of Dig a Pony in 2019. [20] During the COVID-19 pandemic, Salamone served takeout Italian meals as Stevens Italiano; the meals included chicken cacciatore, rigatoni in tomato sauce, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. [21]

In 2022, the business was sold to Elizabeth Elder and Bryan Wollen of Lose Yr Mind Fest, as well as Devon and Tyler Treadwell of the Tulip Shop Tavern in north Portland. [22] It closed in June 2022, [23] and was replaced by the music venue Lollipop Shop in October. [24] [25]

Reception

The bar's exterior at night in 2022 Dig a Pony, Portland, Oregon (2022) - 2.jpg
The bar's exterior at night in 2022

Michael Russell included Dig a Pony in The Oregonian's 2014 list of Portland's 100 best bars. [7] The business was also included in Samantha Bakall's 2016 list of the city's 10 best "high dives (aka the hipster bars)", [26] and Lizzy Acker's 2017 list of "23 places to go dancing in Portland". [27] 101 Places to Get F*cked Up Before You Die (2014) said the bar's staff were "easy on the eyes". [28]

Pete Cottell included Dig a Pony in Thrillist's 2015 list of "10 Portland Bars You Should Avoid Once You're 30" and wrote: "The idea of 'bridge and tunnel bars' has caught on in Portland, and with this place being packed out with neon-clad bros from Beaverton aggressively doing laps and Tinder-ing rather than actually talking to humans of the female variety here, Dig A Pony is the terminally hip Eastside's primary offender. Good food if you show up early enough to get a table, though!" [29] In 2017, Tan Vinh of The Seattle Times said the bar "spins soul and has the soul of old Portland". [30]

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References

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