The Trough Bar & Billiards

The music was bumping, the locals seemed cool. The bartender closed me out early, which was probably for the best. Last bar after a long day/night. Large and open with several pool tables and plenty of seating. Again it was late so not super busy.

I’ve only been here twice and the keep remembered us from weeks prior. It was kinda strange being enlisted as security for a loud party on my first visit. The second visit was much more low key. This is the place to go if you enjoy a relaxed game of pool while listening to some instrumental cuts of Beastie Boys. Any place that has unique photos of David Byrne, J. Mascis, and Tom Waits on their wall surely deserves my attention. The tables were quality with blue felt and the patrons had higher than average IQs. If you like hockey, then you’ll find Winterhawks and Boston Bruins fans amidst some high stakes basketball gamblers. Overall, this is my favorite slice of Portland, so far, for people watching and attitude. Oh, and Mt Tabor is just down the street if you need to take a hike.

Love this place!! Staff is rad and the vibe is chill. Well kept tables ❤️🎱

Love playing on their diamond tables, I just wish their hours weren't so short (maybe open at 1pm on Fri/Sat/Sun?). Also some of the bartenders are so cool, but a few seem like they will bite your head off if you look at them the wrong way (though I've never had a problem with them). One of my buddies got screamed at by a guy who currently bartends there because he was at Moe's (which is now the trough) and had the nerve to sit at one of the Trough's outdoor seats. But overall this place is great, and they just added amazing sushi so they are clearly headed in the right direction.

I want to preface this review by saying the bartenders here are amazing and I had an awesome time up until the incident in which occurred last night. My issue is with the security guard and the utter and abysmal lack of safety he provided. Last night as the bar was closing up, I was racially attacked by a man directly out in front of the bar, which he initiated the moment we began to leave and head outside. It was very shocking for me, because the everyone was having a great time and it was completely unprovoked. I was kind, respectful and having a great time up until this very moment. I hate that I have to give more context like this to the situation, but I believe it’s very important that I make it transparent that there was no harmful or offensive exchange of words with him or anyone else up until that point. He waited for any other POCs and larger men to leave before he began to racially attack me and physically get in my face. (He is about 6’1” and I am only 5’3”). As this incident was taking place, this man began to inch closer and closer towards me, all while the security guard who was standing less than 10ft away stood there in silence, watching a grown man angrily scre