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Donnie Vegas

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Coordinates: 45°33′33″N 122°39′13″W / 45.5592°N 122.6535°W / 45.5592; -122.6535
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Donnie Vegas
The restaurant's exterior in 2022
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedMarch 2, 2015 (2015-03-02)
Owner(s)
  • Benjamin Artaiz
  • Jeremy Wilson
Street address1203 Northeast Alberta Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97211
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°33′33″N 122°39′13″W / 45.5592°N 122.6535°W / 45.5592; -122.6535
Websitedonnie.vegas

Donnie Vegas is a dive bar and restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Opened by chef Benjamin Artaiz and bartender Jeremy Wilson in 2015, Donnie Vegas specializes in hot dogs and cocktails.

Description

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Interior, 2022

Donnie Vegas is a dive bar[1][2] and restaurant on Alberta Street in northeast Portland's King neighborhood. Danielle Centoni of Eater Portland said the business has the "soul of a dive bar" and wrote, "The decor is fun, but minimal, the food and drink menus small and approachable."[3] Ben Waterhouse of The Oregonian said Donnie Vegas offers "premixed cocktails served in pint glasses and hot dogs with unusual toppings in a room decorated with images of old Las Vegas".[4] The 860-square-foot space has a bathroom mural by Brandon Gomez depicting Bruce Lee and Mike Tyson fighting.[3][4] Donnie Vegas also has a back patio and a vending machine "full of oddities, including vintage paperbacks, 'misfortune cookies' and other sundry amusements".[5][6]

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Hot dog variations on the menu have included chili cheese, the Old German with sauerkraut, and the Seattle with cream cheese and caramelized onions.[3] The Banh Mi Dog has fresh and pickled vegetables as well as mayonnaise, and the Tokyo Dog has cream cheese, scallions, and togarashi seasoning.[4] The Seoul Dog has kimchi, scallions, and sambal aioli,[7] and the Tijuana Dog has cream cheese, pico de gallo, jalapeño, and cilantro.[8] The currywurst has curry-flavored ketchup and caramelized onions, and the Frito pie has chili, chips, and lettuce.[4] The restaurant's beef chili has black, kidney, and pinto beans, chipotle, coriander, and cumin, as well as green onion, jalapeño, and sour cream.[9] Field Roast vegan hot dogs are also on the menu.[7]

The cocktail menu has included a Moscow Mule with Volstead Vodka and Rachel's Ginger Beer, a wine spritzer with Pok Pok Som drinking vinegar, and a White Russian-inspired caffeinated drink called The Dude, which has Stumptown cold brew, Cruzan Black Strap rum, allspice dram, and condensed milk.[3][10] The Marg-a-Weed-a is a purple cannabidiol-infused prickly pear slushy with cranberry and blood orange soda, and a lime wedge on the glass.[11][12][13] Beer, champagne, Jello shots, and wine in a can are also available.[4][14]

The restaurant's menu says, "Donnie changes the menu whenever he wants, ya dig."[15] Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Donnie Vegas specialized in cocktails on tap, according to Janey Wong of the Portland Mercury. The business prioritized wine-based drinks during the pandemic to accommodate Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission regulations.[7]

History

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Chef Benjamin Artaiz and bartender Jeremy Wilson's opened Donnie Vegas on March 2,[16] 2015.[3][4]

Reception

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In 2015, Ben Waterhouse of The Oregonian opined, "The cocktails are simple, well-executed standards, many of them featuring ginger beer, and the hot dogs are the kind you find at the grocery store. It's an odd place, but not a pretentious one."[4] In 2018, Matthew Singer of Willamette Week called Donnie Vegas a "lovingly trashy tribute to Old Vegas".[12] The Portland Mercury's Janey Wong said of the Marg-a-Weed-a in 2021:

The name is a little corny and yet a little genius, which is to say I absolutely love it. The frozen slushy contains 5 mg of hemp derived CBD per serving, tequila, and (the current rotating flavor) pomegranate. Relaxant, booze, and some antioxidants… I feel like you can't ask for much more out of a cocktail. The pomegranate lends a nice tartness that plays well off the tequila.[7]

Interior bar, 2022

Caroline Pardilla included The Dude in Eater's 2015 list of "22 Impressive Cold Brew Cocktails".[10] Donnie Vegas was also included in Eater Portland's 2015 list of the "Ten Portland Bars with Outdoor Games",[17] as well as Nathan Williams' 2022 list of "17 Places Serving Portland's Finest Hot Dogs".[18] Thom Hilton included the restaurant in Eater Portland's 2022 list of "14 Spots for Late-Night Dining in Portland". He described the bar as a "funky, Americana space".[8] Katherine Chew Hamilton and Nick Campigli included Donnie Vegas in Portland Monthly's 2021 list of "7 Must-Try Hot Dog Hotspots".[1] Amanda Tarlton selected Donnie Vegas to represent Oregon in Reader Digest's 2022 list of "The Best Hot Dog in Every State".[19]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "7 Great Portland Hot Dogs Loved by Locals". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  2. ^ "Donnie Vegas". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-06-08. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  3. ^ a b c d e Centoni, Danielle (2015-03-02). "Donnie Vegas Now Slinging Hot Dogs and Tap Cocktails on NE Alberta". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Waterhouse, Ben (2015-05-05). "Hot dogs and cold drinks at Donnie Vegas: Cheap Eats". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-06-07. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  5. ^ "Five Places to Get Weedy Drinks in Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-05-03. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  6. ^ "A Weed Tourist's Guide to Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  7. ^ a b c d Wong, Janey (April 5, 2021). "Cocktail To-Go Club: What Happens in Donnie Vegas..." Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2022-03-06. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  8. ^ a b Hilton, Thom (2015-10-16). "14 Spots for Late-Night Dining in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-08-06. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  9. ^ MacEvoy, Maya (2021-02-22). "Where to Find Bowls of Captivating Chili in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  10. ^ a b Pardilla, Caroline (2015-09-08). "22 Impressive Cold Brew Cocktails and Where to Drink Them". Eater. Archived from the original on 2017-04-29. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  11. ^ "The Five Best Places to Get a Drink This Week". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-05-17. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  12. ^ a b "In Portland, You Can Drink CBD-Infused Beverages From Morning Till Night. So We Did". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  13. ^ "The complete guide to cannabis tourism in Portland, Oregon". Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 2022-06-04. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  14. ^ Devash, Meirav (8 October 2018). "How CBD has become the USA's coolest food and drink ingredient". CNN. Archived from the original on 2022-04-12. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
  15. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-08-10). "Feel Very, Very Good After Sipping These CBD Drinks in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-22. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  16. ^ Centoni, Danielle (2015-04-01). "Opening Report: Tracking the Dozen Restaurants That Opened in March". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-04-14. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  17. ^ "Ten Portland Bars with Outdoor Games". Eater Portland. 2015-07-24. Archived from the original on 2017-01-28. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  18. ^ Williams, Nathan (2016-07-01). "17 Places Serving Portland's Finest Hot Dogs". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
  19. ^ Tarlton, Amanda (May 27, 2022). "The Best Hot Dog in Every State". Reader's Digest. Archived from the original on 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2022-06-07.
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