Like many others, I was upset...

Like many others, I was upset when downtown Cabaret was closed; was one of my favorites. We had heard about this one, so we went to see if it was anything like downtown. This review does have that angle, in case anyone else was curious like us.

The area is, well, Gresham. It's about 20 minutes from downtown PDX, and the clientle reflects the area, more a "local" scene, which doesn't bother us at all, but thought it was worth mentioning. A different vibe all around than the old Cab.

Bartender was attentive, as well as nice and cute. The drink was actually OK for a strip club, so no complaints on that end.

I went with my wife, who loves going out with me to strip clubs. Nobody was unfriendly, not at all; but in a town where women can outnumber men at the rail in some places, this night was a bit of a "sausage fest", again, perhaps a result of the location?... Not unwelcoming, but the overall vibe in there was more like a "classic" strip club feel than others in Portland. I won't say it was a rough crowd, it wasn't; nobody bothered us. But this is not "mid-20s hipsterville" either. Not really a place for college kids on a night out, or groups of couples partying. Think "working class folk form a variety of backgrounds". (I like that, btw.)

The place is pretty clean, and well kept. The stage setup is different, "in the round", with 3 levels; rails (with a fair amount of room around the rail seats), a second tier, and the top level. It's a fairly open setup, unlike the old Cab. Sitting at the rail was a tad odd, you almost feel on display, with the whole bar looking at you from up on high. But, there is a better option; on the third level, under the lights (not the best place for them, like the other reviews say), they have the "catbox", like a mini rail. It's not exactly hidden, but is far less on display than the main stage. A dancer is up there, basically giving decent mileage dances at this mini rail. (you will have to tip, but that shouldn't bother anyone on a night out). I liked up there better than the main stage rail. Girls at both rails were fun, and interactive. While I did mention the "sausage factor" in the club, the dancers had no problem with a woman, none at all.