Portland is a tough town for...

Portland is a tough town for strippers and clubs. With liberal laws, every third bar is a "strip club", with a handful of sad strippers eking out a living. Diablo manages to be the exception, just because it's what would be an OK club anywhere else.

The club itself is unpreposessing, located in a warehouse district, and having a terrifyingly steep parking lot, there's little to draw you in. The vegan aspect is their gimmick, but the result is an acceptable level of business. Diablo angered some by starting the $2 minimum tip per song rule (when seated at the stage), and they give change in $2 bills. There is a comical number of signs reminding customers of this rule.

They have sort of a stage and a half, with from one to three dancers at a time, depending. The atmosphere is mid-grade -- not swank, not icky. Well maybe a bit divey, but I like it that way. No cover charge while I was there.