Where to Watch the Winter Olympics in Portland

Just as cabin fever is reaching epidemic levels here in Stumptown, the XXII Olympic Winter Games are here to save us from our frigid boredom. They kick off on Fri., Feb. 7 and run through Sun., Feb. 23. And if all the snowboarding, ski jumping, bobsledding and luging doesn’t provide enough of a distraction to shake you from your seasonal affective disorder, perhaps heading out to one of the bars listed below and enjoying a few winter game-themed specials will.

On Deck Sports Bar & Grill (910 NW 14th Ave.; 503-227-7020)
For the Opening Ceremonies, this Pearl District sports bar is serving buckets of Bud for $15 and will continue offering them at that price during every game.

White Owl Social Club (1305 SE 8th Ave.; 503-236-9672)
In lieu of all the skiing, snowboarding and bobsledding, White Owl is hosting its own Portland Metal Winter Olympics, which pits the area’s best metal bands against each other from now through March 29. Each group will perform for the audience as well as a rotating cast of special guest judges who will score the combatants on an Olympic style 1 to 10 scale in the categories of Songcraft, Showmanship, and that X-factor, Zazz. Check out the full lineup on the bar’s Facebook page.

Over and Out (410 SE 81st St.; 503-445-6284)
Big TVs, cheap beers, cool cocktails and tasty grub makes this Southeast spot a no-brainer for catching the Olympics.

Spirit of 77 (500 NE Martin Luther King Blvd.; 503-232-9977)
You’ll be hard pressed to find a better place to catch up on the action coming in from Sochi than from a seat parked in front of Spirit of 77’s colossal, 16 x 9-foot projector screen.

North 45 Pub (517 NW 21st Ave.; 503-248-6317)
What better way is there to enjoy the Winter Olympics than with Belgian beers, whiskey and great pub grub?

Photo: Flickr user Skistar Trysil