Starky's Restaurant and Bar, or simply Starky's (sometimes stylized as Starkys), was a gay bar and

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

's Kerns neighborhood, in the United States. Established in 1984, the venue became a fixture in Portland's gay community before closing in 2015. It hosted LGBT events and served as a gathering space for

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

enthusiasts and the Oregon Bears, among other groups. Starky's received a generally positive reception and was most known for its

Bloody Mary Bloody Mary originally referred to: * Mary I of England (1516–1558), Queen of England and Ireland, so called because of her persecution of Protestants Bloody Mary may also refer to: Film * '' Urban Legends: Bloody Mary'', a 2005 horror fil ...

s, brunch, and outdoor seating.

Description and history

Starky's, located at 2913 Southeast Stark Street, was a gay bar and restaurant in Portland's Kerns neighborhood. It was established in 1984 and housed in a building that was constructed in 1935. Starky's was known for its patio and outdoor seating, in addition to serving American cuisine, including burgers and steak. Joe Waldroff and Greg Simshaw purchased the bar in September 2004. In 2015, ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history ''Willame ...

'' described the establishment as a "patioed mountain chalet with homestyle food that seems as domestic as Grandpa's house, with busy Thursday karaoke, 'bottomless' mimosas at its essential Sunday brunch, and a charmingly dirty-avuncular bartender who seems to have an answer for everything". Following its closure, the newspaper's Matthew Korfage called Starky's a "little mountain chalet" and "friendly little neighborhood bar catering to longtime regulars in the gay community with raucous karaoke, home-style food and a Sunday brunch that offered up bottomless cheap-bubbly mimosas unless you misbehaved". Beginning in late 2014, Waldroff and Simshaw listed the building and business for sale intermittently, and sold Starky's for $1.2 million in March 2015. The duo planned to retire and expressed a willingness to sell the rights to the name and business. The bar and restaurant closed on September 13, 2015, after operating for 28 years. The building that housed Starky's was demolished during November–December 2015, and was replaced by a three-story apartment building.

Events

Starky's was a longtime fixture in Portland's gay community. It served as a gathering space for groups such as Blackout Leather Productions, a nonprofit organization and volunteer group of

enthusiasts in Oregon and southwest Washington, and the Oregon Bears. Historically, Starky's sold tickets to

Portland Gay Men's Chorus The Portland Gay Men's Chorus (PGMC) is a gay-identified, non-profit choral group based in Portland, Oregon. The group was founded in the spring of 1980 when three founding members, inspired by a performance of the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus, ...

performances and hosted (or was a starting location for) gay pride events. The venue also hosted special events such as: a 2009 celebration and fundraiser to send eight musicians from the Rose City Gay Freedom Band to perform at

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

's inauguration, a 2013 '' PQ Monthly'' press party, Oregon Bears' 2013 car wash fundraiser for Our House and other nonprofits, the Red Dress Party, and "Civic Pride", which was presented by

City Club of Portland The City Club of Portland is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1916, the organization had approximately 1500 members and a paid staff of 4 in 2013. The former Mayor of Portlan ...

in June 2014 to commemorate gay pride and LGBT Pride Month. The latter event featured guests from local organizations including: Basic Rights Oregon,

Cascade AIDS Project Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is a nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Its mission is to prevent HIV infections, to "support and empower" people affected and by HIV/AIDS, and to eliminate stigma associated with the ...

, Equity Foundation, GLSEN Oregon, Oregon Gay and Lesbian Law Association, Oregon Safe Schools and Communities Coalition,

PFLAG PFLAG is the United States' first and largest organization uniting parents, families, and allies with people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+). PFLAG National is the national organization, which provides support to ...

Portland and the PFLAG Black Chapter, Portland Latino Gay Pride, and Rosetown Ramblers.

Reception

Starky's received a generally positive reception and was most known for its

s, brunch, and outdoor seating. In 2013, Jaime Dunkle of the '' Daily Vanguard'',

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

student newspaper A student publication is a media outlet such as a newspaper, magazine, television show, or radio station produced by students at an educational institution. These publications typically cover local and school-related news, but they may also repor ...

, included Starky's as one of the "Top 5 Gay Clubs/Bars in Portland," writing: In 2014, GoLocalPDX contributor

Byron Beck Byron Beck (born January 25, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6 foot 9 inch forward/center from the University of Denver, Beck was one of six players (along with Louie Dampier, Gerald Govan, Bob Netolicky, Stew John ...

included Starky's in his list of the "Top 12 Gay Clubs in Portland", writing: "Starky's is for those who remember that brunch is best served on Sunday with a Bloody Mary. This true original is more restaurant than bar but that doesn't stop people from coming here for some of the stiffest drinks in town." In 2015, ''Willamette Week'' contributors included Starky's in their list of favorite Portland gay bars.

References

External links

* {{Good article 1984 establishments in Oregon 2015 disestablishments in Oregon Buildings and structures completed in 1935 Buildings and structures demolished in 2015 Defunct LGBT drinking establishments in Portland, Oregon Defunct restaurants in Kerns, Portland, Oregon Demolished buildings and structures in Portland, Oregon Restaurants disestablished in 2015 Restaurants established in 1984 Restaurants in Southeast Portland, Oregon