Hobo's Restaurant and Lounge, or simply Hobo's, was a restaurant, gay bar, and piano bar in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown, in the United States. Housed in a building with rare access to the Shanghai tunnels, the establishment served as a starting point for guided tours. The menu consisted of American cuisine including steakhouse fare. Hobo's was featured on the Food Network's Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and the Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures, before closing during the COVID-19 pandemic Hobo's was a restaurant, gay bar,[1] and piano bar[2] located at 120 Northwest 3rd Avenue in downtown Portland's Old Town Chinatown. The establishment also served as a starting point for tours of the Shanghai tunnels.[3][4] In 2008, Willamette Week's Amanda Waldroupe described Hobo's as a "chi-chi, predominantly gay establishment" and wrote, "Coming here, you may run into the famous or semi-famous (City Council candidate Ed Garren was spotted), or see escaping sailors emerge from the Shanghai Tunnels— the entrance is in front of the bar—in need of a drink".[5] In 2009, the newspaper's Ryan Fleming described Hobo's as a "relaxed and casual place to go before heading to the more hectic clubs nearby". He said the space was "primarily a restaurant" with a bar, pool, and pianists performing live, and described the clientele as "an array of Portlanders, many of them looking to get laid".[6] In 2002, CNN's Dmae Roberts called Hobo's an "upscale restaurant with a really full and fantastic-looking bar".[7] Christina O'Connor of the Daily Emerald described Hobo's as a "classy and inviting" lounge with candlelit tables and rare access to the tunnels, along with neighboring Old Town Pizza.[3] The tunnels were accessed by a trapdoor and stairs to the restaurant's basement.[8][9][10] Lonely Planet described Hobo's as a "classy gay-centric restaurant-piano bar" and a "quiet, relaxed place ... good for a romantic dinner or drink", with live music Thursday through Sunday, starting at 7:00 pm.[11] The restaurant, which Eater Portland's Byron Beck and Conner Reed called "spacious", had an "extensive" dinner menu, serving prime rib, crab cakes, and other steakhouse "favorites", as of 2019.[2] Hobo's served cocktails, beer, and coffee drinks.[5] Happy hour was available daily from 4:00-6:30 pm, as of 2009.[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobo%27s

Michael P. Jones, a historian, tour guide, and founder of the company Portland Underground Tours,[8] used Hobo's as an entrance to the tunnels, as of 2002–2010.[3][7][12] Jones also used the tunnel entrance is his capacity as founder of the Cascade Geographic Society, for which he also served as a tour guide.[4] Hobo's staff were reportedly familiar with his work and unfazed by his presence. O'Connor wrote in 2010: Everyone in Hobo's seems to know Jones. Servers wave as they rush back and forth taking orders and bussing tables. He grants them a nod and continues talking. Everybody who is affiliated with the area beneath Hobo's seems to know Jones, too.[3]

Rachael Ray visited the restaurant for the seventh episode of the second season of the Food Network's Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, which focused on Portland. According to the network, in the episode she "uncovers Portland's past with a visit to Hobo's for scallops".[13] In 2012, Hobo's was featured on the fourth episode ("Shanghai Tunnels") of the sixth season of the paranormal documentary and reality television series Ghost Adventures. During the episode, ghost hunters Zak Bagans, Aaron Goodwin, and Nick Groff "delve deep into the dingy Shanghai Tunnels to unearth the spirits that still haunt Hobo's Restaurant ... and collect some compelling visual evidence", as claimed by the Travel Channel.[14] Hobo's closed by October 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] Reception[edit] Amanda Waldroupe of Willamette Week wrote that "especially on a warm night—the intimate lighting and laissez-faire wait staff make this a good place to chill out and enjoy good drinks".[5] The newspaper's Ryan Flemming said the restaurant and bar serve "good" food and "stagger-inducing" drinks, respectively.[6] In 2013, Out included Hobo's on a list of "200 of the Greatest Gay Bars in the World" and said, "Carefully exposed brick, piano leather booths and well-rounded dinner menu tell you right away Hobo's doesn't live up to its name. It's a midscale restaurant and bar that courts a more refined, casual crowd. Perfect for a casual drink

Per https://queerintheworld.com/gay-portland-oregon-travel-guide/ Hobo’s – A gay-friendly American restaurant with a popular piano lounge, fireplace, patio & pool room. Think New Orleans meets New York, in terms of vibes as well as food. Their guests hail from all walks of life and you end up with quite a lively crowd on the weekends while the weekdays is more social drinks or romantic dates for couples.

Per website https://pdx.eater.com/22240842/portland-restaurant-bar-cafe-closings 2020 Hobo’s It seems very likely that the longstanding Jazz bar and lounge, Hobo’s, has closed for good. Both Google and Yelp are reporting the business as permanently closed, the website is down, the phone number has been disconnected, and the last Facebook post is from January 2020. Here’s hoping we’re wrong.

Article in the Cascade Voice newspaper, December 30, 1982, page 28, HOBO’s Social Intercourse at its Best! One of the most beautiful oppressions of this changing social scene in Portland can be found at 120 NW 3rd Ave. – HOBO’s. Here gays and straights mix openly” … On one night there another night, the crowd will be at 50% mix another night the crowd will be at 95% gay. Interestingly enough, when Hobo opened, it wasn’t set up with the intent of being a gay establishment…. Lynn Ellis, the man behind this wonderful place… came to Portland some 20 years ago during which time he worked at Tommy Luke Flowers and various jobs all unrelated to the restaurant business. [portion of the article - see full article below]