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Let’s face it: most guys are easy to please when it comes to strip bars. Boobies, beer and bad metal, and you’ve got yourself a winning formula. Women, on the other hand, need a few of their higher (read: non-skeevy) senses stimulated as well. From the start, I could tell that Mary’s Club had a different vibe from the overly slick, cue-the-smoke-machine feel of other strip clubs. Maybe it’s because, aside from the bouncer, the family-owned and family-run place (for 50+ years!) is managed and staffed entirely by women. Or maybe it’s their simple formula of one stage for three rotating dancers; amiable waitstaff; small cover charge and comfy, relaxing interior. No flashy sensory overload here—and a welcome reprieve from annoying DJs and shifty, pervy guys darting about like gerbils that seem the standard elsewhere.
Best of all? Aside from the fact that Portland allows complete nudity in strip clubs, the dancers have a spirited rapport with the audience, both onstage and off. These ladies love to converse about the weather, politics, love lives, whatever—and it’s genuine. Not the fake chat-you-up routine normally done to garner extra tips or lap dances. In fact, a hilarious conversation with the vivacious “TwaTina” on my last visit led me to invite her to my next barbecue (which now I’m sure will be well attended!).
It’s not for everybody, especially those who prefer the typical impersonal, neon-laden, sleaze ‘n’ cheese strip bar. But if you’re looking for a true original experience that almost always guarantees some seriously wacky vignettes that you’ll be retelling for weeks, then Mary’s Club is the place to be. It’s the little club with the big, big…personality.
Mary’s Club is located at 129 SW Broadway in Portland. 503.227.3023, marysclub.com
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