ASK EATER: WHERE CAN I GO FOR DRAG BRUNCH IN PORTLAND?

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I visited a friend in Las Vegas a few weeks ago and we went to a drag brunch that was super fun. I’ve seen drag shows in Portland, but I’ve never gone to a drag brunch here. Who hosts the best drag brunches in Portland?

— Luke

Despite legislation putting the industry at risk, drag brunches have become a popular weekend outing in countless major (and smaller) American cities, including Portland. “We are living in the golden age of drag,” says Greggor Mattson, a professor of sociology at Oberlin College and the author of Who Needs Gay Bars?: Bar-Hopping through America’s Endangered LGBTQ+ Places. “The popularity of drag as an art form means that lots of spaces that didn’t ever have drag before now do.”

The same is true in Portland: While many of the city’s LGBTQ bars host some form of drag brunch consistently, you’ll also find drag events at a broader spectrum of cocktail bars, restaurants, and music venues. Some are one-off or inconsistent events; others are traveling events, popping up at various restaurants and bars around Portland. However, a handful of spots consistently offer drag brunches any given weekend, typically on Sundays.

First, let’s start with the obvious. Drag Brunch PDX is a traveling drag brunch hosted by one of the city’s well-known queens, Nicole Onoscopi. Onoscopi often tracks down a really strong slate of drag performers, which has historically included queens like Kharisma and Riley Burrows. Prices and food varies, depending on the locale; this month, Drag Brunch PDX will make stops at places like the hotel food hall at the Moxy and LGBTQ bar and gentlemen’s club Stag.

Speaking of Stag, the Northwest Broadway club consistently hosts drag brunches on Sundays (and the occasional Saturday), with ever-shifting themes and queens. In May, drag brunches include a Mother’s Day brunch with Kwanzaa Shade and a Broadway-themed brunch hosted by Kherry O’Kay, plus additional brunches featuring notable queens like Sheniqua Volt. The brunches almost always involve an all-you-can-eat buffet and a complimentary mimosa, which comes with each $35 ticket. Buy your tickets online ahead of time.

Another Northwest Portland drag standby is the Pharmacy, which makes a cameo in the film Drugstore Cowboy. The bar hosts a wide range of drag events monthly, including bingo and lip sync smackdowns. Every third Sunday, the Pharmacy throws a drag brunch hosted by Devlin Lynn Phoenixx. $30 tickets include brunch and a mimosa, plus a show featuring a rotating slate of queens. Doors for the show open at 11 a.m., and performers start lip syncing around noon.

On the other side of the river, the Diva Drag Brunch — which appears in several Oregon and Washington cities — has found a home at Swan Dive on Southeast Grand. The weekly event features drag queens like Lylac and Jayla Rose Sullivan, though the cast shifts pretty consistently. Gnarlys handles the food, making it one of the few entirely vegan drag brunches in Portland; expect dishes like biscuits and gravy or strawberry-whipped cream French toast. Buy tickets ahead of time; tickets are typically $20 for the show, with doors at 11 a.m. and performances starting at noon.

And for sheer icon status, it’s hard to beat the drag brunch at Darcelle XV, founded by the late performer of the same name once known as the world’s oldest working drag queen. Darcelle’s death in 2023 didn’t shut down her historic bar, and the venue’s loyal cast continues to perform for Sunday brunch. Poison Waters, one of Portland’s longest standing and most famous drag queens, hosts the brunch alongside Alexis Campbell Starr. Reservations are not required, but brunch tickets tend to sell out fast. Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the show starts at 12:30.

This is far from a comprehensive list of drag brunches in the city; if you’re looking for more options, try following drag performers you like on Instagram, where they often post information about their upcoming shows; there are also drag event companies like Rose City Drag, which will promote one-off brunches year-round. Finally, the EverOut drag event calendar often includes several brunch options. Remember to be a respectful guest and tip generously, whether that’s with cash or via the performer’s Venmo.

2024-05-08T18:29:09Z dg43tfdfdgfd