Nightlife in Lents

The aroma of more than 50 hookah flavors excites the senses amid comfy couches, tasty refreshments, and a range of entertainment at Qush Hookah Lounge. A glowing glass hookah bar displays each exotic tobacco in a transparent glass container, allowing pipe perusers to see, smell, and whisper sweet nothings to a range of mixable flavors, including wild-berry mint, peaches and cream, and strawberry margarita, before retreating to a pillow-lined enclave with their selection. With an Xbox inhabiting every room, compatriots can balance benevolent pipe passing with free games such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Madden 2011 (ID required for complimentary controller rental).

Each bacon-bedecked Cowboy burger (a $9 value, $7 value during happy hours) ensnares renegade herds of cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce, and chipotle sauce in the crispy loop of an onion-ring lasso. Saddle the western fare with your choice of a side of fries, salad, or tempura green beans at Candy’s chic eatery—its plush seating and regal curtains sweetened with caramel and scarlet-apple accents. Pint-size patrons (welcome until 10 p.m.) can tumble through cyber space's digital jungle gym via the booths' touch-screen computers with Internet access. After 10 p.m. on weekends, late-night imbibers 26 and up surge the dance floor, abandoning half-consumed cocktails and expired absentee ballots on glossy wooden tables. On Wednesdays, karaoke and live acoustic stylings fill the air with floating quarter notes.

Weird Bar's expert tenders serve a delicious selection of sips and snacks to eclectic bar hoppers within a triad of This, That, and The Other taprooms. Trek through the spirits sanctuaries to secure a well drink ($4.25), PBR ($2.50), microbrew ($3.75), or all three for ample ammo in case of surprise drink-offs. Famished refreshment finders can hang fang on a menu of chewables such as the house-made hummus with pita ($4.75) or the succulent Bacon Bleu burger ($6.75). Quadruple P Paninis, packed with the trappings of a pepperoni-provolone pizza, sate carnivorous appetites, while philly cheesesteaks provide stomachs and self-loathing cattle with a dairy-slathered delight ($7.75).

Recently opened, The Globe brings the good life to everyday hunger-havers with an affordable selection of artisan pizza and tapas, tasty beverages, and nightly live music. Like a United Nations potluck party, the menu boasts an eclectic selection of social food staples such as the Maiale pizza, with ham, pork belly, caramelized onions, blue cheese, pears, and cream ($15). Tapas aficionados can choose from a plethora of small plates, such as the chianti-cured salami ($4), the bacon-stuffed eggs ($4), and the roast garlic and chickpea dip ($4). Wines and classic cocktails draw on regional blends for local flavor, while revolving taps dispense a cornucopia of craft beers.

At Quartet, food, hospitality, atmosphere, and music harmonize under the orchestration of restaurateur Frank Taylor. Creative takes on American standbys fill the plateware, crafted by experienced head chef and Oregon native Adam Kekahuna out of sustainable, local ingredients. Those dishes rest on elegant linen tablecloths while diners rest on plush armchair seating. Through the two-story windows, guests can watch the sparkling Willamette flow by, or on a clear day, spot the dragons circling Mount Hood. Meanwhile, the paired grand pianos beside the bar tempt a stream of local musicians such as Tony Pacini and Mel Brown—live tunes start playing at 5:30 p.m. on the dot.

Almost everything at Bar Maven can be traced back to its source, from its rotating selection of local microbrews to the repurposed materials that decorate its interior. The chefs create Northwest pub fare, which features strong Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. Think Lebanese empanadas, sirloin skewers, and grass-fed-beef burgers piled high with gyro meat and chipotle-tzatziki sauce. Mixologists are also on hand to craft signature cocktails, such as the Marshmallowrita—a blend of marshmallow vodka and freshly muddled lime juice. To keep the Portland theme going, the dining room frequently pulses with the sounds of local musicians and the mayor beatboxing.