One of Buckman’s most visible corners is getting its nightlife swagger back. The teams behind Panther Club and Jackie’s are rolling out a new bar called Eldorado at the Southeast Grand and Morrison intersection, stepping into the former Dig A Pony and later Lollipop Shoppe space. Slated to open this summer, the spot is set up for DJs, late-night hours and a cocktail-heavy menu, part of a broader wave of operators reactivating downtown-adjacent addresses as Portland’s hospitality scene leans into warmer nights.
According to the Portland Business Journal, David Hall and Quinn Matthewstearn are the principals behind Eldorado. The outlet reports the duo, already co-owners of Jackie’s and Panther Club, are steering the project as the latest addition to their growing local bar portfolio.
What Eldorado Will Offer
Portland Monthly notes that Eldorado takes its name from Matthewstearn’s first car, a 1979 Cadillac Eldorado, and that the team hopes to revive some of Dig A Pony’s former dance-floor energy with DJs and late-night hours. The outlet reports that Nate “Theo” Theobald, operations and bar manager at Panther Club, will lead the drink program, bringing in forced-carbonation highballs, clarified cocktails and a teased “s’mores old-fashioned.” The concept is being framed as “craft at scale,” designed to keep drinks moving quickly when the room fills up.
On the food side, local coverage notes that the team has enlisted Lorenzo de Alicante of Lo’s Burgers to design a burger-centric menu featuring fries, chicken sandwiches, nuggets and chicharrones, with a burger window returning as part of the late-night setup. Bridgetown Bites outlines the planned menu and reports that the group intends to pair the unapologetically snackable lineup with Eldorado’s high-energy programming.
Owners' Footprint In The City
Per the Portland Business Journal, Hall and Matthewstearn’s portfolio already includes neighborhood spots such as Two Wrongs, QD’s, Side Eye, Sugar Hill and Nevermind. That spread gives the group experience with both food-forward bars and nightlife-focused venues across several Portland neighborhoods.
Timeline And What To Expect
Portland Monthly reports that Eldorado is aiming for a late-spring to early-summer debut. The outlet notes that the corner has sat empty since last Thanksgiving and describes preliminary hours that would bring evening opening times and late-night service on weekends.
If that timing sticks, Eldorado is set to become another late-night anchor along the Buckman strip, helping reenergize a block that has seen frequent turnover in recent years. Updates are expected as the owners lock in an exact opening date and release full food and drink menus along with a DJ and events calendar.
