by Sam Soule for pdxguide.com

When people burn, they do so for a reason. Certain associations can be made with the glowing tenor of a bonfire. There's the exultant enthusiasm of a college homecoming game celebration. There's the wide-eyed awe felt by a short-pants wearing cub scout at jamboree time. And there's the sense of mysticism weaved by agrarian cultures celebrating a bountiful harvest. None of these associations fit the Bonfire Lounge.

Saturated in deep reds, glowing candles and the odd bit of wrought iron metal work, the Bonfire Lounge aspires to a prevailing vibe best described as "goth-lite", that spook-ridden post-punk movement from the early 80's Portland has never totally left behind. The place may have been better served by going "goth-heavy" -- one suspects that the designers had a more "hellfire" concept in mind when they created this place. But, no, the Bonfire is just another watered-down theme bar, almost mall-ish in its attempt to play to many crowds; criticism aside, they are doing so with marked success.

During one early evening visit, the place was bustling when other joints I had dropped in on were waiting on a late-night rush. Though the Bonfire Lounge is a dark and indistinctly lit place (no surprise there) diverse groups of thrill-seekers have apparently developed a bat-like radar sense from frequent return visits and easily easily find perch among large tables and booths.

According to one questioned patron, the attraction of the Bonfire is, in fact, the observed diversity of its clientele. "You never know what to expect. All sorts of people come here."

Certain design elements do work. The bar-top scores high marks for glowing inset flame designs and the large smeared, blood-hued paintings in the main room set a devilish tone. Unfortunately, the goofy well-lit game room (two pool tables, two classic arcade tabletops) and the cheese-ball black-and-white checkered floor scheme, mercilessly undercut what should have been a cohesive and fun devil's playground atmosphere.

Ambivalent service and inconsistently prepared food don't help. A number of "small" cheaply price menu items (fries, quesadillas, hummus and pita bread) are good bets; the nine item burger menu is impressive, if in variety alone. I found the thai chicken kabob I ordered sharply spiced and it's bed of rice attractively nutty. However, I should have taken my dinner in the pool room; I have a terrible time eating in the dark.

So, yeah, everyone loves a fire. (I think I said that.) And the Bonfire Lounge is not without dutiful patronage - it's just not burning a very bright path into my personal night time crawl.

The opinions expressed within are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of pdxguide.com or The Columbian Publishing Co.