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These days, rising-star chefs and the foodies who adore them are flocking to Portland. In this playground of sustainability and creativity, many of the city's hottest restaurants change menus weekly—sometimes even daily—depending upon the ingredients they have delivered to their door that morning from local farms. The combination of fertile soils, temperate weather, and nearby waters contributes to a year-round bountiful harvest (be it lettuces or hazelnuts, mushrooms or salmon) that is within any chef's reach.
And these chefs are not shy about putting new twists on old favorites. Restaurants like Le Pigeon, Beast, Ox, Ned Ludd, Natural Selection, and Aviary have all taken culinary risks by presenting imaginatively executed, often globally inspired fare while utilizing sustainable ingredients. There’s a strong willingness in and around Portland for chefs to explore their creative boundaries.
Menus frequently extend across nations and continents. First-time visitors to Portland always seem to be impressed by the culinary scene’s international diversity, especially when it comes to Asian and Mediterranean fare, but you’ll also find outstanding examples of Peruvian, Russian, regional Mexican, and dozens of other ethnic restaurants. Of course, seafood is prevalent, with chefs regularly taking advantage of the availability of fresh salmon, albacore, halibut, crab, oysters, and mussels from the rivers and the Pacific Ocean.
Most of the city's longtime favorites are concentrated in Nob Hill, the Pearl District, and downtown. But many of the city’s most exciting food scenes are on the East Side, along Alberta Street, Mississippi Avenue, Williams Avenue, Fremont Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Burnside Street, 28th Avenue, Belmont Street, Hawthorne Boulevard, and Division Street, and tucked away in many neighborhoods in between. Serious food enthusiasts will definitely want to make some trips to some of these vibrant, if out-of-the-way neighborhoods.
Bar and restaurant culture greatly overlap in Portland, and many eateries around the city stand out as much because of their carefully curated beverage programs as for their food. Expect to find wine, craft beer, and cocktail lists that rely heavily on Northwest products, and also note that many of the top cocktail lounges, brewpubs, and wine bars we included in our Nightlife and Performing Arts chapter also serve excellent tapas and bar snacks.
This tiny creperie just outside the hubbub of the Pearl District can serve as a romantic dinner-date spot or just a cozy place to enjoy a cocktail and a late-night snack. You can get sweet crepes with fruit, cheese, chocolate, and cream or savory ones with meats and cheeses; in addition, the dinner menu is rounded out with salads and steaks.
This unpretentious, counter-service restaurant along lively Belmont Street is a terrific option for complexly seasoned, meat-free Sri Lankan fare, including hearty and spicy jackfruit curry and pigeon-pea fritters with chilis. There's also a daily-changing selection of additional curries and sides that might include deviled potatoes or shredded kale with grated coconut. Beer and wine is available.
In a small streetfront along an unimpressive stretch of Grand Avenue, this hidden gem serves some of the best Lebanese food in Portland, for prices that can't be beat. Everything from the fresh homemade pita to the hummus, falafel, tabouli, baba ghanoush, and kebabs is delicious, and comes in enormous portions. The meat, vegetable, or vegan mezza platters offer a smattering of the kitchen's best, and the lamb gyro is delish. There's a decent selection of beer and wine, too. Nicholas has a second branch in the Grant Park area in Northeast, between the Lloyd District and Hollywood neighborhoods.
This convivial neighborhood bistro and its adjoining side bar Over and Out have developed a devoted following over the years for friendly service, well-crafted and affordable contemporary American food, and a long, impressive list of local beers and creative cocktails. Start things off with one of the starter platters (smoked fish, Mediterranean, and charcuterie are all options), before graduating to one of the larger plates, such as the lamb burger with local goat cheese, or blackened catfish with remoulade.
With bar-top and wooden table and booth seating, fresh-baked pies on display, and a super-relaxed counter service, Off the Griddle feels like a pretty typical—if extra cute—diner, but this Foster Road standby is entirely vegetarian (and mostly vegan). Indeed, the menu reflects the greasy-spoon sensibility, with jackfruit brisket hash, biscuits and gravy with braised kale, walnut-meatloaf Benedicts, and veggie burgers with tempeh bacon among the standouts.
The original of what's now a franchise with more than 100 branches in North America and Japan, this pancake house is the real deal. Faithful customers have been coming since 1953 to this cabin-like local landmark, which is crowded with both locals and tourists from the time it opens at 7 am until it closes in the mid-afternoon. With pancakes starting around $7, it's not the cheapest place to get a stack, but with 20 varieties and some of the best waffles and crepes around, it's worth the trip.Signature item is Apple Pancakes.
Loosen your belt a notch or two before venturing inside this down-home Southern restaurant that's especially beloved for its over-the-top breakfast biscuit fare. Pat yourself on the back, or belly, if you can polish off the Reggie Deluxe (a fluffy homemade biscuit topped with fried chicken, bacon, cheese, an egg, and sage gravy), a masterful mélange of calorie-laden ingredients, or the gut-busting smoked-brisket-club biscuit sandwich, shrimp and grits, and andouille corn dog featuring locally made Otto's sausage. You'll find several additional locations around town.
This often jam-packed Hawthorne taqueria with a second location on North Mississippi makes a strong effort to support sustainable practices, both with its decor—in which recycled wood and other materials are favored—and its commitment to line-caught fish and organic local meats. Of course, it's the flavorful fare that keeps regulars coming back, especially the soft tacos with fillings based on the owners' travels throughout Mexico, such as carne asada with fiery arbol-chili salsa, the braised-brisket barbacoa with cilantro and crema, and cornmeal-crusted cod with escabeche crema.
Pig-themed bric-a-brac indicates the specialty at this casually hip neighborhood joint, known for its fall-off-the-bone baby back ribs, but there's also beef, poultry, seafood, and smoked tofu dishes on the menu. Big eaters might consider the meat-a-palooza tray, with your choice of three meats, including one ribs option (beef, back, or spare). The candied yams, barbecue baked beans, hush puppies, mac and cheese, and braised mess o' (collard) greens make excellent accompaniments.
This first U.S. outpost of a popular Tokyo izakaya franchise is on the leafy Park Blocks, steps from several theaters and museums, and offers a reasonably priced, extensive menu, especially during happy hour, which runs a lot longer than in most restaurants in town. Choose a seat in the lively bar area, with both tables and counter seating, or one of the darker booths in the main dining room.
Named for the patron saint of bakers, this French bakery on a quiet corner in Slabtown serves light meals and pastries. Start the day off with a plain or chocolate croissant, or café au lait, but return for lunch (or dinner) and the delicious quiche, sandwiches, salads, savory puff pastries, and tarts. St. Honoré has outposts Downtown, on S.E. Division Street, and in Lake Oswego.
A pioneer in Portland's artisanal coffee experience, Stumptown Coffee Roasters has expanded into a nationally revered brand. There are several local cafés—including this bustling storefront space in Old Town—where hip baristas, well versed in all things coffee, whip up delicious espresso drinks. Not far away, the Harvey Milk Street location adjoins the trendy Ace Hotel.
If you had to choose a star among the several outstanding Latin American food carts at the Portland Mercado, you could make a strong argument for this cheap and friendly purveyor of authentic Oaxacan fare. The owners turn out flavorful renditions of their own long-treasured family recipes, including chicken with chochoyotes (masa dumplings) in a complex yellow mole sauce, and tlayudas (prodigious corn tortillas) topped with chicharrón, black beans, and Oaxacan cheese. There's also a brick-and-mortar location in the Montavilla neighborhood.
A slightly snazzier but still informal outpost of a classic blue-collar burger joint in Portland's industrial Swan Island neighborhood (there's a third location just across the river from downtown on East Burnside), Tilt is a worthy stop for massive burgers, sandwiches, biscuits and gravy with fried chicken, house-made jalapeno tots, and hand-dipped pie shakes. On the right side of this cavernous order-at-the-counter space, there's a full bar as well as a coffee counter serving espresso drinks. There's ample seating on the patio, a former loading dock; sadly, there are no loading trucks to help you out of your seat.
Step into an old-school slice of Portland's circa-1999 coffee-shop scene. This pioneering roaster continues to serve organic coffee and espresso at its flagship Nob Hill location as well as at the coffee bar within Powell's City of Books on Burnside.
