227 Best Restaurants in Oregon, USA

This perfect stop in the middle of a day of wine tasting offers a wide selection of artisanal cheese and meats, as well as a great lunch menu. Pick up some sandwiches and a soup or salad to go, and you'll be all set for a picnic at your favorite winery. Alternatively, come for a proper dinner of European-meets-Pacific Northwest fare on Friday or Saturday, or treat yourself to a hearty brunch on Sunday.

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.

This wine bar and Mediterranean-inflected restaurant exudes an artsy, small-town eccentricity, with the dining room’s mix of mismatched tables and chairs opening into a gallery displaying work from regional craftspeople. The rather tacky art and trinkets all look swell after a few glasses of vino from the well-curated bottle collection.

A cavernous and historic former car dealership houses this hip brewpub, which also has a kitchen serving tasty pub food, such as Tillamook cheeseburgers and beer-battered fish-and-chips. Since it opened in 2010, it's become known for its nicely crafted beers, including the heady Maxxx Power IPA, faintly tart Huckleberry Wheat beer, and robust Bruce/Lee Porter.

The oldest brewery in town, Three Creeks offers a selection of beers at its brewing facility and brewpub that play on Northwest culture and the outdoor lifestyle. The brewery system is visible from the pub, which serves a range of burgers, pizzas, salads, and other bar mainstays along with lavish desserts. Order a frothing pint of the popular Knotty Blonde, or try one of their seasonal ales.

Serving consistently well-prepared modern seafood fare, Tidal Raves uses local and sustainable fish and shellfish in preparations inspired by places far and near. A few steaks and vegetarian dishes round out the lengthy menu, which also includes such local classics as Dungeness crab cakes, panko-crusted razor clams, and rockfish and shrimp green curry with steamed peanut rice, and the inviting bi-level dining room has tall windows overlooking the ocean.

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.

This busy, informal restaurant on Alberta Street is known for its hearty breakfasts—namely, its biscuits and gravy, shredded-potato cakes, egg and tofu scrambles—but the lunch menu offers plenty of creative choices as well, like a creamy artichoke sandwich and a mac and cheese of the day. With a large stone fireplace and chimney, the covered, comfortable outdoor area doubles as a beer garden on warm spring and summer days, and the adjacent garden rounds off the property with a peaceful sitting area.

Robots take on the role of waiters at this playful downtown spot. While actual (human) servers are around to take guest orders and answer questions, androids on wheels are in charge of running dishes out from the kitchen, using their tray-stacked "bodies" to bring guests inventive cocktails, rich Burmese curries, and massive tea leaf salads. The presence of robots, coupled with a wall of plants and some bright neon signage, give this spot a fun vibe, while dark floors and ceilings and minimalist lighting add a romantic, sophisticated contrast. 

In this rich agricultural region, it makes sense that downtown Hermiston is home to a restaurant with a strong farm-to-table ethos, along with a great list of regional craft beers and wines. The menu rotates regularly, but recent dishes have included ruby red trout with butternut squash, potato-and-apple hash, and sautéed haricot verts, and hearty chili with three kinds of pork (ground, loin, and belly) with poblano chiles and local "tongues of fire" beans. The restaurant occupies a simple gray Craftsman bungalow with a charming dining room that befits the unpretentious cuisine.

One of the best features of this cheerful café in sleepy Nehalem village, just down the road from Manzanita, is that the kitchen offers just about anything you might be in the mood for at breakfast and lunch, from fancy egg dishes and comforting cinnamon French toast to Cobb salads and burgers on homemade brioche buns—it's a remarkably varied menu for such a small place. There's also a full bar with a great selection of drinks and craft beer and Oregon wine as well.

The dazzling beach and ocean views, especially at sunset, are just part of the story at this casually elegant restaurant at the Surfsand Resort; it's also a reliable if very traditional destination for a leisurely feast of local seafood and steaks, such as panko-breaded Pacific razor clams with rémoulade, seared Chinook salmon with risotto, and the prodigious 22-ounce "tomahawk" rib-eye steak with sweet potato–andouille hash. There's a nice list of Oregon wines, and breakfast—featuring delicious crab cake Benedicts and cinnamon roll French toast—is offered daily.

Portland's top neighborhood for Asian fare is S.E. 82nd Avenue (and the blocks near it), and this Cantonese seafood restaurant with an expansive dining room that looks a bit like a hotel banquet hall is one of the area's most authentic venues. The lengthy menu of delicious fare includes a number of fresh seafood specialties like braised abalone in oyster sauce and tamarind-stir-fried Dungeness crab.

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.

Savor the vibrant flavors of northern Spain at this upbeat Nye Beach restaurant that turns out exquisitely prepared renditions of boquerones (anchovies) with an orange vinaigrette, crispy squid with black-garlic aioli, and warm dates stuffed with Cabrales cheese, along with several enticing larger plates. Dining is a high-ceilinged loft-style space with the best tables on the mezzanine level, beneath a distinctive corrugated metal and frosted-glass-paneled ceiling.

The blended menu of Northwest specialties and Cajun influences has made this elegant but welcoming restaurant (named after a style of Creole music) a popular lunch and dinner spot for more than a decade. On the menu, fillet medallions, chicken, and pasta sit alongside jambalaya and redfish dishes. In warm weather, ask to sit on the patio.