The 12 Best Restaurants in Portland
The city of Portland, OR is an eclectic city with a lot to see and do. Portland is also quickly becoming known for its diverse food. This city has influences from across the U.S. and abroad. From fine dining to a wellspring of southern-style restaurants with a west-coast accent and its infamous number of vegetarian-friendly spots, Portland has a wealth of restaurants for locals and travelers alike. These are the 12 best restaurants in Portland.
Best Fine Dining Restaurants
Beast
The chef at a fine dining restaurant Beast maintains a seasonal menu with changes every six weeks. With a frequently changing menu, options can alter based upon the best farm-fresh ingredients. Beast has a fine dining Sunday brunch and opens for dinner most nights of the week. In order to get a highly sought-after table, customers can make a reservation but must also provide a deposit.
Le Pigeon
Le Pigeon is a French, fine dining restaurant in Portland with an open-concept kitchen that gives customers a uniquely welcoming experience. Although the menu changes, the dishes focus on incorporating three recurring foods: beef, foie gras, and pigeon. These ingredients take on either a rustic or upscale approach depending on the dish. The concept is primarily French, but the chef does fuse some of the dishes with Mediterranean and even American influences.
Castagna
No need to make dishes overly complex at Castagna, a fine dining restaurant that keep the food simple. The tasting menu has almost fifteen courses and comes with a separate wine pairing for each dish. The award-winning, long-time chef and expert sommelier give this place its credentials. The menu daringly mixes foods, such as seafood with meats like chicken and pork. A 20 percent charge is on the bill in lieu of a tip.
Best Southern Food Restaurants in Portland
Bullard
Bullard serves up Texas cuisine but utilizes fresh, local ingredients. This restaurant cooks more than just Texas-style barbeque. Diners can find country ham, pork belly, Tex-Mex, and bourbon with a pickle back. These dishes may sound casual, but each one comes with an elegant presentation. Expect a certain amount of Texas-level spice on many of the menu items.
Po’Shines
Po’Shines is a Cajun restaurant in Portland with a non-profit outlook. Recipes come straight from the bayou with classics like chicken and waffles, catfish, po-boy sandwiches and blackened seafood. Profits go toward a non-profit that helps disadvantaged people in the Portland community learn the restaurant trade and professional development skills.
Screen Door
The chef at Screen Door keeps customers fed three times a day with a southern-style breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With southern favorites like hushpuppies, biscuits and gravy, grits and a fried version of many different portions of meat, this restaurant truly brings southern flavor to the west coast. Even with its southern focus, Screen Door keeps its Portland identity through sourcing vegetables from the Pacific Northwest region.
Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Portland
Homegrown Smoker
As one of the more inventive vegan restaurants, Homegrown Smoker takes a vegan approach to smoke cooking traditional barbeque foods with a vegetable, tofu, or seitan twist. This vegan barbeque restaurant in Portland has barbeque short ribs, beef, chicken and rinds that are 100 percent vegan. Each protein can be ordered on its own, as a sandwich or a burger and all with a classic barbeque side like vegan coleslaw and collard greens.
Farm Spirit
Farm Spirit is a vegan concept restaurant that offers one set tasting menu for every diner. In order to get a seat at this restaurant, customers have to buy tickets in advance much like a concert. Farm Spirit sells the tickets on a seasonal basis. People who want to try this food need to book early. The food is both local and seasonal. A ticket at the Chef’s Counter costs a little bit more but customers get a behind-the-scenes experience.
Off the Griddle
Off the Griddle serve a range of vegan and vegetarian comfort food. Originally starting as a food cart before growing into a permanent Portland fixture, this restaurant has a 1990s style that makes it a fun place to eat great food. Menu items focus on brunch and dinner meals with a veggie twist, including vegan brisket, sausage, country-style gravy, sweet and savory waffle combinations, and customizable macaroni and cheese options. The brunch options go especially well with the cocktails and craft beer.
Best International Cuisine in Portland
Pambiche
This Cuban restaurant in Portland is famous with the locals. It keeps a simple menu with an emphasis on creating a fun and casual environment. Customers can sip on classic Cuban cocktails while they wait on their food. Pambiche cooks a lot of Cuban classics with black beans, yuca, and plantains mixed with Cuban-spiced meats. This restaurant serves brunch, lunch, and dinner with a special happy hour menu.
Hat Yai
Hat Yai is a fusion restaurant in Portland connecting food from the Thai border city of Hat Yai with its Malaysian influence. Hat Yai is a casual restaurant that takes its inspiration from street vendors in the Thai city. These are not typical Thai cuisine dishes but instead creates dishes like brisket curry, fried chicken, and beef cheek. Its fresh roti, or bread, is a draw for many in the city.
¿Por Que No? Taqueria
The team at ¿Por Que No? Taqueria emphasizes their local connection at this Portland Mexican restaurant staple on the south side of the city. Customers can choose from local meats, seasonal vegetables, and locally sourced masa. This restaurant has a small menu but focuses on its well-known tacos. The taco menu has a range of choices for fillings, such as beef tongue, chorizo, chicken with chipotle rubs, vegetables, and seafood. It's also very close to some of Portland's top nightclubs.
The best restaurants in Portland mix the city’s vibrant and eclectic vibe with a diversity of flavors across the city. No matter someone’s picky diet, Portland has enough options in its growing food scene to satiate any diner. If you're tired after a long day in Portland, be sure to choose an affordable hotel for the night.