10 Cool Places to Eat in Portland
March 3, 2015
Trying to find a place to eat in Portland is hard—there are long lines, high prices, and picky eaters—but here is a concise list to potentially make the challenge a bit easier.
Podnah’s Pit
This quality Texan barbecue restaurant in Northeast Portland is perfect for you if you are craving some slow cooked and tender barbecued meat. Podnah’s opened in 2006, and has continued to impress its customers with their classic dishes, such as pulled pork and beef brisket. This restaurant is ideal for anyone looking to get their old Western barbecue fix.
Address: 1625 NE Killingsworth Portland Oregon 97211
Website: http://podnahspit.com/
¿Por Que No?
This casual joint is a great place get unique, but delicious Mexican food. At an unbeatable price, these tacos and burritos are delightfully made with fresh and spicy ingredients. Por Que No is an amazing restaurant to get some authentic Mexican tacos with your closest friends—if you’re willing to brave the notoriously long line.
Address: 3524 N Mississippi Ave. Portland, OR 97227 / 4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd. Portland, OR 97215
Website: http://www.porquenotacos.com
Marrakesh
Feeling exotic? Come to this unique restaurant with a group of friends to fully experience the Moroccan tradition. Marrakesh’s atmosphere is filled with talented belly dancers and a traditional seating arrangement where food is taken and eaten with the hands. Patrons sit on the floor and indulge in rich curries, smoky chicken, and spicy rice.
Address: 1201 Northwest 21st Avenue
Portland, OR 97210
Website: http://www.marrakeshportland.com
Blue Star Doughnuts
Tired of the hype associated with Voodoo or the lack of variety at Krispy Kreme? Come to Blue Star Doughnuts to switch up the blasé routine of doughnut shopping. Blue Star Doughnuts are made with high quality ingredients and made from scratch everyday. These doughnuts have many delicious flavors, such as Blueberry Pistachio or Chocolate Peppermint.
Address: 3753 N Mississippi/1237 SW Washington/3549 SE Hawthorne
Website: http://www.bluestardonuts.com
Pok Pok
Serving modern and classic Thai dishes, Pok Pok is a great place to satisfy your hunger. Pok Pok is famous for their Thai inspired chicken wings that is guaranteed to fill your hunger. That Pok Pok has also starred in the Food Network TV show “ Dine, Drivers, and Dives” only validates why you should dine at the restaurant.
Address: 3226 SE Division Street, Portland Oregon
Website: http://www.pokpokpdx.com
The Melting Pot
This elegant restaurant is great for if you are looking for a fancy place to dine, with a date or just with friends. You may know the Melting Pot as a hub for fondue connoisseurs, but they also allow you to cook your own meat or dip vegetables in different sauces. Though the Melting Pot is a little pricey, it is definitely worth the money to get high quality fondue and to experience the nice ambiance the Melting Pot offers.
Address: 1025 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Website: http://www.meltingpot.com
Le Bistro Montage
This large restaurant underneath the Morrison Bridge provides mouthwatering Southern soul food. Montage provides many unique southern dishes that range from Creole Mac n’ Cheese to classic jambalaya. The best part of this restaurant is the leftovers, wrapped up in foil and shaped into various animals. The shapes can range from a fox, a whale, to even a giraffe. The restaurant doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait—but be prepared for the wait to be completely worth it.
Address: 301 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214
Website: http://www.montageportland.com
Waffle Window
This cute little restaurant serves delectable sweet and savory waffles. From basic black forest ham and cheese to blueberry cheesecake, they really do offer a waffle for everyone. The wait time for waffles here is extremely small and the prices are affordable. Also—waffles at any time of day? Yes, please. These waffles are great for desserts or for snacks. The seating is a little iffy, however, so be prepared to walk around the streets of Portland while munching on your creative waffle.
Address: 2624 NE Alberta St Portland, OR 97211 / 3610 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214
Website: http://wafflewindow.com
Harlow
This vegan restaurant may not seem appealing to all, because of the strictly vegan menu. However, each dish is surprisingly delicious and offers flavors that you might not expect. If you’re feeling healthy and want to try out a new alternative, Harlow is the place for you.
Address: 3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR
Directions
Website: http://www.harlowpdx.com
***
Do you really like (or dislike) one of the above restaurants? Or have another one to suggest? Let us know in the comments section below!
Owen Slyman • Mar 6, 2015 at 7:07 pm
I enjoy going out to eat and this is useful!
Thanks Dannise!
Chris Larsen • Mar 5, 2015 at 12:40 am
for anyone who lives in the Gresham area and these restaurants aren’t local to you I recommend going to Truffle Hunter! very unique experience, and GREAT food! 225 W Powell Blvd Gresham, OR. This place was actually mentioned by a food critics magazine as one of the top 10 places to eat in the Northwest!
Natalie Stone • Mar 3, 2015 at 7:42 pm
This is such a cool article because many high schoolers always struggle with where to go eat with friends! I’ve only visited a little over half of these, but I’m going to look into all of them.
My most favorite resturant ever is Jade tea house and bistro in sellwood! They have awesome Thai food and pho! Everyone should check it out. They also serve gorgeous desserts like macaroons and whoopie pies! I would recommend this place to anyone!
John Nguyen • Mar 3, 2015 at 2:34 pm
I love this article. Thank you for this great information.
Alex Konieczny • Mar 3, 2015 at 2:32 pm
I once went to montage! They wrap your food in tin foil in different shapes when you are done. I got mine wrapped as a manatee but it looked more like a whale.
Amy Moore • Mar 3, 2015 at 1:52 pm
I have been to Marrakesh before- I am not a fan of eating with my hands in a communal setting but the atmosphere is amazing!
Hailey Higgins • Mar 3, 2015 at 1:37 pm
I love this article! My friends and I are always lookinng for fun and new places to go eat! Thanks!
Anna Park • Mar 3, 2015 at 1:34 pm
I keep hearing about the Waffle Window! Is it as good as everyone seems to think? Is there more than one Waffle Window?
Yen Bui • Mar 3, 2015 at 9:32 pm
Pretty good in my opinion but you should definitely check it out to decide for yourself. There are two locations; one on Hawthorne and another one on Alberta.