Picture this: a city where food feels like home and every bite is a warm embrace. That’s Portland’s food scene for me and these are my top 10 of the best restaurants in Portland that will fill up not just your belly, but your heart too. In this post I share my 10 favorite restaurants in PDX and what we loved to order from each one.
Portland’s food scene is nothing short of delicous | Christiann Koepke Unsplash
This is a travel guide I’ve put off for a long time and for a few reasons. When we lived in Portland, it was a major love/hate relationship, and that’s a weird thing. Since leaving, all I seem to remember is what I loved, all the things I miss. So, it’s made writing this hard, as I feel a cognitive dissonance within me. Why is it that all of the bad feels irrelevant right now? As we come up on one year since having left I’ve felt drawn to share my experiences, the good and the not so great, and reminisce on a part of life deep down I really loved.
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Story Time…
My husband and I lived in Portland for a little over 2 years, and it instantly felt like home. We loved the neighborhood we lived in, the nature, but especially, the craft beer, restaurants and food truck scene. It’s funny because Portland is a total foodie mecca, but to be honest, the trendy spots that you see influencers post about will ALWAYS leave you wanting more. In my opinion, Instagram has done a number on the Portland food scene, and not always in a good way.
On this list though you won’t see spots like that, instead you’ll find spots I’ve been too way too many times to count. Spots my husband and I had countless date nights at. Places we talked about life at. Restaurants we celebrated the night we picked out our wedding rings at. Planned our move to Zürich at. Spots we said goodbye to our friends at, and 10 that I would literally hop on a plane from Zürich to eat at tonight. Okay now that I am crying, let’s dive in to my personal top 10 restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
10 of the Best Restaurants in Portland
- El Coyote
- Maruti
- Hawthorne Asylum Food Trucks
- Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli
- Kinboshi Ramen
- Friendship Kitchen
- Mama Bird
- Duck House Chinese Restaurant
- Killer Burger
- Bluefin Tuna and Sushi
What We Love at Each Restaurant
El Coyote
If anyone in Portland is up for an apartment swap, let’s do it. I would fly across the world to get my fill of El Coyote tacos right now (also….not kidding). El Coyote is a food truck in a “sketchy” part of Portland, and you’ll miss it if you aren’t looking close enough. I am an authentic taco snob, and El Coyote is truly the best. My husband and I would go there almost every week and this is what we would order:
- 4 shrimp tacos
- 4 el pastor tacos
- a side of rice and beans
- chips and salsa
- and sides of their homemade habanero salsa (that we ended up buying jars of, and I think they thought we were a bit crazy) but it’s just that good.
I can’t tell you how many nights in the park we enjoyed these tacos at, or huddled on the couch eating during movie nights. It was our comfort food and hit the spot every single time.
El Coyote Tacos are seriously the G.O.A.T
Maruti
This is a vegetarian Indian restaurant that makes the best vegan tikka masala I’ve ever had. It’s run by the sweetest husband and wife who are always there to make sure you’ve enjoyed your meal. We visited Maruti often in winter because the atmosphere and food warms you right up. We always ordered the vegan tikka masala, chana masala, and naan.
Hawthorne Asylum Food Trucks
Now, this isn’t *technically* a restaurant, but it is a collection of places to eat at that are ALL amazing (so say this is 21 restaurant recs). There are a lot of food truck pods in Portland, but this one is my favorites by far. They have an awesome beer cart with tons of local draft beer, great heated outdoor seating which is a game changer in winter, along with a wide variety of food choices. Did you catch that there are 21 food trucks?! We loved meeting friends here because everyone gets to pick what they want and you are never faced with the dreaded, “what sounds good to you?” question.
Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli
Okay, before you write this one off because you aren’t vegan, hear me out. This spot serves up the BEST vegan cream cheese I’ve ever had and for someone who lives for a bagel and cream cheese, but is majorly lactose intolerant, this is a dream. Ben & Esther’s has the best bagels to pair with their vegan cream cheese and vegan lox, you’ve got to try it. My husband and would normally order the vegan lox bagel and the vegan pastrami and oof, is it so good. Everything on their menu is amazing and perfect for an easy weekend breakfast. They have one location in Portland, as well as in Seattle and San Diego.
Kinboshi Ramen
What I would do for this right now. Kinboshi ramen makes the best tantanmen ramen in Portland. I am going to let you in on a secret, if you’ve been to Portland or live in Portland and think Afuri is the best, sorry, but you are missing out. This was one of the last meals we had in Portland before our big move and I am so glad we enjoyed it (and snapped a pic). This is as close to authentic ramen I’ve had outside of Southeast Asia.
Friendship Kitchen
Tucked in-between a cool corner of restaurants in Northeast Portland is Friendship Kitchen. Not only is their menu is packed with flavor, the owners’ stories are extremely powerful. They make amazing pho, cauliflower wings, laksa, and don’t even get me started on their cocktails.
Mama Bird
We lived across the street from this restaurant so it quickly became a favorite. The concept is simple – rotisserie chicken, sauces and sides. And before you think this is too simple, think again. The chicken is grilled over wood fire and their sides rotate for the seasons, not to mention their sauces – omg. This is another spot we loved in winter because it is cozy, smoky and oh so delicious.
Duck House Chinese Restaurant
I will say, this is probably one of the *unhealthiest* restaurants I will recommend but goodness me is it good. It’s in an assuming part of town up near the university, but don’t let that stop you. Their drinks are STRONG, the menu is large, and you’ll enjoy perfect Szechuan Dan Dan noodles.
Killer Burger
This is a local Oregon burger chain that will surprise you. They are known for their peanut butter pickle bacon burger, and before you judge – you’ve simply got to try it. This is a spot that we’ve shared with our friends who are visiting Oregon from Europe, and they are now angry at us because nothing like this exists here.
Bluefin Tuna and Sushi
If you live in Portland, there’s a certain sushi chain that gets ALL the attention, and while I have nothing good to say abut ‘that’ spot, this is a sushi joint you will love. They have an awesome happy hour and the freshest sashimi that is presented beautifully!
Thank you for taking the time to read this and joining me on a trip down memory lane. I am so happy to share a beautiful part of my life through the lens of food, exploring a time that now feels like a distant memory. Whether you call Portland, Oregon home or you’re just passing through, I encourage you to savor my top 10 restaurants in Portland, Oregon.
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