48 Hours: Portland, OR Eats
Portland, OR is full of local hotspots & eateries to explore! I hit all of these on foot from our hotel downtown with the exception of Matt’s BBQ - I ventured out for it and, spoiler, so worth it! Although I only had a few days, here were my highlights of the trip!
Pine State Biscuits
$-$$ (under 10-25) | Multiple locations | pinestatebiscuits.com
Pine State Biscuits is such a fun spot! Definitely a splurge / once and a while joint - but so worth every calorie! We had the “Wedgie” which is fried chicken, fresh iceberg lettuce and fried green tomato piled on a homemade biscuit… then topped with bleu cheese. Our other taste was the “McIsley” with fried chicken, pickles, grainy mustard and local honey. Both so amazing.
“McIsley”
“The Wedgie”
Tasty and Alder
$$-$$$ (10-25, 25-50) | 580 SW 12th Ave., Portland | tastynalder.com
At first, we were a little bit confused by the concept. Similar to tapas - most of the plates are shareable. We had to ask a few times on portion size to be sure, but we ended up having the perfect amount of food. The staff was extremely knowledgeable. It was so fun to try multiple dishes! Everything we had was amazing and perfectly cooked. The Apple Brined Pork Chop definitely stood out here. It gets very busy very fast, so I would suggest getting there as early as possible. We waited at the bar for our table. While we waited we had amazing biscuits and a special adult grasshopper milkshake. Can’t go wrong.
Yummy BBQ roasted corn nuts instead of bread!
Flat Iron Steak
Salt and Straw
$ (under 10) | Multiple locations | saltandstraw.com
Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream! The flavors here are the most unique I’ve seen. I fell in love with Olive Oil ice cream (who knew?) Their flavors rotate frequently, but they let you sample any of them before purchasing. I recommend coming here to satisfy your sweet tooth and to try some something different.
Bamboo Sushi
$$ (10-25) | Multiple locations | bamboosushi.com
Oddly enough, I found one of the best burgers I’ve ever had at this highly recommended sushi spot. The sushi was fantastic, but the burger was the absolute stand out here. It’s a perfectly cooked, 1/2 lb wagyu burger with aged Tillamook white cheddar (yes please!) caramelized onions, house sauce & crispy tempura onion rings. And how can I forget the butteriest brioche roll. Heavenly and melts in your mouth. I haven’t had enough time to explore Portland, but I’m willing to bet it might be the best in the area? I need to know other spots that would compare or come close. Please spill.
Matt’s BBQ
$$ (10-25) | 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland | mattsbbqpdx.com
This is a fun spot, no frills. A really cool food truck with picnic table seating, set up with a smoker alongside. When he sells out he closes, so make sure to get there on time! I knew I wouldn’t be back (at least for a long while) so naturally, I went for it with the “Whole Shebamwich.” Some of the best I’ve ever had. Side note: you need the roasted garlic bbq sauce in your life. Super friendly staff/owner too.
Where should I venture on my next visit to Portland?