Portland Favorites

Updated January 2020

I very nearly moved to Portland, Oregon back in 2009 but it never ended up being a home for me. Instead, it is a place I absolutely love to visit. Below are some of our favorite places in Portland. I hope it comes in handy!

Food

Portland is a foodie town. You will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of highly reviewed resturants in almost all corners of the city. Here are a few of our personal favorites.

Sesame Donuts

Forget about Vodoo Donuts, go to Sesame Donuts. They have multiple locations though we prefer this 24/7 location. Ask for a sample of the sesame donut holes, they are surprisingly good. One of my favorite donut shops in the country.

Little Big Burger

This burger joint is a popular chain in Portland. It’s similar to your standard Shake Shack, Five Guys, or Smashburger. Prices are good and everything is delicious. (Ace says - plus, truffle fries!)

Pine State Biscuits

Pure guilty comfort food. You will always leave here feeling full no matter how much you order. Amazing biscuit-based sandwiches that are basically a must-have when visiting Portland. Don’t forget to grab a Bloody Mary or a beer while here!

Waffle Window

A must-have for a breakfast or brunch, the waffles explode with sugar and deliciousness. We recommend visiting the location on NE Alberta Street since it’s bigger and offers indoor seating.

Brunch Box

A burger shop that does things in a very Portland way. Submitted by Cameron R.

Yama Sushi & Sake Bar

Super fresh high end sushi bar with creative and delicious seasonal offerings. Go for a premium sake while here.

Screen Door

For a fancy brunch or dinner, head to Screen Door to get some outstanding southern comfort food.

Broder Nord

Want something unqiue that you won’t find anywhere else? This place offers delicious upscale Swedish brunch and lunch. Don’t miss the cocktails featuring unqiue ingredients.

Tasty n Daughters

Formerly called Tasty n Sons this “tasty” resturant has a great breakfast or brunch. If this location is not ideal they have a similar resutrant called Tasty n Alder in the downtown area of Portland.

Irving Street Kitchen

Upscale resturant with a nice Sunday brunch. Great biscuits and cocktails.

Ken’s Artisan Bakery

There is rarely a spot to sit down and relax but this is one of the most authentic and delcious bakeries in all of Portland. Try and get there early in the day and grab a world class loaf of bread.

Salt & Straw

Extremely unqiue ice cream flavors that will blow your mind. Sample everything before choosing.

Beaverton Sub Station

Wonderful sandwich shop thats been around for a long time. Train themed inside and right on the railroad tracks. Come here for a classic sub that wont dissapoint.

Coffee

Portland, like Seattle, is serious about coffee. Below are our favorite places to get caffeinated.

Never Coffee

Pricey but some of the most uniquely flavored lattes we have ever had. Super delicious! Location downtown and in Southeast on Belmont.

Barista

Not the absolute best in the city but certainly the best on Alberta St. It’s worth a stop if you are here just strolling around. Great coffee and espresso.

Coava Coffee Roasters

Amazing ambiance in this airy coffee roastery slash wood working business. Great place to stop in.

Spella Coffee

A super tiny italian espresso shop. Ace really loves the affogato here.

Ki Coffee (Beaverton)

Nice comfortable coffee shop in Beaverton that has excellent lattes with creative flavors. Excellent location to relax and use a laptop to get some work done.

Drinks

Portland has an unbelievable beer scene, but it’s easy to get distracted by the upstarts and hipster joints. Below are our favorite legit places to get an outstanding beer.

Upright Brewing

Literally the best beer in Portland but also the hardest to find and get to. In a basement. Hard to find, with very little parking. But it’s worth the effort to stop by and have a beer.

Cascade Brewing Barrel House

Great barrel-aged beer, lots of sours and fruit-based experiments. Wide distribution but worth a stop if you’re in the area.

Rogue Eastside Pub

This used to be the Green Dragon and our favorite brewery/taproom. It recently was renovated by Rogue so we are not sure how it is now but it used to always have amazing beer on tap.

Great Notion Brewing

Excellent beer with extremely unqiue flavors. Careful, they may taste like a sweet breakfast treat but they are strong! Location in Northwest and Northeast.

Pope House Bourbon Lounge

Cool bar and resturant in an old Victorian house with tons of great whiskeys and an outstanding happy hour daily from 4pm-7pm.

Fun

This is such a partial list. There are endless fun things to do in Portland and the surrounding area. Explore and have fun!

Powell’s City of Books

Possibly the greatest book store in all of the United States.

Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade

Two entire floors of arcade games and pinball machines you can play while drinking beer. It’s serious fun for anyone.

MacLeay Park

Only a few minutes from downtown and you immediately become enveloped by the forest and nature. A great easy hike starts at this trailhead.

Multnomah Falls

Gorgeous and accesible waterfall only a short drive from Portland. Stunning place.

Cannon Beach

The quintenssential Oregon beach. If you go to the coast this is the first stop. Make sure you stop on the drive to get some pure mountain water on the side of the road and also try to visit Ecola State Park just north of this beach.

Cougar Hot Springs

A few hours from Portland but an awesome place to visit if you want to explore and get out of the city.

If you have any opinions on these suggestions or think I am missing something important please reach out on Twitter, my handle is @kmuncie