There are plenty of restaurants in Portland that cater to everyone’s unique tastes so that only leaves the question of which one is the best.
Because Portland has such a vast number of restaurants, it can be difficult to navigate where to start, so we’re looking at ten of the best restaurants in Portland.
Listed in no particular order
Tusk
Tusk is a restaurant in Southeast Portland that showcases its Middle Eastern roots with some top-quality Mediterranean cuisines.
The restaurant offers fresh seasonal produce in the Pacific Northwest, remaining open throughout the week, with brunch available on the weekends.
One of Tusk’s bestsellers is its Grain Bowl – a dish that combines sprouted barley, vegetables, dukkah, egg, avocado, and argan oil.
Hours:
- Wednesday and Thursday: 5 pm – 9 pm
- Friday and Saturday: 5 pm – 10 pm
- Sunday: 5 pm – 9 pm
Notes:
- Tusk is a no-cash establishment
- Tusk accepts groups of seven people
- Tusk has a service charge of 20%
- People aren’t required to show proof of vaccination
- The bar offers Happy Hour, which is available from 5 pm to 6 pm
G-Love
A restaurant in Portland that prides itself as the first ‘reverse steakhouse,’ G-Love offers vegetables as the main dish.
Located in Northwest Portland, G-Love has vegetables harvested at their peak, delivering on the fresh factor that many love.
The restaurant takes its vegetables from Old Moon Farm — a farm G-Love has a special working relationship as its cooks also double as farm employees.
While vegetables are offered as the main dishes, the restaurant doesn’t consider itself a vegetarian establishment, offering meat on the side.
Hours:
- Wednesday and Thursday: 4 pm – 9 pm
- Friday and Saturday: 4 pm – 10 pm
- Sunday: 4 pm – 9 pm
Luc Lac
A downtown restaurant in Portland, Luc Lac is a Vietnamese establishment that prides itself on delivering top-quality food at meager prices.
Luc Lac offers plenty of options on its menu, including chicken curry with vegetables and a large portion of honey chicken with rice and spring rolls.
The restaurant also offers large portions of its secret family recipe pho that goes best with its cocktails, beer, and wine.
Hours:
- Lunch: every day, 11 am – 2:30 pm
- Dinner: every day, 4 pm – 11 pm
Notes
- Limited street parking
- First-come, first-serve
- Groups will have to be complete upon arrival to order; otherwise, they will have to wait
- Incomplete groups cannot order ahead of time
Bhuna
Bhuna takes the crown as one of the best Indian restaurants in Northwest Portland.
Patrons are treated to a menu with a wide variety of unique dishes with Pacific Northwest ingredients.
The Kashmiri Tomato & Eggplant rice bowl brings Indian eggplant fried and stewed with tomato, Kashmiri spices, and mustard oil to create a unique taste.
It also has one of the best happy hours in the city, starting as early as 11 am and ending at 6 pm every day.
Bhuna’s happy hour gives customers discounts on beer, rice bowls, and wine.
Hours:
- Wednesday – Saturday: 11 am – 9 pm
- Sunday: 12 pm – 8 pm
Note:
- Bhuna offers dine-in, take-out, and delivery
Hunnymilk
Hunnymilk may be the most unique restaurant on this list as it offers sweets.
Found in West Portland, Hunnymilk gives people with a sweet tooth something to enjoy.
The restaurant’s menu reflects the chef’s love for sugar as they produce a unique selection that includes almond shortbread, astronaut strawberries, vanilla bean crepe with lemon-orange curd, and whipped ricotta cream, among many others.
The sweetness extends to Hunnymilk’s drinks. Additionally, customers can get a treat for the flat price of $26, which will get them a drink, a savory item, and a sweet item.
Hunnymilk serves brunch at the following hours:
- Wednesday and Thursday: 9 am – 2 pm
- Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 8 am – 2 pm
Notes:
- First-come, first-serve
- The maximum group capacity is six people
Screen Door Restaurant
Brunch is one of the people’s favorite meals, and Screen Door takes the crown as Portland’s best weekend brunch spot.
Screen Door is well-known for offering Southern cooking and a menu that lets anyone enjoy their meals, whether it’s a simple meal or an exquisite one.
Some of the restaurant’s bestsellers include their fried buttermilk-battered chicken, Low Country shrimp and grits, and the Carolina pulled pork.
Screen Door’s menu may showcase heavy meals, but it also includes light options with salads and vegetable dishes.
Hours:
- Brunch: every day, 9 am – 2:30 pm
- Dinner: every day, 5 pm – 9 pm
Notes:
- Reservations are required
- Weekend brunches are often full
Gumba
Portland is renowned for its food carts, but Gumba may be the best cart in Northeast Portland.
The quality of its food is so good that many can’t believe it isn’t a full-blown restaurant.
Gumba offers fresh food on its menu, another unique entity in the cart’s business model.
While other restaurants retain a consistent selection, the chef at Gumba strives for creativity, which means the items on the menu vary.
However, hand-cut pasta dishes are a permanent fixture on Gumba’s menu.
One of the bestselling pasta dishes is the Tagliatelle Carbonara.
The dish is topped with homemade burrata that combines cheese, fried candied shallots, breadcrumbs, chili oil, and sesame seeds interweaved throughout the past, making it one of Gumba’s standout dishes.
Hours:
- Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays: 4:30 pm – 9:30 pm
- Fridays and Saturdays: 4:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Notes:
- Gumba tends to sell out regularly, so don’t visit too late in the day
- Open for dine-in or delivery
- The Gumba Facebook page updates customers on its spontaneous season dishes of the day
Podnah’s Pit Barbecue
Podnah’s Pit Barbecue is among the best barbecue restaurants in Portland.
The barbecue establishment is renowned for its fresh, honest slow-smoked barbecue made Texas-style.
Whereas other restaurants use electricity, gas, or charcoal for their barbecues, Podnah’s Pit uses 100% oak hardwood.
As a result, the restaurant boasts some of the best briskets, pulled pork, prime ribs, and sausages, among many other selections, in the area.
Podnah’s Pit offers surprisingly large servings that are big enough for two people to share.
The restaurant offers a variety of unique cocktail creations, including its Dr. Salty Pepper.
Dr. Salty Pepper brings a plethora of flavors, including Aria gin, grapefruit, lime juice, Peychaud’s bitters, and a salted rim, to create a unique cocktail.
Hours:
- Wednesday – Sunday: 12 pm – 8 pm
Notes:
- Closes early if sold out
- Offers a daily special (prone to selling out fast)
- Offers a Tex-Mex BBQ brunch every weekend
Quaintrelle
Outdoor dining is often a welcome feature for restaurants, and Quaintrelle is one of the best restaurants in Portland to offer outdoor dining.
The restaurant has an expansive lush outdoor patio with an exquisite selection from its menu to reflect the charming ambiance.
Quaintrelle’s menu tends to change seasonally but retains locally sourced ingredients.
Thanks to Chef Riley, the Quaintrelle is able to thrive. Known for mixing global and Pacific Northwest ingredients, Chef Riley often creates elegant dishes with the best offering of the season.
The restaurant also offers appetizers that highlight the current harvest, providing patrons with a variety of choices, including sweet potato and broccoli tempura, chili honey, and smoked pecorino.
Hours:
- Wednesday – Sunday: 5 pm – 10 pm
Notes:
- Reservation needed
- Proof of vaccination is required
- Face masks are optional
Can Font
Foreign cuisine is always welcome in Portland, and one of the best restaurants that offer international selections is Can Font.
A gem in the Pearl district, Can Font has a colorful selection of Catalan-inspired meals courtesy of Barcelona native Josep Vidal.
Vidal introduces patrons to Spanish-inspired dishes that highlight wild fish, local meats, and the best produce the season has to offer.
Among the most unique dishes that Can Font offers are the Squid Ink Paella, Saltejat de Bolets amb Pop i Llagostins (Seasonal Mushrooms, Octopus, and Langostinos), and Vieres amb Pop Poelé (Scallops, Octopus, Celery Root Chips, Iberico Ham, Creamy Peas).
Hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 5 pm – 10 pm
Notes:
- The restaurant is closed on Sundays and holidays
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