Eating & Drinking in Portland

This Portland doughnut stop takes doughnut making to a whole new level. I'm not sure there's another store in the country that does what they do with fried batter and sugar. And it's the type of distinctly Pacific Northwestern joint that you can only find in a place like Portland. You must try their signature Voodoo Doughnut, which is gingerbread man-shaped, with a pretzel stick stabbed through its abdomen and red jelly "blood" filling. Yeah, this is definitely not Krsipy Kreme.

Just looking at the menu of this pizza joint makes your mouth water. The Bacon Bianca, with mozzarella, pecorino romano, fresh garlic, herbs, black pepper, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and house made bacon? Does a pizza get any better than that? These guys are masters of balancing ingredients and making a crust that's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. And for a pie less than $25, you'll likely have plenty of leftovers.

This West Burnside gem of a dive bar feels like a country western joint, but you won't find any cowboy boots or Merle Haggard on the jukebox here. You're more apt to hear DJs spinning classic or indie rock. The place is usually packed late with an uber trendy crowd, so if dealing with aloof hipsters in skinny jeans and Chuck Taylors isn't your thing, you may want to steer clear of this place after 9. But if you feel like getting some decent bar food earlier in the evening, you should be fine.

The fresh, mostly organic ingredients are key to this cozy, dinner-style breakfast spot in downtown Portland. The pancakes and omlettes have a near legendary status amongst locals. And unlike many of its hipster counterparts, the service here is genuinely friendly and attentive. The outdoor patio is a big hit in the summertime.

This old school seafood joint has been around since 1892 and maintained a solid reputation as one of the best restaurants in Portland since. They specialized in crawfish, but just about all the seafood items, many of which are fished locally, stand out. As do the portion sizes. The meals are a tad on the expensive side, but locals love the cheap happy hour specials that focus on classic cocktails.

The Doug Fir Lounge just might be Portland’s crown jewel. This perfectly sized music venue has everything to offer. The sound is top notch and the venue has multiple bars with reasonably priced and creatively named cocktails. Let’s not forget the amazing restaurant upstairs, and an adjacent hotel to limp to after you’ve grown tired of listening to the many national touring bands gracing its stage. Not to mention, this place is decorated like a retro log cabin. Abe Lincoln would be jealous.

American style food from this vegetarian/vegan diner.

Their breakfasts are great, pancakes, french toast, etc. For lunch they have burgers and sandwiches.

Open 8am-9pm daily.