Potlatch 16

Restaurant Guide

Welcome to Portland, the home of more breweries than any other city in the world (and probably more Toyota Prius hybrids per capita than any place outside of Japan).

The local restaurants are mostly grouped along two corridors, each consisting of a pair of one-way streets: Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd & Grand Ave run north/south (with the convention hotel between them); and Broadway & Weidler Street, which run east/west a few blocks north of the hotel. Within these corridors, you’ll find dozens of restaurants, including three Ethiopian, four Thai (plus Chinese/Thai and Vietnamese/Thai), five sushi restaurants (not counting Newport Grill’s sushi bar or the sushi bar at Safeway)…and a representative of nearly all of the national fast food outlets. (The list below only mentions the closest of these–Starbuck’s, of course, are required by law to be located no more than three blocks apart in the Pacific Northwest.)

Most of the restaurants below are within walking distance (arbitrarily defined as "within one mile"). As always, hours (and the restaurant names) are subject to change. None of the restaurants listed will require dress more formal than a shirt and jeans. (Portland is a casual town.) Several of the restaurants along Broadway are in remodeled houses (including all the Thai restaurants, coincidentally), meaning there may be stairs to climb to get to the food.

Note: Portland is a 10-digit dialing city, so be sure to include the area code (either "503" or "971") when you call any of these locations.


Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd/Grand Ave Corridor (South to North)

Café 10-2-1 (the Red Lion hotel restaurant):
Breakfast: (M-F) 6AM-11AM; (Sa-Sun) 7AM-11AM; Lunch (all days): 11AM-2PM; Dinner (all days): 5PM-9PM.

Starbuck’s:
1035 MLK (across the street from the hotel). M-Sa: 5AM-9PM; Su: 6AM-9PM. Drive-through is open one hour later.

NE MLK Restaurants

Burgerville USA:
1135 MLK (across the street from the hotel. Not your everyday fast food restaurant–this local chain has an emphasis on fresh local food and high quality beef that has gained it mentions in the New York Times and several national food magazines. M-F: 6AM-10PM; Sa-Su: 7AM-10PM

Denny’s:
425 NE Hassalo (across the street from the hotel). All days: 6AM-1AM

Red Robin ("America’s Gourmet Burgers & Spirits"):
1139 NE Grand Ave (Grand & Multnomah). Fancy hamburgers and "cute" drinks. Su-Th: 11AM-10PM; F-Sa: 11AM-11PM

Subway Sandwiches & Salads
1211 NE MLK (MLK & Multnomah). Submarine sandwich shop. M-Th: 8AM-10PM; F-Sa: 8AM-11PM; Su: 9AM-9PM.

Wendy’s Old-Fashioned Hamburgers
1421 NE Grand Ave (Grand/MLK & Clackamas). The national burger chain that’s not McDonald’s or Burger King. All days: 10AM-11PM; drive-up open until 2AM.

McDonald’s
1502 NE Grand (Grand & Weidler). Wherever you go, there they are. M-Sa: 5AM-11PM; Su: 6AM-11PM; Drive-up open 24 hrs.


Broadway/Weidler St Corridor (West to East)

Mashita Teriyaki
1612 NE 6th (next to Radio Shack). Small Japanese diner. M-F: 11AM-8PM.

Burger King
632 NE Weidler (7th & Weidler). The other big burger chain. M-Th: 6AM-11AM; F-Sa: 6AM-Midnight; Su: 7AM-11PM; Drive-up open 24hrs.

Chipotle Mexican Grill
710 NE Weidler (7th & Weidler). Very good "fresh-Mex" style restaurant, specializing in various types of burritos. All days: 11AM-10PM

KFC (aka "Kentucky Fried Chicken") 707 NE Weidler (7th & Weidler). Fast food chicken. All days: 10:30AM-10PM

Taco Bell
725 NE Weidler (8th & Weidler). Fast food Mexican. All days: 9AM-10PM; drive-up open 24hrs.

Mudai Ethiopian Restaurant
801 NE Broadway St. One of four Ethiopian restaurants within a short distance of the convention. Tu-Su: Noon-10PM

Eagle Thai
822 NE Broadway. Unremarkable Thai restaurant. M-F 11AM-9:30PM; Sa: 11:30-9:30PM.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery
825 NE Weidler (9th & Weidler). A California pizza chain that moved into Oregon and learned how to brew beer. (They do it quite well, too.) The closest microbrewery/brewpub to the convention, they serve a lot more than just pizza. Su-Th: 11AM-10PM; F-Sa: 11AM-11PM.

China Sai-Gon
835 NE Broadway. Pioneer Portland Vietnamese restaurant (as "Saigon Kitchen") that got its start as a food cart in Saturday Market, this Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant has seen better days. M-Sa: 11AM-10PM; Su: Noon-10PM.

Sushi Mania
914 NE Broadway. This sushi restaurant seems to have finally found a name they liked (for a while, they were changing their name every year or so . M-Th: (Lunch) 11:30AM-2:30PM; (Dinner) 4:30PM-10PM; F: 11:30AM-11PM; Sa: 3M-11PM; Su: 3M-9:30PM.

Abol Café 923 NE Broadway. Small Ethiopian café. Tu-Su: (Lunch) 11AM-3PM; (Dinner) 5PM-10PM.

Marsee Baking/Tully’s Coffee
935 NE Broadway (10th & Broadway). Coffee, pastry and sandwich shop. No hours listed.

Village Inn
1621 NE 10th Ave (10th & Broadway). National pancake house chain. M: 6AM-8PM; Tu-Sa: 6AM-9PM; Su: 7AM-8PM.

The Orient
1025 NE Broadway (11th & Broadway). Ho-hum Chinese restaurant. M-Th: 11AM-10:30PM; F: 11AM-11:30PM; Sa: Noon-11:30PM; Su: Noon-10:30PM.

Quizno’s Subs
1139 NE Broadway. Standard submarine sandwich chain. M-Th: 10AM-8PM; F-Sa: 10AM-9PM; Su: 11AM-8PM.

Newport Seafood Grill
1200 NE Broadway. A sister to Stanford’s, this seafood restaurant opened a bit over a year ago, and is definitely one of the best in the neighborhood, certainly the best seafood restaurant in this part of town. The menu features a broad range of prices and a broad selection of seafood, meats and pasta. And that’s not counting their oyster and sushi bars. 503-493-0100. Su-Th: 11AM-10PM; F-Sa: 11AM-11PM. Happy hour: 3PM-6PM every day.

Yuki's

Milo’s City Café
1325 NE Broadway. Pleasant neighborhood dining place. Limited menu, but prepared pretty well–the breakfasts are excellent. Nice wine selection. M-F: (Breakfast) 6:30AM-11AM; (Lunch) 11AM-2:30PM; (Dinner) 4:30PM-9:30PM; Sa-Sun: (Breakfast) 7:30AM-2:30PM; (Dinner) 4:30PM-9:30PM.

Yuki Japanese Restaurant
1337 NE Broadway. Broad selection of Japanese food (not just sushi), prepared very well. They also have outlets in NW Portland and in the riverfront marina district, but this one is within walking distance of the hotel. M-Th: 11:30AM-10PM; F-Sa: 11:30AM-10:30PM; Su: Noon-9:30PM.

Panda Express 1403 NE Weidler. Fast food Chinese. Su-Th: 11AM-9PM; F-Sa: 11AM-9:30PM.

Marinepolis Sushi Land
1409 NE Weidler. Small sushi café. All days: 11AM-9PM.

Noodles & Company
1445 NE Weidler. Noodle and pasta dishes from sevral cuisines. Su-W: 11AM-9PM; Th-Sa: 11AM-10PM.

Chai Yo
1411 NE Broadway. Reasonably good Thai restaurant. 503-287-0505M-Th: 11AM-9:30PM; F: 11AM-10PM; Sa: Noon-10PM; Su: Noon-9PM.

Pastini Pastaria

Pizza Schmizza
1422 NE Broadway. Great place to stop by for a slice or two, or to pick up a take-out pizza to take back to the convention. M-Th: 11AM-9PM; F-Sa: 11AM-10PM; Su: Noon-9PM.

Pastini Pastaria
1426 NE Broadway. Pleasant neighborhood Italian restaurant (a small local chain) that does a big business in take-out food. Very basic menu, emphasizing various types of pasta. M-Th: 11:30AM-9PM; F-Sa: 11:30AM-10PM; Su: 4PM-9PM.

Grand Central Bakery and Café 1444 NE Weidler (15th & Weidler). Grand Central is one of the best bread bakeries in town, and this outpost also features sandwiches and soup (and coffee, of course). A popular neighborhood gathering place on the weekends during breakfast and lunch. All days: 7AM-6PM.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar
1439 NE Halsey (around the corner from 15th & Weidler). National casual dining chain (i.e. nothing special). Su-Th: 11AM-11PM; F-Sa: 11AM-Midnight.

Peet’s Coffee
1441 NE Broadway. Coffee and sandwich shop. M-Th: 6AM-8PM; F: 6AM-9PM; Sa: 6:30AM-9PM; Su: 7AM-7PM.

Aztec Willie's

Aztec Willie/Jose Rose Taqueria
1501 NE Broadway. Very limited menu Mexican restaurant, with wireless internet access. No hours listed.

Koji Osakaya
1502 NE Weidler. Part of a small local chain that includes some of the better sushi restaurants in town. Su-Th: 11:30AM-10PM; F-Sa: 11:30AM-11PM.

McMenamins on Broadway
1504 NE Broadway. The McMenamin brothers are local legends in the microbrewers fields. Almost single-handedly, they convinced Oregon legislators in the 80s to change the law to allow brewpubs and since then, they’ve built a small empire of brewpubs and local pubs throughout Oregon and Washington. The closest outlet is only a pub, with no brewing on the premises, but it’s a good opportunity to try their classics such as Terminator Stout, Hammerhead, Ruby and Black Rabbit Porter.M-Sa: 11AM-1AM; Su: Noon-Midnight

Broadway Grill & Brewery
1700 NE Broadway. 503-284-4460. This corner location may be incurably jinxed. Five restaurants have come and gone during the last 15 years, and Broadway Grill seems to be working hard to raise that number to six. A new outpost of the westside Old Market Pub, this seemed like a great fit when it opened. However, they match their mediocre food and beer with oustandingly bad service. They’ve been promising for months that they were expanding their menu "soon", but in all it seems like a lost cause. Wonder what restaurant #7 will look like. All days: 11AM - ?.

Helen Bernhard Bakery
1717 NE Broadway. For more than 80 years (starting in a house next to the current building), this bakery has been producing cakes, pies and pastries. There isn’t any on-site eating space, but it should satisfy your sweet tooth. M-Sa: 6AM-6PM; Su: 8AM-3PM.

Cadillac Café
1801 NE Broadway. Probably the hottest breakfast place in Portland, it’s always jammed on weekends. Highly recommended…if you can get in. M-F: 6AM-2:30PM; Sa-Su: 7AM-3PM.

Collosso Restaurant and Tapas
1932 NE Broadway. 503-288-3333. Spanish cuisine and tapas. Su-Th: 5PM-Midnight; F-Sa: 5PM-2AM.

Thai Pod
2015 NE Broadway. 503-493-1122. A former sushi location is now a small Thai restauarant (because heaven knows, four Thai restaurants in a dozen blocks along Broadway isn't nearly enough). Lunch (M-Sa) 11AM-3PM; Dinner: (Su-Th) 4:30PM-9:00PM; (F-Sa) 4:30PM-9:30PM.

Hugo's
2030 NE Broadway. Small soup and lunch café, with some Mexican entrees. M-Sa: 8:30AM-6PM.

Chez José East
2200 NE Broadway. Popular neighborhood Mexican restaurant. M-Th: 4PM-11PM; F-Sa: 4PM-Midnight (Happy Hour menu only during last hour M-Sa); Su: 5PM-10PM. Happy hour (all days): 4PM-6PM; 9PM-closing.

Costello’s Travel Caffé
2222 NE Broadway. Coffeehouse, serving sandwiches and wireless Internet service. M-W: 7AM-9PM; Th-F: 7AM-10PM; Sa: 8AM-10PM; Su: 9AM-5PM.

Upper NE Broadway

Blue Nile Café
2225 NE Broadway. Probably the best of the nearby Ethiopian restaurants, it’s nearly always full. M-Sa: 11AM-9:30PM.

Meiji-Em
2226 NE Broadway. Sushi and teriyaki (and other Japanese dishes) restaurant that's been getting some good reviews. Lunch(M-Sa): 11:30AM-2PM; Dinner(M-Sa): 4:30PM-10PM; Su: 4:30PM-9:30PM.

Rose & Thistle
2314 NE Broadway. A Scottish-style pub with burgers and appetizing pub food. This is a bar, so there is smoking at the front, but the dining room in the back is non-smoking. (The patio outside is pleasant, but probably not practical in early March.) All days: Noon-2:30AM.


Lloyd Center

One of the largest shopping centers in Oregon is within a few blocks of the convention hotel. Over 100 stores, of nearly every type and price, a large food court–plus an ice skating rink! What more could you want?

Stanford’s 913 Lloyd Center (9th & Multnomah). Specializes in wood-grilled meats and fish. Good food, but this particular outlet tends to have slow service. Local chain, sister to Newport Grill (see Broadway/Weidler corridor above). (503) 335-0811. Su-Th: 11AM-11PM; F-Sa: 11AM-Midnight; Happy Hour: 3PM-6PM (all days).

Lloyd Center Food Court In the center of Lloyd Center, of the third floor. Good selection of fast and casual food. There are also some other food outlets scattered throughout the mall, including Cinnabon.


Nearby (a car ride)

Arabian Breeze
3233 NE Broadway. 504-445-4700. Fairly new Middle-Eastern restaurant from a family that runs three other popular outlets in town, all of them different. Long tables can handle larger groups, but it does fill up quite often. Good, inexpensive food, plenty of vegetarian choices, no alcohol (but there’s a hookah bar out back). Cash only. Tu-Sa: 11AM-9PM; Su: Noon-9PM.

Henry’s 12th Street Tavern
10 NW 12th Ave. Combine pub food, pan-asian cuisine, fresh seafood, pizza and traditional American comfort food (like macaroni and cheese, and meatloaf). Put it in a 100+ year-old-brewery building, formerly used by Blitz Weinhard. And, oh yes, add over 100 different beers on tap. You end up with Henry’s 12th Street Tavern (which, despite the name, is on 12th Avenue). This restaurant is a sister to Newport Grill and Stanford’s, but it has no more resemblance to those restaurants than actor Randy Quaid does to his actor brother Dennis. This joint has been hoppin’ from the day it opened, and well deserves a visit. Su-Th: 11AM-11PM; F-Sa: 11AM-Mid.

Higgins Restaurant and Bar
1239 SW Broadway (downtown Portland). It’s hard to say what’s more impressive about Higgins: is it the long list of awards, the impressive list of Belgian beers, or is it the great meals prepared with Pacific Northwest ingredients? Whichever it is (probably all three), this is one of the best restaurants in Portland. Reservations strongly suggested. (503) 222-9070. M-F: 11:30AM-Mid; Sa: 4PM-2:30AM; Su: 4PM-Mid.

Lagniappe
1934 NE Alberta. This casual Cajun eatery quickly outgrew its minuscule building on NE Broadway, and moved to trendy NE Alberta this last summer (and much closer to us, so we're very happy). Tu-Th: 11AM-8PM; F: 11AM-9PM; Sa: Noon-9PM.

McCormick & Schmick’s
235 SW 1st Ave. This Portland-based chain has been busy expanding to cities all over the country and chances are you’ve seen it in your home town. But this is the original, and it still has the best seafood in town (and it's still locally-owned). On the light rail line, a free trip from the hotel. But be prepared for a long dinner–reservations definitely recommended. (503) 224-7522. M-Th: 11:30AM-10PM; F: 11:30AM-11PM; Sa: Noon-11PM; Su: 4PM-10PM.

Pour
2755 NE Broadway. Wine bar with a large wine list. M-Sa: Noon-2AM.

Queen of Sheba
2413 NE MLK. This Ethiopian restaurant has been getting some good reviews. Lunch: Th-Sa: Noon-3PM; Dinner: All days: 5PM-10PM.

Sal’s Famous Italian Kitchen
2731 N Killingsworth. This Italian restaurant was expected to be a pleasant neighborhood eatery–but word of its excellent food spread fast and people are now heading in that direction from all over town. The opening of another outlet on the west side of downtown hasn’t slowed down the crowds here (we like the down home feeling of this branch a lot more than their fancier west side branch). It’s not a complex menu, but the food is excellent. We’ve liked everything we’ve tried, including the pizza. M-Th: 11AM-9PM; F-Sa: 11:30AM-9:30PM; Su: Noon-9PM.

Sweet Basil Thai 3135 NE Broadway. This is definitely the best of the Thai restaurants along Broadway, but it’s a very long walk (or short drive or bus ride) from the con. Reservations recommended (it’s pretty small). (503) 281-8337. Lunch (M-F): 11:30AM-2:30PM; Dinner: (Su-Th) 5PM-9PM; (F-Sa) 5PM-10PM.

Wong’s King Seafood
8733 SE Division St. This jewel of a Cantonese restaurant out in the flatlands of outer SE Portland is very likely the best Chinese restaurant in town. It specializes in seafood dishes, but also gets raves for its dim sum lunches. And you’ll be astonished on how low the bill is when you get your check. Highly recommended. (503) 788-8883. Su-Th: 10:30AM-11PM; F-Sa: 10:30AM-Mid; Dim Sum: 10:30AM-3PM daily.

East 28th Avenue

From NE Glisan St to SE Ankeny St (six blocks), 28th Ave is filled with interesting restaurants, too many to list here. Cuisines include Cuban, Mexican, Italian, Chinese (and a nice gelato shop).

NE Alberta

Twenty years ago, NE Alberta was a place you wouldn’t want to be caught dead at (mostly because several people were). Now, it’s a mile-long avenue of shops, galleries and great restaurants (and Mash Tun hopes to start brewing their own beer early next year). A few blocks away is Concordia Ale House, with over 100 beers in bottles and dozens on draft (including a long list of Belgians).

North Mississippi

Another area of inner N/NE Portland that’s undergone a spectacular renaissance, North Mississippi is now the home to eclectic shops, interesting restaurants and (when it’s not raining) parents walking with their families. Lorenzo’s is a wonderful Italian café, Mississippi Pizza Pub serves good pizza (and live music) and Amnesia is serving their beer. New restaurants seems to be opening weekly.

Nearby Brewpubs.

Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world (28 at last count, but that was at least a month ago). Besides BJ’s (above), here are six nearby breweries that are worth the trip (all are only a 10-15 minute drive from the hotel):

Widmer’s Gasthaus
955 N Russell. The Widmer Brothers are pioneers in Oregon’s craft brewing industry, and their Hefeweizen outsells every other draft beer in the state (yes, even Bud and Miller). The Gasthaus features German-influenced food, with Pacific Northwestern touches, and close to two dozen of their beers on tap. Su-Th: 11AM-10PM (bar open to 11PM); F-Sa: 11AM-11PM (bar open to 1AM).

5th Quadrant
3901-B N WIlliams. Part of the "New Old Lompoc" family of pubs, this brewpub opened early last year. The menu isn't extensive, but the food is good–and the beer is outstanding. Very pleasant neighborhood gathering spot. M-Th: 11AM-Midnight; F-Sa: 11AM-10PM; closed Sunday.

Alameda Brewhouse
4765 NE Fremont.The Alameda Brewery is located in the restaurant row of upper Fremont Street, and had been a popular neighborhood gathering spot since it opened in 1996. They produce excellent beers, and pretty good food also. Can handle large groups. Su-Th: 11AM-11PM; F-Sa: 11AM-Mid.

Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
1728 NE 40th Ave (in the Hollywood district). Laurelwood was named Best Small Brewpub at the 2004 World Beer Cup awards, and for good reason. It’s an extremely popular neighborhood gathering spot (very child-friendly), and they’ve won numerous awards for their beer. (We eat there regularly.) They will be opening a much larger restaurant (and brewery) later this spring a short distance away and they'll make this a pizza parlor (and still serve the same great beers.) The numerous TVs can be distracting, but they don’t have the sound on. They will take reservations for groups of eight or more. (503) 282-0622. M-F: 11AM-Mid; Sa-Su: 10AM-Mid. (Breakfast served 10AM-3PM on weekends.)

Roots Organic Brewing
1520 SE 7th Ave. Roots is one of the newest entries on the Portland beer scene and they started out great. The food is minimal (deli sandwiches, small pizzas from Hot Lips pizza, and snacks), but the beer is outstanding (and it’s all organic, of course). Stop by and order a round of tasters. M-Th: 3PM-11:30PM; F: 3PM-12:30AM; Sa: Noon-1AM; Su: Noon-9PM; Happy hour: (M-F) 3PM-6PM.

Lucky Labrador Brewing Company
915 SE Hawthorne Blvd. The Lucky Lab was featured recently in an article on Portland in the New York Times, and they are one of the best breweries in Portland. The food menu is fairly light (sandwiches, soup and bento skewers), but it’s been a popular gathering space for Portland fans since they opened more than a decade ago. (They also have outposts in NW and SW Portland.) M-Sa: 11AM-Mid; Su: Noon-10PM.

Other Services

Note: In Oregon, hard liquor (whiskey, vodka, etc.) must be purchased in the state-run liquor store. However, beer and wine can be purchased in any grocery store, such as the nearby Safeway or Fred Meyer. ATM: Electra Credit Union (actually, it’s now "Advantis", but the ATM still says "Electra"), Liberty Center 600 NE Holladay (next to the First Technology Credit Union branch). The closest bank-connected ATM to the convention. There are several other bank branches in or near Lloyd Center, including Key Bank at 825 NE Multnomah.

Parking: Besides the hotel parking structure, for which the hotel is charging $4 a day, there are numerous parking lots (charging $5 on weekends) within a block or two of the convention: Grand & Oregon, Grand & Pacific, 6th & Irving, 6th & Multnomah, 7th & Multnomah.

Powell’s City of Books: 1005 W Burnside. 9AM-11PM daily. The largest bookstore in North America, Powell’s City of Books is a Portland legend. (And don’t forget–they have five other stores in the area, including at Portland International Airport.) It’s about two miles from the hotel, and there are a couple of ways to get there using Portland’s light rail system (this is all within the downtown free zone):

Anzen: 736 NE MLK (MLK & Oregon). A local Japanese grocery, within walking distance of the convention, with all kinds of fun stuff. M-Sa: 9AM-6:30PM; Su: Noon-5PM.

Great Wine Buys: 1515 NE Broadway. No hours posted.

Fred Meyer: 3030 NE Weidler (driving distance). The closest outlet of this "one-stop shopping" chain of stores (started right here in Portland, but long ago sold to a national chain) has one of the best wine selections in town. All days: 7AM-11PM.

Kinko’s: 1605 NE 7th (7th & Weidler). Open 24hrs.

Liquor Store: 1621 NE 9th. M-W: 10AM-7PM; Th-Sa: 10AM-8PM.

Portland Mac Store: 700 NE Multnomah.

Radio Shack: 1606 NE 6th Ave (6th & Weidler). For those emergency electronics needs. M-F: 9AM-8PM; Sa: 9AM-9PM; Su: 10AM-7PM.

Safeway: 1100 NE Broadway. Full-service grocery store, including beer, wine, sushi, deli and pharmacy. All days: 6AM-1AM.

Trader Joe’s: 4218 NE Sandy Blvd (driving distance, or take the #77 bus from the hotel to within two blocks of the store–cost is $1.70 each way). All days: 9AM-9PM.

Walgreen’s: 1620 NE Grand (Grand & Weidler). M-F: 7AM-10PM; Sa-Su: 8AM-10PM. Pharmacy: M-F: 8AM-10PM; Sa: 9AM-6PM; Su: 10AM-6PM.