A Local's Guide to Portland, Oregon
- ablondewithabrew
- Mar 19, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 19
The beer, food, and activities I always recommend to someone visiting Portland, Oregon.
People often message me on Instagram asking for Portland recommendations. Most often, these are for breweries, but occasionally, people want me to elaborate beyond just the beer. Below are the places and things I most often recommend to someone (particularly a beer lover) visiting Portland, Oregon.
Beer
Let's just jump right into the topic I'm most often messaged for recommendations. I have the breweries and beer bars listed below clustered by location.
Southeast/Central Eastside
Southeast Portland
Northwest Portland
Another Ruse Brewing location is here too!
Northeast Portland
Commensal Fermentation - get their homemade sourdough. Trust me.
Great Notion, Baerlic, and Function all also have NE locations
Food
I am not a foodie and do not dine out often. The restaurants I recommend are the places I most enjoy frequenting when I do dine out. Some of these I also recommend because they're in close proximity to other places I suggest, which I will mention when this applies. Several breweries in Portland have good food options too. Also, don't be shy about trying any food cart around the city. I highlighted a few of those below too.
Afuri Izakaya (Japanese) - three Portland locations, but I most often visit the one right next door to Living Haus Beer Co.
Cookie McCakeFace - A food cart with the BEST cookies. Only open Monday - Friday afternoons.
Murata (Japanese) - the most authentic Japanese food I have had outside of Japan. I typically order sushi. Make a reservation by phone prior to visiting.
PDX Sliders (burgers) - the Southeast Portland location has a good draft beer list. The Hawthorne is my favorite burger in Portland.
Cibo (Italian) - Portland has so much good Italian food. This is one of my favorites, and it's in a great neighborhood in Southeast Portland.
Serrato (Italian) - One more Italian restaurant I love on the other side of town from my previous recommendation.
The Turning Peel - Neapolitan-style pizza made with a sourdough crust.
Luc Lac (Vietnamese) - downtown Portland, casual, and delicious.
Blue Star Donuts - better than VooDoo
Eem - Thai BBQ and tropical beverages. Get the white curry with brisket burnt ends. Arrive early or prepare to wait as they don't accept reservations.
Nostrana - more upscale Italian with a menu that changes daily
Ken's Artisan Pizza - closest to Naples outside of Italy that I've eaten. I also recommend their bakery.
Khao San (Thai) - close to Powell's Books
Salt and Straw (ice cream) - worth the hype, expect a line. They let you taste as many flavors as you want before purchasing. There's one across the street from Function.
Good Coffee (coffee) - one of my favorite local coffee shops. Hard to go wrong with local Portland coffee. Just try something besides Starbucks when here.
Never Coffee Lab (coffee) - my favorite local coffee shop. I recommend the Oregon. It is actually made with Cascade hops.
Midtown Beer Garden (food carts) - Over 25 food carts and a Fracture Brewing beer truck. I particularly enjoy Tokyo Sando and Stretch the Noodle (only open weekdays for lunch).
Tulip Shop Tavern (bar food) - Although listed under food (they were recently voted best burger in Portland), Tulip Shop Tavern is also worth the visit for their curated craft beer list.
Activities
There is more to Portland than just beer (I swear). Here are the activities and places I recommend between your beers and meals in town.
Powell's Books - literally my favorite place in Portland. Used and new books and great place for souvenirs. I think this is worth multiple stops to really explore the entire shop.
Rent a Bike - Various bike shops in the city offer bike rentals and there is also the Biketown bike share system all throughout the city with easy to rent E-bikes. I recommend a ride along the waterfront.
Multnomah Falls - easier to get to with a car, but not impossible without. I recommend going earlier in the day to avoid crowds.
Explore Washington Park - this 410 acre forest park is located next to Downtown Portland and is easily accessible by train, bus, or even by foot. It is the home of the International Rose Test Garden, where from late May until October, there are over 600 different varieties of roses to be enjoyed for free. I also particularly enjoy the Portland Japanese Garden, the Oregon Zoo (don't miss the elephants), and the over 15 miles of hiking trails. You can absolutely forget you are in the city when in the middle of this forest.
Visit a farmers market - with several all across Portland, these markets truly provide that Portlandia-esque experience with local produce and farmers showing off the hens that laid their eggs. I particularly enjoy the PSU Farmers Market on Saturdays.
Cathedral Park - a park along the Willamette River in North Portland with incredible views of the St. John's Bridge
Explore/Shop different neighborhoods/streets - streets full of shops and restaurants worth checking out on foot include NW 23rd Ave, Alberta Street and Mississippi Ave. in Northeast Portland, Hawthorne and Division Streets in Southeast Portland. Each one has some breweries and/or beer bars too.
Save this post for your next vacation to Portland, Oregon and share it with your friends (especially beer lovers) coming to visit Portland too.
If you're familiar with Portland, Oregon, what would you have included on these lists that I didn't? Let me know in the comments.