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Portland 38 Must Eats

1. Pok Pok

3226 SE Division St (at SE 32nd Ave), Portland, OR
Thai Restaurant · 310 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Classically trained chef Andy Ricker is now a certified empire-builder, but it’s worth a trip here if you want to never look at Thai food the same way again. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

2. Bröder Cafe

8.9
2508 SE Clinton St (at SE 25th Ave), Portland, OR
Scandinavian Restaurant · 82 tips and reviews

EaterEater: If Alvar aalto and Betty Crocker had a love child, it would be this Southeast Clinton Scandinavian place. Broder’s brunch is the most inventive in Portland. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

3. Smallwares

4605 NE Fremont St (NE 46th Avenue), Portland, OR
Restaurant · 18 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Chef Johanna Ware brings a NY sensibility to her NE spot Smallwares. She even manages to put a spin on the ever-ubiquitous kale by deep-frying it and serving with a minty fish sauce. [Eater Member 38]

4. Nong’s Khao Man Gai

9.3
609 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214, Portland, OR
Thai Restaurant · 121 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Of course, Nong's addictive signature dish, a Thai take on Hainan chicken, takes center stage, here and at Nong's two food cart locations, at SW Alder and at the PSU cart pod. [Eater 38 Member]

5. Ox

9.1
2225 NE M L King Blvd (btw NE Thompson & Sacramento St), Portland, OR
Argentinian Restaurant · 79 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Though meat hitting the grill is the main focus, both veggies and seafood represent well in homey dishes like hominy stew and braised octopus. [Eater Member 38]

6. Le Pigeon

8.6
738 E Burnside St (NE 7th ave), Portland, OR
French Restaurant · 93 tips and reviews

EaterEater: You’ll find pickled onions on your burger and foie gras in your profiterole, but also some killer fried green tomatoes on your pork belly and a really good chicken-under-a-brick. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

7. Tasty 'N Sons

3808 N Williams Ave (at N Beech St), Portland, OR
New American Restaurant · 236 tips and reviews

EaterEater: John Gorham's insanely popular second spot reinvents Portland's favorite meal — brunch — taking it to new heights worth the inevitable looooong wait. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

8. Bunk Sandwiches

621 SE Morrison St (btw SE 6th & 7th Ave), Portland, OR
Sandwich Spot · 57 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood have turned this little storefront into a local legend. What you get here aren’t just sandwiches – these are entire meals served between slices of bread. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

9. DOC

5519 NE 30th Ave (at NE Killingsworth St.), Portland, OR
New American Restaurant · 15 tips and reviews

EaterEater: In a city where "seasonal" is a menu must-have, DOC's truly highlights the Pacific Northwest's best. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

10. Restaurant St Jack

8.4
1610 NW 23rd Ave (NW Raleigh Street), Portland, OR
French Restaurant · 46 tips and reviews

EaterEater: St. Jack is cultivating a well-deserved reputation as an incubator for up-and-coming talent. Sit back and enjoy a few whiskey cocktails, rich escargot gratin and roasted bone marrow. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

11. Ned Ludd

3925 NE M L King Blvd (at NE Failing St), Portland, OR
New American Restaurant · 42 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Everything is cooked in a wood-fired oven, get the meat pies (with an exclamation point on the menu), roasted seasonal vegetables, and S’Mores for dessert. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

12. Portobello Vegan Trattoria

1125 SE Division St (at SE 11th Ave.), Portland, OR
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant · 36 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Standouts on the always-changing menu include stuffed pastas and Adams' pillowy, crisp gnocchi; the arribata pizza... [Eater 38 Member]

13. Olympia Provisions SE

9.2
107 SE Washington St (at SE 3rd Ave), Portland, OR
Modern European Restaurant · 113 tips and reviews

EaterEater: It's best known for its meat, but venture past the charceuterie plate into an omnivore paradise, with rustic takes on Brussels sprouts, marinated anchovies and roasted cod. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

14. Tanuki

8029 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215, Portland, OR
Sake Bar · 22 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Invest in the chef's omakase (seafood's the focus here) and watch as a pile of inventive plates arrive to the table. [Eater 38 Member]

15. Natural Selection

3033 NE Alberta St (NE 30th), Portland, OR
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurant · 15 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Chef Aaron Woo gives Portland vegetarians what they've long been craving: an upscale vegetarian dining experience. & the $35 four-course prix fixe is one of the best deals in town. [Eater 38 Member]

16. Toro Bravo

8.1
120 NE Russell St (btw NE Rodney & M L King), Portland, OR
Tapas Restaurant · 105 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Toro Bravo is about as Spanish as the French revolution, but this is damn good food. Get there right when it opens — at five — and be ready to fight for your spot. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

17. Aviary

1733 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR
New American Restaurant · 29 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Go for the creamed cauliflower soup, oxtail croquettes, and what's turning out to be the spot's signature dish: Crispy pig ear served over coconut rice. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

18. Tercet

515 SW Broadway Ste 100, Portland, OR
Seafood Restaurant · 9 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Chef Trent Pierce resurrects his creative approach to seafood at the back-room, reservation-only Roe, where the multi-course tasting menu offers inspired takes on fresh fish. [Eater 38 Member]

19. Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar

7937 SE Stark St (at SW 80th Ave), Portland, OR
American Restaurant · 64 tips and reviews

EaterEater: The Country Cat is all about American food, prepared by a chef, Adam Sappington, who understands the nuances of old world cuisine. The fried chicken here is out of control. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

20. Little Bird Bistro

219 SW 6th Ave (btwn Oak & Ankeny), Portland, OR
French Restaurant · 105 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Chef Erik Van Kley serves expertly prepared takes on Parisian bistro favorites like crispy veal sweetbreads, chicken liver mousse, and cassoulet; pastry chef Nora Antene's desserts are tops.

Ha VL is one of Portland 38 Must Eats.

21. Ha VL

8.0
2738 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR
Vietnamese Restaurant · 26 tips and reviews

22. Nuestra Cocina

8.5
2135 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Mexican Restaurant · 30 tips and reviews

EaterEater: The vibe's convivial and consistently high-energy thanks to flowing margaritas and a barrage of savory and sharable small plates. [Eater Member 38]

23. Screen Door

9.1
2337 E Burnside St (at NE 24th Ave.), Portland, OR
Southern Food Restaurant · 222 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Local-sourced and southern-fried, everything on this menu from the pimento cheese scramble to the brined bird keeps the locals lining up for seconds, thirds and fourths. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

24. Podnah's Pit BBQ

8.5
1625 NE Killingsworth St (at NE 16th Ave), Portland, OR
BBQ Joint · 120 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Podnah’s hits the lowest common denominator of what makes food satisfying: salt, sweetness, fat, and Rodney Muirhead’s sauce has the perfect acidity. The brisket is perfectly smoked. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

25. Taqueria Y Panaderia Santa Cruz

8.6
8630 N Lombard St, Portland, OR
Mexican Restaurant · 31 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Go for a half-dozen tacos of the lengua, al pastor, and chorizo; they're addictive and will cost you under $10. [Eater 38 Member]

26. Biwa

215 SE 9th Ave (at SE Ash St), Portland, OR
Japanese Restaurant · 82 tips and reviews

EaterEater: One part ramen den, one part izakaya, two parts modernista basement bunker, this chef hangout is run by the most improbable Japanese cook in town: a white guy from Michigan. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

27. The Woodsman Tavern

4537 SE Division St (SE 46th Ave), Portland, OR
Gastropub · 60 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Woodsman Tavern takes from big-city influences, Balthezar's seafood tower, Hog & Rocks' ham plates, chef Jason Barwikowski brings it all down to earth with his Mediterranean flow. [Eater 38 Member]

28. Grüner

527 SW 12th Ave (btw Alder & Washington St), Portland, OR
German Restaurant · 58 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Though the menu takes inspiration from the Black Forest to the Black Sea (complete with bratwurst, ja?), it deserves highest marks for its burger, hands-down one of the city's best. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

29. Evoe at Pastaworks

3735 SE Hawthorne Blvd (37th), Portland, OR
Sandwich Spot · 13 tips and reviews

EaterEater: At this little counter tucked to the side of specialty grocery Pastaworks, Kevin Gibson is, more so than any chef in town, about the ingredients. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

30. Bamboo Sushi

8.5
836 NW 23rd Ave (btwn Kearney & Johnson), Portland, OR
Sushi Restaurant · 57 tips and reviews

EaterEater: The first certified-sustainable sushi restaurant, the NW location ups the kitchen offerings to include seafood "charcuterie," featuring bites like uni custard and tuna prosciutto. [Eater 38 Member]

31. Laurelhurst Market

9.0
3155 E Burnside St (at NE 32nd Ave), Portland, OR
Steakhouse · 83 tips and reviews

EaterEater: This combination butchery counter, steakhouse, and sandwich stop ushered in an entire movement toward meat. The bar features Portland's most famous cocktail: The Smoke Signal. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

32. Paley's Place

1204 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR
New American Restaurant · 34 tips and reviews

EaterEater: This is the Balthazar of Portland: the place that everyone agrees on, and a restaurant that manages to be creative, yet so classic. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

33. Nostrana

9.2
1401 SE Morrison St (SE 14th Ave), Portland, OR
Italian Restaurant · 82 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Intensely regional Italian food, wood-fired oven pizza, and a totally accessible menu make Cathy Whims (once of Genoa) the most renowned female chef in Portland. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

34. Grain & Gristle

1473 NE Prescott St (at NE 15th Ave), Portland, OR
Bar · 47 tips and reviews

EaterEater: G&G serves honest pub grub that works in perfect harmony with the carefully curated beer list. Note the daily Twofer, where a shared entree, side & two pints sets you back just $20. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

35. Apizza Scholls

8.9
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd (at SE 47th Ave), Portland, OR
Pizzeria · 83 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Thin-crust East Coast/New Haven-style pizza, this southeast joint closes when they out of dough, which they stick in a 650-900-degree oven and char the daylights out of. [Eater 38 Member] Read more.

36. Andina

8.8
1314 NW Glisan St (at NW 13th Ave), Portland, OR
Peruvian Restaurant · 153 tips and reviews

EaterEater: Pearl District stalwart Andina delivers an upscale take on Peruvian cuisine, gussied up with fresh PNW ingredients and artfully presented. [Eater 38 Member]