Sometimes, downtown Portland can feel like a lunch wasteland, with only the occasional food cart breaking up the sandwich chain and subterranean cafe flora. Need a break from routine? Here are 19 of downtown Portland’s best lunches.
Bamboo Sushi/Annex
Eat lunch with a clear conscience at Bamboo Sushi’s Southwest Portland restaurant, or walk down the block to the newest restaurant in the family: Bamboo Annex. Here, that sustainably sourced fish gets tossed with soy sauce, seaweed and other seasonings, and served over rice for some of the city’s best poke.
404 S.W. 12th Ave.,503-444-7455; 1122 S.W. Stark St., bamboosushi.com
Boke Dokie
When it’s on, the fried-chicken sandwich at ramen shop Boke Bowl’s spin-off cart (found on Southwest Washington Street near Ninth Avenue) is hard to beat. Check out this crunchy, peppery filet of chicken breast on a soft bun with kimchi slaw, crisp pickles and dots of Boke’s house hot sauce.
S.W. Washington St. and 9th Ave., bokedokie.com
Bunk Sandwiches
The smallest Bunk Sandwiches location in town, this mostly grab-and-go shop is a great place to order an egg and cheese on a hard roll and pretend like you’re in a bigger city.
211 S.W. 6th Ave., 503-328-2865, bunksandwiches.com
Chef Naoko
This farm-to-table Japanese restaurant, known for its bento boxes and simple lunch options, is expected to reopen in early November after expanding into an adjacent unit, adding extra seating and two kitchens with a design from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma.
1237 S.W. Jefferson St., 503-227-4136, chefnaoko.com
Dar Salam
The downtown location offers an all-you-can-eat buffet for $11.99/person ($10 if you’re taking food to-go). Start with a scoop of hummus and the baba ganoush, then load up on lamb khema, a lightly gamey shredded lamb stew studded with chickpeas in a warm, tomato sauce.
320 S.W. Alder St., 503-444-7813, darsalamportland.com
Grassa
Grab a seat off the kitchen counter at Grassa and snag a few tips from the chefs. Watch them roll thin sheets of lasagna, set to be layered with rapini pesto, house Italian sausage, whipped ricotta and marinara or eye the extruder as whole-wheat radiatore and rigatoni come tumbling out, the former tossed with tomato-braised chicken and the latter served swimming in a meaty Sunday pork ragu.
1205 S.W. Washington St., 503-241-1133, grassapdx.com
Higgins
You can sit in the bar, where you’ll find one of Portland’s best charcuterie boards and a hearty bistro burger, plus a beer lover’s list loaded with Northwest IPAs and Belgian saisons.
1239 S.W. Broadway, 503-222-9070, higginsportland.com
“j^&
Proving that a hotel restaurant can have passion, pop and personality, Vitaly Paley’s Imperial has steadily improved since its 2012 debut. Today, the menu treads a difficult line between retro and dated, paying homage to Oregon culinary history with a lineup heavy on American nostalgia.
410 S.W. Broadway, 503-228-7222, Imperialpdx.com
Kasbah Moroccan Cafe
For lunch, we recommend one of the tagines, served bubbling on a metal tray with a side of fluffy couscous. Though it doesn’t arrive in the typical cone-shaped tagine, the dish still tastes long-simmered and complex. A smaller version can also be ordered for breakfast.
201 N.W. Davis St.; 971-544-0875
Kenny & Zuke’s
The quintessential Jewish deli of the Northwest, Kenny & Zuke’s boils and bakes its own bagels, brines and smokes its own pastrami and stocks one of Portland’s best soda collections – think sarsaparilla and Cel-Ray.
1038 S.W. Stark St., 503-222-3354, kennyandzukes.com
Lardo
Few things make us as weak at the knees as the holy matrimony of sandwiches and beer. At Lardo, Rick Gencarelli’s food-cart-turned-brick-and-mortar empire, this match made in heaven is the heart and soul of the pork-centric menu. Take your pick from a dozen supremely built sandwiches, meats stacked high, layered with pickles and sauces made in-house, and at least a dozen solid beers on tap.
1205 S.W. Washington St., 503-241-2490, lardosandwiches.com
Left Coast
Downtown food cart Left Coast (429 S.W. Stark St.) makes a great fried-chicken sandwich with crisp, peppery fried chicken breast that reminded us a bit of Popeyes. Fried to order and placed with so-so slaw and mild sriracha mayo on a griddled brioche bun, it’s soft pillowy, crunchy, spicy and creamy, all at once.
S.W. Stark St. and 5th Ave., 513-520-3106, leftcoastcart.com
Little Bird Bistro
Last year, Gabriel Rucker, the two-time James Beard Award-winning chef at Le Pigeon, rededicated himself to his second restaurant, Little Bird. This charming all-day bistro offers an updated burger, now smothered in creamy brie, fried chicken thighs atop a mountain of cheesy mashed potatoes and more.
215 S.W. Sixth Ave., 503-688-5952, littlebirdbistro.com
Love Belizean
The smoky, fall-off-the-bone chicken, tucked next to a triple scoop of coconut rice and beans and a peppery arugula salad with Caribbean salsa at this cart-turned-brick-and-mortar spot felt like a getaway from the dreary rain and gray of winter. Love Belizean’s brick and mortar is arguably the best lunch spot in this part of downtown, rocking out five days a week to almost always sold-out crowds.
1503 S.W. Broadway; 503-421-5599
Mama Chow’s
This downtown food cart draws lines for its hand-rolled, fried-to-order wontons stuffed with chicken, pork, cabbage and more, as well as its wonton noodle soup and other homestyle Chinese dishes.
S.W. 2nd Ave. and Stark St., facebook.com/mamachowskitchen
Murata
One of the city’s most traditional and oldest sushi restaurants, Murata still packs the house every day for its weekday lunch. You’ll spy suits seated around the sushi bar, regulars slurping udon noodles and meetings over bento.
200 S.W. Market St., P105, 503-227-0080
Nong’s Khao Man Gai
Here, a heap of ginger and lemongrass-scented rice cushions tender poached chicken, thinly-sliced cucumbers, fronds of cilantro and a small bowl of khao man gai sauce made from garlic, fresh Thai chilies and ginger (available in a store near you). Sauce, mix, eat, repeat. Sip on the accompanying bowl of chicken and winter melon soup between bites to cleanse your palate.
S.W. 10th & Alder St., 971-255-3480; 411 S.W. College St., 503-432-3286; khaomangai.com
Pine Street Market
Portland’s first food hall, Pine Street Market packs a top-tier coffee bar, Israeli restaurant, hot doggery, pizza and bread spot, Japanese ramen bar, Spanish rotisserie chicken counter, juice bar, a Korean-BBQ mash-up and soft serve ice cream into a food lovers, 10,000-square-foot dream.
126 S.W. 2nd Ave., pinestreetpdx.com
Tasty n Alder
In the morning, downtown Portland’s Tasty N Alder acts as a spin-off to John Gorham’s Tasty N Sons. The popular shakshuka has been replaced with Korean fried chicken, so if you’re hoping to score a bowl at lunch, you’ll have to head across the river.
580 S.W. 12th Ave., 503-621-9251, tastynalder.com
