5 Portland Restaurants to Eat at Right Now

Chef Lovelace has been perfecting the cuisine of her childhood all over the country in hot spots like Atlanta, GA, and Charleston, SC, but it was in Portland where she launched her pop-up supper club, Mae, in which the storytelling of each dish came to be as anticipated as each menu item. Now at Yonder, chef Lovelace has curated a menu that pays homage to her past while utilizing ingredients from the Pacific Northwest. Comfort food is the language of all Southerners, one that (thankfully) extends to the rest of us. Whether you’re a local looking for a cozy plate of collards or a visitor hankerin’ for a little honky tonk and fried chicken, Yonder covers all the bases in Portland.

Hey Love, Southeast Portland

Hey Love is a tropical-themed, retro-inspired utopia full of global cuisine, boldly flavored beverages, lush interiors, and thoughtfully crafted music. Owned by industry vets Emily Mistell (Rum Club), Sophie Thomson (Bar Bar), and Dig A Pony co-owners Nicholas Musso and Aaron Hall, Hey Love puts chef Roscoe Roberson at the helm of the kitchen to serve international cuisine in a vibrant atmosphere.

On the dinner menu alone, one can expect to cross continents with dishes like gochujang pork ribs, fried chicken chow mein, and chilaquiles verdes. And now with brunch served daily, diners can fully embrace the locale’s anything-is-possible-here vibes starting at 10 a.m., seven days a week.

One of the major highlights of the spot, however, is its expertly crafted cocktails. Playful twists on classic libations, as well as inventive new creations, play a major role in spicing up the Hey Love experience. With everything from the Highballer (Suntory Whisky Toki, super sizzy soda, science, lemon oil) to the Master of Karate and Friendship (Funky Rums, Strawberry, Rosé), there’s a little something for everyone, whether you’re a neighborhood regular or just passing through.

Lardo, Southwest Portland

Meat is the main idea here at Lardo, which started out as a food truck back in 2010 and now boasts two locations in Portland, as well as an outpost at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Favorites include the pork meatball banh mi and dirty fries. (That’s pork scraps, marinated peppers, fried herbs, and parmesan. If you weren’t hungry before, you probably are now.)

Chef and owner Rick Gencarelli was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and went on to work at Aqua in San Francisco and Todd English’s Olives. But it was Portland’s burgeoning and unique food scene that caught his eye, inspiring him to open a spot “using old-world techniques, contemporary flourishes and a gonzo approach.”

Most of the menu is pork or steak-based, though they’ve also got a Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich that’s worth writing home about, too. But what’s a bucket-list sandwich without a cold, crisp beer to go with it? Lardo prides itself in an extensive menu of rotating local brews, ranging from cider to stout. If you’re looking for a not-so-average deli experience, look no further—and prepare to be full.

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Portland continues to reinvent its culinary quests with diverse dining options and eclectic fusions from creative minds. From north to southwest, there’s a little something for every appetite (and then some).