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Marina Martinez-Bateman
Marina Martinez-Bateman (they/them) is an equity and communications consultant and ghost tour guide who moved to Portland in 2014. Read More
Portland Snacks and Where to Find Them
From spring rolls to bone-in lamb snacks, find something to whet your palate for a day of eating through Portland’s neighborhoods.
Marina Martinez-Bateman
Marina Martinez-Bateman (they/them) is an equity and communications consultant and ghost tour guide who moved to Portland in 2014. Read More
One of my absolute favorite things about living in a food city is the culinary delights that only the inventive minds of Portland can create. We love food here — especially cheap eats. And what is more of a love letter to food than the graceful art of the snack? Think about it: A meal can only happen so many times in one day, but snacking can go on effectively forever.
Snacking Around the City
Feeling snacky? These local favorites will satisfy whatever craving strikes.
Downtown Portland
Woodlark Hotel
Bullard Tavern is the anchor restaurant at the Woodlark Hotel downtown. The easy availability of fresh and free-range meat in our region inspires the cuisine. Most things, including the veggies, are flame-broiled. Hand-made flour tortillas are made fresh every day. They’ve gotten praise in the press for their chicken, but social media loves the pictures of bone-in lamb and steak, charred to smokey perfection, plated next to a hearty side of veg to complete the meal.
Decorated somewhat minimally in soft leather and warm wood, Bullard was made to host large gatherings, but it also has small, intimate clusters here and there for smaller groups and date nights. When the meal is over, head across the street to Rich’s Cigar Store to keep the Texas-times rolling with a stogie of your own. If nicotine isn’t your thing, Director Park, Shemanski Park, and Pioneer Courthouse Square are all only a few blocks away for an after-dinner walk.
If you’re feeling swanky, also inside the Woodlark Hotel is Abigail Hall, where you can strut your stuff among their classy, floral, loungey aesthetic. Slinging craft cocktails with cheeky names like Shiso Fine (Aviation Gin, grapefruit, shiso, lime leaf, ginger-peach cordial, oh my), the real draw at Abigail Hall are their classic happy hour snacks and High Tea menus. Chilled oysters, shoestring fries, smash burgers, and pickles abound. Be sure to stay until after happy hour to access their regular menu, which features an indulgent, house-made chestnut graham cracker moon pie you’ll want to eat by the dozen. If you really want to get fancy, reserve a spot for their weekend High Tea, where you’ll be greeted with a tower of classic tea time foods with a twist (gluten-free and vegan upon request), tea-themed cocktails and a selection of local Steven Smith Teamaker tea.
South & Southwest Portland
Lilia Comedor
Ask anybody about Lilia Comedor, and they will rave about the service, then the presentation, and then they’ll say the food was good. It’s really good. It’s so good they’re still talking about it months later. They have pictures on their phone and will show you if you ask. And I do ask. Chef Juan Gomez is the star of this show, with a local and seasonal menu so specific that he changes it every week. Patrons unfamiliar with Mexican food should prepare to dive into a master class on what this unrelentingly diverse cuisine can do. Those of us who have fond memories of eating from taco trucks and beach-side stands will appreciate the perspective Chef Gomez (who grew up in his dad’s Californian taqueria) brings to the familiar flavors and techniques we thought we knew.
Expect to get multiple courses and artful, unique cocktails throughout the night. Ask the staff questions, and they brim with information about each dish, ingredient origins and how it’s made. Once you’re completely stuffed, take an easy walk or roll to the riverfront for a romantic promenade. You can also have a nightcap or pick up some pre-date flowers at Frank Wine Bar and Flower Shop.
Munch your way through the city and find more favorite Portland snacks at these local spots.
Southeast Portland
Street Disco
Street Disco replaced the first restaurant I ever ate at as a Portland resident, a dark margarita bar called Torta-Landia with the best potato balls north of Burbank. If you’re familiar with the old place, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the recent glow-up. A young-millennial-chic wine bar turned the make-do open kitchen from before into an elevated space, allowing those in the dining room to take in the craft of dinner service. The rich dark wood of the original bar and beams is preserved and kissed with deep emerald green and soft brass tones for an intimate yet homey dining experience.
Through an open archway, the bar welcomes visitors in soft ‘70s Havana mauve and pink, with ‘90s hip hop and R&B on rotation over the speakers. Order wine by the glass or a sleek, trendy cocktail with an impressive list of high-end tinned fish served with crackers and garnishes. Pick something fresh and seasonal off their rotating menu of cheeky, on-point small plates. Order two if they still have the tomato salad and sea beans when you get there. You won’t regret it.
Inner Northeast Portland
Sweedeedee
When you get to Sweedeedee, the name makes perfect sense. Tucked on a low-slung corner of Albina across from a lovely little park usually milling with people waiting for tables, you’ll find the sweetest little birdcall of a café. The wait can last up to an hour at peak traffic times, but you can browse through Cherry Sprout Produce across the street for locally-made snacks and cute little plants. Alternatively, fill a hand-turned or vintage mug with coffee from their outdoor set-up for waiting patrons and chat in the park.
Once seated, you’ll be accompanied by the unassuming yet chill tones of the olive-green ‘70s record player hooked into the sound system. Diners looking for a big meal will enjoy their humble but perfectly made breakfast and lunch fare like French toast, sandwiches and bowls. They say if you do something simple, do it well, and that’s just the Sweedeedee way. If you’re here to snack, order the cheese and meat plates and some sweets from the display case. I recommend the olive oil cake with lemon curd, jam and cream cheese frosting. The ingredients change seasonally based on what’s available, so ask your server for tips. And if the soundtrack inspires you, Mississippi Records is mere feet away for you to browse the stacks after devouring a plateful of snacks.
Outer Northeast Portland
Sushi Village
From the outside, Sushi Village is an unassuming conveyor belt sushi spot. Located in a modest strip mall between a cannabis shop and a Carl’s Jr. with I-84 traffic buzzing behind it, a visitor could drive past the best sushi in Portland without ever knowing it. Always fresh, never fishy or frozen tasting, the dishes here are unassuming and fundamentally good. From the rice itself, which is sticky, light and ever so slightly vinegary, to the way it’s formed into airy pillows for nigiri and bolsters for rolls, to the ingredients themselves, which are generously portioned, well-chosen and flavorful — this is everything I want in a sushi spot. You can sit inside and observe the chefs as they neatly and efficiently restock the rolls as fast as you and your fellow patrons can pull them from the belt.
Get the seared salmon nigiri for a delightfully thick piece of salmon flame-broiled with a torch and topped with a drizzle of eel sauce.
Lily Market
Lily Market is a family-owned market specializing in Asian foods, but they also have a hot bar where you can pick up a variety of dishes. Depending on the day, you’ll find different things in the open self-serve counter. Just grab a deli container and fill up on what looks good. Both meat and veggie options are available every day. But if you’re in a hurry, pre-packed containers with spring rolls are on the counter next to the hot bar and other grab-and-go fare. The market also sells snacks and drinks with Asian flavors like matcha, green mango and chrysanthemum, along with a decent selection of cakes and cookies.
Snacking Events
Check out these snack-centric fests that will satisfy even the most discerning tastebuds.
Crave-Worthy Carts
Satisfy your appetite at one (or more!) of Portland's hundreds of food carts.
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