Search Hawthorne
Always quirky, Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is a walkable street with block after block of vintage shops, boutiques, and cafés. Find plenty of things to do!
Spanning 43 blocks, find thrift shopping, cozy bookstores, fine and casual dining, and a perfect espresso as you wander this locally beloved Southeast Portland neighborhood. Read on for our favorite things to do and see in the Hawthorne District.
Where to Eat and Drink on Hawthorne
At this quintessentially hip coffeehouse, Upper Left Roasters you can wake up with a piping hot Ethiopian pour-over or creamy iced mocha at this which also offers a lengthy toast menu featuring toppings like macadamia nut butter and house-made ricotta.
Enjoy a meticulously brewed coffee from Coava Coffee at its second outpost in a small café on Hawthorne. Coffee lovers will find locally roasted single-origin coffee and espresso, plus single-origin mochas made with a custom blend of shaved and powdered Cocanu chocolate. Farther east, Albina Press, pouring up rich mochas, cocoas and heavenly cappuccinos also serves as the water-cooler for work-from-home locals.
Food and Drink
On Hawthorne you'll find a plethora of cuisines, many catering to many different dietary needs.
Portland’s premier juice bar, Kure, is an unassuming tin shed that specializes in heavenly acai bowls, green juices and superfood smoothies.
The Waffle Window is quite possibly Portland’s most playful dining spot. A literal hole in the wall, demarcated by a blue door, the popular snack spot doles out smiles in the form of waffles overflowing with bacon, cheddar and jalapeño — or dipped in peanut butter and chocolate.
Portland brunch stalwart Jam on Hawthorne serves up breakfast staples seven days a week, inviting parents to dig into lemon ricotta pancakes and Grand Marnier French toast as kiddos delight in their own play area.
At the east end of Hawthorne, Apizza Scholls’ reputation for serving some of the best pizza pretty much anywhere was confirmed by a visit from Anthony Bourdain himself. The restaurant’s round beauties feature toppings like cured pork shoulder and goat horn peppers. But arrive early and expect to work up an appetite in the usually long line.
When you’re undecided on what to eat, make your way to one of the most iconic food cart pods, Cartopia Food Cart Pods where night owls devour bacon-honey-walnut crepes, Latin-style chicken, wood-fired pizzas and even vegan poutine. A few blocks away, Hawthorne Asylum hosts 21 carts in a food court sprawling half a city block in Southeast. From brunch to Ethiopian to Egyptian to BBQ, there is something to try for everybody.
Things to Do on Hawthorne
These local institutions showcase some of the best of Southeast Portland.
What to Do on Hawthorne
From shopping to movies, an indoor skate park, and a beautiful city park at the top of the strip, you’ll have plenty of things to explore. Mount Tabor, one of only a handful of extinct volcanoes within city limits in the U.S., is a 636-foot (194 m) cinder cone that boasts panoramic views of downtown. On its fir-shaded flanks, explore hiking trails, a playground and an amphitheater for summer evening concerts.
For more than ten years, overgrown kids have taken part in the Portland Adult Soap Box Derby, hurtling down Mt. Tabor in homemade vehicles while sunbathing, beer-drinking spectators cheer them on. The big race is held every August.
Every August, the neighborhood rallies for the Hawthorne Street Fair, one of the city’s finest fairs, with music stages, sidewalk sales, and kids’ activities spreading throughout the shopping district.
The Arts
The Bagdad Theater and Pub first opened in 1927 and now a McMenamin’s property, is one of the city’s many independent, view-and-brew-style venues, with surround sound and rocker seats — in addition to craft beer, pizza and pub fare. After the show, play pool behind the screen at the Backstage Bar or visit the adjoining Greater Trumps and Bagdad Pub.
While it doesn’t boast a showy marquee like the Bagdad, CineMagic Theater has seniority as it opened in 1914. Head here for a good deal on new releases, which share screen time with second-run films and classics.
Do Jump! Extremely Physical Theater blends acrobatics and dance into shows that appeal to family audiences and seasoned theater-goers. And if you’re looking for laughs, catch great stand-up acts most nights at Helium Comedy Club.
Fun & Games
Commonwealth Skate Park offers an indoor skate park featuring a smaller bowl, a mini ramp and a small street course with a rail and a few ledges. They also offer lessons, skate camps, and a shop for all your skating gear and accessories.
If you want to watch the games, instead of playing the games, take your soccer fans to Gol. This soccer bar boasts outdoor seating and several screens to watch the matches, at any hour.
For the 21+ gamers, head to TPK Brewing. Brewing up beers inspired by tabletop games, there is a downstairs taproom available for small or large games and an upstairs with its own bar overlooking the brewery production area, and a library of gaming books and figures. Guests are welcome to bring their own favorites, or not game at all and just come in for the beer and food in the cozy atmosphere.
Antiquing is exciting wherever you make a great find, but hunting on Hawthorne brings it to a new level.
Shopping
Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard’s indie boutiques and homegrown shops mirror the locals you’ll see on the street: fun, funky and fiercely independent. Antiquing is exciting wherever you make a great find, but hunting on Hawthorne brings it to a new level. So, whether it’s a cookbook, handbag or a handcrafted postcard, you’ll find plenty of only-in-Portland wares here — alongside lots of “Keep Portland Weird” personality.
Books, Music & More
If downtown Portland’s City of Books is too much, find a sampling at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne with aisles of new and used titles, this local chain is a destination for bookworms. Alternatively, you can explore Backstory Books, a woman-owned bookstore in a small house on Hawthorne, that sells a well-curated selection of used books and recycled yarn.
Part record label, part gift shop, Tender Loving Empire teems with made-in-Portland art, albums, tees and trinkets. Look through the eclectic used vinyl at Tomorrow Records. Jackpot Records bucks the trend of downloadable music with expertise worth its weight in CDs. Thumbing through their well-sorted selection of vinyl is time well spent, especially when you score a fairly priced, forgotten favorite, or take a chance on a disc recommended by their tuned-in staff.
Just off of Hawthorne, the world’s largest terrarium store, Roosevelt’s Terrariums, sells terrariums in unique laboratory glass and hand-blown glass vessels and offers workshops where students can craft with tropical plants, live mosses, rocks and minerals, and — housed in the shop’s largest vessels — even poison dart frogs.
Places to Shop on Hawthorne
With so many shops and boutiques on Hawthorne, here are some highlights.
Clothes & Accessories
House of Vintage has 1,300 square feet of vintage clothing, furniture and art. A Portland mainstay, Magpie, has a small curated collection of fantastic vintage clothes and accessories. With one of the largest stockpiles of vintage clothes in Portland, the high-traffic Red Light Clothing Exchange stops bargain-hunting fashionistas in their tracks. And nearby, you’ll find even more resale — with an emphasis on newer brands — at Buffalo Exchange and Crossroads Trading Co.
Stocking up on Portland styles comes naturally on Hawthorne. Designer denim and locally stitched sweaters fill the chic boutique Communion. Sloan Boutique offers head-to-toe fashions that are great for every day or a night on the town, and their staff knows how to mix and match to make the perfect look.
For smaller trinkets and great gifts to bring back to wherever you’re visiting, Presents of Mind, stocks locally designed jewelry and accessories, baby gifts and a great selection of cards. Or discover a signature scent at The Perfume House, which offers an astonishing collection of 1,500 aromas.
Hawthorne Events
Explore Hawthorne's quirkiness at these upcoming events.
Velodrome Indie Improv Showcase
Velodrome is a weekly improv showcase of Portland's best and brightest indie teams. Every week, you'll see three different teams, each bringing their unique forms, flavors, and a whole lot of funny. Monthly Rotating Anchor Teams: 1st Thursdays: J Names and On The Lips, 2nd Thursdays: The Humans and iPad Kids, 3rd Thursdays: Not Sorry and Leave a Penny, 4th Thursdays: Shaving...
First Friday PDX
Located in Portland’s vibrant East Side Arts District, the First Friday Art Walk takes place on the first Friday evening of every month year-round. Offering a gateway into Portland’s thriving arts culture, First Friday PDX includes more than 23 independent galleries, shops, and studios and a street exhibition from April to October. The self-guided tour...
Mosh Pit - Heavy Metal Comedy
Bang your heads for the show that celebrates the unholy marriage of COMEDY and HEAVY METAL People of Portland... this is MOSH PIT Featuring performances by: Heavy metal improv from Death Hammer (SF Sketchfest, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival) And a live episode of the "What's More Metal?" podcast with Nariko Ott (Portland's Funniest Person 2016) and Dan Weber (Reading the Bible with Dan). Standup,...
Weird Portland Pub Tour
This tour is a must-do for anyone who likes beer and is interested in Portland’s artistic flair. Skip those boring tours about the Founding Fathers; hear stories of Bigfoot sightings, exploding whales, a bagpipe-playing unicyclist, wacky-themed bike rides, hipsters, the world’s smallest park, aliens, and more. The tour takes place in the vibrant Hawthorne neighborhood...
Cake and Jazz Nights
Join in every Friday and Saturday for Cake & Jazz Night. Farina Bakery will be open late for delicious desserts, a full coffee bar, and free, live music.
Dos De Mayo Mexican Comedy Night
Start your Cinco celebrations early with a night of Portland's best Mexican comics. Featuring: Julia Corral, Andrea Menchaca, James Bosquez, Juan Duran, Sabrena Contreras, Salina Johnson, Dominic Angel,
Big Dogs
Every Saturday, Kickstand unleashes the best improv teams in town to run wild. Their comedy will have you rolling over and howling. Give yourself a treat with a night of guaranteed laughs. Big Dogs features an exclusive roster of Kickstand's best improv teams (the pick of the litter every week). Fuckos (1st and 4th Saturdays) -...
Please Come! The Slydia Variety Show
Please Come! The Slydia Variety Show is a madcap collection of sketch, stand-up, and music hosted by and starring Portland’s Number One Comedy Duo (Girl and Gay Division). Join Lydia Manning (Portland’s Funniest Five, 2021) and Sean Kirkpatrick (Missoula’s Third Favorite Actor, 2019), better known as Slydia, as they introduce you to obnoxious podcasters, hapless...
Exploring Indian Food + Social
There’s so much more to Indian food than Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan. This Meetup was started to introduce you to other variations — street food, regional cuisines, modern Indian, and more, including vegetarian and gluten-free options. Maruti is an all-vegetarian and vegan Indian restaurant in town. Meet up for a Sunday dinner. Budget...
Loose Threads
Clothes build character. A fashionable night of improv comedy inspired by handmade clothes. Directors Courtney Campbell and Julie Basque wanted to bring together two things they love: sewing and improv. In this show performers will have racks of clothing to choose from to develop and act out a character based on their outfit. Loose Threads will...
The Big One
The Big One is a fully improvised show featuring a special guest monologist telling true stories from their own lives, and the performers use them as inspiration to make up scenes on the spot. Every month features a special guest storyteller who is shaking things up in Portland alongside a rotating cast of Portland's top...
Cliffbanger Musical Improv
Cliffbanger is musical improv like you've never seen — raw, unpredictable, and unapologetically fun. No scripted storylines, no predictable arcs — just razor-sharp comedy, top-tier musicianship, and on-the-spot songs that make you laugh til your stomach hurts. They take what’s funny, crank it up to 11, and let the music drive it home. Unpredictable, high-energy,...
Hawthorne Street Fair
Visit one of Portland’s original “shop local” districts every August for the Hawthorne Street Fair. You can explore over 200 businesses while enjoying Vendors, Food, Music and Entertainment in a car-free zone from SE Cesar Chavez to SE 30th Avenue on Hawthorne. 2025 is the 42nd Anniversary of the Hawthorne Street Fair. Enjoy great food, music and...
If You Like Hawthorne, You'll Love…
Fans of Hawthorne's DIY spirit will love digging into these parts of Portland.
Vintage Shops in Portland
Vintage shopping in Portland is a delight, with an abundance of top-notch vintage shops and thrift stores offering clothes, accessories, antiques and other treasures.
Portland Record Stores
From vintage wax to new European imports, those rare releases you’ve been searching for are surely waiting at one of these rockin’ local vinyl stores.
A Local’s Guide to Buying Portland Gifts
These local shops offer consistently cool made-in-Portland gifts and products, from fashionable apparel and accessories to leather goods and tempting treats.
Illustration by Subin Yang
Southeast Portland Neighborhoods
East of the Willamette River and south of Burnside Street, this large southeast quadrant is home to many favorite neighborhoods and business districts, as well as the dormant volcano at Mt. Tabor Park, delectable Asian food in the Jade District and urban nature at Leach Botanical Garden and Powell Butte.
Was this page helpful?