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15 Made in Oregon Restaurants With Outlets in Other Cities

Thanks to Oregon, there are Shari’s in the Bay Area and Original Pancake House outposts in Seoul.

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Made in Oregon is more than just a gift store selling myrtlewood cutting boards, chocolate-covered hazelnuts, and “Keep Portland Weird!” stickers — It’s a culinary heritage that tends to go unnoticed in national food debates. At first, it might seem like Oregon imports more than it exports — Portland and its environs have branches of Afuri, Din Tai Fung, and Mikkeller. And though it’s been argued otherwise (we see you, totchos), Oregon doesn’t exactly have a famous regional calling card like a cheesesteak, lobster roll, or deep-dish pizza. But the state has a number of local restaurants that have made good beyond state lines, with outlets that have spread across the globe, from New York to Tokyo.

This map focuses exclusively on restaurants in the Portland area that have made it out of state. The number of Oregon-born craft beers, liquor, and foods blessed with universal brand recognition (Gardenburger and Deschutes Brewery, to name a few) could fill a book. As usual, these are organized geographically, not ranked.

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Shari's Cafe and Pies

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In a region that’s not exactly rife with diners, Shari’s is the de facto stand-in that’s at least more local than a Denny’s. Open 24 hours, 365 days a year, its stuffed hashbrowns or marionberry pie can be had any time the fancy strikes. The casual restaurant exudes woodsy ‘70s-era charm (it was founded in 1978 in Hermiston) but there are locations as far south as San Bruno and far east as Idaho Falls. 

The Original Pancake House

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That’s the original Original Pancake House, thank you very much. Founded in 1965, the original location, a chotchke-filled cottage (look closely: there are some James Beard awards hiding among the decorative plates) off Barbur Boulevard, unmistakably marked by a candy-striped awning, is still churning out giant sugar-powdered Dutch Babies. The Original Pancake House has spread throughout the U.S. and also has multiple branches in Japan and Seoul, so it’s forgivable to be unaware of the restaurant’s humble origins. 

One of two Original Pancake House locations in Seoul
Krista Garcia/EPDX

Salt & Straw

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With recent news of an expansion to Miami, Salt & Straw, balancing old-timey and sleek, has proven its ice cream bona fides beyond the West Coast. There’s no national shortage of creative ice cream purveyors — blue cheese and olive oil scoops are now practically par for the course — but not everyone would think to offer flavors like chocolate made with pork blood, a.k.a. sanguinaccio dolce, or spruce tips and rainwater.

Blue Star Donuts

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Voodoo Doughnut might get its fair share of tourist attention, but the fact that there’s a compact version of the typically bright and airy Blue Star Donuts location inside PDX speaks to the bakery’s power as an ambassador for the city. Southern California now has access to passion fruit doughnuts sprinkled with cocoa nibs, though sadly the shops in Japan, known as Camden’s Blue Star Donuts, closed in 2017. R.I.P. kinako (soy bean powder) beignets.

Multnomah Whiskey Library

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For a spell, Japan appeared to have a fascination with all things Portland. The love affair might have faded with the closing of Tokyo’s Navarre and Blue Star branches, but the Japanese adaptation of the Multnomah Whiskey Library, the Tokyo Whisky Library, is still going strong. The Japanese version is similar to our Portland version, with tufted leather seating, exposed brick, and walls of backlit whisky bottles.

A picture of the Multnomah Whiskey Library
The Multnomah Whiskey Library’s leather-clad dining room
Dina Avila/EPDX

McCormick & Schmick's Harborside at the Marina

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Yes, this seafood and chophouse chain with dark wood paneling, warm tones, and Craftsman light fixtures is now owned by Landry’s (Bubba Gump’s parent) and has multiplied across the country. While McCormick and Schmick’s remains a domestic affair, the now shuttered Oregon Bar & Grill, an upscale American restaurant in Tokyo, was at least at one point loosely affiliated with the homegrown venue. 

Voodoo Doughnut

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Kitschy, pink Voodoo Doughnut, the dive bar of donut shops, gets a lot of flak, but there’s no denying those now divisive bacon maple bars were once — and still are — a big draw. Voodoo deserves credit for popularizing one of the foodstuffs that put Portland on the map. Half-a-decade ago, it was reported that as many as 20 stores could open in Tokyo and Taipei, though that never came to pass. Denver, Austin, and a couple Universal theme parks was as far as the mini-chain got.

The Old Spaghetti Factory

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Portland stalwart Old Spaghetti Factory practically introduced Mizithra and spumoni to the city when it opened downtown in 1969. With its train car seating and Tiffany-style chandeliers, the family-friendly restaurant resembled a chain from the get-go, so it’s not surprising Old Spaghetti Factory has become a standby in many cities’ tourist districts.

Old Spaghetti Factory Vancouver, B.C.
Krista Garcia/EPDX

Sizzle Pie Central Eastside

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The pizzeria that embodies Portland by offering toppings like pepperoni, nutritional yeast, tofu cheese, and an optional vegan ranch pentagram drizzle (gluten-free crust is a given) delivered in a box illustrated with anthropomorphic pot smoke. Sizzle Pie, open unusually late for Portland, would seem prime for expansion to college-type towns across the country. That’s not actually the case, however, as the farthest-flung location is in Reno. Once upon a time, though, there were two Sizzle Pies in Brooklyn.

Pork-centric sandwich cart turned brick-and-mortar, Lardo, has become a Portland institution. With its diverse sandwich line-up and charitable monthly chef collaborations a.k.a. “Chefwiches,” it’s easy to see why. With two Portland locations, this shop, outfitted in blood red walls and the requisite cuts of pork diagram, expanded to Las Vegas last year. Similar business, Bunk, didn’t fare so well when it tried to storm Brooklyn.

Bamboo Sushi

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Over the past few years, Portland’s favorite sustainable sushi den, Bamboo Sushi, sprouted Lake Oswego and Denver offshoots. The burgeoning chain with a minimalist East-meets-Northwest aesthetic also recently announced the arrival of a new Seattle location and 2020 plans for three Bay Area restaurants.

Bamboo Sushi Dina Avila/EPDX

Pok Pok

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While Portland might seem like an unlikely birthplace for a Thai mini-empire, the city just rolls with bowls of khao soi and sticky, fish sauce-glazed wings, served on bright, floral oilcloth table-coverings. While the NYC and Los Angeles offshoots are now kaput, Pok Pok has expanded to Las Vegas, in the same casino food hall as other hometown fave, Lardo

Slappy Cakes

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Fluffy, soufflé-style Japanese pancakes have recently been taking the states by storm. But in an unexpected reverse commute, Portland’s d.i.y. pancake shop with a rustic, industrial vibe, Slappy Cakes, has exported its interactive concept to Osaka, as well as to Maui, Malaysia, and Singapore. 

View this post on Instagram

Celebrate #CNY at @slappycakessg :)

A post shared by Slappy Cakes Singapore (@slappycakessg) on

Taco Time

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While Taco Bell or even Del Taco get all the attention, the Northwest does have its own homegrown taco chain, love it or hate it. Famous for Mexi-Fries and deep-fried Crisp Burritos, Taco Time, started in Eugene 59 years ago, has been getting harder to find. There are only three locations left in Portland proper, though the chain, marked by a bright green cactus sign, is scattered throughout Oregon and Washington, with franchises even in Canada, Kuwait, and Curaçao.

Mexi-Fries
Celeste Noche

Elmer's Restaurant (Mall 205, Portland, OR)

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Cut from the same family-friendly cloth as Shari’s, Elmer’s is perhaps a step up — they even jumped on the bandwagon a few years back by name-checking local brands like Zenner’s and offering seasonal specials. Its vaguely hotel restaurant-like presence seems to be dwindling in the Portland-area, though there are still 29 locations in five states, including Boise, Palm Springs, and Arizona where the chain operates under an assumed name, Egg N’ Joe.

Shari's Cafe and Pies

In a region that’s not exactly rife with diners, Shari’s is the de facto stand-in that’s at least more local than a Denny’s. Open 24 hours, 365 days a year, its stuffed hashbrowns or marionberry pie can be had any time the fancy strikes. The casual restaurant exudes woodsy ‘70s-era charm (it was founded in 1978 in Hermiston) but there are locations as far south as San Bruno and far east as Idaho Falls. 

The Original Pancake House

That’s the original Original Pancake House, thank you very much. Founded in 1965, the original location, a chotchke-filled cottage (look closely: there are some James Beard awards hiding among the decorative plates) off Barbur Boulevard, unmistakably marked by a candy-striped awning, is still churning out giant sugar-powdered Dutch Babies. The Original Pancake House has spread throughout the U.S. and also has multiple branches in Japan and Seoul, so it’s forgivable to be unaware of the restaurant’s humble origins. 

One of two Original Pancake House locations in Seoul
Krista Garcia/EPDX

Salt & Straw

With recent news of an expansion to Miami, Salt & Straw, balancing old-timey and sleek, has proven its ice cream bona fides beyond the West Coast. There’s no national shortage of creative ice cream purveyors — blue cheese and olive oil scoops are now practically par for the course — but not everyone would think to offer flavors like chocolate made with pork blood, a.k.a. sanguinaccio dolce, or spruce tips and rainwater.

Blue Star Donuts

Voodoo Doughnut might get its fair share of tourist attention, but the fact that there’s a compact version of the typically bright and airy Blue Star Donuts location inside PDX speaks to the bakery’s power as an ambassador for the city. Southern California now has access to passion fruit doughnuts sprinkled with cocoa nibs, though sadly the shops in Japan, known as Camden’s Blue Star Donuts, closed in 2017. R.I.P. kinako (soy bean powder) beignets.

Multnomah Whiskey Library

For a spell, Japan appeared to have a fascination with all things Portland. The love affair might have faded with the closing of Tokyo’s Navarre and Blue Star branches, but the Japanese adaptation of the Multnomah Whiskey Library, the Tokyo Whisky Library, is still going strong. The Japanese version is similar to our Portland version, with tufted leather seating, exposed brick, and walls of backlit whisky bottles.

A picture of the Multnomah Whiskey Library
The Multnomah Whiskey Library’s leather-clad dining room
Dina Avila/EPDX

McCormick & Schmick's Harborside at the Marina

Yes, this seafood and chophouse chain with dark wood paneling, warm tones, and Craftsman light fixtures is now owned by Landry’s (Bubba Gump’s parent) and has multiplied across the country. While McCormick and Schmick’s remains a domestic affair, the now shuttered Oregon Bar & Grill, an upscale American restaurant in Tokyo, was at least at one point loosely affiliated with the homegrown venue. 

Voodoo Doughnut

Kitschy, pink Voodoo Doughnut, the dive bar of donut shops, gets a lot of flak, but there’s no denying those now divisive bacon maple bars were once — and still are — a big draw. Voodoo deserves credit for popularizing one of the foodstuffs that put Portland on the map. Half-a-decade ago, it was reported that as many as 20 stores could open in Tokyo and Taipei, though that never came to pass. Denver, Austin, and a couple Universal theme parks was as far as the mini-chain got.

The Old Spaghetti Factory

Portland stalwart Old Spaghetti Factory practically introduced Mizithra and spumoni to the city when it opened downtown in 1969. With its train car seating and Tiffany-style chandeliers, the family-friendly restaurant resembled a chain from the get-go, so it’s not surprising Old Spaghetti Factory has become a standby in many cities’ tourist districts.

Old Spaghetti Factory Vancouver, B.C.
Krista Garcia/EPDX

Sizzle Pie Central Eastside

The pizzeria that embodies Portland by offering toppings like pepperoni, nutritional yeast, tofu cheese, and an optional vegan ranch pentagram drizzle (gluten-free crust is a given) delivered in a box illustrated with anthropomorphic pot smoke. Sizzle Pie, open unusually late for Portland, would seem prime for expansion to college-type towns across the country. That’s not actually the case, however, as the farthest-flung location is in Reno. Once upon a time, though, there were two Sizzle Pies in Brooklyn.

Lardo

Pork-centric sandwich cart turned brick-and-mortar, Lardo, has become a Portland institution. With its diverse sandwich line-up and charitable monthly chef collaborations a.k.a. “Chefwiches,” it’s easy to see why. With two Portland locations, this shop, outfitted in blood red walls and the requisite cuts of pork diagram, expanded to Las Vegas last year. Similar business, Bunk, didn’t fare so well when it tried to storm Brooklyn.

Bamboo Sushi

Over the past few years, Portland’s favorite sustainable sushi den, Bamboo Sushi, sprouted Lake Oswego and Denver offshoots. The burgeoning chain with a minimalist East-meets-Northwest aesthetic also recently announced the arrival of a new Seattle location and 2020 plans for three Bay Area restaurants.

Bamboo Sushi Dina Avila/EPDX

Pok Pok

While Portland might seem like an unlikely birthplace for a Thai mini-empire, the city just rolls with bowls of khao soi and sticky, fish sauce-glazed wings, served on bright, floral oilcloth table-coverings. While the NYC and Los Angeles offshoots are now kaput, Pok Pok has expanded to Las Vegas, in the same casino food hall as other hometown fave, Lardo

Slappy Cakes

Fluffy, soufflé-style Japanese pancakes have recently been taking the states by storm. But in an unexpected reverse commute, Portland’s d.i.y. pancake shop with a rustic, industrial vibe, Slappy Cakes, has exported its interactive concept to Osaka, as well as to Maui, Malaysia, and Singapore. 

View this post on Instagram

Celebrate #CNY at @slappycakessg :)

A post shared by Slappy Cakes Singapore (@slappycakessg) on

Taco Time

While Taco Bell or even Del Taco get all the attention, the Northwest does have its own homegrown taco chain, love it or hate it. Famous for Mexi-Fries and deep-fried Crisp Burritos, Taco Time, started in Eugene 59 years ago, has been getting harder to find. There are only three locations left in Portland proper, though the chain, marked by a bright green cactus sign, is scattered throughout Oregon and Washington, with franchises even in Canada, Kuwait, and Curaçao.

Mexi-Fries
Celeste Noche

Elmer's Restaurant (Mall 205, Portland, OR)

Cut from the same family-friendly cloth as Shari’s, Elmer’s is perhaps a step up — they even jumped on the bandwagon a few years back by name-checking local brands like Zenner’s and offering seasonal specials. Its vaguely hotel restaurant-like presence seems to be dwindling in the Portland-area, though there are still 29 locations in five states, including Boise, Palm Springs, and Arizona where the chain operates under an assumed name, Egg N’ Joe.

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