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Microgreens added atop sushi nachos on fried wontons at El Kussho.
“Sushi nachos” at El Kussho.
Barb Gonzalez/Eater Portland

The 10 Hottest New Restaurants in Bend, Winter 2023

From a modern Korean restaurant to a Cajun-Southeast Asian crab house, Bend’s new restaurants raise Central Oregon’s bar on food and hospitality

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“Sushi nachos” at El Kussho.
| Barb Gonzalez/Eater Portland

Bend’s population has exploded from 76,000 to more than 102,000 outdoor-loving people in the past 10 years. Most of the people moving to Bend are coming from three urban centers — Portland, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Several new restaurants have opened in the past year, fulfilling the expectations and reflecting the tastes of those from urban areas. Some of the best chefs in town have opened their own restaurants, like Yoli modern Korean food and Lady Bird Cultural Society, while others have gone the pop-up route, like El Kussho. That being said, all of these new arrivals are modern and casual with a welcoming Bend community atmosphere. For a list of the established best restaurants in Bend, check out the Jaw Dropping Restaurants in Bend. Or, if you are in the mood to sample one of the many brew pubs in town, hop over to 17 Killer Breweries and Brewpubs in Bend.

Note: Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

El Kussho

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Located off Century Boulevard in El Sancho’s Super Secret Side Street Saloon, this Nikkei pop-up — a cuisine born in Peru and authored by Japanese immigrants there — should not be a secret. Sushi chef Ian Skomski and Marcus Mitchell, whose specializes in Peruvian cuisine, collaborate on dishes like salmon tartare with flash-fried rice paper or poke nachos on fried wontons. The cucumber-based aguachile or seared tuna are light but multi-dimensional; other dishes are pure comfort food, like the lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir-fried steak with potato wedges, tomatoes, and onions. Go soon and go often, as the pop-up is scheduled to end in March.

Salmon tartare on fried rice paper with Peruvian dish in background at El Kussho.
Salmon tartare at El Kussho.
Barb Gonzalez/Eater Portland

S.E.A. Crab House - Bend

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SEA doesn’t refer to seafood; it is an acronym for Southeast Asian. But this spot isn’t without its shellfish: When Thailand-born Pattaraporn “Patta” Lorwatcharasophon first moved to the U.S. with her husband, Kim, they noticed there weren’t traditional crab houses on the Oregon Coast, leading them to open one in Seaside. Now, the couple has opened a location in Bend (and soon in Portland and Seattle). Her infectious enthusiasm for Thai spices, paired with Cajun-style boils and fresh seafood, spills over, creating a party-like atmosphere where bib-sporting friends eat crab by the pound with their hands. For those who aren’t in the mood for po’ boys or other Cajun entrees, the boil can be ordered with butter alone.

Lobster, king crab, snow crab, Dungeness crab and prawns are dumped onto a silver platter at SEA Crabhouse.
Seafood boil at SEA Crabhouse.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Prost has been in its Portland location for more than seven years; that being said, Portlanders should still stop by the new Bend location for its full restaurant and German biergarten. Chef Josh Hajostek got the inspiration for many of the restaurant’s recipes from his German grandmother, like the pork-and-beef-stuffed cabbage rolls. Offerings include the expected schnitzel, spaetzle, and bratwurst, but don’t miss the trout mullein — almond-crusted trout on smashed fingerlings with lemon caper sauce. It’s excellent with the Weihenstephaner Vitus. 

German Brezel pretzel, almond-crusted trout and beet salad are served with a Vitus German beer.
Almond crusted trout, rubensalat, with German beer.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Nome Italiano

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When Nome took over the Baltazar building, there were few Italian restaurant options in Bend. Despite the past few years’ openings, Nome is still a standout as chef George Morris pulls inspiration from time spent in Italy and old-school red sauce joints to create a restaurant that lands in between. Thin-crust wood-fired pizzas, reliant on a 20-year-old sourdough starter and a 48-hour-long fermentation, come topped with things like truffle oil, fingerling potatoes, and leeks, plus lovely finishing touches like a drizzle of pesto. The margherita pizza is a standout, topped with mozzarella made in-house. The chef makes the restaurant’s pastas daily, which come tossed in delicate and dimensional sauces like the linguine scoglio, briny with capers and piled with calamari, wild shrimp, and Maine lobster.

Seafood pasta, raw oysters, radicchio salad and tartufo pizza at Nome Italiano.
Seafood linguini, raw oysters, and tartufo autunnale pizza at Nome Italiano.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Lifty’s

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On a warm Central Oregon day, Justy’s is sure to be the place to grab a beer or cocktail, play corn hole, or pick up a sandlot volleyball game on Justy’s court. Roll-up windows create a large indoor-outdoor space in the summer, while some more relaxed customers catch the game from above while dining on fun, eclectic dishes. The totchos are a particular favorite, with creamy queso blanco, pico de gallo, and jalapeño; have them at happy hour, or try them with a fried egg for brunch. It’s also a great place to stop on the way down from the mountain, where apres-skiers warm up with bowls of Tina’s homemade chicken soup — made with dumpling-esque hand-cut noodles and a rich-bodied broth.

Cheese stretches in Gnocchi dish with chicken soup in the background at Justy’s.
Cheesy pesto gnocchi, totchos, and chicken soup at Justy’s.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Rancher Butcher Chef

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Rancher Butcher Chef (“RBC”), is an upscale modern take on a butcher shop and restaurant with impossibly tender dry-aged meat from partner Will von Schlegell’s ranches in Klamath Falls. Opened in August 2022 within one of the Grove buildings in Northwest Crossing, the restaurant comes from an accomplished team of restaurateurs, including Garret Peck of the Vitaly Paley empire. Jovial bartenders serve Spanish vermouth with anchovy-stuffed olives, which pairs well with Spanish octopus a la plancha, so tender that it doesn’t need more than a dollop of aioli. There are nine first-come, first-serve seats at the bar and outdoor seating in the summer; for a guaranteed seat, be sure to make a reservation. 

Steak tartare and Spanish vermouth on bar at Rancher Butcher Chef.
Steak tartare and Spanish Vermouth at RBC bar.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Mountain Burger

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Mountain Burger is in Northwest Crossing, across the street from part-owner Ted Swigert’s other restaurant, Washington Cocktails. Although it’s a full-service restaurant, the daily house-ground burgers, sometimes blended with brisket, are still priced around $10. Service begins with a small jar of house-made bread and butter pickles to prepare the palate for burgers. Choose from a basic one, two, or three-patty hamburger or cheeseburger made with house-made American cheese, or a build-your-own burger from a list of toppings. For non-meat eaters, there’s a variety of salads and alternate burgers, including a walnut, oat, and sage patty. The hand-cut Kennebec mountain fries are piled high, plain or with toppings.

Sweet potato fries, cheeseburger and chocolate shake on table at Mountain Burger.
Maple-bacon sweet potato fries, burger and shake at Mountain Burger.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Meadowlark Restaurant

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From Boxwood Cafe owner Eric Rudd and Rapa Nui owner Jared Schmidt, Meadowlark is a Bend Southside neighborhood restaurant and a great place to stop after a day of activities. The menu is undefinable, encompassing a wide range of cuisines and dishes, from Italian pastas and thick-crust pizzas to fish and chips. The Mediterranean meatballs are a must-order: Spanish merguez lamb meatballs sit atop a pile of couscous with piquillo pepper sauce balanced with tzatziki — the combination of flavors and delicately seasoned lamb is enough to become a repeat customer. Schmidt’s background as a bartender is evident in the excellent cocktail offerings, like the outstanding refreshing old Bajan with aged Bajan rum, herbs, Persian lime, and sparkling wine.

Lamb meatballs on couscous in pepper sauce on plate at Meadowlark
Lamb meatballs on couscous at Meadowood.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

This sleek, black-and-grey modern Korean restaurant has the vibe of a restaurant in a much larger city, likely due to Chef Joe Kim's time at Michelin-starred big-city restaurants like the French Laundry and Alinea. Kim has been a three-time James Beard semifinalist for his creative and meticulously executed dishes, which he now brings to Bend as dishes he remembers from childhood. Throughout the meal, diners encounter multiple styles of kimchi, made with everything from fennel to apple. The restaurant’s ssam options include oli, a tender, crispy duck with red leaf lettuce, toasted seaweed, ssamjang, and a sesame leaf and roasted garlic doenjang. The restaurant also offers a tasting menu, in addition to its a la carte offerings.

Trays of kimchee and Kalbi streak on table at Yoli
Kimchee assortment and Oli ssam at Yoli.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Lady Bird Cultural Society

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While Bend casual is accepted, Lady Bird is a place diners can don their best attire at this nod to chic French elegance, with a wall of whooping cranes and gilded parrot lamps. Chef John Guernee left Drake to open his dream restaurant located in the Flatbread space in the Old Mill; there, he adopted a wood-fired oven perfect for chewy, thick-crust pizza with ingredients like fior di latte mozzarella, prosciutto, taggiasca olives, and cumin-roasted peppers. Dry-aged duck is made with huckleberry, beet, and potato millefeuille, and pomegranate seeds add tartness to the black hummus ‘en noir.’ End with a light, impossibly creamy Amaretto Tiramisu, one of the desserts created by (now closed) Foxtail Bakeshop’s talented Nickol Hayden-Cady.

Plates of black hummus, tuna crudo, thick crust pizza and a cocktail glass with tiramisu on a table with a gilded mirror in the background at Lady Bird Cultural Society.
Hummus en noir, pizza, and Amaretto Tiramisu.
Barb Gonzalez/ Eater Portland

El Kussho

Located off Century Boulevard in El Sancho’s Super Secret Side Street Saloon, this Nikkei pop-up — a cuisine born in Peru and authored by Japanese immigrants there — should not be a secret. Sushi chef Ian Skomski and Marcus Mitchell, whose specializes in Peruvian cuisine, collaborate on dishes like salmon tartare with flash-fried rice paper or poke nachos on fried wontons. The cucumber-based aguachile or seared tuna are light but multi-dimensional; other dishes are pure comfort food, like the lomo saltado, a Peruvian stir-fried steak with potato wedges, tomatoes, and onions. Go soon and go often, as the pop-up is scheduled to end in March.

Salmon tartare on fried rice paper with Peruvian dish in background at El Kussho.
Salmon tartare at El Kussho.
Barb Gonzalez/Eater Portland

S.E.A. Crab House - Bend

SEA doesn’t refer to seafood; it is an acronym for Southeast Asian. But this spot isn’t without its shellfish: When Thailand-born Pattaraporn “Patta” Lorwatcharasophon first moved to the U.S. with her husband, Kim, they noticed there weren’t traditional crab houses on the Oregon Coast, leading them to open one in Seaside. Now, the couple has opened a location in Bend (and soon in Portland and Seattle). Her infectious enthusiasm for Thai spices, paired with Cajun-style boils and fresh seafood, spills over, creating a party-like atmosphere where bib-sporting friends eat crab by the pound with their hands. For those who aren’t in the mood for po’ boys or other Cajun entrees, the boil can be ordered with butter alone.

Lobster, king crab, snow crab, Dungeness crab and prawns are dumped onto a silver platter at SEA Crabhouse.
Seafood boil at SEA Crabhouse.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Prost!

Prost has been in its Portland location for more than seven years; that being said, Portlanders should still stop by the new Bend location for its full restaurant and German biergarten. Chef Josh Hajostek got the inspiration for many of the restaurant’s recipes from his German grandmother, like the pork-and-beef-stuffed cabbage rolls. Offerings include the expected schnitzel, spaetzle, and bratwurst, but don’t miss the trout mullein — almond-crusted trout on smashed fingerlings with lemon caper sauce. It’s excellent with the Weihenstephaner Vitus. 

German Brezel pretzel, almond-crusted trout and beet salad are served with a Vitus German beer.
Almond crusted trout, rubensalat, with German beer.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Nome Italiano

When Nome took over the Baltazar building, there were few Italian restaurant options in Bend. Despite the past few years’ openings, Nome is still a standout as chef George Morris pulls inspiration from time spent in Italy and old-school red sauce joints to create a restaurant that lands in between. Thin-crust wood-fired pizzas, reliant on a 20-year-old sourdough starter and a 48-hour-long fermentation, come topped with things like truffle oil, fingerling potatoes, and leeks, plus lovely finishing touches like a drizzle of pesto. The margherita pizza is a standout, topped with mozzarella made in-house. The chef makes the restaurant’s pastas daily, which come tossed in delicate and dimensional sauces like the linguine scoglio, briny with capers and piled with calamari, wild shrimp, and Maine lobster.

Seafood pasta, raw oysters, radicchio salad and tartufo pizza at Nome Italiano.
Seafood linguini, raw oysters, and tartufo autunnale pizza at Nome Italiano.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Lifty’s

On a warm Central Oregon day, Justy’s is sure to be the place to grab a beer or cocktail, play corn hole, or pick up a sandlot volleyball game on Justy’s court. Roll-up windows create a large indoor-outdoor space in the summer, while some more relaxed customers catch the game from above while dining on fun, eclectic dishes. The totchos are a particular favorite, with creamy queso blanco, pico de gallo, and jalapeño; have them at happy hour, or try them with a fried egg for brunch. It’s also a great place to stop on the way down from the mountain, where apres-skiers warm up with bowls of Tina’s homemade chicken soup — made with dumpling-esque hand-cut noodles and a rich-bodied broth.

Cheese stretches in Gnocchi dish with chicken soup in the background at Justy’s.
Cheesy pesto gnocchi, totchos, and chicken soup at Justy’s.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Rancher Butcher Chef

Rancher Butcher Chef (“RBC”), is an upscale modern take on a butcher shop and restaurant with impossibly tender dry-aged meat from partner Will von Schlegell’s ranches in Klamath Falls. Opened in August 2022 within one of the Grove buildings in Northwest Crossing, the restaurant comes from an accomplished team of restaurateurs, including Garret Peck of the Vitaly Paley empire. Jovial bartenders serve Spanish vermouth with anchovy-stuffed olives, which pairs well with Spanish octopus a la plancha, so tender that it doesn’t need more than a dollop of aioli. There are nine first-come, first-serve seats at the bar and outdoor seating in the summer; for a guaranteed seat, be sure to make a reservation. 

Steak tartare and Spanish vermouth on bar at Rancher Butcher Chef.
Steak tartare and Spanish Vermouth at RBC bar.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Mountain Burger

Mountain Burger is in Northwest Crossing, across the street from part-owner Ted Swigert’s other restaurant, Washington Cocktails. Although it’s a full-service restaurant, the daily house-ground burgers, sometimes blended with brisket, are still priced around $10. Service begins with a small jar of house-made bread and butter pickles to prepare the palate for burgers. Choose from a basic one, two, or three-patty hamburger or cheeseburger made with house-made American cheese, or a build-your-own burger from a list of toppings. For non-meat eaters, there’s a variety of salads and alternate burgers, including a walnut, oat, and sage patty. The hand-cut Kennebec mountain fries are piled high, plain or with toppings.

Sweet potato fries, cheeseburger and chocolate shake on table at Mountain Burger.
Maple-bacon sweet potato fries, burger and shake at Mountain Burger.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Meadowlark Restaurant

From Boxwood Cafe owner Eric Rudd and Rapa Nui owner Jared Schmidt, Meadowlark is a Bend Southside neighborhood restaurant and a great place to stop after a day of activities. The menu is undefinable, encompassing a wide range of cuisines and dishes, from Italian pastas and thick-crust pizzas to fish and chips. The Mediterranean meatballs are a must-order: Spanish merguez lamb meatballs sit atop a pile of couscous with piquillo pepper sauce balanced with tzatziki — the combination of flavors and delicately seasoned lamb is enough to become a repeat customer. Schmidt’s background as a bartender is evident in the excellent cocktail offerings, like the outstanding refreshing old Bajan with aged Bajan rum, herbs, Persian lime, and sparkling wine.

Lamb meatballs on couscous in pepper sauce on plate at Meadowlark
Lamb meatballs on couscous at Meadowood.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Yoli

This sleek, black-and-grey modern Korean restaurant has the vibe of a restaurant in a much larger city, likely due to Chef Joe Kim's time at Michelin-starred big-city restaurants like the French Laundry and Alinea. Kim has been a three-time James Beard semifinalist for his creative and meticulously executed dishes, which he now brings to Bend as dishes he remembers from childhood. Throughout the meal, diners encounter multiple styles of kimchi, made with everything from fennel to apple. The restaurant’s ssam options include oli, a tender, crispy duck with red leaf lettuce, toasted seaweed, ssamjang, and a sesame leaf and roasted garlic doenjang. The restaurant also offers a tasting menu, in addition to its a la carte offerings.

Trays of kimchee and Kalbi streak on table at Yoli
Kimchee assortment and Oli ssam at Yoli.
Barb Gonzalez / Eater Portland

Lady Bird Cultural Society

While Bend casual is accepted, Lady Bird is a place diners can don their best attire at this nod to chic French elegance, with a wall of whooping cranes and gilded parrot lamps. Chef John Guernee left Drake to open his dream restaurant located in the Flatbread space in the Old Mill; there, he adopted a wood-fired oven perfect for chewy, thick-crust pizza with ingredients like fior di latte mozzarella, prosciutto, taggiasca olives, and cumin-roasted peppers. Dry-aged duck is made with huckleberry, beet, and potato millefeuille, and pomegranate seeds add tartness to the black hummus ‘en noir.’ End with a light, impossibly creamy Amaretto Tiramisu, one of the desserts created by (now closed) Foxtail Bakeshop’s talented Nickol Hayden-Cady.

Plates of black hummus, tuna crudo, thick crust pizza and a cocktail glass with tiramisu on a table with a gilded mirror in the background at Lady Bird Cultural Society.
Hummus en noir, pizza, and Amaretto Tiramisu.
Barb Gonzalez/ Eater Portland

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