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The 38 Essential Portland Restaurants, Fall 2017

See the restaurants that define Portland dining

by Mattie John Bamman Updated
7 comments / new
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by Mattie John Bamman Updated
7 comments / new
Facebook/Imperial

It's time to update the Eater 38, the list of highly elite restaurants that define what it means to eat in Portland. The Eater 38 encompasses the entire city, spans myriad cuisines, and collectively satisfies all restaurant needs, whether diners want to drop serious cash or to magically transform a few bucks into a meal.

As happens every three months, the Eater 38 adds new stalwarts while other restaurants come off. This month, in a huge shakeup, chef and restaurateur Vitaly Paley's Imperial replaces his original restaurant, the iconic Paley's Place; where Paley's Place remains a bastion of Pacific Northwest dining, Imperial is pushing the boundaries of what a Portland restaurant can be.

Also joining the ranks are one of the leaders of the crowded Portland food cart scene, the nourishing Korean barbecue spot Kim Jong Grillin', and Portland's uncanny leader of fried dough, Pip's Original Doughnuts. Coming off are more upscale restaurants Ned Ludd and Nostrana.

The Eater 38 includes only one restaurant by any one owner, chef, or restaurant group. It highlights outstanding restaurants in a variety of dining genres. Finally, the Eater 38 works to feature restaurants across the city's many neighborhoods.

Don't see your favorite restaurant below? Rather than go into conniptions, let us know by lobbying for it over the tipline. Note, the points on this map guide are not ranked; rather, they're organized geographically. Looking for Portland's hottest new restaurants? Find them on the Eater PDX Heatmap.

For all the latest Portland dining intel, subscribe to Eater Portland's newsletter.

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Ataula

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

1818 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210
(503) 894-8904
(503) 894-8904

Restaurant St Jack

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

1610 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
(503) 360-1281
(503) 360-1281

Bamboo Sushi NW

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

836 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
(971) 229-1925
(971) 229-1925

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Ken's Artisan Bakery

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[Photo: Ken's Artisan Bakery]

338 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
(503) 248-2202
(503) 248-2202

Mi Mero Mole

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[Photo: Mi Mero Mole]

32 NW 5th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
(971) 266-8575
(971) 266-8575

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MÅURICE

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

921 SW Oak St, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 224-9921
(503) 224-9921
The open-format kitchen at Maurice

Imperial

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[Photo: Yelp]

410 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205

Departure

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[Photo: Departure]

525 SW Morrison St, Portland, OR 97204
(503) 802-5370
(503) 802-5370

Higgins Restaurant & Bar

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[Photo: Yelp/Momo B.]

1239 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-9070
(503) 222-9070

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Olympia Provisions SE

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[Photo: Facebook/Olympia Provisions]

107 SE Washington St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 954-3663
(503) 954-3663

Kachka

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 235-0059
(503) 235-0059

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HoldFast Dining

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

537 SE Ash, Portland, OR

Nong’s Khao Man Gai

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[Photo: Johnny Acurso]

609 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 740-2907
(503) 740-2907
A picture of Nong Poonsukwattana standing at the counter of her restaurant

Le Pigeon

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[Photo: Facebook/Le Pigeon]

738 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 546-8796
(503) 546-8796

Biwa

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[Photo: Mattie John Bamman/EPDX]

215 SE 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 239-8830
(503) 239-8830

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Farm Spirit

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

1414 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214

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Kim Jong Grillin'

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Among the crowded Portland food cart scene, Kim Jong Grillin' stands out for its soul-satisfying bibim boxes. Diners choose their preferred form of charred Korean barbecue, served with potato noodles, rice, kimchi, and a fried egg topper. It's a complete and, for first-timers, often revelatory meal for $12. And a not-so-secret hangover cure. Find the original location not far, at Southeast Division and 46th Avenue.

1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214

Lardo East

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[Photo: Facebook/Lardo]

1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-7786
(503) 234-7786

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Castagna

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[Photo: Facebook/Castagna]

1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97202
(503) 231-9959
(503) 231-9959

Bollywood Theater SE

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

3010 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202

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Pok Pok

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[Photo: Facebook/Pok Pok]

3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
(503) 232-1387
(503) 232-1387

Ava Gene's

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[Photo: Facebook/Ava Gene's]

3377 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
(971) 229-0571
(971) 229-0571

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Davenport

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

2215 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 236-8747
(503) 236-8747

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Han Oak

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

511 NE 24th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
Wooden tables sit inside a robin’s egg blue building, which opens onto Han Oak’s courtyard Dina Avila/EPDX

Langbaan

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(971) 344-2564
(971) 344-2564

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Laurelhurst Market

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[Photo: Facebook/Laurelhurst Market]

3155 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 206-3097
(503) 206-3097

Apizza Scholls

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[Photo: Facebook/Apizza Scholls]

4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215
(503) 233-1286
(503) 233-1286

Rose VL Deli

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[Photo: Facebook/Rose VL]

6424 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 206-4344
(503) 206-4344

Coquine

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At Coquine, you can either dress up or dress down: Either way, chef Katy Millard and general manager Ksandek Podbielski will provide something fitting the occasion, whether sweet corn and cheddar fritters or a roasted whole organic chicken to share. Millard's chocolate chip cookies are one of the iconic dishes of 2016, and the restaurant offers fast-casual breakfast and lunch, too. The Eater PDX 2015 Restaurant of the Year can be a hard reservation to get, but starting at 3 p.m., call ahead to get your name on the list and you'll receive a text when your table's ready.

6839 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97215
(503) 384-2483
(503) 384-2483

Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar

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The Country Cat is all about American food, prepared by a chef, Adam Sappington, who understands and executes the nuances of old world cuisine. You might be ordering chicken and dumplings, but what you're getting is chicken and dumplings in a sauce so complicated and complex you'll swear you're in Paris. Also, the fried chicken here is out of control, and Sappington's the guy who made in-house butchery cool.

7937 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
(503) 408-1414
(503) 408-1414

Ox

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The winners of the 2017 James Beard Award for Best Chef Northwest, husband-and-wife team Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñonez Denton have lit up Portland's dining scene with their Argentine-inspired restaurant Ox, a spot where wood-grilled simplicity meets evil-genius concoctions like sweetbread "croutons" and house-made blood sausage. Though meat hitting the grill is the main focus (skirt steak and lamb chops are tops), both veggies and seafood represent well in homey dishes like hominy stew and braised octopus. It's best to get in line early, though dinner wait times can be nursed at the neighboring Whey Bar (now with raw bar).

2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
(503) 284-3366
(503) 284-3366

Toro Bravo

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[Photo: Facebook/Toro Bravo]

120 NE Russell St, Portland, OR 97212
(503) 281-4464
(503) 281-4464

Milk Glass Market

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

2150 N Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217
(503) 395-4742
(503) 395-4742

Aviary

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[Photo: Facebook/Aviary]

1733 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 287-2400
(503) 287-2400

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Podnah's Pit BBQ

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[Photo: Yelp]

1625 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 281-3700
(503) 281-3700

Beast

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

5425 NE 30th Ave, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 841-6968
(503) 841-6968

Mae

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[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

5027 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218

Pip's Original

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[Photo: Facebook/Pip's]

4759 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97213

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Ataula

1818 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210

[Photo: Dina Avila/EPDX]

1818 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210
(503) 894-8904
(503) 894-8904