Italian technique and Columbia River Gorge flavor meet at this pizza spot down by the water. Local ingredients and seasonal availability are the bedrock for the inventive house pies, which feature toppings like cremini mushrooms and Siragusa pear over goat cheese or mozzarella. Just as much attention and care are given to the base of the pizza as well: The dough is fermented for 72 hours and baked in a wood-fire oven imported from Italy. If the wait at the riverfront dining room is too long, walk over to the nearby food truck to grab a slice or a whole pie to eat by the river.

It’s impossible to go wrong choosing a beer from this award-winning artisanal craft brewery that, since its founding a decade ago, has become one of Hood River and the Pacific Northwest’s preeminent beer destinations. Known for its Belgian-inspired creations and experimental brews like its peach-infused Lambic-inspired ale, Pfriem’s beer list features year-round staples as well as seasonal specialties for spring, summer, fall, and winter — think: refreshing pints of orange-zested golden ale for summer or rich barrel-aged stouts for winter. While the food menu of brewpub classics like chicken sandwiches pairs just fine with the beers, it’s the waterfront views from the industrial tasting room that makes the already excellent beer go down even better.

The only downside to this Waterfront Park food cart selling knockout Texas-style barbecue is that it’s only open on weekends. The headlining beef brisket, slow-smoked over oak for more than 16 hours, puts Grasslands firmly on the list of destination barbecue joints around the Pacific Northwest; the spicy Hatch green chile and cheddar sausage is just a bonus. It’s best to get a heaping plate of everything on the menu — including the brisket, sausage, and slow-smoked pulled pork rubbed with Cajun tasso — to eat on its own or as a sandwich. The barbecue meats come served with all the standard Texas fixings on the side like sliced white bread, with essential add-on sides like collard greens. Go early; Grasslands tends to sell out later in the afternoon.

You can’t go to Hood River and not dive into the local cider scene. This friendly neighborhood hangout stocks its taps with a rotating list of apple, pear, and fruit ciders from Hood River and around the Gorge, including Crush’s own house creations. Ciders here branch out into fun and unfamiliar territory, like the bourbon barrel-aged Bourbon Nellie or spicy apple cider that gets its zing from Peruvian chiles. Crush also has a solid food menu, with crispy flatbreads topped with carnitas or Swedish rosti with bratwurst.

While Oregon’s reputation as a beer destination is now cemented, this independent brewery was one of the first microbreweries to come along and successfully set up shop. Established in 1987, the initial line-up of ambers, goldens, winter ales, and porters have now expanded to include IPAs, stouts, and seasonal IPAs. The hillside brewery and pub, which offers elevated views of windsurfers and kite-boarders on the river, has rotating draft selections, tasty pub standbys like mac and cheese made with Sesión Cerveza Gouda cheese, and beer to-go. Brewery tours are available but temporarily on hold due to the pandemic. Its water and energy-saving practices have also earned Full Sail distinctions as one of Oregon’s most sustainable breweries.

Whether you need a giant, juicy rotisserie chicken for dinner or a sandwich and snacks for a hike, Boda’s Kitchen delivers the goods. As Hood River’s go-to gourmet delicatessen with daily meal and soup specials, locals regularly stop by for everything from specialty deli goods like meat and cheese to pantry items like olive oil, obscure hot sauces, and fun snacks. Owners Sirota and Matt Johnston try to source Columbia River Gorge products whenever possible, but it’s also a great place to discover new foods from other states or countries.

The seasonal opening of Mike’s Ice Cream, starting in late March, heralds in the summer season in Hood River. A beloved local staple since 1986, the team serves out of a quaint, teal cottage in the downtown area with a front lawn full of Adirondack chairs for lounging. Alongside classics like chocolate or strawberry, they’ve whipped up their own creamy concoctions like the Galaxy, an uber-chocolately mix of malted chocolate studded with chunks of white and dark chocolate. Mike’s is generally cash-only, but a friendly sign out front says they’ll take a check or an IOU. Mike’s closes up shop for the winter around the end of October.

Helmed by chef Ben Stenn, the cuisine at this high-end restaurant focuses on hyper-local, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. Working with Columbia River Gorge farmers, ranchers, cheesemongers, and more, Stenn builds dishes like house-made pappardelle pasta with morels and asparagus or salmon with fregola sarda and roasted romanesco. The wine list features tons of Gorge-based wineries, and Oregon breweries are well represented in the restaurant. Top it all off with an elegant dining room, and it’s a memorable place to go for a special night out. 

Good things await those entering this brightly-painted restaurant serving homestyle traditional foods from around Mexico. Even the snobbiest Californian will be won over by the Baja-style fish tacos, served on house-made corn tortillas, with chorizo, lengua, and chicken among the other options for fillings. The gorditas, tortas, and enchiladas are also stand-outs, all best enjoyed outdoors on the sunny patio with a pet-friendly area.

Fresh-baked bread made daily, flaky buttermilk biscuits, sweet baked goods, and coffee from Nossa Familia are the right way to start a Hood River day at this charming bakery and cafe. Owner Megan Davis uses seasonal fruits in her muffins, turnovers, and pies, often from area growers like Wildwood Farm or Royal Anne Organics; the same is true on the lunch menu, with sandwiches stacked on house-baked bread.

Fried empanadas overflowing with melty cheese; colorful completo hot dogs topped with diced tomatoes, sauerkraut, mashed avocado, and mayonnaise (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it); and doughy sopaipillas bring the flavors of Chilean homes and markets to Hood River’s food cart scene. Owner Norma Vega and her husband originally hail from Chile’s capital city of Santiago, but now serve popular Chilean street food from this food cart along 13th Street, one of Hood River’s best dining thoroughfares. The house specialty are empanadas, stuffed with traditional fillings like a blend of ground beef, onion, eggs, and black olives called pino, or non-traditional fruity fillings like pineapple. The recipes come from Vega’s grandmother, for whom the cart is named. In the summer, you can cool off with a glass of mote con huesillo, a syrupy-sweet drink made with peaches and husked wheat brought from Chile.