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Fried chicken at the Waiting Room
J B./Yelp

Portland’s Killer Southern Restaurants

Take a trip down South with these knockout spots

by Alex Frane and Eater Staff Updated
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Fried chicken at the Waiting Room
| J B./Yelp
by Alex Frane and Eater Staff Updated

Tucked away in the the grey Northwest, Portland may not be famous for its Southern cookin’, but a few noble standouts are changing the game. Fried chicken, collards, ribs, gumbo, meatloaf, and jambalaya can be found that are transportive enough to make you think you traveled to Appalachia, Cajun Country, or the Deep South.

Note that this map does not cover places that are predominantly focused on barbecue or fried chicken, though there are some overlaps with those maps. It is also not ranked, but in geographical order.

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PoShines Cafe De La Soul

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Exemplifying both Southern cooking and hospitality, Po’Shines is a window-lined, church-run cafe that delivers delicious, modern soul food, po’boys, and barbecue. Po’Shines also serves breakfast all day, and operates a non-profit workforce training program called Teach Me To Fish.

8139 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
(503) 978-9000
(503) 978-9000
Yush H./Yelp

Mae

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Maya Lovelace’s legendary Southern pop-up dinner Mae changed the landscape of Portland’s food scene, as she brought her signature pimento mac and cheese, braised collards, fluffy biscuits and, of course, unforgettable fried chicken to the back room of the Old Salt Marketplace every Monday and Wednesday. Now based in the dark blue dining room of Dame, Mae is firmly settled in Portland’s food hall of fame — come for the chicken, stay for the inventive and meticulously sourced vegetable dishes.

2930 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
Mae/Facebook

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Patton Maryland

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Patton Maryland serves up some great Southern dishes as well as a few vegan options unlikely to be seen on a menu in the South, all served in a polished space. Smoked meats, shrimp and grits, and other essential dishes fill the menu, which also includes a great weekend brunch.

5101 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217
(503) 841-6176
(503) 841-6176
Patton Maryland

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Miss Delta

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Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, Miss Delta churns out deep-South classics like gumbo, baby back ribs, catfish po’boys, and chicken-fried steak, all in a down-home space on North Mississippi. It’s great for dinner, and also makes for a hearty brunch spot without the usual interminable lines.

3950 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
(503) 287-7629
(503) 287-7629
Facebook/Miss Delta

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Acadia

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A New Orleans-style bistro, Acadia offers some of the most jaw-dropping gumbo in town, as well as a great jambalaya and shrimp creole. It also boasts a solid Sazerac, the official drink of NOLA. Stop in on Mondays when entrees are just $14, and a three-course meal with salad and bread pudding comes in at $25.

1303 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97212
(503) 249-5001
(503) 249-5001
Crawfish mac and cheese
Facebook/Acadia

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The Waiting Room

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Based in a bright blue house in Northwest Portland, The Louisiana-twinged Waiting Room specializes in oysters, fried chicken, cocktails, and champagne. A half or full order of chicken, a dozen oysters, and a bottle of sparkling wine makes for an ideal Southern date night.

2327 NW Kearney St, Portland, OR 97210
(503) 477-4380
(503) 477-4380
The Waiting Room

Tapalaya

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New Orleans born chef-owner Anh Luu brings her Vietnam-via-New Orleans heritage to play with classic NOLA dishes in the cozy red dining room of Tapalaya. This means pork belly bánh mì sandwiches and fish sauce wings among the jambalaya and gumbo.

28 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
(503) 232-6652
(503) 232-6652
Coconut curried black eyed peas, collards, and smoked pork jowls
Facebook/Tapalaya

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Screen Door

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The Screen Door may now be treated as a running joke for its infamously long lines, but there’s a reason it became as popular as it did: the sweet potato waffle with a towering stack of fried chicken drizzled with syrup. But the breakfast dish is far from the only reason to visit, thanks to options like brisket platters, shrimp and grits, and pimento cheese.

2337 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 542-0880
(503) 542-0880

A post shared by Carla (@fartla) on

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The Country Cat Dinner House and Bar

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Homey comfort food spot The Country Cat exemplifies heartland cooking with an emphasis on locally sourced products and whole animal butchery. It sports a stellar Southern brunch, and has a location at the airport for hungry travelers.

7937 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
(503) 408-1414
(503) 408-1414
Biscuits
Facebook/The Country Cat Dinner House and Bar

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Le Bistro Montage

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Beloved for its late-night hours, boisterous servers, and creative to-go packaging, Le Bistro Montage is one of the city’s oldest Southern stalwarts. While the mac and cheese is a popular choice, Montage also offers Southern staples like jambalaya, crispy frog legs, red beans and rice, and more.

301 Southeast Morrison Street, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-1324
(503) 234-1324
Facebook/Le Bistro Montage

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The Woodsman Tavern

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For a restaurant that bills itself as Northwestern, Woodsman’s menu is packed with Southern influences, from its delicious fried chicken (served in a bucket), to its braised collards, hush puppies, and country ham. With Le Pigeon alum Andrew Gordon at the helm now, the elegant-rustic dining room of the Woodsman is filled with Southern classics made with French technique.

4537 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
(971) 373-8264
(971) 373-8264
Facebook/Woodsman Tavern

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Delta Cafe

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A staple for Reedies and other Woodstock residents, Delta has been serving Southern food and 40s of PBR for decades now. Most everything here is fried, just as mama used to make it, including pickles, oysters, chicken, hush puppies, gizzards, shrimp, and okra. Bring a big appetite, especially for the huge brunch portions.

4607 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 771-3101
(503) 771-3101
Facebook/Delta Cafe

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PoShines Cafe De La Soul

8139 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217

Exemplifying both Southern cooking and hospitality, Po’Shines is a window-lined, church-run cafe that delivers delicious, modern soul food, po’boys, and barbecue. Po’Shines also serves breakfast all day, and operates a non-profit workforce training program called Teach Me To Fish.

8139 N Denver Ave, Portland, OR 97217
(503) 978-9000
(503) 978-9000
Yush H./Yelp

Mae

2930 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211

Maya Lovelace’s legendary Southern pop-up dinner Mae changed the landscape of Portland’s food scene, as she brought her signature pimento mac and cheese, braised collards, fluffy biscuits and, of course, unforgettable fried chicken to the back room of the Old Salt Marketplace every Monday and Wednesday. Now based in the dark blue dining room of Dame, Mae is firmly settled in Portland’s food hall of fame — come for the chicken, stay for the inventive and meticulously sourced vegetable dishes.

2930 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
Mae/Facebook

Patton Maryland

5101 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217

Patton Maryland serves up some great Southern dishes as well as a few vegan options unlikely to be seen on a menu in the South, all served in a polished space. Smoked meats, shrimp and grits, and other essential dishes fill the menu, which also includes a great weekend brunch.

5101 N Interstate Ave, Portland, OR 97217
(503) 841-6176
(503) 841-6176
Patton Maryland

Miss Delta

3950 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, Miss Delta churns out deep-South classics like gumbo, baby back ribs, catfish po’boys, and chicken-fried steak, all in a down-home space on North Mississippi. It’s great for dinner, and also makes for a hearty brunch spot without the usual interminable lines.

3950 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
(503) 287-7629
(503) 287-7629
Facebook/Miss Delta

Acadia

1303 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97212

A New Orleans-style bistro, Acadia offers some of the most jaw-dropping gumbo in town, as well as a great jambalaya and shrimp creole. It also boasts a solid Sazerac, the official drink of NOLA. Stop in on Mondays when entrees are just $14, and a three-course meal with salad and bread pudding comes in at $25.

1303 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97212
(503) 249-5001
(503) 249-5001
Crawfish mac and cheese
Facebook/Acadia

The Waiting Room

2327 NW Kearney St, Portland, OR 97210

Based in a bright blue house in Northwest Portland, The Louisiana-twinged Waiting Room specializes in oysters, fried chicken, cocktails, and champagne. A half or full order of chicken, a dozen oysters, and a bottle of sparkling wine makes for an ideal Southern date night.

2327 NW Kearney St, Portland, OR 97210
(503) 477-4380
(503) 477-4380
The Waiting Room

Tapalaya

28 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97232

New Orleans born chef-owner Anh Luu brings her Vietnam-via-New Orleans heritage to play with classic NOLA dishes in the cozy red dining room of Tapalaya. This means pork belly bánh mì sandwiches and fish sauce wings among the jambalaya and gumbo.

28 NE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
(503) 232-6652
(503) 232-6652
Coconut curried black eyed peas, collards, and smoked pork jowls
Facebook/Tapalaya

Screen Door

2337 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

The Screen Door may now be treated as a running joke for its infamously long lines, but there’s a reason it became as popular as it did: the sweet potato waffle with a towering stack of fried chicken drizzled with syrup. But the breakfast dish is far from the only reason to visit, thanks to options like brisket platters, shrimp and grits, and pimento cheese.

2337 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 542-0880
(503) 542-0880

A post shared by Carla (@fartla) on

The Country Cat Dinner House and Bar

7937 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215

Homey comfort food spot The Country Cat exemplifies heartland cooking with an emphasis on locally sourced products and whole animal butchery. It sports a stellar Southern brunch, and has a location at the airport for hungry travelers.

7937 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97215
(503) 408-1414
(503) 408-1414
Biscuits
Facebook/The Country Cat Dinner House and Bar

Le Bistro Montage

301 Southeast Morrison Street, Portland, OR 97214

Beloved for its late-night hours, boisterous servers, and creative to-go packaging, Le Bistro Montage is one of the city’s oldest Southern stalwarts. While the mac and cheese is a popular choice, Montage also offers Southern staples like jambalaya, crispy frog legs, red beans and rice, and more.

301 Southeast Morrison Street, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-1324
(503) 234-1324
Facebook/Le Bistro Montage

The Woodsman Tavern

4537 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206

For a restaurant that bills itself as Northwestern, Woodsman’s menu is packed with Southern influences, from its delicious fried chicken (served in a bucket), to its braised collards, hush puppies, and country ham. With Le Pigeon alum Andrew Gordon at the helm now, the elegant-rustic dining room of the Woodsman is filled with Southern classics made with French technique.

4537 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
(971) 373-8264
(971) 373-8264
Facebook/Woodsman Tavern

Delta Cafe

4607 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97206

A staple for Reedies and other Woodstock residents, Delta has been serving Southern food and 40s of PBR for decades now. Most everything here is fried, just as mama used to make it, including pickles, oysters, chicken, hush puppies, gizzards, shrimp, and okra. Bring a big appetite, especially for the huge brunch portions.

4607 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 771-3101
(503) 771-3101
Facebook/Delta Cafe

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