Not many Portland restaurants specialize in musubi, the classic Hawaiian answer to onigiri. Diners can find both at Yokai Musubi, a tiny storefront selling hand-held rice balls stuffed with wasabi tuna or hot bricks of rice topped with teriyaki-marinated Spam and pickled daikon. Yokai is also one of the city’s best places for Hawaiian sweets, with an assortment of “crack seed” candies from Oahu, rotating slushies in flavors like pineapple-starfruit or P.O.G., and baked goods like ube butter mochi.

Since late 2021, Pizza Kat has quietly garnered a neighborhood following for its naturally leavened dough and slightly sweet sauces. The small brick building directly on West Burnside serves plenty of classics: pepperoni, roasted pineapple with Canadian bacon, and a straightforward marinara, all with foldable, char-kissed crust. For those who don’t eat meat, the Get Wild – topped with king trumpet mushrooms, sweet onions, and ricotta – is a must. Other treats include seasonal ice creams that highlight local ingredients like peaches and marionberries, plus a to-go martini in an adorable chilled jar.

Play some games before watching the game at Mox Boarding House, Portland’s window-lined location of the Seattle-based board game cafe, just steps away from Providence Park. Seated at long wooden tables, visitors can snack on nachos topped with tostones and carnitas, elk burgers, and melty brie mac-and-cheese while playing Exploding Kittens or Settlers of Catan. Mox also sells games to take home, and offers a full bar with local beers from 24 taps and cocktails like the Mango-Dashi, made with Suntori whiskey and Steven Smith green tea.

This ever-crowded Mexican American restaurant on West Burnside has been a pre- and post-game dining destination for years, thanks to its proximity to Providence Park. At the large wooden bar and diner-style booths, as well as at the fenced-in patio, Timbers and Thorns fans polish off goblets of margaritas and heaping platters of enchiladas, tostadas, and refried beans and rice. It’s always a bit of a party here, like when fajitas are brought to the table sizzling in scorching hot cast iron skillets, but after a local team win, it gets downright raucous.

There’s nothing like the charm and comfort of old-school Italian food, and Gilda’s offers it in spades. In the wood-paneled and mural-lined osteria, local diners order silky rigatoni in Bolognese or spaghetti and meatballs, glass of Sangiovese in hand. While hearty pastas are the main draw here, other options include chicken marsala, veal scallopini, and a bountiful fritto misto of scallops, prawns, and calamari. For dessert: A scoop of spumoni topped with cured black cherries, or an affogato to pump you up for a game at nearby Providence Park.

Located just across the hall from the Driftwood Room is Gracie’s, the brightly lit, high-ceilinged lunch room at the Hotel Deluxe. Travelers and in-the-know locals can enjoy roasted zucchini eggs Benedict, German pancakes with powdered sugar and lemon, and lobster rolls while lounging and sipping mimosas. During the holiday season, Gracie’s also serves afternoon tea with house-made scones and paired wines.

This tiny Thai restaurant, situated at the base of the mammoth new Lincoln High School campus, has yet to return to in-person dining, but it’s still selling its excellent stir fries, curries, and noodle dishes as takeout. There’s no wrong move here, though some standouts include crab rangoon made with real blue crab, fried Brussels sprouts drizzled with peanut sauce and crispy shallots, and Kabocha squash squash stir-fried with egg and basil.

A throwback to the coffee houses of yesteryear, which encouraged relaxation and lively conversation between visitors, Fehrenbacher Hof serves as co-anchor of the neighborhood alongside its sister, the Goose Hollow Inn. Originally a break room for Inn employees, the team opened “the Hof” in 2001, naming it for Bud Clark’s wife, Sigrid Antonia Fehrenbacher. 20 years later, it’s still serving a wide variety of tea and espresso drinks like the Einspanner, a double espresso with raw sugar and whipped cream. The food is outstanding, like the breakfast burritos recently hailed by drag clown Carla Rossi and the cinnamon twists covered in a crunchy caramel glaze, best enjoyed in a cushy chair or on the breezy front porch.

This cozy pub has served the Goose Hollow neighborhood since 1947, under one name or another. Today, it’s a place where residents can visit for a quiet drink and a hearty meal. Its menu hews towards the comfortable and familiar, with pub staples like white cheddar-bacon burgers with truffle fries and chicken Caesar salads. There’s a slight Irish touch to the menu, including a Guinness Irish stew and cod fish and chips, and regulars swear by its brunch menu of fried chicken and Belgian waffles, eggs Benedict, and scratch-made rosemary-garlic biscuits with gravy. It’s all served in a snug space full of hardwood and vintage ceiling fans, perfect for enjoying a Grey Goose cosmo to really show some neighborhood spirit.