50 Best American Restaurants in Portland

“It was delicious!!! Rabbit, foie gras, pigs feet, escargot, halibut, eel, scallops, all the fancy sauces….SOOO good!! Every bite was just perfectly executed. The staff was so friendly and engaging which made it really fun to sit at the chef’s counter!“

“We celebrated my husband’s birthday here and what a treat! Our server was phenomenal and helped us make great choices for amazing food + wine pairings. The chef also accommodated my food allergies with ease. Highly recommend! We plan to return very soon.“

“Had been about a year since I've been there for weekend brunch. Never disappoints. Everything was as impeccable as I'd remembered. Had the omelet, laser potatoes, and the rhubarb pie... all quite delicious 😋. My number brunch place in Portland; I highly recommend O.P!!!“

“Great food, lots of fun flavors.“

“Great restaurant, we go everytime we are in Portland. Great food, great ambience and wonderful staff. Plus an outstanding butcher shop“

“I make it a point to visit Canard Burnside on all of my trips to Portland! The unique flavors and presentations on their menu keep me coming back for more. Had the roasted beets last night for the first time and the flavor was out of this world.“

“High energy and volume. Great service. Family style small plates staggered out makes for a more enjoyable and slow paced meal.“

“all I can think saying is it’s delicious every spoonful come out and have some …delicious I promise“

“Cozy neighborhood vibes. Had to remind myself it is a bar. Kinda loud, but then again it is a bar. Scored low on service because there is zero table service. You have to keep getting up to order at the bar. Good burger and fries. Trout chips and dip was different but tasty. Overall good experience.“

“In the city of breweries, this is the best brewery.“

“Fresh pasta and inventive salads“

“food was so very good. and the whiskey sour was lovely.“

“This is one of the most delicious places I’ve ever been to!!“

“Real neat place with fun staff. I got the Beast and the Beauty sandwich, and it was huge! Absolutely delicious with a ton of meat and delicious toppings. My friend got a gluten free Rose City smashburger, and it was on a sliced sandwich bread that got toasted but no complaints from them. Definitely recommend.

Dietary restrictions: Seems like the only gluten free bread they have is sliced loaf bread.“

“Wow! Food was fabulous! We stopped by because we were in the area! What a pleasant surprise! We will definitely be back! Servers were phenomenal! We were seated quickly and they were so friendly! Burrito was awesome! Will be back for more!“

“This is one of the most delicious places I’ve ever been to!!“

“This is a great first date place. The food presentation was outstanding. However, we felt it was a little blan. They use RC soda products here, which are flat at the bar but have carbonation if gotten from the back. Amazing happy hour!

Kid-friendliness: Not great for kiddos.

Wheelchair accessibility: Plenty of wheelchair accessibility tables.“

“Brunch here was everything I've heard. I've wanted to eat here for ages. The Besaws pancake is life! The crispy potatoes are uniquely delicious. The service is phenomenal.“

“I think a couple weeks to the menu would be needed. We noticed the same garnish with caviar on both hot and cold dishes. The caviar on the hot pork chop wasn't very pleasing. The pork chop definitely needed a pineapple salsa or sauce with it to cut through the fattiness of the chop and grits.“

“lovely atmosphere!! and very lovely food!!“

“My friend and I visit here every Friday evening. The staff are always friendly and accommodating. Especially Jason. He remembers regulars, and is very genuinely caring about the people he serves. The servers, including Lupita, are very prompt and nice. Your drinks never go empty! We prefer this location because it’s not only open until 10pm, but because we have had such pleasant experiences with the staff. Food is pretty darn good too! Fresh breakfast meats and French toast! Thank you!“

“Friendly staff, good food and portions, great long time neighborhood restaurant!“

“Everything it has a cozy feeling. I love the decor. Also our waiter was very nice and friendly. I don’t live in Portland, but when I visit again I will definitely come back. My dinner was delicious. My daughter who lives in Portland suggested this restaurant.“

“Ate here with my family in October 2024. Nice sunny, chilly day visiting Portland. I had the chicken sandwich and it was delicious. My boys had burgers and loved them. The lemonade was delicious but expensive for the little cup. In a little section off the street with 3 other food trucks, and some outdoor picnic seating. We had no problem parking around the corner, but no parking right in front. Free water and cups are available in the seating area.“

“12/01/2024 (Sun)
The restaurant has a spacious and open atmosphere with a fast-food-style setup where you order and pay before seating yourself. We enjoyed a beer🍺, a cocktail (Jojo Carajillo)🍸, a BLT sandwich, a chicken bacon sandwich ($16), and the original plain Jojo ($6.50).
The freshly fried Jojos were piping hot and had a wonderfully soft and warm texture inside. Even though we ordered a regular size, the portion was huge! Everything was delicious.
The only small disappointment was that we added an egg to the BLT for an extra $2, but it wasn’t included. It might have just been a simple mistake. Other than that, all the dishes were freshly made, generously portioned, and tasted great!🥰“

“The kitchen is very small here so the food selection is minimal for the chain. when the place gets busy there can be a huge backup for food orders. they have an outdoor area which has a fun fire pit and a little shed that is fun to pop into. there are a couple of games in there. I absolutely love the theater here. they have a wooden dome where you can see the carpentry on the ceiling. The place is kept really clean. I see a general trend of new people coming in and out to work there. on the inside there is an upstairs location that a lot of people don't take advantage of. so if you want some privacy go upstairs. The location is pretty much on the edge of downtown St. John's making it very walkable to multiple other things in town.

The movies here are the cheapest in Portland. they are first run and you get food beer wine if you want while you watch. The servers here have always been extremely nice...except for that one that kicked me out of a movie, not for behavior but because my phone died and I couldn't pull up my pre bought movie tickets...I had a reference number, but this guy wasn't having anything to do with that. That was the only time I felt like an employee there was completely out of place in the way they treated paying customers. The manner he came in the theater, made comments and pulled me out of the theater was beyond embarrassing. I escalated the incident to the corporate contact, they never answered any of my communications. I didn't even get 2 movie tickets to reimburse the pull out after I was able to show I pre paid.“

“This is a beautiful spot to sit and listen to some vinyls. Loved the atmosphere and the service was top notch. Why only 4 stars? The food was lacking a little in price and in flavor. We had the burger, BLT, and chicken parm sandwich. The chicken parm sandwich was 100% fantastic but we asked for no pickles. The burger was small for the price especially compared to the price of the chicken parm sandwich. The burger was very bland and I was disappointed that adding tomato would cost extra. The BLT had more lettuce than I'd prefer. One common issue was the garlic aioli is very strong! It was so overpowering that I couldn't taste the cheese on the burger or the bacon in the BLT. The fries were delicious. I would go back again for the chicken parm sandwich. Another issue was we had to wait quite a while for our food but we didn't know about the event down the road and our server apologized so I would definitely check it out on a less busy night.“

“Great live jazz on Thursdays!“

“Get to Stumptown and try it!!“

“We had one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in years at this restaurant. After a long day of walking, we arrived with our kids—ages 3 and 5—tired, cranky, and full of energy. From the moment we walked in, the service was nothing short of outstanding.

Every member of the staff—from the host to the bartender to our server—went out of their way to make us feel welcome and at ease. They were genuinely kind, patient, and completely unphased by our feral kids. It was clear they not only tolerate children, but understand them.

Without us even asking, the staff offered to bring the kids’ meals out first, provided toys to keep them entertained, and even cut the crusts off their sandwiches. The extra attention to detail made all the difference—our kids have never cleaned their plates so well.

The food was equally impressive. Both my wife and I had delicious meals—well-prepared, flavorful, and clearly made with care. We left full, happy, and incredibly grateful. It’s rare to be able to finish meals with preschoolers in tow.

If you’re looking for a restaurant that welcomes families with genuine warmth and delivers excellent food and service, this place is a gem. We’ll absolutely be back.“

“Loved the customer service & my meatloaf burger is amazing“

“Surprised the cost was more than Eugene.“

“Great customer service, there was a mix up with my order, was unclear who was at fault but he was willing to do anything to make it right. I told him no problem and was happy with the cheesesteak sando instead of the fries. Moments later he came over to my table to make sure I was happy with my choice.“

“great cheese steaks , have the best customer service. all in all best experience“

“The service at Arden is amazing. They really make you feel welcome and aim to give you a customized dining experience. Highlights include the beef tartar, fois gras, spaghetti, and the most tender and flavorful pork chop I've ever had...and of course the wine pairings our waiter suggested were perfection!! I visit Portland once a month for business and Arden is a must for every visit!! See you in September!! 🍷🩷“

“Great food and views! Drinks are tasty too.“

“Yummy donuts and Chai. Pleasant and speedy service. Mom loved it and a great atmosphere. We will be back.“

“My toddler, his daddy and I visited this establishment today and it was delicious. The staff were friendly and I thoroughly enjoyed how sweet and patient the staff were with my on the spectrum toddler who thinks he is an imaginary cat. I absolutely loved the art work on the walls.“

“That food is no joke! It is wonderful! In my opinion, best seafood in Portland.“

“This bar is great! I love how polite the staff is and the service. The food is great and the overall look of the bar is very nice and comforting“

“I had the Lox plate and it was FABULOUS! I'm from a Chicago suburb that had several delis and it felt like I was back home. My husband had the avocado toast and enjoyed it very much. This will definitely be our breakfast place when we come back to visit Portland again. My husband picked up our take-out and said that the staff was very friendly. GREAT EXPERIENCE!!“

“I got the riesenschnitzel. It was delicious.

Anita does all the baking here and she's amazing, so make sure to save room for dessert, or take something home with you. I got the black forest cake, but sadly forgot to take a picture of it.“

“We came to celebrate our 15th anniversary and everything was amazing. My partner's gift for me was some crystal glass wear, 15 year gift is crystal, and they were very accommodating and made us a cocktail in them. The food was do delicious. We had the rock fish and polenta appetizer, a dozen oysters, an Ono dish with cauliflower and green beans, and cioppino. The service was great too.“

“Best food in town when open when they actually have the food on the menu, as a foodie who hates doing this, do yourself and buisness a favor have enough food and have all the food on your menu, Everyone Brisket is not a daily or weekly occurrence the chef said when they buy it k“

“THE BEST SMASH BURGER OF MY LIFE AND IT’S NOT EVEN CLOSE. THE ONLY THING MORE ANNOYING THAN ALL-CAPS IS NOT HAVING A SURESHOT BURGER IN MY HAND 24/7

**I have been here over a dozen times and it never EVER disappoints. God-tier PDX food.“

“Blink twice and you’ll miss this place.Good hot dogs. Check them out while you’re around the area grabbing some fried chicken (at Bae’s), Donuts (at voodoo), and other things..Cool spot. Forgot to take pictures. I’ll take them next time I’m around.“

“Marco was great, such an awesome mixologist. The food yummy and staff are always friendly“

“Ohhh how I wish that Potato Champion would come to the Salem/Keizer area!! It's my absolute favorite food cart in Portland and I make a point to visit there every time I'm in town. Literally 5 stars every time.... quality, customer service. 🤌 Do yourself a favor and check them out!“

“Randomly found this place when the restaurant we wanted to go to was booked. I was very surprised that it was inside a hotel. The food was so good with great flavor combinations. And they made an excellent old fashioned and even a fancy mocktail! I would eat here again next time I see a show at the Keller center. And easy walk to the show.“

“I've driven by the Cameo countless times, but it's always been a bit too far from my home to have made the trip there at meal time. Fortunately my wife paid a visit with friends and decided that she needed to return with me in tow.
The menu is mostly breakfast classics, with numerous Korean options adding interest.
We tried the Bulgogi Salad, and the Bugogi beef with veggies. Each had the expected Bulgogi flavors, and thankfully came with hot sauce on the side, letting us decide how much heat to add to the mix.
Service was amazingly attentive - with staff that appears to be dedicated to ice water and coffee refills, and we got to watch another person visiting all the tables with a basket of packaged jams and jellies, making sure everything was fully stocked. The decorations took me back to the 1980s - fancy wallpaper, plum colored accents, and delightful chandeliers with additional tchochkes gilding the lilly.
From the looks of the meals arriving at nearby tables, I'm looking forward to exploring more of the menu, perhaps something involving pancakes...“