I’ve been planning my own vegan end of summer southern soiree’ for years with a long list of recipes & this place appeared. (Headpiece & vegan KFC bowl are random coincidences. )
I loved the owners background story and had to check this place out for some original Southern vegan eats.
I ordered takeout of catfish, comeback sauce (my nickname comeback Connolly, another random yet very relevant coincidence!) bbq ribs, mashed potatoes & gravy, spicy Mac & cheese, coleslaw & lemonade.
I received 2 spicy mac & cheese instead of mash potatoes & gravy I ordered.
I voraciously downed one of the spicy mac & cheese & saved one for later.
The food was so good in fact, that if you are a bbq ribs fan, these vegan bbq ribs melt in your mouth like they, it sickens me and I hate to say it, fell off the bone. So much better to choose cruelty free and clean.
I never liked ribs because they are so caveman carnivorous. The same reason I preferred the white meat, not the dark meat of a turkey at thanksgiving dinners back in the day before my awakening in 2017.
Someone ridiculously told me once that you are not an adult until you eat and like the dark meat of a turkey.
Now that is absolute crazy talk!
The point is, if you love southern comfort food, are a vegan or a meat eater and you like bbq ribs, you will have to give these a try.
My favorite dishes from what I ordered are the catfish with the comeback sauce, spicy mac & cheese, and lemonade.
I’ve made homemade lemonade many times with many different southern recipes.
This lemonade was smooth, not too sweet and not too tart.
A very fine balance of ingredients like all of the dishes I sampled.
Next go around I will allow myself more time to sit, savor the southern eats & enjoy the company with pictures for a more thorough Happy Cow review.
The chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy are on my list to try next.
I still would recommend take out even to dine in if you want to make sure that the items you want don’t sell out.
That is how good the food and this place are!
Updated from previous review on 2025-12-08
MelissaAnn79
Dinner plate with fried chicken, cornbread, and mashed potatoes with gravy- BOMB! Also got the Pinot Spritz which was surprisingly out of this world.
Updated from previous review on 2025-11-15
dinaeatstoomuch
Food was yummy, big portions.
The Cajun fries tasted like regular fries so that’s a bit expensive for 6$ then. Coleslaw was really good but bit small serving for the price. Catfish, Okra and Pickles were fabulous.
1AP1
Great food, my only criticism is I wish there were a few more veg-forward dishes and a few less deep fried. I would eat here much more often if it had a few more healthier options for some variety.
Dariush
Had a great meal here- fried pickles, mashed potatoes, cornbread, fried chick’n, ribs and catf’sh, all washed down with a pitcher of sweet tea. All was amazing. Equally amazing was the impression that it was only one person doing the order taking, cooking, waiting and cleaning?
ShellieBarnett
The fried cauliflower was really good. The greens were good but bland, they needed more seasoning. The ribs were good. The bowl with the popcorn "chicken" was really good and I would get that again. However it was suppose to have Cajun corn which it did not. They were also out of cornbread which happens, just disappointing.
Despite no one there tables were not wiped down. The staff was very friendly. The name is different for a plant based restaurant but since they don't have salads I guess it is okay. :)
msmarymack
Delicious, fresh southern food at Dirty Lettuce. Big bonus that it is 100% tree nut and peanut free, one of my family members is highly allergic. The service was so friendly and warm. Great non-alcoholic beverages and delicious food! It was blazing hot outside and we really appreciated the air conditioning.
Kerrigan Hoffine
Oh my god that is the best seitan chicken I’ve ever had. As a whole, our meal was so good. Would definitely recommend the hushpuppies and popcorn chicken for sure. One note is that they seem a bit understaffed. The person at the front was doing a lot while still being very kind, so please be patient. It’s so worth the wait. 10/10 will be back.
Shruthi Subramanian
I finally got to taste popcorn chicken as a lifelong vegetarian, and I got confirmation from a former meat eater that it is in fact very accurate in taste and texture. Amazing food, I hope this place sticks around for a long time! The owner/chef was a one man operation on the day we were there, but I promise the wait is worth it. We were so impressed. If I lived in Portland, I would support him regularly.
Fo Nelson-Rodgers
So sad. After moving away two years ago, I was so excited to have Dirty Lettuce when visiting PDX. I tell all my friends about this place. Unfortunately, times have certainly changed. I can deal with and understand abnormally long wait times for food. However, I cannot understand nor accept poor food quality after such a long wait. Portions were ridiculously small, the greens container wasn’t sealed properly, leaving all the juices to spill all over the contents inside, and the food was only mediocre at best. I wish I hadn’t gotten this so I could remember the way it used to be. This was honestly terrible.
Five Stars! Heard about Dirty Lettuce on a food show and it is def worth the visit. I had the dinner plate - the popcorn chicken is the best I’ve had. The greens and cornbread were the perfect compliment. The owner and chef is so kind and friendly. Will def return.
Jade Aimonetti
Food is delicious! I love the popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, and okra. I normally order delivery but I opted for pickup this time. The service was incredibly friendly! I can't recommend this place enough. I'll be back to dine in soon just for the level of care that was given for a takeout.
aj
Really good fried “chicken” and the sauces are so good! Looking forward to coming back.
Katherine Thibodeaux
All the staff called out and the owner was running the place on his own. Still managed to be super polite and solicitous to everyone and cook AMAZING food. 10/10 genius/humanitarian.
climbyboi672
I go to this place semi-regularly, def one of my favorite restaurants in Portland.
I’ve been planning my own vegan end of summer southern soiree’ for years with a long list of recipes & this place appeared. (Headpiece & vegan KFC bowl are random coincidences. ) I loved the owners background story and had to check this place out for some original Southern vegan eats. I ordered takeout of catfish, comeback sauce (my nickname comeback Connolly, another random yet very relevant coincidence!) bbq ribs, mashed potatoes & gravy, spicy Mac & cheese, coleslaw & lemonade. I received 2 spicy mac & cheese instead of mash potatoes & gravy I ordered. I voraciously downed one of the spicy mac & cheese & saved one for later. The food was so good in fact, that if you are a bbq ribs fan, these vegan bbq ribs melt in your mouth like they, it sickens me and I hate to say it, fell off the bone. So much better to choose cruelty free and clean. I never liked ribs because they are so caveman carnivorous. The same reason I preferred the white meat, not the dark meat of a turkey at thanksgiving dinners back in the day before my awakening in 2017. Someone ridiculously told me once that you are not an adult until you eat and like the dark meat of a turkey. Now that is absolute crazy talk! The point is, if you love southern comfort food, are a vegan or a meat eater and you like bbq ribs, you will have to give these a try. My favorite dishes from what I ordered are the catfish with the comeback sauce, spicy mac & cheese, and lemonade. I’ve made homemade lemonade many times with many different southern recipes. This lemonade was smooth, not too sweet and not too tart. A very fine balance of ingredients like all of the dishes I sampled. Next go around I will allow myself more time to sit, savor the southern eats & enjoy the company with pictures for a more thorough Happy Cow review. The chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy are on my list to try next. I still would recommend take out even to dine in if you want to make sure that the items you want don’t sell out. That is how good the food and this place are! Updated from previous review on 2025-12-08
Dinner plate with fried chicken, cornbread, and mashed potatoes with gravy- BOMB! Also got the Pinot Spritz which was surprisingly out of this world. Updated from previous review on 2025-11-15
Food was yummy, big portions. The Cajun fries tasted like regular fries so that’s a bit expensive for 6$ then. Coleslaw was really good but bit small serving for the price. Catfish, Okra and Pickles were fabulous.
Great food, my only criticism is I wish there were a few more veg-forward dishes and a few less deep fried. I would eat here much more often if it had a few more healthier options for some variety.
Had a great meal here- fried pickles, mashed potatoes, cornbread, fried chick’n, ribs and catf’sh, all washed down with a pitcher of sweet tea. All was amazing. Equally amazing was the impression that it was only one person doing the order taking, cooking, waiting and cleaning?
The fried cauliflower was really good. The greens were good but bland, they needed more seasoning. The ribs were good. The bowl with the popcorn "chicken" was really good and I would get that again. However it was suppose to have Cajun corn which it did not. They were also out of cornbread which happens, just disappointing. Despite no one there tables were not wiped down. The staff was very friendly. The name is different for a plant based restaurant but since they don't have salads I guess it is okay. :)
Delicious, fresh southern food at Dirty Lettuce. Big bonus that it is 100% tree nut and peanut free, one of my family members is highly allergic. The service was so friendly and warm. Great non-alcoholic beverages and delicious food! It was blazing hot outside and we really appreciated the air conditioning.
Oh my god that is the best seitan chicken I’ve ever had. As a whole, our meal was so good. Would definitely recommend the hushpuppies and popcorn chicken for sure. One note is that they seem a bit understaffed. The person at the front was doing a lot while still being very kind, so please be patient. It’s so worth the wait. 10/10 will be back.
I finally got to taste popcorn chicken as a lifelong vegetarian, and I got confirmation from a former meat eater that it is in fact very accurate in taste and texture. Amazing food, I hope this place sticks around for a long time! The owner/chef was a one man operation on the day we were there, but I promise the wait is worth it. We were so impressed. If I lived in Portland, I would support him regularly.
So sad. After moving away two years ago, I was so excited to have Dirty Lettuce when visiting PDX. I tell all my friends about this place. Unfortunately, times have certainly changed. I can deal with and understand abnormally long wait times for food. However, I cannot understand nor accept poor food quality after such a long wait. Portions were ridiculously small, the greens container wasn’t sealed properly, leaving all the juices to spill all over the contents inside, and the food was only mediocre at best. I wish I hadn’t gotten this so I could remember the way it used to be. This was honestly terrible.
Restaurantji Recommends
Five Stars! Heard about Dirty Lettuce on a food show and it is def worth the visit. I had the dinner plate - the popcorn chicken is the best I’ve had. The greens and cornbread were the perfect compliment. The owner and chef is so kind and friendly. Will def return.
Food is delicious! I love the popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, and okra. I normally order delivery but I opted for pickup this time. The service was incredibly friendly! I can't recommend this place enough. I'll be back to dine in soon just for the level of care that was given for a takeout.
Really good fried “chicken” and the sauces are so good! Looking forward to coming back.
All the staff called out and the owner was running the place on his own. Still managed to be super polite and solicitous to everyone and cook AMAZING food. 10/10 genius/humanitarian.
I go to this place semi-regularly, def one of my favorite restaurants in Portland.
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