7 Best Places To Eat In Portland | Your Guide To A Perfect Date Night
Portland kind of has a food thing going for it. It’s not a secret, especially locally, that there are a lot of really awesome places to eat in and around Portland. Because of that, it makes it really tough to choose where to go. Now, this post is only featuring 7 places…hardly a fair sample of ALL of the amazing spots to go in Oregon’s largest city. However, these 7 places, which are a mix of sit down, casual, and desserts restaurants, are some favorites around here. So, pick one or a couple, plan a nice evening out, and oh, don’t forget, polish it off with an air tour with Envi Adventures before or after!
These are our 7 Favorite Places To Eat In Portland:
Pastini
If you like Italian food, and you like pasta, Pastini is a pretty good place to go. With several locations in Portland (as well as around Oregon), this highly reviewed and rated is a great place for a great dinner! Pastini has a excellent menu to choose from and reasonable prices. I’m a sucker for pesto, so I opted for the Linguini Pesto Pollo and loved it. Also, the garlic bread…need I say more? Didn’t think so.
LoLo’s Boss Pizza
Sticking with the Italian theme, LoLo’s Boss Pizza is excellent. While not in Portland city limits, it’s worth mentioning because a) it’s close enough, b) it’s really good, and c), it’s close to Envi Adventures, so it’s perfect for before or after a flight! (Shameless plug).
LoLo’s Boss Pizza is in Downtown Troutdale right on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Locally owned, LoLo’s serves artisan pizza using locally sourced ingredients, and they also feature Farm to Pizza options which use seasonally and locally grown produce, meats, and cheeses. How great is that?
Bamboo Sushi
Sushi isn’t for everyone. I totally understand. I hated sushi forever, and then I went to Bamboo Sushi, and for whatever reason, my entire opinion changed. With a commitment to using the “highest quality, most sustainable ingredients available,” Bamboo serves sushi and other items on their menu that are both refreshing and delicious.
While it originated in Portland and maintains the highest number of locations in the Portland area, Bamboo Sushi also has other locations including /, Denver, and the Bay Area.
Tight Tacos
I absolutely love this place. Tight Tacos has two locations in Oregon and one in Honolulu, Hawaii. Known for authentic Mexican street tacos using handmade tortillas and marinated meats originating from family recipes, it’s a great place for lunch AND dinner. It’s that good!
I highly suggest getting the Hellarito with pollo. You’ll finish it and want another. Do it.
Pinolo Gelato
Have you ever been obsessed with a food item, and the obsession lasts seemingly forever? Yeah, that’s how I am with Pinolo Gelato. I don’t have anything to compare it to other than I love it. Normally, I hate hazelnut anything, but my go to gelato is hazelnut. It’s creamy, it’s smooth, it tastes fantastic, and I can’t get enough of it.
Pinolo uses traditional Italian gelato-making methods to “create pure, simple products in an authentic way.”
Sold.
Lauretta Jeans
Buttery crusts. Pies. Handmade baked goods. Can I just stay here and eat all the time please?
Lauretta Jean’s in Portland has everything and anything you could possibly want from a dessert bakery, from seasonal pies, cookies, cream puffs, cinnamon rolls, scones…you get the idea.
Sugarpine Drive-In
Let’s go back out to Troutdale for our final favorite place, as well as pretty much everyone else’s. Sugarpine Drive-In. Located on the banks of the Sandy River, this fun and unique drive-in restaurant serves “seasonal comfort food” with beautiful presentation making it a must-stop for anyone and everyone visiting the Columbia River Gorge. And hey, while you’re out here, might as well book a flight with Envi Adventures (hint, hint).
So, are these places really that good?
Subjective I suppose. While I and thousands of other people love these places, it’s really up to you. Sure, you can visit Portland and go to a chain restaurant or something boring like that, but why would you when you have so many other places to go?
Tell me more about Envi Adventures…
Envi Adventures is an air tour company at the Troutdale Airport. While we don’t serve food, we take a similar approach in creating our products. Every flight is crafted and flown with care and we want everyone to walk away with the most wonderful experience. With Multnomah Falls tours, Mt. Hood air tours, Mt. St. Helens, and a lot more, Envi Adventures is the highest rated and most reviewed air tour company in Portland, so we’re doing something right!
