This year, I went to Oregon twice to explore different sides of the state, but this blog post isn’t about the places we visited. Instead, it’s about the restaurants we discovered along the way.
This is not a list of every famous restaurant in Oregon, but an honest guide to the places we actually tried while traveling through the state, including what we ordered, what stood out, and which meals I would return for.
Food Scene in Oregon
Oregon is a Pacific Northwest state, so the food options are quite similar to what you’ll find in Seattle and its suburbs. You’ll find plenty of good restaurants, especially in cities like Portland and Medford. So, if diverse options are what you seek, Oregon will not disappoint!
You can also check out my Portland Food Guide for more recommendations.
6 Restaurants Worth Trying in Oregon
M24 Hibachi
We were staying at Holiday Inn in Hayden Island in Portland, and M24 Hibachi was one of the highly rated spots in the area. We got a DoorDash order of the hibachi chicken, which came with salad and yum yum sauce. The chicken was delicious, and the creamy sauce made it even better. It was a filling meal without requiring us to plan an elaborate dinner stop.
The best part was their buy-one-get-one deal. It made an already enjoyable meal feel like excellent value for money.
🌟 Rating: 4/5
📍 Where: 5215 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203
Boomers
Boomers was an old-school, late-night diner just a few minutes’ walk from our hotel in Hayden Island, and it was quite popular for its grilled meats. We tried the brisket plate, which came with two sides and two kinds of BBQ sauce, giving us enough variety to turn one order into a substantial meal.
The brisket was nicely cooked, which matters more to me than piling on sauce to rescue dry meat. Having two sauces let us change the flavor from bite to bite, while the sides made the plate feel complete. It was a solid barbecue stop, especially if you arrive hungry and want a proper plate rather than a small snack.
It was well-cooked meat, a generous plate, and a satisfying meal.
🌟 Rating: 4/5
📍 Where: 1335 N Hayden Island Dr, Portland, OR 97217
Vanakkam PDX
An Indian breakfast buffet can’t go wrong, especially when it has South Indian dishes on the menu. The breakfast buffet had many different dishes to try, and everything I tasted was good.
It had an elaborate menu, with more options than I expected, and one of my favorite parts was sipping hot sambar. It felt like a chance to sample a wider range of Indian breakfast flavors in one meal instead of committing to a single order.
That is particularly useful when you’re traveling with someone and both of you want to try different things. Honestly, I would happily return for the variety alone.
🌟 Rating: 5/5
📍 Where: 14740 NW Cornell Rd #160, Portland, OR 97229
Smokehouse Chicken and Guns
Smokehouse Chicken and Guns in Gales Creek was our dinner spot on the way back from the Tillamook Coast and turned out to be one of my favorite stops from the entire trip. I loved both the ambiance and the menu, but the food gave me the strongest reason to return.
We ordered the chicken with tacu tacu rice, a Peruvian dish traditionally made by combining cooked rice and beans, then frying the mixture until the outside develops a crust. It began as a practical way to turn leftovers into another meal, which is often where the best comfort foods come from.
The chicken and rice were delicious together. It came with two kinds of sauces, chimichurri and [sauce name], and the chimichurri reminded me of Indian mint chutney. If I had time for only one repeat stop around Central Oregon, this would be high on the list.
🌟 Rating: 5/5
📍 Where: 55660 NW Wilson River Hwy, Gales Creek, OR 97117
La Doña Food
This was our food stop on the way back from Silver Falls State Park. After an extensive hike, we were ready for some delicious Mexican food. La Doña Food in Woodburn had great reviews on Google and was popular for serving Oaxacan cuisine.
Oaxaca has one of Mexico’s most celebrated regional food traditions, shaped by Indigenous ingredients and techniques. Seeing this mentioned on the menu immediately caught my attention.
We ordered traditional tacos and an arroz con camarones plate. The food was good, very filling, and a complete value for money. But it did not leave the same impression as the strongest stops on this trip.
🌟 Rating: 3/5
📍 Where: 975 N Pacific Hwy, Woodburn, OR 97071
Noho’s Hawaiian Cafe
We stopped at Noho’s Hawaiian Cafe on the way back from Redwood National Park. We were flying out of Medford, so this was our dinner spot! This restaurant came with a big reputation as “one of the best Hawaiian food spots in Oregon.” So, we had to give it a try because both of us LOVE Hawaiian food.
I got the saimin, and Abhi got the pulled pork plate. I can confirm that the saimin was better than what I had in Hawaii. So, this one is a must-visit spot! It was warm, comforting, and the kind of bowl that makes sense after a long day on the road.
Noho’s also has a Portland location, so you may not need to wait until Southern Oregon to try it.
🌟 Rating: 5/5
📍 Portland: 4627 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97213
📍 Medford: 330 E McAndrews Rd, Medford, OR 97501
Final Verdict
Most of these restaurants make more sense when paired with the places around them. Plus, Portland deserves a separate trip to explore the diverse food scene that I was able to cover a little in my Portland Food Guide blog post. Some meals were mind-blowing, some were good, and a few were underwhelming. But that’s the beauty of exploring random restaurants.
You can also read my other Oregon articles, like my Tillamook Creamery guide, Crater Lake National Park guide, and Cannon Beach guide, to help you plan your ultimate Oregon adventure.
Which of these Oregon road-trip food stops would you try first? Share your pick, or tell me what I should add on my next trip.
