50 pandemic-time restaurant closures that changed Portland dining forever

On the afternoon of March 17, 2020, then Gov. Kate Brown ordered all Oregon restaurants and bars to close their dining rooms, limiting food sales to takeout only. It was expected to last two weeks. A month at the most.

Exactly three years later, Portland’s dining scene has changed forever. Many of the city’s signature restaurants — Paley’s Place, Pok Pok, Toro Bravo — have closed permanently, their chefs relocated to other cities, states or countries.

That doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom. As we wrote in our guide to Portland’s best new restaurants of 2022, many of the city’s empty storefronts, even prominent ones, have been filled by “former food carts and itinerant pop-ups, small businesses happy to accept friendly terms on a previously unattainable address.”

And some of the most surprising closures turned out to be temporary. Abyssinian Kitchen and Akadi, our finest East and West African restaurants, respectively, reopened in new locations. Ava Gene’s, the hyper-seasonal Italian restaurant, will hold its first service tonight after an extended hiatus. Stacked Sandwich Shop is almost back, albeit in a co-shared space. Nodoguro — Portland’s best restaurant, in my recent estimation — found a new home.

But with the shutdown’s three-year anniversary upon us, it’s time to look back at some of the pandemic-time restaurant closures that continue to bring us pain. For this list, we compiled more than 50 restaurants and bars, focusing primarily on places that were open before the pandemic, and didn’t include any — like Sellwood’s recently closed Either/Or cafe — that had second locations.

Here are Portland’s 50 most painful pandemic-time restaurant and bar closures:

Acadia

We’ll forever crave the barbecue shrimp at this Irvington gem, Portland’s best Cajun/Creole restaurant for most of its run.

Ataula

This Barcelona-style tapas bar from Michelin-trained chef Jose Chesa never tried to fit in here, and we grew to love it anyway. When I last ranked Portland restaurants in 2019, Ataula came in at No. 2, and it would have had a good chance at the top spot the next year.

Aviary

Made all the more painful after Aviary chef Sarah Pliner, who was working on an Aviary follow-up called Carte Postale, was killed while riding her bicycle last October.

Aviv

Vegans still mourn the loss of this Israeli restaurant and its many hummus variations.

Bailey’s Taproom

A craft beer geek’s dream bar.

Bar King and its bakery

Opened days before the shutdown, Bar King and its great adjacent bakery (from future Fills co-founder Katherine Benvenuti) never had a chance. But those who ate their early on still remember some of chef Shaun King’s Japanese-influenced dishes.

Bark City BBQ/Holy Trinity

Along with Matt’s BBQ and Botto’s, these two carts were among the main reasons Texas Monthly magazine wrote that “Portland has the best Texas Barbecue scene outside.”

Beast

Naomi Pomeroy won a James Beard Award for her work at this salon-style restaurant, with its homestyle French cooking and communal tables. Expatriate, the bar Pomeroy opened with husband Kyle Linden Webster, remains open across the street.

Biba Chamoru Kitchen

Some of the most surprisingly satisfying brewpub food in Portland was found at this Guamanian restaurant at Oakshire Brewing’s Portland pub.

Bijou Cafe/et al

Breakfast restaurants were hit hard by the pandemic, with early closures including Helser’s, Arleta Library Cafe and Trinket. But Bijou, which lasted more than 40 years in Old Town, was the one I’ll miss the most, not just for its longevity, but for its well-turned omelets and consistently warm hospitality.

Bistro Agnes

Ox chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton took a while to figure out what to do with this downtown Portland restaurant — who remembers SuperBite? — but this gently elevated bistro ended up being a better fit.

Le Bistro Montage

What are the chances Portland sees another New Orleans-inspired restaurant with oyster shooters and spicy mac and cheese served until 4 a.m. by waiters in mad scientist outfits? Don’t hold your breath. The space is rumored to be the future home of a relocated Doug Fir Lounge.

Beech Street Parlor/Brasa Haya

The sister and last remnant of Northeast Portland’s beloved Tiga Bar closed during the pandemic, eventually reopening as Brasa Haya, an ambitious tapas restaurant from former San Francisco chef Ian Muntzert. Brasa Haya closed in 2022.

Beetroot Deli

Another restaurant that didn’t have much of a chance to get its sea legs, Beetroot Deli opened in August 2019. The modern Jewish deli closed in 2020.

Bluehour

It was no longer on the cutting edge of Portland dining, but it remained a useful special occasion spot in the Pearl District thanks to its glamorous dining room. The space is now home to Janken, a popular new Japanese-Korean fusion restaurant.

Cacao

I learned more about quality chocolate during one visit to Cacao than I did during 12 years of trick or treating for Halloween candy.

Cheese Bar

If I could wave a magic wand and bring back just one of these spots, it would be Steve Jones’ beloved cheese shop and sandwich bar.

Ciao Vito

Not only did Vito DiLullo hold down this Northeast Alberta Street spot with quality food for nearly two decades, it also provided a launching pad for other local chefs, including Ataula’s Jose Chesa.

Clyde Common

Portland’s coolest restaurant for much of its early run officially called it quits last year.

Holdfast Dining

The more time passes, the more I appreciate Will Preisch and Joel Stocks’ stripped down approach to fine dining, perhaps the only way to operate an ambitious restaurant in Portland these days.

Holler

Portland’s kid-friendly restaurant scene is a desert. In early 2020, then-Bullard partners Jen Quist and Doug Adams tried to make one happen, complete with a decent happy hour, arcade, TVs showing sports and a sweets shop next door.

Imjai Thai

There’s a pad Thai omelet-sized hole in my Thai takeout rotation since this family-run restaurant closed.

Irving Street Kitchen/Cooperativa

A big deal when it first opened, Irving Street chef Sarah Schafer and general manager Anna Caporael would go on to open Cooperativa, a market/restaurant/cocktail bar hybrid hoping to be a mini Portland answer to Eataly. Despite consistently tasty food and drinks, Cooperativa closed last year.

Kargi Gogo

Where to go for my khachapuri and khinkali fix now that this Georgian food cart turned restaurant has closed?

Kenny & Zuke’s

Yes, it reopened with a stripped-down, bagel focused menu on North Williams Avenue. But the original deli’s closure marks the end of a pastrami-filled era for Portland’s West End neighborhood

Malka

A truly one-of-a-kind restaurant that opened just before the pandemic and never found its footing, despite loyal regulars, Malka closed in February.

Mi Mero Mole

Owner Nick Zukin’s closing announcement caused controversy, but his guisado tacos, burritos and margaritas had plenty of fans during the restaurant’s run, first in Southeast Portland, then Old Town/Chinatown.

Ned Ludd

Now home to Cafe Olli, No. 2 on The Oregonian’s guide to Portland’s best new restaurants last year, Ned Ludd and its wood-fired menu had a good long run in Northeast Portland.

Noraneko

A solid ramen shop in its own right (now home to the very good Wu-Rons), Noraneko was also the last remaining link to Biwa, Portland’s beloved 2000s-era subterranean izakaya.

1/17

Paley’s Place

Vitaly and Kimberly Paley shut down all of their Portland restaurants early in the pandemic, including not just Paley’s Place but also Imperial, The Crown, Headwaters and Rosa Rosa, then moved to Hawaii. But the fine-dining flagship in a converted Northwest Portland Victorian is the one Portlanders will miss the most.

Pok Pok

Back in 2020, I was actually more excited about Ping Yang Pow, a small, just-opened restaurant above Pok Pok NW that Pok Pok owner Andy Ricker had built as a stage for chef Thanyawan “Thanya” Kaewket. But in terms of sheer impact, that supper club had nothing on Pok Pok, one of the most influential restaurants in Portland history. R.I.P. Ike’s Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings.

Random Order Pie Bar

Before the rise of Lauretta Jean’s, Random Order and Bipartisan Cafe were the go-to cafes for Portlanders seeking good pie.

Renata

Once Portland’s best pasta restaurant, the gorgeous dining room at The Oregonian’s 2015 Restaurant of the Year will soon be home to a new wood-fired Korean barbecue restaurant from Han Oak owners Peter Cho and Sun Young Park. Renata itself lives on through a line of frozen pizzas.

Roe

Superb seafood served in a semi-hidden space, first in Southeast Portland, then downtown. The second location off Southwest Broadway space is now home to Tercet, a new fine-dining restaurant from Roe’s final chef, John Conlin.

The Roxy

Fun fact: The Roxy was actually the first Portland restaurant I ever visited while on a road trip with friends in my late teens. That experience, and the Portland-set comedy “Bongwater,” led me to believe that all Portland diners served milk from baby bottles with the nipple snipped at the top.

Sanborn’s

Another old-school breakfast spot, this one from the Brooklyn neighborhood, was known for its corned beef hash.

Saucebox

Like Bluehour, this Asian fusion restaurant wasn’t at the top of many diners minds these days, but it did have a good long run on Southwest Broadway, including serving as the first Portland stop for future Departure (and now Kann) chef Gregory Gourdet.

Seastar Bakery/Handsome Pizza

This quirky pizzeria and bakery hybrid last stoked their wood-fired oven on Northeast Killingsworth Street last year. It’s already home to a new pizzeria, No Saint.

Sunshine Noodles/Revelry

I was gearing up to put Sunshine Noodles on our list of Portland’s best new restaurants of 2022 when chef Diane Lam told me she was planning to close the restaurant and move to San Francisco. Revelry, the Portland outpost of a Seattle-based restaurant group where Lam previously worked, also closed during the pandemic.

Tails & Trotters

Portland’s great hazelnut-fed pork producers, and a very good sandwich shop too.

Tiffin Asha

One of our favorite Portland food carts opened a brick-and-mortar location for its take on South Indian dosas and other dishes in 2016, then closed in 2021 (the space is now home to Mis Tacones, a tasty vegan taqueria). But good news to those of you who have read this far — Tiffin Asha is looking to make a comeback with a stand tomorrow at the Vancouver Farmers Market.

Toffee Club (again)

We have three years left to figure out where we’re going to watch the next World Cup.

Tonari

This more casual spin-off opened alongside sister restaurant Nodoguro in June, marking one of Portland’s first major pandemic-time restaurant openings. But with restrictions still in place, Tonari was able to get off the ground. Co-owners Ryan and Elena Roadhouse walked away from both restaurants in 2021, eventually finding a new home for Nodoguro late last year.

Toro Bravo

Big, loud and packed tighter than a sardine tin, John Gorham’s inner Northeast Portland tapas restaurant might have been the funnest restaurant in Portland, even if you had to wait to get in. Toro Bravo launched a small army of spin-off restaurants, including Tasty N Sons and Mediterranean Exploration Company, some of which are under new ownership.

Uno Mas Taquiza

Autentica chef Oswaldo Bibiano’s casual taco spin-off wasn’t for everyone, but I loved the more unusual griddled cheese or blood sausage tacos. You can find Bibiano now at one of his two food trucks, The Upside Down and Smart Donkey.

Wong’s King Seafood

Portland has never been a great dim sum town, but Wong’s King offered a big, boisterous banquet hall with rolling carts serving decent siu mai, har gow and more. Along with the nearby Ocean City, which also closed during the pandemic, Wong’s King was the gold standard for Portland dim sum during its heyday.

Yonder/Mae

I’ll always remember my early visits to Mae, the Appalachian pop-up from former Husk Charleston chef Maya Lovelace, sharing big platters of skillet-fried chicken and beers with strangers around a large table at the back of Old Salt Marketplace. Yonder, Mae’s fast-casual sister restaurant, made a go of it during the pandemic before briefly rebranding as Hissyfit then closing permanently in 2022.

— Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com

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