# Where to stay/eat/drink in Portland, OR? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 10, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361 "2018-01-10T20:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/21 "2018-01-30T04:11:09Z")
> [@somepumpkin](#): > > I don’t live there, but I visited (on business) a few years ago. I don’t think the OP will like my recommendation, but I’ll post in the interest of answering the _title_ of the OP. > > I stayed [at the Ace motel](http://www.acehotel.com/portland). Great location with all sorts of goings-on right there in the area. I enjoyed the on-site coffee house as well as the on-site bar for its eclectic flair. Yea, it was a little lumber-sexual and a bit hipster, but I felt it was appropriate for getting that _Portland Experience_. There were also numerous brew pubs about. It was close to the metro? and the river, too. Also, I remember a wonderful deli, Kenny and Zukes, adjacent to the Ace. Though I really know nothing about Portland, I thought I’d struck gold with this place/location. Yeah, that’s close to the Pearl District and a lot of good restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/22 "2018-01-30T09:27:39Z")
Another fun place to eat, specifically for breakfast, is [Slappy Cakes.](https://www.slappycakes.com/portland) The gimmick is that there’s a griddle built into the table, you order a squeeze bottle of batter and any toppings/mix-ins of your choice, and you cook your own pancakes. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/23 "2018-01-30T15:32:46Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Another fun place to eat, specifically for breakfast, is [Slappy Cakes.](https://www.slappycakes.com/portland) The gimmick is that there’s a griddle built into the table, you order a squeeze bottle of batter and any toppings/mix-ins of your choice, and you cook your own pancakes. I like the idea, but that could add up to some expensive cakes with the mix-in ingredients. I see they have chicken fried steak, migas, hash and other good stuff, too. May have to give it a try, especially since it’s not far from us. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/24 "2018-01-30T20:42:19Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > There’s a good chance I’ll be making use of that burger list! And Voodoo Doughnuts was already on the agenda. 🙂 Skip Voodoo. It’s a long line with a bunch of tourists for gimmicky donuts that are not even very good. Better yet go to [Blue Star Donuts](http://www.bluestardonuts.com/) for interesting donuts made for adult palates. They’ve only been around for five years but they’re growing quickly with six Portland locations (+ Beaverton and a couple in LA). I’ve had both; went to Voodoo because it’s a classic tourist thing to do, but whenever I’m in PDX I head over to Blue Star – even if I’m just passing through. The last time I was there, we met a friend for breakfast at [Tin Shed](http://tinshedgardencafe.com/) and it was everything it’s cracked up to be: very, very good. I’m a huge fan of Egg Benedict and theirs is the best I’ve ever had. They made mine with roasted veggies & avocado with bacon on the side. My friend had the Everything Naughty and that was like a high-quality garbage plate; and my spouse had the breakfast burrito, which he raved about. We did have to wait a bit for a table on a weekday even but at least you can serve yourself bottomless cups of coffee out of mugs while waiting on the sidewalk (in the sunshine, if you’re lucky). Both Deschutes Public House and Tilt in the Pearl District have delicious burgers and, of course, the former from Bend, OR is an excellent brewer, so have an IPA (to really fit in here), but they do make fine porters and stouts, too. I haven’t been to Pok Pok, yet because my local friends think it’s over-rated, but they’re [Portlanders](https://youtu.be/YlGqN3AKOsA) so… grain of salt and all that. Finally, I’m going to rave about AirBnb as a result of my last trip across the country. I’m so glad we got away from motel/hotel blandness. It makes travelling feel more like being at home but in a different city which is so accessible because you’re staying with someone who lives there and is usually up for giving you tips for enjoying that city. That was actually the best aspect for us, but if you want privacy you can also stay in unoccupied units, which we ended up doing (unintentionally) twice and it was like staying at a friend’s house while they were away. It looks like there’s a wide range of prices from affordable to expensive in PDX with lots of availability. And if you want to partake in legal pot while in Oregon, there are “420 friendly” accommodations. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2018, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/25 "2018-01-30T21:49:05Z")
**Screen Door** does the chicken and waffles thing, and **Pine State Biscuits** is very good for biscuits and gravy, fried chicken sandwich, hash browns, etc. They make their own. The best bagels in the city are **Bowery Bagels** , a little cart stuffed in between some houses. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/26 "2018-01-31T04:12:56Z")
Blue Star Donuts are indeed lovely, but Voodoo’s blueberry donut is surprisingly good. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/27 "2018-01-31T04:58:14Z")
> [@susan](#): > > Blue Star Donuts are indeed lovely, but Voodoo’s blueberry donut is surprisingly good. My wife is loyal to their maple-bacon bar. I prefer Coco Donuts, but haven’t had a Blue Star yet. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/28 "2018-01-31T05:49:25Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Skip Voodoo. It’s a long line with a bunch of tourists for gimmicky donuts that are not even very good. Or go to the Davis St. location, which never has those kinds of lines. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/29 "2018-01-31T06:04:44Z")
My favorite restaurant in Portland has to be Huber’s. It retains the look of the '30s but has very good food. They are/were kind of famous for a lunch waitress who is a Hiroshima survivor – which we did not realize until chatting with her. We suggested that, at 84, she should consider retiring, but she replied that her customers would not let her. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/30 "2018-01-31T06:04:54Z")
Screen Door always has a line going on no matter when you go, so be warned. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361/31 "2018-01-31T15:08:05Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Screen Door always has a line going on no matter when you go, so be warned. Our neighbor used to work there and would let us in early through another door. 😛 Pine State also has lines, but if you go outside of peak hours, it’s not bad. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-to-stay-eat-drink-in-portland-or/806361.md?page=1)