5 Delicious Native American Restaurants in Portland: Eat Indigenous!
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I am SO incredibly blessed to have learned (and relearned) about Indigenous cultures in what is now the called USA. I’m also extremely blessed to have learned a lot by traveling to and through these ancestral lands and visiting museums, taking tours, and talking with members of the community to get a holistic understanding from various mediums. And of course, my favorite medium is food. Portland, Oregon is often crowned as one of the best foodie cities in the country, so having a variety of Native American restaurants in Portland makes learning via eating much more accessible.
The Portland metro area was founded on the ancestral lands of a number of Native American nations and communities, including the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, bands of Chinook, and Tualatin Kalapuya. However, the land was a resource and meeting place for many Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest region and beyond, and of course Indigenous folks from all over the world now call Portland home.
For the purpose of this post about Native American restaurants in Portland, I am going off of restaurant owners that have self-identified as Native/Native American, which in itself may have different definitions. In general, “Native American” refers to the ethnicity of someone Indigenous to what is now the USA, sometimes also including what is now Mexico. Similar to how “First Nation” is colloquially the term for those Indigenous to what is now Canada. Some may prefer to identify as the broader term “Indigenous” instead. Or ALL of the above! Or NONE of the above, and just their specific Nation/Tribe/band/community.
I’m not the one to pin labels on someone, so I’m going with what they are comfortable with. If you know of any other restaurants in Portland who identify as Native American and would like to be included, please let me know! I’d love to keep adding and expanding this list of Native American restaurants in Portland.
Table of Contents
Native American Restaurants in Portland
Oh quick side note, I am not including restaurants located on reservations or part of casinos. Not because they aren’t valid or relevant, but just because they are outside the mileage scope of this specific post. Alright, without further ado, here we go!
Javelina
address: 4636 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218, United States
Javelina made WAVES as being not only one of the new Native American restaurants in Portland, but also a vibrant new comer in the fine dining scene. As a lover of fine dining, I was excited to try Javelina’s elevated take on classic Native American ingredients and dishes. I tasted them back when they had pop-ups, then their temporary residency, and now I’m so so proud to say their new permanent brick and mortar!
My favorite menu items are definitely their soups, perfect for the rainy Portland season, and their bison short rib. The salmon in a cornhusk also looked really good, and that’ll probably be my next order!
Third Coast Hot Dogs
address: 2227 SE 7th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Y’ALL KNOW I LOVE A GOOD HOT DOG. Seriously, ever since having my first “real” hot dog in Chicago, I’m always on the look-out for the next best glizz. I came across Third Coast Hot Dogs when I was working on my best hot dogs in Portland post (coming soon), and back then I didn’t know anything about the owner. They are located in a motorcycle repair shop, so it’s a very cool vibe and honestly the SWEETEST most welcoming environment.
The owner brought me over napkins when he saw I didn’t grab any *cry emoji*
So on my experience alone, I was in love with Third Coast. And as it turned out, they are also one of the delicious Native American restaurants in Portland! I’m not much of an alcohol person, so I appreciate that their drinks (aside from the beers) are mocktails as standard and alcohol can then be added. The hot dogs are the main stars of the show though. So far I’ve had the DFW and the Amarillos and both were fantastic. It’s gonna make it hard to pick a new one the next time I go!
Which will be soon lol.
Bison Coffeehouse
address: 3941 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97213
BISON COFFEE HOUSE HAS THE BEST CHAI LATTE IN PORTLAND!!!!
Did I say it loud enough for the people in the back?
As the name suggests, Bison Coffee House is more of a…well, coffee house, but I’m still including them on this list of great Native American restaurants in Portland because they have some delicious pastries and small bites. The owner is an amazing baker – you gotta try her quiche! The space is really warm and inviting, with spacious tables if you want to make it your new favorite workspace cafe in Portland.
When the weather warms up, they also have a really nice back patio and FREE PARKING. Hallelu!!
Memento Mori Cafe
address: 1533 NW 24th Ave #100, Portland, OR 97210
If you’re into spooks, then I’ve got good news for you! Memento Mori Cafe is a gently gothic cafe open year round! Along with delicious drinks (which I’ll get into in a minute), they also have delicious bites which earned them a spot on this post for Native American restaurants in Portland! Seriously, after a few more brunch visits to try more of the menu, I think I’m going to add them to my best breakfast in Portland list too!
I highly recommend their Triple Moon Goddess croissant sandwich (which I’ve ordered twice instead of trying something new hahah) or The Enchanted Pig if you’re more of a bagel person. Their drinks are also a sight to behold, and here you can really branch out. It’s a very expansive drink menu which I appreciate, with multiple options for decaf, teas, matcha, and everything under the sun for coffee based beverages.
Definitely check out their signatures because I GUARANTEEEEE you won’t be tasting anything else like it in the city.
Ice Queen
address: 2012 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Last but not at all least, Ice Queen is probably one of the Native American restaurants in Portland that I frequent the most because their specialty is….PALETAAAASSS!!! Yes, we’ve got a dessert spot on this list! They are also completely plant based! I told ya I’d cover all the bases!
I’ve been following Ice Queen’s journey since before their brick-and-mortar, and I’ve been so so proud and excited to see them blossom and flourish. For those new to paletas, they are essentially popsicles, but 10000x more delicious. My favorite of their signature flavors are the Oatchata (horchata flavored), Fresa (strawberry), and the Jamaica Mango. But be sure to try their seasonal flavors too!
They also have soft serve if that’s more your style 🙂
You can find their most popular paletas in New Seasons and select grocery stores around Portland if you can’t make it out to the store!
More Native American Restaurants in Portland: Greater Metro Area
While that’s all the Native American restaurants in Portland PROPER, there are also a few great ones in the greater metropolitan area within driving distance so even travelers can visit! Trust me, the taste is worth the slight journey!
Brigham Fish Market (Cascade Locks, OR)
address: 681 Wa Na Pa St, Cascade Locks, OR 97014
HANDS DOWN my favorite restaurant along the Columbia River Gorge, one of my favorite “natural wonders” or Oregon! There are a lot of things to do in the Columbia River Gorge, and to fuel up, I always recommend a bite at Brigham Fish Market.
I usually visit at least two or three times a year, more if I’m lucky, so I’ve eaten my way through most of the menu. I typically go for any of the salmon dishes and ALWAYS a basket of their fried pickles (one of my favorites in the greater Portland area). The only thing I haven’t tried yet is their ceviche, which I will DEFINITELY get next time. It’s just sooo hard not to get one of their po’boy or fish & chips baskets!
As an insider tip, order a huckleberry lemonade to go with your meal. Huckleberry changed my LIFE during my Idaho/Montana/Wyoming road trip! And if you’re local to Oregon, I highly recommend grabbing their salmon dip to go. They are the perfect snacking item for home!
7 Waters Sovereign Foods (pop-up)
Also keep an eye out for 7 Waters Sovereign Foods! They are a pop-up business blessing local farmer’s markets and events with their delicious bites! My most recent, and for now only, visit to them was at the 8 Seconds Juneteenth Rodeo, and I ordered a few things with all of them exceeding expectations.
They also pop-up occasionally at Portland’s Come Thru Market which specifically highlights Black and Indigenous farmers, makers, and entrepreneurs – though it runs from May to October. There, you can buy fresh caught fish, and from my taste at their food stand, I KNOW it’s gotta be amazing. Alas, I am not a chef, so I just keep my eye out for when they sell prepared food!
Native Candy (pop-up)
Another great pop-up is Native Candy, which specializes in selling fresh and smoked salmon at various farmer’s markets around Portland and nearby Vancouver, Washington. They also sell huckleberry jam which I picked up and literally ate every day until I cleared the jar haha.
However, if you can’t catch them out and about, I believe you can also order from their online site, though I personally have not done that so I don’t know anything about their shipping rates and timeline.
Farms
Speaking of preparing your own food, there’s a good number of Indigenous farms in the Portland area. I won’t go too far in depth here, but you should definitely visit these to find a new favorite. Check their website for open farm days or use their online shops to buy products online!
- Good Rain Farm: produce and rabbit
- Wapato Island Farm: herbal apothecary products (salts, tinctures, salves, vinegars, essences, elixirs, hydrosols, fresh produce)
- C&R Treasure Farm: pastured beef, pork, chicken meat, turkey, duck and chicken eggs
- Coyote Ridge Ranch: organic fruits and vegetables, chicken eggs, and U-pick flowers and fruits
- Dot Ranch: livestock (Navajo-Churro lambs and poultry), wool, pelts, lamb and beef meat
- 1855 Plants: native plants and first foods
- Golden Tradition Saffron: saffron spice and petals
- Wombyn’s Wellness Garden: produce, plant starts, loose leaf teas
- Sakari Farms: lotions, salts, loose leaf teas, sauces, seasoning, snack bars, jams, seasonings
Native Coffee Brands based in Oregon
Okay, I wanted to give a specific shoutout to Takelma Roasting Co., a Native-owned coffee company based in Oregon. They have great roasts, but they didn’t really fit under the other sections in this Native American restaurants in Portland post, so here ya go haha.
While I didn’t include any of the restaurants in Oregon’s Tribal governed lands, I do highly recommend that you stop by, both for the food and the great cultural museums and exhibitions. They’ve taught me so much about Oregon’s Indigenous history, present, and bright future!
Conclusion
And there you have it! The best Native American restaurants in Portland and the surrounding areas! Of course, this list will grow and expand, so I’ll do my best to keep it updated! As always, your support should be year-round, but heritage months and holidays are a good time to deepen our learnings and experiences.
There’s a lot going on in the world, so it helps to have a grounding reminder.
PLUS, who doesn’t like trying new food?? Have you ever eaten at one of these Native American restaurants in Portland? Which was your favorite, or do you have a favorite dish? I’d love to know! Personallyyyy, my favorite is succotash, but I’ve yet to find a spot that makes it like they do down south. If I left out any of your favorites restaurants, please give them a shout in the comments below!
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