A New Location for Estes in Portland’s Concordia Neighborhood

Late last year, chef Patrick McKee announced a new location for Estes, his Italian-American restaurant, in the Concordia neighborhood in Northeast Portland. Their new home on NE 30th and Killingsworth is located in the space that over the years had been Nonna, TEOTE Tavern, and Pleasure Mountain, among others. It also represents a return for Patrick, who cooked nearby at the late, great Dame back in the day.

Patrick was kind enough to chat with me over the weekend (almost to the day of our previous conversation in 2025 regarding their Broder residency) about the new location for Estes.

The New Location for Estes: Creating a Home

Patrick and his team has had the keys for a little while, and currently they are doing work on the new space by cleaning it, fixing anything that needs fixing (including some plumbing issues), and thinking about how to make the place their own.

“You know, the mission was always to find a home like this for us,” said Patrick. “It’s so close to me and my family. You know, you want to have a dining room you can decorate the way you want to and paint whatever colors you want.”

He continued, “And I want to hang out pictures of my family. There are Italian prints that I have, and I’ve been going through all the photos that I’ve taken on some of my recent trips to Italy. I was definitely taking photos there that I hoped one day I would hang somewhere. Some I took from different visits, different little places in Bologna and Parma.”

Opening Dates

Patrick says their soft opening will be this Friday. “We’ll do little friends and family times, and then we’ll just open up the door.” Look for them to be open Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 5pm to 9pm; Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm to 10pm.

Eventually they’d like to be open seven days a week. Aside from dinner, breakfast has been on their mind, too, but there are no solid plans right now to implement that.

Estes’ Time at Broder

I was curious to hear Patrick’s assessment about Estes’ time at Broder this past year, and he said straight away, “I think it went well.” However, there were some challenges. For one, he broke his arm early on. “I broke my arm pretty badly the week after we opened over there,” he explained.

I also noticed a text conversation he and I had around the time they opened—he got really sick with a high fever, and they had to push back their opening a week later than planned.

Aside from that, Patrick described their time there in a positive sentiment, and thinks of it as a kind of “primer for us doing our own thing.” And that includes the basics, like better understanding the right silverware and plates for their needs. He also said that during that time they established systems and processes that really work for them, and it allows them to get what needs to be done, with minimal fuss.

He was grateful for the support of Broder staff and cooks, too—“They were beyond gracious with us and were so good about sharing things,” he said. But the nature of being in someone else’s kitchen required additional setup and breakdown time, as well as juggling storage in the back, so they are pretty happy to be in their own kitchen now, with a little more control.

And he ended his time Broder with a menu he is really happy with, and can’t wait to start cooking it in the new kitchen. Estes fans have also reached out with questions, like, “Are you going to keep the tuna? Is the tuna still on on the menu?” He is happy that the non-pasta dishes were so beloved.

Estes Products Status: Still Available, Still in Production

During the past year at Broder they continued to make their pasta and sauces for sale at retail establishments. Currently, you can find them at Wellspent Market in the Richmond neighborhood and Bella’s Italian Bakery in Lents.

“You know, I just stopped by and talked for those guys [at Wellspent] yesterday and I’m still selling stuff to Bella’s Italian Bakery,” he said. “I feel really lucky to know all those folks from the bakery and the guys at Wellspent. They gave us our first break into doing grocery-style things.” 

He added, “And they’re just such good people. Back in the day, I used to buy olive oil from Jim Dixon, whose son Joe is one of the main guys there now.”

The pasta and sauce definitely a small scale production—about 12 sauces and 12 pastas —and it’s a very satisfying part of the business. “It’s very worthwhile for me,” he remarked. “I enjoy making something that people can go buy and take home.”

About the New Location for Estes: Property Sale Last Year

During our conversation I learned that the building had sold in the past year. Property records indicate that since 2007 the building with addresses of 5501-5519 NE 30th Avenue have been owned by LLCs. On August 29, 2025, the building was sold with a consideration amount of $1.5 million. You can see the sale history here, as of January 10, 2026.

The businesses in the building include Wilder at the southern end, the old DOC space at the northern end, and in between are Sweet Heart Tattoo, the former Flour Market space, and now Estes.

The Space

They’ll be using the two-room space (there’s a doorway connecting the two rooms) accessed via the entrance at 5513 NE 30th Avenue. Also, the old DOC space will be available for them for whatever use they decide on. As for the interior, on one side is the bar and some seating, and on the other side (to the north) is primarily seating.

Patrick loves the look and feel of the space. “It reminds me of like something I’d see in Brooklyn,” he remarked. “You know, those real long, narrow spaces, some exposed brick, a lot of old wood. It’s really cool.” The bar wood is from an old bowling alley.

I mentioned that the space has a nice warmth to it, and Patrick agreed and remarked on how it feels in there, “It’s hard to explain. I’ve spent a lot of time in there, especially by myself, in the last few days, cleaning and getting the equipment set up. And I’ve been taking in the vibe of the place, and it feels good.”

Landing the Space

I wanted to know if they had this particular space in mind when thinking of a move, or if it was something that just presented itself to them apart from that. Turns out, it was a little of both. He had hoped to enter that space at the start of 2025, but Pleasure Mountain got there first.

Of course, Pleasure Mountain closed at the end of last year, resulting in the space being available yet again. “I do want to acknowledge that the ability for us to move in here, sadly, meant someone else had to close their doors,” he said. “It’s tough right now and the state of the world’s tough, and somebody else’s business folded.”

He has a lot of respect for Jim, the owner of Pleasure Mountain, and has been a fan of his work—including his earlier business, J&M Cafe. “I’ve been in Portland since late ’94,” he said. And I’ve probably had 50 breakfasts at J&M Cafe!”

The New Location for Estes: Back in the Old Neighborhood

As I mentioned earlier, Patrick was at Dame years ago, and he’s pretty chuffed to be back in this little corner of town. “You know, we’ve already gotten such a warm reception from a lot of people that live in the neighborhood, and from the Concordia Neighborhood Association,” he said.

He continued, “It’s something that feels like it’s really meant to be. So I’m hoping that’s what that is.” And not only will they be able to hosts guests in the beautiful dining room, but they’ll have access to seating on the outdoor plaza, which will be a nice place for a meal, especially when it warms up.

“My mission all along—and I think we talked about this last year—is creating a good community space for people to come and gather. Everybody’s welcome,” he said.

The Menu

As I mentioned earlier, he’s very happy with the menu he developed around the time he left Broder, and will bring back much of it to the new space—you can see the January 2026 menu on their website, but here’s a pdf, as well.

And a new start is a chance to add things to the menu. One way to determine what to add is to look back at some of the the things that were particularly successful at Estes. Like the New Year’s Eve porchetta.

Speaking of a one-off menu, they are planning one for Valentine’s Day, too, which we will include in our V-Day roundup.

“I’m so excited to be back in the neighborhood,” said Patrick. “It does feel like it’s coming home.”

All the best to Patrick and his team as they prepare the space to be Estes in Concordia!

Estes [projected re-opening January 15 or 16, 2026]
5513 NE 30th Avenue, Portland
Estes website | Instagram | Facebook

Updated January 13, 2026, opening date.