Have you been to El Pollo Chano? I saw some enthusiastic comments online about this place, a food truck with a dedicated smoker there on-site in the parking lot by the Chill Zone smoke shop on NE Sandy and 111th. I have passed this place driving east on Sandy Blvd many times, and my interest is majorly piqued.
Some select comments: “The smoked /bbq meat is insanely good. They also have pastor and it’s not on menu.” “The cuisine is a culmination of styles between two different Mexican States, amounting to an unbelievable combination. You can get a whole smoked chicken, a rack of smoked ribs, the best burritos, awesome pastor, or my daughter’s favorites, the juicy Carne Asada tacos.” “Not only do they dish out authentic blow your socks off food but they match this with the kind, friendly, and welcoming atmosphere.”
Funny that I ran across this after there has been recent talk about $40 rotisserie chickens in NYC and what you can get in Portland for that. The Oregonian looked at whole roasted/rotisserie chix at Zupan’s, New Seasons, and QFC (in the rotisserie chicken tasting I did with Stumptown Savings, New Seasons did not do well). They also talked about the chicken at El Campesino,” a Mexican market on SE Powell, grills whole chickens in its parking lot on Saturdays and Sundays.” Definitely give El Pollo Chano a try. 11108 NE Sandy Blvd Portland
Carmack’s Doughnuts has a truck now. Actually, it’s a step van. They are going to do a kind of van conversion and use it for the donut business. Stay tuned! 5927 N Borthwick Avenue, Portland
You can own a piece of The Bra. The Sports Bra, that is. They’ve launched a public crowdfunding campaign to support their next phase of growth. That includes expanding The Sports Bra here in Portland and nationally. You can join the campaign for as little as $250, too. Read more about it—and consider giving—at their crowfunding campaign page. Online
Flying Pie Pizza on N Lombard will close. A Bridgetown Bites tipster informed me of this upcoming closure. The owner sent a message to the staff about it, which essentially said that after analyzing the finances with their accountant and business outlook adviser, “it is no longer viable to keep the Lombard location open so I will not be renewing the lease on it.”
The plan is for the business to stay open until the end of May, so Sunday, May 31 would be the final day of service. The owner also wrote, “I want to sincerely thank everyone for their time and energy they have put into the store. It was not an easy decision for me to make, mainly because of all of you guys, but sadly it had to be made.” I’ll reach out to see if he’d like to talk more about the decision to close. 5300 N Lombard Street, Portland
More on chicken: Hat Yai! They celebrated 8 years on Sunday, May 17, the day they opened their doors on NE Killingsworth. I love their chicken and roti. Happy anniversary! 1605 NE Killingsworth Street, Portland
And more on anniversaries. A bunch of spots are celebrating their years, from their first anniversary to their 37th!
- Balong. They celebrated one year earlier this month, on May 6. They have a one- year anniversary party planned for next month. 2850 SE 82nd Ave #27, Portland
- Slow Haste. They celebrate one year this month. On Saturday, May 30, Joshua Limanjaya will return to perform a DJ set from 9am to 1pm, and MASA will be popping up on both Saturday and Sunday. There will be merch, giveaways, and a new summer menu. 2341 NE Glisan Street, Portland
- Blank Slate. This year they are celebrating 9 years. Head there tomorrow, Saturday, May 23 for good times in their outside bars. There will be Jello shots, games, a DJ, and prizes. 7201 NE Glisan Street Suite C, Portland
- Oyatsupan. They are celebrating 10 years this month (we recently wrote about their Pan Kobo project). Yesterday they started a deal where you spend $30 and get a chance to win a random surprise. That could include a free drink, free pastry, gift card, or Oyatsupan merch—including a limited edition 10 Year Anniversary Sticker pack. Note: “Prizes limited to one guest per visit (May 21-29, 2026). Prizes must be collected or redeemed at the time of purchase and are non-exchangeable or redeemable for cash.” 16025 SW Regatta Lane, Beaverton
- Coco Donuts. They are celebrating 17 years. They’ll offer their regular dozens for $17, Friday, May 29th at all locations. Multiple locations
- Yoko’s Sushi. They celebrated 37 years this month! That’s really a big deal. 2878 SE Gladstone Street, Portland
Get your Annie’s Donuts at Mayger Coffee. They recently opened and have done an amazing job with the space. The coffee is also very good; try the Salmiakki latte if you can, which is a lovely salted licorice drink. I loved it and I don’t like salty licorice. And now they’ll be offering donuts from Annie’s: “Come by Wednesdays for a rotating selection.” Nice. They’re open 7am to 3pm, seven days a week. 6812 NE Broadway, Portland
Pies & Pints at Yum’s of PDX. This is a happy hour special: Every Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to 7pm, you can get a 12” Margherita pizza and a pint of beer for $16. 830 SE 8th Avenue, Portland
Hamonies Pizza & Ice Cream opened yesterday. This is the old Gracie’s Apizza space now helmed by the folks who used to run Handsome Pizza & Seastar Bakery. Harmonies is all about “wood-fired pizza and homemade ice cream.” Also fun to see the talk about my pal Adam Kuban in an Instagram post last year! 7304 N Leavitt Avenue, Portland
Dingo’s does dinner. It’s actually lunch, but there was a time when the noon meal was called dinner, plus it helps with the alliteration. Anyway, Dingo’s, known for its Australian meat pies and other Aussie treats, is now open at noon every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. You can also catch the local games (Blazers, Fire, Thorns, and Timbers) as well as cricket matches, Formula 1 racing, Australian Football League matches, World Cup Soccer, and more. 8826 SE Stark Street, Portland
Salami Mammi will open in Beaverton. This is a deli and sandwich spot from the Don’s Favorite Foods folks that will open in the current Don’s Favorite Foods space. They’ve outgrown their current location and will be moving Don’s not far up the road. So, they’ll be operating two spaces. The last day in their current space—the future Salami Mammi—will be Saturday, May 30. 12500 SW Broadway Street, Beaverton
Get to know Oscar Food & Wine. Over at Willamette Week, Caitlin Pangares had a chance to bend the ear of Jaime Martinez and learn a little bit about his new restaurant next to a Plaid Pantry. Read more here. 2426 SE 26th Avenue, Portland
Two shuttered Starbucks, two new cafes. The space at NE 28th and Burnside in the Kerns neighborhood will be a Roseline Coffee cafe, and the space on SW Capitol Hwy in Multnomah Village will be a PushXPull cafe. Nice to see these two places in the plans! 2803 E Burnside Street, Portland and 7737 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland
Fast Times is opening in West Linn. The first Fast Times opened last year in the OG Sizzle Pie space on E Burnside, offering pizza and soft serve. Now they have plans to open a Fast Times in West Linn where the old Old Backyard Burgers Company was (they closed last September). 18750 Willamette Drive, Suite A, West Linn
Fusion Social House opens today. This is the brick & mortar shop from the Fusion Shave Ice folks. They wrote, “This space was created to bring people together through flavor, community, creativity, and good energy. From our house-made syrups crafted with real fruit purée + organic cane sugar, to fusion bites, specialty cocktails, music, collabs, events, and so much more—this is the next evolution of Fusion.”
During this grand opening there will be shave ice, fusion bites, “boozy specials,” a DJ, music, and good vibes. Big congrats on this major step forward! They’ll be open today from 4pm to 10pm, and tomorrow from 2pm to 10pm. 807 NE Couch Street, Portland
VN Fusion Bar & Grill is moving. Only about a mile west from their current spot, into the old Mr. J’s Bar & Grill space. They offer a variety of approachable Vietnamese dishes: pho, banh mi, stir fries, salad rolls, grilled meats and more. 1716 NW Fairview Drive, Gresham
Fremont Garage opens today. Just a reminder that this new food cart pod is officially open today at 5pm. Some of the carts have been open for a little while—I was by there earlier this week and boy oh boy, did the food from the Indian cart, Royal Indian Cuisine, smell good. Additionally, you’ll find Wolf’s Head Burgers, Poblano Pepper, Que Bacano, Shawarma Best, and Wok and Fire. 4403 NE Fremont Street, Portland
Good wishes to JJ at JVein. As I write this, he’s dealing with a broken down espresso machine. Here’s hoping the fix is simple. And when he’s back, stop by for a great cup of coffee! 5235 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland
Memoire Cà Phê has a new location. They’ll be in the old Bae’s Chicken space on NE Alberta and 30th—not too far from Flour Market and Dogwood Wine & Flowers. Their final day of service in the current location is Monday, May 25. They’ll reopen on Friday, June 12. 3003 NE Alberta Street, Suite 1, Portland
Clarification: Yes, it is that Billy Ray’s Dive Bar. A couple weeks ago I wrote, “Black Water is going to be Billy Ray’s. The owners Paula & Mark Hylland also own The Mule Bar and Mousetrap Tavern.” A couple of readers asked, “Is this Billy Ray’s Dive Bar?” And the answer is yes. Looks like the Hyllands have been involved with Billy Ray’s for a little while. A news story over at the Hollywood Star News indicates this, in reference to the Hyllands: “They took over their first drinking hole, North Portland’s Mousetrap Tavern, from Paula’s parents, Jerry and Carol Krum in 2021. Shortly thereafter, they acquired Rose City Park’s G.O.A.T. Bar and Billy Ray’s Dive in Eliot.”
So yes, Billy Ray’s Dive Bar will be taking up residence in the old Black Water on NE Broadway. 835 NE Broadway, Portland
🍓Strawberries🍓. Here are some strawberry treats I came across this week:
- Ma Cher. Strawberry pie, “Flaky buttery pie crust filled to the brim with Pablo Muñoz Farms strawberries. Served chilled with a healthy dollop of buttermilk whipped cream.” 3925 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland
- Bullard. Lemon tart with lemon custard, macerated strawberry, strawberry ice cream, and pickled rhubarb. 813 SW Alder Street, Portland
- Lauretta Jean’s. Strawberry Short Pie, a kind of strawberry shortcake in a pie mashup. 3402 SE Division Street, Portland
- Parkrose Coffee Shop. Strawberry Fest returns Friday to Sunday, May 29 to 31, featuring Spada Farms strawberries. 4826 NE 105th Avenue, Portland
Salt & Straw at New Seasons. This is their first foray into selling their ice cream at a grocery story chain. It launched on Wednesday, May 20. KOIN reported on it, “The launch includes a curated lineup of Salt & Straw half-pints featuring fan-favorite flavors typically found in the company’s scoop shops, plus an additional seasonal flavor exclusive to retail stores.” You’ll also be able to find the Tacolate (pronounced “TALK-lit” but I prefer “taco-LA-tay”) at New Seasons. Multiple locations
Bryan Furman is sticking around. That’s right, his barbecue residency is extending through the summer there below Kann. Great news for BBQ lovers! 227 SE 6th Avenue, Portland
Sumomo is doing a bento pop-up at COTTA cart tomorrow. Each box is $18. In it you’ll find rice with nori and Umeboshi paste; Tamagoyaki; red cabbage râpée with yuzu kosho; potato salad; and Tsukune with celery (teriyaki ground pork w/ chopped celery). Pick up between 10:30am and 3pm while supplies last. 1922 SW Elm Street, Portland
ICYMI Soma Kombucha closed. This was their SE Belmont shop and their last day open was March 31. They cited a decrease in foot traffic and math—the economics were a killer. Their Vancouver location seems to be open. 3777 SE Belmont Street, Portland
And Otomi Ceramics Café will open in its place. Saira and Steven are opening their cafe this summer. They’ll offer matcha and coffee in the morning, wine and beer in the evening, and paint-your-own pottery and ceramics workshops, as well. Best of luck to this duo—great to see something open in that space. 3777 SE Belmont Street, Portland
Get yourself in a pickle next week at Rhinestone. There’s going to be a pickle beer collab between PBR and Grillo’s Pickles, fried pickle chips, pickle-brined fried frogs legs, and pickle shots with this pickle beer and George Dickel Whisky. Plus a DJ set from Country Co-op, a “Country Music DJ Outfit.” All on Wednesday, May 27 from 6pm to 9pm. It’s going to be tangy. 2100 SE Clinton Street, Portland
Dream Deli’s patio season starts this weekend. They’re having a “patio season kickoff” Sunday, May 24 from 11am to 3pm. Mini chocolate egg creams, strawberry shortcakes, Douglas lager tallboys, and giveaways. 3542 SE Division Street, Portland
Good Girl has arrived. Ben Coleman over at the Mercury wrote about Good Girl, which the headline identifies as the Central Eastside’s New “Slutty Goth Dive Bar.” I was unable to grab Paige Cooper’s attention, but I’m glad Ben Coleman was able to chat with her let us know more about them. Read more here. 719 SE Morrison Street, Portland
And just up the street, there’s something else (?) going on. 735 is the unit on the corner, so I don’t think this is for Good Girl. There’s a couple permits having to do with the grease interceptor and a bar, so maybe Portland Maps is confused. I’ll look further into it; reach out if you know anything. 735 SE Morrison Street, Portland
Dinuguan sighting on a Sunday collab dinner menu. I don’t see Dinuguan very often out here; I really enjoyed it when I lived in Queens. So I was happy to see it on the upcoming collab menu between Kau Kau and Pamana. Save the date: Sunday, May 31 from 5pm to 9pm, or until sold out. They are not taking any reservations, so first come, first served. Here’s some of what to expect (all a la carte):
- Small: Tocino-Shrimp Dumplings, Cold Noods Palabok, Chicken Inasal Musubi, Lumpia
- Large: Dinuguan Lau Lau, Kalua Pig Head Sisig, Monggo Tofu
- Sides: Garlic Rice, Mac Salad
- Sweet: Halo Halo, Grilled Ube Butter Mochi
You can read more here. 15 NW 4th Avenue, Portland
Fukami Sushi will open in downtown Portland. I heard from a PR person about Fukami Sushi, “a new eight-seat omakase counter from Chef Cody Auger, co-founder of Nimblefish. As you may know, Chef Auger helped establish Nimblefish as one of Portland’s defining sushi restaurants, earning national recognition, including a spot on Bon Appétit’s Hot 10. With Fukami Sushi, he’s taking a very different approach, focusing on a highly intimate, reservation-only experience built around precision, seasonality, and direct interaction with guests.”
While doing a little research on Fukami, I saw this mention by Mattie Jon Bamman on Eater in 2016, where Hokusei closed in 2015 and Fukami Sushiya opened in its place; both of these were owned by Chef Auger, and were at 4246 SE Belmont Street. It became a pop-up at Davenport in 2017, then Nimblefish was born in late 2017. Fukami will open in the old Lil’ Shalom space.
My guess is that they will open sometime in July, judging from the timing of previews introduced in our email exchange. 1128 SW Alder Street, Portland
Here are stories you have have missed this week on Bridgetown Bites:
A Commercial Conversion in NE Portland: House To Cafe
Mr. Chip Will Vend Excellent Snacks in Portland
Hollywood Bar & Carts To Open This Summer in Portland
Lavoratti 1938 Opens Their First US Chocolate Shop in Portland
Meg Cotner
