Eva & Leif’s guidebook
Favorite Restaurants within a short walk
This is my (Eva's) favorite restaurant on the east end and one of my top faves in all of Portland. It is a Japanese small plate style restaurant with a great sake and cocktail list. The menu is small but they always have specials and family-friendly dishes like the JFC (Japanese fried chicken). I really like the Omakase, a chef's choice family style meal for the table. The fish is always fresh, and I recommend just about everything on the menu.
61 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Izakaya Minato
54 Washington AveThis is my (Eva's) favorite restaurant on the east end and one of my top faves in all of Portland. It is a Japanese small plate style restaurant with a great sake and cocktail list. The menu is small but they always have specials and family-friendly dishes like the JFC (Japanese fried chicken). I really like the Omakase, a chef's choice family style meal for the table. The fish is always fresh, and I recommend just about everything on the menu.
Terlingua is another top fave of ours! Incomparable Tex Mex food! Super fresh ingredients. Recently expanded, they have a huge multi-level back yard seating area. Their food and atmosphere is top notch. They specialize in house smoked ribs, brisket, carnitas, chicken, tacos, and small sharing plates of fresh ceviche, seasonal salads, cauliflower mac & cheese, fish tacos, and a lengthy mescal and tequila menu. Also, great house margaritas! The blue corn tostada salad is incredible.
There is something for everyone, and they often have live music. Highly recommended!!
77 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Terlingua
40 Washington AveTerlingua is another top fave of ours! Incomparable Tex Mex food! Super fresh ingredients. Recently expanded, they have a huge multi-level back yard seating area. Their food and atmosphere is top notch. They specialize in house smoked ribs, brisket, carnitas, chicken, tacos, and small sharing plates of fresh ceviche, seasonal salads, cauliflower mac & cheese, fish tacos, and a lengthy mescal and tequila menu. Also, great house margaritas! The blue corn tostada salad is incredible.
There is something for everyone, and they often have live music. Highly recommended!!
Perched at the top of Munjoy Hill in Portland’s East end, Blue Spoon is a chef-owned tiny restaurant that has a wonderful menu using local and seasonal ingredients. Really good burger! Has outdoor seating. A great place to eat and then take a short stroll to get gelato from the food trucks at the Eastern Promenade (Blue Spoon also does have great desserts). We love Blue Spoon especially though on a snowy winter night, eating mussels and steak Brevette inside their cozy space.
74 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Blue Spoon
5 Congress StPerched at the top of Munjoy Hill in Portland’s East end, Blue Spoon is a chef-owned tiny restaurant that has a wonderful menu using local and seasonal ingredients. Really good burger! Has outdoor seating. A great place to eat and then take a short stroll to get gelato from the food trucks at the Eastern Promenade (Blue Spoon also does have great desserts). We love Blue Spoon especially though on a snowy winter night, eating mussels and steak Brevette inside their cozy space.
Consistently good, no-frills inexpensive family run Salvadoran restaurant. This place is dear to our hearts! Indoor and outdoor seating. Does take a while so make sure you aren't in a hurry. BYOB. Get the pupusas, the plantains and the carne asada with extra pico de gallo!
21 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Tu Casa
70 Washington AveConsistently good, no-frills inexpensive family run Salvadoran restaurant. This place is dear to our hearts! Indoor and outdoor seating. Does take a while so make sure you aren't in a hurry. BYOB. Get the pupusas, the plantains and the carne asada with extra pico de gallo!
This is a nice place to have a hearty breakfast, wth lots of vegetarian and vegan options too. Large space, indoor and outdoor seating. The back of the cafe has beautiful pottery for sale made by local artists in the studios in the same bulding.
33 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Portland Pottery Cafe
118 Washington AveThis is a nice place to have a hearty breakfast, wth lots of vegetarian and vegan options too. Large space, indoor and outdoor seating. The back of the cafe has beautiful pottery for sale made by local artists in the studios in the same bulding.
Bright counter-serve cafe for health-centric breakfast, lunch & Sunday brunch dishes. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options. A few outdoor tables in the back of the building. Great coffee, delicious breakfast sandwiches, bone broth, adaptogen smoothies, pancakes, and salad bowls with add-on options from Faroh Island salmon to kimchi.
27 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
LB Kitchen
255 Congress StBright counter-serve cafe for health-centric breakfast, lunch & Sunday brunch dishes. Lots of vegan and gluten-free options. A few outdoor tables in the back of the building. Great coffee, delicious breakfast sandwiches, bone broth, adaptogen smoothies, pancakes, and salad bowls with add-on options from Faroh Island salmon to kimchi.
Hand-cut Belgian fries cooked in duckfat, with amazing dipping sauces are what we always get, but this restaurant has delicious poutine with locally sourced cheese curd, paninis and cubanos, soups and salads and milkshakes, all top notch!
173 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Duckfat
43 Middle StHand-cut Belgian fries cooked in duckfat, with amazing dipping sauces are what we always get, but this restaurant has delicious poutine with locally sourced cheese curd, paninis and cubanos, soups and salads and milkshakes, all top notch!
An even closer walk away from Duckfat's restaurant is Duckfat's Friteshack, in the beer garden in front of Oxbow brewery on Washington Ave. (about a 3-minute walk from here). They have an order window where you can get their fries, poutine, shakes, sometimes sandwiches, and doughnut holes. You can order a craft beer from Oxbow, order from the friteshack and sit out in the cozy beer garden with the fire pit.
17 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Duckfat Friteshack
43 Washington AveAn even closer walk away from Duckfat's restaurant is Duckfat's Friteshack, in the beer garden in front of Oxbow brewery on Washington Ave. (about a 3-minute walk from here). They have an order window where you can get their fries, poutine, shakes, sometimes sandwiches, and doughnut holes. You can order a craft beer from Oxbow, order from the friteshack and sit out in the cozy beer garden with the fire pit.
Hip Vietnamese noodle shop that just re-opened again (was closed because of the pandemic). Serving Vietnamese comfort fare, including pho & stir-fry, plus beer, sake & wine. Pastel color and neon vibe with hip music!
41 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Cong Tu Bot
57 Washington AveHip Vietnamese noodle shop that just re-opened again (was closed because of the pandemic). Serving Vietnamese comfort fare, including pho & stir-fry, plus beer, sake & wine. Pastel color and neon vibe with hip music!
Buzzy oyster market with a dine-in raw bar for fresh shellfish, wine & beer plus a seasonal patio. You can also order oysters to go. A hand-picked selection of Maine's best oyster varieties, including some wild oysters. We love this place!
42 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
The Shop by Island Creek Oysters
123 Washington AveBuzzy oyster market with a dine-in raw bar for fresh shellfish, wine & beer plus a seasonal patio. You can also order oysters to go. A hand-picked selection of Maine's best oyster varieties, including some wild oysters. We love this place!
Naturally-leavened hardwood-fired bagels!
Open 7 days til 1 pm, great place to have coffee, bagels and lox, breakfast egg sandwiches (they also have a vegan one), or for lunch a hot ham sandwich or BLT.
We generally order their bagels with a tub of their herb cream cheese to take home. Their indoor seating has been closed for some time but there are lots of outdoor tables.
44 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Forage Market
123 Washington AveNaturally-leavened hardwood-fired bagels!
Open 7 days til 1 pm, great place to have coffee, bagels and lox, breakfast egg sandwiches (they also have a vegan one), or for lunch a hot ham sandwich or BLT.
We generally order their bagels with a tub of their herb cream cheese to take home. Their indoor seating has been closed for some time but there are lots of outdoor tables.
Terlingua
40 Washington AveFavorite Things To Do Nearby
Have lunch or dinner at the Eastern Prom at the numerous food trucks they have there, from Mr.Tuna sushi to Falafel to Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches to gelato!
Download the Truckalico app to see who is there (and around Portland) on any given night. The Eastern Promenade is a 78 acre park overlooking Casco Bay. There is a kids playground, tennis courts, community gardens, and vast open grassy spaces to picnic while watching the sailboats or play frisbee!
251 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Eastern Promenade Trail
Eastern PromenadeHave lunch or dinner at the Eastern Prom at the numerous food trucks they have there, from Mr.Tuna sushi to Falafel to Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwiches to gelato!
Download the Truckalico app to see who is there (and around Portland) on any given night. The Eastern Promenade is a 78 acre park overlooking Casco Bay. There is a kids playground, tennis courts, community gardens, and vast open grassy spaces to picnic while watching the sailboats or play frisbee!
Just a few minutes drive north, one of our favorite things to do is go to Mackworth Island and walk their trail. There is a bridge connecting it to the mainland. 100 acres, great views of the water, old growth trees, mushroom hunting, fairy houses. A short, flat 1.5 mile hike, easy for kids too. Highly recommend!
Mackworth Island Trail
Mackworth Island TrailJust a few minutes drive north, one of our favorite things to do is go to Mackworth Island and walk their trail. There is a bridge connecting it to the mainland. 100 acres, great views of the water, old growth trees, mushroom hunting, fairy houses. A short, flat 1.5 mile hike, easy for kids too. Highly recommend!
Oxbow Blending & Bottling
49 Washington AveMaine & Loire
59 Washington AveStrata
The Post Supply
Urban Farm Fermentory
200 Anderson StRoot Wild Kombucha
135 Washington AveMaine Craft Distilling
123 Washington AveRising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox StWashington Baths
Maine & Loire
59 Washington AvePortland Observatory
138 Congress StFood scene
Sticky Sweet
119 Cumberland AveVegan ice cream! So good and I’m not even vegan.
Banh Appetit
The best Banh Mi sandwiches!!
Ramona's
98 Washington AveThe Cheese Shop of Portland
107 Washington AveAnoche
43 Washington AveOnggi
131 Washington AveBelleville
1 North StIncredible croissants, pizza and pastries! Coffee too.
Breweries, bars and distilleries within walking distance
We enjoy going here for the music (they also distill excellent local spirits) They have live outdoor music quite often, go to their website for the calendar.
51 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Maine Craft Distilling
123 Washington AveWe enjoy going here for the music (they also distill excellent local spirits) They have live outdoor music quite often, go to their website for the calendar.
Excellent beer and vibe! Outdoor courtyard. Duckfat friteshack on premises. 5 minute walk away.
106 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Oxbow Blending & Bottling
49 Washington AveExcellent beer and vibe! Outdoor courtyard. Duckfat friteshack on premises. 5 minute walk away.
Rising Tide Brewing Company
103 Fox StAustin Street Brewery
115 Fox StI love their beer
The Portland Zoo
41 Fox StLocals love this bar.
Belleflower Brewing Company
Get a flight of kombucha, gruit, mead, beer, or Jun at this amazing place! They often have music. Live jazz sit-ins every Sunday.
47 icetyiswa ngabantu basekuhlaleni
Urban Farm Fermentory
200 Anderson StGet a flight of kombucha, gruit, mead, beer, or Jun at this amazing place! They often have music. Live jazz sit-ins every Sunday.
Lone Pine Brewing Company
219 Anderson StHi-Fidelity
Three of Strong Spirits
35B Diamond StAprès
Cocktail Mary
229 Congress StGood cocktail bar!
The Snug Pub
223 Congress StStores nearby
Taproot Magazine & Market
Ferdinand
243 Congress StThe Post Supply
Strata
Print: A Bookstore
273 Congress StCarlson & Turner Antiquarian
241 Congress StSinsemilla: Adult-Use Marijuana
PortFiber
Portland Food Co-op
290 Congress StRosemont Market & Bakery
Hilltop Superette
135 Congress StKurier
Clothing and handmade clogs and bags
Coffee shops
Moonday Coffee
Tandem Coffee Roasters
122 Anderson StForage Market
123 Washington Ave