Back2Earth
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This lively gay bar, owned by Eagle Portland
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proprietor Dan Henderson, features bar grub like burgers, cheese dip with ciabatta, and fried gyoza, not to mention drinks like espresso martinis and watermelon mojitos.
King
Chelo
Past Event
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Chef Luna Contreras's fonda inside the collaborative restaurant space Lil' Dame
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serves whimsical "vegetable-driven multifaceted Mexican fare" inspired by street food, with locally sourced dishes like pork belly quesadillas, wild steelhead tacos, and almond tres leches cake.
Concordia
Clarklewis
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Chef Bruce Carey took over this pioneering farm-to-table restaurant in 2007. You'll find dishes like wood-fired pizza and house-made pasta on the menu, made with a selection of local produce that changes with the seasons.
Buckman
Community Wine Bar
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This wine bar from RAM Cellars founder Vivianne Kennedy and Gonzales Wine Co. owner Cristina Gonzales caters to underrepresented demographics in the wine world by offering programming such as wine tastings in Spanish and pop-ups selling products from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ business owners. Check out their Made with Pride
Past Event
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event on June 6, which will showcase offerings from queer-owned wineries and food vendors.
John's Landing
Farmhouse Kitchen
Kasem Saengsawang's modern San Francisco-based Thai restaurant focuses on the bold flavors of northern Thailand, with dishes like Hat Yai fried chicken and blue rice chicken.
Hawthorne, Pearl District
Friendship Kitchen, Stem Wine Bar
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, and Stem Cafe
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Wife-and-wife team Trang Nguyen Tan and Wei-En Tan run the warm, welcoming Vietnamese restaurant Friendship Kitchen
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and its Northwest sister location Friendship Kitchen: Saigon 2 Singapore
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. The spots serve dishes like lobster cream cheese puffs, shaken beef, pho, and chicken skewers, in addition to playful cocktails. The duo also owns Stem Wine Bar, which recently launched cafe service during the day.
Kerns, Nob Hill, Boise
Kann
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Top Chef star Gregory Gourdet's celebrated wood-fired Haitian restaurant Kann, which was named Best New Restaurant at the 2023 James Beard Awards, serves delightful dishes like akra (crispy taro root fritters), coffee-rubbed and smoked beef ribs, and twice-cooked griyo (Haitian fried pork). The restaurant also features downstairs pan-Caribbean bar called Sousòl
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(Haitian Creole for "basement"). Gourdet has been vocal about his sobriety, and both the bar and restaurant offer plentiful zero-proof options in addition to cocktails, beer, and Oregon wine.
Buckman
Meals 4 Heels
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Local chef Nikeisah Newton started a food delivery service for sex workers called Meals 4 Heels in 2019, inspired by her former dancer girlfriend's need for nourishing food after her late-night shifts. Then, while waiting for strip clubs to reopen in 2021, she launched her own brick-and-mortar inside the Powerhouse Cafe space. The healthy bowl-style dishes have names inspired by her customer base, like "I Like to Cha Cha" ("green" brown rice, citrus slaw, black olives, mild salsa, cheddar, and cotija, topped with avocado, crushed Juanita's tortilla chips, salsa lizano, pickled red onions, and cilantro) and the "Verbal Tipper" (lemon pepper couscous, Italian pickled vegetables, marinated artichokes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, crumbled cotija cheese, crispy quinoa, and a balsamic drizzle).
Buckman
Mis Tacones
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After moving to Portland, Los Angeles transplants Carlos Reynoso and Polo Abram Bañuelos began making vegan tacos inspired by California street food. Their pop-up-turned-restaurant Mis Tacones serves up plant-based tacos, tortas, papas nachos, and Cali burritos, with hand-pressed tortillas and plenty of panache. Inspired by the Oakland restaurant Gay4U Vegan Eats, Reynoso and Bañuelos also offer free food to trans people of color upon request.
Vernon
Mosaic Taphouse
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The craft beer scene can often feel like an exclusive club for straight white guys, but married couple Jarek and Laurence Oliver are setting out to change that with their new LGBTQ-friendly taproom Mosaic Taphouse, which opened in St. Johns last November and features a menu of Vietnamese fusion small plates by Chem Gio alongside West Coast-style IPAs, lagers, pilsners, sours, porters, stouts, and other beers.
St. Johns
Sissy Bar
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This LGBTQ+ "video lounge" from Derek Palmer and Truman Cox serves classic cocktails alongside a Colombian food menu. TVs around the space play music videos for plenty of campy pop culture fun.
Buckman
Speed-O Cappuccino
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Flipping the script on the classic "bikini barista" format, this cheeky Barbie-pink espresso stand founded by sex workers Dahlia Hanson and Joseph Miller employs a staff of nonbinary people and trans and cisgender men, or as they put it, "himbos, thembos, and flirts." Besides coffee drinks, you can expect to find vegan food like chia pudding and fruity dessert tamales.
Buckman
The Sports Bra
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Chef-owner Jenny Nguyen opened this women-focused sports bar and restaurant with a name inspired by a long-standing joke between her and her friends. The establishment shows women's sports, including Portland Thorns games and ATA Football matches, on the TVs and highlights offerings from women-owned businesses on its menu, such as booze from Freeland Spirits
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, beef from Carman Ranch, and produce from Vibrant Valley Farm. Nguyen's menu of classic pub grub features family recipes like "Mom's baby back ribs" and "Aunt Tina's Vietna-wings."
Sullivan's Gulch
Tin Shed Garden Cafe
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Christie Griffin and Janette Kaden run this homey eco-friendly and dog-friendly cafe, which serves everything from breakfast burritos to biscuits and gravy and has been featured on the Food Network and in the New York Times.
King
14 LGBTQ-Owned Bars and Restaurants in Portland
Meals 4 Heels, Speed-O Cappuccino, and More
May 30, 2024
Enjoy coffee and vegan fare served by the "himbos, thembos, and flirts" of the "queer as fuck" espresso stand Speed-O Cappuccino.
(Speed-O Cappuccino)
Happy Pride Month! It's a great time to think about how you can put some of your hard-earned dollars toward supporting local LGBTQ-owned businesses, both while you're out and about this June and all year long. From Meals 4 Heels to Speed-O Cappuccino, we've rounded up some of our favorite LGBTQ-owned bars, restaurants, and cafes in Portland. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.