Food & Drink

15 Queer-Owned Restaurants in Portland

Meals 4 Heels, Speed-O Cappuccino, and More
June 7, 2023
|
Like
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 queer-owned bars, restaurants, and cafes in Portland. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide.


Clarklewis List
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
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Either/Or List
In addition to all the usual espresso subjects, this cafe/restaurant/bar from owner Ro Tam slings coffee mocktails, like the popular "Big Salty Russian" (a nonalcoholic take on the White Russian, topped with cinnamon chocolate coffee salt). 
Boise
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

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
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Friendship Kitchen List
This warm, welcoming Vietnamese restaurant from Trang Nguyen serves chicken wings, garden rolls, bún bò Huế, cơm tấm, bánh mì, and lemongrass chicken bowls, in addition to cocktails like the "Lychee Is For Lovers" (rosewater, gin, Giffard Lichi-Li, lemon, simple syrup, crushed rose sugar, and a rosebud garnish) and the "Pho-jito" (described as if "pho and a mojito had a baby"). 
Kerns
Pickup, delivery, dine-in


Kann List
Top Chef star Gregory Gourdet's celebrated wood-fired Haitian restaurant Kann, which was just 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 List (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
Dine-in


Meals 4 Heels List
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
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

MILK+T
Owners Stacy Kwong and Beyah del Mundo's self-described "friendly neighborhood queer boba bar" started out as the world's first self-serve boba truck in Los Angeles and now operates two outposts in Portland and Beaverton. Choose from exquisite flavors like "The Girlfriend" (jasmine green milk tea with whipped matcha foam) and "Know Your Roots" (taro root, purple yam, and almond milk), plus beverages topped with ice cream. (Note that the "mini" downtown location carries a limited selection.)
Downtown, Beaverton
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Mis Tacones List
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
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Pah! List
Lillouie Barrios and Victor Covarrubias's food stand inside The ZED List brewery and food hall is proudly Latinx-owned, queer-owned, and deaf-owned—the word "pah!" is slang in American Sign Language for "finally," "it's about time," "at last," or "eureka" and carries positive connotations in deaf culture. The pub grub-inspired menu includes a take on the bloomin' onion, cheesy bacon fries, and juicy barbecue bacon cheeseburgers, all served with the house special sauce.
Lents
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Shine Distillery & Grill List
Owned by Jonathan Poteet, this restaurant, bar, and small-batch distillery is a joyfully queer space in the historic Williams district, with weekly drag brunch events on Saturdays. The menu features craft cocktails, beer, and wine, with bar fare like wings, Idaho nachos, popcorn chicken, burgers, and artichoke dip.
Boise
Pickup, dine-in

Siam Umami List
Chef Tong's elegant Thai-Japanese fusion restaurant offers dishes like pork siu mai, beef massaman curry, coconut juice-braised pork belly, and Japanese cotton cheesecake.
Southwest
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

Sissy Bar List
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
Pickup, dine-in

Speed-O Cappuccino List
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
Pickup, delivery, dine-in

The Sports Bra List
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 List , 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
Dine-in


Tin Shed Garden Cafe List
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
Pickup, dine-in

Report This

Please use this form to let us know about anything that violates our Terms of Use or is otherwise no good.
Thanks for helping us keep EverOut a nice place.

Please include links to specific policy violations if relevant.

optional
Say something about this item. If you add it to multiple lists, the note will be added to all lists. You can always change it later!

Gotta catch 'em all?
Click below to be reminded about every instance of this event. (You can turn this off anytime of course.)
Remind Me