The popular NorthWest city is home to some of the best restaurants in the US and if you’re looking for Jewish originated food you’ll still be spoilt for choice.
From casual food served from food carts to more formal dining options, here are the best places to eat Jewish originated or 100% kosher food in Portland, Oregon…
1. Lil’ Shalom – a lovely restaurant that specializes in the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Israeli cuisine
Lil’ Shalom is a kosher restaurant that mixes Mediterranean cuisine offerings with Turkish coffee for a different restaurant experience. It’s the sister restaurant to another local Portland kosher restaurant, Shalom Y’all.
While Lil’ Shalom’s menu does rotate frequently, you will love their happy hour featuring from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm daily. This includes the classic hummus plate, Turkish delight slushy cocktail, boat o’ falafel, and hawaij spiced fries.
Located in Downtown Portland, you can visit Lil’ Shalom daily from 12 pm to 8 pm.
Address: 1128 SW Alder St, Portland, OR 97205
Phone Number: (503) 333-6123
2. Ben & Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli – a highly recommended bakery that serves 100% vegan Jewish deli
Ben & Esther’s Jewish deli is not only kosher but 100% vegan as well. They offer freshly made bagels, bagel sandwiches, deli sandwiches, and more.
You will love Ben & Esther’s boiled and baked bagels that are made fresh daily along with a variety of “schmears” or bagel toppings.
If you’re vegan you’ll love the “deli” by the pound to get your savory meat fix without actually consuming meat because everything is made with kosher, plant-based ingredients. Also, try out their matzo ball soup and their rotating special soup of the day.
This vegan Jewish deli is located in the Roseway district and is open daily from 7 am to 3 pm.
Address: 6912 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213
Phone Number: (503) 477-5714
3. Kornblatt’s Delicatessen – a great kosher style Jewish delicatessen that uses fresh and fine ingredients
Kornblatt’s Delicatessen is a kosher deli that utilizes Thuman’s Deli meats and Hebrew National Salami for all their dishes.
They run specials such as the Long Island Sound ($14.95 per person) and the New York Experience ($11.95) for a minimum of 8 people needed in your party to take advantage of the specials.
The Long Island Sound Experience features smoked fish, greens, tomatoes, red onions, and capers.
The New York Experience includes corned beef, salami, turkey, roast beef, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion arranged on a platter with rye bread, whole wheat, and sourdough bread for everyone to build their sandwiches.
This delicatessen operates out of their Northwest District location daily from 8 am to 3 pm.
Address: 628 NW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97210
Phone Number: (503) 242-0055
4. Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels – home to the best NY style boiled bagel in town
Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels is a kosher bagel shop offering 11 different flavors including plain, pumpernickel, sesame, poppy seed, jalapeno, garlic, salt, everything, onion, cinnamon raisin, and hearty wheat.
You will love visiting Henry Higgins because they make their boiled bagels fresh daily only with high-quality kosher flours including Bob’s Red Mill flour and seed and Shepherd’s Grain flour.
This is a Portland-based chain with 3 locations throughout the area. The bakery and retail spot is located in the Kerns district and is open daily from 7 am to 3 pm. Take-out orders stop at 2 pm every day. The other two locations are on Mt. Scott-Arletta district and the Sellwood district.
Address: 6420 SE Foster Rd Portland, OR 97206
Phone Number: (971) 940-0256
5. Holy Smokes Righteous Eats – one of the best places to try 100% kosher food with vegan options too
Holy Smokes Righteous Eat utilizes only kosher meats for their barbecue restaurant dishes.
Holy Smokes’ kosher sandwiches are their popular menu items with varieties such as roast beef, pastrami, and smoked barbecue chicken, which will make you happy that you visited this restaurant just trying one of these.
They help vegans and vegetarians enjoy a Holy Smokes experience with the jackfruit barbecue sandwich and smoked jackfruit vegetarian chili.
You can find Holy Smokes in the Bridlemile district. They open Sundays through Fridays from 12 pm to 6:30 pm, except they close at 3 pm on Mondays. The restaurant is not open on Saturdays.
Address: 3975 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy #3679, Portland, OR 97221
Phone Number: (503) 706-1006
6. Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen – a Jewish delicatessen that offers pastrami and corned beef made in a special way
Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen originated 13 years ago on a mission to deliver Portland natives and visiting tourists with a delicious pastrami sandwich.
This delicatessen is known for their popular Classic Sandwich which you can choose to have corned beef or pastrami as the main meat. Paired with nutty Swiss cheese, earthy rye bread, and tangy sauerkraut, and topped off with Russian dressing, your tastebuds will be satisfied from all angles.
Find Kenny & Zuke’s Delicatessen at their Downtown Portland location. They are open daily from 8 am to 4 pm.
Address: 1038 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97205
Phone Number: (503) 222-3354
7. Garbonzos – a food cart where you will find authentic middle-eastern food
Garbonzos is originally a food truck that has now relocated to the Mittleman Jewish Community Center to serve the Portland community. Ask for vegan and kosher dishes upon request and Garbonzos will accommodate!
Imagine your enjoyment when you visit Garbonzos and try one of their trademark falafel dishes in which they are best known including their falafel pita and falafel plate.
If you are in the Hillsdale district, consider visiting Garbonzos. The restaurant is open Sundays through Fridays 8 am to 6:30 pm, except they run an 8 am to 4 pm schedule on Fridays and a 9 am to 3 pm schedule on Sundays. They are closed on Saturdays.
Address: 6651 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219
Phone Number: (503) 475-4875
8. Samo’s Bistro – a lovely bistro that blends Mediterranean and American favorite food
Samo’s Bistro offers a wide variety of Mediterranean and American vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and kosher cuisine.
Be delighted with Samo’s Bistro falafel dishes, Greek salad, pastrami sandwich, and the roast beef sandwich because their trademark Mediterranean dishes are worth trying during your visit.
If you are in the area during breakfast hours, you can enjoy an American breakfast with sunny-side-up eggs, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and more. Even American-style burgers and sides are available for lunch and dinner.
Samo’s Bistro is stationed in the Cully district and is open daily from 9 am to 10 pm, except they open on Saturdays at 8 am.
Address: 7215 NE Prescott St, Portland, OR 97218
Phone Number: (503) 254-4699
9. Kachka – a cheerful spot offers happy-hour from 4 pm to 6 pm where you can enjoy delicious kosher style food
Kachka is a kosher Eastern European restaurant serving up delicious dumplings, and other delicious main dishes.
It’s worth a visit to Kachka because of their happy hours from 4 pm to 6 pm during all their days of operation.
Discounted wines, cocktails, and beers are featured during happy hour as well as a $12.95 combo meal featuring a cabbage roll, cup of soup, house bread & butter pickles along with a glass of kompot.
Kachka is located in the Buckman district and is open Thursdays through Tuesdays from 4 pm to 9 pm, except they close at 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. They are closed on Sundays.
Address: 960 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Phone Number: (503) 235-0059
10. Small Pharaoh’s Falafel – a popular Middle Eastern restaurant that dedicates to healthy food
Small Pharoah’s Falafel is a Middle Eastern restaurant and one of Portland’s go-to establishments for popular Mediterranean fare.
Small Pharoah’s is best known for their gyros and falafel dishes. Try chicken gyros for a fulfilling sandwich experience. Customize your falafel experience as falafel over rice or even a falafel salad.
If you are in Downtown Portland, stop by Small Pharoah’s during their daily operating hours of 8 am to 2 am, except they close at midnight on Saturdays.
Address: SW Stark St &, SW 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Phone Number: (917) 500-9181
11. Lady Latke – a popular food truck that sells tasty Jewish-style food
Lady Latke sells Jewish kosher latkes with a variety of modern twists.
Try Lady Latke’s popular special which is their Latke of the Day. Flavors rotate every so often. If you prefer to explore the menu, you can try the basic latke, the Popper, the Mckenzie, and many more types.
Each plate comes with 2 latkes with different toppings based on the theme.
Located in the Foster-Powell district, you can visit Lady Latke on Wednesdays through Sundays from 12 pm to 8 pm, except they close at 7 pm on Sundays. They are not open on Mondays.
Address: 5205 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206
Phone Number: (503) 577-8034
12. Shalom Y’all – a top-notch restaurant that explores flavors from the Mediterranean
Shalom Y’all is a kosher Mediterranean restaurant that is a member of Sesame Collective like Lil’ Shalom highlighted above and they explore levant flavors.
It’s worth a visit to Shalom Y’all because of their daily 3 pm to 5 pm happy hours that feature delicious mezze plates, chicken shawarma, lamb chops, bar slushies, draft beer, and wine.
Shalom Y’all is located in the East Side Central district and operates daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm. Happy hours are from 3 pm to 5 pm.
Brunch hours are Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 3 pm.
Address: 117 SE Taylor St #101, Portland, OR 97214
Phone Number: (503) 208-3661
My first true adventure began as a six month voyage around South East Asia as a fresh faced backpacker and ever since I’ve lived a semi nomadic existence, clocking up visits to over 40 countries. I’m a lover of US Road Trips, deserted beaches bathed in warm glow of a sunset, Cuban mojitos, travel destinations far away from the tourist crowds and all things Scandinavian – from cloudberry liquors to Nordic noirs. When not wandering the world and running Global Grasshopper, you’ll find me walking my rescued Greek street dog in leafy South West London, strolling around the Brighton Lanes on random day trips, hunting for photogenic landscapes or daydreaming about my favourite places; Havana, Copenhagen, Italy, Laos, California and the surreally beautiful landscapes of a wintry Iceland.