Bend, located in Central Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, is one of my favorite towns to visit. It has a great local beers, is an outdoor adventurer’s dream and has delicious food. The perfect spot for a weekend getaway or even a week away. Surrounded by nature, Bend is growing in leaps and bounds with the influx of outdoors lovers. With its cute craftsman style houses, unique coffee shops and booming craft beer scene, it’s the perfect jumping off point to the parks and mountains beyond.
Bend’s restaurant scene is definitely alive and well, with most of the must try places located in the main downtown Bend area. So, while you are wandering this incredibly walkable town, make sure to check out these restaurants in Bend, Oregon.
The Lot
Address: 745 NW Columbia St, Bend, OR 97701
Hours: 7 days a week 11-9PM
This is not your typical food truck location and is an incredibly popular spot. Surrounded by 4-5 different food trucks with their own food style, you get a diverse menu with a sit-down area with a bar. But this isn’t your typical couple picnic tables. There’s tables that are in an enclosed areas with heated seats and heaters overhead. If you want to brave the weather outside there are also heated seats surrounding blazing firepits.
This is one of the best places to eat in Bend and a must do when you are there. And make sure to try the fish tacos from the big green bus.
Sen Thai Noodles and Hot Pot
Address: 69 NW Newport Ave Suite 100, Bend, OR 97701
Hours: Closed on Mondays, 11-2 and 5-8:30 all other days, except they stay open until 9:30 on Friday and Saturday.
Love Thai food? Want something a little more upscale? More fine dining? This place was one of the best places I ate at in Bend. Sen, stands for noodle or thread in Thai. The owners of Sen wanted to give people a taste of Thai with their own twists on classic dishes and street food. Because it’s a bit more spendy, it’s perfect for a special occasion or date night.
There’s a variety of noodle options for each dish and also noodle soups, dry noodles, and stir-fried noodles. But if you’re not feeling the noodles that night, make sure to check out their street food selection. It’s also a great spot for groups looking for hot pot.
Bend Brewing Company
Address: 1019 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97701
Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11-9PM; Friday and Saturday 11-10PM
Not just about local beer’s, this place has some great food too. Located along the Deschutes River, this is the perfect spot in the summer months. It can get a little busy, so you might want to make a reservation. in the winter month, if you are willing you can also always grab a beer and sit outside on their heated outdoor seats while you wait.
The nachos are great to split but definitely try the risotto if it’s available or the fish tacos. Great pub fare and a fun vibe.
10 Barrel Brewing Company
Address: 1135 NW Galveston Ave., Bend, OR 97701
Hours: Sunday – Thursday 11-11; Friday & Saturday 11-midnight
You can eat here, more pub style fare, with their popular porknado pizza and elk burger, but the snacks are the perfect partner to their many beers on tap. They seem to change but at the time of writing this they had these amazing pork bites with spicy, strawberry sauce that was perfection.
The beer and the atmosphere are what make this place but the unique take on pub style fare takes it up a notch. There is plenty of outdoor seating that is unique to others with its enclosed buildings with picnic tables and traditional outdoor picnic tables around fit pits. Also, a very popular spot in the warmer months.
Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House
Address: 1044 NW Bond St., Bend, OR 97703
Hours: 11:30-9PM daily
The downtown location of Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House makes it an easy way to try their beer and also a great place to grab dinner. If you just need a snack to go along with your beer, the garlic French fries will blow your mind.
They have a couple of small plates to choose from, though the list is not large the food is tasty. Their pizzas are the magic sauce of the place, with something for everyone from the Meathead pizza to the supreme vegan.
Miyagi Ramen
Address: 550 SW Industrial Way STE 102, Bend, OR 97702
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:30-8pm; Friday and Saturday 11:30-9pm
This was easily my favorite spot. Located in the Old Mill District, this is very casual dining and has a couple great choices for ramen. It’s nothing fancy and small but the ramen is some of the best I have ever had. I highly recommend the vegan ramen, just for the pickled mushrooms.
I also overheard one of the other diners raving about the spicy ramen, so definitely check that one out too.
Spork
Address: 937 NW Newport Ave #130, Bend, OR 97703
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11-9pm; closed on Sunday
This is a local favorite and can get really busy. The general consensus is that everyone’s favorite meal is the spicy pork noodles and yes, it is good and one of their signature dishes. My personal favorite was the Dan Dan noodles, without the peanuts (too spicy for me and I don’t like nuts in my food, I’m weird, I know).
This was one of our favorite restaurants in Bend that we went to on more than one occasion. If we go back to a restaurant during the same trip that tells you it’s good.
Bar Rio (sometimes written as Barrio)
Address: 915 NW Wall St, Bend, OR 97703
Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 3-10pm; Thursday-Saturday 3-11pm
This one is slightly more pricey but is 100% worth the visit. With more of a tasting menu style with various tapas, you can try a lot of different things. Make sure to get there during happy hour to save on food and drinks.
My favorite of the menu items was the paella, because you just can’t go wrong with a good paella, I mean it was the best part of my meal. There is not a lot of seating here and the wait times can get a bit out of hand, but the wait is definitely worth it. It’s also located right in the Old Bend downtown area, making it an easy spot to pop into.
Sparrow Bakery Northwest
Address: 2748 NW Crossing Dr #110, Bend, OR 97701
Hours: Monday-Friday 8-4pm; Saturday and Sunday 8-3pm
We cannot talk about food without talking about the best breakfast place. This is a little outside the main town area, so you will need to drive there, but it’s truly a great spot. Ocean rolls are super popular hear (I had never heard of them before this) and they are so very good! I also recommend their lemon pastry and if you are there closer to brunch they have a great selection of sandwiches.
Honorable Mentions
Pine Tavern restaurant
Address: 967 NW Brooks St, Bend, OR 97701
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12-8pm; Sunday 2-8pm; Closed on Mondays
I have to include the Pine Tavern, though I didn’t eat there, this place has a lot of history. While I was in Bend, there was even a spotlight done on it on the local news (which was watching for the weather to see how the conditions would be at Mt Bachelor). It’s worth going for the tree growing through its middle and for the history of this woman started restaurant that was opened when it was a “man’s world.”
Concluding Thoughts
There are so many options, it can be hard to choose but these should get you started. Staying in Bend? Make sure to head to Mount Bachelor for a powder day or some serious mountain biking.
