The foodie scene in Portland took off a handful of years ago. It hasn’t really slowed down much. Luckily with extreme competition comes extremely good product. Portland’s wide variety of ethnic restaurants is no exception to that rule. So if your pockets are feeling a little light there’s a great way to tour the world… or, at least, the awesome food from around the globe… and still keep your bank account in the positive.
Check out these four sensational Portland happy hours where you’ll get great food and drink at a great price and test out where you want to take your next vacation.
Bollywood Theater
Yum pic.twitter.com/K4LkYQnvUj
— BollywoodTheater (@BWTPDX) November 28, 2014
3010 SE Division St.
Alright, so I already digressed from the original plan. No, Bollywood does not have a happy hour. However, when you’re paying around $6-$9 for a plate of food, you’ve already sort of hit happy hour zone.
Bollywood Theater is an authentic fusion of Portland’s alternative culture and India’s mouthwatering cuisine. They focus on street food and individual servings of traditional Indian dishes. Lamb samosas, an order of Vada Pav (a spicy potato dumpling cooked fried in chickpea butter) and a Bollywood Shandy should get your day going on the right track (or keep it that way).
Cocktails are full price so sip slowly and enjoy the spice.
Pambiche Cocina
La Hora del Amigo is our Cuban Happy Hour! pic.twitter.com/JoACsR6dCN
— Pambiche (@PambichePDX) May 9, 2014
2811 NE Glisan St.
Havana Havana, welcome to Havana in Portland. It’s a good thing that political relations between the United States and Cuba are improving because hot dang do they have a knack for stimulating the taste buds.
Over on Northeast Glisan, there’s a little taste of Cuba waiting for you at Pambiche Cocina. And their happy hour menu packs a punch. Cuban cocktails are $1.00 off and food prices are lowered as well. It’s like a scene out of a movie. Small tables elegantly crammed into the lower level of a colorful building. Cuban music playing (and may I say influencing you to join the dance). Don’t show up here on a full stomach… there’s just too much awesomeness to try.
Hoda’s Middle Eastern
No plans tonight? Live music and belly dancing tonight at Hoda’s from 8:00-10:00pm pic.twitter.com/pKBS58wa9B
— Hoda’s (@hodaspdx) March 2, 2016
3401 SE Belmont St.
Tabouli, Baba Ghanouje, Bi-Tahini… it’s a wonderland of dips along with freshly baked pita bread. And oh yes, all drinks are discounted. Even crazier, if Monday is your day off, Hoda’s features happy hour pricing all day on Mondays.
Appetizers are pleasingly budget-friendly meanwhile if you’ve saved up to splurge a bit their main dishes are also reasonably priced. Good luck making a choice, though. Hoda’s kills it on every single item on the menu. You’ll be back for more…trust me.
Kachka
Beef Tongue Stroganoff #PDXdiningmonth #PDX #PDXNOW #PDXEats #dinePDX pic.twitter.com/JRHa19hqeE
— Kachka (@kachkapdx) March 8, 2016
720 SE Grand Ave
A personal favorite of mine and quite possibly the best happy hour in Portland, Kackha is one heck of an experience. The walls are doused with humorously tainted Soviet propaganda posters, most nights there is a video of Russian music performances projected on the wall above the bar and the music… the atmosphere is contagious.
But all of that aside their food and drinks are enough to make you squirt out a few expletives of satisfaction. Discounted beer and wine is available but the magic is in the food and vodka. Lamb meatballs on a fresh hoagie roll, beef/pork/veal, and onion filled dumplings, scallion and farmer’s cheese filled dumplings and $9 carafes of house infused vodka with flavors like Mint, Earl Grey, Horseradish or a soothing Chamomile plus much more.
Kachka takes the hardware for sure.
Foodie restaurants have taken over Portland and a night out on the town with a nice meal has begun to really put a dent in the ol’ wallet. But for a more than reasonable amount of money these four options will let you fill up on food and drinks while still being able to make rent.