Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners

Best Restaurant

Screen Door

2337 E Burnside St / 503.542.0880. screendoorrestaurant.com

Let's face it: Screen Door had this sealed up from the very moment Portlanders found out they served a foot-tall stack of fried chicken atop a waffle.

Runner-Up:

Le Pigeon

738 E Burnside St / 503.546.8796. lepigeon.com

Third Place:

RingSide Steakhouse

2165 W Burnside St / 503.223.1513. ringsidesteakhouse.com

Best New Restaurant

Willow Restaurant

2005 SE 11th Ave / willowpdx.com

This long-awaited restaurant finally opened its doors in March earlier this year, and yet the cozy, intimate "Cascadian" style restaurant has already won over the WW readers.

Runner-Up:

Farm Spirit

1414 SE Morrison St / farmspiritpdx.com

Third Place:

La Moule

2500 SE Clinton St / 971.339.2822. lamoulepdx.com

Lardo

Three locations / lardosandwiches.com

Lardo opened up as a food cart over half a decade ago, and it's been a mainstay on the city's "best sandwich" lists ever since. It's a local boy done good who still gives back to the community. By which, we mean they're still selling tuna melts and Don Johnsons.

Runner-Up:

Bunk Sandwiches

Multiple locations. bunksandwiches.com

Third Place:

East Side Delicatessen

Three locations. pdxdeli.com

Tasty n Sons

Chef John Gorham's Tasty n Sons has been a brunch staple for the city ever since it opened, snagging Willamette Week's Restaurant of the Year in 2010. The lines may still be long, but this brunch is always worth the wait.

Runner-Up:

Broder

2500 SE Clinton St / 503.339.2822. broderpdx.com

Third Place:

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd 503.234.4790 / jamonhawthorne.com

¿Por Que No?

Two locations. porquenotacos.com

¿Por Que No? is a repeat winner of this category by Willamette Week readers. In fact, it seems to win every category it's nominated in.

Runner-Up:

Los Gorditos

Four locations. losgorditospdx.com.

Third Place:

Nuestra Cocina

2135 SE Division St / 503.232.2135. nuestracocina.com

Nicholas Restaurant

Three locations. nicholasrestaurant.com

A Portland mainstay since 1986, Nicholas Restaurant is the kind of place where you can you get a mountain of shawarma, hummus and saffron rice for just $15.

Runner-Up:

Ya Hala

2135 SE Division St / 503.232.2135. Yahalarestaurant.com

Third Place:

Mediterranean Exploration Company

333 NW 13th Ave / 503.222.0906. mediterraneanexplorationcompany.com

Bollywood Theater

Two locations. bollywoodtheaterpdx.com

It feels like it was just yesterday that Chef Troy MacLartay introduced Portland to the kati roll and other street foods of India, but it was actually four years ago—and Bollywood Theater has had this category on lockdown ever since.

Runner-Up:

Swagat

Two locations / swagat.com

Third Place:

Namaste Indian Cuisine

8303 NE Sandy Blvd / 503.257.5059

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division St / 503.232.1387. pokpokpdx.com

Two time James Beard-winning chef Andy Ricker's Thai restaurant empire has spread across both coasts, but it all began here with some fantastic, salty fish sauce wings.

Runner-Up:

Pad Thai Kitchen

8303 NE Sandy Blvd / 503.257.5059

Third Place:

Cha'ba Thai

Two locations. chabathaipdx.com

Best Chinese Restaurant

Shandong

3724 NE Broadway St / 503.287.0331. shandongportland.com

This Cheap Eats staple does simple things well, starting with their housemade noodles. It does many things, like the house garlic-pepper sauce, very, very well.

Runner-Up:

HK Cafe

2309 SE Belmont St / 503.232.8766

Third Place:

Kung Pow!

500 NW 21st Ave / 503.208.2173. kungpowpdx.com

Queen of Sheba

2413 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd 503.287.6302 / queenofsheba.biz

The grand old lady of Ethiopian cuisine here in Portland, Queen of Sheba is known for its cozy atmosphere and gigantic portions.

Runner-Up:

Bete-Lukas

500 NW 21st Ave / 503.208.2173. bete-lukas.com

Third Place:

E'Njoni Cafe

910 N Killingsworth St / 503.286.1401. enjonicafe.com

Nostrana

1401 SE Morrison St / 503.234.2427. nostrana.com

Chef Cathy Whims' Italian-by-way-of-the-Northwest restaurant has been reliably serving up excellent food for over a decade.

Runner-Up:

Ava Gene's

3377 SE Division St / 971.229.0571. avagenes.com

Third Place:

Iorio Restaurant

912 SE Hawthorne Blvd / 503.445.4716

Laughing Planet Cafe

Multiple locations/ laughingplanetcafe.com

Maybe it's the smiling cartoon planet in the logo or maybe it's the large, varied kids' menu, but this Oregon-based chain can bring a smile to even the biggest sourpuss' face.

Runner-Up:

Hopworks Urban Brewery

2944 SE Powell Blvd / 503.232.4677. hopworksbeer.com

Third Place:

Slappy Cakes

4246 SE Belmont St / 503.477.4805. slappycakes.com

Lucky Labrador Brewing Company

Three locations/ luckylab.com

It's a rule that any place with a dog in its logo also has to be a great place for dog owners to bring their best friends. Sure, the dogs don't get to drink the beer, eat the solid pizza or play darts, but at least they get to be around while you do.

Runner-Up:

Tin Shed Garden Cafe

1438 NE Alberta St / 503.288.6966/ tinshedgardencafe.com

Third Place:

Bye and Bye

1011 NE Alberta St / 503.281.0537. thebyeandbye.com

Harlow

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd / 971.255.0138. harlowpdx.com

Somewhere along the quest to be Portland's best gluten-free restaurant, Harlow also became the city's best vegetarian restaurant.

Runner-Up:

Blossoming Lotus

1713 NE 15th Ave / 503.228.0048. blpdx.com

Third Place:

Laughing Planet Cafe

Multiple locations/ laughingplanetcafe.com

Blossoming Lotus

1713 NE 15th Ave / 503.228.0048. blpdx.com

It's a brave vegan restaurant that offers a Weekend Brunch. Blossoming Lotus doesn't just provide this service for hungover vegan Portlanders, it does it well.

Runner-Up:

Harlow

3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd / 971.255.0138. harlowpdx.com

Third Place:

Portobello Vegan Trattoria

1125 SE Division St / 503.754.5993. portobellopdx.com

Back to Eden Bakery

Living gluten-free doesn't mean you also want to live pastry, cookie and cake-free, too. Back to Eden Bakery is for everyone who needs a reminder that tasting good doesn't mean something has to be unhealthy.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Corbett Fish House

5901 SW Corbett Ave/ 503.246.4434. corbettfishhouse.com

Dick's Kitchen

Two locations / dickskitchen.com

Hamburgers aren't the first thing that comes to mind when we think paleo (or even probably the second thing) but chef Richard Shatnick put together a truly mouthwatering menu with a wealth of options for paleo, vegetarian and vegan dietary needs. Also, there's a pork-duck burger patty.

Runner-Up:

Cultured Caveman

Three carts and a restaurant / culturedcavemanpdx.com

Third Place:

Laughing Planet Cafe

Multiple locations / laughingplanetcafe.com

The Horse Brass is one of the most important pubs in the history of Portland's brew culture. It also has some killer meat pies and fish and chips.

Runner-Up:

McMenamins

Multiple locations / mcmenamins.com

Third Place:

Tabor Tavern

5325 E Burnside St / 503.208.3544. tabortavern.com

Laurelhurst Market is a place where you can get a life-changing cut of meat or steak tartare without a hint of steak house pretension.

Runner-Up:

RingSide Steakhouse

2165 W Burnside St / 503.223.1513. ringsidesteakhouse.com

Third Place:

OX Restaurant

2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd / 503.284.3366. oxpdx.com

Podnah's Pit Barbecue

1625 NE Killingsworth St / 503.281.3700. podnahspit.com

Brisket is good. Chips and salsa are good. Tex-Mex with brisket is good. I guess what we're saying is that Podnah's Pit is, like, really good.

Runner-Up:

Russell Street Bar-B-Q

325 NE Russell St / 503.528.8224. russellstreetbbq.com

Third Place:

The People's Pig

3217 N Williams Ave / 503.282.2800. peoplespig.com

St. Honore Boulangerie

Three locations/ sainthonorebakery.com

Named for the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs, St. Honore Boulangerie pairs excellent Normandy-style bread with a healthy cider tap list.

Runner-Up:

Petit Provence

Multiple locations / provencepdx.com

Third Place:

Grand Central Bakery

Multiple location / grandcentralbakery.com

Wolf & Bear's

Three locations / eatwolfandbears.com

Wolf and Bear's falafel is one of the rare unimpeachably excellent sandwiches in town. It's been a known fact that even Jerry Seinfeld has had one.

Runner-Up:

Koi Fusion

Multiple locations / koifusionpdx.com

Third Place:

Potato Champion

3217 N Williams Ave / 503.282.2800. potatochampion.com

10th and Alder

SW 10th and Alder St

The 10th & Alder food cart pod isn't just Portland's largest, it's also an excellent incubator for the city's next generation of restaurants. The People's Pig and El Cubo de Cuba are just two examples of carts that made the jump from 10th and Alder to brick and mortar.

Runner-Up:

Cartlandia

8145 SE 82nd Ave / 503.358.7873. cartlandia.com

Third Place:

Cartopia

1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd

Bamboo Sushi

Three locations / bamboosushi.com

As delicious as it is, sushi has the specter of the world's rapidly depleting fisheries hanging over it. Luckily for Portlanders, Bamboo Sushi is the first certified sustainable sushi shack in the world.

Runner-Up:

People's Food Co-op

3029 SE 21st Ave / 503.674.2642. peoples.coop

Third Place:

Laughing Planet Cafe

Multiple locations / laughingplanetcafe.com

KURE

Three locations / kurejuicebar.com

A healthy body is the key to an active, healthy life, and KURE's superfood-stuffed smoothies and bowls are here to help you have both.

Runner-Up:

Canteen

2816 SE Stark St / 503.922.1858. canteenpdx.com

Third Place:

Greenleaf Juicing Company

Multiple locations / greenleafjuice.com

Papa Haydn

Two locations. papahaydn.com.

Papa Haydn has been churning out some of Portland's finest desserts since before Portland was Portland.

Runner-Up:

Pix Pâtisserie

2225 E Burnside St / 971.271.7166. pixpatisserie.com

Third Place:

Rimsky-Korsakoffee House

707 SE 12th Ave / 503.232.2640

Townshend's Tea Company

Three locations. townshendstea.com

"Tea" is one of the larger, more vaguely defined members of the beverage family. Thankfully, Townshend's brings black, green, white, chai, herbal and bubble teas from all around the world under one roof in Portland.

Runner-Up:

The Tao of Tea

3430 SE Belmont St / 503.736.0119. taooftea.com

Third Place:

Tea Chai Te

Multiple locations / teachaite.com

Case Study Coffee Roasters

Three locations. / 503.477.8221. casestudycoffee.com

Case Study is the kind of coffee roaster willing to host coffee tastings and cocktail mixers to introduce people to the wonderful Central American farms where their beans are grown.

Runner-Up:

Water Avenue Coffee

1028 SE Water Ave #145 503.808.7084 / wateravenuecoffee.com

Third Place:

Coava Coffee Roasters

1300 SE Grand Ave / 503.894.8134. coavacoffee.com

Stumptown Coffee Roasters

Multiple locations. stumptowncoffee.com.

The roasters that put Portland coffee on the map are still churning out a wonderful product, albeit on a national level now.

Runner-Up:

Coava Coffee Roasters

1300 SE Grand Ave / 503.894.8134. coavacoffee.com

Third Place:

Water Avenue Coffee

1028 SE Water Ave #145 503.808.7084 / wateravenuecoffee.com

There isn't much left to say about Breakside at this point. Their beers seem to win every category they're nominated for, whether in statewide, national or Willamette Week readers' poll, It's good.

Runner-Up:

Deschutes Brewery

210 NW 11th Ave / 503.296.4906. deschutesbrewery.com

Third Place:

Hopworks Urban Brewery

2944 SE Powell Blvd / 503.232.4677. hopworksbeer.com

Sokol Blosser

5000 NE Sokol Blosser Ln, Dayton, OR / 503.864.2282. sokolblosser.com

Aside from opening one of the state's first wineries in 1971, Sokol Blosser has also pioneered the field of wine doggery. Legendary cheese bandit Andre may no longer roam the grounds, but Twix the Wine Poodle has filled in admirably.

Runner-Up:

SE Wine Collective

2425 SE 35th Pl / 503.208.2061. sewinecollective.com

Third Place:

Stoller Family Estate

16161 NE McDougall Rd, Dayton, OR 503.864.3404. stollerfamilyestate.com

New Deal Distillery

New Deal Distillery was at the forefront of Portland's burgeoning craft liquor industry, and just one sip of the of the juniper-forward Portland Dry Gin 33 will give you a good idea why it remains one of the best.

Runner-Up:

Eastside Distilling

1512 SE 7th Ave / 503.926.7060. eastsidedistilling.com

Third Place:

Clear Creek Distillery

2389 NW Wilson St / 503.248.9470. clearcreekdistillery.com

Portland Cider Company

Bldg F 8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Clackamas, OR / 503.908.7654. portlandcider.com

A cidery with a decidedly English slant, Portland Cider Company even went so far as to recreate Scrumpy, the moonshine of the British cider industry, earlier this year.

Runner-Up:

Reverend Nat's Hard Cider

1813 NE 2nd Ave / 503.567.2221, reverendnatshardcider.com

Third Place:

Bushwhacker Cider

1212-D SE Powell Blvd. 503.445.0577. bushwhackercider.com

Killer Burger

Multiple locations / killerburger.com

Killer Burger's big, greasy, bacon-laden burgers live up to the chain's name—and potentially both meanings if you're not careful.

Runner-Up:

Slow Bar

533 SE Grand Ave / 503.230.7767 / slowbar.net

Third Place:

Little Big Burger

Multiple locations. littlebigburger.com.

Apizza Scholls

4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd 503.233.1286 / apizzascholls.com

Apizza Scholls not only makes the best pizza in town, but the New Haven-style pizza joint also helps protect you from yourself with a three-topping limit.

Runner-Up:

Sizzle Pie

Multiple locations. / sizzlepie.com

Third Place:

Flying Pie Pizzeria

Multiple locations. / flying-pie.com

Los Gorditos

Three locations. losgorditospdx.com

"Best Burrito" is a large, competitive field filled with worthy combatants, but Los Gorditos has an ace up its sleeve: It churns out exceptional burritos that are also vegan-friendly.

Runner-Up:

Robo Taco

607 SE Morrison St / 503.232.3707. robotacopdx.com

Third Place:

King Burrito

2924 N Lombard St / 503.283.9757. kingburritomexicanfood.com

Bamboo Sushi

Three locations. bamboosushi.com

Whether you want some traditional nigiri or you'd rather see mackerel served in a small burning pagoda, Bamboo Sushi is the place to go.

Runner-Up:

Mio Sushi

Multiple locations / miosushi.com

Third Place:

Saburo's Sushi House Restaurant

1667 SE Bybee Blvd / 503.236.4237. saburos.com

Best Baguette

Two locations / thebestbaguette.com

The reader's selection for the best Banh Mi in town is also the most convenient: Best Baguette has a drive-thru.

Runner-Up:

Double Dragon

1235 SE Division St / 503.230.8340. doubledragonpdx.com

Third Place:

Lúc Lác Vietnamese Kitchen

835 SW 2nd Ave / 503.222.0047. luclackitchen.com

The ramen wing of Micah Camden's fast-casual empire boasts not only a fantastically spicy miso, but also some killer okonomiyaki tater tots. Have a tallboy or two to help wash them down.

Runner-Up:

Boke Bowl

1028 SE Water Ave / 503.719.5698. bokebowl.com

Third Place:

Noraneko

1430 SE Water Ave / 503.238.6356. noranekorameen.com

Pad Thai Kitchen

2309 SE Belmont St / 503.232.8766.

Pad Thai Kitchen makes Portland's best pad thai because of course it does. It'd have to change the name if it didn't.

Runner Up:

E-San Thai Cuisine

133 SW 2nd Ave / 503.223.4090. e-santhai.com

Third Place:

Cha'ba Thai

Two locations.chabathaipdx.com.

Pho Van

Three locations. phovanrestaurant.com.

Beginning on Southeast 82nd Avenue in 1992, Pho Van has been serving pho since before many of us knew what pho was.

Runner-Up:

Lúc Lác Vietnamese Kitchen

835 SW 2nd Ave / 503.222.0047. luclackitchen.com

Third Place:

Pho Hung

Two locations.

There aren't any frills about this small teriyaki shack on Sandy Boulevard: just pick a meat and start munching away on this grill-kissed, garlic-ginger perfection on rice.

Runner-Up:

Ate-Oh-Ate

2454 E Burnside St / 503.445.6101. ate-oh-ate.com

Third Place:

Noho's Hawaiian Cafe

Two locations / nohos.com

Spielman Bagels

2200 NE Broadway St

503.477.9045 / Spielmanbagels.com

Spielman's signature sourdough bagels are covered with enough seeds to make a loaf of Dave's Killer Bread blush.

Runner-Up:

Bowery Bagels

310 NW Broadway / 503.227.6674. bowerybagels.com

Third Place:

Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels

6420 SE Foster Rd / 971.271.8613. hhboiledbagels.com

While wings are on nearly every brewery menu, Fire on the Mountain took a decidedly different route to this destination: It began as a wings joint that expanded into a brewery. Try the Caribbean Jerk. Or the spicy peanut. Or el Jefe. Who are we kidding? Try them all.

Runner-Up:

Pok Pok

3226 SE Division St / 503.232.1387. pokpokpdx.com

Third Place:

NEPO 42

5403 NE 42nd Ave / 503.288.8080. nepo42.com

Salty's seafood chowder—a wonderful creamy mixture of clams, Oregon Bay shrimp, scallops and bacon—is more than just an exceptional bowl of chowder. Slurping it down with the Columbia on your side and Mount Hood in the distance feels like a celebration of the Pacific Northwest.

Runner-Up:

OX Restaurant

2225 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd 503.284.3366 / oxpdx.com

Third Place:

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd / 503.548.4434. corbettfishhouse.com/hawthorne-fish-house

Mother's Bistro & Bar

Omelets are a mother's way of saying that she truly loves you. The omelet du jour curated from mothers everywhere is Mother's way of saying she loves Portland.

Runner-Up:

Jam on Hawthorne

2239 SE Hawthorne Blvd 503.234.4790. jamonhawthorne.com

Third Place:

Original Hotcake House

1002 SE Powell Blvd / 503.236.7402. hotcakehouse.com

Some people thought $2.50 was too much for a taco when ¿Por Que No? opened its doors in 2005. Over a decade later and Bryan Steelman's Oaxaca-meets-Pacific Northwest taco joint still has lines going around the block.

Runner-Up:

Robo Taco

607 SE Morrison St / 503.232.3707. robotacopdx.com

Third Place:

Taqueria Nueve

727 SE Washington St / 503.954.1987. taquerianueve.com

Hot Pot City

1975 SW 1st Ave / 503.224.6696

The spiritual sister of Best Pad Thai-winner Pad Thai Kitchen, Hot Pot City is fairly straight forward: you get a burner, some broth, a wealth of meat, vegetable and vegetable offerings and, baby, you've got a hot pot going.

Runner-Up:

Beijing Hot Pot

2768 SE 82nd Ave / 503.774.2525. thebeijinghotpot.com

Third Place:

Good Taste Noodle House

7525 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy, Hillsboro, OR / 503.718.7452. goodtastenoodlehouse.com

Olympia Provisions

Two locations / olympiaprovisions.com

These fatty, salty, sometimes spicy cured sausages are the platonic ideal of what salame, chorizo and loukaniko can be.

Runner-Up:

Otto's Sausage Kitchen

4138 SE Woodstock Blvd 503.771.6714 / ottossausage.com

Third Place:

Edelweiss Sausage & Delicatessen

3119 SE 12th Ave / 503.238.4411. edelweissdeli.com

Horse Brass Pub

4534 SE Belmont St / 503.232.2202. horsebrass.com

Like most pub food, fish and chips is an exercise in greasy simplicity. Fish, batter and a deep fryer are pretty much all you need. It's no wonder that one of the city's finest pubs also serves Portland's favorite beer-battered halibut.

Runner-Up:

Hawthorne Fish House

4343 SE Hawthorne Blvd / 503.548.4434. corbettfishhouse.com/hawthorne-fish-house

Third Place:

The Frying Scotsman

9 SW Alder St / 503.706.3841

Biwa

215 SE 9th Ave / 503.239.8830. biwarestaurant.com

Biwa is that rare izakaya joint that is most famous for its late night burger, a juicy burger topped with char siu pork and kimchi mayo.

Runner-Up:

Miho Izakaya

4057 N Interstate Ave / 503.719.6152. mihopdx.com

Third Place:

Tanuki

8029 SE Stark St / tanukipdx.com

Blue Star Donuts

Multiple locations.bluestardonuts.com

Unlike some of the city's other notable doughnut makers, Blue Star doesn't rely on kitsch or stale cereal to sell doughnuts. Blue Star's secret is buttery brioche.

Runner-Up:

Pip's Original Doughnuts

4759 NE Fremont St / 503.206.8692. facebook.com/PipsOriginal

Third Place:

Tonallis Donuts & Cream

2805 NE Alberta St / 503.284.4510

Fish sauce, dill pickles and olive oil aren't the first flavoring agents that come to mind when you think of ice cream, but don't tell that to Salt & Straw, Portland's most popular and adventurous ice cream company.

Runner-Up:

Ruby Jewel

Three locations. / rubyjewel.com

Third Place:

Fifty Licks

2021 SE Clinton St #101 503.395.3333 / fifty-licks.com

Eb & Bean

By getting all of its dairy from within 100 miles of Portland, Eb & Bean has staked its claim as the city's first and best farm-to-cone frozen yogurt joint.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Moonstruck

Moonstruck is more than a fantastic chocolatier in Portland, it frequently collaborates with the robust local liquor industry to bring you some of the tastiest, booziest chocolate truffles you've ever tasted.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Lauretta Jean's

Piemaker Kate McMillen learned everything she knows about pie making from her grandmother, the titular Lauretta Jean. Let's just say there's a reason why Willamette Week dubbed her the "Queen of Crusts."

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Tasty n Sons

The Bloody Mary is the rarely mentioned key to a good brunch spot. Tasty n Sons' mary menu goes five large with Asian-inspired Dim Summore standing out with its Sriracha-y goodness.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

¿Por Que No?

Once again, ¿Por Que No? wins the Best of Portland triple crown: Best Mexican, Best Taco and Best Margarita. Owner Bryan Steelman was even kind enough to share his margarita recipe with the public.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Night Light Lounge

The name "Night Light Lounge" doesn't exactly conjure up the image of a good mimosa spot. That is, until you see the "Mix Your Own Mimosa" option where the server drops a bottle off at your table.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Sapphire Hotel

This sultry seedy hotel-cum-date spot offers a wealth of strong cocktail options, even if the aptly named, Pop Rocks-filled Most Popular Drink sounds decidedly unsexy.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Rainier

Here in Portland, we like our flavorless, mass-produced tallboys—or "pounders," to use the parlance of our times—as locally sourced as possible.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Acropolis

Steakhouse

The steak bites might actually be the more famous than the dancers at Acropolis at this point.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Le Bistro Montage

Serving Cajun and Creole food—including a mac and cheese menu that runs nine deep—until 4 am on weekends is a power play by Le Bistro Montage.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Beast

$102 gets you a six course dinner at Naomi Pomeroy's Beast. The menu changes weekly, but one thing never changes: You will eat every scrap of it. Even if your stomach is already full, your taste buds won't let any of this food go to waste.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Dining Month

Portland Dining Month is the the most wonderful time of the year where the city's finest—and sometimes most expensive—open their doors to serve a special meal at a modest price.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Lisa Schroeder—

Mother's Bistro

Lisa Schroeder opened Mother's Bistro to make slow-cooked, comforting "Mother Food." Since opening its doors in 2000, Mother's Bistro has won countless awards and national acclaim, but Schroeder hasn't forgotten what makes it all work. She spotlights the story and recipes of a new mother every month.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

White Owl Social Club

It's not just about the impressive square footage of this inner Southeast bar's patio. It's about the music, events, people and occasional popup barbecue you'll stumble into once you're there.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Pedal Power

Portland Pedal Power is a way of having your tamales, pies and Yumm! bowl come to you without having to worry about any harmful CO2 emissions.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Powell's Books

Powell's just might be the only bookstore in the world that doubles as a tourist destination.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Things From

Another World

Things From Another World offers a large selection of outsider comics to go with the standard Marvel and DC fare and its excellent online service.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Finnegan's

Portland's favorite independent toystore steers clear of action figures and Nerf guns, opting instead for books, dolls, tea sets and building blocks.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sloan Boutique

This chic women's boutique's emphasis on affordable style and convenient locations across the city—and adjoining shoe boutique, plaTform—make it a hit.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sloan Boutique

Great prices are one thing, but Sloan's attendants also want to make sure you know how to unlock your clothing's full potential, going so far as to create instructional videos on how to wrap a sweater wrap.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Animal Traffic

Rugged, sharp, comfortable and above all, durable gear for the outdoors.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Paxton Gate

Taxidermy is making a comeback of sorts, as long as the animals are as ethically sourced as the work you'll find at Paxton Gate.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sunlan Lighting

Walking past this Mississippi lighting store at night is like having an unexpected, trippy Christmas Eve every night.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Imelda's Shoes

and Louie's Shoes

for Men

Imelda's isn't a place for stilettos or fancy high heels. It's more of a friendly, no-pressure environment where you go to get your badass bitch boots.

Runner-Up:

Third Place.

Gilt – Gem Set Love

Whether you're looking for that special Edwardian platinum ring with diamonds and sapphire filigree engagement ring or perhaps a less gaudy recycled ring using a vintage cast, Gem Set Love has been the place to go for 22 years.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Eyes on Broadway

Eyes on Broadway is a full service eyewear shop where you can get those thick cat's eye rims you always wanted.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Buffalo Exchange

The rare time when the Portland readers side with the largest clothing consignment store in the country.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

House of Vintage

There are over 60 vendors in this sprawling 13,000 square foot "house" of vintage clothing, shoes and accessories. It's less a house than a sprawling warehouse of antiquity.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

City Liquidators

Your one-stop shop to get a patch of PDX carpet and bemoan the loss of old Portland.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Rerun

Furniture, clothing, jewelry, books, movies, music…you name it and Rerun will help it find a new home.

Runner-Up

Third Place:

Kitchen Kaboodle

Kitchen Kaboodle has everything you need to bring your kitchen up to code, yes, but it also has a wide selection of groovy furniture. One could say, Kitchen Kaboodle has the whole kit and kaboodle, but such low-hanging fruit is beneath Willamette Week.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Ace Hardware

This giant hardware store franchise allows local owners like Uptown Hardware to stock their stores with whatever hardware supplies to fit your home-crafting needs.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Nursery

Gardening is so much more than just setting plants in soil and occasionally watering them. Portland Nursery offers year-round classes to make sure you don't run into any surprises in your home garden.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sammy's Flowers

Sammy's Flowers offers both traditional arrangements and ones that try to replicate the vibe of the Portland streets they're named after, from stately Winston Drive to the sleek style of Burnside.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

New Seasons Market

From their amazing customer service, vibrant produce to delicious samples – New Seasons Market is dedicated to keeping portlanders happy and healthy.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Deli

Runner Up:

Third Place:

People's Food Co-op

People's Food is one of those special cooperatives that not only kicked off the trend of community-owned grocery stores, it also hosts the longest-running farmers' market in town.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Uwajimaya

The largest Japanese supermarket in the Portland area can be a dangerous place: Go in there without a clear objective and you'll leave with a cart overflowing with gyoza, soba, sweet, sweet Beard Papa cream puffs, and much, much more.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

PSU—Portland

Farmers Market

The PSU Farmers Market on the South Park Blocks is an ideal way to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon browsing the organic produce while munching a delicious Italian sausage from Salumeria di Carlo.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Gartner's Country

Meat Market

Proudly defending the food chain since 1959, Gartner's offers an indecently large selection of meat to go along with processing services for people who like their meat a little gamier.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Division Wines

Over 800 bottles of wine—with an emphasis on small production vineyards—line the shelves of Division Wines, which is half wine retailer, half wine bar and all wine lover.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Belmont Station

Somewhere between the 1,200 bottles and more than 20 rotating taps, the Beer Goddess' beer bar and bottle shop is the closest you'll come to reaching true Beervana.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Rich's Cigar Store

Rich's Cigar Store is a true throwback, and we're not just talking about the 1,500 cigar facings and 200 tobacco blends: It has over 2,500 print periodicals on the shelves, too.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Division Vapor

"Vape on, Portland" is the motto for this one-stop shop for Portland's vaping community.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Cal's Pharmacy

You won't find any actual drugs at Cal's Pharamcy, just dope boards and threads.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Atlas Tattoo

From the colorful psychedelia of co-founder Jerry Ware to the Native American-inflected naturalistic work of Cheyenne Sawyer, Atlas Tattoo has been creating some of the city's best tattoos for nearly 20 years.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Alice Kendall—

Wonderland Tattoos

From a mail-order tattoo kit in the early 90s to owning her own tattoo parlor in Portland, Alice Kendall's illustrative, botanical style has captivated inked up Portlanders.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

She Bop

She Bop was founded 7 years ago to go beyond the kitsch seediness of the traditional sex shop by adding an emphasis on education and in creating a sex-positive environment for people of all genders and sexual orientations.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Music Millennium

Portland's oldest record store and most storied has had this category locked down since before Willamette Week came to be.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Trade Up Music

Just because you're getting a new amp doesn't mean your old one has to gather dust in your attic. Trade Up Music can help it find a new, loving home.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Hollywood Theatre

You owe it to yourself to see 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia in their original 70mm with

a beer in hand.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Pro Photo Supply

Pro Photo Supply endeavors to be more than just a photo shop; it's a gathering spot for Portland's vibrant photographic community.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Morel Ink

From T-shirts to posters to backpacks, you name it and Morel Ink will put a print on it.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Wentworth Subaru

Not to be confused with the catchy jingles from JG Wentworth, Wentworth Subaru on Burnside is where Portlanders go to get the city's signature car.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

AAA Oregon

Autosource—

Larry Heiser

Many of us need cars. Many of us enjoy the thrill of getting a feel for a new (or used) car. It's just a pity that the act of buying a car is such a pain in the ass. Larry Heiser tries to make this experience as comfortable, quick and painless as possible.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Vespa Portland

We've all driven past a special mural on the side of Vespa Portland along 23rd Avenue. It's a mural showing an idyllic Portland, a perfect Portland, a Portland where everyone owns a Vespa.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Green Drop Garage

Green Drop Garage is dedicated to the use of sustainable practices while tuning your car, all the way down to recycled oil.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

OnPoint Community Credit Union

OnPoint is a local, employee-owned community credit union that tries to be the very opposite of the frustrating, convoluted and impersonal experience of banking with a national titan. tktktk

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

WeVillage

WeVillage emphasizes flexibility in its award-winning, play-based daycare service. Once your child is enrolled in the program, you can drop him or her off at any of the four locations whenever you need.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sniff Dog Hotel

You can catch happy hour at the hotel with your best friend after he's spent a relaxing day at the salon and spa.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Pets on Broadway

Portland's largest independent pet store is here for the city's entire pet community, handling everything from the well-being of your best friend Oliver Cromwell to donating pet food to local shelters.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Alberta Veterinary Care

Pet owners love Alberta Veterinary Care's emphasis on communication, including detailed emails and accessible health information online about your pet after every visit.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Darcie Alexander— Meadows Group

In a hot real estate market like Portland, you need an excellent, understanding agent like Darcie Alexander to help guide you into the house or condo of your dreams at a reasonable price.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Think Real Estate

Think Real Estate is a customer-oriented broker that puts in the time and effort to ensure home-buyers find the right fit, location and price.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Nines

From the central location to the Urban Farmer to the rooftop bar Departure, the Nines is a unique way to experience Portland.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Camp Namanu

Camp Namanu exists to fight the summer learning divide for children in between grades. Just an hour east of Portland, it offers an opportunity for kids to swim, make crafts and learn how to ride horseback, alongside many other healthy outdoor activities.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Pixie Project

The Pixie Project gets the majority of its animals from overflowing shelters and underserved rural shelters, and gives them the best possible opportunity to find a lifelong match.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Mississippi Studios

Countless local acts (and a few national ones) have played here since this renovated church opened its doors in 2003, including quite a few of Willamette Week's 100% certified Best New Bands.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

McMenamins

Edgefield

Of all the historic properties McMenamins has renovated, there is none more ambitious than this 74-acre converted farm and poor house just 20 minutes east of Troutdale.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Laurelthirst

Public House

Frequented by both the young folks and crunchy Oscar Bluth lookalikes, Laurelthirst offers a mix of old Portland and family-friendly musicians with nary a cover, along with a weekly Americana Brunch.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Waterfront Blues

Festival

Even Hobo Pirates drop anchor off the shore to catch this annual concert along the waterfront.

Runner Up:

Third Place:

Mississippi Records

This archivally focused record label has a fittingly low online profile. You'll just have to seek out the nearly 300 albums it's released to find out what all the hubbub is about.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Jackpot! Recording Studio

There aren't many recording studios in the country that can compete with the list of artists Jackpot! has worked with since opening in 1997, Elliott Smith, Sleater-Kinney and Sonic Youth to name a few.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Red Fang

Portland's sludgy stoner-rockers aren't afraid to cut self-deprecating music videos with comedians like Brian Posehn and Fred Armisen.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Mic Crenshaw

Since coming to Portland in 1992, Mic Crenshaw has been heavily involved not only in the rap scene but also as an activist, outreach coordinator with KBOO and an ambassador for the local hip hop community.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Red Fang

Red Fang isn't going to out-sexy Queens of the Stone Age but it is going to bowl you over with sheer, mountainous force.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Thermals

The city's best Indie-Rock Band celebrated the 10th anniversary of its hit album The Body, the Blood, the Machine just a few months ago. It's actually hard to remember a Portland before the Thermals.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Fruition

Despite its second consecutive win in the Best of Portland readers poll, Fruition has never been fully comfortable with the labels "folk" or "alt-country." It prefers to think of itself as something simpler: a rock band.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Curtis Salgado

Curtis Salgado has toured with the likes of Carlos Santana and Bonnie Raitt. Salgado was also an inspiration for the Blues Brothers after meeting John Belushi in Eugene during the filming of Animal House.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Oregon Symphony

Founded in 1896, the Oregon Symphony is the oldest symphony on the West Coast and it was also one of the first nationally to hire an African-American conductor. The late James DePriest turned it into a nationally acclaimed group during his 23 years at the helm.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Esperanza Spalding

This jazz bassist, singer and homegrown musical prodigy first reached national fame when she beat out Justin Bieber for Best New Musical Artist at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Northwest Dance Project

Portland's largest dance company is known for its intense, daring performances and its frequent collaborations with contemporary international choreographers.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Northwest Dance Project

Portland's best dance company also hosts daily classes open on a drop-in basis to a public thirsty to learn how to dance everything from ballet to the nae nae.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Center Stage

Founded originally as the northern outpost of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Portland Center Stage presents a mix of classics like A Streetcar Named Desire and more contemporary work like Sex with Strangers.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Vin Shambry

Powerful, sensual and blessed with a tremendous voice, Vin Shambry has delighted Portland crowds for years, with some time on Broadway in-between.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

William Shakespeare

Euripides was robbed!

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Brianna Barrett

Brianna Barrett's storytelling career began with the darkest story: a Hodgkin's lymphoma diagnosis in 2013. From video series documenting her fight with cancer to "36 Perfectly Appropriate Dinner Conversations," Barrett has made Portlanders cry, laugh and rejoice.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Helium Comedy Club

The Helium may present national comedians on consistent basis, but it hasn't forgotten the local scene with events like the summer Portland's Funniest Person contest.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Lez Stand Up—

Curious Comedy

Comedy is an art form heavily influenced by the comedian's point of view, and Lez Stand Up is a rare opportunity to experience an exclusively lesbian comedy show. They're all women. They're all gay. They're all funny as hell.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Bridgetown Comedy Festival

An annual comedy festival organized and booked by comedians for comedians, ensuring the very best of the Portland comedy scene takes center stage.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Bri Pruett

WW contributor Penelope Bass perhaps best described Pruett when she was named in the Funniest Five in 2013: "[She's] like a childhood friend who makes you pee a little when she catches you off-guard with a joke about her pussy."

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Art

Museum

Between a permanent collected 42,000 works of art large, a consistent lineup of major traveling exhibitions and the Northwest Film Center, the Portland Art Museum has something to fill anyone with wonder.

Runner-Up

Third Place:

TBA festival—PICA

Performance and visual artists from all around converge in Portland for the annual Time-Based Art Festival, creating a myriad of installations, temporary galleries and unexpected public spaces for art.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Disjecta

Since 2000, not-for-profit Disjecta has worked tirelessly to provide exhibition space for boundary-pushing contemporary artists.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Portland Saturday

Market

Even those of us who don't know or care much about art have a clay goblin mask purchased at the Saturday Market hanging on our living room wall.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

SCRAP

SCRAP is more than a studio that offers regular workshops for aspiring artists and hobby; it's a place where people learn the beauty of recycling, reducing and reusing.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Evanem

Evanem's handmade stencil art isn't the kind of art you buy at an art gallery and hang on your wall, it's the kind you can wear around town with pride. We recommend the Digital Dame Time tee.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Gus Van Sant

You can see signs around town marking locations where Gus Van Sant shot scenes for films like Drugstore Cowboy. The rest of the country may know him as the director of Good Will Hunting, but we know him as Portland's homegrown auteur.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Best Film Festival

Portland International Film Festival

From Best Foreign Picture nominees to low-budget Bulgarian flicks about honesty and integrity, PIFF provides an incredible opportunity to experience the international cinemascape.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Michelle Lesniak

This thrift store and wine enthusiast-turned-fashion designer won season 11 of Project Runway.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

She Shreds

She Shreds is old meets new: a zine dedicated to highlighting, describing and changing the way we look at women guitarists and bassists.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Benefits

of Gusbandry

Alicia J. Rose's fitfully funny web-series follows the trials and adventures of Jackie and River in Portland, focusing on the special relationship between a woman and a gay man. Jackie isn't River's beard; he is her gusband.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Secret Society

The old-fashioned cocktails, prohibition era music and black and white photos at the Secret Society all combine to take you back to the Portland where this 1907 Victorian performance hall was built.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Liquor Store

It is, oddly enough, this cozy Belmont establishment's second consecutive year of being voted the Best New Bar by Willamette Week readers.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Reel M Inn

The secret to a good dive bar is a big deep fryer and a catchy name. Reel M Inn has both in spades.

Runner-Up:

Third Place

Spirit of 77

Named for the year that Bill Walton, Mo Lucas and the Blazers gave the city its first championship, the open space, giant screen and rowdy atmosphere make Spirit of 77 feel more like a gym with booze than a sports bar.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Crush

Crush prides itself on being the friendliest, most inclusive gay bar in town, right down to the three bathrooms: one with a two man sign, one with two women, and one with a man and a woman.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sapphire Hotel

Billed as a sexy cocktail lounge, this former seedy hotel lounge's extensive menu runs the gamut from sweet libations with Pop Rocks to a PBR with Worcestershire and Tapatio mixed in.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sapphire Hotel

Cocktails, mood lighting and ubiquitous blood red coloring create an unquestionably sexy atmosphere, even if the coy couple nearby doesn't seem to be taking advantage of it.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Spirit Mountain

Casino

Less than two hours southwest of Portland, you can gamble, smoke indoors and wait in buffet lines with septuagenarians to your heart's delight.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Sassy's

With 30 odd taps of grossly underpriced beer—everything is only $2.50 a pint during happy hour—Sassy's is a hell of a bar. There just also happens to be talented naked women performing advanced acrobatic maneuvers in front of a refreshingly mix-gendered crowd.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Hazel Grace

Not to be confused with the cancer-stricken protagonist of The Fault in Our Stars, you can find this dazzling brunette at Devil's Point. If you're lucky, you just might get to share the stage with her at Stripperaoke.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

APEX

Fifty taps. Need we say more?

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Gold Dust Meridian

The happy hour deals at this Hawthorne joint don't really stand out (50 cents off wells and pints, $1 off wine) until you notice the hours: 2 to 8 pm every day, all day Sunday.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Horse Brass Pub

It's only fitting that darts, the finest pub game, is best played at Horse Brass, Portland's finest pub.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Pips & Bounce

Pips & Bounce is really more of a ping pong club that also happens to serve booze and Korean fusion tacos.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Goodfoot Pub & Lounge

Four pool stables and stiff drinks, just like how Fast Eddie would have wanted it.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Holocene

WW readers' favorite place to dance is also coincidentally a killer concert hall and wedding venue.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Ground Kontrol

The second floor has a collection of fantastic machines themed after movies and TV shows that time forgot, like the mid-90s Alec Baldwin vehicle, the Shadow.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Darcelle's

This drag show has been going strong since the titular Darcelle XV, the most venerable drag queen on the West Coast and former Grand Marshall of the Rose Festival, founded the Showplace nearly 40 years ago.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Voicebox

Voicebox's private rooms allow karaoke to be a more personal experience for a few friends, even those who may feel self-conscious, to sing "Midnight Train" together.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Geeks Who Drink

Geeks Who Drink is a group dedicated to bringing trivia, the thinking man's pub game, to bars all across the country.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

The Florida Room

Not every bar bans Elton John and James Taylor from its jukebox like the Florida Room, but maybe they should.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

DJ Anjali & the

Incredible Kid

DJ Anjali & the Incredible Kid first introduced Portland to the driving beats of bhangra, Bollywood and Global Bass on New Year's Eve in 2000.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Andrew Moore

Look no further than the cocktail menu at this stylish midcentury lounge (and packed happy hour spot) to understand why bartender and manager Andrew Moore was named the Best Bartender in Portland.

Runner-Up:

Third Place:

Red Dress Party

It's that one night a year when Portlanders come together to put on red dresses and dance their asses off.

Runner-Up: