Skip to main content
[SHUCK IT UP] This N'awlins-inspired raw bar is the only restaurant in this guide with a wall defaced like a restroom stall. Guess that's why they call it the "Big Easy." EaT, the scruffier cousin of Parish in the Pearl, serves classic Cajun comfort food with a laissez-faire vibe to match the wall art. That vibe might, on occasion, transfer to the service, which can sometimes leave you wondering if your server got laid off midorder, but then, this isn't a dine-and-dash sort of place. Oysters are on the marquee, and come in many forms, so go in rounds: shooters to start (preferably with the chili vodka), then fresh (check the board for current selections), then the Rockefeller, in which the mollusks come baked into a spinach and watercress puree topped with Parmesan and a drop of absinthe. Entrees include jambalaya, frog legs and shrimp étouffée, all of which hem close to tradition. But really, the only true choice is which po'boy to get. I'm partial to the catfish, but the Debris—basically a roast beef sandwich made from the bits of meat that fall off during roasting—is a taste of the Dirty South as it exists in your imagination. MATTHEW SINGER.
Sunday brunch features live jazz, which you can take as an advisory either to attend or avoid, depending on your predilections.
The Directory: Our 100 Favorite Restaurants in Portland
By Neighborhood: Southeast | North/Northeast | Westside | Suburbs
2014 Restaurant of the Year: Kachka
Top Five: Old Salt, Ataula, American Local, Expatriate
Counter Service Spots: Latin | Asian | Italian | Sandwiches | Burgers
Wine Bars | Beer Lists | Veg-Friendly | Gluten-free | Elsewhere in Oregon
WWeek 2015