Skip to main content
1. Baes
225 SW Ash St., 1613 SE Bybee, baeschicken.com. 11 am-9 pm daily.
The bad news: Tom Brady is going back to the Super Bowl. The good news: Ndamukong Suh is going with him. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end grew up in Northeast Portland, attended Grant High School and, most relevant to our concerns, is the co-owner of this fried chicken joint with fast-casual kingpin Micah Camden. Baes doles out fresh, juicy birds with ruthless efficiency and alarming consistency, and it's on all the major third-party delivery apps.
2. Fire on the Mountain
Multiple locations, portlandwings.com/superbowl.
Portland's Grateful Dead-themed wing stop, pizzeria and brewery is basically like a year-round Super Bowl party, so it's no wonder the place has some very specific rules about ordering your Big Game provisions: takeout only, only pizza and bone-in chicken wings will be available, and ordering 72 hours in advance is strongly encouraged. Even if your watch party is just you and your dog, this is your go-to, but you probably knew that already.
3. R&R
716 NW 21st Ave., 503-384-2219, randrpdx.com. 3-10 pm daily.
Overhauled from a Belgian bar into a faux-beachside resort, R&R borrows elements from your Hawaiian vacation Pinterest board—palm fronds, piña coladas, poke—and brings them to life. But the standout is what may also be your new favorite nacho plate in town. Pepper jack cheese is generously layered with diced tomatoes and sauteed corn, and the smoke in the drizzle of jalapeño sauce pulls together all of that light sweetness and salt.
4. PDX Sliders
1605 SE Bybee Blvd., 971-717-5271; 3111 SE Division St., 503-719-5464; pdxsliders.com. 11 am-10 pm daily.
PDX Sliders represents one of those rare moments when Yelp actually gets it right: Users voted it "4th Best Burger in America" in 2016. The competitive advantage at play is the modest price and size of each sandwich, most of which run around $5 for a 3-ounce slider and yield an unheard-of amount of flavor for such a small package.
5. The Star
1309 NW Hoyt St., 503-300-7827, thestarportland.com. Noon-8 pm Sunday-Thursday, noon-9:30 pm Friday-Saturday.
Portland might be overdosing on quality pizza at the moment, but if the pie can hold its own, hey, what's one more? While known for deep-dish, the must-get item here is the cracker-crisp pesto chicken. A hypnotic, basil-colored spiral drizzled around the pizza compels you to drop whatever else is occupying your mouth at that moment and dig in.