As you visit the rugged, breathtaking landscapes of Oregon’s eastern region, a pattern emerges among its easygoing ranching towns and serene mountain hamlets. When it comes to dining, community and affordability rule the day. Here you’ll find many independently owned restaurants and cafes serving up both tasty sustenance and warm conversation among the locals and visitors who have sometimes traveled many miles across this sparsely populated region. Lots of establishments in these parts are family-owned, and quite a few occupy vintage buildings with storied histories. Here are some notable spots for a memorable meal in Eastern Oregon, from sunny coffeehouses to cheerful taquerias.
Hearty Eats Near the Columbia River
The family-owned Acapulco Food Truck, 10 miles north of Interstate 84 in Umatilla, is well loved for its warm welcomes and exceptional Mexican dishes prepared with homemade tomatillo, guajillo and other salsas. Try the hearty pork-adobada bowl or the Surf & Turf burrito stuffed with shrimp and steak asada. Seating is at umbrella-shaded picnic tables. Nearby Bridge Bistro serves eclectic comfort food that pairs well with the inventive cocktails and craft ales. Poutine smothered in buffalo sauce and the Butcher pizza — topped with sausage, pulled pork and bacon — are among the offerings. There’s live music some evenings.
A few miles southeast in Hermiston, warmly appointed Delish Bistro is a mom-and-daughter team effort from talented chefs Carol and LaNae Hull. The menu offers options to delight diners with gluten, dairy and other food allergies. Flavorful teriyaki and kalua-pig plate lunches reflect the time LaNae spent honing her culinary skills in Hawaii. One feature that draws fans from miles in every direction is the luscious house-made gelato in intriguing flavors like macadamia nut and pineapple — sample four flavors by ordering a flight.
Featured prominently on an episode of “America’s Best Restaurants Roadshow,” the Rustic Truck Bar & Grill is a must when visiting the Columbia River town of Irrigon, just minutes off the highway — it’s also a fun stop after hiking and bird-watching at nearby Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge. Set in a vintage wood-frame building, this hospitable spot turns out generous portions of dry-rubbed baby-back ribs, braised-beef pot roast and other hearty fare. Save room for the deep-fried Oreos. In addition to serving creative cocktails featuring house-made spirits, Oregon Grain Growers Brand Distillery in Pendleton stands out for Detroit-style pizzas and the truly unique Roll the Dice burger, where you let the kitchen create a “one-off custom burger to tantalize you” with unusual toppings and a surprise side dish.
Amid the fertile wheat and alfalfa fields outside Milton-Freewater about 30 miles from Pendleton, Tate’s Umapine Mercantile serves classic American breakfasts and lunches, as well as wildly popular (reservations recommended) dinners on Friday nights, out of a historic general store. Bring your appetite to indulge in generous servings of fried chicken, stuffed peppers or whatever other delicious specials appear on the rotating menu. Inside a handsome 1908 bank building in Milton-Freewater’s charming downtown, Vault 19 Bakery & Trading Post has a devout following for its scratch-made baked goods, with the gooey cinnamon rolls a particular specialty. You can also pick up pies, candies and espresso drinks in this high-ceilinged bakery.
Food for Adventurers in John Day River Territory
About 10 miles south of Biggs Junction and Interstate 84 lies Wasco’s down-to-earth Dirty Cowgirl Saloon. It serves hefty burgers (try the one topped with peanut butter and bacon), hand-cut steaks and well-poured drinks in a conversation-filled space decorated with ranching and equestrian photos and cowskin booths. Closer to the Painted Hills, Mitchell’s Tiger Town Brewing Co. draws ranchers, cyclists, hikers and others exploring nearby John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. In addition to robust craft beers, this convivial brewpub in the picturesque Bridge Creek Valley serves inspired gastropub fare, from fish and chips to beer-cheese soft-pretzel bites.
It’s hard to think of a more magical setting than the reconstructed grain silo that houses Ben’s Place Bar in Spray. Set on a scenic bluff northeast of Mitchell, with sweeping vistas of the John Day River and surrounding mountains, this bustling tavern, open from April through October, features a full bar with occasional live music, and the neighboring Top Water Pizza food truck serves 16-inch pies and garlic twists. Further southeast, classic mom-and-pop diner the Dayville Cafe sports an Old West wood-panel facade. It is famous for its homemade pies, available in some 40 varieties, from the unusual (jalapeño apple with caramel) to the classic (lemon meringue). Corned-beef hash and brioche French toast are favorites at breakfast.
Comfort Food in Spectacular Settings in Southeast Oregon
An eclectic group of residents, birders and campers mingle, shoot pool and feast at The Pine Room in Burns, an hour north of the famed Steens Mountain and Alvord Desert. Beneath a pressed-tin ceiling and shimmering chandeliers, they dine on maple-grilled pork chops and other traditional American dishes prepared from scratch — often with local ingredients — as well as over-the-top desserts like a rich four-layer carrot cake. Visitors also shouldn’t miss The Palace, a new community taproom in Burns that hosts a seasonal farmers market, live music and food trucks, before heading to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Aptly named for its stone-and-petrified-wood exterior, The Rock Store taphouse is in Nyssa, on the far Eastern border of the state in the gateway to the Owyhee River and Canyon. It occupies a community-spirited 1932 general store and gas station that serves up mammoth burgers, tangy wings and craft beers on tap. Dine in the beer garden on sunny days.
Old West Storefronts and Vittles in Northeast Oregon
Comfy leather sofas and a spacious patio encourage a social atmosphere at The Local, set in a former gas station in La Grande, just off Interstate 84 about an hour southeast of Pendleton. Try the refreshing coffee and tea concoctions, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, and artisan ice cream in flavors like huckleberry and stracciatella. Just up the street, passionate bakers McKenzie Funk and Leah Over operate the Liberty Theatre Cafe, which serves tantalizing breakfasts and lunches in a century-old storefront. Rotating weekly specials often feature seasonal produce from nearby farms. Start your morning with the Betty, a souffléd egg with creamed greens, havarti and ham on a fluffy potato bun. Another gourmet go-to in town, Raul’s Taqueria earns raves for its hearty quesabirrias served with a meaty dipping broth and chilaquiles verdes topped with grilled fish or beef tongue. This upbeat family-owned eatery occupies a handsome vintage storefront and also pours refreshing margaritas and micheladas.
You don’t have to drive a big rig to appreciate the North Powder Cafe & Truck Stop, a down-home diner just off the interstate south of La Grande that specializes in comfort food done right. Think biscuits smothered in sausage gravy, green-chile cheeseburgers and decadent pecan pie. A gift shop, ice cream counter and patio round out the offerings. An antique stagecoach hovers above the entrance to the iconic Haines Steak House, a rustic place that draws meat lovers from all over for tender, slow-cooked prime rib and legendary flame cast-iron-branded steaks. Don’t miss the expansive chuck-wagon salad bar.
In the stunning mountain town of Lostine, northeast of La Grande en route to Wallowa Lake State Park and surrounded by the spectacular Eagle Cap Wilderness, you can’t miss the tall wood-frame building that’s housed M. Crow general store since 1906. You can buy dry goods and gourmet foods — including pottery and apparel — and order creative pizzas and house-pickled eggs. A couple of blocks away, Z’s BBQ, inside the Lostine Tavern, serves tender barbecue — including weekly specials like hot-honey chicken sandwiches — inside an early 1900s tavern with rough-hewn stone walls. Choose your slow-smoked meats (pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket) along with sauces (cherry chipotle or spicy Carolina mustard, for instance) and flavorful sides like bacon-and-blue-cheese potato salad.
