pdx

Portland, OR

Portland is a Mecca for craft beer lovers & A super fun city to explore!

PDX Tips: 

  • There are so many breweries. Unless you live in the area or are staying for quite some time it is impossible to hit them all, so be sure to plan ahead so that you can visit the best of the best!

  • You don’t really need a car in Portland. Once you get to specific neighborhoods you can walk to many places and it’s not too big of a city. I personally preferred having a car so that I could do day trips, but would’ve otherwise been fine without one. Be prepared to do a lot of parallel parking if you decide to visit with a car

  • The weather in Portland can be very finicky—even with a 0% chance of rain it sprinkled and the sun really doesn’t like to come out until midday, so I would just recommend always having layers, one of which being a raincoat

  • You can’t pump your own (very expensive) gas in Oregon, just pull up to the pump and someone will come out to do it for you

  • Visiting Portland with your pup? Check out Pup Passport, a digital passport that lets dog owners have fun by exploring breweries and cideries with their dogs and get exclusive discounts at the same time!

Adventures & Ales Top Portland Recommendations: ​

  • Great Notion Brewing: Arguably one of the best breweries in the country, Great Notion is at the top of the list for places to visit in Portland! They have three taprooms in the area and each location has a slightly different tap list:

    • Alberta Brewpub: Their original location and a must visit! They also have a nice outdoor space and a small sandwich menu

    • NW Brewpub: Another great spot with somewhat more restaurant-vibes than the OG. They have fantastic murals and a large bar you can sit at

    • Beaverton Taproom: Their suburb location a bit further out of town

  • Wayfinder Beer: Yummy beers, a massive patio, and a full food menu—highly recommend!

  • Cascade Brewing: The House of Sour! Cascade is an absolute must-visit in Portland. They specialize in Sour Ales and absolutely crush it. Their taproom has a small food menu, a great shaded patio space, and super nice staff members

  • Migration Brewing: A great brewery with four locations in town, but I would highly recommend the Rooftop at Canvas spot! It is right across from the soccer stadium and has amazing views of the city and surrounding volcanoes. The tap list at this location is small but the views make up for it.

  • Take a day trip to the Columbia River Gorge! Check out my full one day itinerary here with waterfall hiking and brewery hopping in Hood River!

  • Ruse Brewing: A fantastic brewery in South Portland making delicious beers in a chill environment

Great Notion Brewing

  • Bentley’s Bagels: Super delicious New York-style bagels!

  • Baerlic Brewing: A cute spot with good beers, patio seating, and Ranch Pizza onsite

  • Upright Brewing: Good beers made with lots of passion from their team. They have a shared space, so food is available from PBS Cafe. It is somewhat of an odd intersection, so Google Maps can be a little confused as you are trying to get there as a forewarning

  • Belmont Station: A great bottle shop and beer bar!

  • Crema Coffee & Bakery: A great coffeeshop with fantastic baked goods!

  • Ex Novo Brewing Co.: Detroit-style pizza + solid beers, what more do you need? Ex Novo is a cool spot that can be quite popular. They have two locations in the Portland area, one in north/central PDX on Flint Street and one in the suburb of Beaverton. Their menu was heavy on IPAs which I enjoyed!

Mt. Hood

Portland Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting: ​

  • Hike in Forest Park: The park itself is massive and can be quite popular. I followed this AllTrails out and back trail up to Pittock Mansion for an incredible view of Portland and Mount Hood. The trail was 6 miles, 70 flights up, and took about two hours and fifteen minutes.

  • Pine State Biscuits: Touristy but delicious biscuit spot! They have multiple locations throughout Portland and you can order online ahead of time if you’d like

  • Mount Hood National Forest: Mount Hood is only an hour from Portland and is a super easy drive. I recommend hiking Mirror Lake, it is conveniently right off the highway and has some incredible views of Mount Hood. I followed this AllTrails loop trail, which ended up being 4.3 miles, 40 flights up, and took about an hour and a half. It is not too strenuous of a trail and the reflections in the lake are awesome. You do need a $5 day pass to park which you can purchase in advance or on your phone day of.

  • Salt & Straw: Fantastic (but touristy) ice cream spot with multiple locations throughout Portland

  • Eat at a food cart! I have never seen so many food trucks/carts in my life as in Portland. There are so many options it is absolutely insane, so be sure to have that experience while you’re in the city.

Pine State Biscuits

Other Portland Things To Do:​​

  • Breakside Brewing: Breakside has two locations in Portland: Dekum and NW Slabtown. They have a full food menu and large beer menu

  • Culmination Brewing: A small brewery with solid IPAs. Miami Nice is the food truck onsite

  • Ecliptic Brewing: An average brewery with a nice outdoor space and full food menu

  • Life of Pie Pizza: Yummy pizza spot with daily happy hour from 11-6 with $7 Margherita pizzas and $5 House Beer and Wine

  • StormBreaker Brewing: An average brewery with a great outdoor space and full food menu

  • Hammer and Stitch Brewing Company: Newer brewery near Forest Park with a full food menu and large patio with standard beers

  • Albina Press: A cute little coffee shop on Hawthorne

  • Level Beer: Located right near the airport making it the perfect stop on your way in or out of the city. They have food carts onsite, a cute greenhouse-style outdoor space, and average beers

Have more time in the Pacific Northwest?