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  • Attractions
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    • Museums & History
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    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
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    • Arts
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    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • View All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
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    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • View All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
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Jenni Moore

Jenni Moore

Jenni is an Alaska-born, Oregon-raised writer living in Portland. Read More

Dig into classic chicken and waffles at Po\'shines Café De La Soul. Dig into classic chicken and waffles at Po\'shines Café De La Soul.
i
Dig into classic chicken and waffles at Po’shines Café De La Soul.
Credit: Po’shines
Culture / Food

Portland’s Best Soul Food Spots

Devour crispy fried chicken and gooey mac and cheese at these soulful spots.

Updated Aug. 13, 2020 3 min read
Jenni Moore

Jenni Moore

Jenni is an Alaska-born, Oregon-raised writer living in Portland. Read More

While Portland hosts a multitude of cultural fusion restaurants boasting Southern-inspired menus — including Delta Cafe and Uchu Sushi & Fried Chicken, to name a few — the city is home to an authentic soul food scene, too. Venture into North or Northeast Portland to find plates that taste as if they were flown in from the Mississippi Delta.

Po’Shines Café De La Soul

Located in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, Po’Shines is beloved for its delicious brunch menu, which boasts a mouth-watering Bayou breakfast burrito and, of course, chicken and waffles. For lunch, the friendly staff serves up hot and fluffy beignets, honey-kissed hushpuppies and gooey mac and cheese with a hefty dose of Southern hospitality. Complete your meal with Po’Shines’ refreshing signature Sorrel beverage — a purple concoction of hibiscus, green tea and citrus juices.

(Editor’s note: The bright little shop is closed on Sundays to support its nonprofit youth training program, Teach Me To Fish, which provides culinary and life skills training to at-risk youth. In keeping with that theme, no alcohol is served at Po’Shines.)

My Brother’s Crawfish

Mardi Gras-themed restaurant My Brother’s Crawfish is somewhat hidden in a shopping plaza off Southeast 82nd Avenue; look for the white storefront simply labeled “Crawfish.” Inside, patrons feast on an array of Southern and seafood dishes in a casual bar environment. The menu is expansive, boasting all kinds of blackened fish entrees served with spicy dirty rice and cornbread. Don’t miss the fried green tomatoes with dipping aioli and the garlic-laced crawfish étouffée served over white rice.

Screen Door

Savor Portland’s upscale take on soul food at the wildly popular Screen Door on East Burnside. Now serving breakfast seven days a week, it’s a must-try spot for high-quality Southern cuisine and a homey ambiance. Their specialty is fried chicken: large portions of peppery, juicy chicken atop stacks of sweet potato waffles. Whether you opt for the bananas foster French toast or a plate of eggs paired with crispy bacon, be sure to add a fluffy biscuit with jam. Just beware of the line on the weekends, which can stretch around the block at peak times.

Comforting Eats Around Town

More food & dining
Mondainé chats with a Po\'shines customer. Photo by Ashley Anderson.

Po’Shines Café De La Soul Specializes in Catfish and Community

At Po’Shines Café de la Soul in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood, community and comfort food go hand in hand.

Enjoy sweet and savory brunch flavors with a French Toast Sandwich at the Big Egg.

Comfort Food Favorites in Portland

Get your comfort food fix , whether you’re hankering for mac and cheese, fries topped with gravy or a steaming bowl of pho, these local dishes don't disappoint.

Kiauna \"Kee\" Nelson founded the Kee\'s Loaded Kitchen food cart in 2016.

Two Women to Watch in Portland’s Southern Food Scene

Satisfy those comfort food cravings at these women-led restaurants and food carts.

Feast on a variety of barbecued meats at tasty Smokehouse Tavern.

Portland’s Best Barbecue

Where there’s smoke, there’s great barbecue. Savor brisket, ribs and even vegetarian options at Portland's best BBQ restaurants.

Maya Lovelace smiling over a cast iron skillet in Mae\'s kitchen.

The Magic of Mae is Maya Lovelace

This Southern chef puts diners under a spell with her spin on classic Appalachian cuisine.

Afuri Ramen & Izakaya in downtown Portland is a favorite spot for comforting soup.

Portland Soup Spots

Whether you’re craving ramen, Mexican pozole or classic chicken noodle, these local soup spots will warm you from the inside out.

Brunch at Tasty n Alder includes their legendary shakshuka.

Breakfast & Brunch

Every day, faithful breakfast and brunch fans file into Portland's mouthwatering morning meal hot spots. Follow the crowd and make the most of the most important meal of the day.

Kee’s Loaded Kitchen

A food cart parked on Northeast M.L.K. Jr. Boulevard, Kee’s Loaded Kitchen is decorated with potted flowers and other garden sundries, evoking memories of enjoying home cooking in your auntie’s backyard. While Kee changes her affordable menu daily, one enduring favorite is the “Loaded Lunch,” which features a colossal entrée such as a sandwich, burger or baked potato, plus several generous sides like coleslaw, potato salad and Mexican street corn salad. Kee hooks you up with all the fixings, including toasted buns, ripe avocado, chili aioli and bacon. She also bakes her own mouthwatering desserts, including buttery pound cake with fresh fruit and a delicious peach cobbler. Just keep in mind that the cart tends to sell out by mid-afternoon on weekends.

Miss Delta

The aroma of smoked meats and sweet chili sauce waft from the entrance of Miss Delta, a down-home Southern cafe on N. Mississippi Ave. that prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients and original family recipes. Here, brunch isn’t limited to weekends so you can indulge in a Southern stack (a buttermilk biscuit with fried chicken, bacon, cheddar cheese, fried eggs and sausage gravy) or a plate of chicken fried chicken any day of the week. And for dinner, nothing says grandma’s home cooking like a thick slab of meatloaf book-ended by mashed potatoes and collard greens—just don’t forget to spice up your meal with a couple dashes of their house-made hot sauces, which are also available for sale at the restaurant and local grocers throughout town.

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