Emilly Prado
Emilly Prado is a writer, award-winning journalist and consultant living in Portland. Read More
Goose Hollow Neighborhood Guide
Sports fans, theater lovers and vegan foodies flock to this Southwest Portland district.
Emilly Prado
Emilly Prado is a writer, award-winning journalist and consultant living in Portland. Read More
Don’t let Goose Hollow’s name trick you: this Southwest Portland neighborhood has been free of roaming geese since the late 19th century (and has been filled with plenty of fascinating places and people for just about as long).
Today, Goose Hollow is a mixture of beautiful historic buildings and modern condos, plus a tried-and-true hub for sports fanatics and college students alike.
Eat
Start your day with delicious breakfast sandwiches and quirky, gadget-forward décor at Fehrenbacher Hof, a literal coffee house occupying the first floor of a craftsman-style home built in 1932. It’s cozy and, unsurprisingly, quite homey, with shelves of books and board games and a second floor to spread out in.
Portland digs donuts and you can too at Coco Donuts, where angelically airy doughnuts are served up in classic flavors like raspberry jelly-filled, cinnamon sugar and maple old-fashioned. For brunch, The Leaky Roof is a long-established go-to for locals who gladly devour the many benedicts, omelets and well-seasoned house specialties.
Stop by Portland pizza institution Hot Lips for a casual lunch. This family-owned business has been serving up enormous pies with locally-sourced ingredients since 1984 and can be found in six locations throughout the city. Try slices of their rotating selection of meat, veggie and vegan pies — plus, try a chilled can of their house-made fruit soda.
Sample mouthwatering, sustainable, vegan cheese boards and mountainous bowls of fancy mac n’ cheese at Vtopia, Portland’s only entirely dairy-free cheese shop. Take your pick from seasonal cheese offerings and try patron favorites like the smoky whiskey cheddar or silky cashew- and coconut milk-based mozzarella.
Next door, Chris Ichiza serves up an entirely vegan, pan-Asian menu (partly inspired by his Filipino grandmother’s cooking) at Ichiza Kitchen and Tea House, starring dishes like a fermented soy-based “chicken” adobo, copious noodle soup options and halo halo for dessert. All Ichiza meals are best paired with the restaurant’s elaborate in-house tea service.
Neighborhood Eats
Taste some of Portland's favorite food groups, including pizza, doughnuts and all things vegan.
Vegan Guide to Portland
Almost every Portland restaurant offers plant-based options, and dozens of local businesses are entirely vegan. (There’s even a vegan mini-mall!)
Doughnut Shops in Portland
Voodoo is just one of many doughnut purveyors in Portland serving zany creations, gourmet flavors and gluten-free goodies.
Portland Pizza Guide
If you're such a pizza aficionado that you've dreamed of a custom-illustrated, by-the-slice pocket guide, this zine is for you. Discover some of Portland's hidden pizza gems and read about what makes each pizzeria unique.
Kinara Thai is a chic and intimate Thai-owned bistro with an expansive menu spanning many culinary regions of Thailand and beyond. If you’re not sure what to pick, Kinara’s menu lends a hand with highlighted chef recommendations. Check the board for seasonal specials and be sure to leave room for the eatery’s must-have desserts, like fried bananas with coconut ice cream and sweet sticky rice with juicy mango.
If you didn’t make it over for happy hour, top off the evening with a nightcap at Driftwood Room, a dreamy and amazingly moody mid-century lounge straight out of an episode of Mad Men (but actually located near the lobby of Hotel deLuxe). Happy hour runs 4–6 p.m. and again from 9:30–11:30 p.m. daily.
Play
For an immersive, artistic evening, take a seat at Artists Repertory Theater, Portland’s longest-running professional theater company, established in 1982. Each season brings a selection of stellar plays, but resident production company Portland Revels takes center stage at their delightful annual Christmas shows, which encourage audience participation.
Besides being a popular hangout for Portland State University students, Goose Hollow is proudly home to two legendary soccer champions. The Portland Thorns FC and Portland Timbers FC both call Providence Park home. Portland is known as a big soccer city, and these two teams are precisely why. Snag a stadium ticket and join in on the fun, or visit a local sports bar to catch a game on screen.
Can’t get a ticket to the game? Pull up a bar stool at scrappy sports bar The Cheerful Bullpen to enjoy cheap and tasty wings and pints of draft beer alongside plenty of die hard fans. (Pro tip: Get there early to guarantee a seat on game days.) If you prefer your tavern with a side of history, head to Goose Hollow Inn, which has been serving brews and pub fare to patrons for over half a century.
For a snack that’s also an experience, head to 22 Below, a Thai rolled ice cream shop. (The name pays homage to the temperature at which its specialty treat must be crafted.) Pick from a huge list of mix-ins, including chocolate sauces, Oreo cookie crumble, rose sauces and even Hot Cheetos. You can also choose seemingly endless options for your boba tea.
Shop
Round out a trip to Goose Hollow with some good ol’ souvenir shopping. Start at Portland Gear to fulfill all your sleek, Rose City-themed needs, with Portland-centric apparel like shirts, socks and baseball caps. Stock up on soccer swag at Possession, pairing fútbol coffee table books with jerseys and wall art. Pick up individual bottles or cases at Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop, the perfect place to peruse towering refrigerators filled with your next favorite beer.
Better yet, craft your own DIY keepsake by scouring the bins and shelves at Scrap, Portland’s beloved creative reuse center, which overflows with ideas and materials for your next amazing art project. Perhaps a living souvenir is more your vibe? Hammer + Vine has plenty of adoptable plants and terrariums destined to brighten up your home and remind you of your time in Goose Hollow for years to come.
