Pine Street Market Review

OPEN FOR breakfast, lunch and dinner, Pine Street Market is a trendy food hall with amazing options for all different tastes. The nine restaurants that are included in this marketplace range from tapas to korean barbeque, soft-serve ice cream, a juice bar, and everything in between. Originally built in 1866 as the Carriage and Baggage Building, it opened as a food hall earlier this year. You can find it near the waterfront on the corner of Pine and SW 2nd, just a few blocks from the Portland Saturday Market.

High ceilings, strung Edison bulbs, long wooden tables, open kitchens and its lively and casual atmosphere makes it the perfect spot for many different occasions. Head to Pine Street to give your folks a diverse selection of food choices when they visit, find comfort and flexibility to break the ice on a date, or just get off campus on Fridays to avoid burger night at the Bon. The set-up is pretty straight forward, order your food at the counter and it will either be delivered to you or you’ll be given a buzzer to know when to come back for pick up. There are water stations in the middle of the building and a station along  the back wall to bus your own tables. The bathrooms are relatively clean and spacious. One of my only critiques is that it can get busy from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday nights, and it can be difficult to find a seat.

Some of my favorite dinner-time tenants are Shalom Y’all, with upscale Israeli street food and Mediterranean flavors from the well-loved Toro Bravo food company. Make sure to try their pita bread, of course, and Mejadara, a Middle-Eastern dish piled high with rice, lentils, crispy sautéed onions and plenty of savory spices. Wiz Bang Bar is a dessert bar from Salt and Straw that specializes in soft-serve ice cream. I would highly recommend taking advantage of the pumpkin spice, a seasonal flavor that’s amazing when dipped in a dark chocolate hard shell. Marukin Ramen provides a daily choice between four different options of freshly-made, authentic bowls of ramen. They always have two vegan alternatives, and is probably the best comfort food I have found yet. This unique blend of options showcases some of Portland’s best for all you foodies. I would go as far to say it deserves a 5 out of 5 rating. Enjoy!