Portland Riverview?

August 20, 2010 6:54 PM

Portland Filter: Why no good riverside restaurants or bars here in Stumptown?

Okay, I've lived in Portland for about 14 years and the heat wave this last week has me wondering, why no bars or restaurants here with patios that overlook the Willamette river? Maybe I just don't know of any, but all I can think of is McCalls and that place closed years ago. What gives?

posted by bmosher to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

A lot of it is historical. Taking the area south of the Burnside Bridge, the river front on the east side was historically warehouses, which is not exactly a romantic thing. The river front on the west side was originally a highway. (That's where US 99W used to run.) Eventually they rerouted the highway, and turned the waterfront area in to Tom McCall park. So you can't put a restaurant there, because it's public property.

To the north of the Burnside bridge, it was pretty much docks and warehouses on both sides.

So even if you did get a waterfront restaurant, the view wouldn't have been particularly scenic. The fact is, the Willamette waterfront is pretty ugly all along it, until you get down south of the Sellwood bridge or hell-and-gone north to Sauvie's Island
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:09 PM on August 20, 2010

There's a number of restaurants and bars in the Riverplace area, just south of Waterfront Park. There's McCormick and Schmick's Harborside, Three Degrees inside the Riverplace Hotel, and of course Newport Seafood Grill that's out there floating on the Willamette. I believe all three places have outdoor patios.
posted by jcmilton at 9:16 PM on August 20, 2010

Between 1962 and 1996, the converted ferry SS Shasta was a floating restaurant called the "River Queen". But the owner died, and his widow was tired of it, so it closed. Oh well, off by 14 years.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:48 PM on August 20, 2010

There are a number of restaurants at various marinas on the Columbia. My favorite is the Island Cafe. Yes, it's kind of cheesy, but the food is pretty good and being on the water is nice. My buddy used to moor his sailboat literally right across from the restaurant, so it was convenient for getting drinks and whatnot.
posted by alpinist at 12:37 PM on August 21, 2010

If you feel like a short car ride, my favorite off the beaten path place is Mark's on the Channel up in Scappoose. If you have a boat you can even pull right up and dock at the restaurant.
posted by saladpants at 4:44 PM on August 26, 2010