Bird + Bear

I mean, DANG. I was speechless when I tasted the food at Bird + Bear, which is the kind of reaction I’d hope to elicit as a chef. Mostly, I was speechless because I couldn’t stop eating the potato balls. The bowl was supposed to be «shared,» whatever that means. If there’s one thing you take away from this review, let it be this: order the potato balls with both sauces. Your heart will sing and your taste buds will forgive you for all the dreadful, bland potato dishes you’ve subjected them to over the past couple of years. In addition to the glorious pieces of heaven they call potato balls, I had a cheesesteak sandwich. It is, by no means, a classic cheesesteak (I lived in Philly for several years and GOD do I miss cheesesteaks). It is, however, a very delicious sandwich — perfectly cooked hanger steak, onions, oh-​so-​melty cheese, and a perfectly crafted house sauce.
In addition to the delicious food, which, let’s face it, is the #1 most important factor to consider when choosing a restaurant, the service was awesome. The entire staff was extremely kind and efficient, making the overall experience an A+.

We stumbled upon this place on a recent Friday eve. Looks like a pub but is really a restaurant. Just 4 – 5 dishes done just perfectly — Chicken parm done up with boneless fried chicken, big slab of grilled polenta under it, tomato sauce and cheese on top. Neat, inventive and large portion. Yummy in my tummy!

Great atmosphere for an easy and quick meal. Excellent service and amazing food! The meatball sandwich was the best I’ve ever had! The Cheesesteak was also great! Come during Happy Hour for a $ 1 off all drinks and menu items.

Came here on a Sunday evening after I drove in from Seattle. It wasn’t crowded, I was met with friendly staff and identifying the GF options was easy! I had the chicken risotto, which was SO delicious. The staff took great care of me and it was money well spent. I’ll definitely be back!

Came all the way from LA to Portland for Spring break. Bird + Bear happens to be just a block away from where we stayed at. They’ve got super friendly and attentive staff. The bartender was very nice and sociable plus the location’s pretty laid back. On top of that, they have extremely, if not the most, delectable Potato Balls. I also got the chance to try their Chicken Parmesan plate which was really really good. Their items seem a little bit overpriced, though. But besides the price, everything was great!!!

Well now… I was eating my mediocre dinner and I asked for a refill of my iced tea. The waitress brought my iced tea and then told me it’s $ 3.00. I was incredulous. 1) she didn’t tell me until after she brought it to the table, and 2) I’ve never heard of a tea refill costing money. A glass of iced tea doesn’t even cost one penny. To charge $ 3 for it (and not tell me until after its brought to the table) is an obscenity. I’ll never go back.

Potato balls and chicken parm were a perfect combination, especially when accompanied by some great mixed drinks.

As close to perfection as it gets. Super friendly staff, delicious food (that chicken parm on fried polenta though…), reasonably priced drinks. I hope this place stays around forever.

not sure how it took me this long to write a review but that is my bad. This is a hidden gem. Currently serving the best sandwich in Portland, narrowly beating out Peoples Pig. B+B’s Chicken Parmesan sandwich is to die for. it has perfect bread, grilled to keep it from getting soggy, while still warm and soft. The sandwich is served with some basil, pesto, bechamel and the perfect marinara. the chicken is perfectly seasoned, pounded to an ideal and uniform thickness and then perfectly cooked. It is crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside and not at all greasy.
now everything else here is great. (I think, i have only had bites when others order stuff, because i cannot not order the chicken parm). The kids burger is just the right size for a little one.
Then there is the staff. Now i go there enough that i am not surprised even the cooks say hi and know my order. But the whole staff is always friendly to everyone that comes in and makes sure everyone feels comfortable. Brian (bartender) makes great drinks and gets to know everyone without being pushy.
The restaurant is not fancy but is very comfortable. when the outside is open it is a comfortable deck area and a great place to sit in the sun and enjoy friends and food.
If this place were on Division or Belmont, there would be lines. As is, i make the drive from NE because it is more than worth it.

Yes, yes, yes. This is the comfort food you’re looking for.
Took my mom to dinner last week, and she ended up taking my aunt for brunch, and got food to go later in the week. I think she’s obsessed!
First time you go, you must get the potato balls.
I’ve had the meatball sandwich, several seasonal salads (there was a black bean/​corn one in the summer that was AMAZING), chicken wings specials, etc. My favorite has to be the chicken parmesan over creamy polenta. The sauces bring everything together so well. You can tell the chef cares about everything he puts out, and he does it well.

It is wonderful to do business with a neighborhood businesses. Bird + Bear is a perfect example. Extra clean with very tasty food. On our first visit you can tell they are doing their best to make the experience of their clients a very positive one. Brian bartender/​owner did a nice job in making us welcome and satisfied with our selection of brunch spots. I had a very tasty mortadella fried egg sandwich with very good home fries. Alison my wife had a wonderful biscuit and gravy plate well balanced with freshly baked biscuits. They are centrally located in the southeast section of PDX and I highly recommend a visit soon.

The flavors that POP when taking a bite of food from here is amazing. The potato balls EXCELLENT ! The flavors will astound you. We then had pork ragu, with fried polenta magnificent. My hubby had the meatball sub, probably the best we have ever had. How can you beat FRESH made foods? The bartender Mandy was great. Kind, attentive and just fun. Wished we didn’t live in California as we would eat here quite a bit!

So happy I am moving right down the street from this place, but a little scared as well.
This food is delicious! Chicken parmesan is one of my favorite foods, but I am also fairly picky about how I like it. B+B hits every point I look for and then some.
If this place was selling stock it would be a great investment.

Food here is fantastic! But the reason for the 5 stars is the staff. So friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Order at the counter, grab your number and have a seat outside if it’s nice out. Food comes out fairly quick and if you decide to sit and chat after dinner, go ahead! The cousins and I were catching up and ended up being there nearly two hours. Never once did they make us feel like we were over staying out welcome.
The food was very good. We had a couple orders of the chicken parm. One over creamy polenta and one over fried polenta. The fried polenta was a huge wedge and had a great crunch. Held up really well to the marinara sauce. I also love the fact that the parm (grated over almost everything) was with a micro plane so it was almost fluffy. Oh! And the fried mortadella sandwich?! Ordered it to go and I wish I had ordered that for dinner. Such an amazing sandwich. So simple, but that’s probably why is great. Good bread. Good meat. Good cheese. Only gripe would be that it was a tad greasy, but nothing a napkin can’t fix. I thought I’d miss having fries or a side to the sandwich, but it comes with a small handful of picked veggies. Which turned out to be a perfect balance to the rich meat and cheese.
Prices here are also super reasonable for the quality. Portions are decent too. An app and main course will fill you up for the night without feeling like you need a nap. Bonus, they’ve got ginger ale (not canned) as a drink option! BIG plus. More restaurants should offer ginger ale. :)

Bird + Bear chicken parms your life to happiness. We indulged in the Chicken Parma and the Chicken Parm Sandwich. The meal was completely satisfying as the Parm ‘Wich was so on point it left me wanting to buy another sandwich. The tasty restaurant has a little something for everybody as their kids menu serves more than just chicken fingers, and the have a full bar to saddle up to after a long day in Portlandia. Do yourself a favor and try this place! Friendly service and quality grub makes a winner winner chicken (Parm) dinner.
Inside/​Outside seating
Parking in front (8 – 10) spots
Full Bar
Menu with many options
Location is not bad
Chicken Parm Plate, Chicken Parm Sandwich, 1 Beer = $ 28

Our group of 3 came here for lunch at 11:30. We didn’t know they changed their business hours and waited 30 minutes at the table in the patio. No big deal as we haven’t had any meetings that day to rush back to the office. Looks like a couple other people were waiting as well. I felt bad for their kids.
We placed our order at the counter: Chicken ragu + fried polenta, chicken parmesan, fried mortadella, some potato balls, an Old Fashioned and a Margarita. The drinks were fairly mixed in terms of alcohol amount, the full bar definitely helps with cocktails not listed on the menu. My chicken ragu and the potato balls were fine, not that great, could have used a little more spice. The taste reminded me of my childhood in day care for some reason.
I’ll try one of the sandwiches next time.

I just moved into the neighborhood, like 2 blocks away, and I had been eyeing this place, wondering if it was good. Well friends and neighbors, I’m here to assure you that it is great.
Tasty, high-​quality sandwiches, pasta, salads, and drinks, in a casual and cool space. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, and the prices, while not cheap, were worth the tastiness you get. The chicken parm and meatball sandwiches are the stars here, mostly due to their AMAZING red sauce, which is rich and savory and made in-​house with love.
They have a full bar, about a half-​dozen taps of craft beer, and several non-​alcoholic drinks, plus a few nice covered picnic tables outside. I predict this will become a regular stop for me, especially on weekends.

I think in a few months, this will definitely be 5 stars. Hidden in a little strip mall on Holgate, this little gem serves up fabulous chicken parmesian and meatball subs. Specifically the sauce is spot on, in fact I wish I had ordered a marinara side. Choices include a 4 in version for $ 9 or a 7″ version for $ 12. I went for the latter and shared some of it with my date as he had order the fried mortadella. Being a trained chef and food writer, he was not impressed with the mortadella, but loved my parm. It was a hot night and we heard comments, man this will be great comfort food in the winter, noted.
There is a complete bar, and the bar tender is a delight. The tall glassed salted margarita was perfect on a 90 degree uncharacteristically humid night, easily sucked down, two at $ 8 a piece.
Props to the chef for treating us to a dessert of a warm profiterole with berry sauce.
Additionally, there are tables outside to enjoy the lasting summer months that pups are welcome at. I really can’t wait to come back for the heartier potions over polenta when the cold hits.

Bird + Bear is wonderful! They are super friendly and responsive. Because they were out of the chicken dish my partner wanted, they brought her — free of charge — two of the sides accompanying that dish which were marvelous!!! One was a potato ball with parmesan and garlic (amazing!), and the other was greens, perfectly sautéed!
I chose the My Eggplant Parmesan over creamy polenta, though they have the polenta fried, if you want, or the Eggplant Parm as a sandwich, which also looks amazing! The eggplant was perfectly cooked, not at all bitter, and not fried! I LOVE it! Their sauce is perfect! A sauce makes or breaks a good Italian meal, and boy, do they have the sauce down!!! My partner loves their Chicken Parmesan; it’s a huge portion!
They have tables outside (bring your dog!), or very casual seating inside with tables, and a full bar.
I love Bird + Bear!!!

Super good. Super douper good.
We had the burger (see uploaded photo) and it was rare, banging, and 8.5÷10.
Best one in miles. I just told my wife it’s in my top 5.
We also had the duck sandwich which was even better.
Rhubarb, strawberry, hazelnuts and tons of shreddy duck. I am not joking. (⁹⁄₁₀)
$ 2 cans of Everybody country boy IPA, or $ 10 for 6.
I can see 6 cans in my near future.
Bird + Bear is like Saturday + Sunday. What we live for.
Thank you Toast and Yolk.
See you soon.