Eating Our Way Around Bend and Redmond: The Hits, Misses, and Surprises
Seven nights in Central Oregon. Zero restaurant reservations. No drive-thrus, and a willingness to try just about anything that sounded interesting.
No Reservations, No Restaurant Itinerary
We spent a week exploring Central Oregon, using a vacation rental in Powell Butte as our home base. We had plenty of ideas about places we wanted to see, but when it came to restaurants, we had almost no plan at all.
Not one restaurant reservation. Not one carefully researched dining itinerary.
Most days, the conversation was pretty simple.
"What do you feel like eating?"
"I don't know. What's around?"
We'd look at a few nearby options, check the menu, and pick something that sounded good.
Sometimes that meant a traditional breakfast. Other times it meant Northern Thai food, globally inspired street food, or a cuisine we'd never tried before.
We weren't hunting Michelin stars or trying to eat at every restaurant on someone's "Best of Bend" list. We were simply enjoying our vacation and seeing what the local food scene had to offer.
That was very much in keeping with the rest of our trip. As we explain in A Week in Central Oregon: Why We Chose Powell Butte Instead of Bend, having a comfortable home base and the freedom to explore made the entire week feel less structured.
And that freedom extended right down to deciding what was for dinner.
Not a Drive-Thru in Sight
There's something interesting about our restaurant choices that we didn't really set out to accomplish.
During our entire week in Central Oregon, we never went through a drive-thru, and we gravitated toward locally owned restaurants, neighborhood bakeries, and independent breweries rather than the familiar fast-food chains.
It wasn't some grand protest against chain restaurants. We eat at them back home. Sometimes a familiar breakfast or a quick burger is exactly what we're in the mood for.
But when we're traveling somewhere new, why automatically choose something we can get five miles from our house?
We wanted to see what the local restaurants were doing.
That meant trying unfamiliar dishes, sampling local craft beer instead of something available nationwide, and occasionally walking into a place without having the slightest idea whether we'd love it.
Some choices were fantastic. A few were disappointing.
But even the misses became part of the story.
Breakfast: Sometimes Familiar, Sometimes Surprising
We weren't trying to reinvent breakfast every morning.
A good pancake, a properly cooked egg, or a hearty plate of breakfast favorites can be every bit as satisfying as an elaborate dinner.
The Original Pancake House in Redmond delivered the kind of breakfast we were hoping for. Good food, generous portions, and a comfortable start to the day. They even offered a military discount, which was a nice touch.
Christie's Kitchen was another enjoyable discovery. Between the chicken-fried steak with gravy, eggs, and potatoes and a quiche served with fresh fruit, we certainly weren't leaving hungry. We even enjoyed some peach and gooseberry pie.
Unfortunately, Christie's Kitchen has since closed, making it one of those places we're glad we had the chance to visit.
We also found La Frontera Bakery in Redmond, where three delicious pastries cost us just $6. We bought them for breakfast the following morning, and every one was a winner. The people were friendly, too, and the decorated cakes in the display case were impressive.
Then there was Sisters Bakery.
We stopped there before heading out on a scenic drive. The oversized donuts and fritters looked terrific, but the flavor and texture were disappointing. A s'mores donut with gritty chocolate and stale-tasting graham crackers wasn't exactly what we'd hoped for at around $5 apiece. The marionberry filling in another donut was good, but the donut itself didn't deliver.
It's hard not to compare that experience with the inexpensive pastries we'd enjoyed at La Frontera.
McKay Cottage Restaurant was another breakfast stop that didn't quite live up to expectations. The eggs and potatoes were bland, the scone wasn't what we expected, and a $6 cup of coffee seemed a bit much, even if the coffee itself was good. The homemade hot sauce was probably the most memorable part of the meal.
The lesson wasn't that inexpensive places are always better or popular restaurants are overrated.
It was simply that appearances, prices, and enthusiastic reviews don't guarantee a great breakfast.
And sometimes the little bakery you discover along the way is the one you'll remember most fondly.
Spork: From an Airstream to One of Our Favorite Meals
One of our most memorable dining discoveries was Spork in Bend.
Spork has a particularly interesting history. It began in 2009 as a globally inspired mobile street-food kitchen operating from a 1962 Airstream Tradewind.
The concept proved popular enough to win Bend's Best Chow Cart recognition five consecutive years, from 2009 through 2013.
In 2013, Spork moved into a permanent restaurant on NW Newport Avenue, bringing its internationally inspired menu into a casual counter-service setting.
Chef-owner Jeff Hunt draws inspiration from street-food traditions across Asia, Latin America, and beyond, sometimes reworking familiar dishes with his own creative touches.
That sounded like our kind of place.
We ordered spicy pork noodles and Dan Dan noodles, with kimchi and an apple lemonade that had just a hint of sage.
The flavors were bold, the food was excellent, and the counter-service operation was impressively efficient.
Even with a line, things moved quickly. By the time we ordered, the staff had already worked out where we'd be sitting, and our food arrived hot without a long wait.
There was nothing pretentious about the experience. We weren't paying for elaborate table service or an expensive dining room. We were there for interesting food, and Spork delivered.
At that point in the week, it was our favorite meal.
We didn't know it yet, but another restaurant would eventually take the top spot.
Trying Northern Thai Food at Wild Rose
Wild Rose Northern Thai Eats was another opportunity to explore something different.
Thai food wasn't new to us, but Northern Thai cuisine offered dishes and preparations that weren't necessarily what we'd find at our usual Thai restaurants.
We arrived without a reservation, as we had everywhere else that week.
We were fortunate to get seated. Around 4:45 in the afternoon, we overheard other walk-in customers being quoted a wait of at least an hour.
The experience was a mixed one.
Grandpa's Thom Ka soup was sweeter than we preferred, while the sukiyaki tasted good but arrived with a presentation that reminded us more of leftovers than a restaurant dish.
But that's part of trying unfamiliar food.
Sometimes you discover a new favorite. Sometimes you realize that a particular preparation or flavor profile isn't for you.
We didn't regret going.
We'd rather try something interesting and decide it wasn't our favorite than spend every vacation ordering the same familiar meals.
A Local Beer Beats the Usual Routine
Our willingness to try something different wasn't limited to food.
There's nothing particularly wrong with grabbing a familiar beer. But in Central Oregon, surrounded by independent breweries and taphouses, we figured we'd see what the locals were making.
Monkless Belgian Ales was one of our more enjoyable stops.
We sat outside, sampled the beers, and enjoyed a meal that included flatbread, schnitzel, spaetzle, and purple cabbage.
It was a welcome change from the usual pub menu, and the food complemented the Belgian-style beers.
The Cellar, a Porter Brewing Company establishment in Bend, offered another opportunity to explore a different beer tradition, with excellent cask ales and a friendly atmosphere.
We struck up a conversation with another couple, and our server, Nicole, was knowledgeable and welcoming. We didn't get around to trying the pasties, but they're on the list if we return.
Neither stop required us to become craft beer experts.
We simply tried what sounded interesting.
Some beers were more to our taste than others, but discovering those differences was part of the fun.
And isn't that one of the reasons to travel?
The Local Places Weren't Always Winners
Not every restaurant we visited earned a return trip.
That Guy's Bistro in Redmond was one of those places where the sandwiches didn't quite deliver what we'd hoped for.
My pastrami Philly was overwhelmed by house aioli and mustard, with surprisingly little cheese to balance everything out. Gina's tri-tip Philly tasted better, but neither sandwich was particularly generous with the meat.
We'd seen some appetizing pictures before ordering, so the actual sandwiches were a disappointment.
But we weren't keeping score during the vacation.
We didn't spend the week arguing about ratings or trying to decide which restaurant deserved four stars instead of three.
We simply ate, enjoyed ourselves, and moved on to the next adventure.
That's not to say we don't have opinions. We certainly do, and we'll share them on our Oregon Travel Reviews page, where we get into what we ordered, what it cost, and whether we'd recommend a return visit.
This article is about something different.
It's about the experiences that come from being willing to walk through an unfamiliar restaurant's door.
High Camp Taphouse: "Nepalese Sounds Interesting. Let's Go."
Our favorite meal of the entire trip came at the end of a long day of exploring.
We'd been out driving through Central Oregon, visiting wineries, enjoying the scenery, and generally taking our time. After our stop at Sass Winery, we headed back toward Sisters and Powell Butte.
By the time we reached Sisters, we were ready for a late lunch or early dinner.
We looked around for something interesting.
Nepalese food?
We'd never tried it.
"Sounds good. Let's go."
That simple decision brought us to High Camp Taphouse.
We ordered dumplings, samosas, bao, and drunken noodles, enjoying a collection of flavors and dishes that made the meal memorable from the beginning.
Now, I've spent six years living in Asia and have eaten dumplings in plenty of places around the world.
The dumplings at High Camp were the best I've ever had.
And the rest of the meal wasn't far behind.
Everything we tried was outstanding. High Camp also had around 20 craft beers and ciders on tap, giving us another chance to sample something different.
But the experience became even more special when we had an opportunity to talk with the owner.
We learned about his efforts to support approximately 70 schoolchildren in Nepal, providing money, clothing, school supplies, and other assistance.
What began as a spontaneous restaurant stop turned into a conversation about people and a community halfway around the world.
It was the sort of encounter that transforms a great meal into something you remember long after the plates have been cleared.
Spork had been our favorite meal of the week.
High Camp took the crown.
We'll give High Camp the attention it deserves in a separate, detailed review, because there's considerably more to tell about the food, the people, and the experience.
For this article, the important part is how we ended up there.
We hadn't researched Nepalese restaurants before leaving home. We hadn't made a reservation. We hadn't even planned our day around eating in Sisters.
We were hungry, the menu sounded interesting, and we decided to give it a try.
Sometimes that's all it takes.
The Best Part Wasn't Finding the Best Restaurant
Looking back, it's interesting that we spent an entire week eating around Central Oregon without making a single restaurant reservation.
We didn't skip the familiar fast-food stops because we thought every local restaurant would automatically be better.
Clearly, some weren't.
We skipped them because we wanted to experience something different.
A familiar burger or breakfast platter will still be waiting when we get home.
But a restaurant that began in an old Airstream, a brewery serving Belgian-style ales, a neighborhood bakery selling delicious pastries for a couple of dollars apiece, or a Nepalese taphouse where the owner supports children back home?
Those are experiences we might never have discovered if we'd defaulted to the familiar.
We enjoyed the variety, too. From hearty breakfasts to globally inspired street food, creative independent kitchens, and places putting their own spin on local ingredients, Central Oregon gave us plenty of opportunities to eat something other than our usual favorites.
And the meals we remember most weren't necessarily the most expensive or elaborate.
They were the ones that surprised us.
Spork introduced us to a creative take on global street food. Monkless gave us a chance to enjoy different beer styles alongside a hearty meal. High Camp introduced us to Nepalese cuisine and a remarkable personal story.
Even the disappointing meals reminded us that trying something new doesn't guarantee success.
That's fine.
The point isn't to love everything.
The point is to give yourself the opportunity to discover something worth loving.
So the next time you're traveling and someone asks, "What do you feel like eating?" consider skipping the familiar answer.
Look around. Find a local place. Read the menu.
And if something you've never tried sounds interesting?
Go for it.
For more about the restaurants, breweries, and other places we visited, including our individual recommendations, explore Oregon Travel Reviews. And if you're planning your own Central Oregon adventure, start with A Week in Central Oregon: Why We Chose Powell Butte Instead of Bend.