Misplaced Pages

Either/Or
Exterior of the location in Portland, Oregon's Boise's neighborhood, February 2021
Restaurant information
Street address	4003 North Williams Avenue
City	Portland
State	Oregon
Country	United States
Coordinates	45°33′7.8″N 122°40′1″W / 45.552167°N 122.66694°W / 45.552167; -122.66694
Website	eitherorpdx.com

Either/Or (sometimes Either/Or Cafe) is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business operates on North Williams Avenue in the Boise neighborhood; the original location, in southeast Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Description

Either/Or is a restaurant on North Williams Avenue in Portland's Boise neighborhood. Previously, Either/Or's original location operated in southeast Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood. The business's name refers to Elliott Smith's 1997 studio album of the same name. Either/Or is queer-owned, has a large LGBT clientele, and is "designed for all marginalized populations to feel at home", according to Jack Rushall of Willamette Week. The restaurant has been described as a "queer space".

The business has operated as a coffee shop during the day and a cocktail bar at night. The "Chinese-influenced" menu has included breakfast sandwiches, noodle bowls with sausage or tofu, as well as vegan "fried chicken" sandwiches. The drink menu has included Aperol spritzes, mimosas, coffee soda, and cocktails which include coffee. The Salty Russian is reminiscent of a White Russian.

Either/Or has also served chai lattes, and has used Heart Coffee Roasters. The restaurant has also made caramel, orgeat (almond/orange), and vanilla syrups in-house.

History

Ro Tam is an owner. The original location in Sellwood-Moreland closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sellwood-Moreland location also operated as a tea bar, and Tam is also the owner of Tanglewood Beverage Company.

In 2023, Eater Portland editor Brooke Jackson-Glidden received the James Beard Foundation's Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award in part for her essay about Either/Or.

See also

• Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry in the United States
• List of coffeehouse chains

References

1. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2022-06-30). "When I Feel Unmoored by Life, I Always Find My Way Back to Either/Or". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-01-31. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
2. "Either/Or Is a Coffee Shop, Brunch Spot and Cocktail Bar All in One". Willamette Week. 2018-07-10. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
3. Damewood, Andrea. "Either/Or Is A Very Good Bar/Restaurant/Coffee Shop". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2022-07-11. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
4. "Portland's Best Indie Coffee Shops". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
5. Greenwald, David (2016-06-07). "5 Portland restaurants named after music favorites". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-10-26. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
6. "There's an Elliott Smith-Themed Bar in Los Angeles Now". Willamette Week. 2017-04-21. Archived from the original on 2017-12-27. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
7. "So You're Queer, But You Don't Drink? Here's Where to Meet People in Portland". Willamette Week. 2017-09-08. Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
8. ^ "Portland Cooked Up More James Beard Awards than Any Other City". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
9. Frane, Alex (2019-02-27). "17 Spots to Grab Amazing Breakfast Sandwiches". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
10. Fodor's Inside Portland. Fodor's Travel. 2020-04-07. ISBN 978-1-64097-251-3. Archived from the original on 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
11. Williams, Nathan (2023-06-16). "15 Delicious Destinations on North Williams Avenue in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-06-22. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
12. "Sparkle Party: Where to Get Bubbly Coffee Drinks in Portland". Willamette Week. 2015-11-11. Archived from the original on 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
13. "The Hybrid Coffee Shop–Wine Bar Is My Favorite Place to Drink Right Now". Bon Appétit. 2019-02-05. Archived from the original on 2023-03-24. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
14. Frane, Alex (2021-06-17). "12 Fantastic Coffee Cocktails to Knock Back in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-08-11. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
15. Townsend, Nick (2021-01-28). "11 Places to Find Charming Chai Lattes in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
16. "Portland's 10 Best Chais". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
17. Rogers, Levi (2015-02-24). "Sip Coffee at These 13 Charming Cafes in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-08-23. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
18. Russell, Michael (2015-11-23). "Where Portland's restaurant critic goes for coffee". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
19. "Seven must-try winter lattes made with local syrups". The Oregonian. 2013-12-11. Archived from the original on 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
20. Smith, Molly J. (2021-03-16). "One Year In: How We Survived". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
21. "Welcome to the Brave New World of Cannabis and Caffeine Pairings". Willamette Week. 2016-11-09. Archived from the original on 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
22. Wong, Janey (2021-01-20). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-01-21. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
23. Bamman, Mattie John (2016-02-08). "Punk Rock Frontman Opens Sellwood Wonton Noodle Soup Shop, Interior Revealed". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-22. Retrieved 2023-09-17.
24. Wong, Janey (2023-04-26). "Here Are the 2023 James Beard Media Award Nominees From Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-09-17.

External links

• Official website

• Coffeehouses and cafés in Portland, Oregon
• LGBTQ-owned businesses in Oregon
• Restaurants in Boise, Portland, Oregon
• Restaurants in North Portland, Oregon
• Restaurants in Sellwood-Moreland, Portland, Oregon