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1. Pacific Standard
100 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., kexhotels.com/eat-drink/pacificstandard. 3 pm-midnight daily.
Some restaurants switch off the burners on Thanksgiving, but Pacific Standard has got your back if you’re hoping to avoid cooking for the holiday. In fact, Kex Hotel’s ground-level bar is open 365 days a year—so count Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve among the holidays you can celebrate here. This Thursday, there will be a special turkey plate on the menu with mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce. No reservations needed. Easy breezy, the way Thanksgiving should be.
2. Jojo
902 NW 13th Ave., 971-331-4284, jojopdx.com. 11 am-10 pm daily.
A stationary version of the much-loved Jojo food cart has arrived in Northwest Portland. As with the truck, the highlights are smash burgers and multiple permutations of fried chicken, plus the eponymous deep-fried potato wedges, served with a side of sauce of which there are 10. A small order of jojos is ample for two. But go ahead, gild the lily and get one of the loaded versions, with different combinations of cheeses, sauces and alliums.
3. Matt’s BBQ Tacos at Great Notion Brewing
2204 NE Alberta St., #101, 503-548-4491, greatnotion.com. Noon-9 pm Sunday-Thursday, noon-10 pm Friday-Saturday.
One of the city’s most popular smokehouses is now officially in charge of the kitchen at Great Notion’s flagship. Matt’s BBQ Tacos moved into the brewery in early November—a change that will allow Great Notion’s owners to focus on continued expansion. You can expect all of Matt Vicedomini’s greatest hits at the pub, including tender slices of pork belly, chopped brisket, and smoked ground beef served on housemade, lard-infused flour or vegan corn tortillas.
4. Bag O’ Crab
3255 NE 82nd Ave., 971-716-8888, thebagocrab.com. 3-10 pm Monday-Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday-Sunday.
Looking for a good time? Call Bag O’ Crab. There is no way to feel serious about anything—except, perhaps, demolishing a large bag of Cajun-sauced crustaceans—the moment you step through the doors at this new restaurant, thanks to details like the giant lobster mural and a robot waitress. Keep the fun vibes going by ordering Combo 4: a lobster or Dungeness crab, shrimp, crawfish, clams, corn, potatoes and sausages. Use an order of garlic bread to sop up the spicy, buttery boil.
5. Urdaneta
3033 NE Alberta St., 503-288-1990, urdanetapdx.com. 5-10 pm Tuesday-Sunday.
If you’ve been waiting for chef Javier Canteras’ Bikini to return to the menu, your patience has just been rewarded. Urdaneta’s take on the classic ham-and-cheese sandwich is back and part of a seasonal offerings shake-up. A toasted brioche bun stuffed with jamon serrano, American cheese and sofrito béchamel is what we’ve been longing to bite into once it actually felt like fall instead of a prolonged August.