Chicken and Guns Opens Its First Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant in a Tiny Mountain Town

When a beloved food cart finally goes brick-and-mortar, the opening is usually surrounded by a great deal of fanfare and a Christmaslike countdown clock.

Not so for Chicken and Guns.

The Cartopia pod staple in Southeast Portland very quietly launched its first full-service restaurant this past spring, and did so in Gales Creek, a town of less than 700 people at the edge of the Coast Range, miles away from any of its regulars.

Smokehouse Chicken and Guns is a roadhouse-style diner that began serving customers on March 24 at 55660 NW Wilson River Highway—also known as Highway 6, which winds its way through the Tillamook State Forest.

Two members of the leadership team—Matt Mirpourian, owner of Pacific Northpress, and Chicken and Guns and Bottle Rocket owner Dustin Knox—have connections to the area. (John Stewart, owner of Meat Cheese Bread and BEER, is also an owner).

Mirpourian was born just a few miles down the road from the restaurant, which used to be Coleman’s 9N Shady Rest until it permanently closed in 2020 during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Knox has long recreated in the surrounding forest—enjoying everything from camping to riding dirt bikes. The aesthetic for the 4,000-square-foot space—”rustic-psychedelic vintage”—was inspired by his 1970s childhood.

“I had a vision for the location as a wonderful destination stop on the highway with plenty of character and delicious food,” Knox tells WW.

The menu features the cart’s lineup of wood-fired birds, crispy potatoes and sauces like Peruvian aji and chimichurri in addition to a number of new offerings, including burgers, locally grown vegetable-based sides and weekend brunch.

Smokehouse Chicken and Guns originally opened with limited hours, which have since been expanded. The restaurant currently operates from 9 am to 9 pm Friday through Sunday, but Knox says they’re about to launch Wednesday and Thursday service. There is live music every Friday and Saturday and more events are expected to be added to the calendar.

Despite its relatively rural location, so far a mix of longtime cart customers and newcomers have shown up.

“We have a great mix of both Portland food cart fans and locals,” Knox adds. “Surprisingly a lot of the locals were familiar with the cart in Portland. We love being out here and seeing such a diverse mix of people frequent the venue.”