Sports & Food's Guide To Bend, Oregon
Bend is all about outdoor sports, food and beer. You're sticking out if you don't have a rack for your skis, bikes, kayaks, paddleboards, and canoes.
We spent a week there and enjoyed every minute of it. We didn't have a bad meal. Looking for a year-round vacation spot? If you're an active person, Bend is the place. Below are S&F-approved restaurants and bars (plus a tip on fishing) to check out.
Load up for your adventure at this cafe in Old Bend. Breakfast and lunch spot. The sandwiches were good. Bread makes all the difference.
Funky little spot. They are definitely jumping on the food truck craze. They've got some Asian fusion going on. The green curry was tasty and had some kick to it. The spicy fried chicken was popular. The best dish? The lemon ricotta fritters. It's probably what heaven tastes like.
This place is the truth. Maybe it was because of the 26-mile mountain biking beforehand, but everything tasted delicious. Devoured their fall-off-the-bone ribs and could only eat 1/3 of the fresh-cut fries. We heard the Cobb salad was good, too. Obviously, they have a great beer list. And great prices. And great service. We'll be back.
The only fancy restaurant on this list. We didn't want to go to a stereotypical steakhouse or seafood restaurant. Too easy. Every dish was fantastic. The fiancee loved her scallops and crab risotto dish. I enjoyed the line-caught halibut on a grilled-pepper salsa. We were probably the youngest couple in there.
As long as you ignore the inane Oregon fans, this is the spot to drink some liquor (we were told this is the bar where the Deschutes Brewery staff comes to unwind). Bartender sported mutton chops. Cool.
This was the source of pure bliss in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. Kelly treated us right with the freshest crab around.
Bonus: Find Russ (pictured), a local fisherman in Wheeler, Oregon, to get some salmon fishing in. Like us, you'll appreciate his knowledge of the waters and how he'd turn into a drill sergeant when one of us caught a fish. Catch of the day was a Chinook salmon, which was then cooked up to become one of the best meals we've ever had — salmon with quinoa and an Olympia beer. He and his charter boat can be found at fishwithruss.com. (Photo courtesy of SportsandFood.com)