Central Oregon’s Ever-Evolving Restaurant Scene
From “appointment dining” to fast casual, takeout and delivery, our local food scene has a little of it all.
If you’re finding it hard these days to keep track of what’s open, what’s recently closed and what new food places are coming onto the scene, you’re not alone. Central Oregon, as most know quite well, is a rapidly growing place, and its food scene has exploded in recent years, right along with the population.That’s why this guide is so valuable: It gives you a moment to catch up with the new arrivals and remember those old favorites you’d nearly forgotten during the pandemic years. We build this guide through hard work and lots of phone calls to local establishments—and even after all that research, we still refer to the guide ourselves when we’re needing a reminder about that place we’ve long been wanting to try.
Along with listings for the food carts and brick-and-mortar restaurants in Central Oregon, our annual Restaurant Guide also gives shout-outs to some of the places we believe are doing great work this year. Congrats to the Food Cart of the Year, the Rookie Cart of the Year, the Rookie Restaurant of the Year and our Restaurant of the Year!
Throughout this guide, look for the truck icon to indicate which locations are food carts. And as always, remember that information, hours (and staffing situations!) can change quickly—so when in doubt, double check with the restaurant.