The restaurant world is ever-changing. The annual Source Restaurant Guide aims to include new openings and popular staples to help you plan your eating year! We know more is coming as well. Bamboo Sushi is expected to open in the spring of 2026 in downtown Bend on NW Oregon Avenue. The owners of Powder House […]
Restaurant Guide
Restaurant of the Year: Sen Thai Noodles & Hot Potย ย
Several things make Sen a remarkable dining experience, but itโs the combination of all of them that solidifies it as the Sourceโs restaurant of the year. First among everything, as delicious and groundbreaking as the food is, the hospitality is what is immediately apparent. There is a genuine warmth to the staff that makes Sen not just a destination location in Bend, but reminds […]
Rookie Food Cart of the Year: The Dominican
Robert De Los Santosโ love language is serving someone up a delicious plate of food. Heโs been that way since his days growing up in the countryside of the Dominican Republic, where itโs customary for people to have a meal ready for anyone who might happen to walk in the door. The love behind the […]
Rookie Restaurant of the Year: Ken’s Artisan Pizza
Iโve been dreaming about the next time I can go to Kenโs Artisan Pizza for at least the last 15 years, so it feels odd now to be naming it the Rookie of the Year. But many will already know that those two things can co-exist, because Kenโs has been a world-renowned pizzeria in east […]
What It Takes to Run a Restaurant Right Now in Central Oregon
Running a restaurant in Central Oregon in 2026 is not for the faint of heart; by nearly every account, itโs harder than it has ever been. But the ones who make it work are rewriting the rules in real time. โHands down the most difficult challenge in operating restaurants right now is trying to make […]
Food Cart of the Year: NorthFresh Sushi
Youโd be forgiven for assuming that local sushi chef Jeff Berneski has it all figured out. Source readers, after all, voting in the 2021 Best Of Central Oregon contest, elected Berneskiโs NorthFresh Sushi Best Rookie Food Cart. And Berneski had only just relocated to Central Oregon the year before. And this year, NorthFresh is also […]
Restaurant Guide 2025
Looking for a new place to get out of your restaurant rut? Want a review of whatโs on offer at that place you have yet to try? The Sourceโs annual Restaurant Guide is here for you. Inside our 2025 Restaurant Guide, peruse the listings of the restaurants and food trucks serving up tasty bites for […]
Restaurant of the Year: Rancher Butcher Chef
If thereโs any sign that an establishment is earning the love of local crowds, among the most brightly lit might be the rapid opening of a second place, with a name that hints to the first. Over the past year, the Rancher Butcher Chef brand โ known commonly by its initials, RBC, did just that […]
Restaurant Closures Reflect Broader Trends, But Local Dining Scene Holds Strong
The local closings of restaurants such as Cracker Barrel and Shariโs might lead one to think that Bend is a microcosm of whatโs been happening with restaurants across the country, especially casual dining chains. But as those of us who live here know, Bend is its own macrocosm in so many ways, typically incomparable to […]
Rookie of the Year: Hawkeye & Huckleberry
Maybe itโs like a rocket ship landing in a placid Cascades lake โ or perhaps more appropriately, like a clatter of hooves in a mud puddle, but itโs hard to overstate the gusto with which Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge splashed down on Bend this year. With a massive bar and dining room โ done to […]

