Editor's note: A correction regarding Maverick's Country Bar and Grill is below.
In the wild world that has been 2020, plenty of our beloved local—and locally owned—restaurants have been hanging on by a thread. Buying takeout or braving the outdoor-dining scene can help them stay alive, but as 2020 ends, some of the places we've known and loved have already said their final farewells.
While far from a comprehensive list of openings and closings, here are some of the Central Oregon establishments that have come and gone this past year.
Central Oregon 2020 Restaurant Openings
Aina Kauai Style Grill—Kauai native Ian Vidinha's Hawaiian food cart quickly garnered a following after its opening in January—earning the Best New Food Cart distinction in our 2020 Restaurant Guide, and second place for Best Food Cart in our 2020 Best of Central Oregon reader's poll.Alebrije—Oaxacan-style Mexican tacos and other fare, located in the Bunk + Brew hostel complex, opened in 2020.
Auntie Bernie's Hawaiian Grill—While it won Best New Restaurant in Sunriver in our Best of Central Oregon readers' poll, you'll now find the Auntie Bernie's cart in La Pine.
Backporch Coffee downtown —Located in the former Bluebird Coffee location, this is the newest location in Backporch's lineup, opened this December.
Bend Izakaya Ronin—We loved it as a food cart, and now, with a brick-and-mortar in the Century Center, there's more to love. Currently only doing limited sushi platters, we're looking forward to the days of kicking back and eating too much sushi inside the restaurant itself.
Burrito Sunrise—A California-style burrito truck on Bend's east side.
Cabin South—Cabin 22 now has a southside location, in the Brookswood Plaza.
Carnaval Redmond—The Mexican restaurant in downtown Redmond made such a splash this year that it earned Best New Restaurant in Redmond in our Best of Central Oregon readers' poll.
Chi—Featuring sushi and Chinese flavors, Chi closed its location in downtown Bend and reopened along Business 97.
Chik-Fil-A—Not exactly local, but it made a splash when it opened in January nonetheless. Is it really "the lord's chicken?" We haven't braved the long lines at the drive-thru yet to find out.
Chow Burger – A humble place with simple menu: Burgers, fries and shakes on Bend's west side.
Coco Loco Taco Bar—This Sisters food cart earned Best New Restaurant in Sisters in our annual readers' poll.
Crosscut Warming Hut No. 5 – A tap house and food cart pod near the bustling Box Factory, with carts incluing Abe Cappana's Detroit Pan Pizza + Italian, Incred-A-Bowl and Gyro Power.
Deeply Rooted — This vegan bistro in the former Bad Wolf location in downtown Bend forged forward with opening during the early, scary days of the pandemic... and was rewarded by being runner-up in our Best of Central Oregon readers' poll for Best New Restaurant.
El Sancho Galveston—While it's currently only open for breakfast burritos, the advent of a west side El Sancho meant that some people might never have an excuse to venture to the east side again... which was perfectly fine by us. (Clarification 12/31: To be clear, I live on the east side and love it being less crowded and less-visited...)
Eqwine Wine Bar—A wine bar that once was only a mobile horse trailer, but now has expanded to a brick-and-mortar in Redmond.
The Fold—A farm-to-table, scratch kitchen pizza restaurant in Sunriver, in the former Ponderosa Pizza space.
Ida's Cupcake Café—The sweet shop opened a Redmond location just before the pandemic hit.
Juno Japanese Sushi Garden—A sushi restaurant located inside The Podski beer garden in Bend.
Kefi Fast Fresh Mediterranean—As its name suggests, Kefi offers up quick and delicious felafel, gyros and more—earning the honor of Best New Restaurant in our 2020 Best of Central Oregon readers' poll.
Kevista Coffee — You know you've heard of it by now. The coffee shop on Bend's Century Drive opened in January, and quickly made itself infamous, getting slapped with fines by OHSA for allegedly not enforcing indoor mask orders.
Lucy's Taco Shop—You might already know it from its Redmond location's wins as Best Bang for your Buck and other awards in our Best of Central Oregon reader's poll, but now, Bend diners can get in on the fun, with a new location on Third Street.
Midtown Yacht Club—A snazzy food cart pod and beer garden on Fourth Street in Midtown Bend, with food carts including Alley Dogz, Barrio, Cowboy Pasta, Lively Up Yourself and Tots!
pflücke — Traditional sausage paired with housemade mustards and a wide variety of craft brews, located in NorthWest Crossing.
Salute Ristorante Italiano—This Italian restaurant opened early this year, and while it reports on its website that it's staying closed for now due to the governor's orders, we look forward to its return.
Still Vibrato — They've been roasting coffee for quite some time, but now Still Vibrato has an espresso bar, too, located on SW Century Drive in Bend.
South Yo Mouth—A Southern food cart, located in the Signature Bend hotel parking lot.
Tacos la Catrina—These yummy tacos at The Podski pod in Bend will keep you coming back for more.
Vida Y Tacos—Opened in the past year, Vida Y Tacos serves up fast and fun tacos and more.
Westside Local—Chef Amber Amos' newest venture in Redmond, featuring no set menu, but instead sourcing ingredients from local farms to make up that week's menu.
RIP: Central Oregon Restaurant closings
Far too many places have closed forever in Central Oregon this year. These are some of them.• Austin Street Tacos
• Backporch Coffee in the Century Center
• Bluebird Coffee
• Brown's Basics Bakery and Eatery
• Cheerleaders Grill & Pub
• Kayo's Dinner House
• McGrath's Fish House
• Norma's Red Rooster
• Ochoco Brewing Co.
• The Pickled Pig
• Pilot Butte Drive-In
• Wild Oregon Foods
CORRECTION, 1/3/20: In the print edition of this story we stated that Maverick's Country Bar and Grill was closed. While it is temporarily closed, owner Mike Hayes told the Source that the location has been rebranded and is preparing to reopen. We regret the error.
CENTRAL OREGON TAKEOUT GUIDE!
Want to find out what's open and what's closed, or which restaurants offer delivery? Want to let us know about changes to your restaurant's business hours or other info?
Head over to the Source Weekly's 2020 Takeout Guide to peruse listings—and if you're an owner or manager with changes to make, look for the "Edit this Business' Info" tab on your listing to get it up to date. Then, look for our print-edition Takeout Guide on stands Jan. 28!
