Screen Door Eastside is a Southern comfort-food restaurant on East Burnside Street in Portland’s Kerns neighborhood. Since 2006 it has drawn crowds for buttermilk-fried chicken and some of the city’s most talked-about weekend brunches. It holds a 4.7 rating and more than 1,300 reviews on OpenTable.
The kitchen cooks Southern classics with Pacific Northwest produce. The signature dish is fried chicken and waffles, a stack of crisp, well-seasoned buttermilk-brined chicken over a waffle. Regulars also order shrimp and grits, biscuits, and seasonal vegetable sides. The dining room is roomy and casual, with a full bar pouring cocktails and brunch drinks. Service has a friendly pace that reviewers single out as often as the food. Tripadvisor ranks it #9 among more than 2,400 Portland restaurants. A second Screen Door location also operates in the city, so check that you’re booking the Eastside address.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Weekend brunch brings the longest waits, and lines often form before opening. Reserve ahead through the restaurant’s website or OpenTable, or come on a weekday evening for shorter waits. Online ordering is available for takeout. Portions run large, so sharing a chicken plate and a few sides works well. TriMet buses run along Burnside, and street parking in the surrounding residential blocks fills quickly on weekends.
