Hawthorne Boulevard: How To Explore Portland's Most Eclectic Neighborhood

If I could only send a first-time visitor to one neighborhood in Portland, Hawthorne Boulevard would be near the top of my list.

This is Portland at its most unapologetical.

Vintage clothing stores sit next to old-school record shops. Independent bookstores share blocks with tattoo parlors, neighborhood coffee houses, cocktail bars, and restaurants serving everything from Thai brunch to some of the best pizza in the city.

Walk a few blocks and you’ll stumble upon a historic movie theater, a bustling food cart pod, quirky gift shops, and enough secondhand stores to keep even the most dedicated thrifter occupied for hours.

When Papu and I spent a month living in Portland, our Airbnb was just off Hawthorne Boulevard. Because we weren’t rushing through on a weekend trip, we got to experience the neighborhood the way locals do.

We’d grab coffee in the morning, wander into stores we hadn’t noticed before, stop for lunch somewhere new, and take long evening walks after stuffing ourselves with an XL pizza from Apizza Scholls.

The funny thing about Hawthorne is that it never really gets old. Even after weeks of walking the same stretch of road, we kept discovering new stores, murals, restaurants, and hidden gems tucked between places we frequented.

In a city where things are constantly modernizing, Hawthorne has managed to hold onto its independent spirit. And there always seems to be something unexpected happening.

The best way to experience Hawthorne? Give yourself an afternoon and simply wander. Below are some of my favorite places to eat, shop, drink, and explore along Hawthorne Boulevard.

This post may contain affiliate links. You won’t be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. Thanks a lot!

Table of Contents

Go Secondhand / Vintage Shopping

Hawthorne is the first place you should go if you’re looking for vintage clothing or antique home goods.

If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend just starting on one end of the street. You’ll come across local staples like House of Vintage, Focus Group, Buffalo Exchange, Crossroads Trading Co, Lounge Lizard, Magpie, and Red Light Clothing Exchange.

With these shops alone, you’ll probably find yourself buried in hours of browsing and perusing once you begin. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Bagdad Theater and Pub

One of the coolest historic buildings in Southeast Portland, Bagdad Theater first opened in 1927 and is instantly recognizable thanks to its ornate Moorish-inspired architecture and glowing marquee.

Today, it’s operated by McMenamins and combines a movie theater, pub, and gathering space all under one roof. This is a view-and-brew-style venue, meaning you can enjoy first-run movies while sipping local craft beer and snacking on burgers, pizzas, and other pub fare.

After the show, don’t rush out just yet. Head to the Backstage Bar hidden behind the movie screen for a game of pool, or grab another drink at the adjoining Bagdad Pub and soak in the vintage atmosphere.

Seven Virtues Coffee

Seven Virtues Coffee is one of those neighborhood coffee shops that makes you want to linger longer than planned. The café is known for serving carefully sourced coffee from around the world, with a focus on supporting farmers and promoting ethical trade practices.

If you’re looking for a souvenir that won’t collect dust, their freshly roasted coffee beans make an excellent gift to bring home!

Coava Coffee Roasters

Portland takes its coffee seriously, and Coava Coffee Roasters is one of the city’s most respected names in specialty coffee.

What started as a small local roastery has grown into a Portland institution known for sourcing high-quality beans and roasting them with precision. The industrial-chic cafés are bright, spacious, and ideal for a morning caffeine stop while exploring the neighborhood.

If you like coffee, stop in and give them a try! You’ll quickly understand why Coava has developed such a loyal following among locals and visitors alike.

Farmhouse Thai

Portland might actually have one of the strongest Thai food scenes outside of Los Angeles, and Farmhouse Thai is one of the restaurants that proves it.

If you’re expecting traditional Thai food, this is not what you will get. You’ll get Thai food with the utmost flair! The restaurant is known for its colorful, beautifully plated dishes that look almost too pretty to eat (but thankfully taste just as good as they look).

Try the slow-braised short ribs and the crab fried rice. Worth every penny…

Khao Moo Dang

Before visiting Portland, I never would have thought to seek out Thai-style breakfast and brunch, but Khao Moo Dang completely changed my mind. At this point, I’m ready to eat Thai food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!

Named after a popular Thai pork dish, this cozy restaurant specializes in comforting rice and noodle dishes topped with roasted pork, crispy pork belly, and other savory additions. The menu is inspired by the casual street food and breakfast stalls commonly found throughout Thailand, offering flavors that are harder to find at typical Thai restaurants in the US.

At this point, I’ve been here 5+ times, and every single time the food has been nothing but excellent and comforting.

Apizza Scholls

Hands down my favorite NY-style pizza spot in all of Portland!!!

If you’re serious about pizza, Apizza Scholls deserves a spot on your Portland itinerary. Frequently ranked among the best pizzerias in the city, the restaurant takes inspiration from classic East Coast pizza while maintaining its own distinctly Portland identity.

The crust manages to be both chewy and crisp (like a real NYC slice should!!), with just enough char to add flavor without overpowering the rest of the pie. TRUST… it’s utterly magnificent.

They only sell whole pies, which might seem like a lot of pizza at first, but after your first few bites, you’ll understand why locals willingly wait for a table and why visitors make special trips across town to eat here.

Hawthorne Asylum Food Cart Pod

Hawthorne Portland Things To Do - Travels With Elle

Despite its slightly spooky name, Hawthorne Asylum is one of Portland’s most welcoming and family-friendly food cart pods.

Located in the heart of Southeast Portland, this bustling gathering spot brings together dozens of food carts serving everything from tacos and burgers to international specialties and inventive desserts.

On warm evenings, the atmosphere is especially lively, with locals, visitors, families, and friend groups filling the communal seating areas and creating the kind of casual community vibe Portland does so well.

Never Coffee

If you’re willing to venture a few minutes beyond Hawthorne, Never Coffee serves some of the most creative coffee drinks in Portland.

This colorful, modern café has developed a cult following thanks to its creative specialty lattes that push far beyond the standard vanilla or mocha.

While they serve excellent traditional espresso drinks, the real reason to visit is their lineup of signature lattes. The Holy Grail combines turmeric, ginger, orange blossom water, smoked local honey, sea salt, and black pepper into a drink that’s somehow both comforting and surprisingly complex.

The Rich Kid layers rose water, saffron, and cardamom for a floral, aromatic latte that feels downright luxurious. For something completely different, try The Oregon, which incorporates local Cascade hops, dulce de leche, and sea salt for a flavor profile that somehow captures the Pacific Northwest in a cup.

Crossroads Trading Co.

Crossroads is one of my favorite thrift and consignment stores in Portland! So much so that it deserves an honorable mention in this neighborhood guide.

Unlike many vintage shops that have become wildly expensive thanks to their carefully curated inventory, Crossroads strikes a sweet spot between high-quality, well-edited pieces and prices that don’t make your eyes pop out of your skull when you see the price tag.

I’ve found everything from linen and wool pieces made from natural fibers to barely worn designer items and unique vintage jackets. Quiet luxury brands like Eileen Fisher, Vince, Theory, Jenni Kayne, Rag & Bone, Reformation, and Equipment are almost always mixed in among the racks.

You’ll find themed racks dedicated to natural fibers, cottagecore styles, designer pieces, elevated basics, and whatever else is trending that season. The inventory changes constantly, which is part of the fun!

Powell’s Books on Hawthorne

Everyone knows about Powell’s City of Books in the downtown area, but the Hawthorne outpost is worth visiting too. It’s a smaller, more relaxed counterpart to the main store, but don’t let the word smaller fool you… it’s still a very solid bookstore you can easily lose time in.

The selection here is more curated than the flagship location. You’ll find a thoughtful mix of fiction, nonfiction, fantasy, kids’ books, and a small but fun section of Portland-themed gifts and quirky souvenirs.

When I’m looking for a gift for someone back home, this is exactly where I go. It’s also one of my favorite places to get a sense of what to read next (by checking out the staff recommendations set up around the store).

Presents of Mind

This quirky gift shop feels tailor-made for Hawthorne Boulevard. You’ll find local artisan jewelry, Portland-themed gifts, illustrated cards, puzzles, candles, quirky home goods, crystals, small prints, and a rotating mix of things you didn’t know you were looking for until you saw them on a shelf.

There’s also a surprisingly strong selection of greeting cards ranging from hip and artsy to funny and sassy.

We’ve also noticed a rotating sale section that’s worth digging through if you’re patient! You can occasionally find really good deals tucked away if you take your time to hunt.

Movie Madness

On the surface, Movie Madness looks like a classic old-school video rental store—and it is, yes—but that barely scratches the surface of what’s inside. You can still rent thousands of DVDs and Blu-rays (which is already a throwback thing to do), but the real reason to visit is what’s tucked inside its “Museum of Motion Picture History.”

This collection started in 1995 when owner Mike Clark purchased his first piece of Hollywood memorabilia: Diane Keaton’s dress from The Godfather Part II.

That one acquisition turned into a lifelong obsession, and over the years, the collection has grown into more than 100 original, one-of-a-kind costumes and props spanning the entire history of film.

Walking through the display feels a bit like stepping into a behind-the-scenes archive of cinema. You’ll find artifacts from silent-era films featuring Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, alongside iconic pieces from classics like Citizen Kane, Casablanca, and Psycho.

You’ll also find more modern film history represented, including props and costumes from Everything Everywhere All at Once and American Fiction.

One of the cooler pieces on display is the infamous “Fight Club” soap bar, a small but instantly recognizable nod to one of the most quoted films of the late 1990s!