I love dining on Mississippi Ave. You can spend a whole day there going from brunch to happy hour to dinner interspersed with vintage shopping and a pop-in to the Rebuilding Center. My recent favorite is a plant-based dining dream called South x Northwest and the name says it all – the hearty goodness of southern comfort food with a healthy twist.

The Ambience: As you can see, a lovely covered patio that is sure to be swarmed in the upcoming warmer months. Indoor dining is also available but who needs that when the weather is perfect? Extremely friendly & helpful waitstaff. Easy to order straight from your table with a QR code scan.

The Drinks: I ordered the Happy Hour “Sangria in Bloom” and it arrived topped with roses! White wine, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, chamomile, orange, lemon, citrus oils, rose water, Topo Chico… obviously it was Heaven in a glass. Can’t be topped.

But then it was topped.

Enter: The Blissful Thinking Mocktail. Wilderton “Lustre” Botanical Distillate (think, non-alcoholic gin), coconut cream, dragon fruit, hibiscus, lime. Are you ready to see the prettiest pink potion? Who needs booze when you can have THIS?! This would be a *perfect* surprise beverage for a teetotaling bday celebrant (or child!)

The Food: In general I like asking restaurant staff for the fan favorites and these guys said to get the Nashville Chick’n Plate and so I did … and we chose right! Country fried chick’n tossed in house-made Nashville hot sauce & gravy. And it came with a pinch of slaw and 3 (!) sides. I’d return for the mashed potatoes & gravy and the hushpuppies any day but I probably wouldn’t re-order the asparagus because it was topped with vegan feta which has a very strong/acquired taste that’s not for me. (Or I’d leave the feta off.)

My buddy let me try their GF Big Mick and this would satisfy any burger baby in the bunch: Two 1/8lb patties, three buns toasted in butter, two slices of cheese, shredded lettuce, diced onions, pickles, and secret sauce. Comes with fries. It was a remarkably scrumptious bar burger.

The Deals: They have Happy Hour with 2 Corndogs and fries for $9. Pints of 10 Barrel lager for $2. House-made Hard Seltzer for $4. Reduced prices on Mockjitos, Sangria and Rachel’s Mules.

The Verdict: I’d return in a heartbeat and I’m not a vegan!

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South x Northwest is located at 3928 N Mississippi Ave. Portland, Oregon 97227

Hours

Friday 4–10PM
Saturday 10AM–2PM, 4–10PM
Sunday 10AM–2PM, 4–8PM
Monday 4–9PM
Tuesday Closed
Wednesday 4–9PM
Thursday 4–9PM