North Williams Avenue

North Williams Avenue is yet another amazing street in northeast Portland. It's lesser known than nearby Alberta Street and Mississippi Avenue, but has so much to offer.

North Williams crams six blocks of restaurants, brewpubs, bars and cafes into a charming commercial district.

The restaurant possibilities are endless, like the trendy Life of Pie Pizza, or Sushi Hada which has the best sushi in Portland. Mamma Khouri’s has an instagram worthy interior and delicious middle eastern food.

Craft beer lovers can stop by Migration Brewing, with a huge patio out the back with lawn games, and firepits for those chilly Porland days. The pub menu includes hamburgers and a kid's menu.

I highly recommend the coffee and patio at Poa Cafe on Williams, and their yummy breakfast bowls or burritos. My other favorite spot is the JinJu Patisserie, which has been voted the best bakery in America in the James Beard 2024 and 2025 awards. Try the delicious chocolate almond croissants or lime strawberry tarts!

Where do I go?

The best six blocks on Williams Ave are between Prescott and Fremont. Start at Williams and Fremont, then walk north to see everything!

I adore the vintage storefronts and quaint cottages along Williams, and always stop by the famous Wishing Tree. There are signs of new development, but this neighborhood still has loads of charm.

10 best things to do along North Williams Avenue

1. Enjoy brunch or coffee at Poa Café.

When I lived in Portland, I visited Poa Cafe dozens of times. I loved the health conscious menu, with green smoothies, paleo bowls and garden omelets.

It's one of the most popular brunch spots along North Williams Avenue.

Poa's interior is light and airy, and is super family friendly.

Poa Cafe has the most gorgeous patio out the back, with hanging lanterns and fire-pits.

2. Experience North William's dynamic restaurant scene.

Here are my top picks for restaurants along North Williams:

• Life of Pie Pizza serves woodfired pizza, and has my vote for the most relaxed setting.
• Sushi Hada has the best sushi in Portland, with sushi rolls, nigiri, and hibachi.
• EEM Thai serves yummy thai BBQ and tiki cocktails. They even made it to the New York Times' favorite restaurant list in 2021.
• Mamma Khouri’s restaurant has a chic interior, and serves authentic middle eastern dishes like a lamb kabob plate and falafel balls.
• EAT: An Oyster Bar is both a southern food kitchen and oyster bar. Try the seafood gumbo, frog legs and steamed clams.
• The Matador is my go-to for delicious mexican food and cocktails. It has a dimly lit, cosy atmosphere and spanish style decor.

EEM Thai.

Mamma Khouri’s restaurant.

Either/Or Cafe.

3. Visit Migration Brewing along North Williams Avenue.

Another huge success story is Migration Brewing on North Williams Avenue. It has both indoor dining, and a large 2,000 square foot outdoor patio with firepits.

This brewery was founded in 2010 by four friends, and now has the distinction of being the fastest growing brewery in Oregon. You can see many of their craft beers in supermarkets today. 

4. Indulge in a delicious dessert at JinJu Patisserie.

I was thrilled to learn that the best bakery in America is on North Williams street!  The amazing JinJu Patisserie was voted best bakery in America in the 2024 and 2025 James Beard awards! 

These guys make the most incredible chocolates and artisan bonbons. There are three flavors of croissants; butter, chocolate and almond, lemon white chocolate cake, macarons in passionfruit and raspberry, and so much more!

5. Purchase yummy handcrafted donuts at Coco Donuts.  

I absolutely love the fun flavors of the handcrafted donuts at Coco Donuts.  The flavors included mochi oreo, lavender cake, and chocolate sprinkle cake. The donuts can be purchased individually or by the dozen. 

Most donut shops neglect the coffee side of things, so it's nice to know that Coco Donuts has such high quality coffee, and roasts all their coffee in-house.

6. Check out the super hip, zen style patio at Vendetta bar.

I can't think of a better place to be in summer, than the zen style patio at Vendetta. Order some yummy comfort food like quesadillas and street tacos.

7. Make a wish at the famous Wishing Tree.

It's so much fun visiting the Wishing Tree on North Williams Avenue, draped in thousands of cards (4048 North Williams Ave).

I noticed pens and paper near the tree, and was able to scrawl down my message and hang it on the tree!

8. Find some unique shops along North Williams Avenue.

My overall impression of North Williams Avenue is that it's more about the restaurants, bars and cafes, than boutiques or shops. However, here are a few retail finds:

• Blackthorn Mercantile for a wide variety of metaphysical gifts, like sage bundles, moon phase calendars, tarot cards and candles. They've got lots of staff on-site who can also do readings.
• Spielworks Toys for an excellent selection of high quality kids' toys.
• Monochromatic is a minimalist clothing store for men and women, only selling single color items.
• Origin Story has cool and unusual gifts like bunny ears cactus, eucalypso sleep masks and duvets, and handmade mugs.
• Ora et Labora was ranked a top 5 wine bar in Portland by Willamette Weekly. Order a wine flight inside their class tasting room, or sign up for a super fun wine class with titles like "Demystifying wine tasting".

9. Learn about the history and architecture of North Williams Avenue.

During the 1950s, North Williams Avenue was once a tight knit community full of black owned businesses. This all changed in the 1960s when homes and businesses were demolished to make way for a freeway and hospital.  Many people and business owners were permanently displaced during this period.

In the late 1990s, North Williams Avenue experienced revitalization, and is a thriving community once again.

It's interesting to see the mix of modern buildings (like the One North building on the left), with some of the original historic homes.

I walked around the 14,000 square foot courtyard at the One North building.

Here's another modern apartment building along North Williams Avenue.

10. Dawson Park playground and splash pad.

Check out the modern playground at Dawson Park, on Williams and Morris. There's also a basketball court, and the splashpad has 12 giant, story boulders with key historic moments. This beautiful park is also surrounded by gorgeous oak trees, so lots of shade for the summer!