As Bend expands, it’s easier to notice the influence of big cities. However, many newcomer restaurants are prioritizing local fare. Former Portland chef Karl Holl pays homage to his foraging roots by incorporating juniper and sagebrush into his dishes. At nearby Juniper Ridge, the menu’s core ingredients come from local suppliers, with the exception of tender Hokkaido scallops. Restaurateur and TV personality chef Brian Malarky returns to his roots, sharing delicious meat dishes from his family ranch in Tumalo.
Bend’s Best New Restaurants, Spring 2025
Late-night pizza, izakayas, and fancy ranch dinners abound in Bend
Barb Gonzalez has been dining out and ordering beef tournedos since she was seven years old. She’s been a food photographer and restaurant reviewer in the Central Oregon food scene since 2008 and has written several books about technology and iPhone photography.
The new restaurants on the culinary scene aren’t limited to high-end establishments. Two izakayas have opened, with Yokocho offering street comfort food and Ryoshi Sushi and Izakaya bringing seasonal fish directly from Japan. For those late summer nights when hunger strikes after a sunset hike, Fat Tony’s Pizzeria and Axel’s Taco Shop provide options, being the first eateries in a while to stay open until 10 p.m. and beyond.
For more of Bend’s longtime all-stars, this map should help.
Bend’s Best New Restaurants, Spring 2025
Late-night pizza, izakayas, and fancy ranch dinners abound in Bend
Barb Gonzalez has been dining out and ordering beef tournedos since she was seven years old. She’s been a food photographer and restaurant reviewer in the Central Oregon food scene since 2008 and has written several books about technology and iPhone photography.
As Bend expands, it’s easier to notice the influence of big cities. However, many newcomer restaurants are prioritizing local fare. Former Portland chef Karl Holl pays homage to his foraging roots by incorporating juniper and sagebrush into his dishes. At nearby Juniper Ridge, the menu’s core ingredients come from local suppliers, with the exception of tender Hokkaido scallops. Restaurateur and TV personality chef Brian Malarky returns to his roots, sharing delicious meat dishes from his family ranch in Tumalo.
The new restaurants on the culinary scene aren’t limited to high-end establishments. Two izakayas have opened, with Yokocho offering street comfort food and Ryoshi Sushi and Izakaya bringing seasonal fish directly from Japan. For those late summer nights when hunger strikes after a sunset hike, Fat Tony’s Pizzeria and Axel’s Taco Shop provide options, being the first eateries in a while to stay open until 10 p.m. and beyond.
For more of Bend’s longtime all-stars, this map should help.
Hawkeye and Huckleberry Lounge
Walking into Hawkeye and Huckleberry, patrons are immersed in a modern cowboy world in this cavernous restaurant where guests can grab a cowboy hat off the wall to wear while dining. Lively locals chat at the wrap-around bar. In the dining area, many tables have sofas with cowhide throw pillows for relaxed dining. A stage offers occasional live music. Groups of eight or more can order a whole roasted pig with 48 hours’ notice, then eat it in one of three tents for an outdoorsy feel. The menu’s core is meat from owner Brian Malarky’s nearby family ranch, which includes steaks, hamburgers, and pork. TV personality chef Malarky offers everything from Wagyu skirt steak with white beans and chimichurri. Grilled “cowboy cuts” of filet mignon, ribeye, or 32-oz porterhouse and tomahawk steaks come a la carte. Sides include beautifully balanced carrots with sweetness from fermented honey balanced with whipped, cool fromage, not a cream sauce. The mashed potatoes might be the creamiest in Central Oregon. This family-friendly establishment has outdoor fire pits ready for marshmallow roasts.
Barb Gonzalez
Bar RBC
This Barcelona-inspired tapas bar is in downtown Bend. Though it has the same owners as Rancher Butcher Chef across town, the small plates are an adventurous culinary experience all its own. Start with the besos (meaning kisses), bite-sized combinations that ready diners for the rest of the meal’s journey. The El Bulli olive is a spherical gel of Castelvetrano olive that bursts in the mouth. Try the bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and drizzled with spiced honey, or foie gras nestled in brandy-soaked prunes. Don’t pass the signature bravas, twice-fried to crispy perfection and layered with a spicy chili tomato sauce. Then, move on to the shareable main dishes like the squid ink fideo noodles with rabbit sausage, lemon, and tomato in an iron skillet or the Iberico secretto pork served with chimichurri. The craft cocktails and Spanish vermouth can help transport diners, too.
Barb Gonzalez
Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya
Although located In Bend’s outlet mall, Ryoshi Sushi and Izakaya is more than a bite for a shopping break. It’s worth seeking out sushi at lunch or dinner. Non-sushi eaters can enjoy Japanese bento boxes, yakitori skewers, and other cooked fare. However, the spotlight is on sushi, particularly the seasonal fish flown in from Japan and listed on the specials board, like black rockfish, scorpion fish, or Japanese uni. Along with an exhaustive list of sashimi and nigiri, signature rolls go beyond the typical run-of-the-mill combinations. Take the pressed box style (no seaweed) Ryoshi Roll topped with seared and raw salmon, mild jalapeños, avocado, and masago. Their house-made soy sauce with added spices and sweetness and garlic edamame add flavorful twists and are best enjoyed alongside their extensive selection of sake and sake cocktails.
Barb Gonzalez
Fat Tony’s Pizzeria
Situated in a small strip mall in a neighborhood near Downtown, Fat Tony’s Pizza opened quietly but is now a local favorite. Owner Roberto Cardenas channels his early days when he learned to cook artisan pizza at a restaurant owned by first-generation Florentines. The Caesar salad is a step up from the typical chopped presentation as it’s plated with hearts of romaine leaves. The meatballs are juicy with balanced Italian seasoning seasoned; the chicken fettuccine is creamy and satisfying. And the 24-hour fermented, foldable thin-crust pizza has puffy, chewy edges. The pizza toppings are also upgraded, including fresh mozzarella and basil leaves, prosciutto, and the not-to-be-missed pistachio pizza with pistachio mortadella and pistachio pesto. Tuesday is ladies’ night, and Wednesday is senior discounts. Both offer 50 percent menu discounts. Happy Hour offers $3 wine, beer, and margaritas.
Barb Gonzalez
Yokocho Izakaya
Yokocho Izayaya is a whimsical world where anime and Japanese ad posters paper the walls around diners who sit on red plastic milk crates with cushions beneath colorful paper lanterns. This lively haven serves Japanese everyday comfort street food with umami-rich flavors in dishes like tonkotsu ramen, yakisoba noodles, okonomiyaki — a savory, mayo-drizzled pancake — and yakitori skewers grilled over charcoal. Arrive early to enjoy the youthful vibe, as it’s popular most evenings and there are no reservations. Still, there are games to entertain those who wait.
Barb Gonzalez
Axels Taco Shop
For those feeling hungry late at night, Axel’s Taco Shop has you covered. This restaurant serves Mexican food staples with a vast salsa bar reminiscent of those small restaurants in Mexican neighborhoods in San Diego and Los Angeles. It makes sense as the Sifuentes family who own the restaurant owned one such taco shop in San Marcos before coming to Central Oregon. The extensive menu includes classic combinations: tamales, enchiladas, and chile relleno with creamy refried beans and Spanish rice with peas and carrots. Carne asada is only $15 and includes two large pieces of skirt steak with no fat or gristle and a fresh, chewy flour tortilla. For early risers, too, Axels opens at 6 a.m. with a large variety of giant breakfast burritos.
Barb Gonzalez
Iris
Iris is the revamped and renamed Juniper Reserve Resort restaurant, formerly Pronghorn, about 15 minutes outside Bend. The quiet dining room is cozy between a wall of windows and a stone fireplace where diners can relax and enjoy local food prepared with careful combinations of flavors. Although the restaurant is between executive chefs, executive sous chef Tanner Hansen has put his stamp on the menu. The brûlée brie board alone is worth the trip, as the creamy cheese gets a sweet kick from candied pistachios. Dried crispy prosciutto chips add meaty saltiness, and Marcona almonds toasted with rosemary round out the flavor profile. Likewise, the beet salad with charred grapefruits plays against creamy burrata cheese, with pistachio brittle and apple chips to add crunch and dimension. When everyone in town serves diver scallops, Iris offers smaller imported Hokkaido scallops sitting on truffled cauliflower puree topped with XO sauce.
Barb Gonzalez
Wild Rye
About 20 minutes outside of Bend, Wild Rye sits atop the hill at Brasada Ranch Resort with a refined dining experience and an immaculate view of sunsets over the cascades. Chef Karl Holl takes inspiration from the surrounding high desert. His signature juniper braised lamb over rye berry risotto perfectly reflects the desert. He starts by crushing whole juniper branches with garlic, shallots, bay leaf, and other aromatics, which is rubbed into a cut of loin and shoulder to cure. Many dishes are torched or charred (rather than barbecued). Don’t miss the sumptuous smokey rolls topped with a pile of juniper salt. Holl’s creativity shines in the roasted beets and smoked yogurt with seasonal citrus, basil, lime leaf, and pistachio rose rubble that’s best eaten when mixed and distributed throughout the salad. Popular, too, is the Fifty-Dollar Burger that earns its price tag as it includes fois gras and is sprinkled with edible gold dust.
Barb Gonzalez
