When you walk into a restaurant called “Grits N’ Gravy,” you probably have some idea what you’ll see on the menu. But trust me—you won’t be in any way prepared for the sheer quantity and quality of the options here.
The Black-owned restaurant, Grits N’ Gravy, is the impressive result of years of hard work put in by founder and chef, Brandon Stevens. Stevens opened his southern comfort food restaurant in downtown Portland back in December of 2021 on SW 6th Ave, in an area of town where other businesses have been shuttering their doors. However, Grits N’ Gravy has flourished here, and we should all be thanking our lucky stars that Stevens landed in our neck of the woods.
Stevens comes from a long line of cooks, and learned the restaurant trade by growing up around his grandfather’s (“Big Al”) restaurant called the Stagecoach. The Stagecoach, opened in 1978, was the first Black-owned restaurant in Sacramento and is still in business today! When he was just 12 years old, Stevens started working in the restaurant bussing tables, washing dishes and learning the ropes. This would eventually pave the way for his success today and many items on the menu at Grits N’ Gravy come right from his grandfather’s restaurant—why mess with a good thing?
Stevens first came to Portland with just $7,000 in his pocket and a dream of opening his own restaurant. He actually lived in his truck for a while when opening his first food cart, called Mumbo Gumbo PDX that served Cajun-Creole food. The cart rapidly gained in popularity and he started planning for bigger things. Now that Grits N’ Gravy is well established, he’s paying forward his successes by highlighting and partnering with other small businesses (especially Black-owned) as a way of helping others trying to put down roots in the city. In his restaurant you’ll find desserts made by The Cookie Fiend (who bakes her cookies out of Steven’s restaurant), Lorell’s Chicken Shack, and Venster Coffee. He also displays artwork by local artists that you can buy right off the walls.
But now onto the food! The menu here is extensive and includes both breakfast and dinner. While it does have grits and gravy (which you absolutely should order because they’re fantastic), that’s not all they have to offer. Their four egg omelets are a sight to behold and there’s virtually no combination of ingredients you won’t find because there are 25 different options. Regulars also love the pancakes and waffles, the Southern Fried Catfish, or Big-D’s breakfast that comes with two pieces of bacon, two pork sausage links, a half slice of ham and four eggs.
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But I would be remiss if I didn’t call out the restaurant’s namesake. If you’re at all unsure how you feel about grits, I implore you not to form any opinions until you’ve tried the grits here; they’ve been known to convert more than a few non-believers. One of the best ways to indulge in this southern staple is with the Downtown Shrimp and Grits made in the traditional style with fatback, bacon drippings, and “hella cheese.” Or you can try the equally-delicious Uptown Shrimp and Grits made with white wine, andouille and cajun cream.
You also need to try the gravy and you can choose from four types: sausage, red eye, country, or smothered onion all made from scratch that you should smother on top of the biscuits or the chicken fried steak. For dinner, try the Trinity Gumbo made with shrimp, andouille sausage and chicken, or the Catfish Po’Boy. And y’all they have Mexican soda! I hardly ever drink soda, but when I do it’s always a Mexican Coke or Squirt and I for one am thrilled to know this.
Grits N’ Gravy is exactly the restaurant Portland needs with its retro vibe, oldies and soul music playing in the background, and bottomless sweet tea. Call in an order for pick up, or stop by and stay awhile. You can also make reservations online which are highly recommended for the weekends, because this place gets busy!
Hours:
- Every day, 7:00am - 3:00pm for lunch
- Wednesday - Sunday, 5:00pm - 10:00pm for dinner
Address: 215 Southwest 6th Avenue, Portland
Phone: (503)-227-3903
