If Portland had a “living museum” where you could eat the exhibits, it would be Huber’s.
This place has been feeding and watering Oregon since 1879, back when downtown was still rough-edged and river-soaked and a saloon lunch counter could make you a loyal customer for life. It started as the Bureau Saloon, opened by W. L. Lightner at First and Morrison, and within a few years, a bartender named Frank Huber was slinging drinks behind the bar. Then he was a partner. Eventually, he became the owner, in true rags-to-riches style.
A Spot Called Huber's
The real heartbeat of the story, the part that turns Huber’s from “old restaurant” into “Portland legend,” is the Louie family. In 1891, Huber hired Louie Wei Fung (Jim Louie), a Chinese immigrant who’d arrived in Portland as a kid, to work the saloon’s “free lunch” counter. That old-school arrangement was simple: keep buying drinks, and the food kept coming. Jim Louie’s turkey became the thing people talked about, and the partnership became the thing that lasted.
Huber’s even stayed open during the Great Flood of 1894, when the Oregon Encyclopedia notes that Louie reportedly served customers from behind the counter while sitting in a rowboat, dishing out turkey sandwiches to patrons in boats. That’s not a cute Portland myth, that’s “we don’t close” energy from the 1800s.
In 1895, the Bureau Saloon became Huber’s, and in 1910 it moved into its current home in the Oregon Pioneer Building. The stained glass skylight, mahogany, terrazzo floors, and fixtures date to that era, and the building/space was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
When Prohibition hit, Huber’s didn’t die. It adapted. It became a full-time restaurant, and, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia, “incognito drinks” still flowed, including Manhattans served in coffee cups. Portland has always been Portland.
Ownership stayed remarkably steady, too. Frank Huber’s death eventually led to Jim Louie managing the place, then partnering, then passing the torch to his nephew Andrew Louie, and later to Andrew’s children, including James Kai Louie, who became the long-time manager and helped cement the modern-day Huber’s traditions.
And yes, we need to talk about THE drink.
The Spanish Coffee Show is Half the Reason People Bring Out-of-Towners Here
Huber’s Spanish Coffee isn’t just a cocktail, it’s a performance. If you sit at the bar, you’ll see the ritual: sugar-rimmed glass, high-proof rum, flames, steam, the whole “everyone at the bar subtly turns their head to watch” moment.
According to the Oregon Encyclopedia, James Kai Louie adopted the drink after having it at the Fernwood Inn, then developed Huber’s signature tableside routine (with nutmeg, triple sec, one-handed match lighting, and a lot of brio). The restaurant’s own history sheet describes the classic build as Bacardi 151 rum, triple sec, Kahlúa, coffee, fresh whipped cream, and nutmeg, made tableside “with great flair.”
So while Louie didn't actually invent the drink, he may as well have.
Translation: just order one. Even if you “don’t really do sweet drinks.” Even if you “just want one sip.” This is part of the Huber’s experience.
What It’s Like to Eat There
Huber’s is tucked below street level, which makes walking in feel like you’re stepping out of modern Portland for a couple hours. The room is warm and amber-lit, with old-world details that make you instinctively lower your voice a notch, like you’re in on something. Their own “About” page basically says it outright: you should expect majestic decor reminiscent of another time, and that the turkey tradition goes all the way back to those 1890s saloon days.
Service leans classic. This is not “QR code menu, drink arrives whenever.” It’s a downtown institution. People dress however they want, but the vibe still feels a little like an occasion.
And the menu? It’s way more than just turkey, but also… it should probably involve turkey.
What to Order at Huber’s (History Buffs and Foodies, This is Your Roadmap)
Start with a legend:
- Huber’s Coleslaw – This is one of those “still here from the saloon days” specialties, and yes, they’ll even top it with bay shrimp if you want.
- Crab Cakes – Panko-breaded, pan-fried, served with chipotle mayo. Solid pick if you want something that feels a little celebratory right out of the gate.
- House-Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese – A very Pacific Northwest way to say “we’re settling in for the night.”
The turkey “you came here for this” section:
Huber’s is upfront about it: their house specialty is a traditional turkey dinner.
- Roast Young Tom Turkey – Sage dressing, your choice of fresh mashed potatoes or baked yams with hazelnut butter, plus gravy options and cranberry sauce. This is the anchor order.
- Half & Half – Turkey and baked sugar-glazed ham with all the classic sides. Perfect if you’re indecisive or you want the “thanksgiving-but-make-it-a-restaurant” experience.
- Turkey Pot Pie – Diced turkey, onions, mushrooms in turkey gravy, crowned with a cornbread topping. Comfort food that knows exactly what it is.
- Turkey wings / drumstick – If you want the turkey flavor but a different vibe than the full plate.
If you’re not here for turkey (it’s okay, we won’t tell):
Huber’s menu has plenty of “older Portland dinner out” staples:
- Pendleton Farms Beef filet mignon (and variations like Montreal gorgonzola) – Classic steakhouse energy.
- Beef Stroganoff – Tenderloin, mushrooms, red wine demi, fettuccine, sour cream. This one reads like a cozy winter night even in July.
- Northwest Cioppino – Salmon, white fish, prawns, tomato-onion-fennel broth.
- Fresh fillet of salmon – Flame-broiled and finished with lemon/herbed butter (menu language varies a bit by section, but the idea stays the same).
Sandwiches and “I’m downtown at lunch” moves:
- The Club House – Triple-decker turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, with coleslaw on the side.
- Turkey Cream Cheese & Cranberry on sourdough – This is basically Huber’s heritage in sandwich form.
- Beast Burger – A half-pound blend of bison, elk, wild boar, and wagyu. Yes, really.
Dessert, because you’re already in the time capsule:
- Crème brûlée
- Apple-blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream
- House-made cheesecake
- Baked bread custard pudding with caramel-whiskey sauce
Why You Should Go (and Why It Still Matters)
Huber’s isn’t famous because it’s old. It’s famous because it’s old and still good at being itself.
It’s a place where Portland history isn’t framed on a wall, it’s baked into the room: the 1879 origin story, the 1910 move into the Pioneer Building, the Prohibition pivot, the Louie family continuity, the turkey tradition that began as a saloon “free lunch” move and turned into a signature meal.
So if you’ve lived in Oregon forever and somehow haven’t been, fix that. If you’re visiting and want something that’s both “Portland iconic” and genuinely worth your money, this is the move. Go with someone who likes history, go with someone who likes food, and let both of them geek out for different reasons at the same table.
Order the turkey. Watch the Spanish Coffee ignite. Look up at that old-world glow and realize you’re eating in a restaurant that’s been doing this since Ulysses S. Grant was still alive.
And somehow, it still feels right at home in modern Portland.
How Do I Get To Hubers?
Address: 411 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR
Phone: (503) 228-5686
Hours:
- Monday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:00pm
- Friday - Saturday: 11:30am - 11:00pm
- Sunday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
- Happy Hour: Daily 4:00 - 6:00 PM and 9:00
Socials: Facebook, Insta, X/Twitter
