Ate-Oh-Ate

Ate-Oh-Ate
Exterior of the original restaurant on East Burnside Street, 2022
Map
Restaurant information
Owner(s)
  • Ben Dyer
  • David Kreifels
  • Jason Owens
Chef
  • Ben Dyer
  • David Kreifels
  • Jason Owens
Food typeHawaiian
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°28′44″N 122°36′31″W / 45.47902°N 122.60855°W / 45.47902; -122.60855
Websiteate-oh-ate.com

Ate-Oh-Ate is a small chain of Hawaiian restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The business has two locations in Portland and another in Beaverton. Named after the area code 808 in Hawaii,[1] the restaurant's logo depicts a "happy, well-fed" pig.[2] Ben Dyer, David Kreifels, and Jason Owens are co-chefs and co-owners.[3]

Description

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Ate-Oh-Ate small chain of Hawaiian restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, with two locations in Portland and another in Beaverton. The interior of the original 40-seat restaurant on Portland's East Burnside Street[4] has high ceilings, skylights,[5] exposed wood, a 50-foot-long mural, and "several island-themed" tchotchkes.[6] The outpost in southeast Portland's Woodstock neighborhood is 600 square feet and seats 48 people.[7]

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The menu includes an Aina burger with crispy pork belly, spicy mayonnaise, and kimchi relish,[1] Spam musubi (fried egg wrapped in nori),[8][9] beef short ribs, katsu chicken, and hekka.[10] Vegan options include curry bowls and teriyaki grilled tofu.[1] Tofu entrees are served with white rice and a green salad with sesame dressing or a macaroni salad.[2] Ate-Oh-Ate also serves cocktails, beer,[11] and shaved ice.[12][13]

For the Portland Mercury's Nacho Week in 2019, the restaurant served "tarochos" (Taro chips with Kalua pig, Longboard kimchi queso, green onion, and shaved radish). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant's takeout menu included a variety of options such as rice bowls and sandwiches featuring pork shoulder slow-roasted in banana leaves, Korean short ribs, grilled Korean chicken, and grilled tofu.[14]

History

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The original restaurant was slated to open in August 2010, as of May.[15] Benjamin Dyer opened the restaurant on September 11,[4] initially operating from 11 am to 8 pm.[16] A grand opening party was held on October 19.[17] Dyer, David Kreifels, and Jason Owens opened a second location in Woodstock in October 2016,[18][19] with a slightly smaller menu.[20]

Ate-Oh-Ate offered takeout and delivery service during the COVID-19 pandemic, as of May 2020.[21] The restaurant was selling branded golfing discs as a way of generating income during the pandemic as part of a partnership with Nemo Design, as of late 2020.[22] A third location began operating in Beaverton, on April 15, 2024, in the space previously occupied by Big's Chicken.[23]

Reception

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Interior counter (top) and seating area (bottom) of the Woodstock restaurant in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2014, Adam Lindsley of The Oregonian ranked the Aina burger number six in his list of the city's best burgers.[24] Ate-Oh-Ate ranked number 87 on The Oregonian's 2015 list of Portland's 101 best restaurants.[25] The newspaper's Samantha Bakall included the Spam musubi in a "cheap eats" guide of 99 "delicious dishes" for $10 or less.[26] In 2015, Thrillist's Drew Tyson included Ate-Oh-Ate in his list of the 10 best chicken wings in Portland,[27] and included the Aina burger in a list of the city's 11 best pork belly dishes.[28]

Jay Horton of Willamette Week wrote in 2016, "While the utilitarian storefront slathered with islands-themed kitsch may awaken memories of a third-grade luau, Ate-Oh-Ate has loftier ambitions—wringing sophistication from a cuisine best known for embracing Spam... Ben Dyer has invested the food of his homeland with a seriousness of purpose, albeit one indulging the surfer lounge whimsy of a beliquored shave ice or tidal-strength mai tai."[29] Ate-Oh-Ate was a runner-up in the Best Teriyaki category of Willamette Week's annual readers's poll in 2016.[30] The newspaper's Pete Cottell included the Spam Musubi in his 2018 list of "eight must-have munchies for when you're stoned and starving".[8]

The Portland Mercury's 2019 overview of city's best happy hours said, "Ate Oh Ate serves up legit happy hour Hawaiian fare and umbrella drinks without the Tiki flair, and the happy hour menu is an absolute steal."[31] In 2020, Eater Portland's Krista Garcia and Jenni Moore included Ate-Oh-Ate in lists of thirteen restaurants for "heavenly Hawaiian food" in the city and thirteen "standout vegetarian meals" in Portland, respectively.[1][2] The website's Ron Scott included the kalua pig sandwich in an overview of the city's "most epic hangover cures".[32]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Garcia, Krista (2018-08-28). "13 Places to Find Heavenly Hawaiian Food in Portland". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  2. ^ a b c Moore, Jenni (2020-09-09). "13 Standout Vegetarian Meals in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ^ Wolf, Laurie (July 17, 2012). Portland, Oregon Chef's Table Extraordinary Recipes from the City of Roses. Lyons Press. p. 98. ISBN 9780762787111. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b DeJesus, Erin (2010-08-20). "Benjamin Dyer Dishes Details About Upcoming Ate-Oh-Ate". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  5. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2010-08-26). "Ken's Bánh mì, Ben's Ate-Oh-Ate Space, Craft Beer Course". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  6. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2010-09-10). "Ben Dyer's Ate-Oh-Ate Preps for Monday Opening". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  7. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-10-05). "Ate-Oh-Ate 2.0 Opens October 6 on SE Woodstock". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-02-04. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  8. ^ a b Cottell, Pete (2018-04-19). "Eight Must-Have Munchies for when You're Stoned and Starving". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  9. ^ Onstad, Chris (Jul 24, 2013). "Burger Week: Ate-Oh-Ate's $5 Spam Musubi Burger". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  10. ^ Wolf, Laurie (January 14, 2014). Food Lovers' Guide To® Portland, Oregon The Best Restaurants, Markets & Local Culinary Offerings. Globe Pequot. p. 37. ISBN 9781493006700. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  11. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-01-20). "Ate-Oh-Ate to Bring the Hawaiian Smackdown to Woodstock". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-09-09. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  12. ^ Korfhage, Matthew (2016-07-26). "Shave Ice Is the Only Way to Cool Yourself Down in This Heat". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  13. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2017-06-23). "Hawaii-Based Shave Ice Spot Opens Just in Time for Portland Heat Wave". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  14. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-05-21). "Where to Find Barbecue in Portland for Takeout or Delivery". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  15. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2010-05-20). "Simpatica/Laurelhurst Market Gang to Open Hawaiian Eatery". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-02-06. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  16. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2010-06-10). "Hawaiian Plate Lunches at Ben Dyer's Upcoming Ate-Oh-Ate?". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  17. ^ DeJesus, Erin (2010-10-19). "VooDoo Consumes Berbati's; Party at Ate-Oh-Ate; St. Jack". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-08-18. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  18. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-06-06). "Simpatica Dining Hall Halts Dinner and Brunch". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  19. ^ Groff, Elizabeth Ussher (November 26, 2016). "Hawaiian dining comes to Woodstock". The Bee. Pamplin Media Group. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  20. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (2016-08-30). "The Ultimate Guide to Fall Restaurant Openings in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2020-06-03. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  21. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-03-16). "Where to Find Takeout and Delivery During Portland's COVID-19 Outbreak". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-03-26. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  22. ^ Cohen, Jason (2020-12-09). "From Shirts to Hats to Branded Thongs, Portland Bars and Restaurants Are Turning to Merch to Keep the Money Coming In". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  23. ^ "A Guide to Portland's Latest Restaurant Openings". Eater Portland. 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  24. ^ Lindsley, Adam (2014-09-03). "Portland's best burgers: Counting down the top 10". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-09-19. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  25. ^ Russell, Michael (2016-01-20). "Ate-Oh-Ate opening second location in Southeast Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  26. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2017-03-01). "99 delicious dishes for $10 and under around Portland". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-01-20. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  27. ^ Tyson, Drew (March 3, 2015). "Where to Get the 10 Best Chicken Wings in Portland Right Now". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  28. ^ Tyson, Drew (May 5, 2015). "The 11 Best Pork Belly Dishes in Portland". Thrillist. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  29. ^ "Ate-Oh-Ate". Willamette Week. 22 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2021-02-07. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  30. ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2021-12-15.
  31. ^ Anderson, Heather Arndt (2019-03-28). "100 Portland Happy Hours: Southeast". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-02-02. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  32. ^ Scott, Ron (2016-12-30). "Portland's Most Epic Hangover Cures". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-08-10. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
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