One Of The Oldest Family-Owned Restaurants In Oregon Is Also Among The Most Delicious Places You'll Ever Eat
By Christy Articola|Published September 12, 2022
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
If you love old restaurants, then you may already know about Huber’s in Portland. This restaurant is known as the oldest restaurant in The City of Roses. But, what you might not know is that it is also perhaps the oldest family-owned restaurant in Oregon, too.
More interesting still is the fact that the family who owns and operates it is not the same family who founded it in 1879, but that it still earns the distinction of oldest family-owned restaurant in the state because that family has owned it since 1912. Read on to learn more about the interesting story behind Huber’s and the two families that have owned it over the years.
Huber's was first established in 1879 and was first known as The Bureau Saloon. Its first location was at the corner of 1st and Adler; the current location on Southwest 3rd Avenue is the restaurant's fourth home.
The restaurant's current location is in the historic Pioneer Building and it's rich with unique ambience. It's been in this location since 1910. The mahogany paneling and arched, stained-glass skylights offer a wonderful setting for lunch, dinner, happy hour, or late-night bites.
Huber's is named after owner Frank Huber who died in 1912. At the time of his death, the establishment was passed on to cook Jim Louie. Jim Louie was a Chinese immigrant who worked for Huber and who helped make Huber's famous.
Since Frank Huber's death, this restaurant has always been owned and operated by members of Jim Louie's family. It was first passed down to Jim Louie's nephew, Andrew, and then to Andrew's son, also named Jim. Today, David and Lucille Louie are the owners.
The first Jim Louie helped make Huber's famous even before he was the owner. All the food at Huber's is great, but this restaurant is most famous for its turkey dishes. Jim Louie helped popularize these dishes while cooking for Frank Huber, and when he took over the business after Huber's death, they became even more of a staple.
That's not the only thing good at Huber's, though. All the dishes are not only tasty, but are beautiful, too. Perhaps you'd like to start with a salad like this one.
Huber's fresh halibut is flame-broiled and served with lemon caper beurre blanc, rice pilaf, and fresh cooked vegetables. It's one of the restaurant's most popular dishes.
If you came for the turkey, you might try Huber's Half & Half. It's a combination of roasted turkey and baked ham served with sage dressing, fresh
mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. Wow!
Or maybe, you're a purist. If so, try the roast turkey - it's the traditional house specialty. This dish is served with sage dressing, your choice of fresh mashed potatoes or fresh baked yams with hazelnut butter, plus your choice of traditional gravy or mushroom gravy, and cranberry sauce.
As you can see, Huber’s is a very special place – and thanks to the Louie family, it’s been serving up great food for more than 100 years, with no sign of stopping any time soon! If you’re in Portland, be sure yo stop by Huber’s and bring your appetite. You’re sure to have a meal to remember.
