The city of Bend has been a long-time favorite for vacationers looking for a thrilling escape. The city offers numerous attractions, including Sparks Lake, the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, and Tumalo Falls. Bend also features an impressive culinary scene, with multiple world-class restaurants serving diverse cuisine. Here’s an in-depth dining guide to Bend’s best restaurants.

Ultimate Dining Guide to Bends Best Restaurants

Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails

This beloved restaurant lies in downtown Bend, offering an exquisite Northwestern menu with a blend of Southwestern flair. Warm lighting creates a peaceful ambiance, promising a delightful dining experience. The menu features tasty starters, including steamed mussels & clams, house-smoked trout dip, and barbecue shrimp. The salad list offers citrus-marinated beets, Caesar salad, and winter chicories.

The main courses include winter mushroom risotto, steak frites, crispy braised half chicken, and barbecued baby back ribs. Pair your meal with a tasty side of Brussels sprouts, shoestring fries, mashed potatoes, or braised red cabbage. End your culinary journey with homemade carrot cake, flourless chocolate cake, or buttermilk beignets.

Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House

Deschutes Brewery Bend Public House has been a mainstay since 1988, serving excellent hand-crafted cuisine alongside an impressive list of beers. The restaurant’s dark wood tone confers a bold and luxurious feel, creating a subtly opulent ambiance. Begin your culinary experience with a small plate of chicken wings, artichoke cheese dip, or cajun fries. Alternatively, start with one of the salad options, including burrata, house, or Caesar salad.

Their pub favorites include fish & chips, mac & cheese, steak frites, and pan-seared coho salmon. If you’re a pizza enthusiast, choose the barbecue chicken, Meathead, goat, or forager. Enjoy tasty burgers and sandwiches, including the elk burger, Nashville chicken sandwich, and steak sandwich. Cap off your meal with peanut butter pie or sumptuous Bonta gelato.

McKay Cottage Restaurant

McKay Cottage Restaurant is renowned for its exquisite breakfast menu. This famous eatery lies in a 1916 bungalow with an outdoor tented seating section, creating a unique dining experience. The breakfast menu features numerous treats, including gourmet sandwiches, burritos, and biscuits & gravy. Other popular morning dishes include stuffed French toast, strawberry crepes, and buttermilk pancakes.

You may also choose from several Benedict and hash options, including Baja chicken hash stack, black butte benny, or classic Benedict. If you prefer a delightful morning pastry, choose from muffins, coffee cake, pecan sticky buns, or cinnamon rolls. The restaurant bakes fresh homemade items daily, ensuring wholesome treats. The apple-cranberry oat berry and cottage granola add to an already impressive breakfast list.

Fine Dining Experiences

Ariana

Ariana lies on Bend’s west side within an artisan bungalow, offering a simple yet graceful white and black decor. This famous eatery in the heart of Oregon delivers a unique culinary experience thanks to Chef Andres and Ariana’s ingenuity in utilizing local produce. The appetizer list includes Pacific Northwest oysters, Sicilian-style calamari, bone marrow, and carpaccio. If you prefer keeping things light, try one of the soup options, including beet, radicchio, and soup du jour.

Enjoy sumptuous pork, black cod, fillet mignon, rabbit, or lamb neck entrees. Pair your plate with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, or champagne. Other popular drinks include cocktails, beer, blended whiskey, brandy, and liqueurs, while iced tea, coffee, and soda pop make up the non-alcoholic list. Cap off your meal with a tasty dessert of fromage, chocolate, passion fruit, or Italian-inspired Mozza’s Budino.

Kanpai

Kanpai is Bend’s number-one go-to for the best sushi, serving locals and visitors for the last 11 years. The restaurant’s dark-themed setting creates a cozy, more enclosed ambiance while giving the space a more contemporary look. Start your culinary experience with a Kanpai or Sunomono salad, tofu, fried green beans, or broiled mussels. Next, try one of their specialty rolls, which include the Flying Kamikaze, Kanpai Roll, Hattori Hanzo, Tsunami, or Samurai.

Explore three delightful combination platters, including the Sashimi, Sushi, and Nigiri combos. The menu also features Japanese Wagyu, pork belly ramen, poke bowls, and four oyster options. Given the restaurant’s popularity, you’re highly encouraged to make reservations to avoid missing out on a table.

Bosa Food & Drink

Treat your taste buds to Bend’s finest Italian-French cuisine at Bosa Food & Drink. The restaurant features a blend of two-seater and four-seater tables alongside bar seating on a well-lit table, allowing for a solo dining experience. Start with an appetizer of grilled calamari, warm mixed olives, fried wild shrimp, or bosa meatballs. If you prefer a salad, try the gem lettuce or Insalata, which features radishes, turnips, and mixed greens.

Dishes from the grill include flat iron steak, pork chops, and bone-in ribeye. The Rotisserie offers a sumptuous half-natural chicken cooked with savory herbs, sauteed greens, and virgin olive oil. Pair your entree with black pearl mushrooms, whipped potatoes, or Italian-style greens. For your second course, explore seven pasta varieties, including Rigatoni, Fusilli, Agnolotti, and Gnocchetti Sardi.

Popular Street Food Spots

Chulitas

This famous food truck lies in Boneyard Pub in downtown Bend, offering delicious Mexican-themed foods. The Con Nachos y Todo is one of their favorite dishes, featuring chips served with black beans, salsa, onions, and spicy queso. Another beloved culinary delight is the Corn Esquites – a popular Mexican street food that incorporates corn served with cotija, lime, and chili powder served in a cup. Other fan favorites include the garlic shrimp street tacos and housemade Horchata.

Manzanita Grill

Manzanita Grill is one of Bend’s highest-rated food trucks, serving delicious tacos alongside numerous small bites. The grilled shrimp tacos come with jalapenos and delicious grilled onions, making them a must-try. The Nashville chicken sliders feature drumsticks marinated in honey, hot sauce, and buttermilk, fried to crispy perfection, and served with Sriracha honey aioli, promising an explosion of flavors.

Tacos Pihuamo

Tacos Pihuamo has quickly cemented its place as one of Bend’s best food trucks. They serve tasty street tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and combination plates. Their torta features a variety of meats, making it a favorite among locals, while the burrito Gigante is the go-to if you’re exceptionally starving.

For Something Sweet

Here are a few places worth checking out if you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. The Lemon Tree offers a list of freshly baked pastries, including chocolate flourless espresso torte, lemon-toasted coconut cake, and carrot cake. Bonta Natural Artisan Gelato serves tasty scoops of 18 hand-crafted Italian gelato flavors, including creamy caramel, French sea salt, and cardamom. Nancy P’s Cafe & Bakery is your one-stop shop for delicious pastries, including croissants, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cupcakes, pies, and cakes.

Book Your Bend Vacation Rental Today

If you’re a food enthusiast looking for a riveting culinary escapade, Bend features numerous exquisite eateries, promising an exciting experience that will tickle your taste buds. Before setting out on your Bend vacation, book the city’s finest Bend holiday rentals with Bend Vacation Rentals. We offer multiple high-end vacation rentals in Bend, ranging from one-bed rentals to six-bed homes, allowing for a romantic getaway with your partner or a wholesome escape with family or friends. Our Bend Oregon vacation rentals feature top-notch amenities, including spacious living rooms, fully-stocked kitchens, comfortable bedrooms, modern bathrooms, and convenient locations, giving you proximity to the city’s best attractions. Contact us today to secure your Bend vacation rental early and prepare for the culinary experience of a lifetime. Don’t miss our pet-friendly Bend, Oregon vacation homes.

Come and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day 2020 in Bend, Oregon this year. We know how to have a good time here, and you’ll get to celebrate in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. The beer is tasty, the weather is fine, and there are countless ways to enjoy the holiday.

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend

Joining us for a holiday weekend is a great way to experience Bend. Come attend our St. Patrick’s Day Dash on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, March 14th. It’s the 9th annual dash presented by the Mt. Bachelor Rotary Club, and it doubles as a challenging activity and a charity event (raising money for the Family Access Network). Gear up in green and join us for this 5K fun run!

You have all weekend to experience the Bend town, so why not hit up a wide variety of different activities over the weekend? Pay a visit to Newberry National Volcanic Monument for some stellar views and a breath of fresh, natural air. To explore the city, join the Bend Scavenger Hunt Walking Tour. This is an awesome way to see the whole Bend town in one whirlwind day; a great Sunday activity.

A great way to spend Monday would be paying a visit to the Pilot Butte State Scenic Viewpoint, or maybe even taking a tour into the world of mountain biking with Cog Wild Bicycle Tours & Shuttles.

St. Patrick’s Day 2020 in Bend

On Tuesday (St. Patrick’s Day 2020 in Bend), spend the day where the trees are evergreen! It does depend on the snow depth, but you can usually still ski this time of year, so grab your chance while you can. This is a great way to work up an appetite for later, when you’re celebrating the evening of the holiday in town. Head to the Brown Owl at 7:00pm for a St. Patty’s Party: a free show for all ages featuring live performances of traditional Irish music. Afterwards, head over to The Dogwood Tail Cabin for some artisan cocktails and gourmet bar snacks. Another perfect bar for St. Patrick’s Day is The Stihl Whiskey Bar, where they serve over 400 different whiskeys. The featured drink right now is the Ginger Cube (a cube of ginger brew with a Bulleit Bourbon pour over), and it’s the perfect drink to end the night with.

Spend Your Stay with Bend Vacation Rentals

Whatever St. Patrick’s shenanigans you get up to during your stay here, you’ll want only the best of our vacation rentals in Bend to rest in between activities. Simply head over to our catalog today and take the first step toward your Bend vacation.

When you’re coming to see the Bend beauty as a solo traveler, you’re going to want some activities that are fun to do on your own. We’ve got you covered with a crash course on Bend activities for the solo traveler. There’s never a shortage of things to do, so here’s a few to get you started:

Visit a Museum

Museums are the perfect activity to do as a solo traveler, because you’ll be able to set your own pace and explore to your heart’s desire. Visit the High Desert Museum, a nature preserve you can find on 135 beautiful acres of forest. If you love nature and wildlife, this is the museum for you. Make sure to visit the Deschutes Historical Museum too if you have a love of history.

Explore the Newberry National Volcanic Monument

This breathtaking area will provide you views that will stand out in your memory forever. The Newberry Volcano hasn’t erupted in almost 100,000 years. The last time it did erupt, it formed the oasis-like caldera where we love to go hiking and fishing today.

Go Skiing on Mt. Bachelor

Make sure to visit the crowning jewel, the Bend beauty: Mt. Bachelor. Skiing is  one of the best Bend activities to do on your own, when you can take the day at your own speed, choose your own ski runs, and enjoy the company of the mountain, the snow dusted trees, and the blue sky above. You can even take skiing lessons if you’ve never done it before. Now’s as good a time as any to start!

Take a Tour of Deschutes Brewery

This brewery offers a tour every day. When you take the tour with them, you’ll get to step behind the veil of the brewing process and see how it’s all done in this historical brewery. We all know and love Deschutes Brewery, and you’ll love it too, especially with all the complimentary beer samples, plus the 19 different beers on tap.

Dine in Style

Grab a table for one at one of our favorite local bars and eateries. Make sure to visit Anthony’s at the Old Mill District, Zydeco Kitchen & Cocktails, and McKay Cottage Restaurant while you’re here in town with us.

Spend Your Stay with Bend Vacation Rentals & Bend Activities

Get started on planning your solo trip to Bend today. Head over to our catalog to take a look at all our vacation rentals that have been designed for the solo traveler. Somewhere amongst them, your vacation home awaits!

Bend is beautiful this time of year, and there’s no better place to take your loved one on a well-deserved and well-timed vacation. Here are some suggestions for romantic Bend activities you can do together while you’re here for Valentine’s Day 2020.

A PC Valentine’s Day

This blasé stage show looks like it’s going to be a real hit. Written by two local playwrights from right here in Bend, this show is a fun approach to Valentine’s Day in a world where the holiday can sometimes be taken a little too seriously. You’ll fall in love with this variety sketch style show featuring multiple stories. Catch the last two shows on February 1st at 7:00pm and February 2nd at 5:30pm. Tickets are only $20, which for Valentine’s Day Bend activities is a steal!

Attend Oregon Winterfest

This event is some of the most fun that Oregon gets up to all year long! Enjoy live music, local brews, and even a heated marketplace where you can warm up together from the February chills. General admission is $10, and that gets you into all three days of the festival, from February 14th-16th. However, you can also purchase access to addition fun events, such as the Wine Walk, the Hot Cocoa Run, and the Royal Run 5K. This is the largest winter festival in all of Oregon, so you won’t want to miss it. Attending a big festival is the perfect date!

Date Day at the Old Mill District

For another great Valentine’s day activity, head to Old Mill District and make an entire day of hanging out there, exploring the shops, grabbing food at one of the many establishments, and whiling the day away without worries or cares. Make the centerpiece of this day a wine tasting at VA Piano Vineyards Tasting Room. This classy tasting room experience will really make your Bend holiday stand out, and it’s a great way to end the afternoon with a bang. The atmosphere is both cozy and fancy, and the staff is very friendly. They’re always eager to make your experience truly special, which is exactly what you want on a special Bend holiday like this.

Choose a Romantic Rental and Enjoy the Best Bend Activities

However you decide to spend your days with your loved one enjoying romantic Bend activities, you’ll be just as excited to return home in the evening to your lovely and comfortable rental home. Head over to our catalog to pick yours out now and get ahead of the Valentine’s rush!

With all Bend has to offer—from the sports you can participate out on the water, to the unbeatable restaurants in town, all the way to the secluded forest trails where you could spend days simply walking—you’ll be hard pressed to see it all! Why not try taking one of the popular Bend tours with someone who knows the best spots in Bend like the back of their hand?

Bend Tours: Arts & Culture

The Bend Tour Company is the master of tours here in Bend, and one of our favorites that they offer is this comprehensive tour of the city’s art and cultural scenes. You’ll get to explore both public art and art displayed in private spaces, all while learning about the diverse culture of the area. Embark from Old Mill District in an open-air electric touring car and simply kick back and enjoy yourself.

Bend City Sights and Brewery Combo

This mixed and matched tour of sightseeing and brewery exploration offered through The Bend Tour Company is a 2-hit combo that you’ll adore. You’ll get a tour of the city, and along the way you’ll get to stop at some of the famous breweries here in town and taste some of that lovingly brewed beer for yourself. Your guide will be both friendly and knowledgeable, and you’ll even learn a thing or two along the way!

Deschutes River Horse Ride

This Bend tour offered through Wilderness Horse Adventures is a custom adventure, totally one of a kind. There are different rides you can take, from a coffee and croissants breakfast ride to a sunset tapas ride. You’ll even get to participate in activities like fly fishing on this active and relaxing 3-hour tour.

Bend Badlands ATV Tour

If you have a need for speed and an ache for adventure, check out this tour offered through Outriders Northwest. This is one of the most fun you can possibly have on an outdoor activity in Bend. You’ll get a 4-seater ATV and 3 hours to kill out in the wilds of Oregon. You’ll never forget this tour. Remember to take your camera along, because the sights you’ll see from the ATV will take your breath away.

Start your Trip with Bend Vacation Rentals

Whatever tours you plan to embark upon during your stay here, you’ll want to make the center of your vacation a comfortable rental home. Call us today at 541-385-9492 and we’ll help you find the perfect one for you!

As a vacation destination, Bend, Oregon is open all year round. But winter is always a special time of the year for visitors. There’s a lot of fun Bend winter activities to enjoy in this paradise. Blessed with record snowfall every year, the area enjoys some of the best powder snow in the country, something that all winter sports enthusiasts crave and seek. So if you’re wondering what you’re going to do in Bend this winter, buckle up, because this is one thrilling ride that will stick in your memory for years to come.

Nordic Skiing

The top of the list of every visitor is reserved for Nordic Bend skiing. This ancient practice goes back thousands of years, when people in Northern Europe used it to travel around. It is an exhilarating experience that puts you face to face with Mother Nature in its raw and sublime state. Similar to summer hiking, Nordic skiing sees you traversing trails covered with untouched snow. Make sure to stick to the trails and travel in groups.

Alpine Bend Skiing

Bend is nestled nicely at the base of Mt. Bachelor, which provides some of the best skiing trails you can come across in the lower 48. So if winter is your season and skiing is your sport, Mt. Bachelor should be on your bucket list. Here you will have 360 degrees of accessible terrains, dry powder snow, and breathtaking views you won’t get anywhere else.

Dog Sled Rides

With so much easy terrain covered with the best snow the skies have to offer, this is your opportunity to get on a sled ride where dogs do all the work. Take part in one of the many tours offered by the local businesses and get a dream ride unlike any other. Many of these dogs have competed in the Iditarod, so you’ll be riding with champions.

Tubing

When you’ve had your fill of skiing and made your journey with the athletic dogs, you may want to give tubing a try. Instead of sleds, you use rubber to carry you down the slopes. The ride is long and full of screams of joy and excitement, so it’s easy to see why this sport is getting more and more popular with the visitors and locals alike.

Bend, Oregon, is the place to be this winter. With amazing dry powder snow and some of the best terrain in the country, winter has never been more fun. Call us today to find out more about Bend winter activities and to book your vacation rental.

Bend, Oregon is the pace to go for countless pursuits. Always at the top of the list are the beer and the amazing natural beauty, but the shopping throughout town is as good as you will find anywhere. This wide range of attractions makes this the perfect place to travel for even the most diverse groups of travelers. The following are the three spots for Bend shopping that you will not want to miss.

Old Mill District

Simply walking through this beautiful area provides for a fun-filled day, but when you consider all of the amazing shops throughout the area, you could spend an entire week exploring here and not get sick of it. Among all that there is to see and do, you can find over 40 shops ranging from local boutiques to classic, national outlets. Desperado is a boutique offering some of the most unique fashion for men and women. Francesca’s is the go-to spot for high-quality apparel, jewelry, and décor. You will also find classics like Lululemon, Banana Republic, REI, and much more.

Cascade Village Shopping Center

Situated on the north side of town, you will find everything you need at the Cascade Village Shopping Center. This open-air shopping center provides the perfect opportunity to get outside and explore Bend, all the while having the opportunity to visit over 30 merchants like Men’s Wearhouse, World Market, Bed Bath and Beyond, and so much more. You will find a wonderful blend of opportunities for shopping for utility, fashion, convenience, and everything in between.

Hot Box Betty

This upscale women’s boutique is the place to go for women’s fashion. They carry some of the most unique and beautiful clothing, accessories, and jewelry in Bend. Items you will find here come from some of the most fashion-forward places in the world like New York and Paris to name just a couple. Find it at 903 NW Wall Street.

Find an Amazing Vacation Rental

Travelers also fall in love with Bend because of the amazing vacation rentals that you can find throughout town. There is something for everyone, and it has never been easier to find the perfect one for you thanks to Bend Vacation Rentals. As one of the most prominent vacation rental companies in town, we offer one of the widest selections of the highest quality homes in Bend. Throughout these homes, you can expect space for fun and relaxing, beautiful furniture throughout living rooms and dining rooms, a kitchen fit for the Food Network, and so much more to love. From the largest mansions in Bend to trendy condos in the downtown area, you can expect the utmost in quality with Bend Vacation Rentals. Find the perfect spot for you and your group by contacting us today!

There is always something fun going on in Bend. This packed schedule, along with the incredible beauty here, make it a no-brainer destination for a vacation regardless of the time of year. But when the fall season is in full swing and Halloween is coming around, there are more reasons than ever to visit Bend. This is because you will find many ideas on what to do in Bend to celebrate this fun holiday.

Old Mill District Halloween Party

Join this lively community in the beautiful area of the Old Mill District for a night of fun and plenty of treats. Along with a costume contest for humans and pets, visitors can enjoy a reptile petting zoo, arts and crafts, hayrides, and so much more. Enjoy music from local artists along with incredible local craft beverages like hot cider, unique beers, and some Halloween-inspired concoctions. Find it on Halloween night from 4 to 7 pm throughout the streets of the Old Mill District.

Enjoy Some Ghost Stories

Like any city with a rich history, Bend has its share of haunted locations. Halloween is the best time to check some of these places out hearing spooky stories of their history. The Deschutes Historical Society leads tours of some of the local favorites every October. The tour starts at the museum where a man fell to his death during its construction in 1914, and after all these years he can still be heard roaming the museum’s halls. You will also explore the Old St. Francis School and the O’Kane Building, among many others.

Fun at the High Desert Museum

You can always count on a fun Halloween at the High Desert Museum, where it is custom to share some local cautionary tales with the help of many live animals. Enjoy costume contests, Halloween snacks, and much more. Find the museum at 59800 US-97.

Find a Not-So-Spooky Vacation Home

There are plenty of spooky suggestions on what to do in Bend this Halloween, but finding a vacation home that you love is not one of them, especially when you take advantage of the services of Bend Vacation Rentals, one of the top such companies in Central Oregon. When you look through the listings that we provide, you will not find any haunted houses, but properties that provide all of the comforts of home along with some luxurious twists consistent with world-class resorts: spacious floor plans house high-quality furniture, cozy beds, flat-screen TVs, fireplaces, gourmet kitchens, and so much more. Find the vacation home of your dream by browsing our selection of Bend rental homes today!

If you close your eyes tightly and use your remaining senses, you can feel that summer is drawing to a close. The sun shines a little less brightly, the darkness falls faster, and the smell of pumpkins, hay rides, and Halloween candy is just beginning to tickle your nostrils. And while we love fall with all our hearts, saying goodbye to summer is always a sad moment for us; summers always bring us back to our youth, and the long, lazy days that seemed to be filled with so much promise.

If you’re like us, and are not quite ready to don your corduroys and sweaters. Never fear: There’s still a few more summer days left for flip flops, ice cream, and frolicking in the sun. Here’s a few end of summer activities in Bend to get you started during your unforgettable Bend vacation!

Visit a Volcano

Newberry National Volcanic Monument is kind of big deal in this area, and with heights reaching as high as 8000 feet, hiking Paulina Peak is NOT something you want to wait till winter to do. The weather is perfect and the time is right to explore ancient craters and lava flows in Bend.

The Bend Ale Trail

Summer days are only enhanced by the taste of an ice-cold beer sliding smoothly down your throat, and Bend has been nicknamed Beer Town USA; there are more breweries (and wineries, for those of you with a more sophisticated palate) in our small town than are in towns much larger. Take a brewery tour along the Bend Ale Trail and enjoy a taste of Bend safely.

Laughter is Good for the Soul at these Activities in Bend

The Central Oregon comedy scene offers Comedy Thursday Nights at the Summit Saloon, and the more you laugh, the younger you look! This is the spot where future Oregon superstars are discovered and current stars can’t stay away from. Saying so long to summer isn’t so bad when you can do it with a laugh!

Explore Art

Stop by the Bend Visitor Center and pick up a map for the Roundabout Art Route; in addition to galleries and stores, our art is also displayed out on the streets for everyone to enjoy! Save your pennies for souvenirs: This art tour is 100% free!

Don’t Do Anything at All

The best part of summer is spending long lazy days doing absolutely nothing, and what better place to do nothing than in your cozy Bend Vacation Rentals cabin? Sleep late, watch movies on the big screen, or watch the sunset from the porch with a glass of local wine. Summer will soon be over, and the hustle and bustle of the holidays will arrive before you know it! Reserve yours today!