Last month on a quick trip to Portland, we met with a good friend at one of the city’s oldest establishments. Our schedules meshed at 11 a.m. on a Friday, so the natural choice was brunch at Besaw’s, which touts its “bona fide comfort food” and is known for its warm, friendly service and innovative drinks.

Opened in 1903, it was the dreamchild of George Besaw and Medric Liberty, two loggers who wanted to open their own beer parlor and gambling hall and who gained the financial backing of successful brewer Henry Weinhard. Located near the site of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition (akin to a World’s Fair), the business boomed. With the onset of Prohibition, the focus turned to simple home cooking, and Besaw bought out Liberty. After Prohibition’s repeal, the establishment was granted the first liquor license in Oregon. Throughout its history it has been a popular, unpretentious community hangout and purveyor of good food and stiff drinks.

Originally located on N.W. 23rd Street, which over the past 20 years or so has become gentrified and trendy, the restaurant was finally forced out of its old home in 2015. Happily, it reopened last year just a few blocks away and just celebrated its 114th birthday. The new space, roomier and well-designed, features high ceilings; large, east-facing windows admitting plenty of natural light; custom-designed wallpaper; and unique lighting fixtures. To one side sits a large bar, and a diner-like counter faces the kitchen. Booths hug the perimeter of the dining room while tables fill in the center of the space.

Our server offered to take our drinks order and listed the day’s specials while we perused the menu. I really wanted to order the wild mushrooms with housemade sausage special, but it was a Friday in Lent, and being a conscientious (though sorely tempted) Catholic girl, I opted for a bacon-free Farmer’s Hash. Chock-full of roasted potatoes and garlic, Brussels sprouts, cheddar cheese and scrambled eggs and served with a from-scratch biscuit, it left me plenty satisfied.

When given the chance, my husband tests the skill of the chef with a Reuben sandwich, and he proclaimed the pastrami-heaped, served-on-marbled-rye-with-red-cabbage-kraut Besaw’s version one of the best, ever. Daughter Jenny, harking back to her days in Paris, ordered a Croque Madame, pleased she could specify the sunny-side up eggs cooked just to her preferred non-runny perfection. The portions were hot and generous, and though the restaurant was moderately busy, our server didn’t rush us at all and took time to make some pleasant conversation.

The only drawback to the entire experience was the difficulty in finding parking nearby. Construction sites and equipment gobbled several on-street slots, and there were no surface pay lots in the vicinity. Your best bet would be to take the Portland Streetcar from downtown or Uber it. Even with the parking hassle, Besaw’s great food and friendly staff made it worth the effort.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor