Draft:The Malarkey
| The Malarkey | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of The Malarkey | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Owners |
|
| Manager | Britt Starkey |
| Head chef | Jose "Lalo" Camarena |
| Chef | Carlos Anthony Ochoa |
| Food type | |
| Location | 1210 Northwest Hoyt Street, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′38″N 122°41′01″W / 45.5271°N 122.6836°W |
Seating capacity | 250 |
The Malarkey is a steakhouse and seafood restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. It opened in northwest Portland's Pearl District in 2026 and serves Pacific Northwest cuisine.
Description
[edit]The wood-fired steakhouse[1] and seafood restaurant The Malarkey operates at the intersection of 12th Avenue and Hoyt Street in northwest Portland's Pearl District. The 10,000-square-foot space has a seating capacity of 250 people.[2][3] The entrance has a ramp inspired by the Oregon Coast, featuring hand-drawn Meier & Frank fashion advertisements created by the owners' grandmother for The Oregonian during the 1950s and 1960s.[4] The restaurant also has a replica of the Jantzen Beach diving girl sign and a stage resembling a bonfire made of driftwood.[5]
The Portland-themed interior, described by Zoe Baillargeon of Eater Portland as "eclectic",[6] has a music posters and a structure commemorating Old Town Chinatown.[5] The main dining room is inspired by the city's Tualatin Mountains (also known as the West Hills) and has velvet booths and photographs of notable locals on the walls. Another room has graffiti and train-car doors. One of the two private dining areas is inspired by Enchanted Forest, an amusement park in Turner.[4]
Some of the walls and ceiling are painted bubblegum pink.[7] A motorcycle mounted to one wall references the 1991 film My Own Private Idaho and a stag statue above one bar is inspired by the Thompson Elk Fountain.[5] There is also a statue of Nike imported from Italy and stripper poles in the bathrooms. The event space can accommodate up to 60 people and has a "psychedelic forest" theme, with animals painted on the walls and branches on the ceiling.[5] One sunken bar is mid-century modern and another area is inspired by Hazel Ying Lee, who was born in Portland and became the first Chinese-American woman to fly airplanes for the U.S. military.[8] The Malarkey hosts disc jockeys on select nights.[4]
Menu
[edit]The restaurant uses Pacific Northwest ingredients. Seafood includes bay shrimp, beef, clams, halibut, oysters, Oregon albacore, salmon, and venison.[5] The hemp-raised beef is supplied by one of the owner's own ranch in Central Oregon.[1][9] The menu also has a baked potato, Caesar salad,[7] ceviche, crab cakes, roasted chicken, fritters with geoduck, apple tart served à la mode, and Mexican-American options.[1][8] Steak is served with salsa verde and horseradish cream. The Caesar has halibut ceviche with albacore, oysters, and salmon crudo. The steelhead aguachile has cucumbers and strawberries.[7]
History
[edit]Brothers Brian and James Malarkey opened the restaurant on July 31, 2026,[10][11] in the space that previously housed Oba and had been vacant since 2017.[12] The Malarkey is the 24th restaurant opened by Brian, but the only the second with James. The Malarkey is the brothers' second restaurant in Oregon and the first in Portland.[5]
Jose "Lalo" Camarena was confirmed as the opening executive chef in April 2026. The menu developed by Camarena and Brian Malarkey was influenced by both of their grandmothers' cooking and recipes.[1][12][13] Britt Starkey and Alejandro de la Parra are the opening general manager and beverage director, respectively.[4] Carlos Anthony Ochoa was hired as an opening chef.[5]
Reception
[edit]Approaching the restaurant's opening, Zoe Baillargeon of Eater Portland said to "expect an over-the-top and energetic dining experience befitting [Brian] Malarkey's showman style of hospitality".[6]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Baillargeon, Zoe (2026-06-10). "7 Anticipated Portland Restaurants and Bars to Keep an Eye on This Summer". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2026-07-27. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2026-02-04). "Portland's most anticipated restaurants of 2026: Southern barbecue, Northern Thai and one standout smash burger". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2026-02-10. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ "Foodie Friday: PNW fire-grilled classics at The Malarkey". KOIN.
- ^ a b c d Russell, Michael (2026-07-30). "Velvet booths? Stripper poles? Meet The Malarkey, celebrity chef's over-the-top Portland steakhouse (photos)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ a b c d e f g Russell, Michael (2026-02-02). "Celebrity chef's new Portland steakhouse will have stripper poles in bathrooms, motorcycle on wall". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2026-02-16. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ a b Baillargeon, Zoe (2026-07-30). "11 Standout Openings to Know Around Portland in July". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ a b c Gebel, Meira (2026-07-30). "Brian Malarkey goes big for his Portland restaurant debut". Axios Portland. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ a b Seibold, Hannah (2026-07-18). "This new steakhouse coming to downtown Portland means no malarkey". Portland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2026-07-21. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ Frane, Alex (2026-03-25). "Portland's Most Anticipated Restaurants for Spring and Summer 2026". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ Costello, Lindsay (2026-07-27). "The Mercury's Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for July 27-August 2". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2026-07-28. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ Russell, Michael (2026-07-01). "A 'Top Chef' finalist just announced the opening date for his new Portland steakhouse". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ a b "Pearl District to get celebrity chef-driven steak, seafood grill". Portland Business Journal. 2026-04-30. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
- ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2026-04-29). "A República Alum Will Bring Cowboy Energy to Brian Malarkey's New Portland Steakhouse". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2026-07-18. Retrieved 2026-07-30.
External links
[edit]External media
[edit]- New restaurant, The Malarkey, opens in the Pearl district July 31st, KGW
- Foodie Friday: PNW fire-grilled classics at The Malarkey on YouTube, KOIN
- A ‘Top Chef’ finalist just announced the opening date for his new Portland steakhouse on YouTube, The Oregonian
- The Malarkey, a Pearl District steakhouse from celebrity chef Brian Malarkey, The Oregonian
