Tin Shed Garden Cafe

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Coordinates: 45°33′32″N 122°39′03″W / 45.5590°N 122.6509°W / 45.5590; -122.6509
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"Tin Shed" redirects here. For the former Sydney art collective, see Tin Sheds.

Tin Shed Garden Cafe
Colorful logo with the text "Tin Shed"
Photograph of the exterior of a building
The restaurant's exterior in 2022
Map
Restaurant information
Established2002 (2002)
Owner(s)
  • Christie Griffin
  • Janette Kaden
Food typeAmerican[1][2]
Street address1438 Northeast Alberta Street
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97211
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°33′32″N 122°39′03″W / 45.5590°N 122.6509°W / 45.5590; -122.6509
Websitetinshedgardencafe.com

Tin Shed Garden Cafe, often abbreviated as Tin Shed, is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon's King neighborhood. Co-owned by Christie Griffin and Janette Kaden, the dog-friendly cafe opened in 2002 and serves American cuisine.

Tin Shed has appeared on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and in a PBS documentary called Breakfast Special. It has garnered a positive reception, mostly as a brunch destination. Yelp ranked Tin Shed the most dog-friendly eatery in the country in 2023.

Description[edit]

Tin Shed Garden Cafe is a restaurant on Alberta Street in northeast Portland's King neighborhood.[3][4] The lesbian-owned[5] café has an outdoor dining area, a stone fireplace and chimney, an herb garden,[6] and a menu for dogs.[7][8][9] Tin Shed hosts Doggie Love Night on Tuesdays, as of 2018.[10][11] The promotion allows patrons to purchase a "people-priced" item for a free dog dinner.[12] The restaurant provides cookies and water to dogs at no cost.[13]

Tin Shed has also hosted live music performances.[14] The New York Times has said the business "draws the flannel-and-fleece crowd to its rustic patio".[15]

Menu[edit]

Tin Shed serves salmon and veggie burgers, as well as soups and sandwiches.[16] The regular menu has a dish called The Cure, which has buttermilk biscuits and gravy with apple-wood smoked bacon or mushroom-rosemary varieties.[12] The Way Out West has corn tortillas, jasmine rice, ranchero beans, two eggs, Tillamook cheddar, and salsa fresca.[17] The restaurant has also served breakfast burritos, cheese grits,[18] omelettes,[19] shredded-potato cakes, egg and tofu scrambles,[20] Bloody Marys, and vegetarian options.[21] Among the dog-themed scrambles are the Fetch with eggs and bacon, and the Stay, which has greens, mushrooms, and roasted sweet potatoes.[22]

The dog menu has included free range meat options;[20] chicken, ground beef, or pork mixed with rice or sweet potatoes; and peanut butter banana ice cream.[23]

History[edit]

Co-owners Christie Griffin and Janette Kaden opened Tin Shed in 2002.[24][25] The restaurant had approximately 30 employees, as of 2005.[26] In 2010, Tin Shed was one of fourteen businesses seeking an exemption to a city ban on the use of public sidewalks for storing trash.[27] The business sold bandanas for dogs, which benefiited the Odd Man Inn Animal Refuge, as of 2016.[28]

In 2020, Tin Shed was forced to close temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic, but reopened with patio service by early September.[3] The restaurant uses compostable packaging and utensils, as of 2020.[25]

Guy Fieri visited Tin Shed for an episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.[29][30][31] In 2010, the restaurant was featured in a PBS documentary called Breakfast Special. In the show, Breakfast in Bridgetown author Paul Gerald describes how Tin Shed and the restaurant Helser's "helped transform a stretch of street, which at one point was known for having the highest number of drive-by shootings in the city, into one of the city's hippest neighborhoods", according to The Oregonian.[32][33] Chef Nathan Lyon has also visited the restaurant for an episode of Good Food America.[34]

Reception[edit]

Photograph of the interior of a restaurant
The restaurant's interior in 2010

In 2009, The Oregonian described Tin Shed as a "throwback" to when "offbeat, multi-ethnic flavors" combined with the American breakfast and said, "In short, this is a restaurant with a personality, one that's hard to dislike."[35] The newspaper's Molly Harbarger and Michael Russell included Tin Shed in a 2019 guide of Portland's 40 best brunches.[36] Fast Company called Tin Shed "unprepossessing" and said it is "as famous for its brunch as it is for its high tolerance for dogs in 2010".[37]

In 2006, Willamette Week readers ranked the café first in the Best Brunch category of the annual "Best of Portland" readers' poll.[38] The restaurant won in the Best Hangover Brunch category in 2007.[39] Tin Shed was a runner-up in the category for best dog-friendly establishments in 2016 and 2017,[40][41] and the café placed second in the Best Brunch Spot category in 2020.[42] The newspaper has included Tin Shed in other lists of recommended cheap eats[43] and places to grab hangover brunch.[44]

Autostraddle, an online magazine for LGBT women, included Tin Shed in a 2012 "Queer Girl City Guide".[45] Kim Hoffman complimented the restaurant's "insane" benedicts in AfterEllen's 2015 city guide for Portland.[5] Carrie Uffindell included the café in Eater Portland's 2019 list of the city's "primo kid-friendly" restaurants,[46] and Brooke Jackson-Glidden and Michelle DeVona recommended the stack with scrambled eggs and grits or potato cakes and mushroom gravy in their 2020 guide to restaurants on Alberta Street.[47] Zoe Baillargeon and Janey Wong included Tin Shed in Eater Portland's 2023 overview of "real-deal" breakfasts in the city, calling Tin Shed a "breakfast hangout".[48]

Thrillist commented on how friendly Tin Shed was with dogs, additionally stating that it was an "exceptional brunch", offering some of the "best burgers" in Portland.[12][49] The website's Alex Frane included Tin Shed in a 2018 list of city's dog-friendly bars.[50] The Food Network has included the artichoke grilled cheese sandwich in a list of the top 16 vegetarian "favorites".[51] In 2023, Yelp ranked Tin Shed number one in a list of the nation's top 100 dog-friendly eateries.[52] The Oregonian's Michael Russell said of the list placement: "Usually I'm skeptical about these kinds of Internet lists, even the ones from Yelp... But in this case, I think they nailed it."[53]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Brunch in Portland: Top rated spots". KOIN.com. May 6, 2022. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  2. ^ Lonely Planet Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. Lonely Planet. 2017. ISBN 9781787010314. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Frane, Alex (June 18, 2020). "A List of Portland Restaurants Reopening for Patio or Dine-In Service". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  4. ^ Frane, Alex (May 23, 2016). "The Best Places in Portland to Brunch Al Fresco". The Daily Meal. Spanfeller Media Group. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Hoffman, Kim (June 26, 2015). "Keeping It Queer in Portland: A PDX City Guide". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on August 19, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Morris, Elizabeth; Morris, Mark; Jewell, Judy; McRae, W. C. (February 26, 2007). Moon Oregon. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-56691-930-2. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  7. ^ Cizmar, Martin (July 12, 2016). "Dogs Can Now Get Ice-Cream Headaches, Thanks to Portland's Best Dog Menu". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on November 6, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  8. ^ Portland Like a Local: By the People Who Call It Home. Penguin. September 27, 2022. ISBN 978-0-7440-7825-1. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "9 Restaurants with Special Menus for Your Dog (Yes, Your Dog)". Food & Wine. Dotdash Meredith. ISSN 0741-9015. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  10. ^ DeVona, Michelle; Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (June 19, 2017). "19 Dog-Friendly Bars and Restaurants in Portland, Mapped". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Best Dog Hikes Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. September 1, 2016. ISBN 978-1-4930-1926-7. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "Tin Shed". Thrillist. Vox Media. October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  13. ^ Carter, Kelly E. (April 1, 2014). The Dog Lover's Guide to Travel: Best Destinations, Hotels, Events, and Advice to Please Your Pet-and You. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4262-1276-5. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  14. ^ "Live Music Listings". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  15. ^ "Saved by Design in Portland (Published 2009)". The New York Times. January 29, 2009. OCLC 1645522. Archived from the original on September 19, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  16. ^ Gottberg, John; Lopeman, Elizabeth (June 1, 2010). Best Places: Portland, 8th Edition. Sasquatch Books. ISBN 978-1-57061-699-0. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  17. ^ "The Tin Shed in Northeast Portland has been ranked the No. 1 restaurant in the country for dog-friendly dining by Yelp". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  18. ^ "Tin Shed Garden Cafe". Willamette Week. March 19, 2008. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  19. ^ Mesh, Aaron (June 2, 2010). "Breakfast Of Champions". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  20. ^ a b Fodor's:
  21. ^ Lonely Planet Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest. Lonely Planet. April 1, 2017. ISBN 978-1-78701-031-4. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  22. ^ Hull, Robert (May 27, 2017). "Portland city guide: what to see plus the best hotels, bars and restaurants". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  23. ^ "Table for Fido: 6 Restaurants Featuring Menus for Dogs". Paste. ISSN 1540-3106. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  24. ^ Sawyer, Adam (October 1, 2018). Unique Eats and Eateries of Portland, Oregon. Reedy Press LLC. ISBN 978-1-68106-186-3. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  25. ^ a b Merzbach, Hanna (June 17, 2020). "Portland restaurants aim to cut waste, but recyclable and compostable take-out containers go to landfills". Street Roots. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  26. ^ Amara, Phil. "A Shed Ahead". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  27. ^ "Portland still grapples with sidewalk garbage bins". The Oregonian. March 22, 2010. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  28. ^ "5 Restaurants You Can Bring Your Dog To". 1859 Oregon's Magazine. April 22, 2016. OCLC 489252235. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  29. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (July 8, 2018). "27 Oregon restaurants Guy Fieri visited on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  30. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (February 8, 2019). "These are the Portland restaurants Guy Fieri visited on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives'". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  31. ^ "Comfort and Soul". Food Network. Archived from the original on February 20, 2022. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  32. ^ Butler, Grant (July 12, 2010). "PBS documentary 'Breakfast Special' features Portland restaurants Tin Shed Garden Cafe and Helser's On Alberta". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 14, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  33. ^ DeJesus, Erin (July 12, 2010). "Tin Shed and Helser's on PBS; Portobello's Vegan Pizza To-Go". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on February 5, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
  34. ^ "Tin Shed Garden Cafe & Zazu", IMDb, archived from the original on February 12, 2017, retrieved August 18, 2023
  35. ^ "Breakfast: Tin Shed vs. Helser's". The Oregonian. December 31, 2009. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  36. ^ Russell, Michael (April 11, 2019). "The ultimate guide to Portland's 40 best brunches". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  37. ^ Rambow, John (December 22, 2010). "Creative Destinations: Portland's Artisan Culture Is in Full Bloom". Fast Company. ISSN 1085-9241. Archived from the original on June 26, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  38. ^ "Best of Portland: Reader's Poll". Willamette Week. August 9, 2006. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  39. ^ "Readers Poll". Willamette Week. July 25, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  40. ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. July 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  41. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. July 12, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  42. ^ "Food, Drink, Restaurants". Willamette Week. July 21, 2020. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  43. ^ "Cheap Eats: Breakfast & Brunch". Willamette Week. March 28, 2007. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  44. ^ "Best Place to Grab a Hangover Brunch". Willamette Week. July 23, 2008. Archived from the original on August 18, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  45. ^ "Queer Girl City Guide: Portland, Oregon". Autostraddle. March 5, 2012. Archived from the original on August 15, 2023. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  46. ^ Moore, Jenni; Rogers, Levi (August 24, 2015). "Primo Kid-Friendly Restaurants in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  47. ^ Williams, Nathan; Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (October 10, 2016). "Where to Eat and Drink on Alberta". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on January 14, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  48. ^ Baillargeon, Zoe; Wong, Janey (February 16, 2016). "Where to Find a Real-Deal Breakfast in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  49. ^ Gentile, Dan (June 19, 2014). "10 restaurants where dogs are served steak, beer, and ice cream". Thrillist. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  50. ^ Frane, Alex (August 3, 2016). "The Best Bars to Drink With Your Dog in Portland". Thrillist. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2023.
  51. ^ "On the Road Eats: Vegetarian Favorites". Food Com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  52. ^ Rangel, Nina. "Three San Antonio spots land on Yelp's Top 100 Dog-Friendly Places to Eat list". San Antonio Current. Euclid Media Group. Archived from the original on August 11, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  53. ^ "This Portland restaurant is the most dog-friendly dining experience in America". The Oregonian. August 10, 2023. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.

External links[edit]

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