Drive through the Columbia River Gorge to The Dalles, Oregon and experience the East Gorge Food Trail. Here are some stops on the way.
The East Gorge Food Trail will make your trip even more delicious. The trail starts near Mosier, and continues 16 miles along the Columbia River to The Dalles for more tasty food. Along the river, there are 30 farms and other farm-fresh businesses. A few others can be found further inland. The Dalles hosts many farms, orchards and wineries along with fruit stands and farm-to table eateries.
The trail is designed for you to enjoy at your own pace. It offers many tasty treats depending on the season. You can call ahead to confirm that the business will be open. The local establishments along the trail source their ingredients from within a 150-mile radius to support smaller regional communities as well as the unique landscape.
The Dalles Farmers Market
It is a great place to try local food from the sources that are located along the trail. On Saturdays, from mid-June to mid-October, you can stop at The Dalles Farmers Market in The Dalles City Park and buy fresh fruits, vegetables, fish and honey.
A foodie experience in The Dalles
My daughter Brittney, and I recently spent a few nights exploring The Dalles’ food and beverage trail. For two days, we visited wineries, coffee shops, museums and other delicious venues.
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Freebridge Brewery
We met Steve and Laurie Light at Freebridge Brewing. Steve brews Northwest ales and German Lagers. The brewery has a relaxed atmosphere and a wide selection of beer. Brittney and i enjoyed the Slap & Pickle Gose and Onlycrans Cranberry Gose beers. We tried two delicious pizzas. The Harvest Pizza was our favorite. It had Honeycrisp apples on top of crumbled blue and Parmesan cheeses, asiago, bacon, and honey drizzled over it.
Freebridge Brewery. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
The Workshop
The East Gorge Food Trail is not just about tasty food and drinks. There are a few other stops worth visiting.
Lindsey Glamei is the owner of The Workshop which specializes in wood laser engraving. She offers beautiful products, which she can personalize by engraving. She also offers bulk engraving at events and classes on-site.
Lindsey creates custom wooden tokens to be used in bars, as gifts and coupons. Her wooden tokens have been used in many creative ways. The Dalles Chamber of Commerce purchased wooden tokens to give people discounts in various parts of town.
Workshop on East Gorge Trail. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
The Sunshine Mill HTML0
Vicki Byrd, the manager of the Sunshine Mill tasting room, was our next stop. Sunshine Mill is a winery that serves many different wines. It also houses the Quenett and Copa Di Vino. Sunshine Biscuit Company once owned the building. They were the makers of Cheez-It Crackers. Visitors like Brittney, who is here with me, can now taste wine and book event space at the renovated mill area. They can also enjoy small plates such as baked brie and raspberry jam or wine flights.
The Sunshine Mills offers wine and food at The Dalles. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Kainos Coffee and Food at The Dalles
Mary is the creative manager and concept creator of Kainos Coffee. She and her husband Marten have opened the first Kainos Coffee store in Portland, Oregon. Kainos Coffee, The Dalles roasts all its coffee beans in-house. In this welcoming and warm space, Kainos serves pizza and pastries.
Weekends feature live entertainment. In the evening, you can enter the speakeasy hidden behind the coffee shop. You will find the secret entrance in the back leading to an enjoyable retro-styled space, with mood lighting and a variety of food options. There are jazz bands and open mics on some nights. On our visit, we enjoyed classic cocktails as well as a Neopolitan style pizza with homemade sausages and kalamata Olives.
Kainos Coffee. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
We were energized by a restful night at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Marriott The Dalles and ready to explore the East Gorge Trail.
T & T Coffee and Bagels
The second day started outside, at T & T Coffee & Bagels ‘firepit. This drive-up kiosk has a few chairs and fire tables for people to sit around. It makes a delicious cup of Joe.
T & T Coffee and Bagels Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Klindt’s Booksellers
We then walked down the street to visit Oregon’s oldest bookshop, Klindt’s Booksellers. Joaquin Perez, Kristin and Kristin are the third generation to own the store since its opening in 1870. In 1894, the bookstore moved to its present location across the street. Joaquin told me that he decided what to sell by saying, “If you want it, we’ll sell it.” During the pandemic he began selling toys, while previous owners sold clothing, furniture and firearms.
Klindt’s Booksellers has a great selection of books. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
The Riv Cafe and Food at The Dalles
Next stop, the Riv Cafe to have some breakfast. This cafe serves breakfast and lunch at a renovated church that was built in the early 1900s. The cafe roasts its own Riv coffee beans, and it serves delicious food. The fried chicken waffles were perfect for a late morning breakfast.
The Riv Cafe serves up fried chicken and waffles. The Riv Cafe.
Tierra De Lobos Winery is located on the riverbank, where Adolfo & Gabino started their dream in 2012 of making wine. Both grow their own grapes and harvest them themselves. Winery offers a variety of Spanish wine varietals. One is a sweet red wine called “Tinto Dulce” that makes an amazing sangria. This wine is one I’ve purchased before. It pairs well with shrimp dipped in hot oil and garlic and served with soft French bread.
Tierra de Lobos Winery. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Sandoz Farm and Food at The Dalles
Sandoz Farm offers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. They also sell old-fashioned jams in cans, pickled veggies, and meats from local suppliers. The farm has been around for over 100 years. It also includes an antique schoolhouse. Sandoz Farms offers fun pumpkin patch activities for kids in the fall.
Sandoz Farm is a meat and pickled product supplier. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Scooper McQuades
A new ice-cream shop opened last year on the main street, Scooper McQuades. Brittney and Lisa, from The Dalles Chamber of Commerce, and I enjoyed a huge bowl of ice-cream nachos during our visit with Morgan Miller. The ice cream was covered in waffle cones with two topping options and whipped creamy. Scooper McQuades, which opened its full coffee bar in mid-December 2022, now also offers Italian sodas and other drinks like fountain drinks. In addition to candy, the shop offers a variety of other beverages. Future plans include arcade games, a celebration room and party rooms in the building’s back.
Ice cream nachos at Scooper McQuades. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Bargeway Pub and Catering Makes Delicious Food in The Dalles
The East Gorge Trail was completed by a fire pit at Bargeway Pub and Catering, located along the Columbia River. Brittney, Lisa and Jon Farquharson and the owners Steve and Stacey Kane joined us for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious round of cocktails before we dined on tempura cauliflower, arancini and arancini.
Bargeway Pub and Catering offers a wide variety of cocktails. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Steve and Stacey own Bargeway since over three years. Steve and Stacey opened Bargeway nine months prior to the pandemic. When it struck, Steve remodeled the entire restaurant. He also set up a beautiful outdoor patio for guests to dine on. They remained open and kept their staff to serve first responders.
Steve works with his chefs and cooks to develop new dishes. Steve was raised in the restaurant industry, sources local ingredients, and knows the importance of supporting and working with other businesses in the community.
Bargeway Pub and Catering offers delicious food and drinks at The Dalles. Photo by Tracy Ellen Beard
Bargeway Pub is a popular place to go on Saturday and Friday nights.
Take a day or weekend to explore the East Gorge Trail
The Dalles is a community that has a great spirit of cooperation and mutual support. Businesses along the East Gorge Trail source all their products and services locally, and they work together to boost the local economy of the city and surrounding communities. When planning a visit to The Dalles or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, let Wander with Wonder guide you.