When we got to Portland the first place we wanted to go was Vertical Diner after eating at the SLC location a couple years ago. We were sad to see that they were closing in a few short days. So this review is really to commemorate their time and what they provided to vegans and non-vegans in Portland. And a reminder to folks everywhere to support your local vegan spots. (And when you travel - find them and eat there!) read more

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Plenty of seating indoors and out. Really cool location and vibes (70s diner). Fairly priced. The food we ordered was hit and miss. The gravy was exceptional. The biscuits were not biscuits. They were so hard and flat I thought it was sourdough slices but it was a handmade biscuit but very hard, flat, and tough. Worst I've ever had. The home fries weren't to my liking but my husband loved them. The pancakes were some the best gf v ones I've had but still felt very... gf. They were rubbery and chewy but not grainy like gf tends to be. They were fluffy. Overall I'd have preferred regular pancakes. The waitress suggested them to me instead of the French toast which she told me wasn't very good and vegan French toast is hard to do (not true I do it at home... but appreciate the honesty). The tempeh bacon, tofu scramble, and sausage was also applauded at the table but I didn't personally try it. I found the chicken too chewy but others like it. The carrot cake was good but the icing is a lot. Very rich and sweet. I'm probably the only person who likes a more savory icing everyone else liked the cake but agreed you couldn't eat a whole slice yourself. the coffee was great and they kept refilling in true diner style. They offer soy and oat milk. There were other things on the menu we were curious about so we will go back. read more

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I cannot wait to come back! The fun 50's diner vibes were on point and the food was delicious. Our waitress was wonderful and dressed as a 50's diner waitress too! So fun! She recommended the carrot cake -- which was GOOD. The icing was great, which is my favorite part of a cake. I also had the gravy and biscuits. I'm from the south so I'm picky about gravy and biscuits. It passed the test! read more

I haven't been to a vertical diner in a long time and I finally went for brunch recently. I was super impressed by the service. The servers were really nice and I love how fresh my food came out. My friend ordered the power protein bowl. It was very flavorful. I really like the chicken biscuit gravy on the brunch menu. I can't wait to try other things on the menu like their desserts and shakes! Vertical diner also serves breakfast and brunch food all day! I love how the cozy diner aesthetic like IHOP or Denny's but from a local perspective. read more

Vertical Diner - Chikun and Biscuit and Power Protein Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

SCW and I have dined at Vertical Diner a few times and really enjoy it. The interior is very much like the name implies, diner seating which brings back a bit of nostalgia. They have a counter seating area as well as the diner tables, outside seating and a back area. The food is always very good. This last trip I got a Vertical Ruben with mac n cheez and tiger wings. I really enjoyed the flavors of the ruben, which has the right ratio of sauerkraut, sauce, pickles (I think) and mock meat. Really good. The mac n cheez was ok, kind of runny for my taste and not very creamy. Since it wasn't really creamy rectified that by putting some hot sauce in it and it made it better. The Tiger (spicy) wings were very good. Right amount of spice and a good amount of celery with carrots. You also have an option of dressing and the ranch was tasty. I had a tasty local pilsner to accompany the meal and it was tasty. They seem to have a rotating beer list posted above the counter. The service at Vertial Diner has always been very good. Attentive, knowledgeable and kind. I actually enjoy the interactions with the servers as they are great. They do have a few to go coolers stocked with some sauces, seitan, kombucha, and some wraps. I certainly will come back to Vertical Diner in the future. read more

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This is definitely one of the most quirky places you can really find but of course it's in Portland. I came here to meet a coworker of mine as his family is vegan and tbh the diner vibes did not disappoint. The wait staff was extremely friendly, and I love how family oriented this place is, with coloring paper & pencils! The food portions here are ridiculous, you definitely won't go hungry. I would say that the parking situation is a bit weird, ample spots, kind of, the spots are huge, but misaligned and it does share a parking lot with a few other businesses. read more

Vertical Diner is a hit or miss with me. I love that it's 100% vegan. The booths are comfortable and has that old fashioned diner vibe. I love that there's plenty of parking. I've met friends here and I've come alone. One of the most memorable meals that I've had here was the Fiesta salad. It's the best salad I've had pretty much anywhere. I saw on their Facebook page that they were doing a chimichanga..that was one of my favorites pre vegan days when I lived in AZ. I came in expecting something close to what I've had in the past. It was nothing like that. It seemed like it was a breakfast burrito that was deep fried and had a side of Mac and cheese..it just fell short of the mark. This last time, I saw on their Facebook page the tiramisu highlighted. That really made me crave tiramisu something fierce! I planned on going there for an afternoon coffee and dessert. I brought along a book, just in case I would be by myself. I also texted a friend that lives close to the restaurant to see if she would like to join me. Luckily she was free to join. She got the sloppy joes for her late lunch. She did try some of my tiramisu, and she liked it. I've inquired a few times about the Gold room. It holds a lot of people for events. I was thinking of doing a birthday party there. I never got a solid response, but I think on their website there's an email that I can send an inquiry to. I guess the closer I get to my birthday, I'll have to reach out. read more

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This is my favorite vegan breakfast burrito in town! If you want to try it you better go now. This restaurant is closing June 15 2026. Now is your last chance! We will sorely miss it. read more

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What a happy surprise this diner is! We literally ended up here by mistake, but so glad we did! Who knew there was a vegan diner in SW Portland?? Not only a diner but an amazing diner! So many great choices on the menu. I had the garden vegetable tofu scramble bowl with potatoes. It was scrumptious! So flavorful! The power protein bowl my husband ordered, and loved, had a spicy kick to it. Our server was awesome and cheerful. The restaurant is large, has an additional back room. Looking forward to returning. read more

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Good vegan food and good customer service would definitely describe this place. Never in a million years did I think I would visit Portland ,let alone be in a restaurant in Portland. My trip to Seattle/Portland/ Vancouver BC changed that. I think the only thing I didn't care for was the ginger drink( I forget the nam, but it it a popular brand). It was more sugar than ginger. The "Reuben" was very good and the fries are some of best I had in a long time. If your in Portland, check this place out!! read more

Vertical Diner - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I really enjoyed visiting Vertical Diner, which felt like the classic diner experience, just fully vegan. Our server was nice, the menu was huge with options for breakfast, sandwiches, sweets, and more, and the large booth we were in was a comfortable spot for a relaxing lunch. I got the TBLAT (tempeh bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato, ranch dressing), which came with a side of fries. That was really good, as was my kid's mac and cheese, which tasted more like its non-vegan counterpart than most vegan mac and cheese dishes I've tried. I can be really picky when it comes to vegan cheese, but I liked this. My husband got their biscuits and gravy. I tried a bite of that, and it was tasty. They also let you order single pancakes on the side, so my kid got a strawberry one, which he liked so much that it was very quickly gone. Both looked so good that I think next time I might order something from the breakfast side of the menu instead. I'm glad we went a little out of our way to try their diner fare! read more

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Finally was able to come by & get some delicious dinner style vegan breakfast ! Very much hit the spot with the Mac & Cheeze breakfast plate with the sweet stack in pancake choice. This is a straight forward diner experience & very much thankful to have in 2025. The service was awesome, quick & easy. Can't go wrong with the fresh old diner ambience while I enjoy some fluffy pancakes ! read more

Vertical Diner - Mac & Cheeze Breakfast Plate & The Sweet Stack - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Well worth the drive! Any time I'm near SW I have to stop here for an excellent vegan meal. Convenient reliable hours, spacious parking lot, great service, excellent food. So far no misses in several years of regular dining here! Ambiance is standard diner. Silverware is on on the table, specials on a chalkboard. Rotating kombuchas, beer, and cider on tap. read more

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Five stars for the protein power bowl, which is SO much greater than the sum of its parts. It doesn't look like much, but it is the perfect symphony of textures and rich, savory flavors. The best dinner after a long week olat work, I'll definitely order it for takeout again! The tiramisu I got from takeout was TINY. There was a distinct lack of coffee flavor, and the frosting was oddly...cream-cheesey? Not my favorite. Deliver took maybe an hour at 6:30pm, so be aware of wait times read more

Vertical Diner - Tiramisu. Tiny. And why is there icing? - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Drab, rundown, sad atmosphere and the staff all seemed unhappy. It was about half full when we went, but understaffed. Hard to get the servers' attention and they constantly seemed to be avoiding eye contact as they walked by. The kitchen was super slow, and one of our plates came out way after the others. The food was hit and miss. Decent pancakes and seitan sausage, and the curry gravy was better than expected. The soyrizo tacos were an odd flavor that wasn't particularly taco-like. We were bummed out by the whole experience and couldn't wait to get out of there. Edit: Yesterday they posted on Facebook that they're shutting the place down in June. No wonder it was such a bummer atmosphere. I feel bad for the staff. read more

Good vegan food at a great price. I got the Vegan Ruben with fries. The sandwich needed thicker marble rye bread to contain the center and the fries, though hot, could be a little crispier. The server was very warm and attentive. Thank you. read more

Pretty great! Old school diner vibes. Good food/service. Love the variety of options!!! They have a pretty large menu for a vegan place. They do offer gluten free items/substitutions. They do a lot of take out orders, so don't go here if you're in a rush. Plenty of parking. Recommend! read more

Vertical Diner - Milkshakes!! - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My fiancee and I stopped in for a quick breakfast and we loved it! Such a cool spot with a ton of options. The service was very speedy and everything was delicious. Yum! read more

Well we had a nearby baseball game and this was THE easier choice where we could all find something to eat. Let me first start by saying that the interior has rhia awful STALE and sewage like smell. I have an exceptionally sensitive sense of smell and it was bugging me the entire time. As was the droning and buzzing of a fan or vent. Now I had AWFUL COVID experiences here, but figured it would be good to give it another try. Our server made me feel like it might just be GREAT. Because she was GREAT. She was 5/5. (we visited 10/8/23 at 6:52 pm,) But everything else was so bad I can only leave one star. I really wish everything was half as good as her service. Because she is a GEM. My daughter got Nachos, my mom had Tiny Tigers, my son had a breakfast sausage and tofu. I ordered the Tony Hawk burger with cheez sauce on the side and hubs got a "chicken Caesar." My husband ordered fries for the table. We got the fries first and they were floppy, greasy and gross. I don't like fries unless they are crispy. And these were NOT. I took a tiny bite and said not for me thanks!! Then dinner came. My food was cold. Not warm. COLD. Our server was SO sweet and apologetic. She took it back to the kitchen with the feedback, which I heard. The kitchen asked HER what to do...and she said get the food redone so it's hot. They fried the fries again...so they were dark brown but even greasier (definitely did NOT eat them,) and they toasted the BUN again to warm it. The patty itself was room temperature AT BEST inside. Flavorless. Just yuck. I doused it in hot sauce and ketchup since I needed to eat but I was too tired to ask again. My husband and daughter loved the "cheez sauce," which had the texture of gravy to me, and freaked me out. They also BOTH said it was like cheez gravy. My daughter wanted Tiramisu, which was always my FAVORITE dessert before I became vegan. So we ordered it. Tiramisu is light, a touch of cinnamon, light chocolate ganache top (or sprinkling of cocoa,) with airy and spongy Lady Fingers which have been soaked in espresso liqueur and a creamy mascarpone layer. This was VERY chocolate flavored, extremely sweet and SUPER dense. It was okay but it wasn't Tiramisu. I wish I had anything at all nice to say besides it's never EVER going to be a place I try again. Even my husband, who said he always liked it before, said it wasn't great. Thank you SO much to our phenomenal server. You rock. But dang the rest fell FAR short read more

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really reliable for veg breakfast -- the only time i've strayed from a breakfast item i got a philly with raw onions so that was not the greatest. BUT like i said, breakfast bangs here. breakfast mac is LOADED with a variety of toppings and crispy veg sausage. very saucy, and as far as mac itself goes, not so noochy so it's very neutral and goes well with the toppings. always get friendly folks and very accommodating experience. read more

Vertical Diner - Breakfast Mac Bowl - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We love the Vertical Diner. We are a 2-hour drive from this location, so we don't get there as much as we would like. They serve some of the best vegan comfort food we have ever had. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and efficient. The vibe is chill and hip. They know how to do potatoes, biscuits, and gravy! So far, we have had: No Harm Chikun Parm Chikun and Biscuit PDX Cheeze Stake The Mountain (GFO) And sides of: Mashed Potatoes and Gravy The Mac and Cheese Cup We also had a cup of decaf coffee that was exceptional. All of the dishes have been excellent, and we would order them all again, but there is so much on the menu to try! Their French bread for sandwiches is great! Everything we have tried so far has been outstanding. We hope that they are there for the long run, or if they would be interested in opening a location in Eugene, that would be great too! read more

I've often wondered if I could ever walk into a diner and order just about anything from the menu. Vertical diner fulfills that with its expansive menu! We got the chikun and biscuits and chikun fried stake. The gravy was delicious, the addition of broccoli to both plates worked very well and the top bit of the biscuit was soft and tasty. The chikun tenders on the biscuit plate were not to my liking but that is perhaps a personal preference. The chikun fried stake was delicious according to the husband and the accompanying mashed potatoes had a tinge of acidity to it was intriguing. There are many items to try here and we will definitely be back for more! read more

Vertical Diner - Chikun Fried Stake - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Love vertical diner! The vegan mac and cheese with broccoli and tempeh is my go-to, but nothing here is bad. Wish I lived closer.

I haven't even left yet and I'm writing my review: I'm in love. Excellent menu with a wide variety of options for vegans with celiac. No substitutions or alterations are needed. Definitely get the bakun with the Thai basil salad and always get cheeze with your fries. The vertical sauce is dynamic and delicious, too! Soyrizo tacos were excellent and spicy and very satisfying. Will be back because I have to try everything, hence my obnoxiously large order today. Service was excellent and attentive. I came for a late lunch during the week though. Not sure what it's like when it's busy. Thanks for a great meal! read more

Vertical Diner - Vertical Diner has a great location and tons of outdoor seating. Appreciate the outdoor seating so much! - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Great food, good ambiance. Everything we ordered was great. The waitress was a délite to talk to! read more

I enjoyed my meal at Vertical Diner. I think this is a great option for Vegan/Clean Eating. Service was excellent. Very clean and welcoming. read more

Vertical Diner - Pancakes - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Vertical diner is that classic diner feel. They have an old juke box (which is free!) to play music on. They have been around since the 90's and it gives off the total diner feel you would expect. The food is so good. Most of the breakfast items are smothered in this delicious gravy that I truly could not get enough of. I had biscuits and gravy with tofu scramble and eggs. I couldn't finish cause there was so much food and it was so tasty. My fiancé had the dude cakes which are pretty much a pancake stack with grilled peppers and onions smothered in gravy and fries. It was so delicious. It was like a perfect craving type meal. Only downside is they were unable to spit our check at the table based on what we ordered. Which was a bummer cause the people we were with wanted to split based on orders not just half. read more

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Food is very pleasing comfort food vegan. Service is outstanding. Ambiance is a classic diner experience. read more

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Friendly staff and good service. Huge vegan menu with dozens of GF options. The diner ambiance feels dated but works so if you like that vibe it is cool. I eat here every time I am town because the food is great and there is a wide variety of choices that eclipses most vegan restaurants. read more

Love the ambiance - when I heard a vegan diner was taking over this space, I was so excited and they did such a good job cleaning and updating without taking away the old diner charm. Service has always been great when I've come in. Food is so subjective, but I've definitely got some favorites here. Tender tigers - oh yes. Dessert - absolutely, everything I've tried has been delish! Brekki biscuits and gravy, add a side of sausage - sublime. Those are the reasons I'll keep coming back. Other stuff has been good or okay, but this is a restaurant where I'll probably be sticking with my favorites. But I love this place and will strive to be a better regular moving forward! read more

The food at this diner is insanely delicious and the staff is wonderful! Tim was very attentive to my tree nut allergy, very sweet and super quick serving our table. Best service I've ever had dining out. Also, I don't know what they put in the tempeh bacon but it is so good. Would definitely move to Portland in a heartbeat just for the food and the people here. Can't wait to come back for more :) read more

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Very good food, great service and atmosphere. Best vegan food all around, 100% would recommend and will be back! read more

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Great little funky portland spot for getting some yummy vegan meals! Highly recommend and the service was excellent!

Very spacious, ample parking, and friendly service. The offerings are a mismatch of ingredients, some dishes work, some don't. Their marquee item, the Dude Cakes, we're good, not great. However, props to the gravy which was flavorable. The chocolate chip pancakes were divine. There's value here as the portions are more than fair. read more

Vertical Diner - Love it - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This place has been on my list to try! I am not vegan, but love plant based food. There is certainly a good vibe in the diner - friendly staff and aesthetic (mid century diner vibes). They have a lot of different options - breakfast, salads, sandwiches, cocktails, beers, wine, milkshakes etc. The texture of the food was off, but maybe that is my lack of vegan expertise. I am glad that I tried this location, but unsure I will be going back. Thanks for the experience. read more

My single sentence review on this place - Everything tasted so bland ! Not impressed with the quality of the food. The service was great though. Nice and cordial. I didn't enjoy the food and didn't complete any of them. Ordered the tacos and pasta. Tacos didn't have the right quantity of seasoning and it tasted so bland. The sauce in the pasta felt undercooked and we didn't enjoy it. Overall I was expecting a lot from this but it didn't meet my expectations read more

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this place is great! Really wonderful vegetarian food, but also appealing to non-vegetarians and the space is so retro and appealing!! they have a new who is a delight and everyone I have ever interacted very friendly and helpful if I had a third thumb, I would give it three thumbs read more

The LA Mesa breakfast is my go to, but the biscuits and gravy plate is also excellent. I love the bottomless coffee. Verticle diner is fabulous. We always pick up breakfast burritos in the to go case for our freezer! read more

Loved the vibe and super nice service. Would like to try more items, but the cheez sauce was yummy. Seitan was ok, but the chikn breading was crispy! I'll be visiting again! read more

Yummy vegan food and friendly service! Must try!!!! The flavors are on point, even though I'm not a vegan, enjoyed very much read more

Vertical Diner - Vegan Near Me - Portland, Oregon