Why the Eastside Rocks: #13 Eclectic Eats
You can read the general introduction to this series here.
Why the Eastside Rocks #13:
Eclectic Eats
No, the Eastside might not have the fanciest restaurants in town, but there’s certainly no lack of interesting food (and experiences) to be found. Here are some prime examples:
Texas Doughnuts
These monsters are found, as far as I know, only at Erickson’s Thriftway on Greenwood. As you may or may not be able to tell from my grainy cellphone pic there, they’re about 4 times the size of a regular doughnut, yet are priced only slightly more. Where else can you find such giant doughy deep-fried goodness in one package?
- Taste of Thailand
AKA Thai on the Fly, Trailer Thai… whatever you call it, it’s the only Asian restaurant… heck, the only restaurant restaurant (aside from the ubiquitous coffee stands)… that’s housed in a trailer. As in, drive-through. Exclusively drive-through. And it’s good, from all accounts; check out the Bend Restaurants review for more.
- And speaking of coffee stands…
…the one on the corner of Greenwood and 8th sells biscuits and gravy.
- Demetri’s Greek Cusina
The only Greek place in town, snuggled in on the Eastside Windy Knolls area.
- Elvis Cinnamon Roll
Remember this? Jake’s Diner has ’em. Giant cinnamon roll. Peanut butter and banana. You pretty much can’t go wrong.
And that’s not even speaking to the Rico’s Taco truck, or Pilot Butte‘s 18-ounce monster hamburger, or the insanely cheap meals (and free samples) at Costco, or the bakery thrift store, or… well, you get the idea.
Honestly, who gets biscuits and gravy at a drive-thru coffee stand? I mean, usually the people getting coffee there are driving somewhere and coffee works, but biscuits and gravy? There are some things you shouldn’t try to eat while driving and gravy is something I would always put on that list.
Exactly! Who would do that? Yet at the same time… I’m curious. I can’t help it. I may succumb one of these days.
Guilty.
I pick them up and take them to work with me, then have biscuits & gravy at my desk while I sort through my email.
Cowgirl Coffee (on American L0op) seems to have the best I’ve tried… these are probably all the same though… canned gravy but ohmigod it’s good!!!
I’ve heard the biscuits and gravy there ain’t bad. Never had ’em myself, but have heard they’re good.
The Thai trailer is indeed good. My parents had a Thai exchange student living with them for a year, and they tried every Thai place in Bend, and the student said that it was the most authentic Thai place in town. The lady in the trailer also spoke Thai, so she liked going there to have somebody she could actually talk to in her native tongue.
Actually, Erickson’s also has the best Biscuits and Gravy on the East Side and I know folks from each side of town that go there to get em! I also heard that coffee shop buys the ingredients from Erickson’s and prepares them at the shop!
Thai on the Fly is the best… just say, "yes I would love a sample!!!" and you will not be disappointed 🙂
Erickson’s is good, but the A&W in Redmond is better. I was soooo bummed when we moved to Bend and found out the A&W on hwy 20 doesn’t have biscuits & gravy. The Old Mill Market (on Wilson & Bond, closed and is now a bank) had the BEST ever though. Even better than the ones I make at home.
Mmmmm…. gravy…….
The Thai Trailer also buys all the chicken used in their soups and entrees from Erickson’s. The entire block relies on each other. Try the the cubed steak and petite sirloins from Palmer’s. Aside from the chef’s indelible touch, the flavor is locally delicious. This is a vivrant 5 block radius and growing!