Cheese & Crack Snack Shop
{{Short description|Restaurant in Portland, Oregon, U.S.}}
{{Infobox restaurant
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| name = Cheese & Crack Snack Shop
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| logo = Cheese & Crack Snack Shop logo.png
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| logo_alt = Black-and-white graphic with the text 'Cheese & Crack Snack Shop'
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| established = {{Start date|2012}}
| closed =
| current-owner = {{Flatlist|
- Nathan Hall
- William Steuernagel
}}
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| street-address = 22 Southeast 28th Avenue
| city = Portland
| county = Multnomah
| state = Oregon
| zip = 97214
| country = United States
| coordinates = {{coord|45.5225|-122.6371|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| seating-capacity = 26
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| website = {{URL|cheeseandcrack.com}}
}}
Cheese & Crack Snack Shop is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States.{{Cite web |last=Waterhouse |first=Ben |date=2014-05-06 |title=Cheese & Crack's SE Portland brick-and-mortar offers obsessively organized platters: Cheap Eats |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2014/05/fromage-loving_food_cart_chees.html |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The Oregonian |publisher=Advance Publications |language=en |issn=8750-1317 |oclc=985410693}}{{Cite web |last=Boulgarides |first=Samantha Hope |date=2025-04-18 |title=Spring and the Return of Frozen Sweet Treats |url=https://psuvanguard.com/spring-and-the-return-of-frozen-sweet-treats/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Portland State Vanguard |publisher=Portland State University |language=en-US}} The business started as a food cart on Hawthorne Boulevard before moving into a brick and mortar shop in the southeast Portland part of the Kerns neighborhood in 2014. Cheese & Crack serves charcuterie, macaroni and cheese, sandwiches, soft serve, and sundaes, among other food and drink options. The restaurant has garnered a positive reception, especially for its ice cream. It was included in The Oregonian{{'s}} 2022 list of Portland's best food carts of the past decade and ranked seventh in Yelp{{'s}} 2023 list of the city's 50 best restaurants.
Description
Cheese & Crack Snack Shop operates on 28th Avenue, near East Burnside Street,{{Cite web |title=Cheese & Crack Snack Shop's Loaded Cheese Plate |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2014/03/cheese-and-crack-snack-shops-loaded-cheese-plate-march-2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320185437/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2014/03/cheese-and-crack-snack-shops-loaded-cheese-plate-march-2014 |archive-date=2023-03-20 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Portland Monthly |language=en-US |issn=1546-2765}} in the southeast Portland part of the Kerns neighborhood.{{Cite web |last=Acker |first=Lizzy |date=2021-09-22 |title=It’s National Ice Cream Cone Day and you deserve an ice cream cone: Commentary |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/food/2021/09/its-national-ice-cream-cone-day-and-you-deserve-an-ice-cream-cone-commentary.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=The Oregonian |language=en |archive-date=2021-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026122436/https://www.oregonlive.com/food/2021/09/its-national-ice-cream-cone-day-and-you-deserve-an-ice-cream-cone-commentary.html |url-status=live }} Thom Hilton of Eater Portland has described the queer-owned business as a "social media sensation" with long queues and "high-profile" customers, including Paul Thomas Anderson and Maya Rudolph.{{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Thom |date=2022-06-07 |title=Cheese & Crack Co-Owner William Steuernagel’s Favorite Portland Spots |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2022/6/7/23158284/cheese-crack-william-steurnagels-favorite-portland-restaurants-farmers-market |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |publisher=Vox Media |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2023-07-05 |title=Pride Fuel Guide: You’ll Be Rewarded by Embracing the Kitchens at Portland’s Queer Bars |url=https://www.wweek.com/food/2023/07/05/pride-fuel-guide-youll-be-rewarded-by-embracing-the-kitchens-at-portlands-queer-bars/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230924090010/https://www.wweek.com/food/2023/07/05/pride-fuel-guide-youll-be-rewarded-by-embracing-the-kitchens-at-portlands-queer-bars/ |archive-date=2023-09-24 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} Cheese & Crack has a seating capacity of 26 people.{{Cite web |last=DeJesus |first=Erin |date=2014-01-22 |title=Cheese & Crack Shop; Growlers Hawthorne Forthcoming |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2014/1/22/6293469/cheese-crack-shop-growlers-hawthorne-forthcoming |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628213850/https://pdx.eater.com/2014/1/22/6293469/cheese-crack-shop-growlers-hawthorne-forthcoming |url-status=live }} Eater Portland said the indoor and outdoor patio space has a "rustic charm".{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Olivia |date=2023-04-17 |title=Where to Eat and Drink Near Portland’s Laurelhurst Park |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-laurehurst-neighborhood |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}} The interior has pictures of country musician Dolly Parton.{{Cite web |date=2025-04-20 |title=Celebrate Spring in Portland with These Top Ice Cream Spots |url=https://metroobserver.com/?p=77903 |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=Metro Observer Daily News |language=en-US}} For Pride Month, Cheese & Crack has displayed a cardboard standee of country singer Reba McEntire in the window.
= Menu =
Cheese & Crack serves charcuterie on stainless steel trays; boards include house-made crackers, capocollo and roasted turkey meat,{{Cite web |last= |date=2012-07-18 |title=Cheese & Crack |url=https://www.thrillist.com/food/portland/hawthorne-dist/cheese-crack_cured-meats_cheese |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Thrillist |publisher=Vox Media |language=en |archive-date=2020-09-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920195848/https://www.thrillist.com/food/portland/hawthorne-dist/cheese-crack_cured-meats_cheese |url-status=live }} cheeses such as brie, ganache, honey, jam, and oatmeal raisin cookies.{{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Thom |date=2023-02-13 |title=Where to Eat, Drink, and Relax on East 28th’s Restaurant Row |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-food-carts-northeast-southeast-28th-portland |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2024-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240905211828/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-bars-food-carts-northeast-southeast-28th-portland |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Michelle |date=2015-06-26 |title=Where to Find Supremely Tasty Ice Cream in Portland and Beyond |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-ice-cream-portland-scoop-shop-restaurant |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020091438/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-ice-cream-portland-scoop-shop-restaurant |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Roland |first=Rebecca |date=2017-07-21 |title=Portland Bars and Restaurants Slinging Frosty, Boozy Slushies This Summer |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-frozen-drinks-portland-bars |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2020-12-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201230182854/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-frozen-drinks-portland-bars |url-status=live }} The sampler plate has sliced baguette, butter crackers, Dijon mustard, marionberry jam, olives, and pickled cucumbers.{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Janey |date=2024-08-08 |title=An Eater’s Guide to Oregon’s Juicy, Sweet Marionberries |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2024/8/8/24214741/best-marionberries-portland-oregon-guide-marionberry-pie-jam-u-pick |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2024-11-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241113012441/https://pdx.eater.com/2024/8/8/24214741/best-marionberries-portland-oregon-guide-marionberry-pie-jam-u-pick |url-status=live }} The sampler's cheeses include blue from Hooks, brie brûlée, cana de oveja made from Spanish sheep milk, and cheddar from Seattle-based Beecher's Handmade Cheese.{{Cite web |last=Baillargeon |first=Zoe |date=2021-09-28 |title=Where to Find the Cheesiest Dishes in Portland and Beyond |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/cheesy-dishes-portland-pizza-kachapuri-quesabirria |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2021-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211119084030/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/cheesy-dishes-portland-pizza-kachapuri-quesabirria |url-status=live }} Charcuterie packages have also been available via take-out, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web |last=Pinsky |first=Rachel |date=2020-12-23 |title=In a Year Full of Pivots, Charcuterie Shops and Cheesemongers Redefined Themselves |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2020/12/23/22196431/charcuterie-pandemic-picnic-cheese |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}}
Cheese & Crack's macaroni and cheese has Gruyère and white cheddar (from Tillamook) mornay and an herb sauce with chives, garlic, lemon, and olive oil.{{Cite web |last=MacEvoy |first=Maya |date=2020-02-05 |title=Where to Find Top-Notch Mac and Cheese in Portland |url=https://pdx.eater.com/maps/macaroni-and-cheese-portland |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2022-01-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113093157/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/macaroni-and-cheese-portland |url-status=live }} The restaurant has also served biscuit sandwiches for breakfast, a ham sandwich with ham from Tails & Trotters and herb butter, and potato-chip "nachos" with mornay and pickled lentils.{{Cite web |last=DeJesus |first=Erin |date=2014-01-22 |title=Cheese & Crack Shop; Growlers Hawthorne Forthcoming |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2014/1/22/6293469/cheese-crack-shop-growlers-hawthorne-forthcoming |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en |archive-date=2022-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628213850/https://pdx.eater.com/2014/1/22/6293469/cheese-crack-shop-growlers-hawthorne-forthcoming |url-status=live }}
The menu also includes soft serve in ice cream cones with chocolate or ganache on the bottom to prevent leaking; toppings include chocolate cowboy hats, colorful sprinkles, and varieties of "dust" such as beet, espresso,{{Cite web |date=2016-06-20 |title=Portland Soft-Serve Ice Cream, Ranked |url=https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2016/06/20/portland-soft-serve-ice-cream-ranked/ |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} matcha, and strawberry. Vanilla soft serve is also the base for sundaes; varieties have included banana pudding (with Nilla Wafers), caramel cornflake, and raspberry birthday cake. Another sundae has cookie, ganache, and marshmallow.
Drink options include beer, wine (including Prosecco on tap),{{Cite web |last=Greif |first=Jessica |date=2018-06-04 |title=Cheese & Crack Snack Shop stands out with treats like brie brulee and beet dust soft serve |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2018/06/cheese_and_crack_snack_shop_st_1.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=The Oregonian |language=en}} frosés, and frozen lemonades.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-02 |title=Cool off with 'Aussie Lemonade' |url=https://www.kgw.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/portland-today/cool-off-with-aussie-lemonade/283-8115648 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website= |publisher=KGW |language=en-US}}
History
Cheese & Crack was established in 2012.{{Cite web |last=Russell |first=Michael |date=2022-04-28 |title=Portland’s best new food carts of the past decade — where are they now? |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2022/04/portlands-best-new-food-carts-of-the-past-decade-where-are-they-now.html |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=The Oregonian |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2012-08-15 |title=Cheese And Crack-Down |url=https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-19546-cheese-and-crack-down.html |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} Co-owned by business partners Nathan Hall and William Steuernagel,{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Suzette |title=Mister Goose Simple, Melty Steamed Sandwiches Are a Vibe Check |url=https://www.portlandmercury.com/food-and-drink/2022/11/17/46187113/mister-goose-steamed-sandwiches-keep-it-simple-in-st-helens |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Portland Mercury |language=en}} the restaurant started as a food cart on Hawthorne Boulevard before moving into a brick and mortar shop in 2014.{{Cite web |title=Portland News to Chew |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2014/03/portland-news-to-chew-double-barrel-march-2014 |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Portland Monthly |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230531224450/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2014/03/portland-news-to-chew-double-barrel-march-2014 |url-status=live }} The restaurant operates in the space that previously housed Black Bike Cafe, an outpost or sibling establishment of Black Cat Cafe.{{Cite web |date=2014-01-22 |title=Scoop: Gossip Hated Grantland Before It Killed. |url=https://www.wweek.com/portland/article-21780-scoop-gossip-hated-grantland-before-it-killed.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2014-01-17 |title=Future Drinking: Fenrir in the 2nd Story Space, Cheese and Crack shop, Maria Pizza |url=https://www.wweek.com/portland/blog-31131-future-drinking-fenrir-in-the-2nd-story-space-cheese-and-crack-shop-maria-pizza.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} In 2020, a man wielding a bat demanded Hall remove a Black Lives Matter sign displayed in a window.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2020-08-19 |title=Bat-wielding man terrorizes SE Portland businesses over Black Lives Matter signs, cops and shops say |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2020/08/bat-wielding-man-terrorizes-se-portland-businesses-over-black-lives-matter-signs-cops-and-shops-say.html |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=The Oregonian |language=en}}
Cheese & Crack has served specials for select holidays. For the cannabis holiday "420" (April 20) in 2020, the restaurant offered a Munchie Cone.{{Cite web |last=Centoni |first=Danielle |date=2015-04-20 |title=Fenrir's Snacky Mexican Pop-up; The Original's Poutine for the People |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2015/4/20/8458529/portland-munchies-4-20-fenrir-poutine-cheese-crack-snack |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}} For Halloween in 2022 and 2024, the Eye Scream Sundae had purple ube pudding as "witch goo", chocolate cookie as "dirt", vanilla soft serve, raspberry sauce as "blood", and a gumball resembling an eyeball.{{Cite web |last=Frane |first=Alex |date=2020-10-22 |title=Where to Find Spooky and Fun Halloween Treats in Portland |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2020/10/22/21529183/portland-halloween-2022-treats |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Our Favorite Tricks and Treats at Portland Bars and Cafés |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2024/10/halloween-cocktails-desserts-portland-bars-cafes |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Portland Monthly |language=en-US |archive-date=2025-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213060144/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2024/10/halloween-cocktails-desserts-portland-bars-cafes |url-status=live }}
Reception
Willamette Week ranked Cheese & Crack fourth in a 2016 overview of Portland's best soft serve. The newspaper's Andrew Jankowski recommended the restaurant as an option for late-night dining in 2024.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-04 |title=Our Guide to Portland’s Late Night Spots |url=https://www.wweek.com/culture/2024/12/03/our-guide-to-portlands-late-night-spots/ |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}} Michael Russell included Cheese & Crack in The Oregonian{{'s}} 2022 list of Portland's best food carts of the past decade. In 2023, Yelp ranked the business seventh in a list of the city's fifty best restaurants.{{Cite news |last=Foran |first=Andrew |date=October 16, 2023 |title=Yelp releases its list of 50 best places to eat in the Portland area |url=https://www.koin.com/news/food/yelp-releases-its-list-of-50-best-restaurants-portland-oregon-metro-area/ |publisher=KOIN}}
Maya MacEvoy included Cheese & Crack in Eater Portland{{'s}} 2020 list of the city's "top-notch" macaroni and cheese. In 2023, the business was included in an overview of recommended establishments on East 28th Avenue's "restaurant row" by Thom Hilton and Nick Woo and a list of recommended eateries near Laurelhurst Park by Olivia Lee. Hilton has also described Cheese & Crack as a "dairy palace",{{Cite web |last=Hilton |first=Thom |date=2022-08-25 |title=This New St. Helens Restaurant Wants to Celebrate the Steamed Sandwich |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2022/8/25/23321973/mister-goose-steamed-sandwich-st-helens-oregon |access-date=2025-04-20 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}} and the website's Brooke Jackson-Glidden recommended the restaurant for a late-night sundae in 2023.{{Cite web |last=Jackson-Glidden |first=Brooke |author-link= |date=2023-11-20 |title=Ask Eater: Where Can I Find a Late-Night Dessert in Portland? |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2023/11/20/23969472/ask-eater-best-late-night-desserts-portland |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207234829/https://pdx.eater.com/2023/11/20/23969472/ask-eater-best-late-night-desserts-portland |archive-date=2023-12-07 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}} Local drag performer and entertainer Carla Rossi recommended Cheese & Crack in a 2023 dining guide of Portland published by Eater Portland.{{Cite web |last=Jackson-Glidden |first=Brooke |author-link=Brooke Jackson-Glidden |date=2023-07-10 |title=Portland Drag Clown Carla Rossi’s Guide to Dining in Portland |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2023/7/10/23789907/portland-drag-carla-rossi-anthony-hudson-dining-guide |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}} The website's Michelle Lopez and Janey Wong included the restaurant in a 2024 overview of "supremely tasty" ice cream in the Portland metropolitan area.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.cheeseandcrack.com}}
- [https://www.pdxmonthly.com/businesses/cheese-crack-snack-shop Cheese & Crack Snack Shop] at Portland Monthly
- [https://fhspost.com/10550/posterior/ses-favorite-snack-cheese-crack/ SE’s Favorite Snack: Cheese & Crack] (March 7, 2025) by Tessa Rivard, The Franklin Post, Franklin High School
{{Kerns, Portland, Oregon}}
{{LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon}}
{{Restaurants in Portland, Oregon}}
{{Portal bar|Drink|Food|LGBTQ|Oregon}}
Category:2012 establishments in Oregon
Category:Food carts in Portland, Oregon
Category:LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon
Category:LGBTQ-owned businesses in Oregon
Category:Restaurants established in 2012