Tanaka

678 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR

★★★★4.3(756 Google reviews)

Crema's Take

Tanaka is a warmly welcoming Japanese sandwich spot in Portland where freshly made milk bread and inventive fillings—think katsu, egg salad, and shrimp—steal the show, though their curry deserves equal attention. Beyond the exceptional sandos, the clean, polished atmosphere and genuinely kind staff make it an ideal gathering place for leisurely brunches, whether you're lingering solo with a strawberry matcha latte or sharing small bites with friends.

What to expect

Specialty drinksPastriesTraditional drinksLight foodMatcha & teaMeetingsFull breakfastSlow sitFamily friendly

Google Reviews

Kara
★★★★★a month ago

This place has absolutely delicious sandwiches!!! The dirty fries were amazing too. I'll definitely be asking for extra egg salad because that stuff was soooo good! I can't wait to go back.

Colleen Kiyuna
★★★★★4 months ago

Got the chicken and the pork katsu sandwiches for our train ride. Even after sitting in our bags for a couple of hours, both were delicious even if they weren’t crispy anymore. Got extra sauce as others have advised and it was not truly necessary (but it was nice!) Tonkatsu sauce is like regular tonkatsu sauce, which is very yummy imo. Love that there is cabbage instead of lettuce, as cabbage sits better over time and doesn’t get wilty or weird like lettuce does in a bento. We got our food in less than 10 mins and service was friendly. I think I may prefer Tokyo Sando’s chicken sandwich a little bit better but the cute ambiance and indoor seating spaces makes this preferable in the winter. My one little gripe is that I wished the meat was a little wider and reached the edges of the sandwich bread. But overall I was full and happy.

Nancy
★★★★5 months ago

Cute brunch spot for Japanese sandos and curry. I actually liked the curry more than the katsu sando. The katsu in the sando tasted more dry, and the bread wasn't traditional milk bread. Curry had better balance of flavors. Service was friendly, and prices were reasonable.

Sarah
★★★★★5 months ago

Finally got to try Tanaka for a girl's lunch! We tried a little bit of so many things and enjoyed it all! Breakfast sando with bacon on freshly made milk bread, iced strawberry matcha latte, ube & Yuzu donuts, a curry bun, and fries! It was all delicious and I can't wait to go back to try more! The pastries and cream were so flavorful but not overly sweet, and I'm still thinking about my sandwich

Lanna
★★★★★6 months ago

Awesome experience! The atmosphere of this restaurant was great, everything felt very clean and well taken care of, and the staff were so polite and welcoming. I ordered the Ebi sando and it was delicious, the texture of the fried shrimp, cabbage, and bread were great. I also ordered a hojicha latte and it paired well with the food, it was not too sweet and one of the better lattes I’ve had in portland. The service was fast and reliable. Overall great experience, and will 100% be coming back again.

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