Ben & Esther's
8 people recommend, 1 warns against itvia r/askportland, r/Portland11 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Ben & Esther's is a vegan Jewish deli in NE Alberta that many people recommend, and a few name it specifically for breakfast. One diner praises the boiled bagels and vegan lox and calls the place one of their favorite breakfast spots, while another rates the bacon, egg and cheese bagel as the best vegan bagel in town. On the downside, one commenter says the bagels are bought from a larger local bagel shop rather than made in-house, one diner found the bagel awful and stopped going back, and another likes the veggie bagelwich and schmear selection but finds the half-sours too soft.
Address
Ben & Esther’s Vegan Delicatessen, 1800 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
At a glance
- Signature dishes
- Bacon, egg and cheese bagel, Boiled bagels with vegan lox
- Best for
- Breakfast
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/RetrotheRobot in r/askportland · Jun 2025
Lists this among the vegan options they know, with no further detail.
- Recommendsu/ChiaroStudio66 in r/askportland · Mar 2025taste
Praises boiled bagels and vegan lox as a favorite breakfast spot.
- Recommendsu/Deh_Strizzz in r/Portland · Jan 2026taste
Answers the question by praising this place's breakfast-style bagel as the strongest vegan bagel around.
- Recommendsu/binary in r/askportland · Jun 2026
Would be open to it for a vegan breakfast.
- Caveatu/MsCeeLeeLeo in r/askportland · Jan 2026
Says Ben and Esther's doesn't make its own bagels and buys from a larger local shop.
- Recommendsu/Brent_Mavis in r/askportland · Dec 2023
Names Ben and Esters as the pick.
- Mixedu/snoopwire in r/Portland · Jan 2026taste
Says the lox-style carrot dish impressed them, but the bagel disappointed, so they stopped returning.
- Recommendsu/160136 in r/askportland · Jun 2025
Endorses Ben & Esther's, agreeing with all listed vegan spots except Paradox.
Show all 11 cited comments
- Recommendsu/chaosfox17 in r/askportland · Mar 2025
Lists it as also good.
- Mixedu/poeticsnail in r/askportland · Jan 2024taste
Praises the veggie bagelwich and schmear options, but says the half-sours are too soft.
- Recommendsu/Superb_End_2148 in r/askportland · Jan 2026
Passes along a bagel-loving partner's recommendation of Ben and Esther's.
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.