Grassa (restaurant)
Restaurant chain in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grassa is a restaurant with multiple locations in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. The original restaurant opened in Southwest Portland in 2013; subsequent locations have opened in Northwest Portland's Northwest District, in Southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood, and in Vancouver, Washington.
| Grassa | |
|---|---|
| |
_-_1.jpg) The Southwest Portland restaurant's exterior in 2020 | |
 Interactive map of Grassa | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2013 |
| Owner | Rick Gencarelli |
| Food type | Italian[1][2] |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 45°31′19.6″N 122°41′01.3″W |
| Website | grassapdx |
Description and history
Grassa was established by chef Rick Gencarelli. Eater Portland's Brooke Jackson-Glidden has described Grassa as "a casual, kid-friendly pasta shop with turntables playing old records and bowls of noodles named for [Gencarelli's] kids".[3] The original Grassa (sometimes called "West End Grassa") opened in Southwest Portland's West End neighborhood in 2013.[4][5][6]
A second location, nicknamed "Grassa Vol. 2", opened in Northwest Portland's Northwest District in 2016.[7][8] Grassa's third location opened near the intersection of Hawthorne and 15th Avenue in Southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood around December 31, 2019.[3][9][10]
Another location opened along Vancouver Waterfront Park, in Vancouver, Washington.[11] The business also operates at the Portland International Airport.[12][13] Gencarelli has also planned to open Grassa restaurants in Lake Oswego, Oregon,[14] as well as Japan.[15][16]
The restaurant participated in Portland's Dumpling Week in 2026.[17] A seventh location is slated to open at Cedar Hills Crossing in Beaverton in 2026.[18][19]
Reception
_-_2.jpg)
Chris Onstad of the Portland Mercury wrote, "The offerings at Grassa are robust, and often intense. This isn't a feather on a fulcrum, it's a barbell, and it's remarkably balanced. For that, as well as for price and quality, it's highly recommended for a casual meal."[20] In her review for the Portland Tribune, Anne Marie DiStefano said, "Grassa is a good ambassador, a place where someone with average pasta expectations can be pleasantly surprised by the high quality of everyday, affordable food in Portland."[21]
In his 2016 review of the Washington Street location, Willamette Week's Matthew Korfhage wrote, "Like an old punk rocker who now works in marketing, craft-pasta spot Grassa has aged surprisingly gracefully. The restaurant's rough edges—unpredictable tunes at unpredictable volume, dining-room staff with occasional kitchen manners—have become idiosyncratic elements in a machine that's now quite well-oiled."[22] Eater Portland contributors have included Grassa in lists of "15 Primo Italian Restaurants in Portland" (2018)[23] and "16 Quintessential Restaurants and Bars in Slabtown" (2019).[24]
