An Oregon kid, a San Diego career, and one big swing back home.
Brian Malarkey grew up on a cattle ranch in Central Oregon with summers on the Oregon Coast, learned to cook early, and left for culinary school in Portland. He built most of his career in San Diego — more than twenty restaurant concepts — and became nationally known through Top Chef and Food Network.
The Malarkey is his homecoming: his first Portland restaurant after decades away, opened with his brother James under The Brothers Malarkey — the group behind Bend's Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge. James spent considerable time hunting for the right Pearl District location, because they wanted their flagship to make a statement. It landed in the former Oba! space.
In the kitchen, chef José "Lalo" Camarena — from acclaimed Portland restaurant República and his own Metlapíl pop-up — fuses classic steakhouse technique with Pacific Northwest ingredients and Mexican influence. The beef, seafood, and produce are Pacific Northwest through and through.
And the room refuses to sit still: bubblegum-pink walls, a golden stag over the bar, concert posters, a vintage motorcycle overlooking the lounge, and a psychedelic forest hidden in back. Less steakhouse, more immersive, Oregon-inspired adventure — with serious culinary ambition. A little wild, a little glamorous, and always up for one more round.
Not a steakhouse. An Oregon-themed adventure — with serious cooking under the sequins.
The Malarkey · Pearl District