The moment I stepped through the heavy door at Dan & Louis Oyster Bar, it felt like Portland’s past wrapped around me. Dark wood walls, glowing brass fixtures, and the briny smell of fresh oysters instantly set the mood.
Open since 1907 at 208 SW Ankeny St, this place doesn’t try to look historic – it just is. Five generations of the Wachsmuth family have kept it alive, and that legacy shows in every creak of the floorboards.
Wandering through its maze of dining rooms feels like drifting through an old ship’s quarters. Everywhere you look there’s a story: nautical artifacts, shipwreck photos, shelves lined with decorative plates collected over decades…