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Tucked away in the heart of Portland, Javelina Indigenous Dining stands apart as a true culinary gem. Alexa’s one-of-a-kind restaurant features captivating flavors that pay tribute to Indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest while incorporating influences from the Hopi of the Southwest. Every dish at Javelina celebrates Native American history, using traditional First Foods and pre-colonial ingredients that embody the land known as Turtle Island. Experience Indigenous culinary art that blends tradition with innovation, as Javelina’s menu offers a unique taste of the past combined with a modern twist.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 4636 NE 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218
Phone: (503) 505-0913
Website: http://javelinapdx.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: opentable.com
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Javelina Indigenous Dining – Cully, Portland, OR
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INDIGENOUS DINING (@javelina.pdx) · Portland, OR – Instagram
INDIGENOUS CUISINE Weekends: 10am-9pm | Weekdays 11am-9pm. Tuesdays: 4pm-9pm | Closed on Wednesdays Tasting Menu: @inisha.pdx | Donate: @naymu.nawa …
About – Javelina Indigenous Dining
Fast forward to September 2023, Alexa is now a new mother and just six weeks later she started Javelina: Indigenous Dining with her husband Nicholas Numkena- …
Reviews
Charlie Te
I had lunch here the other day with a friend and was pleasantly surprised how good the place was. We ordered a variety of items to share – Heirloom bean dip, Powwow burger, Seared elk tacos, and Bison sliders. The winner for me were the Powwow burger followed by the Seared elk tacos. The burger was super flavorful, but add that with the fry bread as the buns of the burger = Amazing! The elk tacos also had a good amount flavor to it as well. The bean dip was nice and light. The Bison sliders were also good as it had fry bread as the buns. Overall, pretty good place to check out for lunch.
… moreSteven Sandoval
Warning: automatic 5% gratuity is charged despite not being mentioned anywhere on the menus or by the waiting staff. So, you need to mentally increase the advertised menu prices accordingly or confront staff.
The food is expensive compared to other restaurants that serve generic microwaved Sysco ingredients; I haven’t heard of factory farmed rattlesnake or rabbit which the menu said my sausage (“R&R Relleno”, 37.80 USD) was made out of; being a sausage, the item was pretty salty so I feel the exotic ingredients were lost on me. The initial bread that I thought was a complimentary starter was actually a 11.55 USD mix-up caused by my request for a side of fry bread (7.55 USD) going awry. I’ve had blue corn mush at family get-togethers and I wasn’t really reminded of anything; it tasted like generic cornbread.
As for the fry bread, I know every reservation region has different ways of making it; this variety is soft and served with butter. I grew up eating fry bread with just salt, so adding butter (“smoked cedar butter”?) seems odd when fry bread’s main ingredient behind flour is lard. I saw there was a dessert version with sweet sauces, but, I didn’t get it because when I visited, I wanted to recreate a bit of home and my Nali didn’t have such expensive condiments.
I didn’t get any alcohol from their extensive menu because I drove myself to Javelina.
Overall, I feel like this restaurant is aiming to serve indigenous recipes as a luxury item for the upper middle class who want exotic variety. I certainly did see many couples who appeared to be enjoying getting to know one another. My main complaint is the hidden 5% required gratuity; seems dishonest to spring that on a customer after the food has been eaten and the bill is issued.
— Baltakatei, 2026-03-02 after thinking about their 2026-02-15 visit
… moreThe food is expensive compared to other restaurants that serve generic microwaved Sysco ingredients; I haven’t heard of factory farmed rattlesnake or rabbit which the menu said my sausage (“R&R Relleno”, 37.80 USD) was made out of; being a sausage, the item was pretty salty so I feel the exotic ingredients were lost on me. The initial bread that I thought was a complimentary starter was actually a 11.55 USD mix-up caused by my request for a side of fry bread (7.55 USD) going awry. I’ve had blue corn mush at family get-togethers and I wasn’t really reminded of anything; it tasted like generic cornbread.
As for the fry bread, I know every reservation region has different ways of making it; this variety is soft and served with butter. I grew up eating fry bread with just salt, so adding butter (“smoked cedar butter”?) seems odd when fry bread’s main ingredient behind flour is lard. I saw there was a dessert version with sweet sauces, but, I didn’t get it because when I visited, I wanted to recreate a bit of home and my Nali didn’t have such expensive condiments.
I didn’t get any alcohol from their extensive menu because I drove myself to Javelina.
Overall, I feel like this restaurant is aiming to serve indigenous recipes as a luxury item for the upper middle class who want exotic variety. I certainly did see many couples who appeared to be enjoying getting to know one another. My main complaint is the hidden 5% required gratuity; seems dishonest to spring that on a customer after the food has been eaten and the bill is issued.
— Baltakatei, 2026-03-02 after thinking about their 2026-02-15 visit
Danielle B.
One of the best dining experiences I’ve had in Portland and I’m so glad I went here for an early birthday celebration. I’m quite familiar with Indigenous cuisine and the ingredients used in their dishes, having lived all over North America and sampled some of the best. Eating here felt like a warm and welcoming hug as the staff provided customer service and seemed to love what they do, an experience which I always find a treat. Starting with the fry bread which I call “bannock” out of habit, it was moist and fluffy and went well with the wildflower honey that we added on the side. We ordered the salmon wrapped in a corn husk, which I found innovative and the three sisters mash that came with it was a nice touch. We also had the bison steak which came out nicely seasoned and juicy despite being a lean meat. The sweetness of the berry sauce was to my liking and the fresh vegetables on the side tasted phenomenal. Most of their dishes are rustic, and that’s the charm of this place. As for the drinks, their cedar tea was lovely and so were the iced coffee and pinole. All in all, I will come back to this restaurant to try their other menu items and have no doubt that this restaurant is worth the rave.
… moreScott Richmann
Was excited to vusit when i heard about this restaurant. Did not look at the menu prior, so had no idea what to expect. Vibe is pretty low key which for a routine dinner out is what I like. Friendly folks all around. Table was spacious and we did not feel crowded by our neighbors. Three of us split the Fried Ozette Potatos, Elk Fry Bread and R&R Relleno. We had some leftovers because of course we needed dessert.
Potatos were very good. Nice crispy outside with soft inside. Chimichurri was excellent. The elk was really great. Wonderful flavor and cooked well. Huckleberry bbq added a nice touch as did the pickled onions. And the fry bread? Wow. How can you say no to rattlesnake on the menu? So had to get that. The sausage was fantastic, lean with good flavor. It seems a lot of relleno dishes overwhelm with things other than the meat stuffing. I did not find that to be the case here. The combination with the poblano, and blue corn worked well. My only slight knock on the food was the beens.
We finished our meal splitting the Frybread Flight (of course) and the Thumbprint Sunny Cookies. The fry bread of course was very good and probably did not need the honey and wojapi, but why not and they were good. The cookies were tasty as well.
Overall, very much enjoyed this restaurant and will be back.
… morePotatos were very good. Nice crispy outside with soft inside. Chimichurri was excellent. The elk was really great. Wonderful flavor and cooked well. Huckleberry bbq added a nice touch as did the pickled onions. And the fry bread? Wow. How can you say no to rattlesnake on the menu? So had to get that. The sausage was fantastic, lean with good flavor. It seems a lot of relleno dishes overwhelm with things other than the meat stuffing. I did not find that to be the case here. The combination with the poblano, and blue corn worked well. My only slight knock on the food was the beens.
We finished our meal splitting the Frybread Flight (of course) and the Thumbprint Sunny Cookies. The fry bread of course was very good and probably did not need the honey and wojapi, but why not and they were good. The cookies were tasty as well.
Overall, very much enjoyed this restaurant and will be back.
T. Cheney
My spouse and I were excited to have a birthday celebration here due to the unique foods on the menu. The venue has a sidewalk dining area, one open area with windows and a back room. The tables are spaciously placed. The servers are friendly Portland-weird. We enjoyed the selection of non-alcoholic beverages with high regards. Recommending the prickly pear & sumac lemonade and huckleberry cooler. The garden variety green salads are fresh and a good compliment to any main choice. Our main dish included elk shoulder served on fried bread and the rabbit & rattlesnake sausage wrapped in a poblano pepper were enjoyable. The portion sizes were appropriate. Dessert was not chosen mostly due to the limited choice between a cookie and a fried bread. Both of us enjoyed the uniqueness of the food. We found the choices limited. The price was over the top for the rabbit & rattlesnake (since one can buy 4 links at a local smoke house for $12.) The fried bread is done well and is not the oily version one might experience at a pow wow. The serving seemed out of order with dishes presented at random (a main dish before a salad and the bill before dessert.) Although the staff knew that this occasion was a birthday celebration, there was no special gesture displayed. So, all-in-all the restaurant has unique food with a vanilla style served with a side of Portland-weird.
… moreVec Benoit
Came with a party of 5 and shared bites between us. Everything we had was amazing. Very cute and comfortable atmosphere. Quality and personable service.
Fried Ozette potatoes – 10/10 I arrived hungry and this was our first starter. It made a strong first impression. So good!
Hopi blue corn someviki – 10/10 definitely worth trying. We elected to add the maple duck leg, which was delicious obviously. This was split among the table so each of us could try a bit.
R&R Rolleno – I picked this restaurant specifically to try this dish. I was picturing loose sausage, however it was in fact in a casing. It’s fairly spicy, but nothing crazy. This was my personal main and I ate most of it, but I think it would be a good one to share with others due to the strong flavors and the variety of other menu items to try.
One of my friends ordered the bison steak “medium,” but was served something more rare than he was expecting. It was still good, but if you are requesting a more well-done steak, you may wish to clarify.
Others in the party ordered the Elk Pot Pie and the Bison chili, both eliciting pleasant reactions.
The fry bread is a no-brainer and is great on its own or with basically any menu item. We were quite full by the end, but ordered the fry bread flight for dessert which provided a few sweet bites for each of us.
I may be forgetting some items, but basically to reiterate it was a very enjoyable experience, and I left more than satisfied. I highly recommend this place and I hope to return someday to try some more menu items, such as the blue corn bread and the quail in a k’púsh ‘pot.’
… moreFried Ozette potatoes – 10/10 I arrived hungry and this was our first starter. It made a strong first impression. So good!
Hopi blue corn someviki – 10/10 definitely worth trying. We elected to add the maple duck leg, which was delicious obviously. This was split among the table so each of us could try a bit.
R&R Rolleno – I picked this restaurant specifically to try this dish. I was picturing loose sausage, however it was in fact in a casing. It’s fairly spicy, but nothing crazy. This was my personal main and I ate most of it, but I think it would be a good one to share with others due to the strong flavors and the variety of other menu items to try.
One of my friends ordered the bison steak “medium,” but was served something more rare than he was expecting. It was still good, but if you are requesting a more well-done steak, you may wish to clarify.
Others in the party ordered the Elk Pot Pie and the Bison chili, both eliciting pleasant reactions.
The fry bread is a no-brainer and is great on its own or with basically any menu item. We were quite full by the end, but ordered the fry bread flight for dessert which provided a few sweet bites for each of us.
I may be forgetting some items, but basically to reiterate it was a very enjoyable experience, and I left more than satisfied. I highly recommend this place and I hope to return someday to try some more menu items, such as the blue corn bread and the quail in a k’púsh ‘pot.’
Jonah L
Low key, warm and welcoming. We went to date night here and our server Melissa was knowledgeable and efficient despite the fact that we were one of the last tables of the night. If you’re looking for innovative food that translates traditional native tastes into Portland staples, Javelina should be your next stop.
… moreLarken Egleston
Most interesting meal I’ve had in Portland. The fry bread is amazing and used many different ways. Had the heirloom bean dip as a starter, the elk burger, and the elk fry bread – all excellent, especially the elk burger (which used fry bread for the buns). And because I needed one more serving of fry bread we also got the fry bread ice cream sandwich with huckleberry ice cream. Super cool flavors and combinations. Great vibe and friendly service too. This is a must try spot.
… moreArron
From beginning to end, top to Bottom, This was my favorite experience of my recent trip to Portland. Finding this restaurant that specializes in indigenous food was so fortuitous. The menu was incredible and robust, the tea selection alone is worth stopping in for. The service was excellent and so willing to share the story of the business and it’s growth. I see such great things for this company. Honestly eating here moved me very much. I would love to see more food like this in the world
… moreT Lumpkin
What an amazing cultural food experience! A must if visiting the area and even if you’re a local. Make reservations. First time having Indigenous cuisine and I enjoyed every bite. Myself and other diners don’t eat red meat or pork but we were able to find some great choices on the menu. We tried a little of everything. But hands down collectively it was the fry bread. We had three orders of it including the dessert option. I like the fresh ingredients the vegetables and the flavor was divine. My personal favorite was the peppers dish. The corn maiden was my favorite traditional beverage. Service is delightful, they cater to you. The rabbit and rattles snack was a tasty dish-we ate everything as prepared, but I think I would have asked for that to be cooked on the grill a little longer longer if at home to have a more crispy texture. Otherwise we were pleased with everything we ordered. Once in a lifetimes for some experience. Glad to have been able to break read here.
… more