Der Rheinlander is a Portland institution. After more than 50 years in business, they’re closing their doors in early 2017. Becky gasped when she found out I had never been, and vowed to make sure I experienced it while I could.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2016 challenge; here’s the full list. It’s also part of our Eat the World challenge; the full list for that is here.

What we look for in a place that’s going on our eat-the-world page is authenticity and quality. Having actually been to the Rheinland, we knew what to look for – tall, light German beers, pretzels, and sausage. The Rheinlander delivered in spades. I drank my German pilsner out of a boot, and the dining hall is decorated to make you feel like you’re eating outside in a village square.

The food was well done also. We had two gripes: the fondue (which is a Swiss invention) and the Sound of Music soundtrack played by wandering accordion players (the Von Trapps were Austrian, but the accordions fit perfectly). We weren’t super fond of some of the sausages, but not because they were badly done, they just weren’t for us.

If you have the chance, make a stop here while you still can. It’s worth it.