Every town has them. The restaurants we swear we’ll get to, then somehow skip over when it’s time to actually eat. Bend is no different.

On Reddit, locals started listing their “oh yeah, that place” spots. The answers came fast.

The spots you drive past every single day and never notice. A faded sign. A plain strip mall. Nothing to tell you that inside, they’re quietly cooking some of the best food in town.

Yoli is like that. From the outside, you wouldn’t guess much. Inside, it’s a slow, thoughtful meal. The tasting menu has to be requested a day in advance. Which means you don’t stumble in. You plan. And when you do, it’s worth it. Or stumble in for a Lunch plate, you won’t be disappointed.

Same story with Yokocho Izakaya. Tucked away, no flash. But walk inside and it’s all skewers, ramen, and sake. A Japanese tavern hiding in plain sight.

Cuban Kitchen sits off the road, easy to forget. Yet they’re pressing sandwiches that taste like Havana landed in the high desert. Roast pork, plantains, the works.

Then there’s Pisanos Woodfired Pizza. Looks like your standard pizza shop. Until you get a pie. The crust, the char, the balance, it’s the kind of pizza that ruins all the mediocre ones you’ve settled for.

And don’t sleep on Real Taste of India. Curry, naan, vindaloo. Simple space, incredible food. A place you only remember after someone else says it out loud.

These aren’t flashy. They don’t remind you with ads or neon. They wait quietly. And when you finally remember them, they knock you flat.

Sundays in Bend aren’t just for trail runs and coffee. They’re also for jerseys, nachos, and ten different games blasting at once. Ask around town, or scroll through Reddit, and you’ll see the same names pop up again and again. Sidelines, Hideaway, River Pig… these are the local stadiums. Only with better beer.

Sidelines is the classic: more screens than you can count, a crowd that’s rowdy in the best way, and nachos that somehow keep up. A Redditor summed it up simply: “Sidelines is always a good time.”

Hideaway Tavern feels different. Fewer elbows, more couches, still plenty of screens. One Bend local put it best: “Hideaway is better quality food and TV watching and more comfortable.”

If you’re looking for balance, Big E’s keeps it easy — smaller, friendlier, still with Sunday Ticket. River Pig br

ings the brunch crowd into the game day fold. And Boneyard Pub gives you screens plus drink specials that can carry you through overtime. Lifty’s is another if you’re looking for a good outdoor space.

In other words: no excuses. Pick your vibe, show up early, and claim your spot before kickoff.

Special shoutout to The Humane Society of Central Oregon, as they took in 40 poodles this week from a neglectful owner. Let’s help get them adopted.

🐶 Mordecai – 2 years, Border Collie
Not much additional info besides this cute face. But that’s the most important thing.

🐱 Blizzard – 3 years - Siberian Huskie Mix
Playful husky that has won over hearts. Needs a structured home, and the other typical husky needs.

Two Bend companies are heading to the finals of the Bend Venture Conference’s early-stage competition.

360 Sierra is building a platform to make renting a car feel simple—more like borrowing a neighbor’s rig. Toast Wear Inc. is tackling a Bend classic: staying warm without piling on layers. Their solution? A personal thermostat built right into your jacket.

Both made it through a pitch night at Worthy Brewing. Toast Wear even walked away with $3,000 after the crowd picked them as the favorite.

Now it’s on to the Tower Theatre, October 16–17. They’ll be up against three out-of-town teams: Neurosom out of Eugene, which helps improve deep and REM sleep; SokoLife, also Eugene, with non-toxic patches for heart defect repair; and Yak Inc. from Portland, using AI to automate audits.

Want more event tips every week? Follow The Bend Banner on Instagram

Boots & Brews @ Worthy Brewing | 6:30 pm

Noam Pikelny & Friends @ Tower Theatre | 7:30 pm

Elton Dan & the Rocket Band @ Volcanic Theatre Pub | 8:00 pm

Family Story Time @ East Bend Library | 9:30 am

Trivia Tuesdays @ Bunk+Brew | 7:00 pm

Bend Film Festival (Opening Day Screenings) @ Downtown Bend Theaters | 2:00 pm

“Song of Sunset” Premiere + Songwriters Round @ Volcanic Theatre Pub | 6:00 pm

Paint & Sip @ Bevel Craft Brewing | 6:30 pm

Blind Tasting Experience @ Willamette Valley Vineyards (Bend) | 3:30 pm

Bend Film Festival (Screenings) @ Downtown Bend Theaters | 10 - 6 pm

Summer Music Series @ The Grove Market Hall | 6:00 pm

Live Music @ Bar Rio | 6:00 pm

Yoga and Sound Bath @ Hanoi Center | 6:30 - 7:30 pm

Cascadia—A Fungal Paradise (Noah Siegel) @ First Presbyterian Church | 6:30 pm

Fungi Foray Field Trip @ Sunriver Nature Center & Observatory | 9:00 am

Bend Film Festival (Screenings) @ Downtown Bend Theaters | 10 - 6 pm

Jazz at the Oxford: Marc Broussard & Band @ Oxford Hotel | 6:00 pm

Summer Fridays Concert Series @ The Grove | 6:00 pm

Wild Woodsman Dinner @ SHARC (Sunriver) | 5:00 pm

“Cats on Mats” Meditation & Stretching @ Playful Paws Cat Cafe | 9:30 am

Bend Film Festival (Screenings) @ Downtown Bend Theaters | 10 - 6 pm

Bend Moonlight Haunted Market @ Silver Moon Brewing | 4:00 pm

Sunriver Fungi Fest & Mushroom Show @ SHARC (Sunriver) | 10:00 am

Walk to End Alzheimer’s @ Riverbend Park | 11:00 am

Bend Film Festival (Screenings) @ Downtown Bend Theaters | 10 am

Mike Pinto @ Silver Moon Brewing | 7:00 pm

Give us some hard-earned feedback below! See you next week!

Paige and Mason