Portland’s Vegetarian Jewish Deli Ben & Esther’s to Open Two New Locations

Ben & Esther’s, a popular Jewish deli in Portland, is expanding with the opening of two new locations in NE Alberta St in Portland and in San Diego. Originally serving meat, the deli made the decision to transition to fully vegetarian items last year, and now they are working toward becoming a fully vegan concept by the end of November. The owner, Justin King, named the deli after his grandparents and aims to make plant-based Jewish food more accessible with the expansion.

As Ben & Esther’s moves toward becoming a fully vegan deli, they have been creative with their offerings, replacing traditional ingredients with plant-based alternatives like salt-roasted carrots for lox and brined-and-smoked hearts of palm for whitefish. The menu features Jewish deli staples such as Not-Lox, Reuben sandwiches, and vegan knishes, as well as traditional Jewish pastries like black & white cookies and babka. The new locations are set to open in November, with the Portland location housed in the former Random Order Pie Bar on NE Alberta St and the San Diego location on El Cajon Blvd.