There are a lot of happy hour options in Bend, let alone all of Central Oregon. In fact, there are a ton of options just in downtown to choose from, and it's a choice that never gets easier as we get new restaurants what seems like every week. On the list of most underrated restaurants in downtown Bend has long since been Chomp Chomp, but I don't think most people realize how good they are; not just for lunch and dinner - And they easily have one of the finest happy hours in all of Central Oregon.
Since somewhere around the fall of 2022, I've been saying Chomp Chomp's happy hour is being slept on, and after checking back in this week, my opinion stands. From the deep bench of playfully curated cocktails to the Japanese/Northwest fusion menu, Chomp Chomp cares about flavor, texture and complexity in ways that most restaurants don't have time for during happy hour.
Open for lunch starting at noon Tuesday-Sunday, the happy hour runs 3-6pm Tuesday-Saturday and then all day Sunday. Since we're taking about happy hours, that's what we're focusing on, but there really isn't a bad time to show up and fill yourself with Fusion Perfection. If they had breakfast, I would be there, day-drinking and texting ex-girlfriends.
I started with the One Night in Bangkok, which has long been my favorite downtown specialty cocktail featuring a legitimately spicy house-made vodka, sweetened with coconut and lime. The heat from the vodka and the seductive, milky, nutty, tropicality of the coconut give the drink genuinely singular flavor. The Moscow Mule is also pretty fantastic, but the real surprise was the Strawberries N' Coconut mocktail — light and refreshing in very floral and unexpected ways.
I tried almost everything on the happy hour menu (I like to be thorough), starting with the buttery and filling Crispy Brussel Sprouts ($10) in a divine lemon sesame sauce with pickled carrots and wontons. It was the perfect beginning for a sampling of the happy hour menu, since next came the Crab Rangoons ($12) stuffed with real crab meat and a light, chili-flake-infused cream cheese. Lemme tell you, these 'goons are the real deal, and I don't think I ever knew how key real crab was to the flavor profile of this iconic snack food.
Next was the Kara'age ($13), fried dark meat chicken served with rice and pickled veggies. This right here is enough for an entire meal and easily has been my favorite go-to snack food downtown for a minute. Honestly, over the last few years, it seems like their food has only gotten better. I also went at the Sticky Wings ($15), which are, yes, quite sticky and just bursting with complexity in their sweetness, savory notes and ability to make your mouth water while actively eating them.
Wrapping up this entirely too decadent table full of food, were the Pork Belly Bao Buns with insanely tender slow-roasted pork belly and some of the softest open-faced bao buns I've had in a long time. Everything was delicious and reminded me of how much care Chomp Chomp has always taken with their menu. Every item is approached in a way that leads with originality, quality and flavor-forward innovation.
Other great spots for happy hour snacks and more:
