The town of Sandy is often referred to as the Gateway to Mount Hood. Because of this, it sees a lot of folks from the Portland metro area heading out to the mountain or coming back into town after a day at Meadows or backpacking the Timberline Trail. And, when you’ve just spent the day burning calories on Hood, you know you’re gonna be hungry and the Smoky Hearth Restaurant and Grill is here for you.
The Smoky Hearth is now run by Kayla Nilson and Brandon Johnson with the help of Kayla's father, Kevin, but the restaurant itself has been in the community for years. However, last year, the owner (and golf buddy of Kevin) of the Smoky Hearth announced he was retiring and wanted to pass the reins over to someone new. The Nilsons and Johnson had already been exploring their options for opening a restaurant, so when the Smoky Hearth became available they jumped at the chance and have never looked back. In July of last year, the ownership of the popular bar and grill was officially transferred to Kayla and Brandon and the team hit the ground running to keep this busy establishment a success.
On most days, you can find Kayla running the front of the house while Brandon takes the lead in the kitchen. Over the past year and a half they’ve been overwhelmed by the level of support they’ve received from the community, which has bolstered them to continue the tradition of great customer service while also responding to feedback from patrons and experimenting with new menu items.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day and specializes in foods like smoked brisket, pizza, and burgers. Crowd pleasers include their Brisket Potato made with their signature smoked brisket stuffed inside a baked potato, topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, real bacon bits, butter, and green onions, and served with sweet chili brussel sprouts. Or you can try the Beast Burger made with brisket tossed in BBQ sauce with crispy fried onions, peppered bacon, and cheddar cheese all served on top of their Smoky Burger.
Customers also love their wood fired pizza like Smoky’s Champion made with pesto sauce, sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, kalamata olives, fresh mozzarella, black olives, and artichoke hearts. You can also order plates of hearty pasta, fish and chips, healthy salads, or their famous lettuce wraps. And, they recently started serving breakfast Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 to 11:00 am where you can dig into Biscuits and Gravy, the Breakfast Skillet, or the Sandy Farmer Omelet made with three eggs, smoked ham, smoked bacon, country pork sausage, peppers, onion, swiss cheese, and topped with a creamy country gravy. Pair it with a bloody mary or mimosa and you’re set!
There are good options for both indoor and outdoor seating and the patio also has one of those big Jenga sets as well as cornhole to keep the kids (or adults) entertained while waiting for their food to arrive. There’s also TVs and a windscreen out on the patio so you can kick back and watch the game anytime of year. Or, stop by for Happy Hour, Monday through Friday from 2:00pm - 5:00pm with $1.50 off all appetizers and $1.00 off all well drinks and beer.
At the Smoky Hearth you’ll find big portions, fair pricing, and a focus on delivering friendly service. Add into this live, local music on the weekends and family-friendly karaoke nights—what more could you want in an establishment?! Check them out next time you’re on your way to or from the mountain and you won’t be disappointed!
Hours:
- Monday - Thursday, 11:00am - 8:00pm
- Friday, 11:00am - 9:00pm
- Saturday, 8:00am - 9:00pm
- Sunday, 8:00am - 8:00pm
Address: 16607 Champion Way Suite 100, Sandy
Phone: 503-668-4466
