The Beaverton Food Scene in 1910s: Grandma’s Kitchen, 1968

Look at any photograph of downtown Beaverton beginning in the 1910s and you’ll see cafes, restaurants, bakeries, confectionaries, lunch counters, and lodging accommodations, all advertising their home-cooked meals prepared with “locally-grown ingredients”. The Beaverton Times owner, Earl Fisher, said in 1919 that “the old charge that you can’t get a meal in Beaverton has passed into ancient history.” The Beaverton Restaurant owned by Rossi & Co. prepared “first class meals on short order… at Portland market prices or less.”

During the Great War, (now known as World War I), commercial establishments and home cooks alike faced the challenges of “Meatless Tuesdays” and “Wheatless Wednesdays” ordered by the U.S. Food Administration to regulate the food supply and aid the war effort. Menus evolved as new dishes were invented or re-invented.

Eateries came and went over the years as they struggled with economic realities and changing times: Kamberger’s Confectionery, Greyhound Coffee Shop, B and E Lunch, Beaver Inn, China Lantern, Tico Taco, Le Four a Bois French Bakery & Charcuterie, and others enlivened the city. One especially cherished memory is Grandma’s Table, known for its old-fashioned, hearty family-style dining.

Grandma’s Kitchen: In 1968, Glen and Norma Miller opened the first of three locations at the northeast corner of Hall Blvd and Denney Rd. The building was constructed just a few years earlier for Ernst Galinsky’s Market and Packing Company where he sold fresh meat. Grand opening week in December offered three entrees: broiled salmon, broiled tenderloin, and chicken and dumplings, each served with a tureen of chicken noodle soup, salad, mashed potatoes, vegetable, dessert, and a choice of non-alcoholic beverage. The price for adults was $2.50 ($23.00 in 2025) and children were $1.50.

Breakfast was not served but for lunch and dinner, 300 diners could be seated at oil cloth-covered tables. The 65-seat banquet room hosted many family gatherings, as well as faith, fraternal, and civic organizations’ meetings. Grandma’s quickly became a popular place to go, where diners’ plates were tempted by fresh bread made on-site, fish, ham, turkey, steak, rotating daily soups, and a variety of pork dishes.

The familiar logo of an old-time grandma garbed in a long dress and hair in a bun could be seen here as well as on NE Broadway in Portland (opened in 1970) and the Gearhart location, opened in 1971. Both were short-lived, however.

By 1974, ownership had changed to Linda and Ron Russell. The Beaverton City Council had approved a liquor license, enabling wine and beer service. Two salmon dinners with all the trimmings were offered, with a coupon, for $9.50, (regularly $13). Twenty years later, in 1994, the Oregonian noted the diner had opened a quarter of a century earlier, “down a narrow country road in Beaverton”, and Portland restaurateur Marie Holman was the fifth and current “Grandma.” Take-out service was available, and credit cards were accepted by then.

The last newspaper ad appears to have been in 1995, signaling the end of a successful run. The Father’s Day prime rib dinner was $9.95; the Sunday Ranch Style Buffet brunch was $8.95. After almost thirty years, the popular restaurant ladled its last kettle of soup and baked its final loaf of bread, for a meal “served the good ole’ fashioned way you want it.” A liquidation sale of the equipment and antiques that decorated the lobby was held in 1997, preparing for the opening of Silver Dollar Pizza. That eatery ultimately closed, as well. The building is now home to Imam Mahdi Center.

By Ann Koppy, local historian.