Duckfat traces back to a 2003 birthday trip to Amsterdam, where Nancy Pugh and Rob Evans stood on a cold street eating a cone of Belgian frites and decided Portland needed one too. Rob and Nancy, who had already taken over Hugo's a few years earlier, opened Duckfat down the street in January 2005, built around hand-punched fries twice-fried in duck fat and pressed sandwiches to go with them.
The concept now runs across two spots with separate menus. Duckfat The Original on Middle Street is a small, casual room with indoor and outdoor seating. Duckfat Frites Shack is a walk-up window tucked in an alley on Washington Ave, sharing indoor and outdoor seating with Oxbow Blending & Bottling next door — a setup that works well for larger groups.
Regulars keep coming back for the duck confit and a poutine that's built its own following, alongside staff generally described as friendly and knowledgeable. Portland Press Herald named Duckfat a best-of pick in its 2025 city magazine roundup.
The concept now runs across two spots with separate menus. Duckfat The Original on Middle Street is a small, casual room with indoor and outdoor seating. Duckfat Frites Shack is a walk-up window tucked in an alley on Washington Ave, sharing indoor and outdoor seating with Oxbow Blending & Bottling next door — a setup that works well for larger groups.
Regulars keep coming back for the duck confit and a poutine that's built its own following, alongside staff generally described as friendly and knowledgeable. Portland Press Herald named Duckfat a best-of pick in its 2025 city magazine roundup.