This Fantastical Portland Restaurant Is Serving up Whimsy With a Side of Wonder

Moving to Portland, Oregon, brought many welcome additions to my life. Its access to and love for the natural world is unparalleled, as is its adoration for food and drink. A well-known food lover's haven, Portland has innumerable options of delectable restaurants to choose from. The quality of these eateries rarely falters, and many can stand out due to certain unique dishes and flavors. And yet, I have found myself enchanted by a restaurant that stands out not only for what you can consume, but for the experience you find yourself surrounded by. Wonderwood Springs in the St. Johns neighborhood of Portland isn't just a cartoon-filled restaurant; it's a living, breathing work of art. 

Owner and artist Mike Bennett was originally a preschool teacher, but has always been a creator and an innovator. Where one might have seen an empty sidewalk, he saw a possible zoo of animated figures. Yards became places where fantastical creatures could roam, and whatever seemed ordinary to others became something he could turn into the extraordinary. In 2019, he decided to turn his garage into a laboratory of creativity and thought of a way to share his art with his community. Soon, he went viral for his scavenger hunt around Portland, where he hid cutouts around the city for people to find. 

Since his viral fame, Bennett has created multiple businesses, including Wonderwood Springs. This brick building borders Wonderwood Mini Golf, and the alley between the two businesses has turned into the Dragon Ally, offering food, outside seating, games, and fun events. Walking into this area made me feel a bit like I was walking into Terabithia, a fantastical world I knew was created by humans, and the ‘normal’ world could be seen from its borders. Still, it was nonetheless completely immersive and allowed me to delight in new creatures and characters I’d never considered before.

Walking into Wonderwood Springs, I noticed that every inch of the place has been transformed into a whimsical, cartoonish wonderland. Odd beings, a few somewhat recognizable and others certainly not, stared down at me from wooden beams, welcoming me to grab a menu, showing me where to sit, to grab napkins, to find games, to get drinks and food, and more. To be clear, these beings are not alive, merely drawings brought large on thick cutouts. But the energy they bring is fascinating and altogether all-consuming. 

Straight away, I smelled buttery popcorn. The machine is just next to ‘Prince Popcorn,’ a somewhat grumpy-looking illustration who lords over his subjects with a wave of his hand. Then, I was directed to the menus, which have been divided into three sections: drinks, ice cream, and food. The food is certainly not an afterthought here, with breakfast and all-day brunch options, sandwiches and hot dogs, and burgers stacked with toppings. But it is clear that the main attraction for the Wonderwood Springs customers lies in its ice cream and drinks. 

The drinks are potions and elixirs, with dozens of offers to choose from. The ice cream is the same, with soft serve offered in classic cones or bowls, but also in daring flavor combinations that you can decide for yourself in a build-your-own section. All of this, to me, sounded amazing. But, as a person with a dairy allergy, I’ve learned that not every restaurant has options for me. Luckily, I discovered that Wonderwood Springs is one of the most adaptable and allergy-friendly restaurants I have ever been to! Most of the ice cream options can be made with either dairy or oat milk, as can the drinks (the ones that require it). Additionally, the menu points out which toppings are vegan and offers vegan alternatives to burgers and hot dogs, as well as gluten-free options. 

My group consisted of me, with a dairy allergy, and my two friends, both vegetarians and one with a gluten allergy. To many restaurants, we would seem like a daunting, unwanted task. But in Wonderwood Springs, we were just one of the many travelers who wandered into their tavern-like restaurant, hungry for both food and entertainment. As we sat, we played one of the offered games while eating well-seasoned fries and stacked burgers, with one sipping on a potion, and another on a local Pacific Northwest cider. Later, we bought ice cream with the intention to eat it on the go, but found ourselves enchanted by the Dragon’s Ally and sat in one of the booths outside instead. 

To be completely immersed in such an experience was a treat unlike anything I had ever been a part of before. It is no small feat to be a restaurant that stands out to an (admittedly new) Portland resident, and it is an even bigger accomplishment to be one that will certainly be recommended to many others with great enthusiasm. But Wonderwood Springs is truly just that special.