The upcoming restaurant, slated for a summer 2026 debut in Portland, will mark Malarkey’s first full-scale venture in the city and his second Oregon project overall, following the 2024 opening of Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend with his younger brother, James Malarkey. That Bend restaurant, styled as a modern cowboy steakhouse, has been a bright spot in Malarkey’s recent business record, reportedly generating strong revenue and encouraging the brothers to double down on the state.
The new concept, called The Malarkey, is positioned as a high-capacity steakhouse and seafood destination with a heavy emphasis on theatrical design and sensory overload, a familiar formula for the chef. Early details point to an aggressively maximalist interior featuring stripper poles in the bathrooms, a motorcycle mounted on the wall, themed event rooms, pop-culture references, and décor elements that lean hard into spectacle. Malarkey has openly described the concept as “kitschy,” a label he embraces rather than avoids.
While Malarkey has framed the move as a personal homecoming and an effort to “restore” downtown dining districts still struggling post-pandemic, the expansion also continues a pattern that San Diego diners know well. Over the past 15 years, Malarkey has opened, sold, rebranded, or closed more than two dozen restaurants across multiple states, often pairing high-concept interiors with heavy media promotion and celebrity branding. Some, like Herb & Wood and Animae in San Diego, have endured and earned critical praise. Others, including earlier concepts like Searsucker, Herringbone, and more recently his Chefs Life consumer cooking oil brand, have faded out after initial hype.
The Portland opening arrives during a particularly turbulent chapter for the chef. In recent months, Malarkey shuttered Chefs Life Cooking Oils after nearly five years in the grocery market, pulled out of a planned mini food hall at San Diego International Airport, and publicly detailed a stress-related seizure and near-death experience while traveling in Italy. At the same time, he continues to juggle television hosting duties, podcast production, multiple active restaurants, and ongoing personal matters.
Despite the setbacks, Malarkey shows little interest in slowing down. The new steakhouse is designed to seat roughly 250 guests, signaling a high-risk, high-overhead bet on large-format dining at a time when many chefs are moving in the opposite direction. The menu is expected to focus on Pacific Northwest ingredients, including oysters, shellfish, salmon, halibut, local beef, and venison, while day-to-day operations will be handled by a team separate from Malarkey himself, a structure common across his expanding empire.
For San Diego, the announcement reinforces a familiar dynamic. While Malarkey remains one of the city’s most visible culinary exports, his attention continues to stretch further afield, leaving locals to wonder which concepts will receive long-term stewardship and which will eventually be spun off, sold, or sunsetted. As with many Malarkey projects, the ambition is undeniablem but so is the track record of volatility.
The Malarkey is targeting a July 2026 opening at 555 NW 12th Avenue in Portland, OR.
Originally published on February 4, 2026.
