Republic Cafe and Ming Lounge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Republic Cafe and Ming Lounge |
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The restaurant's entrance and neon sign, 2017
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| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1922 |
| Previous owner(s) |
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| Food type | Chinese |
| Street address | 222 NW 4th Avenue |
| City | Portland |
| County | Multnomah |
| State | Oregon |
| Postal/ZIP code | 97209 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′30″N 122°40′28″W / 45.52496°N 122.67441°W |
The Republic Cafe and Ming Lounge are a Chinese restaurant and bar in Portland, Oregon's Old Town Chinatown, in the United States. The restaurant is one of Portland's oldest, established in 1922, and continues to operate under the Mui family's ownership. Serving Chinese cuisine such as Mongolian beef, General Tso's chicken, chop suey, and egg foo young, the Republic Cafe has been described as a "staple" of the neighborhood and the city's Chinese American history. Celebrities have visited the restaurant which has also seen several longtime employees. Ming Lounge is among the city's oldest bars.
Building
The building occupied by the Republic Cafe was designated on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 as part of the Portland New Chinatown–Japantown Historic District, although significant alterations to the building have limited its historical value. The architecture firm Houghtaling & Dougan designed the single-story rectangular concrete building for O.B. Stubbs. The Zanella Brothers completed the structure in 1922 for $15,000. The Stubbs family owned the building until Sally Friedman bought it in 1945. Chinese and Japanese businesses such as barbershops and restaurants operated in the storefronts. The building has a concrete foundation, stucco exterior, and a flat roof with green tile covers. The entrance and exterior were remodeled in 1960 and 1974, respectively. According to the historic district's registration form, Republic Cafe opened in the building in 1930.
