Tad's Chicken'n Dumplings has been a local tradition for almost 100 years. First established during Prohibition, Tad's has always been a place were people could come from near and far to enjoy good American comfort food. Overlooking the Sandy river from their year round open air patio, you can look out onto gorgeous waters as you dine on some of the best food around.
Yes, There Really Was a Tad!
Its spring again, the smelt have just finished their spring run, and were in the mood to share some amazing facts about Tads with you.
Did you know that Tads, as a local institution, is nearly eighty years old
Handsome Tad Johnson, known locally as a rascal and a fisherman, (in that order,) opened his roadhouse in the late 1920s at the east end of the Sandy River Bridge. Prohibition was still in effect, the smelt ran free, Bonnie and Clyde made the news and the Historic Columbia River Highway was new then.
This makes Tads one of the first, and now one of the last, remaining Historic Columbia River Highway roadhouses from that era. To give you some perspective, Tad Johnsons original roadhouse was built just after Multnomah Falls Lodge and a little before Timberline Lodge, making it an important part of the lasting legacy of hospitality in the Columbia River Gorge, the Sandy River Delta and the Mt. Hood Watershed.
The original Tads was primarily a fish-house, a place to eat fresh, local seafood. The food was simple and regional, perfect for hungry travelers and the new migrants moving into Oregon. As part of that Northwest legacy, we still feature fish and chips and salmon smoked in-house from local Alder trees.
Tads moved to its current location in the forties. The restaurant added Chicken and Dumplings to the menu and never looked back. After I-84 was built, Tads was still a local favorite with its dance floor, jukeboxes, lunch counter and later, its open-air patio and full bar.
Throughout the twentieth century and into the next, weve never stopped feeding hungry travelers (from near and far.) As we approach our one hundred year anniversary, we are so grateful and proud to be a delicious part of local history.
Come on into Tad's and enjoy a tradition almost as old as the highway it sits on! Learn more about Tad's Chicken'n Dumplings.
Discover more attractions, events and activities you wont want to miss-out on while visiting: The West Columbia River Gorge. Dont forget to visit The West Columbia River Gorge Chamber of Commerce for more information about the regions attractions and lodging before your trip to The West Columbia River Gorge in Oregon.
