LoRell's Chicken Shack

LoRell's Chicken Shack
Restaurant information
Established2021 (2021)
OwnerDarell Preston
LocationPortland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States

LoRell's Chicken Shack is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. Darell Preston is the owner.

Description

The restaurant LoRell's Chicken Shack operates in Portland, Oregon. The menu includes fried chicken (tenders or wings) and French fries.

History

LoRell's Chicken Shop at the Lloyd Center's food court, 2025

Established in 2021, the Black-owned restaurant LoRell's Chicken Shack began as a food cart and later operated at the Lloyd Center's food court. The food cart operated at Carts on Foster, a pod in Southeast Portland's Foster-Powell neighborhood, as well as the Rose City Food Park pod in Northeast Portland's Rose City Park neighborhood. LoRell's began operating at the Lloyd Center in 2024.

In June 2023, a man shouted racial slurs and attacked Preston when the food cart operated at Carts on Foster. In response, the community raised funds for the business. A video of the attack went viral. The man was sentenced to prison in 2024.

Following the shopping mall's closure in 2026, LoRell's relocated to a Russell Street building in North Portland owned by the organization 1803 Fund. LoRell's participated in Fried Chicken Week in 2026.

Reception

Michael Russell and Lizzy Acker ranked LoRell's ninth in The Oregonian's list of "Portland's best new food carts of 2022". Andy Beth Miller selected the business for Oregon in The Takeout's 2025 overview of the best fried chicken restaurants in each U.S. state, describing LoRell's as "hometown favorite that started as a humble wing cart". Alex Frane and Jordan Michelman included LoRell's in Portland Monthly's 2026 overview of the city's best chicken wings. Michelman said the wings "should be consumed immediately ... to maximize the marvelous dichotomy between the crispy-crunchy crust, zippy-zingy sauce, and flavor-blasting powder" and opined, "The fries are also excellent, hand-cut and irregular in the best way, ideal for soaking up a bit of that sauce. If you love breaded, fried wings, these are the city’s best, full stop."

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "After the Lloyd Center, LoRell's opens on N. Russell Street — here's how to find it". The Oregonian. 2026-10-21. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  2. ↑ Scott, Ron; Hilton, Thom (November 18, 2024). "The Best Real-Deal Fried Chicken in Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  3. 1 2 "Portland's Top Spots for Chicken Wings". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  4. ↑ "This Week In Portland Food News". Portland Mercury. 2021-03-26. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  5. 1 2 3 Damewood, Andrea (2026-03-23). "Comeback Kitchen, Portland Edition". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  6. ↑ "Man pleads guilty in attack of Black food cart owner in SE Portland". The Oregonian. 2024-02-10. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  7. ↑ "Where to eat near the Moda Center: A local food writer's guide to 10 Portland gems". The Oregonian. 2026-03-18. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  8. ↑ Guzman, Dianne de (January 15, 2026). "Mind-Blowing Chicken Wings in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  9. ↑ Williams, Nathan (2023-08-23). "Carts on Foster Is No More. Where Have Its Food Carts Landed?". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  10. ↑ "The Lloyd Center's Hangout Era, in Photos". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  11. ↑ "A Black Portland food truck owner was badly beaten. Police have now identified a suspect". KGW.
  12. ↑ "Portland man accused of attacking Black food truck owner charged with hate crime". KGW.
  13. ↑ "Suspect arrested in assault of LoRell's Chicken Shack owner". KOIN.com. 2023-07-02. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  14. ↑ "Family of Black food truck owner attacked by white man in SE Portland hires lawyer to investigate assault, police response". The Oregonian. 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  15. ↑ Myers, Amanda Lee. "Portland food truck owner severely beaten in random attack thanks TikToker for arrest". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  16. ↑ "Man sentenced for assault and bias crime against LoRell's Chicken Shack Owner". KATU. 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  17. ↑ "Man sentenced to 3 years in prison after attacking LoRell's Chicken Shack owner". KOIN.com. 2024-02-22. Archived from the original on 2024-02-23. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  18. ↑ Deml, Jenna. "Man accused of hate crime against LoRell's Chicken Shack owner reaches plea deal". KOIN.
  19. ↑ "Portland man gets 3 years for racially motivated assault of food cart owner". The Oregonian. 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  20. ↑ "Lineup for second annual PDX Fried Chicken Week includes wontons, Chicago-style wings". KOIN.
  21. ↑ "Portland's best new food carts of 2022". The Oregonian. 2022-09-13. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
  22. ↑ Miller, Andy Beth (2025-11-09). "The Best Fried Chicken Restaurants In Every State". The Takeout. Retrieved 2026-10-22.