Smørrebrød vibes, surprisingly smart pour game
Waterfront · Hood River · Scandinavian-inspired breakfast and lunch · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed July 27, 2026 · How we review
RagingWine reviewed Broder Øst’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Wingman Metrics
You walk into a cozy Scandinavian cafe inside the Hood River Hotel and the last thing you expect is a wine list that actually makes you stop scrolling. It's short — 20-something labels — but the bones are good, leaning hard into Austria and the Pacific Northwest in a way that actually makes sense with the food. This is not a brunch spot that threw a few Pinot Grigios on a chalkboard and called it a day.
The list punches above its weight by anchoring in regions that complement the menu rather than just filling price points. Willamette Valley and Columbia Gorge bottles sit alongside Austrian Grüner Veltliner and Alsatian selections — all wines with the acidity and savory edge to cut through cured fish, baked eggs, and creamy dairy. It's a tight 20-35 label list, so there's no rabbit hole to fall down, but the curation feels intentional rather than lazy. The gaps are real — no skin-contact wines, thin on reds, and the spirits program (aquavit) gets more shelf space than it probably should.
Six by-the-glass options at $10–$14 is a reasonable spread for a daytime cafe in Hood River. The pour program skews toward whites and lighter styles, which is the right call for a breakfast and lunch operation. Don't expect rotation or a chalkboard special — what's on the list is what's on the list.
Pacific Northwest Pinot Gris — $35
At the low end of the bottle range, a Columbia Gorge or Willamette Valley Pinot Gris here drinks well above its price tag — crisp, food-friendly, and the right bottle to share over Swedish pancakes and baked eggs.
Grüner Veltliner
Most people at this table are ordering mimosas or coffee, which means the Austrian Grüner is flying under the radar. It's the sleeper — high acidity, herbal edge, and it goes with almost everything on the Scandinavian menu better than anything else on the list.
Aquavit (spirits)
Not a wine, obviously, but the spirits program eats up menu real estate and staff attention in ways that don't serve the wine drinker. If you're here for the list, don't let the aquavit upsell distract you from what's actually worth ordering.
Grüner Veltliner + Baked eggs
The herbal, peppery snap of a Grüner Veltliner cuts straight through the richness of a runny yolk and whatever cream or cheese situation is going on in those baked eggs. It's the cleanest call on the menu.
The Bottom Line
Broder Øst is a Wild Card in the best way — a casual daytime cafe with a wine list that actually has a point of view. If you're rolling through Hood River for a weekend and need a bottle with brunch, this is the move.
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Proper
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