In October 2016, Honky Tonk Taco (3384 SE Division St), the counter-service taco and tequila joint from Nate Tilden (Olympia Provisions, Spirit of ’77, etc.) and Clyde Common chef Carlo Lamagna closed suddenly. Tilden explained that after three months, the food wasn’t up to expectations, and hinted at a possible rebranding.

Now, Tilden tells Eat Beat that he and his co-owners are scaling their OP Wurst hot dog stand concept into a bar and restaurant, set to open late January/early February 2017: “We feel more comfortable with sausages than we did with tacos," he says. 

OP Wurst already has two locations: one inside Pine Street Market, an another in Oregon City. The menu offers standard, quality Olympia Provisions franks and bratwurst, with a whole list of crazy hot dog creations, Frito pie flavor to the Hound (featuring peanut butter, bacon, apple butter, and banana).

Tilden says the super-sized location will include a full bar program and 16 beers on draft. For the first time in OP history, it will serve non-pork sausages, like beef frankfurters and chicken sausage with sage and leek. Plus, traditional Bavarian weisswurst. Aesthetically, the blueprint calls for lighter hues, a more open floor plan and an extended 15-seat bar.

Here’s hoping Tilden and Co. can squash the Division Street space’s bad luck juju (R.I.P. Sen Yai).