A 250-seat steakhouse packed with Oregon nostalgia opened July 31 in the Pearl District, marking celebrity chef Brian Malarkey's return to the city where he was born.

The Malarkey, at 1210 NW Hoyt St., is a wood-fired steak and seafood grill occupying the former Oba restaurant space that sat empty after Oba closed in 2017. The restaurant is open daily at 4:30 p.m. and has hired about 70 people, according to The Oregonian.

Malarkey, a Top Chef Season 3 finalist who was born in Portland and raised on a ranch in Central Oregon, runs the venture with his younger brother James under their company The Brothers Malarkey.

It is their 24th restaurant overall and their second in Oregon, following Hawkeye & Huckleberry Lounge in Bend. His portfolio generates more than $35 million in annual revenue across locations in Oregon and Southern California.

"It's time to put the spotlight back on Portland and throw away all that news we hear nationally about the chaos and craziness," Malarkey told Axios Portland on July 30. "I want to try to offer those memories that are so fond to me growing up here to the people."

Executive chef and partner Jose "Lalo" Camarena, formerly of República and the pop-up Metlapíl, leads the kitchen. Camarena spent a month at the Bend restaurant learning Malarkey's operating style before the Portland opening. His menu threads Mexican heritage through steakhouse staples: wood-fired steak arrives with salsa verde and horseradish cream, a steelhead aguachile is bathed in strawberries and cucumbers, and the Caesar salad nods to the dish's Tijuana origins. Beef comes from the family ranch in Central Oregon.

According to The Oregonian's pre-opening walkthrough, the interior leans hard into Portland references. Bubblegum-pink paint coats the walls and ceiling. A motorcycle mounted above diners references the Portland-filmed movie "My Own Private Idaho." A neon Jantzen Beach sign replica buzzes over the bar, where a golden stag stands guard.

Diners enter via a ramp lined with hand-drawn Meier & Frank fashion ads created by Malarkey's grandmother for The Oregonian in the 1950s and '60s.

The main dining room draws from Portland's West Hills, with velvet booths and portraits of notable Portlanders. Two private rooms borrow from Chinatown and the Enchanted Forest theme park near Salem; the larger seats 60. Live DJs perform Thursday through Saturday.

Malarkey acknowledged that some local restaurateurs warned him Portland diners might visit early then fade away. He cited RingSide and Andina as examples that the city can sustain destination dining.

General manager Britt Starkey previously worked with Malarkey in San Diego. Beverage director Alejandro de la Parra came from Teardrop Lounge. The Malarkey is open daily at 4:30 p.m.