Portlanders have more than 750 street food options at convenient food cart pods. Travel Portland
Portlanders have more than 750 street food options at convenient food cart pods. Travel Portland
Portland is renowned for its food carts and trend-setting street food collectives in local neighbourhoods. Cassie Tannenberg taste-tests a cycling tour of Portland’s best spots.
Portland’s food truck scene is legendary. And for good reason. In Around Portland Tours founder Sarah Gilbert’s estimation, Portlanders have more than 750 street food options arranged into convenient food cart pods, often with beer gardens and communal seating, so you can eat globally while immersed in a local convivial atmosphere.
Since the first mobile food cart opened in a “permanent” location in 2008, Portland’s food cart scene has continually evolved to cater for changing tastes and demographics, putting Portland on the map of the world’s best street food destinations.
Famous food trucks (Nong’s Khao Man Gai) and pandemic projects (Mama Dut) have transitioned into brick-and-mortar shops, paving the way for a new generation of culinary creatives. And some mobile food menus (Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen and Erica’s Soul Food) are far superior to comparable cuisine counterparts in traditional restaurants.
Portland’s food cart scene has evolved to cater for changing tastes. Photo / Justin Katigbak, Travel Portland
You can DIY a food cart odyssey around Portland or hop aboard Around Portland Tours’ Food Carts of Portland Bike Tour – a 3.5-hour guided cycling exploration of the city’s food cart scene. Get a taste of everyday Portlander life while whizzing through local neighbourhoods and dining at the following top spots.
The Hall on Belmont
Our first stop is The Hall food pod. Located on SE Belmont St, it’s open seven days a week with covered seating to keep you cosy while you try authentic Mexican at El Chilito Loco, or Chubby Bunny’s delicious breakfast fare where you can’t go past a Benny. Billed as secretly vegan, the ham, egg, cheese and hollandaise on an English muffin is so good you’ll forget all about the other McVersion. Add potato mittens (hash browns) and French toasties for all the finger-lickin’ brekky fixings.
This newish bar and food cart pod opened in January 2022 and is also in SE Portland between Hawthorne and Division streets. Head here for Poppyseed, dishing the best of the Pacific Northwest from a food truck, and La Taquiza Vegana’s plant-based modern Mexican flavours. You will also find outposts of Matt’s BBQ Tacos, beloved for its housemade lard flour tortillas, and Burger Stevens’ smashed burgers. Check out Third Culture Kitchen, too – with the likes of shrimp ’n’ grits and Peruvian chicken soup with matzo balls, it defies typecasting but is definitely delicious. Order craft beers and cocktails from Hinterland bar and enjoy the heated outdoor seating.
Down The Alley at 3634 SE Division St houses two of Portland’s most buzzworthy foodie finds. Someday is a neighbourhood bar slinging eats and drinks plus the occasional oyster pop-up, while Ruthie’s is a fully woodfired food cart based on co-owner Collin Mohr’s grandmother’s Mormon recipes and seasonal produce.
Matt’s BBQ Tacos is a firm Portland fave.
Photo / Justin Katigbak, Travel Portland
Cartlandia
Elsewhere in SE Portland, check out the Cartlandia “superpod”, home to the Blue Room beer garden and around 27 food trucks, including Pupuseria La Miguelena’s Salvadorian pupusas (filled flatbreads), Bobablastic bubble teas and poke bowls and Teppanyaki Hut’s sushi burritos.
Cartopia
Cartopia on SE Hawthorne St is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays for a late-night feed with Potato Champion (Belgian fries and loaded poutine) and the South American-inspired smoked Chicken and Guns (crispy potatoes), served with addictive aji sauce.
Meals 4 Heels
Another worthy SE Portland street eats option is the standalone Meals 4 Heels cart at the Redd on Salmon Street hub. Open for lunch from Wednesday to Friday, M4H is the brainchild of chef Nikeisah Newton and Portland’s only meal delivery service catering to the sex worker community. The nutritious and delicious plant-based menu traverses Thai, Middle Eastern, Mexican and Southern-style cuisines plus homemade sodas. The GTP (Gettin’ That Paper) is OMG good.
Matt’s BBQ Tacos is beloved for its housemade lard flour tortillas.
Photo / Justin Katigbak, Travel Portland
Prost! Marketplace
Situated on North Mississippi Ave and Skidmore St, Prost! Marketplace had a starring role on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. Sample everything from vegan fare (Native Bowl), award-winning Texas-style barbecue tacos and smash burgers (Matt’s BBQ Tacos and Burger Stevens strike again), Indian fusion (Desi PDX) and breakfast sammies (Fried Egg I’m In Love). Throw in a coffee, cocktail and beer cart (Bloodbuzz PDX) and the Prost! German pub next door and you’re all set.
Prost! Marketplace had a starring role on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil.
Photo / Justin Katigbak, Travel Portland
Taking its name from one of Portland’s many monikers, Rose City Food Park is also located in NE Portland within the Hollywood district. Here you’ll find 15-plus food carts anchored by the Adda Beer alfresco beer garden. Chow down at Charlie’s Breakfast Cart, Let’s Roll, Rocket Breakfast and Simply Thai. For something different, try Chochu Local Island BBQ, which heroes the lesser-known flavours of the Mariana Islands such as barbecue plates with ribs, chicken and pork belly fresh from the grill; Chamorro-style empanadas and lumpia (deep-fried spring rolls).
