Portland residents have a penchant for all things outdoorsy, so it only makes sense that the City of Roses has become famous for its alfresco dining options. Food carts — organized into what’s known as pods — started springing up in the early 2000s. You’ll find them run by scrappy chefs and entrepreneurs, many from immigrant communities, wanting to start food businesses minus the steep costs of running a brick-and-mortar operation.
For decades, with much global acclaim,these DIY dining alternatives have become an integral part of Portland’s lively food culture and are just as beloved among locals as they are with visitors. The diversity of choice is easily one of the best features of food-cart pods. Here’s where to find some of the city’s most exciting eats.
Portland’s Classic Food-Cart Pods
Cartopia in Southeast Portland is one of the oldest food-cart pods in town — and it still delivers. This is where you’ll find old faves like Potato Champion and Chicken and Guns, plus a beer garden. It has all the bases covered with juicy burgers from Bottle Rocket and perfectly charred, wood-fired pies at Pyro Pizza.
Food carts blossomed downtown organically to feed nearby workers, then became destination dining for everyone else. The Cart Blocks, a community-based pod formed to advance Portland’s creative food cart culture, serves everything from Mongolian beef at Hua Li House to Kim Jong Grillin’s bulgogi and Korean hot dogs. If you feel like a pint to pair with your meal, Rachel and Rose, a bar in a double-decker bus with seating on top, is parked on West Burnside. Just look for the miniature version of Portland’s iconic White Stag neon sign in the front window.
Just a few blocks away, the newly revamped Midtown Beer Garden, Portland’s oldest pod, is home to fan favorites like the luscious dumplings at Bing Mi and Tokyo Sando, where a globe-trotting chef brings the flavors of his native Tokyo to town in the form of sandwiches stuffed with everything from egg salad to miso pork cutlets. This recently refreshed collection of carts also added plenty of outdoor seating and hosts live events and music. These food carts aren’t just for humans, either. Because outdoor seating is the norm, they’re dog-friendly by nature — and this particular pod even has a cart for Fido called Bring!, which sells homemade canine biscuits.
Experience New Takes on Flavors and Cultures
Food carts excel at shining a light on cuisines that aren’t well represented elsewhere. Opened in 2023, Lil’ America in Southeast Portland is home to exclusively LGBTQ and BIPOC-owned carts like Korean fried-chicken purveyor Frybaby and fun Filipino mashup specialist Makulít, where dishes like adobo poutine combine popular Filipino flavors with Canadian-style fries. Keep your eye out for trivia nights and events like Yoga & Beer hosted by on-site Fracture Brewing.
If you enjoy Latin American food, you’re going to love Portland Mercado, a cultural hub in Southeast Portland that helps new businesses launch into successful eateries. Don’t miss the Oaxacan cuisine at Tierra del Sol, Peruvian at Tita’s Kitchen or Cuban at Havana Station. Though the indoor market hall is temporarily closed due to a fire earlier this year, there are still plenty of vendors to support.
Food-Cart Pods for Any Season
While the vast majority of food carts are open-air, Portland does have plenty of options when the weather won’t cooperate. Head east of the city center to Southeast 82nd Avenue for Portland’s Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE), which features covered, heated outdoor tables, plus an entire modern hall devoted to indoor seating with long communal tables and benches. You’ll find Vietnamese meat combo plates and noodle specialties at Broken Rice, samosas and saag paneer at Platter Division Indian Grill, and mochi doughnuts at HeyDay.
On the north side of town, St. Johns Food & Beer Porch is a great rainy-day option with more than 15 food carts, including El Burrito Mojado, Pizza Creature and multiple vegan options such as Flourish. If you come in winter you’ll be all set, as the pod offers plenty of covered seating. It often hosts family-friendly movie nights, too.
Hinterland — in Southeast Portland near Mt. Tabor Park — is home to heavy hitters like Matt’s BBQ Tacos, burger and brats specialist Paper Plane, and its own bar that goes well beyond beer on tap. Hinterland provides cocktail-pairing suggestions for all the carts, as well as brunch drinks and hot toddies. The bar patio is heated and sealed off in the winter, so it’s visitor-friendly all year long.
New Wonderlove on the Central Eastside features a half a city block filled with cool vibes and scrumptious handheld treats from carts like Guyananese Bake on the Run (try the saltfish and egg fried dough pocket) and Indian-inspired Platter Division, specializing in curries stuffed into paratha bread. Grab a Belgian waffle from Honeycuspe and enjoy live music and funky murals by a variety of artists, or just settle in for skyline views on the rooftop.
If You Go:
- When you’re hungry, find food-cart pod maps and vendor lists to plot out your next visit. This is by no means a comprehensive list of Portland’s food-cart pods — just a taste. If the choices are overwhelming, consider a food-cart tour or use Travel Portland’s Food Cart Finder to find a cart near you.
- When you’re visiting a food cart, please dispose of any trash in nearby trash cans, and consider bringing reusable to-go containers to avoid taking away more paper or plastic products.
- Each cart is different, but the majority accept credit/debit cards; some may only accept cash. Check the cart’s website or social media page before visiting to see if there are any unexpected closures or changes to their hours.
