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From Mexican to Indian Portland never misses out on good street food. Did you know there are more than 500 carts around every mile over the city? Without a doubt, Portland is the greatest food cart city in the United States. Some carts serve inventive, tasty food; others capitalise on nostalgia or are obsessive about perfecting a beloved classic dish. It's understandable why Netflix's Street Food USA gave Portland its episode in July, including three food carts.
If you're having trouble making decisions because there are hundreds of food carts here. With options like wood-fired pork chops, ube bibingka, and cheesy fried fish sandwiches on pandan buns, you can amaze your out-of-town guests or enjoy the greatest food cart meals for casual dates or alone lunches. Here's a list of the top outstanding carts.
7 Best Food Carts In Portland
1. Taquitos Tito's
A cart hidden to the side of a gas station convenience store along Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway serves up some of the greatest Mexican food in Portland. Taquitos at Tito's are filled with fluffy potatoes and garnished with cotija, aguacate and microgreens. They can be ordered plain or with additional ingredients like garbanzo bean al pastor, garlic shrimp or braised beef. The tacos, which use freshly prepared tortillas, are also worth ordering, even if the taquitos take centre stage here.
Location: 3975 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy, Portland, OR 97221, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: The tacos, Taquitos
Price for 2: $80 approx.
2. Yoshi's Sushi
Distinguished sushi chef Yoshi Ikeda, a Multnomah Village French Quarter pod resident, established this cart in 2019 and has been serving top-notch seafood ever since. Only the ginger miso from the cart makes fun, inventive rolls like the lime green roll, which has sesame-crusted spinach, cucumber, roasted pepper, avocado, and microgreens. Hand rolls and rotating nigiri highlight the exceptionally fresh fish that Ikeda finds. Walk-up orders are not accepted; phone orders are accepted for the cart.
Location: 3530 SW Multnomah Blvd, Portland, OR 97219, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes:Oniigiri And lime green roll
Price for 2: $80 approx.
3. Farmer And The Beast
This food cart in Northwest Portland showcases some of the area's best seasonal vegetables: Depending on the season, you can find red-centred Oregon strawberries in a salad with cucumbers and spring lettuces on any given visit; spring peas and grapefruit tossed with cashew crunch; and winter citrus adding a burst of acid to briny olives and feta. However, this place also serves serious smash burgers year-round for those searching for them.
Location: 1845 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: Smash burgers, Sandwiches
Price for 2: $80 approx.
4. Kim Jong Grillin
The proprietor of KJG, Han Ly Hwang, is the longest-reigning monarch of Portland's food cart industry, and these soul-satisfying Korean barbecue boxes have become an essential component of the city's culinary landscape. The cart's rendition of the traditional bibimbap consists of rice, kimchi, a fried egg, japchae potato noodles, and perfectly marinated meats. The end product is a well-balanced and cosy blend of sweet, spicy, and savoury flavours. If bibimbap isn't your thing, try the cart's hot dog, which is topped with pickled mango, spicy daikon, and kimchi mayo. Order one of Kim Jong Grillin's munch wraps if you can.
Location: 770 W Burnside St, Portland, OR 97209, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: Munchwraps, Bibimbap
Price for 2: $80 approx.
5. Desi PDX
This Prost Marketplace cart serves maximalist-style food equally striking in appearance and taste. Bowls and platters are accompanied by vibrant sides and condiments, such as turmeric slaw and seasonal pickles, which give bowls of saucy kalonji and spiced rice a zippiness. Lamb and kale combined with a hint of sweetness from butternut squash is called kale keema. Leaving without ordering the steamed, glazed with tea, and brined cardamom-chai chicken is difficult.
Location: 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: Lamb and kale,cardamom-chai chicken
Price for 2: $80 approx.
6. Tokyo Sando
Tokyo Sando, the well-liked Japanese sandwich cart by Sando Taiki Nakajima, has relocated to the Midtown Beer Garden. Patrons can savour sandwiches paired with a beer from Fracture Brewing and occasionally enjoy live music. Nakajima employs shokupan slices as bookends for fillings such as creamy egg salad, panko-breaded tofu, and pork katsu. Regular sandwiches are available on the cart's menu, but Instagram is where specials like the deep-fried curry pan sando or the one with strawberries and cream are introduced. These sandwiches usually sell out quickly.
Location: 431 SW Harvey Milk St, Portland, OR 97204, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: Egg Sando, Meat Sando
Price for 2: $80 approx.
7. Bake on the Run
With in-depth descriptions and background information about every dish available on the exterior of the Lil' America cart, this mother-son-operated food cart on Stark functions as an instructional hub for Guyanese cuisine. Here, meals highlighting the diverse cultural influences on the nation's food are served alongside airy "bakes" (fried bread) packed with delicately seasoned saltfish or earthy chana aloo. Chow mein, for example, may be covered in a layer of potato-chicken curry or dal. Get a bake with seasonal jam for dessert.
Location: 1015 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97214, United States
Timings: Mon-Sun: 8:00 am to 11:00 pm
Must-Try Dishes: Chana aloo, Chowmein
Price for 2: $80 approx.
It's no secret that Portland has a reputation for being a quirky, food-centric city, and food carts undoubtedly play a big role in the city's culinary character. This map, which features a wide range of cuisines, honours the cooks who consistently deliver excellent food from a takeaway window and pays homage to Portland's famed cart scene. Take a look at some of the most notable recent food carts.
