Portland Food Trucks, Carts & Pods
Portland is home to more than 500 food trucks and food carts — our Food Cart Finder can help you hunt down the perfect one and sink your teeth into Portland’s vibrant street food scene.
Whether you call them food trucks or food carts, they’re flourishing in Portland (and here’s the scoop on the names: “Food truck” is the more common term elsewhere in the country, but Portlanders favor “food cart”). With hundreds throughout the city, food carts are a vital part of Portland’s internationally celebrated culinary scene. And food cart pods — groups of carts gathered in a single location, usually around a communal seating area — are a great way to try a few at once.
Portland Food Cart Finder
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Popular Portland Food Cart Pods
Food cart pods have big advantages — these clusters of carts make it a snap to sample a few options at a time and keep everyone in your group happy. Many pods have bar carts, covered seating and restrooms — some even have fun amenities like fire pits, lawn games and live music. Great options can be found all over town, but the hip, ever-popular Hawthorne District is a perfect place to start. Hawthorne Asylum is one of the city’s hottest pods, with 20+ carts running the gamut from Thai to tacos to fish and chips. Take your pick, then grab an alcoholic beverage at the adjoining Asylum Spirits tap house, where they offer 40+ rotating beers, plus wine and spirits. Just two blocks down the road you’ll find Cartopia, a long-running pod that’s home to several of Portland’s top food carts, including Chicken and Guns, Potato Champion and Pyro Pizza.
A relative newcomer, the Central Eastside’s WonderLove pod is an only-in-Portland spot that innovates in all the best ways — explore a three-level bar built into shipping containers, several striking murals, a lively rooftop patio and more. (And that’s not to mention the carts themselves, which are carefully curated and consistently delicious.) In North Portland, try Prost! Marketplace, another of the city’s top food cart experiences. Though not one of the bigger pods, it’s definitely one of the best, playing host to exceptional carts like Matt’s BBQ, Mole Mole and DesiPDX. The location — on historic North Mississippi Avenue, teamed up with the excellent Prost! German beer bar — is another plus.
More Top Food Cart Pods
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Favorite Portland Food Carts
Exploring a food cart pod with a variety of options is one good way to dive into Portland’s awesome street food scene — just picking out a top-tier cart (or a favorite dish) is another. Downtown Portland is home to numerous excellent options, making it an ideal place to start. Tuck into the killer fried egg sandwiches at Fried Egg I’m In Love in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Their playfully named menu items — like the Yolko Ono and the Sriracha Mix-A-Lot — feature flavorful sourdough, fresh produce and (of course) perfectly fried eggs. At popular, long-running Kim Jong Grillin, chef Han Ly Hwang turns out stellar Korean barbecue; go for a bibim box featuring a delectably marinated protein and cart-made kimchi. Bing Mi specializes in jianbing, savory crepes that are crunchy, spicy and satisfying — choose from fillings like barbecue pork, Chinese sausage and fried tofu. Just steps away, Tokyo Sando serves up Japanese sandwiches that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The gyoza scotch egg sandwich in particular is a stunner, sure to be a hit with both your tastebuds and your Instagram followers.
Outside downtown you’ll find more standout options. A dedicated breakfast and lunch cart, La Osita keeps Southeast Portland supplied with chorizo breakfast burritos, carne asada tacos, espresso drinks and more. Another standalone cart, Loncheria Los Mayas serves authentic Yucatecan cuisine you won’t want to miss — the cochinita pibil is especially excellent. For sushi, Yoshi’s in Multnomah Village is hard to beat. They put creative spins on traditional sushi offerings, always made with the freshest fish. (Note that they only take orders by phone, so you’ll want to call in first.) If you drink alcohol, pairing your sashimi with a local lager from the nearby Bird In Hand beer cart is a pro move.
And if you’re just looking for dessert, Portland can satisfy your sweet tooth. Honeycuspe offers a variety of waffle-based desserts with toppings like strawberry-lemon capote, lavender cream cheese and fresh fruit. Baon Kainan is known for artfully blending classic Filipino flavors with inventive, modern preparations — but you couldn’t be blamed if you paid them a visit just for the delectable ube rice cake.
More of the Best Food Carts in Portland
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Food Carts by Type
Portland’s robust food cart scene encompasses nearly every cuisine you might be craving. From the beloved taco truck to carts specializing in the tenderest barbecue (not to mention Indian, Mexican, Thai and pizza-focused food carts), discover some of Portland’s most popular types of carts. You can also explore options by special diets, like carts specializing in vegan and vegetarian offerings.
Food Carts by Cuisine
Already know what you want? Narrow your options by cuisine and find the perfect cart.
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