Food Carts of Portland – Buying Tour Havens

Shopping for real estate in Portland can get hectic. When you’re out scouting the neighborhoods and touring homes with your real estate agent, why not stop for refreshment at one of the city’s famed food carts or trucks?

You see them everywhere, from the far reaches of Happy Valley and Aloha to the busy hubs of Southeast Hawthorne and Division, and the cuisine is truly world-class. The dining experience, however, can be a cross between a drive-in and a picnic. If this sounds like too much of an adventure for your house-hunting lunch, I’ll share some tips for first-timers — then we’ll get into some of the best food carts to check out in Portland. It just might influence where you want your new home to be! (But should it? Keep reading until the end.)

How to Food Cart Like a Native

When attempting to blend into any culture, it helps to know the lingo, and the Portland food cart scene is no different. So, where are you eating?

Cart vs. Truck

Most food carts in Portland park in the same place for months or even years. Technically, health codes define a “food cart” as any unit that’s not self-propelled like a truck or towed like a trailer. However, most Portlanders call any place serving food that’s not a sit-down restaurant a “food cart”, even if it’s really a truck or a trailer. The exception is food trucks that are truly mobile and move on a day-to-day basis.

Stand-alones and Pods

The City of Portland has encouraged food cart owners to operate out of “pods” rather than alone in parking lots or on street right-of-ways. A pod is simply a designated place where food cart owners rent spaces for their operations. According to the blog Food Carts Portland, which should be your go-to resource for discovering the wonders of the Portland food cart scene, there are now over 40 pods in the city. 
Pods are a blast! Imagine an outdoor food court where you can stroll, order, find a table under a tent (vital in this rainy climate) and let your tastebuds explore two or five or eight different cuisines in one meal.

Why Support Food Carts?

If members of your party need more reasons to eat like a local (other than the fact that it’s mind-blowingly delicious), it may help to know that food carts are not usually offshoots of larger restaurants. There are no chains, though some cart owners may have more than one location. No, food carts are owned by Portland entrepreneurs who rely on their creativity and their loyal customers to earn a living. Successful food cart operators often go on to open permanent restaurants (known as “going brick and mortar”) By supporting their carts, you’re essentially “voting with your fork” and helping launch new local businesses!

How much?

Usually, food cart meals are less expensive than you’ll find in a restaurant, but not as cheap as fast food. Portland food cart owners care about the finished product, so they tend to use fresh ingredients, buying locally when possible. You’ll get your meal quickly, with a friendly smile, and it will be like nothing you’ve ever had before!
Keep in mind that because of the small scale of their business, many food cart owners don’t subscribe to credit card processing services. Cash only! And don’t forget to tip – in a small cart, one person might be running the register, making the food, and running orders out to customers. It’s not an easy job! (In fact it sounds a bit like my job as a real estate agent!)

Portland Tour of Food Carts

Chicken and Guns

From Downtown Portland, it’s a straight shot over Hawthorne Bridge to Cartopia, a food cart pod that’s home to one of my favorite carts in the city, Chicken and Guns. The mesquite they use to roast the chicken gives it a deep, smoky flavor, and the portions are simple: Have a whole chicken, half or quarter. The chickens themselves come from a farm in nearby Canby, Oregon. Last time I went, the salad it came with was amazing, with thinly sliced fresh asparagus. This meal is yet another reason to buy a home in the friendly but hip neighborhoods of Buckman or Hosford Abernathy in Southeast.

Jook Joint

If you want to go a bit experimental, head back downtown to this Asian/Texan fusion cuisine cart at Alder pod 10th and Washington. What is Jook? Portland Monthly describes it so well: “[A] thick, silky broth full of rice and suffused with the scents of ginger and lemongrass mix with shards of salty fried wontons, fistfuls of bright cilantro and green onion, and an oozy egg speckled with chile salt.” The Texan part comes in when they throw the smoky slices of beef brisket on top. After that meal, you’ll be calling your real estate agent to make an offer on any home in a ten-block radius!

Churros Locos

Next we head to… wherever Churros Locos is parked next! A truly mobile food truck, we’ll have to check their Facebook page to find out where they are. It might be the Portland Night Market, it might be Pioneer Square downtown, or somewhere unexpected. Everyone loves hot fried churros; add ice cream for their signature dish, the Churros Sundae. What is a Churro? It’s a deep-fried pastry and comfort food to millions. Offer not accepted? Time for churros. Found your Portland dream home? Time for a Churros Sundae!

Mole Prehispanic Cuisine

Looking for a home in Northwest Portland? While you’re out there, definitely stop in at Mole Prehispanic Cuisine on NW Vaughn, one of Willamette Week’s Food Carts of the Year. If you’ve never had Mole, you’re in for a gourmet treat! It’s a traditional Latin American sauce made from chilis, herbs, nuts, seeds and spices. They pour it over locally raised meats. Or try a classic like burritos, empanadas, and chili rellenos, which are a nice vegetarian/vegan option.

Not sure where to eat next? Check out the reviews on Portland Food Carts, Willamette Week or the Portland Mercury.

Will a local food cart affect the neighborhood housing value? Don’t count on it. Unfortunately Portland food cart complexes often get displaced by local development.

Not sure which real estate agent to use? You can read my reviews here! There’s a reason I’m one of the top 5% real estate agents in the U.S. and in the top 1% of real estate agents in the Portland region. Now that’s a reputation you can sink your teeth into.