Portland's Thriving Food Cart Culture

Streetside dining is the food story of the year and Portland, Oregon is at the forefront of the food cart movement that is spreading across the country.  The quality and range of food rival what is available in some of the best restaurants in the city.  You can find all the usual fare plus upscale offerings like duck confit on a crusty baguette ($5.50...I swear to god!!).

Multnomah County has more than 450 carts that are clustered throughout the area.  Opening a restaurant can be a costly and risky business, and Portland has embraced these carts by offering affordable licences and easy access to real estate.  And many of these little restaurants on wheels can move around the city for special events and tweet their daily locations to faithful followers.

Yesterday my son, his girlfriend and I checked out a cluster of carts in Southeast Portland and decided on Bruce Lee's Kitchen. 

Their teriyaki chicken is perfectly cooked - tender chicken pieces, crisp stir fried veggies and a delicious, not too sweet, sauce.

Curbside Grill's chicken sandwich selection is awesome and we chose a "Plain Jane."  Not so plain in my opinion with grilled chicken thighs, onions, tomato and lettuce on a toasted ciabatta roll.

The fries that came with this scrumptious sandwich were hot and crispy and were sprinkled with a seasoning blend that reminded me of Old Bay...just right.

Some carts are permanently in place and fancy.  There is no inside seating, of course, and many have comfortable covered areas with a few tables and chairs.

Portlanders love these carts and on a typical day you will find lines at most of the them during lunch hours.  Portland Food Carts has a terrific website where you can find cart locations and track down exactly what foods you are looking for:  waffle, bbq, baked potatoes, salads, brats, the list is almost endless.

Here are a few suggestions if you are out and about in the city:

Tabor at 5th and Start downtown ~ Pork Schnitzel Sandwiches.  Thursday is spaetzel day.

Potato Champion at SE 12th and Hawthorne - Belgiun fries

Garden State in Sellwood ~ Sicilian food 

Addy's Sandwich Bar ~ This is where you can find the duck confit on a baguette and sandwiches that    

                                        remind you of those sold in the boulangeries in Paris.

If you are thinking "gee, maybe I want to open a food cart" as you read this post here is a link that gives you the lowdown on what's involved to do so.  I'm sure it's like most things and it's a lot more involved than it looks and requires much more work than you ever expected, but Portlanders love their carts and embrace them with open arms.  It sounds like fun, doesn't it?

This one is a gem - a little converted travel trailer.  Visually this is my favorite.