By Living Room Realty, July 5, 2022
Portland, Oregon is arguably the top food cart city in the United States. With well over 600+ carts, this city is known for its deliciously affordable delicacies. With the insanely low prices and quality tasting food, food carts have become essential for Portlanders. Scattered throughout Portland, you will find numerous streets lined with carts and trucks grouped together. These groups can be referred to as “food cart pods” and all truly have their own personalities. Some of my personal favorite food cart pods to visit here in Portland are The Mercado, Hawthorne Asylum, and The Rose City Food Park.
The Mercado
This is my personal favorite, you can experience food from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and more. The colorful carts create a fun atmosphere and are easy to spot when driving down Foster Road. The Mercado was the first Latino public marketplace in the city of Portland. Mercado takes it to another level by offering business support through Hacienda, a local nonprofit. They also offer a commercial kitchen and have events throughout the year.
Hawthorne Asylum
Originally named after the hospital created for the mentally ill in Portland during the 1800s, this new food pod has become a smashing hit with Portlanders within the last three years it has occupied the land. This pod has an array of fun, unique food carts and is now home to one of Portland’s beloved restaurants, turned food cart during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Montage. Carts such as Montage are adjusting to the new location and have experienced higher foot traffic due to the popularity of Hawthorne street. The Asylum is also next door neighbors to Hawthorne’s long-time food cart pod Cartopia, which has been off of Hawthrone for over fifteen years. If you love an exciting, laid-back food experience, the Asylum is definitely a place to check out.
Rose City Food Park
Located in the Rose City neighborhood, This Park welcomes all different kinds of customers and cart owners from diverse backgrounds. Here you can find Mexican food, Thai, Tibetan, Japanese and so much more. Being one of the only food carts in the area, this pod attracts many locals who come to grab a drink at their open bar during the evening or just to sit and relax in the neighborhood. What I love about this food cart pod is the sense of community between the owners and how much care and attention they put into making your food.
