By Living Room Realty, August 26, 2020
Do you ever get out of state friends visiting Portland asking for things to do, but are very adamant on not going on a 1 hour sunrise hike at 4 AM or any outdoor activities in general?
Then you find yourself stuck trying to figure out what else to show them that their home state may not have…..
I don’t know about you, but Portland’s food carts have to be one of the most underrated attractions in the city. It wasn’t until I started traveling outside of Oregon where I started to notice that food carts aren’t really a thing elsewhere. I mean sure, when I traveled to other states, there were food carts here and there standing alone on some corners, but never the magnitude of Portland.
It’s different here. Local vendors gather together under one place offering a variety of different food options. There is outdoor seating with fire pits for those late weekend night cravings. You find yourself visiting the same food carts in a rotation and every one of them remembers your order. You are able to build relationships with these people and find yourself on a first name basis. It’s more human and intimate here.
No matter where I go, I can’t find the same feeling of community like the Portland Food Carts provide. Granted, I recognize that I am outside my community when traveling, but Portland just has that small local intimate feel to it that always keeps me coming back.
Thus, if you ever have friends visiting, take them to a pod of food carts! It’s a whole experience! My current favorite has to be Cartlandia where they have outdoor seating (COVID19 friendly) with tap beer readily available! There’s something about an ice cold beer with large portions of local food that just completes me on a hot Oregon summer day….
