12 Unique Places To Eat In Portland, Oregon (Everything I Ate In Portland)
If you’re looking for places to eat in Portland, Oregon, your search ends here! Portland has an extremely diverse food scene and there are so many restaurants to check out. Keep reading to see everything I ate on my trip!
Portland Food Cart Pods
Did you know Portland is known for its food carts? Think food trucks that never move, hence the name food carts. A group of food carts is called a “pod.” With hundreds of food carts throughout the city, you could dedicate a whole trip to exploring them! Here are a few that my fiance and I were able to hit:
Cartopia – 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
This pod has carts for everything, from burgers at Bottle Rocket to poutine from Potato Champion. We opted for Latin-inspired chicken and potatoes from Chicken and Guns. You can pick the size of your chicken (quarter bird, half bird, or whole bird), a side (crispy potatoes or salad), and sauce.
The chicken was so delicious! It had a fire-roasted taste and the potatoes were perfectly crispy. The Peruvian aji sauce (creamy jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, and lime) was the perfect accompaniment.
From BKK Pad Thai, we ordered… pad thai. They have vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and meat options available so there is something for everyone! We picked the Street Pad Thai which comes with tofu.
To me, it didn’t taste like super traditional pad thai but it was well-seasoned with nicely cooked noodles regardless! I would recommend to anyone with a Thai or noodle craving.
Nob Hill Food Carts – 1855 NW 23rd Pl, Portland, OR 97210
This pod is in the trendy Nob Hill neighborhood. They serve waffles, beer, and different Asian offerings like Thai and Japanese food.
Sadly, since we had just come from Cartopia, we only had room for one thing.
We decided on the Roasted Duck Loaded Jianbing from Bing Mi. A jianbing is a Chinese savory crepe with egg, a savory sauce, green onions, cilantro, and wonton crackers inside. It is the perfect combination of flavor and texture in a handheld pocket!
Cartlandia – 8145 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
Out of all the food cart pods we visited, this one was by far the biggest. So big, in fact, that it’s called a “superpod.” They have something for everyone!
I was craving Mexican that day and my fiance was craving noodle soup. It was great that we were both able to find something.
I headed over to Brother Express Mexican Food. I knew it was going to be good because on a gloomy day, they had the longest line! I didn’t have to wait long for my food, though.
I got a taco plate – it came with 3 tacos (I picked chorizo, al pastor, and carnitas), rice, beans, and some grilled vegetables. I cannot emphasize enough how delicious this was! It was the perfect thing for my taco craving and my favorite Portland food cart find. Can you believe this gigantic plate was just $9?!
My fiance loved his ramen from Suki Ramen, too. I tried it and the noodles were chewy with a deep, flavorful broth.
Lechon – 113 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204
Located right by the scenic Portland waterfront, this restaurant is the perfect place for date night. Definitely make a reservation, though. Even when I tried making one a week in advance on a Tuesday night, there were no spots available between 5-8 PM!
Lechon focuses on South American-inspired flavors with a family-style menu. We opted to share a bunch of tapas so we could try a lot of things! Pictured below are the grilled octopus, foraged mushrooms, smoked bone marrow, and spiced tuna tiradito (ceviche). Everything was delicious and we were stuffed.
For drinks, my fiance got a hazy IPA and I got one of their mocktails, the Helmeted (a mix of lime, mango, and tamarind soda). So refreshing!
Since we were there celebrating an anniversary, they also gave us dessert on the house. We went with the pistachio cake.
I definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for something unique for dinner. Try to take advantage of their happy hour if you can!
Magna Kusina – 2525 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR 97202
Magna Kusina was one of my favorite places to eat in Portland. Chef Carlo Lamagna does a take on elevated, Filipino cuisine.
We got some Filipino favorites like lumpia and sisig, and tried some other interesting things on the menu! The Mom’s Crab Fat Noodles were phenomenal and the Spicy Hipon with gulf prawns were so flavorful.
If you’re new to Filipino cuisine, you should give Magna Kusina a try!
{RELATED: The Perfect Portland Day Trip: Waterfalls and Columbia River Gorge}
Afuri Ramen – 50 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Afuri Ramen is a ramen restaurant hailing from Tokyo. It’s so exciting that their first restaurant outside of Japan is right here in Portland, OR!
Afuri specializes in yuzu ramen, which makes for a light and refreshing ramen experience. Yuzu is a small yellow citrus fruit native to Asia.
I ordered the yuzu tsuyu tsukemen, which is a little different than the standard ramen! Instead of a hot noodle soup, it is cold noodles served with a cold broth on the side for dipping the noodles in.
I loved the citrus-y broth and perfectly chewy noodles. It also comes with all the standard ramen fix-ins like meat and the soft-boiled egg, so it was perfect for a warm day.
Lan Su Chinese Garden – 239 NW Everett St, Portland, OR 97209
Next for places to eat in Portland is not actually a restaurant, but hear me out! The Lan Su Chinese Garden is truly a gem in the heart of Portland. I think it’s very underrated and that everyone should go.
I have a separate post about gardens in Portland you can visit here. The Chinese Garden has a teahouse overlooking the garden. It’s the perfect quiet oasis to have a sip of tea and even a snack like a mooncake or steamed buns!
{RELATED: 3 Must-Visit Gardens in Portland, Oregon}
For tea, I recommend the 8 Treasures tea. It has green tea, Chinese dates, licorice root, rose petals, chrysanthemum, goji berries, raisins, and longan.
Stumptown Coffee
Though Stumptown Coffee Roasters has locations all over the country now, they originated in Portland so I knew I had to stop by.
I recommend checking out what’s on their seasonal menu. During the time I went, they had a Sugar n’ Spice latte, and Black Sesame Matcha latte. I ordered the matcha and it was delicious! It was fun to sit by the window and people watch while I sipped.
Voodoo Doughnuts
It’s time for the dessert section of places to eat in Portland! We couldn’t leave without trying this iconic donut spot known for their unconventional flavors.
I tried the Portland Cream and my fiance got the Guava Colada. The Portland Cream was not any different than a Boston cream donut unfortunately, but I definitely recommend the Guava Colada!
Salt & Straw
Speaking of unconventional flavors, we knew we had to make a stop at Salt & Straw. They’re known for small-batch, handmade ice cream using local ingredients and they also got their start in Portland!
They have seasonal flavors but I went with one of their classics, strawberry honey balsamic with black pepper. You could definitely taste the balsamic vinegar! A truly unique ice cream experience.
That wraps up places to eat in Portland! You can check out my other Portland posts below if you’re looking for other things to do in the area.
