Bite into the movement

Waffle sandwiches, ribs, gyros, deep-fried pies, Vietnamese BBQ bentos—you name it and the food carts of Portland probably have it. Portland is known throughout the world for its local food cart culture and was recently chosen as the number one city for street food in the U.S. News Travel section. What makes Portland’s food carts so great is not only the wide variety of cuisine, but also the diversity of the people behind the counter and buying the food—and let’s not forget those awesome prices. For those who don’t know, the groupings of carts are called pods, and there are a growing number of them popping up throughout the city.

Southwest 10th Avenue & Alder st.
Walking down 10th Avenue on any given day as one approaches the intersection of 10th and Alder, the scene quickly becomes one of curiosity and amazement—a mass group of people ranging from business men in fancy suits to everyday students to hipster fashionistas, all standing in line waiting to get lunch from the various food carts that line the sidewalks on the intersection. An added bonus to these carts is the location—they’re central and near almost all of downtown’s great attractions. They’re great for a post-Powell’s lunch or for all those soccer fans that want to grab a bite to eat before heading to an event at Jeld-Wen Field.

Snow White House Crêpes
Snow White House Crêpes is one of the more unique carts in the area, as it not only offers a wide variety of sandwiches, beverages and crêpes (some sweet, some savory, all delicious), but also an array of interesting trinkets one can purchase, such as glue sticks or floss. The large range of crêpe offerings are almost dizzying, from tuna to meatball to cheese to chocolate to lemon curd. For those with a sweet-tooth, try out the fresh fruit and custard crêpe: the banana one is popular and for good reason, as it’s loaded to the brim with ingredients. In fact, Snow White serves humongous crepês, so be ready for an overflow of custard.

E-San
Looking for some Thai food? Then E-San is a good place to start. Their noodle dishes are full of flavor and tempting spiciness, although exactly how hot is up to the customer. The Pad Thai in particular is an absolute must-try. E-San also has a reputation for having some of the best Thai iced teas around, which boast a milky smoothness that complements the full flavor of your meal. If you’re on the other side of downtown, then you can stop at E-San’s original location on Southwest 2nd Avenue.

Sheish Kabob
Sheish Kabob is a great place to go for a quick bite of Mediterranean food. They have wonderfully warm and delicious pita bread, which is excellent for dipping into theirss baba ghanouj. Another tasty delight is the lamb shawarma, which is prepared just right, as the lamb is bursting with flavor and juice. The service is wonderful, as the elderly lady working the cart is charming, sweet and makes the experience even more worthwhile. And of course, don’t miss out on their namesake, those wonderful shish kabobs.