LIST: These 7 food carts are must-tries during Portland's Food Cart Month
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — In a city chock-full of food carts and pods, it can be difficult to choose which one to visit for your next feast.
But in 2022, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler declared April “Food Cart Month” throughout the Rose City — making it the best time to explore the many local businesses serving meals out of their mobile kitchens.
Many of Portland’s food carts have positive reviews from resident foodies, but here are the all-time top seven, according to Yelp.
Yoshi’s Sushi
Location: 3530 SW Multnomah Blvd., Portland, OR 97219
Yoshi’s Sushi is named after head Chef Yoshi Ikeda, who opened the food cart after 20 years of working at other hot sushi spots including Sushi Roku and Bamboo Sushi. The cart’s lime green, spicy tuna, and french quarter rolls are among customer favorites.
It’s important to note that Yoshi’s doesn’t accept walk-up orders, only phone orders.
Kazumi
Location: 7316 N Lombard St #3210, Portland, OR 97203
Another sushi cart named after its lead chef, Kazumi prides itself on its “creativity, quality and consistency.” The restaurant only uses sustainably-sourced fish for its menu offerings, which include fried oyster rolls, tekka maki and seaweed salad.
La Puerta PDX
Location: 7339 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Portland, OR 97211
Located in Northeast Portland’s Park the Carts Pod, La Puerta specializes in Salvadoran street cuisine. The food cart’s pupusas are the unrivaled star of the show, and come with the customer’s choice of three ingredients like cheese, jalapeño, pork, mushrooms and chicken.
Iolani’s Plate Lunch
Location: 8635 SE 82nd Ave., Portland, OR 97086
If you’re looking for authentic Hawaiian food in Portland, Iolani’s Plate Lunch may be a good place to start. The food cart serves kalua pig, mac salad, and mochiko, guava and shoyu chicken — which one Yelp reviewer says is “like crack.”
Follow the cart’s Instagram to keep up with its hours.
El Pilón
Location: 329 SW 2nd Ave., Portland, OR 97204
El Pilón claims to have Portland’s best Colombian street food, and customers who have frequented the food cart since its opening in 2013 seem to agree. The cart’s most-reviewed items are its arepas, patacons and empanadas.
Bake on the Run
Location: 1015 SE Stark St., Portland, OR 97214
Bake on the Run could be the city’s only food spot that specializes in Guyanese eats, but the lack of competition hasn’t affected the quality. Yelp reviewers rave about Bake on the Run’s flavorful bake, a semi-sweet Guyanese puff bread, and its chana aloo, or chickpea potato, offerings.
Bari Food Cart
Location: 5205 SE Foster Rd., Portland, OR 97206
Bari Food Cart brings a taste of Italian city Bari all the way to the Pacific Northwest. Its signature dish is Bari’s famous panzerotti, or fried pizza, usually stuffed with mozzarella and tomato. Additionally, the Italian food cart offers cannolis, calzones, tiramisu and more.