Many visit Portland for its breathtaking natural attractions, discovering a vast number of mouthwatering restaurants along the way. While there are many sit-down eateries worth uncovering in this foodie city, the most exciting and drool-worthy offerings are available at the numerous Portland food trucks. These Portland food carts are often situated in a food pod, allowing for easier accessibility to multiple eateries simultaneously.
Amongst popular food cart pods, customers will uncover a bevy of food truck options, from Erica’s Soul Food, featuring comforting dishes like grits topped with roasted tomato and gouda to delectable seafood burritos at Mole Mole Mexican Cuisine. These offerings are spread throughout the city from North Portland to Southeast Portland. Instead of heading to the Portland Saturday Market to recuperate after visiting one of Oregon’s best beaches, recuperate with a meal from one of the local food vendors.
Below, we dive into six must-try Portland food trucks while in the city.
Matt’s BBQ Tacos (Hinterland Pod)
Offering a taste of Texas BBQ, Matt’s BBQ Tacos is a must-try in Portland. This food truck is located in the Hinterlands food cart pod, providing easy access to fresh tacos crafted with lard pressed tortillas. These tacos are filled to the brim with juicy oakwood smoked pork belly, chopped brisket, pulled pork, and other delicious BBQ meat offerings. Vegetarian offerings are also available on vegan corn tortillas, making this an ideal food truck for nearly any diet.
The Drip’n Crab (Lil’ America Pod)
Situated in a Southeast Portland pod known as Lil’ America, The Drip’n Crab combines a unique mixture of cuisines – Texas and Portland. Here, you can enjoy delicious seafood boils with a Portland twist – hard-boiled eggs. This food cart is also famed for its Drip’n Pasta, which marries the flavor of its beloved seafood boils with a decadent alfredo pasta dish. Their menu items are ideal for satisfying seafood cravings with unforgettable flavors inspired by various areas in Portland. The Alberta Grab Bag is a must-try for first-time Drip’n Crab visitors.
Hunker Down (Hinterland Pod)
Those interested in a more elevated Portland food trucks experience will enjoy a visit to Hunker Down. While it does not offer indoor seating like other “fancier” restaurants, the seasonal ingredients and approachable dishes more than make this spot a worthwhile visit. Chef Chris takes inspiration from his background in fine dining to provide high-quality dishes on a regularly rotating menu. Offerings at Hunker Down include braised pork cheek with cheesy polenta, a fried rockfish sandwich, and chili maple wings. Expect a casual environment with deliciously addictive cuisine you’ll want to circle back for each day.
Fried Egg I’m In Love (Pioneer Square Food Cart)
Start the day off right with breakfast from Fried Egg I’m In Love. As one of the must-try Portland food trucks, this option provides a delicious array of oversized breakfast sandwiches ranging in toppings. With menu options like Egg Zeppelin and Yoko Ono, even the ordering process is great fun. The sandwiches are packed with flavor from various sauces, including pesto and aioli. While many of their options include eggs, there is a vegan option for those who are meat-free. This food truck is open weekly Monday through Thursday. If you can’t get enough of their breakfast options, they have two restaurant locations with additional hours and days.
Frybaby (Lil’ America Pod)
Created by Sunny Hatch, a first-generation Korean American, Frybaby is another one of the best Portland food trucks. This eatery was inspired by a trip to South Korea after Sunny indulged in Korean fried chicken for the first time on a night out.
Frybaby cultivates a setting where you can indulge in, and celebrate, Korean eats. This food truck centers around Korean chicken with varying sauces and toppings, including the famous “snow cheese”, a sweet, salty, cheesy topping. Besides delightfully crispy fried chicken, you’ll find other delicious Korean-inspired offerings on the menu including kimchi mac and cheese.
Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen (MLK Street Food Pod)
Those interested in full meals (not just street food offerings) with comforting soul food will enjoy Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen. Created by Kiauna Nelson, a self-taught chef and business major, this food cart provides scrumptious dishes from Thursday through Sunday. With daily specials and menu offerings like pulled pork, irresistibly crispy fried chicken, creamy mac and cheese, and smoked brown sugar ribs, it’s easy to see why the food sells out quickly at this food cart. Arrive as early as possible at Kee’s #Loaded Kitchen to ensure you get a soul food meal before they’re gone for the day.
