Stand-Out Portland Food Carts

 Devon Berry, RN, PhD, has served in executive leadership roles in academics for over
ten years. He has worked in the Midwest, at University of Cincinnati and Wright State
University, and has lived in the Pacific Northwest the last five years, most recently
acting as executive associate dean at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)
School of Nursing in Portland, Oregon.
 

Portland, a city whose unofficial slogan is “Keep Portland Weird” has many unique
traits, including its food cart scene. According to Travel Portland, there are over 600
food cart pods spread across the rose city. Many act as incubators for restaurateurs to
try new dishes or for chefs to keep overhead costs lower than at a brick and mortar.
Regardless, you’re likely to find exciting food that you can’t find anywhere else at a
reasonable price. Three stand-out Portland food carts, below.

Matta

There are a handful of Vietnamese restaurants across the city, but this cart on NE
Alberta doubles down on comfort. The small, four-item menu has warm dishes like Thit
Kho, with coconut and caramel-braised pork belly and Bà Nôi with thin-sliced steak,
cilantro, scallion, fries and rice.

Nacheaux

This teal cart with a rainbow-haired unicorn painting on its side is the newest of the
bunch, opening in Southeast Portland March 2020. If its exterior is any indication, the
food is playful and creative—a mix of Southern and Mexican styles. Try the crawfish
taco and the Nacheaux Crunch Wrap with Cajun-fried chicken and dirty rice. 

Matt's BBQ

While you can find many BBQ styles represented in Portland’s food cart scene, this Guy
Fieri-approved spot off N Mississippi is the place to go for Texas style. It’s best to try
everything from the brisket to the turkey, so get The Whole Shebang for Two (which can
feed 3-4 smaller appetites) that includes three meats, beans, potato salad, slaw, and
toast.