Megan Ziegele/The Mossy Log
Portland is known for its food culture; from bakeries, coffee shops and fine dining to food carts and everything in between, the city has ranked 17th in the country by a 2025 study of consumer opinions on various cities’ food scenes. Despite this variety, food carts in particular are popular, and for good reason. They are accessible and cost-friendly, making them a great dining option for busy college students and office workers alike. To help guide Lewis & Clark students to options nearby, we visited three food cart pods and sampled 11 dishes.
These food carts are located on Portland’s east side, about a 10-minute drive from campus. The pod is surrounded by a brooding metal fence, with a Gothic-style gate reading “Hawthorne Asylum” serving as a front door — its namesake is J.C. Hawthorne, a co-founder of the Oregon Hospital for the Insane. The Asylum has many seating options, as well as a heated semi-indoors arrangement and features 21 unique carts. We tried items from three different carts in this pod.
Rollin’ Fresh (Japanese-American Fusion): Hoke’ Poke’ sushi burrito, $13 — 5/5 stars
This sushi burrito contained krab salad, tuna, cucumber and seaweed salad, layered with white rice and wrapped in nori. The krab salad was perfectly seasoned, the cucumbers were fresh and the rice was not gummy, which is a common sushi error. Our only complaint with this dish was that the tuna-to-krab ratio was slightly off, which left us yearning for more tuna.
Pelmeni Pelmeni (Ukrainian): Potato vareniki, $14.50 — 5/5 stars
These mild potato dumplings had a soft-boiled exterior and were topped with tomato sauce, green onions, dill and sour cream. The meal was warm and comforting, and the simplicity of the dish was elevated by the flavorful toppings. While the portion was not that large, it was incredibly filling.
Burmese Delight (Burmese/Myanmar): Burmese iced tea, $5 — 4/5 stars
This tea was milk-heavy and not overly sweet, and it was refreshing to sip in between bites. Unlike its popular competitor, Thai tea, Burmese tea has a simple black tea base and is not spiced. Nonetheless, this drink was enjoyable and tasty.
Cartopia Food Carts
Directly across from Hawthorne Asylum, we found Cartopia Food Carts, a rustic, campsite-like collective of decorated food carts. While smaller, Cartopia has great seating options both outdoors and inside an insulated tent. We tried five different drinks and dishes across three carts to get a taste for what this pod had to offer.
Potato Champion (Canadian): Classic poutine, $14 — 2/5 stars
We are no stranger to poutine, but this rendition of it was unpalatable. Unlike any poutine we have ever had, the gravy was herby and grainy. The cheese curds — while large — were cold and unmelted, and the fries were far too salty. The portion size was small, but even then we could not finish it because of the excessive salt.
Burger Ritual (American): Arnold Palmer, $4 — 4/5 stars
This drink was made up of lemonade and tea served over ice. The drink’s flavor was predominantly ginger, which was a unique take on the classic Arnold Palmer.
Burger Ritual (American): Flash-fried Brussels sprouts, $7 — 4/5 stars
These sweet and salty Brussels sprouts were covered in a generous amount of sesame seeds. It was clear from the crunch on their exterior that they had been fried, yet unlike my initial expectations, they did not come with an oily taste or texture. They were just as great when microwaved the next day.
BKK Pad Thai (Thai): Vegan spring rolls, $7.50 — 4/5 stars
The order came with two crispy fried spring rolls, alongside a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. The tasty mix of vegetables with the sauce provided a great contrast of textures, which complemented the crunch of the wrapper. While not spectacular, these were definitely a satisfying dish.
BKK Pad Thai (Thai): Thai iced tea, $6 — 5/5 stars
The portion was small, but this Thai tea tasted fantastic, with the spices of cloves, star anise and cardamom each shining through. For anyone with lactose intolerance (or who otherwise refuse to drink milk), they also have vegan milk options available.
Midtown Beer Garden
A hop, skip and one block away from The Church of Scientology, Midtown Beer Garden is located in the Pearl District of downtown Portland. The area is themed as a Biergarten, a traditional outdoor social space in Germany where people gather to drink beer and eat, typically sitting at communal tables which are shaded by trees. It lives up to its inspiration; a variety of carts form a circle around generous shaded seating, but one downside is that it is not heated. We tried two meals and a drink from three different carts in this space.
Iron Strike Smashburgers (American): Orange Orbit dirty soda, $3.90 — 3/5 stars This drink was a combination of orange Crush with vanilla and strawberry syrup. It was a slightly saccharine drink, although the flavors ended up blending together well and were great for washing down a meal.
Khob Khun Thai Food (Thai): Yakisoba pad see yew with tofu, $14 — 2/5 stars
This pad see yew was made with yakiboba noodles instead of the classic, wide rice noodles. The dish featured carrots, peas and scallions, which added a refreshing snap to each and every bite. However, the noodles were rather mushy — likely overcooked — and the tofu was cut into large, uncooked cubes that were an unpleasant texture.
El Pilon Colombian Food (Colombian): Cheese empanadas, $8 — 5/5 stars
To finish our meal, we got two cheese empanadas, which were fantastic despite their simplicity. The corn exterior was crispy and the cheese itself was melted to perfection, making it incredibly filling.
Food carts give students the opportunity to eat out on a budget and explore the city at the same time. They also offer food from many different cultures all over the city. The next time you find yourself needing an escape from campus or studying and crave some good eats, check out one of these food cart pods and taste your way through Portland.
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