Eat well in Portland for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Portland for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Nong Poonsukwattana's $12 khao man gai counter on SE Ankeny in Portland, the canonical Thai chicken-and-rice plate that put her name on the city food map.
Try: Khao man gai poached chicken and rice
Tip: The ginger-soy sauce is the point. Extra sauce is $1.50; order it.
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland by Pioneer Square, savoury Chinese street crepes around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins for $10.
Try: Jianbing Chinese street crepe
Tip: Cash or card at the cart. Add extra chili crunch for $1 Cash is faster than card.
Matt Vicedomini's smoker on N Mississippi at Prost Marketplace in Portland, a brisket sandwich on white bread with pickles for $14, eat at the heated patio.
Try: Brisket sandwich
Tip: Order the sandwich or by the half-pound. Sides cost extra; the brisket is the meal.
Christina Luu and William Vuong's Vietnamese soup counter on SE 82nd in Portland, with two rotating soups daily and the city's most authoritative pho-shop.
Try: Daily rotating Vietnamese soup
Tip: Open Wed-Sun 08:00-15:00. Two soups daily, each runs only one day a week. They sell out by noon.
Voodoo's $5 bacon maple bar in Old Town Portland is the canonical city doughnut, available 06:00-03:00 weekend nights with cash, card or contactless payment.
Try: Bacon maple bar and coffee
Tip: Open until 03:00 Thu-Sun. The line moves faster than it looks.
Garden Monsters' vegan and gluten-free salad-and-wrap cart on SE Division in Portland, raising the salad bar since 2013 with keto, paleo and whole 30 picks.
Try: Gourmet vegan and gluten-free salads and wraps
Tip: Counter order; outdoor seating only. The entire menu is gluten free except croutons, pita chips and flour wraps.
Nicole and David Mouton's Southern brunch counter on E Burnside in Portland since 2006, with buttermilk fried chicken on sweet potato waffles and biscuits.
Try: Buttermilk fried chicken and waffles
Tip: Brunch 08:30-14:00 daily. Walk-in line moves fast at counter pickup; reservations on OpenTable for the dining room.