33 cheap eats rooms in Portland, editor-picked. the best low-budget rooms in Portland: the places editors actually return to. All Portland food.
Heart Roasters Burnside ★ 4.8
east-burnside-kerns · 2211 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Wille and Rebekah Yli-Luoma's Heart Roasters opened on East Burnside in Portland in 2009. The flagship cafe runs Nordic-light filter brewing all day.
Tip: Filter coffee is the point; the Slayer espresso machine pours a cleaner shot than most. Open 08:00-15:00 daily.
Matt's BBQ ★ 4.8
mississippi-williams · 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Matt Vicedomini's pit-smoker on N Mississippi at Prost Marketplace in Portland, central Texas-style brisket sold from a cart since 2015. Booking recommended.
Tip: Arrive by 11:30 or risk a sellout. Cash and card. Sides are sized smaller than the brisket.
Ken's Artisan Bakery ★ 4.7
northwest-nob-hill · 338 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Ken Forkish's NW 21st bakery in Portland, the bakery that taught the city naturally leavened bread. Located in Northwest Nob Hill. Open daily 08:00-16:00.
Tip: The 320 NW 21st annex opened in 2025 and sells the same breads with more pastry. Both close by 16:00.
Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai ★ 4.7
beaumont-wilshire · 4759 NE Fremont St, Ste C, Portland, OR 97213
Nate and Jamie Snell's mini-doughnut counter on NE Fremont in Portland, with house-made chai flights paired to small batches of cake doughnuts since 2012.
Tip: The chai flight (cardamom, dirty, vanilla, lavender) is the order. Doughnuts come hot, six to a basket.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters Division ★ 4.7
division-clinton · 4525 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
Duane Sorenson's original 1999 Stumptown roastery on SE Division in Portland, replacing the Hair Bender beauty parlour whose name became the espresso blend.
Tip: The original counter still hosts public cuppings on Saturday mornings. Order Hairbender as a cortado.
Hat Yai ★ 4.6
alberta-arts · 1605 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
Earl Ninsom and Alan Akwai's Southern Thai chicken shop in NE Portland, with rice-flour-battered free-range chicken and sweet-spicy chili sauce.
Tip: Two outposts (Killingsworth, Belmont) and a stall at Eem Pod. Killingsworth is the original room.
Lauretta Jean's ★ 4.6
division-clinton · 3402 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
Lauretta Jean Bonfiglio's all-butter-crust pie bakery on SE Division in Portland, with savoury pies for lunch, sweet pies by the slice and a strong cocktail.
Tip: Closed Tuesday. Order the salted honey pie warm with whipped cream; it's the canonical Portland pie.
Salt & Straw Alberta ★ 4.6
alberta-arts · 2035 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
Cousins Tyler and Kim Malek's farm-to-cone ice cream counter on NE Alberta in Portland, the 2011 shop that grew into the Pacific Northwest's defining brand.
Tip: Five Portland scoop counters. Alberta is the original. The rotating monthly menu is the draw.
Push X Pull Coffee ★ 4.6
east-burnside-kerns · 821 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97214
Chris and Aric Annear's tightly focused roastery and cafe on SE Stark in Portland, with bright modern roasts, filter brew bar and wholesale to top kitchens.
Tip: The cafe runs filter and espresso; the second SE 6th roastery is open weekday mornings for retail beans.
Bing Mi ★ 4.6
downtown · 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland near Pioneer Square, with savoury Chinese street crepes wrapped around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins.
Tip: The original with the wok and the pan is the cart at SW 6th; the sister Bing Mi Dumpling shop is NW Vaughn for noodles.
Matt's BBQ ★ 4.6
mississippi-williams · 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
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.
Tip: Order the sandwich or by the half-pound. Sides cost extra; the brisket is the meal.
Ha VL Vietnamese Noodle Soup ★ 4.6
alberta-arts · 2738 SE 82nd Ave, Apt 102, Portland, OR 97266
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.
Tip: Open Wed-Sun 08:00-15:00. Two soups daily, each runs only one day a week. They sell out by noon.
Nong's Khao Man Gai ★ 4.5
hawthorne-belmont · 609 SE Ankeny St, Ste C, Portland, OR 97214
Nong Poonsukwattana's Thai chicken-and-rice counter in southeast Portland, started as a 2009 food cart and now the canonical khao man gai in town.
Tip: Two locations: SE Ankeny is the original cart-turned-shop. SW 13th Ave is the downtown counter.
Hat Yai Belmont ★ 4.5
hawthorne-belmont · 605 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
The Belmont outpost of Earl Ninsom's Southern Thai chicken concept in Portland, with rice-flour fried chicken, khao soi and walk-in counter seating.
Tip: Counter ordering, table service. Open daily 11:30-21:00. No reservations.
Sweedeedee ★ 4.5
mississippi-williams · 5202 N Albina Ave, Portland, OR 97217
Eloise Augustyn's tiny all-day cafe in the Humboldt neighborhood of Portland, open since 2012, with seasonal salads, honey pie and a counter of breakfast.
Tip: Brunch is the move 09:00-15:00. Dinner runs Friday and Saturday from 17:00, no reservations.
Garden Monsters ★ 4.5
division-clinton · 5029 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
Garden Monsters' vegan and gluten-free salad-and-wrap cart on SE Division in Portland, named Best Food Cart in PDX 2018 and second in 2019 by Oregonlive.
Tip: Almost the whole menu is gluten free; croutons, pita chips and flour wraps are the only exceptions. Outdoor seating, counter order.
Nong's Khao Man Gai ★ 4.5
hawthorne-belmont · 609 SE Ankeny St, Ste C, Portland, OR 97214
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.
Tip: The ginger-soy sauce is the point. Extra sauce is $1.50; order it.
Bing Mi ★ 4.5
downtown · 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland by Pioneer Square, savoury Chinese street crepes around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins for $10.
Tip: Cash or card at the cart. Add extra chili crunch for $1 Cash is faster than card.
Garden Monsters ★ 4.5
division-clinton · 5029 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
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.
Tip: Counter order; outdoor seating only. The entire menu is gluten free except croutons, pita chips and flour wraps.
Screen Door Eastside ★ 4.5
east-burnside-kerns · 2337 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
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.
Tip: Brunch 08:30-14:00 daily. Walk-in line moves fast at counter pickup; reservations on OpenTable for the dining room.
Doe Donuts ★ 4.4
alberta-arts · 4110 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Portland's first all-vegan doughnut shop on NE Sandy, open since 2017 with handcrafted seasonal flavours and house-made vegan ice cream. Booking recommended.
Tip: Weekend service runs until 20:00 with a sundae menu. Cash and card.
Måurice ★ 4.4
downtown · 921 SW Oak St, Portland, OR 97205
Kristen Murray's French-Scandinavian pastry luncheonette in downtown Portland, open since 2013, with Paris-level quiche, Edith Piaf and idealism.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Saturday 10:00-16:00.
Lardo ★ 4.3
hawthorne-belmont · 1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Rick Gencarelli's chef-driven sandwich shop on SE Hawthorne in Portland, founded as a 2010 food cart and four-time Willamette Week Best Sandwich winner.
Tip: Counter order. The chefwich rotates monthly and is a collaboration with a guest chef.
Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai ★ 4.3
beaumont-wilshire · 4759 NE Fremont St, Ste C, Portland, OR 97213
Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai on NE Fremont Street Portland, the cult Portland mini-doughnut counter with rotating handmade chai flights and brunch trays.
Tip: Open daily 07:00-16:00. The chai flight + a half-dozen mini doughnuts is the regular order; lines move fast.
Cartopia Food Cart Pod ★ 4.3
hawthorne-belmont · 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Portland's original eastside food cart pod on SE Hawthorne at 12th, open since 2008 with a covered seating area, fire pit and a rotating cast of carts.
Tip: Pyro Pizza wood-fired pies, Whiffies fried pies, Potato Champion poutine and Chicken and Guns are the long-running anchors.
Voodoo Doughnut Old Town ★ 4.2
downtown · 22 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Kenneth Pogson and Tres Shannon's original Voodoo Doughnut in Portland's Old Town, open since 2003 with the bacon maple bar that became a city symbol.
Tip: The line moves faster than it looks. Cash and card. Open until 03:00 Thursday to Sunday.
Blue Star Donuts ★ 4.2
division-clinton · 3325 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
Micah Camden's brioche-based doughnut counter on SE Division in Portland, the upscale answer to Voodoo with cocktail-inspired flavours since 2012.
Tip: Brioche dough means doughnuts go stale fast; arrive before noon. The downtown location closed; SE Division is the flagship.
Coava Coffee Roasters Grand ★ 4.2
hawthorne-belmont · 1300 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Matt Higgins's Coava flagship on SE Grand in Portland, with single-origin pour-overs, the Kone filter brewer Coava invented and shared communal tables.
Tip: The original espresso bar, with bamboo communal tables. Wholesale to most Portland third-wave cafes.
Prost! Marketplace ★ 4.2
mississippi-williams · 4233 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217
The Prost! beer-garden food cart pod on N Mississippi in Portland, with a covered heated patio, Matt's BBQ, gluten-free Indian and Korean-style tacos.
Tip: Order beer from the Prost! bar and food from the carts; the patio is shared. Heated tents stay open through winter.
Pix Pâtisserie ★ 4.1
mississippi-williams · 2225 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Cheryl Wakerhauser's award-winning dessert bar and patisserie in Portland, with the world-rated Champagne list paired to macarons, chocolates and tarts.
Tip: Open Sun-Thu until midnight, Fri-Sat until 02:00. The flagship moved to E Burnside in 2022.
Cheryl's on 12th ★ 4.0
downtown · 1135 SW Washington St, Portland, OR 97205
Cheryl Wakerhauser's downtown Portland all-day cafe, with a Portuguese fried-rice breakfast, a savoury brunch programme and a long lunch counter for work.
Tip: Open Mon-Fri from 07:00, weekends from 08:00. The Portuguese fried rice is the dish to order.
Lost Plate Food Cart Tour ★ 4.0
hawthorne-belmont · Meets at Cartopia Food Cart Pod, 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd
A 3.5-hour walking tour starting at Cartopia in southeast Portland that visits five carts in 12 blocks, with poutine, vegan bowls and Egyptian flatbreads.
Tip: Book on Lost Plate's site. The afternoon cart tour is daily; the wine and donut tours run separately.
Voodoo Doughnut Old Town ★ 4.0
downtown · 22 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
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.
Tip: Open until 03:00 Thu-Sun. The line moves faster than it looks.