33 editor picks in Portland.
33 cheap eats places in Portland, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Portland: the places editors actually return to. All Portland food.
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.
TipFilter coffee is the point; the Slayer espresso machine pours a cleaner shot than most. Open 08:00-15:00 daily.
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.
OrderCentral Texas brisket and ribs
TipArrive by 11:30 or risk a sellout. Cash and card. Sides are sized smaller than the brisket.
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.
TipThe 320 NW 21st annex opened in 2025 and sells the same breads with more pastry. Both close by 16:00.
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.
TipThe chai flight (cardamom, dirty, vanilla, lavender) is the order. Doughnuts come hot, six to a basket.
Duane Sorenson's original 1999 Stumptown roastery on SE Division in Portland, replacing the Hair Bender beauty parlour whose name became the espresso blend.
TipThe original counter still hosts public cuppings on Saturday mornings. Order Hairbender as a cortado.
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.
OrderThe three-piece fried chicken plate with curry roti
TipTwo outposts (Killingsworth, Belmont) and a stall at Eem Pod. Killingsworth is the original room.
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.
TipClosed Tuesday. Order the salted honey pie warm with whipped cream; it's the canonical Portland pie.
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.
TipFive Portland scoop counters. Alberta is the original. The rotating monthly menu is the draw.
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.
TipThe cafe runs filter and espresso; the second SE 6th roastery is open weekday mornings for retail beans.
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland near Pioneer Square, with savoury Chinese street crepes wrapped around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins.
OrderJianbing Chinese street crepe
TipThe 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 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.
OrderBrisket sandwich
TipOrder 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.
OrderDaily rotating Vietnamese soup
TipOpen Wed-Sun 08:00-15:00. Two soups daily, each runs only one day a week. They sell out by noon.
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.
OrderKhao man gai with the house ginger-soy sauce
TipTwo locations: SE Ankeny is the original cart-turned-shop. SW 13th Ave is the downtown counter.
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.
OrderKhao soi with the half chicken
TipCounter ordering, table service. Open daily 11:30-21:00. No reservations.
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.
TipBrunch is the move 09:00-15:00. Dinner runs Friday and Saturday from 17:00, no reservations.
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.
OrderVegan and gluten-free salads, wraps and melts
TipAlmost the whole menu is gluten free; croutons, pita chips and flour wraps are the only exceptions. Outdoor seating, counter order.
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.
OrderKhao man gai poached chicken and rice
TipThe 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.
OrderJianbing Chinese street crepe
TipCash or card at the cart. Add extra chili crunch for $1 Cash is faster than card.
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.
OrderGourmet vegan and gluten-free salads and wraps
TipCounter 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.
OrderButtermilk fried chicken and waffles
TipBrunch 08:30-14:00 daily. Walk-in line moves fast at counter pickup; reservations on OpenTable for the dining room.
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.
TipWeekend service runs until 20:00 with a sundae menu. Cash and card.
Kristen Murray's French-Scandinavian pastry luncheonette in downtown Portland, open since 2013, with Paris-level quiche, Edith Piaf and idealism.
TipOpen Wednesday to Saturday 10:00-16:00.
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.
OrderThe dirty fries: cut fries with pork scraps and marinated peppers
TipCounter order. The chefwich rotates monthly and is a collaboration with a guest chef.
Pip's Original Doughnuts & Chai on NE Fremont Street Portland, the cult Portland mini-doughnut counter with rotating handmade chai flights and brunch trays.
TipOpen daily 07:00-16:00. The chai flight + a half-dozen mini doughnuts is the regular order; lines move fast.
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.
OrderPod with rotating carts: pizza, Thai, Egyptian, vegan
TipPyro Pizza wood-fired pies, Whiffies fried pies, Potato Champion poutine and Chicken and Guns are the long-running anchors.
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.
TipThe line moves faster than it looks. Cash and card. Open until 03:00 Thursday to Sunday.
Micah Camden's brioche-based doughnut counter on SE Division in Portland, the upscale answer to Voodoo with cocktail-inspired flavours since 2012.
TipBrioche dough means doughnuts go stale fast; arrive before noon. The downtown location closed; SE Division is the flagship.
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.
TipThe original espresso bar, with bamboo communal tables. Wholesale to most Portland third-wave cafes.
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.
OrderPod: Matt's BBQ, Koi Fusion tacos, DesiPDX, Native Bowl
TipOrder beer from the Prost! bar and food from the carts; the patio is shared. Heated tents stay open through winter.
Cheryl Wakerhauser's award-winning dessert bar and patisserie in Portland, with the world-rated Champagne list paired to macarons, chocolates and tarts.
TipOpen Sun-Thu until midnight, Fri-Sat until 02:00. The flagship moved to E Burnside in 2022.
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.
TipOpen Mon-Fri from 07:00, weekends from 08:00. The Portuguese fried rice is the dish to order.
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.
OrderGuided five-stop food cart tasting walk
TipBook on Lost Plate's site. The afternoon cart tour is daily; the wine and donut tours run separately.
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.
OrderBacon maple bar and coffee
TipOpen until 03:00 Thu-Sun. The line moves faster than it looks.
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