downtownTue-Sat 10:00-15:00
Sandy Di's jianbing cart in downtown Portland near Pioneer Square, with savoury Chinese street crepes wrapped around scrambled egg and crisp wonton skins.
Try: Jianbing Chinese street crepe
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.
alberta-artsTue-Sat 11:00-19:00
Yair Maidan's falafel counter in the Zipper micro-restaurant collective on NE Sandy in Portland, Portland Monthly's pick for best falafel sandwich in town.
Try: Falafel pita, salad, rice bowl
Tip: Counter order, shared dining room with four micro-restaurants and a bar. Falafel is fried to order; expect 8 minutes.
hawthorne-belmontMon-Thu 11:00-22:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-23:00; Sun 11:00-22:00
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.
Try: Pod with rotating carts: pizza, Thai, Egyptian, vegan
Tip: Pyro Pizza wood-fired pies, Whiffies fried pies, Potato Champion poutine and Chicken and Guns are the long-running anchors.
mississippi-williamsDaily 11:00-22:00 (cart hours vary)
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.
Try: Pod: Matt's BBQ, Koi Fusion tacos, DesiPDX, Native Bowl
Tip: Order beer from the Prost! bar and food from the carts; the patio is shared. Heated tents stay open through winter.
hawthorne-belmontDaily 13:00-16:30
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.
Try: Guided five-stop food cart tasting walk
Tip: Book on Lost Plate's site. The afternoon cart tour is daily; the wine and donut tours run separately.