I’ve lived in Portland since 1981. What I love is that there are so many neighborhoods with good restaurants and food carts. It’s convenient to walk in your neighborhood and eat well. The best? Maybe not. But damn good and satisfying? Hell yes.
I worked in Downtown Portland at 16th and Glisan in the Pearl District back in 2001-2004. It was great back then because PDX was up and coming like Seattle in the 90's. At the time PDX had the most restaurants per capita in the country and Happy Hours were some of the BEST I ever had. I could get a pitcher of PBR and a Pizza at Tulios with free pool for $10. It was a great safe city back then. Not so much anymore.
I have lived in Portland for a decade and I think the reason that it wins in ranking like this is the variety of solid offerings. There are only a few spots here where it is amazing. Most spots will be as good as your favorite in another city- not blow you away. But, that said , you can get 7-9 stars of Ramen, Thai fried chicken, pork belly, waffles, donuts, pizza, farm to table meats, indian and pakistani food, seafood, lots of South American... and on and on.. we are not likely to beat a city in what it is known for.. we are likely for anyone who spends a lot of time here able to give you 2 dozen meals all really really good and none of them the same.
You just listed off what every major city in the US has. Portland is not special for food diversity. I've been to Portland countless times and the best restaurant I've been to yet was still a lowly 6/10. Portland gets high raves due to citizens paying off reviews.
Some years back there was a place in Portland called Stanich’s that served a really good burger. One of the best I've ever had (not the best, but very good), and it was just a grungy little neighborhood dive bar. Then a food wtiter named the place his pick for best burger in America, and Stanich's closed five months later. It had been overrun with tourists and hipsters all complaining that the place was low class, dingy, the burger wasn't that good actually, and now you have you wait five hours to get a burger. Sixty-eight years it was open, and died within five months of being named the best. That's how strongly hype can effect people. Maybe it wasn't actually the best in America, but it was good, and hype killed it (along with a heaping portion of human nature). Portland is a really good place for food, generally speaking. But if you come here with the idea in mind that you're going to have some kind of transcendent, life-altering experience then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. No city can beat that kind of hype.
Nice meeting you at the TravelCon conference and great presentation! Looks like I missed out on a fun when I was out there :). I had some great Mediterranean food in the Pearl District though!
City Thai is a small local place in southwest Portland that my wife and I cannot stop eating at. The menu is enormous and so far every item we've ordered has been a new favorite.
@ We had a great time, it was soooo many different things to do. Soooo many different restaurants and food trucks to try. We definitely will be going back. They only thing I want do next time is get a hotel in downtown Portland. It was no free parking anywhere, so we were forced to keep our car parked in a parking garage. It wasn’t a problem but I just wish they would have let us know in advance.
I think it's they got the ranking on the massive amount of food establishments, diversity of food, generally high quality and tasty, and (even being a US city) very affordable. Are you going to get better tacos in Mexico City? Sure. Are you going to get more high-end fine dining in New York? Of course. But I have to say.. if you want an all types of good food that won't break the bank adventure.. I'm heading to Portland. (also.. you took a food tour, as opposed to vetted recos? Seems weird)
"I don't even like waffles" ???? wha??? who doesn't like waffles? I'm originally from Portland. Left there in 1989. I am moving back this fall and am so proud of how far it's come since I left. Go, PDX!!!
Chicken and Guns makes a great chicken. Burritos at El Brasero are way better than decent. Burgers at Bottle Rocket? Yes please. Poutine at Potato Champion…also yes please especially after a few beers at Apex on the other side of Ladd’s Addition. I’d rather have poutine in Quebec…but here I am not far from Cartopia. There’s great pizza here in town as well, but not so much (that I’ve found) at food carts-there’s some amazing pizza around SE and NE Portland. Mmmmmmmm….Rogue. But check the food cart at the Barley Pod (60th and Halsey) where one can get great beer from Baerlic and an amazing chicken sandwich at Flew the Coop. So many great food trucks here in town.
I think it's a little unfair to compare food carts to the restaurants that have been getting Portland ranked as one of the top 10 food places in the world. Food carts are definitely part of the culture, but none of the top listed restaurants, like Kaan or Lechon, were reviewed. There's a few places that are really special.
Exactly these are more touristy than anything. I love Shalom Y’all, Lardo, Lechon, Kann, and especially Langbaan….not conducive to a food tour but any of those will knock your socks off!
Although we are famous for our food carts, I always had better meals at the restaurants. Portland is such a beer city, I am surprised the food tour picked Rogue. Cough... That is probably the last one I would recommend, but feel like food tours kind of partner with vendors. Maybe you should come back and visit our wineries and the fantastic farm to table restaurants in that area. Or If you are a beer lover, head out to Bend where you find the most gorgeous landscapes, awesome food and the best beer in Oregon. Or if you want the best Indian food, you have to come out to the suburbs. It is really hard to not to gain weight in this state. LOL
The vietnamese food here is awesome, some good ones on Sandy Blvd in Hollywood district. And so many good choices of mexican food here. I like El Sombrero in the Parkrose district on Sandy Blvd. Neighborhood a little sketchy, but good chili colorado and pork verde and seafood dishes too. Lilla's in inner se portland has great italian food
Choices were made this day, mostly not the best. Beginning with that tour! Should have started across the street at Lardo's for a great sandwich, then either eat Chinese on Hawthorne or go to a different neighborhood's pod. Or just go to Alberta or Division
haha fair enough! I thought it would be a good way to get to know some off the beaten path spots, but I will definitely be back to give the food carts another chance. Next time I'll be armed with more local recommendations!
@@KRIAJK that's absurd. Every metro area has a China town, or Little Korea, or Greek village, etc. You don't think those areas offer better, authentic cuisines?
I live in this neighborhood snd i have to say its a shame you didn't name more of the carts you went to, the people making your food deserve the recognition
I'm not sure how long your visit was, but you've only scratched the surface of the food scene. Hope you get to stay for a month next time. I live in Portland and can suggest a bunch of places, but I too have so many places yet to discover.
Btw, you can find an even better Indian lamb dish, a lamb saag, at Dwaraka, which was relatively close to the area you were in. However, now I'm curious about that Indian cart you went to.
If you make it back to the Hawthorn Asylum, I would recommend checking out the Montage cart. It's a remnant of a former Portland mainstay called Le Bistro Montage. Unfortunately, that was a victim of the pandemic, but the cart emerged as a torchbearer of its famous Mac and cheese. The Spold Mac was always my favorite, because I like spice.
If there's any good advice I could give, focus on a part of the city and find the recommended offerings, quadrant by quadrant. You were in the heart of SE, but you need to explore SE Division, NE Alberta, the Woodstock neighborhood, Sellwood, Downtown, the Pearl District, NW 21st and 23rd, Montevilla, the Jade District, and St. Johns. This is not including the suburbs, such as Beaverton and Hillsborough, which boast top notch Indian, Korean and and Japanese restaurants. On top of everything else, recent James Beard winner Kaan is in Portland. Btw, I would have recommended a Taste of Poland if that cart was still around, but next time you may want to try a Russian restaurant called Kachka for a fancy take on various comfort foods. It was only a couple blocks from the Rogue Brewery you went to.
First bridge - Hawthorne! Cartopia is good - hard to find parking tho. Our whole food-cart scene was much bigger and better a few years before Covid, especially downtown. Things have changed a lot - but there is still amazing food in Portland! Sadly, you only went to a few places - everything is spread out these days. Girl, I could have taken you a food tour - it would have been a more authentic food tour of what Portland has to offer. Maybe next time.
Yes, I was speaking to a few other locals while I was there who said similar things about how much it has changed since Covid. Next time I'm in Portland, I'll be sure to get in touch so I can see and taste the good stuff!
Another Portland native here.. and worked for the public.. rankings are nice, it brings in tourists but never have I figured out exactly what other people's tastes are and in comparison and experiences of others who highly rate certain cuisines and therefore whenever someone asks me what I would recommend they could go and try and eat, I could never provide them that answer w/o being biased based on the cost, quality, and quantity of what they would find satisfaction from. Though I am sad that after the pandemic, a lot of places have closed down and whenever new management takes over businesses, the niche foods I enjoy no longer exists. One example would be Noodle Company's Steak Stroganoff, though they've brought it back a few times on special occasions, the flavorful and tenderness of the steak which completes it is irreplaceable even though the sauce and noodles have been replicated. Another place I favored was this place in Downtown Portland called Boxer Ramen where their broth was rich and creamy that it helped elevate their noodles and toppings.
I will be checking out those waffles. They looked delicious. If you want a good thin crust pizza and you can buy just a slice check out Escape from NY in Portland. I think they have 2 locations but I go to the one on NW 23rd. As the name hints the owners were originally from NY.
It was great. The riots and then covid hit Portland especially hard. As far as getting base ingredients Portland is still a top ten city. For example u-pick fruit. Meat quality for the price. Farmer markets. etc
You hit food carts. Yes, they are great, but that is only one part of Portland's food scene... and not the best. There are innovative young chefs here and old established eateries here. You didn't even walk by and smell them. But thanks for coming. Hope you return a wider, more balanced eye. And, yes, hit those waffles and lamb again, too.
Hi Laura OMG do not do tours in portland right now My advice if you come thru again watch Somebody feed Phil He found some of our best spots Prost Kachka Han Oak Ruthie's ....
Yeah, you gotta know Portland. A great part about Portland is the "fine dining" is cheap delicious and casual. It's really hard to eat in other places because it's usually disappointing. Try OX.
Thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoy the US travels! There will be plenty more this summer as I head around the western part of the country exploring!
Portland native here, and I will just say that any "best of" ranking is nearly useless. There are amazing resturants here (try Nostrana or Arden) and there are sub-par resturants...just like anywhere else. Not sure I would let a few random food carts (we have LOTS) color your expeience of the Portland "food scene." Honestly, next time you visit, find a local foodie to share some gems then see what you think. Thanks for the fun video!
Portland food culture is so rich and diverse, but you pick Nostrana as a go-to destination? You can have the Nostrana experience in any number of bougie restaurants in any city in the country, and most of them do it better. Nostrana isn't a reason to come to Portland, it's a way to blow $500 to impress a date.
@@queztocoaxial yes it's a bit bougie and expensive, but a James Beard award will do that to a place. When talking pizza, tthe two best in Portland (in my opinion) are Nostrana and Ken's. If you can't afford the prices, orderr a full size margarita pizza for $10 after 9:00. So simple, yet so sublime.
I'm a Portland local and I have to say I think the majority of our carts are mediocre or are coasting on their reputations from ten years ago. Plus best of lists are weird - and food tours can feel pretty biased and canned (I always feel like I am at someone's cousin's restaurant). I think we really shine with our smaller farm-to-table-ish places - both small, casual cafes and nicer fine dining restaurants - and with our farmers markets. And of course our Pinot Noir. That being said, my one meal I go to time and time again in PDX is from a cart (or their more recent brick and mortar) - the Roasted Duck Jian Bing from BIng Mi! I could eat that every week and never tire of it!
I find the carts are also just more expensive. I really like the kind of restaurants where you can order at the counter. I think food here is amazing in that category, they're consistently quite good, and i enjoy quick and casual meals. I also love the drive thru Mexican places. Or I go to a restaurant. I've had great food at food carts, but they kinda are overrated, most places I'd recommend people aren't food carts.
Yeah, maybe booking a tour of (two?!) foodcart pods wasn’t the best way to discover why Portland’s so high on foodie lists. 😅 We have some solid foodcarts but come on
Great vid. Bummer that some of the food options were disappointing. Years ago, I took one of the walking food truck tours there. I was thoroughly impressed, not only by the food, but by the stories behind it. There was the guy who only served salmon that he had personally caught in a particular river in Alaska. Then, there was the couple - Korean woman, Mexican guy, or maybe vice versa - who served Mexican-Korean fusion such as Bulgogi tacos, which were were amazing. I also ended my tour with incredible waffles (not sure if the same as yours or not). All that was to say: definitely try it again some time!
The stories definitely make the tours better, I wish we were able to speak to the vendors during the tour, but that wasn't part of the interaction unfortunately. But all of these comments do make me want to go back and try a few more places on my own and explore with friends!
I'm coming at you. 🙃 Food tour was not they way to experience.thanks for visiting but you didn't even scratch the surface... 🤦🏽♂ But happy you had a decent food experience. You could eat at a different place everyday for 1 year and still have more food to eat. PDX is top 5 places to eat.
Coming from Portland. In my experience it's a hit and miss town. We have amazing food. It can bring up your expectations but then the next day you can be let down. This city has a problem with consistency. But the ingredients on the other hand are amazing.
Absolute crap take on Portland's food scene, this video should be taken down. Where to begin with the criticism? First, you went to food trucks only, Portland is much more then that. Portland's dining scene is revered for its delicious and relatively inexpensive fine dining restaurants: Le Pigeon, Canard, St Jack, Urdaneta, Yaowarat, Magna Kusina, Kann, Kachka, Republica. Not to mention places like Lardo, Grassa, Frybaby, and Pasture. You went to none of them. You also went to two of the crappier food cart pods, the Asylum is a joke. Good work visiting the OG at 12th and Hawthorne but no chicken and guns? no fish sauce Brussels from bottlerocket? why didn't you go to Prost food cart or Hinterlands for Matt's bbq tacos? To top it off you got beers at Rogue? The worst Oregon brewery by a country mile! No Breakside, no Baerlic, no Level??? Do your research, don't be so lazy and don't slander my awesome city's food and beer scene ever again. Shame on you.
What's the name of the waffle place? I can't seem to find anyone mention that. Smakken?? Having been a resident of the city for 10 years I must say don't go on a tour. Truth be told the best breakfast burrito I ever had was at a gas station out near 102nd and Prescott. It was an old school station with a full kitchen in the back and the same lady would make them fresh every morning. Portland is more of a stumble upon kind of place.
So much negativity in the comments. Bunch of miserable people. The food carts are one of the things I miss about Portland since moving away six years ago. Nowhere is all good or all bad. The food cart pods are one of the good things about Portland.
@@jazzcatjohn there’s only negativity because the title of this episode is “is portland really a top 10 food destination?” Like I said above, her experience was incredibly limited to pretty mediocre places. If the title was instead “i ate at Portland’s food carts” No one would have commented, I certainly would not have.
I was in Portland for 7 months on business and ate out every meal. I never understood how it got such a high ranking. It trys hard to have food from everywhere, just not exactly like the food from where they are representing. Plus, girl, you are such a well-traveled foodie nobody can fool you.
That's cause its not good LOL, im from there. Many different types of cuisines and experiences like food carts to small spots...its average. I wanna visit Texas, Tennessee and NEw Orleans for food LOL.
Portland punches above its weight for the size, but there’s no world that exists where Portland is the 10th best food city on the planet, let alone in the US. I’m not even sure on the smaller city scale, it outdoes places like Austin or Charleston. There are literal neighborhoods within Los Angeles, not even considering the city as a whole, that offer better food than Portland. That being said, PDX is a really good food city for its size, and great place to be and dine and drink when the sun is shining.
My sister visited Charleston, she was blown away by the food and apparently its a hidden gem foodie that still doesnt get the spotlight. I want to visit Dallas, Houston and San antonio for the food. Im from portland, I dont get it here LOL
I still had a few really great meals and would go back at some point to explore more based on a few more local recommendations next time, but I agree with you, there are other US cities that I would put above Portland based on similar experiences.
I live in Portland and have for 30 years. No longer eat out at all. But I shop the farmers market and get amazing food there. I prefer that we not be so glamorized. Makes for overcrowding.
Excellent video as always. Thanks for always being honest. We felt the same about Portland. Surprisingly Seattle blew us away, which was completely opposite of what we expected!
I live in Portland, I travel elsewhere around America/ World to eat delicious food! Our food scene is pretty understatement as media advertise to get tourists to visit and spend money in Portland! Food is pretty expensive and small portion too!
This is not a good representation of Portland. Food carts are all over Portland and can be hit or miss. There are some very good restaurants. That could be why Portland has a good ranking. As a NY’er now living in Portland I can say the pizza is horrible and so is the Chinese food. Also no deli’s. But I have had some amazing Thai, Viernames, Indian food.
Hello again Laura, im from portland. Glad you were honest, I really dont understand the hype. 10th in the WORLD?! So the food carts are fun and unique I will give it that. Theres lots of little spots in Portland, many types of cuisine, but its all mediocre! I have eaten food in Mexico and even Californians say "there is no good mexican food here" so I completely get that aspect. I've never been to Charleston S.C., New Orleans, or had BBQ in Memphis TN or Houston Tx...I heard these places know what food is!! My favorite Indian food cart is Best Taste of India on 82nd in Cartlandia, and Christinas Cartel food cart in clackmas. Other food places in Portland outside of that area dont seem to get enough attention too. Ive been to that waffle cart, I do like the dessert style waffles I will say.
Those waffles are definitely some of the best! Thanks for your other tips for good food carts. I'm sure I'll be back to the city at some point since I'm based just up the road in Seattle! I haven't been to those cities either, but I've heard they're pretty amazing!
Your first mistake was thinking the “best food” is from a food truck pod. Maybe skip the shitty tour and try one of the many incredible restaurants Portland has to offer.
Portland culinary scene is not very good. I have lived on the East coast, the Midwest, the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest now for 13 years. I have yet to be very impressed by the food here.
Thanks for honesty. I'm don't know why Portland is considered a "foodie town". Has to be cause of the venues and the variety, not neccessarily because of the quality.
I moved to Portland from San Francisco and Portland food should not be in the top 10. Sorry. People here are very passionate but food here is lackluster.
While I agree Portland probably isn't top ten in the world, the only things SF has over Portland are sushi and Chinese. Other than those two options Portland is all around better. Atlanta could make a good case, but the food culture is so different it's like comparing apples and oranges. Or marionberries and peaches, I guess.
@@queztocoaxial SF has good food in every corner of its suburbs and surrounding cities. If a city is going to be in the top 10, it should have more than 1 or 2 great places of any cuisine. And the so-called best places should be phenomenal but I'm generally disappointed at all the hyped-up places. I'm not trying to compare SF to PDX but to in the top 10, it should be excellent at more places than 1.
You have to live in a food city for a while, and find the best food. You're definitely not going to do it on a walking tour, or in two days. The whole idea of a food City is living in it and experiencing all it has to offer. There are dozens of amazing restaurants all over the city, it's not all about the food carts though there are certainly some gems like Juicy's Jambalaya 8 miles from downtown.
Average even fast food to sit-down...$14-15 here I would say. SOmeone I knew went home to Seattle a few weekends ago and said the food was a little cheaper.
I’ve lived in Portland since 1981. What I love is that there are so many neighborhoods with good restaurants and food carts. It’s convenient to walk in your neighborhood and eat well. The best? Maybe not. But damn good and satisfying? Hell yes.
I worked in Downtown Portland at 16th and Glisan in the Pearl District back in 2001-2004. It was great back then because PDX was up and coming like Seattle in the 90's. At the time PDX had the most restaurants per capita in the country and Happy Hours were some of the BEST I ever had. I could get a pitcher of PBR and a Pizza at Tulios with free pool for $10. It was a great safe city back then. Not so much anymore.
I have lived in Portland for a decade and I think the reason that it wins in ranking like this is the variety of solid offerings. There are only a few spots here where it is amazing. Most spots will be as good as your favorite in another city- not blow you away. But, that said , you can get 7-9 stars of Ramen, Thai fried chicken, pork belly, waffles, donuts, pizza, farm to table meats, indian and pakistani food, seafood, lots of South American... and on and on.. we are not likely to beat a city in what it is known for.. we are likely for anyone who spends a lot of time here able to give you 2 dozen meals all really really good and none of them the same.
You just listed off what every major city in the US has. Portland is not special for food diversity. I've been to Portland countless times and the best restaurant I've been to yet was still a lowly 6/10. Portland gets high raves due to citizens paying off reviews.
@@KRIAJK sign me up to get paid to say good reviews then 😂
Some years back there was a place in Portland called Stanich’s that served a really good burger. One of the best I've ever had (not the best, but very good), and it was just a grungy little neighborhood dive bar. Then a food wtiter named the place his pick for best burger in America, and Stanich's closed five months later. It had been overrun with tourists and hipsters all complaining that the place was low class, dingy, the burger wasn't that good actually, and now you have you wait five hours to get a burger. Sixty-eight years it was open, and died within five months of being named the best. That's how strongly hype can effect people. Maybe it wasn't actually the best in America, but it was good, and hype killed it (along with a heaping portion of human nature).
Portland is a really good place for food, generally speaking. But if you come here with the idea in mind that you're going to have some kind of transcendent, life-altering experience then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. No city can beat that kind of hype.
Love most choices available in my beautiful Portland! Always something new and exciting ❤
Food tours can be hit or miss. It's always fun to find a gem or two.
They're definitely worth it to get to know the city better!
Aloha. That’s considered a win in my book.
Eem, Tusk, Kinboshi, Basilisk, Güero, Hat Yai, Matt’s BBQ Tacos- just a few names to remember for next time.
Hat Yai is the best I've had in Portland but still doesn't hold a candle to thai places in other cities.
Nice meeting you at the TravelCon conference and great presentation! Looks like I missed out on a fun when I was out there :). I had some great Mediterranean food in the Pearl District though!
City Thai is a small local place in southwest Portland that my wife and I cannot stop eating at. The menu is enormous and so far every item we've ordered has been a new favorite.
I love City Thai!
@@kevinlove1664 Very good spot
Once I saw the big backs in the background I knew the food was gonna be amazing.
Thank you for visiting!
Me and my wife on our way next week, can’t wait to try a million food spots and see what Portland has to offer us!
dont listen to anything she said. she's clueless. check out eater Portland and they wont steer you wrong.
and...
@ We had a great time, it was soooo many different things to do. Soooo many different restaurants and food trucks to try. We definitely will be going back. They only thing I want do next time is get a hotel in downtown Portland. It was no free parking anywhere, so we were forced to keep our car parked in a parking garage. It wasn’t a problem but I just wish they would have let us know in advance.
Oregon berries are something all by themselves. Hood strawberries are the best!
I think it's they got the ranking on the massive amount of food establishments, diversity of food, generally high quality and tasty, and (even being a US city) very affordable. Are you going to get better tacos in Mexico City? Sure. Are you going to get more high-end fine dining in New York? Of course. But I have to say.. if you want an all types of good food that won't break the bank adventure.. I'm heading to Portland. (also.. you took a food tour, as opposed to vetted recos? Seems weird)
"I don't even like waffles" ???? wha??? who doesn't like waffles? I'm originally from Portland. Left there in 1989. I am moving back this fall and am so proud of how far it's come since I left. Go, PDX!!!
Chicken and Guns makes a great chicken. Burritos at El Brasero are way better than decent. Burgers at Bottle Rocket? Yes please. Poutine at Potato Champion…also yes please especially after a few beers at Apex on the other side of Ladd’s Addition. I’d rather have poutine in Quebec…but here I am not far
from Cartopia.
There’s great pizza here in town as well, but not so much (that I’ve found) at food carts-there’s some amazing pizza around SE and NE Portland.
Mmmmmmmm….Rogue. But check the food cart at the Barley Pod (60th and Halsey) where one can get great beer from Baerlic and an amazing chicken sandwich at Flew the Coop.
So many great food trucks here in town.
RIP Apex.
I think it's a little unfair to compare food carts to the restaurants that have been getting Portland ranked as one of the top 10 food places in the world. Food carts are definitely part of the culture, but none of the top listed restaurants, like Kaan or Lechon, were reviewed. There's a few places that are really special.
Came here to say just this.
Exactly these are more touristy than anything. I love Shalom Y’all, Lardo, Lechon, Kann, and especially Langbaan….not conducive to a food tour but any of those will knock your socks off!
Although we are famous for our food carts, I always had better meals at the restaurants. Portland is such a beer city, I am surprised the food tour picked Rogue. Cough... That is probably the last one I would recommend, but feel like food tours kind of partner with vendors. Maybe you should come back and visit our wineries and the fantastic farm to table restaurants in that area. Or If you are a beer lover, head out to Bend where you find the most gorgeous landscapes, awesome food and the best beer in Oregon. Or if you want the best Indian food, you have to come out to the suburbs. It is really hard to not to gain weight in this state. LOL
The vietnamese food here is awesome, some good ones on Sandy Blvd in Hollywood district. And so many good choices of mexican food here. I like El Sombrero in the Parkrose district on Sandy Blvd. Neighborhood a little sketchy, but good chili colorado and pork verde and seafood dishes too.
Lilla's in inner se portland has great italian food
Choices were made this day, mostly not the best. Beginning with that tour! Should have started across the street at Lardo's for a great sandwich, then either eat Chinese on Hawthorne or go to a different neighborhood's pod. Or just go to Alberta or Division
haha fair enough! I thought it would be a good way to get to know some off the beaten path spots, but I will definitely be back to give the food carts another chance. Next time I'll be armed with more local recommendations!
I came here to say this. I am shocked at some of the food choices at the pods. I think I just found my new side business as a food guide.
If you have to go to specific areas to get good food then the city overall is bad
@@KRIAJK that's absurd. Every metro area has a China town, or Little Korea, or Greek village, etc. You don't think those areas offer better, authentic cuisines?
imagine criticizing someone else's food choices and then recommending lardo lol
Thanks. I’ve only been through Portland. You make really good videos. I’ve been watching your channel a few years
I live in this neighborhood snd i have to say its a shame you didn't name more of the carts you went to, the people making your food deserve the recognition
Variety and diversity. That's why it's up there. Also. You should probably try some expensive food
I'm not sure how long your visit was, but you've only scratched the surface of the food scene. Hope you get to stay for a month next time. I live in Portland and can suggest a bunch of places, but I too have so many places yet to discover.
Btw, you can find an even better Indian lamb dish, a lamb saag, at Dwaraka, which was relatively close to the area you were in. However, now I'm curious about that Indian cart you went to.
If you make it back to the Hawthorn Asylum, I would recommend checking out the Montage cart. It's a remnant of a former Portland mainstay called Le Bistro Montage. Unfortunately, that was a victim of the pandemic, but the cart emerged as a torchbearer of its famous Mac and cheese. The Spold Mac was always my favorite, because I like spice.
If there's any good advice I could give, focus on a part of the city and find the recommended offerings, quadrant by quadrant. You were in the heart of SE, but you need to explore SE Division, NE Alberta, the Woodstock neighborhood, Sellwood, Downtown, the Pearl District, NW 21st and 23rd, Montevilla, the Jade District, and St. Johns. This is not including the suburbs, such as Beaverton and Hillsborough, which boast top notch Indian, Korean and and Japanese restaurants. On top of everything else, recent James Beard winner Kaan is in Portland.
Btw, I would have recommended a Taste of Poland if that cart was still around, but next time you may want to try a Russian restaurant called Kachka for a fancy take on various comfort foods. It was only a couple blocks from the Rogue Brewery you went to.
@@MikeSkrzynskiMan, I still miss Montage. 🍸
First bridge - Hawthorne! Cartopia is good - hard to find parking tho. Our whole food-cart scene was much bigger and better a few years before Covid, especially downtown. Things have changed a lot - but there is still amazing food in Portland! Sadly, you only went to a few places - everything is spread out these days. Girl, I could have taken you a food tour - it would have been a more authentic food tour of what Portland has to offer. Maybe next time.
Yes, I was speaking to a few other locals while I was there who said similar things about how much it has changed since Covid. Next time I'm in Portland, I'll be sure to get in touch so I can see and taste the good stuff!
I don't know Ive lived in Portland for 15 years... I'm originally from Chicago and would place Chitown above PDX ..
Another Portland native here.. and worked for the public.. rankings are nice, it brings in tourists but never have I figured out exactly what other people's tastes are and in comparison and experiences of others who highly rate certain cuisines and therefore whenever someone asks me what I would recommend they could go and try and eat, I could never provide them that answer w/o being biased based on the cost, quality, and quantity of what they would find satisfaction from. Though I am sad that after the pandemic, a lot of places have closed down and whenever new management takes over businesses, the niche foods I enjoy no longer exists. One example would be Noodle Company's Steak Stroganoff, though they've brought it back a few times on special occasions, the flavorful and tenderness of the steak which completes it is irreplaceable even though the sauce and noodles have been replicated. Another place I favored was this place in Downtown Portland called Boxer Ramen where their broth was rich and creamy that it helped elevate their noodles and toppings.
I will be checking out those waffles. They looked delicious. If you want a good thin crust pizza and you can buy just a slice check out Escape from NY in Portland. I think they have 2 locations but I go to the one on NW 23rd. As the name hints the owners were originally from NY.
6:49 Just get recommendations next time! Food tours get a kickback
Cascade brewing, grassa, salt and straw
you missed Kim Jong Grillin, I eat there at least once a week, it's amazing
Next time you're in Portland, stop at the Original Hotcake House. Get an omelet, pancakes, and a chocolate shake.
It was great. The riots and then covid hit Portland especially hard. As far as getting base ingredients Portland is still a top ten city. For example u-pick fruit. Meat quality for the price. Farmer markets. etc
What’s the name of the waffle food cart? It looks amazing! 😊
It was called Smaaken - www.smaaken.com/location/bg-food-cartel/
It was SO good!!
Thanks for sharing
Mmm, I'm still dreaming about all the food in Portland...
The food cart place we went in the downtown where we met was one of my favorites!
@@laura-bronner Same here
I’ve tried that poutine cart twice and both times were disappointing. That craft soda was delish tho!
Thanks for this yummy vlog Laura!My favorites: Waffle and lamb curry! I enjoyed it a lot! Thanks!
Those were definitely my favorites! Glad you enjoyed the video :)
You hit food carts. Yes, they are great, but that is only one part of Portland's food scene... and not the best. There are innovative young chefs here and old established eateries here. You didn't even walk by and smell them.
But thanks for coming. Hope you return a wider, more balanced eye. And, yes, hit those waffles and lamb again, too.
Hi Laura OMG do not do tours in portland right now My advice if you come thru again watch Somebody feed Phil He found some of our best spots Prost Kachka Han Oak Ruthie's ....
Thanks for the tips! I'm sure I'll be back there at some point, so will add those to my list!
Yeah, you gotta know Portland. A great part about Portland is the "fine dining" is cheap delicious and casual. It's really hard to eat in other places because it's usually disappointing. Try OX.
Loved the video Laura 🙂 it’s so much fun to see US videos with you 🙂
Thank you so much, I'm so glad you enjoy the US travels! There will be plenty more this summer as I head around the western part of the country exploring!
@@laura-bronner Awesome, looking forward to it 🙂
@@laura-bronner what happened to your life in Europe?
Portland native here, and I will just say that any "best of" ranking is nearly useless. There are amazing resturants here (try Nostrana or Arden) and there are sub-par resturants...just like anywhere else. Not sure I would let a few random food carts (we have LOTS) color your expeience of the Portland "food scene." Honestly, next time you visit, find a local foodie to share some gems then see what you think.
Thanks for the fun video!
Portland food culture is so rich and diverse, but you pick Nostrana as a go-to destination? You can have the Nostrana experience in any number of bougie restaurants in any city in the country, and most of them do it better. Nostrana isn't a reason to come to Portland, it's a way to blow $500 to impress a date.
@@queztocoaxial yes it's a bit bougie and expensive, but a James Beard award will do that to a place. When talking pizza, tthe two best in Portland (in my opinion) are Nostrana and Ken's. If you can't afford the prices, orderr a full size margarita pizza for $10 after 9:00. So simple, yet so sublime.
Rogue Brewery is a solid choice among a long list of good breweries in Oregon.
I'm a Portland local and I have to say I think the majority of our carts are mediocre or are coasting on their reputations from ten years ago. Plus best of lists are weird - and food tours can feel pretty biased and canned (I always feel like I am at someone's cousin's restaurant). I think we really shine with our smaller farm-to-table-ish places - both small, casual cafes and nicer fine dining restaurants - and with our farmers markets. And of course our Pinot Noir. That being said, my one meal I go to time and time again in PDX is from a cart (or their more recent brick and mortar) - the Roasted Duck Jian Bing from BIng Mi! I could eat that every week and never tire of it!
Thanks for your thoughtful comment - best of lists are definitely heavily biased. I appreciate the tips for other places to try next time I'm in town!
I find the carts are also just more expensive. I really like the kind of restaurants where you can order at the counter. I think food here is amazing in that category, they're consistently quite good, and i enjoy quick and casual meals. I also love the drive thru Mexican places. Or I go to a restaurant. I've had great food at food carts, but they kinda are overrated, most places I'd recommend people aren't food carts.
Bro went on a food tour omg just go to lardo, kati, doe donuts, queen of shiba, eem
Yeah, maybe booking a tour of (two?!) foodcart pods wasn’t the best way to discover why Portland’s so high on foodie lists. 😅 We have some solid foodcarts but come on
Great vid. Bummer that some of the food options were disappointing. Years ago, I took one of the walking food truck tours there. I was thoroughly impressed, not only by the food, but by the stories behind it. There was the guy who only served salmon that he had personally caught in a particular river in Alaska. Then, there was the couple - Korean woman, Mexican guy, or maybe vice versa - who served Mexican-Korean fusion such as Bulgogi tacos, which were were amazing. I also ended my tour with incredible waffles (not sure if the same as yours or not). All that was to say: definitely try it again some time!
The stories definitely make the tours better, I wish we were able to speak to the vendors during the tour, but that wasn't part of the interaction unfortunately. But all of these comments do make me want to go back and try a few more places on my own and explore with friends!
I'm coming at you. 🙃 Food tour was not they way to experience.thanks for visiting but you didn't even scratch the surface... 🤦🏽♂ But happy you had a decent food experience. You could eat at a different place everyday for 1 year and still have more food to eat. PDX is top 5 places to eat.
Coming from Portland. In my experience it's a hit and miss town. We have amazing food. It can bring up your expectations but then the next day you can be let down. This city has a problem with consistency. But the ingredients on the other hand are amazing.
I've lived in the PNW most of my life and can honestly say I prefer Portland, ME over Portland, OR (MY OPINION)
Same here 👍
Absolute crap take on Portland's food scene, this video should be taken down. Where to begin with the criticism? First, you went to food trucks only, Portland is much more then that. Portland's dining scene is revered for its delicious and relatively inexpensive fine dining restaurants: Le Pigeon, Canard, St Jack, Urdaneta, Yaowarat, Magna Kusina, Kann, Kachka, Republica. Not to mention places like Lardo, Grassa, Frybaby, and Pasture. You went to none of them. You also went to two of the crappier food cart pods, the Asylum is a joke. Good work visiting the OG at 12th and Hawthorne but no chicken and guns? no fish sauce Brussels from bottlerocket? why didn't you go to Prost food cart or Hinterlands for Matt's bbq tacos? To top it off you got beers at Rogue? The worst Oregon brewery by a country mile! No Breakside, no Baerlic, no Level??? Do your research, don't be so lazy and don't slander my awesome city's food and beer scene ever again. Shame on you.
you just named the 3 next worst breweries in portland lol
Finally someone says it! I'm sorry but the food here in Portland is WAAY overhyped but I'm not surprised the locals here love it.
What's the name of the waffle place? I can't seem to find anyone mention that. Smakken?? Having been a resident of the city for 10 years I must say don't go on a tour. Truth be told the best breakfast burrito I ever had was at a gas station out near 102nd and Prescott. It was an old school station with a full kitchen in the back and the same lady would make them fresh every morning. Portland is more of a stumble upon kind of place.
Portland has great food but it has even a better art museum. The PAM collection is one of the best on the west coast. It's better than Seattle.
Happy Pride month 🏳️🌈♥️
So much negativity in the comments. Bunch of miserable people. The food carts are one of the things I miss about Portland since moving away six years ago. Nowhere is all good or all bad. The food cart pods are one of the good things about Portland.
@@jazzcatjohn there’s only negativity because the title of this episode is “is portland really a top 10 food destination?” Like I said above, her experience was incredibly limited to pretty mediocre places. If the title was instead “i ate at Portland’s food carts” No one would have commented, I certainly would not have.
I was in Portland for 7 months on business and ate out every meal. I never understood how it got such a high ranking. It trys hard to have food from everywhere, just not exactly like the food from where they are representing. Plus, girl, you are such a well-traveled foodie nobody can fool you.
😂 Thanks - This might be one of my favorite ever comments!!
That's cause its not good LOL, im from there. Many different types of cuisines and experiences like food carts to small spots...its average. I wanna visit Texas, Tennessee and NEw Orleans for food LOL.
Aloha. Personally, I think you have to go somewhere that has an actual identity.
@@kaylaschregardus4062Aloha. New Orleans will ruin you.
@@adamyoung480 how will it ruin a person?
Portland punches above its weight for the size, but there’s no world that exists where Portland is the 10th best food city on the planet, let alone in the US. I’m not even sure on the smaller city scale, it outdoes places like Austin or Charleston. There are literal neighborhoods within Los Angeles, not even considering the city as a whole, that offer better food than Portland. That being said, PDX is a really good food city for its size, and great place to be and dine and drink when the sun is shining.
My sister visited Charleston, she was blown away by the food and apparently its a hidden gem foodie that still doesnt get the spotlight. I want to visit Dallas, Houston and San antonio for the food. Im from portland, I dont get it here LOL
I still had a few really great meals and would go back at some point to explore more based on a few more local recommendations next time, but I agree with you, there are other US cities that I would put above Portland based on similar experiences.
I live in Portland and have for 30 years. No longer eat out at all. But I shop the farmers market and get amazing food there. I prefer that we not be so glamorized. Makes for overcrowding.
Three words My Brothers Crawfish.
Excellent video as always. Thanks for always being honest. We felt the same about Portland. Surprisingly Seattle blew us away, which was completely opposite of what we expected!
Seattle does have some great food! Lots of interesting food trucks and hole-in-the-wall spots that I've enjoyed there!
I live in Portland, I travel elsewhere around America/ World to eat delicious food! Our food scene is pretty understatement as media advertise to get tourists to visit and spend money in Portland! Food is pretty expensive and small portion too!
You need to come back and try other places. There's better places than Rogue.
This is not a good representation of Portland. Food carts are all over Portland and can be hit or miss. There are some very good restaurants. That could be why Portland has a good ranking. As a NY’er now living in Portland I can say the pizza is horrible and so is the Chinese food. Also no deli’s. But I have had some amazing Thai, Viernames, Indian food.
Another NY pizza snob, get over yourself.
Hello again Laura, im from portland. Glad you were honest, I really dont understand the hype. 10th in the WORLD?! So the food carts are fun and unique I will give it that. Theres lots of little spots in Portland, many types of cuisine, but its all mediocre! I have eaten food in Mexico and even Californians say "there is no good mexican food here" so I completely get that aspect.
I've never been to Charleston S.C., New Orleans, or had BBQ in Memphis TN or Houston Tx...I heard these places know what food is!!
My favorite Indian food cart is Best Taste of India on 82nd in Cartlandia, and Christinas Cartel food cart in clackmas. Other food places in Portland outside of that area dont seem to get enough attention too. Ive been to that waffle cart, I do like the dessert style waffles I will say.
Those waffles are definitely some of the best! Thanks for your other tips for good food carts. I'm sure I'll be back to the city at some point since I'm based just up the road in Seattle! I haven't been to those cities either, but I've heard they're pretty amazing!
I used to like The Frying Scotsman but I don't know where he went after they closed the food carts at 10th & Washington
@@scotthuish67 never heard of that
No more tours you gotta stop this
Your first mistake was thinking the “best food” is from a food truck pod. Maybe skip the shitty tour and try one of the many incredible restaurants Portland has to offer.
Classism? In Portland? Well, I never 🧐
Nope. Try Houston, Dallas or Austin
completely incorrect, city is burned down, please don't come, nobody here but us fish
Portland culinary scene is not very good. I have lived on the East coast, the Midwest, the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest now for 13 years. I have yet to be very impressed by the food here.
Thanks for honesty. I'm don't know why Portland is considered a "foodie town". Has to be cause of the venues and the variety, not neccessarily because of the quality.
America does not have a single best food city, i mean by international standards.
Its boring for vegetarians for sure.
Uhm…that was a non representative take…
I moved to Portland from San Francisco and Portland food should not be in the top 10. Sorry. People here are very passionate but food here is lackluster.
Agreed... I moved here from Atlanta awhile back. The food is good, but BEST is a looooong stretch
The best food carts are gone now and never coming back
While I agree Portland probably isn't top ten in the world, the only things SF has over Portland are sushi and Chinese. Other than those two options Portland is all around better. Atlanta could make a good case, but the food culture is so different it's like comparing apples and oranges. Or marionberries and peaches, I guess.
@@queztocoaxial SF has good food in every corner of its suburbs and surrounding cities. If a city is going to be in the top 10, it should have more than 1 or 2 great places of any cuisine. And the so-called best places should be phenomenal but I'm generally disappointed at all the hyped-up places. I'm not trying to compare SF to PDX but to in the top 10, it should be excellent at more places than 1.
You have to live in a food city for a while, and find the best food. You're definitely not going to do it on a walking tour, or in two days. The whole idea of a food City is living in it and experiencing all it has to offer. There are dozens of amazing restaurants all over the city, it's not all about the food carts though there are certainly some gems like Juicy's Jambalaya 8 miles from downtown.
Portland is a progressive pit!
Portland is NOT in the top 10 in the US. 😂
I would never go to Portland
@@dw4861 excellent
I can't stand Portland or the people there. I'll bet the food prices were outrageous too.
Average even fast food to sit-down...$14-15 here I would say. SOmeone I knew went home to Seattle a few weekends ago and said the food was a little cheaper.
Then don’t go.
With that attitude, we wouldn't like you either. Try Boise. Might be right up your alley.
@@kaylaschregardus4062 seattle food prices are 10% higher than Portland
@@akahina or Tigard!
Portland could have been in the Top Ten but the people are too Lazy. I live here.
"Top Ten"? Oh Hell No. I live here. Any City in Southern California kills this place.