Food cart lunches for a 4 Portland vacation days

[yomyb]

We hit koi and the carts on hawthorne yesterday and loved them. We took a break today but we want to get serious and do only food carts for lunch for the rest of our trip (4 days). Will be heading to the carts downtown tomorrow and I have heard of Big Ass Sandwiches and Etta but need recommendations for a thai or vietnamese cart and an indian cart and anything else worth mentioning! Thanks!

[cookingasshole]

I am a little late here but Big Ass Sandwiches and Whiffles are the best carts in town. Plus an obligitory shout out to Flavor Spot.

[cheeseisheaven]

Also, there is the new pod..good food carts on 43rd and Belmont....and I think some are open till 7pm. There's a fancy french food cart there that I am looking forward to..and fried cheese curds @ Rockabillie's...
Speaking of fried cheeses, the fried muenster cutlet @ Tabor is awesome..as is their spaetzele and potato pancake..
Also, The Dump Truck has a nontraditional and delicious take on dumplings (Alder pod)
and I love the pierogi's at Eurodish.

[yomyb]

Thanks everyone! Ok so Tabor it is today... And tomorrow probably mississipi for garden state. Any Indian and Vietnamese faves??? You guys are great!

[aplyley]

Downtown carts are best for Indian, Thai and Vietnamese as far as I know. The top of my list is Nong's Khao Man Gai (http://www.khaomangai.com/) at SW 10th/Alder. She serves one dish--a Thai variation of Hainanese chicken rice. Unlike many of the downtown carts, she's open on Saturday.

There's at least one vietnamese cart across the street, serving mostly pho. In my opinion they aren't as unique as Nong's.

For Indian, check out Bombay Chaat House on SW 12th and Yamhill. http://bombaychaathouse.org There is a practically identical neighbor, you want Bombay.

-----
Nong's Khao Man Gai
SW 10th and Alder, Portland, OR

[JayinPortland]

I still haven't tried the muenster cheese sandwich at Tabor. Problem is that whenever I manage to get down to that area on a weekday, I can't resist The Call of The Schnitzelwich!

[JillO]

Ditto. I look at it on the menu and think, man, that must be seriously awesome...and then I order a Schnitzelwich. ;o)

I think there's crack in it.

[MichaelG]

Definitely Schitzelwich. Make sure to grab napkins.

[JayinPortland]

Okay, food carts to hit -

Downtown =

Tabor at SW 5th & Stark

Ziba's Pitas at SW 10th & Alder

Beez Neez Sausages (reindeer sausage!) at SW 3rd & Washington

Big Ass Sandwiches - if you go there, make sure you get the cheese sauce on your sandwich because otherwise it's gonna be unbearably dry.

Keep in mind that the the downtown food carts are generally closed Saturdays and Sundays,

Here on the east side, I'll second Wy-East Pizza (like Jill said it's just north of Powell here in SE, not Sandy) - get there early though, because they only make about 18 pizzas a night.

Torres de Morelos at 30th & Powell has great tripas tacos, and all other kinds of offal if you're into that.

Mississippi Marketplace - Garden State. 'Nuff said! Can't go wrong with anything there, easily a Top 3 Favorite cart of mine in Portland.

[JillO]

Ditto on Ziba's pitas (they are like bourekas).

And you should hit Cartopia late on the weekend (SE Hawthorne and 12th Ave) for some crepes, frites, fried pies and more. Fun crowd late night. 'Etta (Violetta's truck/cart) will be there on weekends soon, but not sure when.

[nkeane]

would have mentioned Cartopia, of course, but....."We hit koi and the carts on hawthorne yesterday and loved them"

[MyNextMeal]

downtown: korean twist is doing the taco thing - i like them!
samurai - pork yakisoba is my dish there
nong's khao man gai - also good

i really like the pod at mississippi and skidmore too...
native bowl, big egg, sugar cube, mmmmm....

[nkeane]

North Station pod on N. Greeley and Killingsworth is fantastic! Wood oven pizza, Thai, BBQ, Korean, Waffles, Guamanian(yes, really!!), a bakery, ice cream, tacos, some others I am forgetting.....oh, and BEER!! yes a cart pod with frikkin beer.

other carts that OWN are the Frying Scotsman fish and chips at 9th and SW. Alder, and Wy'East Pizza on SE 50th just north of Sandy blvd....although I heard they might be/have moved. google is your friend. good eating!

[JillO]

SE50th north of Sandy?? You mean Powell, not Sandy, dontcha? ;o) Wy'East is still there...

Mississippi Marketplace has some good carts such as Garden State, Big Egg, and Sugar Cube. I actually like it better than North Station (as well as it's covered seating).

Downtown...SCHNITZELWICH!! At Tabor (sorry for the shouting), one of the best sandwiches ever. Your cart hopping is not complete without one here, don't be ltold otherwise...you must have one.

[JayinPortland]

Must second Jill - eat a Schnitzelwich!!!!

And thank us later.

;)

[nkeane]

yep, my bad...Powell.

[Nettie]

Note that Pizza Depokos (the pizza place in the Greeley/Killingsworth pod) only has lunch on Saturday, and Wy'East doesn't open until 4:30.

Mississippi Marketplace also has beer--you can get food at one of the carts and then bring it into Prost's patio or even inside. Definitely hit Sugar Cube for dessert if you go here!

I've really been enjoying Mono Malo tapas cart on NE 24th and Alberta lately, plus Alberta is a fun neighborhood.