The Official Guide to Portland

It’s a well-established fact: Portland is one of the world’s great food cities. Hearing this, someone might plan a trip to Portland, visit a few restaurants and head for home. But a Portland trip that only involves restaurants is missing out on so much of the excellent food Portland has to offer.

Because here are a few other important facts: Portland has incredible food carts. And farmers’ markets. And dessert spots and brewery food and burger chains (and more). So should a trip to the City of Roses involve a meal (or three) in a restaurant? Absolutely. But dig a little deeper into the Portland food scene and you’ll find all the many forms delicious Portland food can take.

Portland Restaurants

Portland has a long history of delicious, award-winning restaurants — and in recent years, the restaurant scene just keeps heating up. James Beard Award nominations keep accruing, and Portland’s top restaurateurs regularly draw international acclaim — one recent rising star, Gregory Gourdet’s Kann, was declared the best new restaurant in America by multiple esteemed sources. Other standouts — some of them long-running hot spots, others newcomers bringing fresh heat to the scene — include Le Pigeon, Urdaneta, Oma’s Hideaway, Coquine, Kachka and Xiao Ye (among many others).

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Credit: Celeste Noche

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Credit: Celeste Noche

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Credit: David Reamer

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Credit: Aaron Lee, Travel Portland

The scene is so varied it can be hard to pin down, but some of the best-known styles of restaurants in Portland include hyper-local Pacific Northwest eateries, brunch places and pizzerias (always a hit when dining with kids, along with other comfort food favorites). Other cuisines that should make your list include taquerias, sushi spots and the stars of an ascendant barbecue scene. And as one of the world’s great beer cities, it makes sense that Portland has excellent brewery food — a visit to brewpubs like Lazy Days Brewing Co., Fire on the Mountain or Breakside Brewery will give you a taste, though great brewery food can be found all over town.

Food Carts

The food truck craze has swept the national food scene, and there are great options all across the country. But it’s hard to deny that Portland is America’s honorary food truck capitol (and the best of the food truck cities), for all kinds of reasons:

1. We’ve got our own cool name for them (because Portland always has to be a little bit different): food carts!
2. It’s the most food-truck friendly city — that means up-and-coming chefs can thrive, and there’s always an abundance of options.
3. Most Portland food carts are organized into food cart pods, so you can sample all kinds of cuisines in a single stop.
4. The simplest, most important reason of all: Portland food carts are delicious.

Farmers’ Markets

Let’s say you can’t make up your mind about what to do for lunch — do you want to eat out or make something at home? Why not head to a market, where both options are at your fingertips?

Peruse preposterously fresh produce and delectable meats (plus gifts, snacks, beverages and more), so you can get everything you need to whip up a feast. Or, if the delicious smells prove too tempting, swing by a market food cart and let someone else do the cooking after all. What’s more, there are markets all over the city in all different styles: farmers’ markets, food halls, neighborhood markets and more.

Sweet Treats

Sometimes you’ve just got to have something sweet, whether it’s the cherry on top of an excellent meal or a stand-alone “just because” treat. Fortunately, Portland is flush with top-notch bakeries, ice cream spots and doughnut shops (plus less common indulgences like s’mores and pies). And no matter where you find yourself in the city, a great dessert is sure to be nearby — treat yourself to the sweeter side of the Portland food scene today.

Special Diets

Anyone with a dietary restriction or a dietary preference has experienced the frustration of investigating a package, label or menu and failing to find the info they need. This is one area where Portland really shines: Chefs and servers tend to be highly informed on the food they serve, meaning they’re well-equipped to help you navigate your options. Portland is also home to an abundance of restaurateurs who specialize in specific diets, and there are a variety of spots that are perfect fits for diners who are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto, alcohol-free and more.

Abundant Options

And the options don’t stop there. “Food” in Portland can mean so many things, and there’s always more delicious exploring to be done — from the Alberta Arts District to the Pearl District, from Northwest Portland to Southeast Portland, from ramen restaurants to taquerias to sushi spots.