Skip to main content
1. Buddy’s Steaks
5235 NE Sandy Blvd., 215-694-8095, buddyssteaks.com. 3-8 pm Friday and Monday, noon-8 pm Saturday and Sunday, or until sold out.
What’s a cheesesteak without cheese or steak? Vegan cheesesteaks are all over Philadelphia, but Buddy’s exists because co-owners Buddy Richter and Angela D’Occhio hadn’t found any meatless cheesesteaks that lived up to their own pre-vegan, Philly native memories. The “steak” is made in-house by Richter, and the cashew- and coconut-based whiz is available as either “provolone” or “cheddar,” which is an especially radioactive-looking orange.
2. Everybody Eats
138 NW 10th Ave., 503-318-1619, everybodyeatspdx.com. 11 am-3 pm and 5-11 pm Tuesday-Saturday.
Launched as a catering service on the outer eastside, Everybody Eats has moved into the heart of the Pearl District, bringing a menu inspired by co-owner Johnny Huff Jr.’s family roots in Texas and Louisiana. The showstopper is the Ultimate Seafood Mac-and-Cheese: shrimp, lobster and crab mixed in with cheese sauce and noodles, with half a lobster tail, two prawns and lump of crab meat on top.
3. Prey + Tell
3560 N Mississippi Ave., 971-220-1997, preyandtell.com. 4-11 pm Wednesday-Sunday.
If you’re looking to ease back into an IRL social life, eating crispy chicken wings and sipping on a mango slushie on the patio at Psychic Bar is about as close as you can get to feeling a party vibe without going to an actual house party. Chef Diane Lam has brought her perfectly crispy, gluten-free, Cambodian-style wings to Psychic’s ample outdoor space. Even though they’re great at home, those flats and bats are obviously at their finest freshly delivered to your table and paired with her aromatic ranch or lime Buffalo sauce.
4. Nacheaux
4765 NE Fremont St., nacheauxpdx.com. Noon-8 pm.
One of 2020′s hottest food carts has hit the big time. Anthony Brown has brought his Mexi-Cajun fusion to the former Alameda Brewhouse on Northeast 48th Avenue, sharing space with Blind Ox Taphouse. Hitching Southern food and Cajun-Creole flavors is not unheard of, but it’s a rare concept in Portland. The “Nacheaux nachos” start with a big pile of fresh-fried chips and also feature carnitas that could just as easily be cochon au lait, while a cheesy “crunchwrap” comes stuffed with red beans, dirty rice and fried chicken.
5. Momo Master
1533 NE Alberta St. 11 am-9 pm daily.
Regulars at Alberta’s Bantu Island pod have an appetizing new option: the Momo Master. To try all of the titular Himalayan dumplings, get the “Plattery,” a sampler of the three styles the cart offers. The veggie dumplings made with Impossible Burger aren’t to be missed—generously packed into chewy dough folded like a fishtail, the sweet curry edge waits to be cut with the bright sesame oil tomato chutney that comes with it.