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When tasked with writing about a perfect day of eating in Portland, the first things that typically come to mind are the elevated dining experiences at top restaurants, maybe a hidden gem or two. Simple pleasures for the casual eater are overlooked in favor of resplendent dishes that most people only enjoy a couple of times a year. Instead, I wanted to focus on the foods the average Portlander eats on a daily basis in one underappreciated area of town.
Since ownership of a 7-mile stretch of the often-maligned Southeast 82nd Avenue transferred from the Oregon Department of Transportation to the Portland Bureau of Transportation last June, now is the time to reevaluate what this neighborhood has to offer. A deeper inspection shows a rich tapestry of food carts that may be more diverse than the trucks in more affluent locations that unfairly get more attention in the media.
Rip City Wrap at The Good & Evil Wrap Co.
8145 SE 82nd Ave., 503-707-4695, goodandevilwraps.com. Noon-8 pm Tuesday-Saturday.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a wrap or a burrito, when eating anything rolled in a tortilla there are three things to consider. No. 1: Is it wider than your wrist and at least the length of the bottom of your palm to the end of your extended fingers? No. 2: Are the corners perfectly tucked in and the ingredients nestled safely inside, like a mother cradling an infant? And No. 3: When you bite into it are the components stacked like a seven-layer dip? The wrap artists at Good & Evil are masters at turning a flat flour circle into a fat, folded cylinder and meet all three of these criteria. Outside of breakfast hours, the Rip City Wrap is the most popular and it’s easy to see why: The roll contains blackened steak, crispy bacon, sautéed onions, tomatoes, romaine lettuce and heaps of shredded cheddar jack. It’s like a gringo taco, only more portable (fitting nicely into the pocket of a hoodie), and leftovers taste just as good the next day.
PDX Sampler at Birrieria PDX 82nd
5420 SE 82nd Ave., 971-533-2378, birriapdxportland.com. 8 am-10 pm daily.
The PDX Sampler is a litmus test for personality types and the ultimate speed-dating tool. By offering four different ways to devour top-notch, beefy, cheese-crusted consommé tacos, you can learn a lot about a person based on what method they choose. For instance, if you prefer mulitas—a crispy, double quesadilla that shatters with each bite—it means you have good taste, but need some time to work on yourself. If you’re into the sharp edges of a fried machete taco, you are sexy but also a little bit dangerous. Anyone who reaches for the vampiro, the taco equivalent of an open-faced sandwich, enjoys life’s simple pleasures and isn’t afraid to get a little dirty. And those who instinctively grab the quesataco with its double-wrapped corn tortillas fried in a shell of caramelized cheese blanketing slow-cooked brisket should be your perfect match. Immediately swipe right and dig in.
Bartender’s Pick at Lents Draft and Bottle
8530 SE Foster Road, 503-720-6693, lents-draft-and-bottle.business.site. 3:30-11 pm Tuesday-Friday, 2-11 pm Saturday, 2-9 pm Sunday.
Looking for a place to sit down and enjoy some juicy birrieria that isn’t in a parking lot shared by a Big 5 Sporting Goods and a bank? Head a few blocks up the road to Lents Draft and Bottle, which welcomes outside food. This is a hidden gem for beer, wine and cider nerds on the outer eastside with a garage-style speakeasy vibe. In contrast to the many metro-area taprooms that tend to have 20 to 30 draft lines, Lents Draft focuses on a handful of beers, though there is a wide variety—from Czech-style lagers to spontaneously fermented wild ales and, of course, an IPA or two. I recommend sitting at the bar, but on Sunday summer evenings you can sit street side to catch the human FoPo equivalent of the Chapman swifts—street racers darting on and off the highway ramps, avoiding cops like Dominic Toretto.
Newport Nightmare at Gnarlys
3612 SE 82nd Ave., 971-500-1649. Noon-7 pm Tuesday-Thursday, noon-8 pm Friday-Saturday, noon-4 pm Sunday.
I am not a vegan, and rarely do I even eat vegetarian. But upon the urging of social media commenters, foodie friends, and even my own brother, I finally broke down and tried a Newport Nightmare burger from the 100% vegan Gnarlys at the Collective Oregon Eateries, or CORE, food cart pod. The hybrid patty (a blend of Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat) and very crispy faux bacon are salty and moist enough to simulate a hand-flipped burger from the local diner. Shredded lettuce, grilled onions and jalapeños are barely contained by the oversized sesame seed bun—the kind you would stock up on at the grocery store for a backyard barbecue. All of that is fused together by a spicy yellow provolone “cheese” from Violife Foods and a slightly tangy housemade ranch. The result took me back to high school, when I would often get a chicken cordon bleu from the Wendy’s drive-thru—a comforting tradition I would happily pick back up at Gnarlys.
Breakside Pilsner at The Breaksider
3612 SE 82nd Ave., breakside.com. 1-8 pm Thursday-Sunday.
It’s hard to beat a beer-and-burger combo, and you don’t have to go far to find one at the CORE. Portland’s award-winning Breakside Brewery operates a refurbished 1972 Winnebago that pours draft beer and sells cans to go just a few dozen feet from Gnarlys. Known for its immaculate taprooms and beers, “The Breaksider” feels like a kitschy uncle in the Breakside family, but it’s actually right at home along 82nd parked near other campers, and this one just happens to hold the best beer. Go for the Breakside Pilsner from a 16-ounce can; it’s more bang for your buck than a plastic cup and features the Winnebeergo on the label. It also pairs up incredibly well with a Gnarlys burger as a refreshing side in lieu of the vegan cart’s incredible (but indulgent) fries.
Sensei Poke Bowl at FreshFish Poke
3905 SE 82nd Ave. 11 am-8 pm daily.
After pounding the pavement along 82nd, passing by its strip malls, strip clubs and strip steak joints, you probably need something refreshing. FreshFish Poke in the popular Eastport Food Carts pod is the perfect place to take a breather between the Springwater Corridor and the nearest MAX station. The Sensei Bowl is my go-to: It’s a light yet filling bowl of meaty tuna and buttery salmon on a bed of rice topped with slippery seaweed, pungent red onion, radish, chives, crunchy cooling cucumbers, creamy avocado, briny flakes of nori, jellylike tobiko, and a housemade ginger-soy poke sauce punctuated with a dash of furikake and a sprinkle of toasty fried garlic. Like the area itself, the Sensei Bowl offers an array of shapes and colors that you’re sure to like if you give it a chance.