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Cultured Caveman

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Coordinates: 45°34′58″N 122°41′14″W / 45.5829°N 122.6872°W / 45.5829; -122.6872
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Cultured Caveman
Map
Interactive map of Cultured Caveman
Restaurant information
Established2012 (2012)
Closed2020 (2020)
Location8233 North Denver Avenue, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97217, United States
Coordinates45°34′58″N 122°41′14″W / 45.5829°N 122.6872°W / 45.5829; -122.6872

Cultured Caveman was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business started as a group of food carts, before opening a brick and mortar establishment in 2014. The restaurant was considered the first paleo food cart on the West Coast.[1] It closed permanently in 2020.

Description

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The 60-seat counter service restaurant Cultured Caveman operated in north Portland's Kenton neighborhood.[2] The interior had communal tables and a play area for children with a dinosaur theme.[3]

Cultured Caveman's paleolithic diet-focused menu emphasized meats and vegetables, with dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free options.[4] The menu included almond-stuffed and bacon-wrapped dates, Brussels sprouts fried in beef tallow, chicken tenders, and pork carnitas.[2][5][6] The restaurant also served meat chili, meatloaf,[7][8] a bone broth soup made from knuckle bone marrow, a salad with cabbage, carrots, and kale, and another with beets, jicama, and walnuts.[9][10]

History

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Joe Ban and Heather Hunter were the owners of Cultured Caveman, which began as a group of food carts before operating solely as a brick and mortar establishment in 2014.[4] The first food cart was installed on Alberta Street in northeast Portland in 2012, following a successful fundraiser for the cart.[5][11][12][13] A second location opened later in 2012.[14] The business grew to operates three food carts: the Alberta Street location at 14th Avenue, another on Hawthorne Boulevard at 41st Avenue, and a third in downtown Portland at Southwest 3rd Avenue and Stark Street.[15][16]

The duo claimed Cultured Caveman was the first "paleo-friendly" food cart on the West Coast[4] and raised $30,000 via Kickstarter to fund the brick and mortar restaurant, which opened in a space that previously housed an E-san Thai Cuisine location.[2] As of 2016, Cultured Caveman hosted the musician Mr. Ben weekly.[17]

Cultured Caveman closed permanently in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5]

Reception

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In 2012, Michael Russell of The Oregonian said Cultured Caveman was among Portland's best new food carts.[15][18] The business ws also included in the newspaper's list of the top 50 food carts.[19] Cultured Caveman received honorable mention in the Best Gluten-Free Restaurant category of Willamette Week's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2015.[20] It was a runner-up in the same poll's Best Paleo Options category in 2016 and 2017.[21][22] It ranked third and was also a runner-up in the Best Paleo Options category in 2018 and 2020, respectively.[23][24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Explore the New Carts at Alberta's Paleo and Vegan-Friendly Pod". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  2. ^ a b c DeJesus, Erin (2014-06-10). "Inside Cultured Caveman, Bringing Paleo to NoPo". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  3. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2014-06-02). "First look: The Cultured Caveman, Portland's first Paleo-friendly food cart goes brick and mortar (gallery)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  4. ^ a b c d Frane, Alex (2020-07-22). "One of the City's Oldest Paleo Restaurants Has Permanently Closed". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2025-04-10. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  5. ^ a b c Smith, Suzette. "The Week in Food News: Goodbye Cultured Caveman, Hello Higgins Piggins, and a Riot Ribs Rundown". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  6. ^ "Gluten-Freed". Willamette Week. 2019-08-20. Archived from the original on 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  7. ^ "The Alternative Eating Revolution". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  8. ^ "Portland's Essential Gluten-Free Food & Drink Guide". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  9. ^ "Cultured Caveman". Willamette Week. 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  10. ^ "Macrolicious". Willamette Week. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  11. ^ "Inside Cultured Caveman, Portland's First 100% Paleo Restaurant". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  12. ^ "Paleo in Portland and the raw meat diet". KATU. 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  13. ^ "Cultured Caveman". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  14. ^ "Eat Beat's News to Chew". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  15. ^ a b Bakall, Samantha (2014-03-07). "The Cultured Caveman to open brick and mortar location in North Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  16. ^ Lannamann, Ned. "Boner Juice". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  17. ^ "Portland's Best Kindie Musicians". Willamette Week. 2016-01-05. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  18. ^ Russell, Michael (2012-08-10). "The Cultured Caveman: Portland's best new food carts 2012". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  19. ^ "The Oregonian's Top 50 Food Carts". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  20. ^ "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. 2015-07-15. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  21. ^ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  22. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  23. ^ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2018". Willamette Week. 2018-07-11. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  24. ^ "FOOD, DRINK, RESTAURANTS". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
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