With its national acclaim that rakes in tourists and its eyebrow-raising flavors that irk purists and entice the adventurous, Portland’s ice cream culture is worth the hype year-round. Still, when the sun finally emerges from its months of clouds, Portland‘s scoop wielders laugh in the face of Oregon’s very brief smoldering season, carrying everything from chilly Thai rice ice cream to cool vegan vanilla.

As many ice cream connoisseurs know, great ice cream can be found in the most unexpected places: A grocery store, a pizzeria, a nondescript office building. The ice cream hotspots on this list have one thing in common, however: They all make their own, be it a scoop of pistachio gelato or a swirl of New Zealand soft-serve. Portlanders can find more icy options via the Eater Portland dairy-free frozen treat map, which includes coconut-based ice creams, shave ice, and more.

— Additional reporting by Dianne de Guzman.

Portland loves food carts. They’re everywhere, from the sketchiest neighborhoods, to the poshest suburbs, clustered in high concept pods and hidden behind strip clubs and gas stations. Outsiders and skeptics will carp that the prices aren’t always significantly cheaper than a sit down restaurant, while aficionados will point to bespoke pods with downright restaurant-y amenities like beer gardens and performance stages.

Perhaps the specific appeal has more to do with the freedom to adapt and innovate that seems to go along with a set of wheels and a restrictively small kitchen. Despite the obvious limitations, the entries on this list represent a huge range of cuisines from every corner of the globe, along with completely unique creations and hybrids rarely found in places with printed menus. Each of the trailers, trucks, and cart-adjacent contraptions on this list have managed to stand the test of time in a competitive industry, and easily go toe to toe with brick and mortars when it comes to the most important thing of all: delivering delicious food to hungry customers, ideally within walking distance on a lunch break.

For the latest update, in May 2025, we made sure the addresses were current (these carts can move around!) and added several carts: Dosirak, Thai Champa, Iolani’s Plate Lunch, MexiKhana, Picone Quality Deli, and Makulít. We also removed Ruthie’s, which is no longer a food cart, and Erica’s Soul Food, which has closed.

Additional reporting by Nick Woo and Janey Wong.

Whether stacked with multiples or just a single patty, caramelized on the flat top or char-broiled, crowned with a tower of toppings or just a swipe of special sauce, the American hamburger, in its many variations, has remained on menus and people’s plates through wars, revolutions, space exploration, and even pandemics. Portland, a city that is as gastronomically enamored with meaty meals as it is its vegan fare, is absolutely stacked with burgers. They’re served in dive bars and wine bars, slung out of food carts and hotels, and smashed or stacked six inches high.

While Portlanders enjoy their burgers every which way — made with chicken, lentils, black beans, and more — listed below is a map guide featuring a list of Portland businesses slinging their versions of the classic beef burger. Those looking for meatless wonders may prefer this veggie burger map, instead.

This time around, Oma’s Hideaway came off the list.

— Additional reporting by Janey Wong and Ron Scott.

There is no shortage of fried chicken options in Portland, with offerings spanning a wide range of styles from around the world: In one day, a visitor could eat Southern Thai fried chicken, Korean fried chicken, Malaysian fried chicken, fried chicken and jojos (a local specialty), soul food fried chicken, and more, all within city limits. Some of the fried wings and thighs on this map come in a sticky glaze; others are simply brined and fried. However, they all hit hot oil at some point, providing a satisfying crunch.

To celebrate Portland’s standout fried chicken spots, this map features carefully battered or breaded birds from markets, food carts, dive bars, and restaurants. For more fried chicken, check out our Korean-style fried chicken or fried chicken sandwich maps.

Is a hot dog a sandwich? The eternal debate rages on, but in Portland, a hot dog can be almost anything it wants to be, whether it’s topped with simple yellow mustard or pickled daikon and wasabi. In a city known for its fancy butcher shops and bespoke charcuterie, many of these dogs and brats use a foundation of Oregon-made — or even homemade — sausages. Whether the jones for a glizzy hits at lunch, dinner, late night, or even breakfast, Portland has you covered. For another grilling season staple, check out our burger map.

Many people in the city are content, and able, to keep more traditional dining hours: breakfast in the morning, dinner before 10 p.m., or maybe some late night snacks or even a meal. But there are also those night owls up studying into the early hours of the morning, the graveyard shift workers looking for a 4 a.m. dinner, and those who have closed down a bar and realized they desperately need some tacos to soak up all the booze they’ve just downed. In any case, the true 24 hour diners, cafes, and taco shops are few and far between in Portland, but they are out there. Here are the 10 most essential spots that are open for dining throughout the entire day and night.

(Note the points on this late-night dining map are not ranked; rather, they are organized geographically.)

Chefs have been rapidly unveiling beefy behemoths across Portland in 2017, and that means it’s time to update the Burger Heatmap: the map featuring the best new burgers in the city. This month, say “So long” to the burgers at Little Bird, La Moule, Home Bar, Smokehouse Tavern, and Tryst. (Looking for the long-running burgers that make Portland Portland? Head to the essential burgers map.)

Taking their places? Burgers at Bless Your Heart Burgers, Parasol, Jackrabbit, Guero No. 1 Tortas, Superbite, and Ray. Plus an oldie returns, as the cult burger at now-shuttered Club 21 has reared its head at the new Lay Low Tavern.

Happy teeth-sinking, Portland. (Note the points on this map are not ranked; rather, they are organized geographically.)