By David Columbus, September 11, 2020
By David Columbus, September 11, 2020
Portland Mercado. Your one stop shop for Latin American food and is easily hands down the best food cart station for it as well.
The set up is very cute and inviting where there are string lights woven around on the top of the station. A parking lot is located in the back so you don’t have to circle around endlessly for street parking. There is also a market inside stocked with everything you need for making a Latin American inspired meal. However, most importantly, the food is AMAZING (caps intended)!
I have had every single food cart here and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. The meat and balance of flavor is what is most impressive by Latin American food. The texture is amazing where it’s filled with juices and is always so tender and easy to chew. There is a perfect harmonious balance between all the flavors in every single bite you take. The color of the food is phenomenal though where you can really see the vibrancy of all the spices and vegetables sautéed in.
My favorite there has to be Que Banco where they serve Columbian food. I highly recommend the Arroz Atollado, Empanadas, and Patacones! Each bite is packed with flavor and you can really tell they use fresh ingredients. After finishing my meal, I even found myself going back for seconds to bring home for later!
Food cart stations like these are what makes Portland feel so special and unique compared to other cities around the US. It just brings the community together and promotes eating locally. The best part of Portland Mercado right now is that their outdoor seating is COVID friendly where each table is appropriately distant from each other! I highly recommend stopping by for a visit whenever you’re in the SE area or on Foster!