Portland's food cart pods are a defining feature of the city's eating culture. Instead of mobile trucks that move daily, Portland's carts operate from fixed lots in clusters — pods — where 10 to 30 carts offer different cuisines from a shared outdoor seating area. The coverage is global: Ethiopian, Vietnamese, Korean, Mexican, Peruvian, Japanese, Middle Eastern, and American are all represented in the major pods.
The largest remaining pod is on SW 10th and Alder in downtown, where 20+ carts operate from a large lot. Other concentrations are on W Burnside near Powell's, in the Hawthorne district, and in the Division Street corridor. Many of the original downtown pods have been demolished as development pressure on central Portland lots increased, so the pod scene is denser on the east side now. Prices are generally well below restaurant rates.