Portland is one of the best food cities in America, and you don’t need to spend a lot to eat well here. That’s one of the things I love about this city. The best meal you’ll have all week might cost you $8 from a food cart on a random sidewalk, and the line of locals behind you proves it. Portland’s cheap eats scene isn’t just about saving money. It’s genuinely where some of the most creative, flavorful food in the city lives.
My husband and I have spent years eating our way through Portland on every budget, and honestly, some of our all-time favorite meals have been under $15. Food carts, hole-in-the-wall taco shops, dumpling houses, banh mi counters, biscuit joints. Portland does affordable food better than almost anywhere.
Here are the best cheap eats in Portland, all for $15 or less per person. For the full restaurant scene (including splurge-worthy spots), check out my Portland restaurant guide.
Best Portland Food Carts for Cheap Eats
Portland has over 500 food carts, which makes it one of the best food cart cities in the world. This is the heart of the cheap eats scene. Most carts serve meals between $8 and $15, and the quality regularly beats sit-down restaurants at three times the price. For a full breakdown of the best pods to visit, check out my Portland food cart guide.
Nong’s Khao Man Gai
Nong’s is Portland’s most famous food cart for a reason. Chef Nong Poonsukwattana has been serving one dish (khao man gai, Thai-style poached chicken over rice with her legendary sauce) since 2009, and it’s still the best $12 you’ll spend in Portland. The chicken is perfectly tender, the rice is fragrant, and the sauce is the kind of thing people try to reverse-engineer at home and fail. She now has a brick-and-mortar location on SE Ankeny too. 2,395 Yelp reviews and counting.
What to order: The Khao Man Gai (obviously). Add the warm broth on the side. Price: Around $12.
Matt’s BBQ Tacos
Matt’s BBQ started as a cart and has become a Portland institution. The brisket is smoked low and slow (Texas-style), and you can get it in taco form with tangy slaw for under $15. If you’ve been disappointed by BBQ in the Pacific Northwest before (fair), Matt’s will change your mind. The brisket quality is genuinely excellent.
What to order: Brisket tacos. Price: Around $13-15.
PDX Donerland
The doner kebabs at PDX Donerland are some of the most satisfying meals in Portland at any price point. Housemade airy bread stuffed with a quarter pound of lamb and beef shaved from the spit, topped with pepperoncini, tomato, red onion, pickled red cabbage, and yogurt sauce. It’s enormous, it’s delicious, and it’s under $15.
What to order: The classic doner. Price: Around $13-14.
Best Cheap Sit-Down Meals in Portland
Pine State Biscuits
Pine State Biscuits is a Portland breakfast institution, and the Reggie Deluxe is the dish that put them on the map. It’s a biscuit piled with fried chicken, bacon, cheese, and gravy, and it’s the kind of thing that’s worth the occasional splurge on your health. The biscuits are made from scratch, and every variation on the menu is worth trying.
There are multiple locations, but the original on SE Alberta is the classic Portland experience (with the classic Portland line to match). Get there early on weekends.
What to order: The Reggie Deluxe. Price: Around $12-14.
Grassa
Grassa is the pasta spot that proves you don’t need to spend $30 on noodles. The menu is simple: a handful of fresh pasta dishes, all made in-house, all under $15. The cacio e pepe is incredible for the price, and the seasonal specials are always worth trying. It’s counter service, so there’s no tipping pressure and no wait for a table. Two locations: one downtown, one in the Pearl.
What to order: Cacio e pepe or the seasonal special. Price: $12-15 per dish.
An Xuyen Bakery
An Xuyen has been making some of Portland’s best banh mi for years, and the prices are almost comically low. A full banh mi sandwich is around $7, loaded with your choice of BBQ pork, lemongrass chicken, pate, or tofu. The bread is perfect (crispy, airy, the right ratio of crunch to chew), and the portions are generous. It’s on SE 82nd Avenue, which is Portland’s most underrated food corridor.
What to order: BBQ pork banh mi. Price: Around $7.
Sure Shot Burger
A single smash burger for $6. A double for $10. That’s the pitch, and it’s all you need to know. Sure Shot does one thing (smash burgers) and does it perfectly. The patties are crispy-edged, the cheese is melted just right, and the whole thing comes on a soft bun that somehow holds together despite having no business doing so. This is the best burger value in Portland, possibly in Oregon.
What to order: Double smash burger with fries. Price: Around $14 total.
Rangoon Bistro
Burmese food is underrepresented almost everywhere, which makes Rangoon Bistro feel like a discovery. The khao pyan sane (rice noodle dumpling) is listed as a side dish, but it’s practically a full meal at an incredibly low price. The tea leaf salad is another must-order. This is the kind of place where you order four things, share everything, and the total bill makes you laugh.
What to order: Tea leaf salad and khao pyan sane. Price: Around $10-12 per person sharing.
Best Food Cart Pods to Visit
If you want the full food cart experience (multiple carts in one spot, outdoor seating, the whole vibe), here are the pods worth visiting.
Cartopia (SE Hawthorne Blvd) is Portland’s original food cart pod, open since 2008. Great for late-night eats and the overall atmosphere.
Prost Marketplace (N Mississippi Ave) combines food carts with a German beer hall and covered seating. The Mississippi neighborhood around it is walkable and fun.
Hawthorne Asylum (SE Hawthorne) is a newer pod with a strong lineup of carts and covered seating that works in the rain (which matters about 8 months of the year here).
CORE (Collective Oregon Eateries) on SE 82nd Ave is the most impressive newer pod, with heated covered outdoor tables and a full modern indoor dining hall. It features an international lineup of cuisines.
Lil’ America in Southeast Portland opened in 2023 and is home exclusively to LGBTQ and BIPOC-owned carts, with some of the most creative food in the city.
Tips for Eating Cheap in Portland
SE 82nd Avenue is the best-value food corridor in the city. The stretch of 82nd between Division and Powell has Vietnamese, Chinese, Mexican, Korean, Burmese, and Thai restaurants that are all excellent and all affordable. This is where Portland locals go when they want the best food for the least money.
Lunch specials are your friend. Many of Portland’s nicer restaurants offer lunch menus that are significantly cheaper than dinner. Grassa, for example, is the same food at lunch and dinner, but the vibe is faster and easier at lunch.
Happy hours in Portland are genuinely good. Portland’s happy hour food isn’t just discounted nachos. Many restaurants offer substantial small plates for $5 to $8 during happy hour, and some of the best restaurants in the city participate. It’s a real way to eat well on a budget.
Bring cash for food carts. Most carts accept cards now, but a few still don’t, and the ones that do sometimes have a minimum. Keep $20 in cash and you’re covered.
Skip the tourist traps. If you see a Portland restaurant featured on a national “best of” list and the line is 90 minutes, the food cart three blocks away is probably just as good. Portland rewards the curious.
Quick Tips
- Portland is one of the best food cities in America, and you don't need to spend a lot to eat well here.
- For the full restaurant scene (including splurge-worthy spots), check out my Portland restaurant guide.
- For a full breakdown of the best pods to visit, check out my Portland food cart guide.
- The chicken is perfectly tender, the rice is fragrant, and the sauce is the kind of thing people try to reverse-engineer at home and fail.
- Grassa is the pasta spot that proves you don't need to spend $30 on noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best cheap food in Portland?
Portland’s food carts consistently offer the best value, with most meals between $8 and $15. Nong’s Khao Man Gai (Thai chicken and rice), Matt’s BBQ Tacos (smoked brisket tacos), and An Xuyen Bakery ($7 banh mi sandwiches) are all excellent starting points.
Where do Portland locals eat on a budget?
SE 82nd Avenue is the best budget food corridor, with excellent Vietnamese, Burmese, Chinese, and Mexican restaurants at low prices. Food cart pods like Cartopia, Prost Marketplace, and CORE are also local favorites for affordable meals with variety. For more on Portland neighborhoods and their food scenes, check out my Portland things to do guide.
Are Portland food carts cash only?
Most Portland food carts accept credit and debit cards in 2026, but a few still prefer cash or have card minimums. Keeping $20 in cash is a good idea if you’re planning a food cart crawl. The larger pods (Cartopia, CORE, Prost Marketplace) are almost entirely card-friendly.
Is Portland a good food city?
Portland is one of the best food cities in America, especially for the price. The combination of over 500 food carts, a thriving craft brewery scene, world-class brunch culture, and restaurants that source from local farms makes Portland’s food scene punching well above what you’d expect for a city its size. And the cheap eats are some of the best in the country.
Portland’s cheap eats scene is honestly one of the best things about living here. If I had to pick one recommendation for a first-timer, it’s Nong’s Khao Man Gai. One dish, done perfectly, for $12. That’s Portland in a nutshell. What’s your favorite budget meal in Portland? Share it in the comments.
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