Portland has always been on my bucket list. The mountains, coffee scene, artistic atmosphere, environmental awareness; it's totally my scene. Portland is one of the few cities I’ve visited that totally exceeded my expectations. I planned this trip on a whim, and it ended up being one of my most memorable adventures. I met some amazing people, drank some delicious coffee, and ate some of the best vegan food I've ever had.
Portland is definitely a foodie heaven, and the selection of veg+vegan options is super impressive. There's tons of reasons to fall in love with this city, and the food is for sure one of them. I’m excited to share what I ate during my week in Portland, and hopefully it will inspire you in your future travels! Did I mention how awesome the food trucks are?
1. Sweet Pea Baking Company
Location: 1205 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97214
Sweet Pea Baking Co. has a great selection of vegan pastries, breakfast, and lunch options. I seriously wanted to order everything in the pastry case, especially the tofu scramble croissant. My favorite thing about this place is the waffles. It was hands down the best waffle I've ever had! I felt more excited than Leslie Knope at JJ’s Diner.
The tofu scramble and tempeh bacon were also super tasty. And the coffee is good too! I ordered carryout and ate at the park across the street. The dog watching was great! Located in SE Portland, this place was walkable from my AirBnb. If you're a breakfast or brunch lover, this place is a must. I'd stop here again just for the waffles, but there's so many other menu items I'm dying to try too!
2. Virtuous Pie
Location: 1126 SE Division St #200, Portland, OR 97202
As a vegetarian pizza lover, I wasn’t sure if I’d like vegan pizza. However, I love trying vegan options whenever I can get them. So I was really excited to find an entirely vegan pizza restaurant! I ordered the margarita pizza with a kale Cesar salad, and it was out of this world. Seriously, it was so delicious! The fresh basil and cashew cheese were super tasty, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t eat the whole pizza. They also have vegan ice-cream, mac n’ cheese, succotash salad, and garlic knots. Located in SE Portland, the area is full of local shops and restaurants. It’s the perfect area to grab dinner and roam the local shops in the area.
3. Pyro Pizza
Location: 1204 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
I also wanted to include a delicious vegetarian pizza option. I’m a huge fan of a classic margarita pizza, and Pyro Pizza is a must. Their wood-fired pizzas reminded me of Italy, and it’s located at SE 12th and Hawthorne at Cartopia. There's fire pits, plenty of picnic tables, and lots of other food carts around it. The atmosphere is great for both meeting with friends and people watching. Their Cesar salads are also great!
4. Daily Fuel
Location: 1080 SE Madison St, Portland, OR 97214
(At the Hawthorne Asylum food carts)
The only way to describe this place is, "the vegan food on my dreams." I've tried vegan food in a bunch of cities, but this place takes the cake. Everything on the menu is insanely delicious and fresh. I was only in Portland for a week, but I ate here 3 times because the food was so amazing. I wanted to try everything on the menu! Seriously, everything on the menu was something I wish I'd seen in other vegan restaurants. They have salads, sandwiches, veggie bowls, smoothie bowls, coffee… you name it!
The owners are a husband and wife duo, and they’re truly passionate about their food. They're extremely friendly, and they're truly appreciate every customer. It's awesome to see them pursing their dream, and they passion was obvious in every dish. I've never felt so welcomed at a food truck before.
I really can’t speak enough about how amazing the food is. I’d fly back to Portland just to eat here again! Make sure to follow them on Instagram @DailyFuelPDX!
5. Rollin' Fresh
Location: 1080 SE Madison St, Portland, OR 97214
Ever since traveling to Denver, I’ve been obsessed with sushi burritos. I ate at this food cart twice because it was that good. The vegan options were awesome too. It’s hard to describe how yummy these burritos are! You'll have to try one yourself to fully understand. Whoever came up with sushi burritos deserves a trophy.
Rollin' Fresh is one of many food carts also located at the Hawthorne Asylum food cart pod! This was by far my favorite food cart areas, so definitely check it out when you're in Portland! The awesome thing about food cart pods is that there's something for everyone!
6. Salt and Straw
Location: 2035 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
Ever since visiting the Ben and Jerry’s factory in Vermont, I make it a point to scope out the best frozen treats in the area. Salt and Straw has a reputation for being the best ice cream in Portland, so I had to give it a try. There are multiple locations, so you won’t have a problem finding one in every area of Portland. I went to the location in the Alberta Arts District of NE Portland. They have some amazing seasonal flavors, and I tried the Blackberry Birthday Cake.
7. Toadstool Cupcakes
Location: 3557 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
I saw these cupcakes listed on many Pinterest boards and Portland travel blogs, so I figured it was worth checking out. It's definitely the most unique cupcake shop I've been to! They have 24 flavors to choose from daily. It was selected as Oregon's "Best Cupcake Shop," and it also made the, "The 50 Best Bakeries in America" list!
These cupcakes aren't just your average dessert! The cupcake itself is delicious, but the icing component is what makes them so unique. The top part is dipped in ganache and full of yummy mousse. The cupcakes are pretty small, which mades it easy to try out a bunch of different flavors. You can buy a whole box to sample! My sweet tooth was completely satisfied at this place. Don't miss it on your next Portland trip!
8. Good Coffee
Location: 1150 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
There are several locations, but I frequented the one in East Portland on 12th Avenue. (It was walking distance from my AirBnb.) To be honest, Portland is a coffee lover's paradise. There's coffee shops at every turn, and I wish I had more time to try them all! I usually don't go to the same cafes more than once. When I visit a city for the first time, I prefer to try as many places as possible. Then on my second visit, I can go back to my favorite places. However, this trip was different because I visited this coffee shop at least 3 times.
The name speaks for itself because their coffee is really good. As much as I enjoy lattes and fancier drinks, I usually go for a simple cup of coffee, with some oat or almond milk. This place had an amazing roast, which is why I went back several times. You know a coffee shop is quality when they have a simple and delicious cup of coffee. It's easy to hide your coffee with flavorings, but this place has coffee that's impressive on it's own. Studying in Costa Rica probably made me a coffee snob, but Good Coffee would impress even the pickiest coffee drinkers. The overall vibe of this place was great too, and I enjoyed my coffee on a picnic table outside.
9. Crema
Location: 2728 SE Ankeny St, Portland, OR 97214
This place was a recommendation from my AirBnb host. (Thanks Kiki!) I fell in love with the pastry case. They had coffee cake muffins, quiche, seasonal tarts, and so many other amazing pastries and desserts. I went back several times just to try different pastries, and I stopped here on my way to the airport for the quiche. The cold brew was pretty good, but the bakery items are what truly make this place incredible. The shop itself is super cute too!
10. Stumptown
It wouldn't be a true Portland foodie post without mentioning Stumptown Coffee Roasters. This coffee chain is extremely iconic in Portland. It started locally, and it's successfully branched out to New York. You can also find their coffee in Whole Foods! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures because I drank this coffee in the airport. But I wanted to make sure I mentioned it in this post! Luckily, you can try it for yourself next time you're in Portland or at Whole Foods.
I noticed a lot of Thai restaurants in Portland, but the one I ate at didn't make the cut. Any recommendations for the best Thai food in Portland are welcome! I also want to note that I didn't eat at Voodoo Donuts because I'm not a huge donut fan. I'm aware that it's definitely a favorite amongst vegans though!
Thanks for reading! Hopefully this lists leaves you feeling inspired for your own Portland adventure!
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