Portland is a hip city full of incredible breweries and cafes, interesting architecture, beautiful views, and an amazing arts scene.
However this beautiful city filled with more than some of the best adventures around and if you’re looking try something different I have just the thing for you.
Did you know Portland is famous for its food carts and donuts! Well it is and I have curated the top food tours in Portland for you to save you some time researching. let’s get to it!
Be sure to see our reviews of Willamette Valley Wine Tours From Portland and Columbia Gorge Water Falls Tours From Portland.
Best Food Tours in Portland
| Portland Food Carts, Pods & Patios Tour | Portland Delicious Donut Adventure by Underground Donut Tour | All-Inclusive Downtown Portland Food Tour | |
|---|---|---|---|
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| Location: | 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland | 1503 SW Park Ave, Portland | Pioneer Square South, Portland |
| Start: | 1:30 PM | Between 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM | 11:45 AM |
| Duration: | 3 Hours | 2 Hours | 3.5 Hours |
| Includes: | All food and drinks at 5 to 7 food carts and a brewery, local guide, small group size | Donuts at several shops, tour guide, vegan and gluten-free options available | All kinds of delicious food at city’s most popular carts, tour guide |
Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Portland Food Tours For 2024
- Portland Food Carts, Pods & Patios Tour
- Portland Delicious Donut Adventure by Underground Donut Tour
- All-Inclusive Downtown Portland Food Tour
- The Vibrant Kerns Hood – East Burnside
- Food Carts of Portland Bike Tour: Local Flavors and Stories
Portland Food Tour Reviews
1. Portland Food Carts, Pods & Patios Tour
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Departure: 1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
- Departure Time: 1:30 PM
- Includes: All food and drinks at 5 to 7 food carts and a brewery, local guide, small group size
One of my favorite things to do in Portland has always been to visit the food carts, but you really do need to have a bit of insider knowledge to take full advantage of this cool spot.
The Portland Food Carts, Pods & Patios Tour is one of the tastiest ways to spend an afternoon, going on a street food adventure through one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in the city.
Coming from someone who’s been to these carts countless times, I can honestly say I learned so much about the history and “culture” surrounding Portland than ever before!
We met up with our guide around 1:30 at one of the entrances to Cartopia, which is where all of the food carts are lined up. It was a super small group, and there were maybe 6 of us in total, making it a fun and intimate experience with our guide at the helm.
They asked us if we had any specific interests or favorite foods we were curious about beforehand, so they could help curate a tour based around them, too.
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I was thoroughly impressed by how much our guide knew about Portland, it’s history, and its food scene, intertwining each aspect to create an enriching tour I’d actually take again!
The selection of foods that we tried spanned over about 6 different food carts, from traditional “American” food to Mexican, Iranian, and much more! There really is something for every taste out there, and it’s a great way to try cuisines that you haven’t before.
All food and drinks are included which I was grateful for, considering I do know that Portland also has an amazing beer scene! We stopped by a brewery as well, where we got to try a couple of different types of beer (you get to choose what you want).
If you’re looking to explore your tastebuds as well as one of the most original parts of Portland, look no further than this amazing tour!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
2. Portland Delicious Donut Adventure by Underground Donut Tour
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Departure: 1503 SW Park Ave, Portland
- Departure Time: Between 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
- Includes: Donuts at several shops, tour guide, vegan and gluten-free options available
I am a huge donut fiend, and I can clearly remember back to the first time I ever had what I’d consider a “good” donut right in Portland.
It was actually at Voodoo Doughnuts, which at the time was still kind of like a cool hidden gem that many people all over the Pacific Northwest would trek for hours to try.
On the Portland Delicious Donut Adventure by Underground Donut Tour, you not only get to try the classic Voodoo, but many other jewels!
Lasting for 2 hours and with many different start times throughout the day, it’s one of the easiest to fit into a busy schedule and is the perfect alternative to grabbing dessert somewhere.
We not only tried plenty of mouthwatering O-shaped treats, but incorporated a few stops that gave us the chance to learn about Portland’s history and related it back to its food scene.
We started out by walking over and meeting our guide at Sesame Donuts, which is known for its unique sesame seed donuts!
After trying the sesame delights and learning a bit about why they incorporated the special ingredient, we then headed over to Coco Donuts & Coffee PSU where I fell in love with heir espresso and handmade donuts!
After trying the sesame delights and learning a bit about why they incorporated the special ingredient, we then headed over to Coco Donuts & Coffee PSU where I fell in love with heir espresso and handmade donuts!
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After that, we had some time to digest while strolling around the Portland Art Museum filled with tons of cool exhibits that really highlighted that “keep Portland weird” vibe.
Next up was the Oregon Historical Society Museum where we learned about the state’s history before taking some photos and having a laugh at the Portlandia statue (a must-do if you’re a fan of the show!).
After that, we stopped by a few more important landmarks throughout the city, before stopping at the Mini Donut Company filled with crazy donuts, along with the classic Voodoo Doughnut store.
Whether you’re obsessed with the circular desserts like I am, or are just looking for something fun to do, this tour should be at the top of your list.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
3. All-Inclusive Downtown Portland Food Tour
- Duration: 3.5 Hours
- Departure: Pioneer Square South, Portland
- Departure Time: 11:45 AM
- Includes: All kinds of delicious food at city’s most popular carts, tour guide
While Portland isn’t the massive metropolis that say, LA or New York are, it’s still packed with a ton of different culinary options. Ever the foodie city, I always have a hard time staying up on the new eats while I’m in town.
However, with the All-Inclusive Downtown Portland Food Tour, there’s no beating around the bush here: just straight to some of the very best eateries in town.
Just like a few of the others on my guide, it is a small-group tasting tour, so you don’t have to struggle to try and hear your guide or get a bit of attention from them.
Ours was incredibly nice and friendly, answering all of our questions with ease while offering plenty of cool facts and anecdotes. He also asked us about our specific interests so he could tailor our tour around those preferences for a tour that fit us best.
I highly recommend coming early, because believe me, you’re going to eat more than you thought possible (comfortably, of course).
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We met up with our guide right in the middle of downtown, which is very easy to access. We then followed our guide around to some of the best eateries, full of interesting spots that I’d probably never seen otherwise!
It was cool getting to see so many quality eats that are off the typical tourist trail, from Thai food and tacos to hand-pulled noodles and sweet treats at food carts. If you ask me, you can’t miss the unique cookies and the Japanese sandwich!
Finish it all off with a refreshing drink at a hidden spot downtown, or explore the amazing chocolate scene there a bit more!
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
4. The Vibrant Kerns Hood – East Burnside
- Duration: 3 hours
- Departure: Kerns, Portland, OR
- Departure Time: 2:00 PM
- Includes: Lunch, local, loving guide
Portland’s Kerns neighborhood is one of my favorites, and is considered to be one of the most artsy, eclectic, bike-friendly, eco-friendly areas of the city.
That’s really saying a lot, considering the entire metropolis somewhat fits this description. If you’d like to check it out as the locals do, do yourself a favor and sign up for the Vibrant Kerns Hood – East Burnside tour!
Aside from that, Kerns also has one of the best food scenes in Portland, with its NE 28th Avenue known as “Restaurant Row” as it’s lined with seemingly endless eateries with something new at every turn.
Something else I loved about this tour was the fact that it was completely private, so it was literally just me and my partner who ended up going! We had the guide to ourselves, and it felt more like we had a local friend who just happened to know the food scene and Kerns like the back of their hand!
We stopped by 6 different eateries along Restaurant Row, which were nicely varied in order to highlight the wide array of different cultures and flavors here.
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Starting at 2 PM, I think it was perfectly timed so we could kind of eat for both lunch and dinner. I loved visiting the Cuban restaurant of Pambiche, which is lively in every aspect of the word, with our guide regaling interesting tales about the area as we strolled around.
We also had fun visiting the food cart, Pod 28, which is one of those hidden gems the vast majority of visitors will never get to see! It depends on the day, but I reveled in their Korean fried chicken and lavender lemonade!
Everything is super fresh and made with precision, so combining that with fun bits of history of the area made it a great way to spend an evening.
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience
5. Food Carts of Portland Bike Tour: Local Flavors and Stories
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Departure: 833 SE Main St, Portland
- Departure Time: 10:00 AM
- Includes: Lunch, bicycle, helmet, bottled water
If I were to name two of the most characteristically “Portland” activities, they would undoubtedly be bike riding and eating delicious food at the carts. Starting out at 10:00 am, it’s a fun and fantastic way to start off any day.
The Food Carts of Portland Bike Tour: Local Flavors and Stories combines those two activities seamlessly in a nicely-packaged experience that is perfect for first-time visitors.
We met up in the middle of downtown with the rest of our small group, where our guide greeted us and fit us with a helmet and bike.
Everything was very well-maintained and of high quality, which only made me feel better about the organization. As there are so few people involved, it’s super easy to pedal around the tree-lined streets and sightsee while listening to the guide’s interesting stories and anecdotes.
Our first stop of the day (aside from the bike shop) is the famous Ladd’s Addition neighborhood, which we learned is actually where the legendary food cart scene started!
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We then sampled some delicious coffees while we chat about the route we’re going to take, based on our interests. Matt’s BBQ Tacos is up next and was surprisingly one of the most famous of food carts, combining traditional Southern BBQ with a more modern twist.
Hawthorne Boulevard is a place I’ve spent a lot of time at, and is where we tried some street food that effortlessly combines with the funky, free-spirited vibe. We dove into Portland’s history while munching along, ending up at Scout Beer Tap house
More Information & Tour Booking
100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of
Foods Tasted
Tour Guides
Value
The Portland Food Carts, Pods & Patios Tour is our Editors Choice for the best Portland food tour.
