For University of Portland students, Fall Break is finally here! Your midterms have all been finished, your essays have been frantically turned in, and you now have an entire, well-deserved week to recover from the stress of it all. Now, even though a lot of students have gone home for break, there are a fortunate few (myself among them) who are staying here for the week. And since I’m staying, I decided that my top priority is finding good food around UP (specifically, in St. Johns). So, forget going all the way downtown to seek out a food truck! Here are some great, affordable, nearby eateries that you should definitely try!
1. Tienda Santa Cruz
For outstanding Mexican cuisine, this food truck, located behind a grocery store on Lombard, is the place to go! Their menu is pretty simple, with items like soft and hard-shell tacos and burritos, but reportedly what they do simple, they do well. Comes complete with vegetarian options, too!
2. The Che’ Café
Looking for some good American comfort food? This food cart next to Kruger’s Farm Stand has a menu that includes everything from mac & cheese and steak wraps to meatloaf sandwiches and burgers. And the best part is, breakfast is served all day!
3. Pizza Contadino
This food truck is located in the parking lot of the Fixin’ To pub! Pizza Contadino is well-known for its varied, high-quality, and interesting toppings, from goat cheese and green apple to classic pepperoni. And, of course, they’re known for the deliciousness of their pizza-pies as well!
4. Chowdah
This soup & sandwiches food truck is a purveyor of amazing New England clam chowder! Beyond that, Chowdah, located along N. Lombard, has cheesesteaks, grilled cheese sandwiches, and other types of soup for you to enjoy, from tomato to split pea, all for a ludicrously good price!
5. Kung Food
Punny name aside, if you’re looking for a good Chinese restaurant in Northern Portland, this place is the way to go! Their menu covers all the basics of American-style Chinese food, offering both regular and combination plates at unbeatable prices! The crab puffs are a highly recommended starter from me!