Portland Mercado

This is the best place!!! The most authentic Latin American food in Portland. Love the Pescado al Mojo at Que Bolo. We want to go back and try each vendor one by one. Amazing market inside too.

The indoor market is very nice and diverse. However; one of the carts specifies they serve vegan food. I am a hispanic man and speak Spanish extremely well. The fact that I communicated in fluent Spanish and asked for a vegan tamale– Was very disappointing due to the fact that I ended up receiving a tamale with cheese in it.
I am not shaming this place– The owner (s) or management need to fully train their employees about diet restrictions.
Food cart owners– Educate and enlighten your employees. Otherwise don’t state that you are a «Vegan» friendly establishment.

I love, love, love this place.
We needed a commissary kitchen. After a short search. PM was a no brainer. The manager was extra nice and very helpful. I know she has a lot on her plate but it looks like she’s doing fine. The whole idea is sweet. Food carts out front. A kitchen in the back. Stores inside. Parking on site.
I was blown away as soon as i pulled up.
The commissary kitchen is amazing. All great equipment. Its a full size industrial kitchen. We had way more room than we needed. At $ 14.00 an hour. Its a steal. We we’re in and out on time. Other than we set an open door alarm off. Everything was perfect. I cant say enough good things about Portland Mercado.
You must at least check them out on the web.
If you like awesome food. Then not checking them out is crazy talk! Latin food on several levels. Don’t forget the vendors inside.
Coffee.
Fruit Juice.
Butcher.
Empanadas.
Salsa. I met the salsa guy. Him and his Mom.
Making fresh Salsa Verde’ at the crack of dawn. Mom grilling fresh from the farm tomatillos. Son bringing boxes of fresh vegetables inside. Ya. I had a moment.
Try the salsa! If your not satisfied… Bring it by my house. I’ll eat it.

I know a lot of people really love this place (including some of my friends who insist we keep going back) and that’s awesome! I’m glad they’re getting business and all the people running their food trucks seem to be kind and decent folks who deserve to do well. So perhaps for many it deserves the high reviews; too each their own.
I just can’t seem to find something I’m really crazy about. I’ve tried most of the trucks outside and been inside a few times; I’ve actually been sick twice afterwards, although I won’t mention which stands because I don’t want to lose anyone business. This just isn’t for me I guess.

So, I have actually never once made it inside the market here because the smell from the food carts always get my attention first. Since moving to Oregon, I haven’t seen as much representation of Mexican and Latin American food as what I am used to. I think I suffered from craving nopales for 2 years because I didn’t know this existed here and haven’t seen it anywhere else. This is a great outdoor space for good food and eventually I’m going to have to go inside and spend a whole paycheck on goodies.

LOVE this place! I was able to go to the pre-​opening date last year, and have been coming back at least once a month, even in the winter I went.
There are seven or 8 different carts from many different Hispanic countries. You really can’t go wrong with a lot of their food. There are a few carts that do vegetarian and vegan food, so everyone will be able to find something to eat!
There is a Wine bar, a juice/​smoothy place, coffee & pastries, a meat market with a few dessert type things, and there are two different stores in the main building. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. The stores are quite nice to shop at, because than you can take stuff home and make more food at home! The deserts are made by the store owners, the tres leches cakes and flan are AMAZING!!! Those are part of the reason I go get food there, because i just really want dessert.
There is something for everyone, the owners of the carts and stores are friendly and willing to talk to you about anything. There are also Spanish classes and dance classes going on, so check those out too. It’s a place worth checking out.

Great concept & place! A lot of fried goodness & non. A large portion of our food came from los alambres dos We ordered the flautas, sope & pambazo. Everything was yummy, but the sope was a bit too dry & bland. It didn’t have the chewier cornmeal texture it is known for. Pupusas were perfect from the volcanes cart. Such good salsa too. The empanadas from the Columbian cart were different, but ah-​mazing. And my brother got a vegan burrito from a place I can’t remember with potatoes, but he was so disappointed b/​c it was cold & tasted old. Hence our 4.
We’ll try other carts, hopefully on a day all of them are open.

My girlfriend introduced me to this place. I love it right away. I want to try EVERYTHING!
Sangria and Barrio Bowl were amazing.
NOTE & SUGG: Parking lot is very small so you might have to park on the street. Please be-​careful when you cross the street, the drivers around here seem to be rude, careless and simply just don’t give a sh-​t. :(

The food here is absolutely delicious! I got pupusas de chicharon and they were soo good! My brother got a torta cubana and he enjoyed it as well. I just wish they had a little bit more space for people to ear indoors cause it was cold when we went.

Mercado. Spanish; meaning «deserted». At least on a Tuesday @6:30 pm. 3 of 8 food carts were open. Granted it was super ass cold. But this is normal Portland weather. I don’t pay much attention to the stores inside. Mexican sundries, chorizo, and some produce from who knows where. (I was hoping for a large open air display of imported produce). But the real draw is the smörgåsbord of south of the border comfort food. Papusas, street tacos, burritos etc… Customer service is great. Food prices are $ 10 average between all carts. Don’t even ask me to remember menu items. Too many. And none really stick out. All kinda blends together. Too many other Mexican food carts to visit.
Coulda swore I saw El Chappo taking out the trash !

Eeny meenie minie moe… What a great place for lunch! One cart in particular really blew wind up my trousers–
Que Bocano means «very cool,» and the food is happening here. I had 4 ‘patacones’ with pork, a sort of thick delicious plantain crêpe disc with a generous heap of puerco on each. The cabbage salad and accompanying mole were perfect and the serving was generous.
Way cool in fact!
I’ve sample 3 of the servers here at the Mercado, but have to recommend Qúe Bocano.
Try the fresh mango drink, not too sweet and totally propped me up on a bleak wet cold day.

Clean, vibrant, and full of mouth watering food, this is a five star no brainier. There’s a shelter for days like today when the temperatures hover just above 40 degrees. It was still cold, so we didn’t linger even though the food was delicious.
Inside the market, I discovered salsas, guacamole, and a great cut of flank steak that I couldn’t pass up. My son discovered the candy shop with treats he hadn’t enjoyed since elementary school at his Spanish immersion school. We both left happy and determined to come back on a warmer day when we can sit outside comfortably.

The Portland Mercado is fantastic. It is a collection of small stores on the inside and some food carts on the outside, all devoted to the cuisine of Latin America. There are places to sit down all around the indoor portion. Walls here contain the history of Latinos in Oregon, including a television, while plaques about the individual food cart owners are placed near their respective food carts.
I had heard the name. I did not know of the experience. About half a dozen carts line the outside, along with outdoor tables. Inside has a Latin snack place if you will, a Latin convenience store, a Latin coffeehouse with Latin pastries, and finally this place has a Latin butcher. It was incredible, thus I plan to return. I bought an apple soda at the convenience store. I am perhaps stunned that I have not made there journey here before.
This is ought to have landmark status.

I have so much love for this project. Many people have already hit on the highlights of the Mercado, so I just want to address one aspect most important to me.
Namely, in a diversity-​challenged city, the Mercado opens people’s eyes to the vast variety of Latin American cuisine, not only among the various countries represented, but down to the individual regions (especially in Mexico). It is no longer shocking for us to find Thai, Indian, Mexican, and even Russian food in any major city. The next trend in our journey to enlightened and culturally competent eating is regionalism — realizing that just as in the US, where we have New England foods and Southern foods, and the even a single category such as barbecue can have profoundly different regional iterations, other nations also boast varied and diverse cuisines within their borders.
Thanks to the Mercado, Portlanders are one step closer to calling foods «Salvadorean» or «Oaxacan», as opposed to «Latin American» or «Mexican», respectively. This is certainly a step in the right direction and is something to be lauded.
¡Viva el Mercado!

This place has been on my foody bucket list since it first popped up on Foster about 3 months ago, taking over the run down car lot and replacing it with a rainbow of colored food carts.
Portland Mercado is a fantastic new staple for the neighborhood, as well as a bright spot to drive by.
We finally tried the food carts out this past Sunday. My brother got a Hawaiian sandwich from Los Alambres Dos filled with ham, mozzerella, cheese and pineapple.
I wanted the Mole bowl from Mixtepa but only one person was working and and he was only taking orders and making them one at a time so I gave up after waiting about 10 minutes.
The remaining 3 of us ordered Fernando’s Special burrito from Fernando’s Alegria Burritos.
We then grabbed our food and ate in the sunshine at a picnic table.
I used to work in restaurants so I know that presentation is everything and this whole operation is clean and bright and cheery and delightful.
We were in a time crunch so we didn’t get a chance to go indoors and check out the market or what else was going on inside, but we plan to come back to do so. And it’ll be easy because they have a parking lot and street parking is FREE!

A project nine years in the making, stutters here and there, different locations proposed and all through that the dedication to complete one beautiful market and food cart area that seems to be a very welcome addition to the community.
Portland Mercado is a collection of 15+ Latin businesses that meld seamlessly together. A fruit and veggie stand, a candy shop, chorizo, a wine and beer bar, a coffee bar plus a collection of eight brightly colored and shiny food carts. With food from all over Latin America, you can have tastes of Argentina, Cuba, Mexico, El Salvador and Columbia and still want more. The design of the Mercado is quite festive and colorful and the outdoor eating area is smartly covered and all in full view of the carts. The candy store has a wide selection of Mexican candies, nuts, chicharones and other tasty snacks. The fruit and veggie stand has all sorts of fresh produce, along with salsas, dried spices and drinks. The meat market has plenty of fajita meats ready to head to the grill and I haven’t even mentioned the carts!
I have eaten at the Argentinian place and had a huge torta from the cart based with food from Mexico City. So far it has been incredible and since I recently moved a short bike ride away, I will be a more frequent visitor.
Portland Mercado is one of the better planned and thought out businesses in PDX and I believe it will be around for quite some time because there was no shortage of people showing up to eat there, young and old, while I was enjoying my meal.
Buen provecho.

Upon hearing about this plaza, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it at first. Would it be like Fubonn «Latin America» style or just another cart pod. Thankfully it’s a meld of awesomeness and something unique that its much needed in the Foster hood. I learned that initially Portland Mercado was gonna debut in 2008, but the depression struck and the plan was delayed. It was also intended to be in North Portland as well. Fast forward years later, it found its home in the Foster neighborhood and the term «felony flats» is soon to be forgotten. I am personally glad it’s much closer by and the results of its location has been outstanding.
There are 8 carts that cater to the «Latin America» theme. Some carts offer similar items while others are specialized. A meat shop, café, bar, snack shop, and a sweet drinks station is located in a plaza. You can bring food there or eat outside and there are plenty of tables for all. The first time I was there, it was pretty busy and staff brought out a couple more tables so more customers could sit.
I am glad to see many families come and eat, drink, and gather in one place. The tables are meant for communal sharing so far customers seem to dig it. If anything, the place only gets better with each visit. Eat well, enjoy the desserts, grab a drink or 2, party on!

My only complaint about Portland Mercado? I’m utterly paralyzed by choice. There is so much awesomeness concentrated in one complex that I instantly have buyer’s remorse, no matter how delicious my ultimate selection might be. Fear of Missing Out is real, ya’ll.
So you’ve got a permanent structure, and then you’ve got a bevy of color-​coordinated food carts. In the former you have an ice cream shop, a party store, a produce market, a meat market, a coffee shop, and a bar. All are centered around a number of tables, and all are clean, well organized and staffed by friendly people. I can’t say that I’ve spent much time here, but I appreciate how well-​executed a concept this complex is.
Outside, you have the food carts, and the crowds. A huge variety of Latin cuisines are represented, and really you should check out the individual carts’ Unilocal profiles for the skinny on their menu selections. Again, what impresses me is how well the businesses compliment each other and how well they play together. For a food cart pod, this one is pretty top-​notch. Ample covered seating, lots of tables (though they definitely need more), plenty of trash cans and recycling bins, and oftentimes live entertainment.
I couldn’t be more impressed with Portland Mercado, and I can’t wait to return over and over, so that I can try more of the delicious bites from their variety of businesses.

I just checked this place out and I am a fan! It is designed as a Latino Public Market with seven anchor businesses inside the brick and mortar building. It also has a food cart pod outside lining one side of the parking lot. There are eight brightly painted carts. Unlike some pods the carts all seem to match in style and size with a sign attached to the front. in front of the carts there are a bunch of somewhat shaded tables.
The variety of food options was great.
I was there on a Saturday around 1:30 and it was packed with a couple of stands outside as well. Its a great idea and the people who work there seemed to be having fun despite the crowd. Parking was in short supply but it is in an area of town with plenty of street parking available.

Since we did not sample them all, I will not call out individual carts. We ate from three or four carts, dropping around $ 40. The food was overpriced, and inexpertly prepared. It’s hard to quantify these things, but it felt like no care whatsoever went into nearly everything I ordered.
Just one example:
The guava drink I ordered, costing around $ 4 was luke warm, and tasted like water mixed with a tiny bit of juice. Being that it was a 90 degree day, I was almost tempted to take it back, but since it took 10 minutes to get, I was afraid I’d die from dehydration before I could ever get a decent, cold drink.
You might be thinking that this is an unfair or unworthy example by which to judge a business. I think you’d be wrong. A tasty, cold, refreshing beverage on a hot day seems like the most basic service any patron could expect. If they can’t even manage that, what can they do?
I’ve had much better at Panaderia Mexicana Cinco de Mayo, on Johnson Creek, Don Pedro Mexican Food, and Super Mercado Mexico, in Hillsboro, Pupusaria El Buen Gusto, on 82^nd to name just a few.
The stores and carts are as sterile and generic as movie sets. I keep finding again and again that good food, real food is found in humble dives, not flashy, garish, places that look like shopping malls.
There’s a lot of cheerful red and yellow paint in this place, and a mini-​grocery store so arranged and untouched looking, as I approached it I thought any minute now the director is going to yell, «cut! You! Hey you, get out of my shot»
These are places designed to make gringos feel safe and secure while fooling them into thinking they’re having an authentic, ethnic dining experience. Essentially, it’s for people too scared to hit the real ethnic joints on 82’nd.
The people working here are real people, but they’re serving up the illusion of quality. Lively atmosphere is no subsitute for good food at fair prices. By contrast, Carts on Foster just down the road is much more sketch, looks abandoned half the time, but has much better food, and the best prices on tap beer anywhere in town, from what I can tell.
The only thing worth our time was the Tres Leche cake, from Café Revolucion. Even the churros from the churro stand were no better than what you get at Taco Bell.