No monolith, East Portland is home to countless taco trucks as well as more upscale options like Mi Cava and Cocina near Mall 205. The whitewashed wood and neutral palette give coastal vibes, while the menu features seafood like flame-grilled fish marinated in adobo and served with homemade tortillas. Steakhouse cuts like ribeye and sirloin are also available, but it’s worth stopping in for happy hour where the piquant tiger shrimp aguachile and black mussels in chipotle beurre blanc sauce are deeply discounted.

Ostensibly a packed store selling Indian goods with a buffet in the back, Namaste in the Gateway district has morphed into a Polynesian specialist, as well. Visitors can pick up bitter gourd in the produce section, then head to the steam table for chicken curry, saag paneer, and dishes made with purple sweet potatoes and stewed taro leaves.

This cozy spot on Southeast Holgate serves standard Japanese fare including tempura and ramen but has become an East Portland mainstay for its sushi. Surrounded by tchotchkes brought from Japan by original owner Seiji Takahashi, sushi chefs cut and assemble ingredients for nigiri, vegetarian sushi, and signature rolls like the avocado-topped “Cholesteroll.” The restaurant’s weekly specials often showcase the whims of the sushi chefs, with things like salmon-and-tuna maki wrapped in mango.

Across the street from the Parkrose Grocery Outlet, Fork and Spoon House — simply decorated with a Philippine flag, folk art, and TV tuned to a Filipino station — is the place to go for homestyle sisig, bicol express, and the occasional special of sweet Pinoy-style spaghetti with chopped up hotdogs mixed in. Filipino breakfast dishes, “silogs,” with garlic rice, a fried egg, and choice of meat are the move during the day.

Tucked into a nondescript parking lot in the Gateway District, this food cart serves some of Portland’s best chicken. Boasting expertly charred and crispy skin, rotisserie chicken by the quarter, half, or full bird is supplemented by sides like smashed fried potatoes and brown sugar yams. Look out for specials like ribs, Korean BBQ wings, and sweet parfaits on the cart’s Instagram.

Nearby Mill Park residents are lucky enough to snag La Osita’s Mexican breakfast fare and a cup of Proyecto Diaz coffee in the morning, though the food cart stays open until late lunch. Co-owner Elizabeth Guerrero — who moved to Portland from Puebla, Mexico when she was four — serves her memorable brunch tacos with a hard-fried egg, sauteed peppers, and slice of thick-cut bacon, topped with pink pickled onions and default mild green salsa. Along with Jet Black Coffee, this small cart in a strip mall parking lot is one of the few businesses offering explicitly vegan menu options east of 205.

East Portland is home to many residents from East Africa, which means it’s not hard to find Ethiopian food. Mill Park’s Sisters offers a casual sit-down experience with comfy booths and a tight menu. While much of Ethiopian cuisine is vegan-friendly, Sisters also offers beef and lamb in the form of tibs, a spicy stew seasoned with berberé, as well as kifto, a raw minced beef dish similar to steak tartare. Those looking to feed a few can go for a combo, an assortment of some of the restaurant’s best dishes.

Compared to other East African cuisines like Eritrean and Ethiopian, Somali food is less commonly found in Portland restaurants. For a plate of suqaar (stewed beef, peppers, and onions) or kaykay (stir-fried strips of chicken and sabayad, flaky paratha, served with a lime-heavy, spicy green sauce), head to Salama International Bazaar, a restaurant with comfortable chairs and patterned silk tablecloths, next to a Somali mini-mall. Most entrees are served with a choice of buttery rice, spaghetti and marinara, or anjeero, a spongy flatbread traditionally made with sorghum flour.

Formerly Ringside East, Von Ebert Brewing took over the midcentury clubhouse restaurant at the Glendoveer golf course in 2018. The well-preserved restaurant with vaulted ceilings and globe light fixtures still serves Ringside’s famous steak bites, as well as house-smoked wings, smoked brisket sandwiches — anything from the smoker’s a sure bet — and a roster of pizzas. The varied tap list includes seasonal lagers, fermented sours, and wild farmhouse ales.

For messy tacos, quesadillas, and cups of consomé, this ketchup-red food cart Birrieria La Plaza on Southeast Stark has quickly become a standout amid East Portland’s birria belt. The restaurant’s crunchy vampiros are a particular favorite, but it’s worth taking home as much of the restaurant’s deeply savory soup as possible.

This sprawling family-friendly brewery in an industrial patch where Costco is the lone nearby landmark serves everything from popular hazy IPAs to smoky rauchbiers. Food is available from a number of carts outside, including tacos from Flor de Guelaguetza and even oysters on the half-shell from Tidal Boar Foods. There are a few bar-height tables and chairs inside and picnic tables on the covered patio.