Tuck Woodstock
Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More
Portland Mercado
This dining destination is also a hub of Latine culture and local entrepreneurship.
Tuck Woodstock
Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More
Know Before You Go
The Portland Mercado was heavily damaged by fire on January 3, 2024. Many of its carts are currently open for take-out, and outdoor seating is available on-site. However, the main building and commissary kitchen are closed, with a planned reopening in the summer of 2025.
The information in the article below refers to the Mercado before the fire, and information may not be up-to-date, but Travel Portland is preserving it here for community support and historical context.
¡Bienvenidos! Painted in vibrant shades of pink, yellow and turquoise, the Portland Mercado shines brightly as an innovative cultural hub for Portland. Since its opening in April 2015, the complex has provided affordable launch space for local Latine-owned businesses. Their licensed commissary kitchen also provided entrepreneurs in the beginning stages of their food business with a place to experiment and grow.
Editor’s note: We use gender-inclusive Latinx and Latine over Latino/a to refer to people of Latin American heritage.
Mathilde’s Kitchen, which started as a Haitian food cart, transformed itself into an artisanal hibiscus beverage company through the use of the Portland Mercado’s commissary kitchen. Their bottled drinks are now stocked in grocery stores across the city.
With 13 enterprises — including a bar, a juice bar, and a food cart pod — in place, the Mercado has become one of the city’s most delicious destinations.
Fill growlers with wine, beer and sangria at the (dog-friendly) laid-back bar and bottle shop, Barrio. Enjoy healthy cold-pressed juices, fresh-cut fruit seasoned in chili powder, or delicious smoothies and bowls (infused with chamoy or CBD at your request) from Xōcotl. During the winter, the juice shop also sells warm treats, including soup and esquites (Mexican-style corn).
Menus represent five regions of Mexico, as well as Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Argentina and Costa Rica, each with distinct cuisines.
Outside, a row of rainbow-colored food carts plate up traditional recipes infused with Portland flair. “Let’s try something different!” declares the banner on the Colombian cart Que Bacano, and the carts make that easy, with menus that represent five regions of Mexico, as well as Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Argentina and Costa Rica, each with distinct cuisines. Order an earthy chocolatey mole, belly-warming pozole, pull-apart cheesy (gluten-free) corn flour rolls, or pizza-like Oaxacan tlayudas (14-inch crispy tortillas topped with queso fresco, fresh veggies and pork rinds). In other words, this is way beyond standard Tex-Mex fare.
“It is an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate our diverse backgrounds through food and other goods and services.”
Senator Ron Wyden
In addition to providing tasty, authentic food and incubating new local businesses, the market serves as a touchstone for Latine culture. The Mercado’s calendar of public events includes community festivals featuring mariachi music, Aztec drumming, salsa dancing and other regional arts.
“This market is more than just an opportunity to support our local economy,” says Senator Ron Wyden, who helped champion the Mercado. “It is an opportunity to celebrate and appreciate our diverse backgrounds through food and other goods and services.”
Whether proudly Latine or eager to explore diverse cultures, visitors from all over the world can find plenty to love about this unique neighborhood market. ¡Vamos al mercado!
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