TheMidtown Beer Garden (formerly known as theSouthwest 5th Avenue food cart pod) is afood cart pod inPortland, Oregon, United States. The pod is the city's oldest, operating since the early 1980s. Following an update and renovation in 2023, the pod became known as Midtown Beer Garden. Notable tenants includeBing Mi,Stretch the Noodle, andTokyo Sando.
The pod has operated indowntown Portland, along Southwest Fifth Avenue betweenHarvey Milk (Stark) Street and Oak Street, since the early 1980s.[1] It is considered the city's oldest food cart pod.[2][1]Food & Wine has said the pod "specializes in Korean tacos, Mexican, and Egyptian cuisine".[3][4]
The site of the pod has been considered for development.[5] In 2016, Matthew Korfhage ofWillamette Week reported, "The bustling pods at Southwest 5th Avenue and Stark Street, Southwest 2nd Avenue and Stark Street and Southwest 3rd Avenue and Oak Street are on the list of properties announced for future development by Greg Goodman, co-president of the Downtown Development Group and scion to one of Portland's most powerful property-owning families."[6]
The pod has been vandalized.[3] In 2022, an explosion at one cart damaged nearby buildings.[7][8]
In May 2023, an update and renovation funded byExpensify in collaboration with the restaurant group ChefStable was announced. According toEater Portland, the pod has "room for 30 carts, seating for more than 300 people, a bar cart with beer on tap, and a stage for concerts and events".[9] The pod was rebranded as Midtown Beer Garden.[3] The re-opening was held on August 20.[10][11]
La Jarochita,[1] part of a small chain of Mexican restaurants, has servedburritos, breakfast plates,sopes,huaraches, andtamales. Nick Zukin ofWillamette Week called La Jarochita "the best Mexican food cart downtown" in 2016.[12] Samantha Bakall included the business inThe Oregonian's 2017 list of the ten best food carts in downtown Portland.[13]
In 2023, in response toFood & Wine naming Portland "the best food truck city in America", Michael Russell ofThe Oregonian wrote, "No argument there, though I don't necessarily recommend following the magazine's advice about where to start (Stretch the Noodle is great, but the Third and Fifth Avenue carts downtown have seen better days)."[19]
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Media related toMidtown Beer Garden at Wikimedia Commons
