Lil' America
Food court · Buckman ·
Diverse food carts featuring BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ chefs, brewery
Diverse food carts featuring BIPOC & LGBTQIA+ chefs, brewery
"An ambitious food cart pod launched by ChefStable in April 2023 with a mission to exclusively host BIPOC- and LGBTQ-owned carts, it promised mentorship, cultural events, and amenities like dry storage, a dish pit, and a walk-in fridge. On August 29, three of its six carts were asked to leave to make room for construction tied to an expansion of the Dos Hermanos bakery, with only two carts remaining during the build and a rebrand planned to position the pod as an extension of Dos Hermanos. While $2,000 monthly rent and plentiful amenities were praised as competitive, several cart owners said the mentorship component—meant to come from Jasper Shen and Linh Tran of the now-closed XLB—never materialized regularly, security camera requests were denied until after the three carts were given notice to leave, and cultural events dwindled in favor of trivia nights. The indoor area that once housed Cache Cache will become shared seating for the bakery and carts, with the intention to grow the pod again after construction." - Katherine Chew Hamilton
"A food cart pod is often a safe bet for a first date dinner — lots of options, not too fancy — and this eclectic pod on Southeast Stark has the added benefit of a next door brewery for drinks or indoor dining. Multiple essential food carts reside in this pod, if you’re craving fried chicken or Guyanese food, but overall it’s hard to go wrong here, with things like vegan smash burgers, seafood boil, or Hainanese chicken. For a more upscale option, the hidden seafood bar in the back is a worthy upgrade." - Asia Alvarez
"This popular pod in Inner Southeast centers BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ cart owners. Here, diners can enjoy some of Portland’s best food carts — including 2023 Eater Award winner Frybaby, known for its fried chicken — either outside on the cozy covered patio or indoors within Fracture Brewing’s taproom. Other popular carts include the wood-fired Flame Pizza, Filipino American fusion Makulít, and Northwest seafood boil experts the Drip’N Crab. As an extra perk, the new Dos Hermanos cafe is just around the corner." - Nathan Williams
"I've observed that Chefstable collaborated with Win Win to open Lil' America, a successful Southeast Stark food cart pod that has become home to buzzy new carts and served as a model for similar curated pod projects." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"Chefstable is a partner in the BIPOC and LGBTQIA-specific food cart pod Lil' America, which opened earlier this year." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden