The food cart trend is alive and thriving in Oregon City. It began with the Perky Pantry located inside The HiVe, a taproom featuring the craft beers of Shattered Oak Brewing. It's a great relationship, as patrons now have some delicious food to enjoy while sampling the beers created by the brewer, and many of those foods from Perky Pantry incorporate those same beers. It's a relationship made in foodie heaven.
The name comes from owner Melissa Down's plan to keep a flexible menu. While there are some mainstays that will be offered, like authentic Philly Cheesesteaks, there will be other fun items. She says she likes to keep it simple, "bar food with a twist" as she reaches into the pantry to see what to make today. Check out the rotating pierogi of the day for some of those delicious concoctions, often featuring ingredients from local farms.
For another craft beverage and food cart pairing, visit Queen Chili located at Trail Distilling. Their various chilis not to mention their burgers are a perfect counterpoint to the spirits you'll find inside. You can get their food to go, eat at outdoor picnic tables, or bring your burger inside Trail Distilling's tasting room to pair it with artisan spirits and craft cocktails. Yum!
They say variety is the spice of life, and there's plenty of variety (and spices, for that matter), at the Corner 14 food cart pod in downtown Oregon City. Newly opened in 2020, the pod is home to 10 carts and growing. You can choose from sweet and savory waffles, wood-fired pizza, Russian peroshki, Mexican tamales and even a Cajun truck serving up alligator po boys... and the list goes on. Their outdoor area has covered seating for any type of Oregon weather, plus an indoor area with local brews on tap and a full bar. And as if that weren't enough, you can also try your hand at the Celtic sport of axe throwing. Their throwing cages overlook the food carts so you can work up an appetite or enjoy some mealtime entertainment.
The newest addition to the scene is right across the street from Corner 14 at the longtime favorite local beer maker Oregon City Brewing Company. They recently celebrated the opening of their beer garden and food cart pod with 10 delicious options. Options include BBQ, sushi, Mexican and more.
