Cultured Caveman Opening N. Portland Brick-and-Mortar

The Paleo-friendly food cart Cultured Caveman, which currently operates three carts around town, will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the Kenton neighborhood. The Oregonian is first to report owners Heather Hunter and Joe Ban will take over the space recently vacated by an outpost of E-San Thai Cuisine. Hunter confirms to Eater that a new restaurant is in the works, in Caveman's own backyard: "We live in the Kenton neighborhood, one block from restaurant, and love the people there and the community in Kenton."

According to Hunter, the 50-seat Cultured restaurant will feature a small retail space stocked with Paleo-friendly products, as well as a "kiddie corner, compete with dinosaur toys, for maximum family friendliness." Currently, plans are to launch a totally different menu than that of the Cultured carts, featuring dishes like grain-free chicken and waffles; zucchini "noodles" with meatballs; and gluten-free cider and wine. UPDATE: The project's Kickstarter campaign to help fund the restaurant just went live, with a fundraising goal of $30,000 (its first cart was the result of a successful Kickstarter effort).

Hunter and Ban debuted their gluten-free, dairy-free, and Paleo cart in May 2012, then enjoyed rapid expansion from there: Its second cart, on SE Hawthorne, followed just five months later, while a downtown cart opened in June 2013. Among its menu items: miniature meatloaves packed with heart and liver; Paleo chicken tenders; and vegan broccoli and Brussels sprouts mash. All carts will remain open after the brick-and-mortar restaurant opening, which is shooting for late April or early May.
· Cultured Caveman [Official site]
· All Previous Cultured Caveman Coverage [Eater PDX]

Photo of Cultured Caveman courtesy Dale C. via Foursquare