New Street Food Haven with Killer View Opens on South Waterfront

Food cart pods are as much a part of the city’s identity as the white stag sign blinking above the Burnside Bridge, but they aren’t usually known for their majestic views. Enter The Gantry at Zidell Yards, where diners can take in the Willamette River, Portland Aerial Tram, Ross Island Bridge, and sleek new Tilikum Crossing — all while enjoying their meals on wheels.

So what’s a gantry, you ask? It’s a large, arch-like crane like the one that looms over Zidell Marine, and the official mascot of this group of carts (see the logo top right). The new pod will open tomorrow, July 15 at South Waterfront with five carts: established favorites Namu Korean-Hawaiian, Garden Monsters, and Ash Wood Fired Pizza, plus buzzed-about newcomers Hot Box BBQ and Neue Southern. PDX Sliders will also join in a few weeks. Walk your food across the street to Scout Beer Garden, which will serve up suds and sun-or-shade seating options at picnic tables and under tents.

Also on site by July 21 will be Home Base Farm Stand, which will give the grocery-deprived denizens of this stretch of waterfront some relief by selling local produce and an assortment of PNW-crafted honeys, jams, and jellies. A grand opening party is scheduled for August. Check Twitter and Facebook for the latest; and note that each cart follows its own hours of operations so the individual Twitter and Facebook accounts are the best way to find out who is serving on any given day.

—Elizabeth Brownfield