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Pinatas hang from the ceiling of Supermercados Mexico.
Supermercados Mexico.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

14 Fantastic Specialty Markets in East Portland

Mercados, vegan grocers, and more

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Supermercados Mexico.
| Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Whether a recipe calls for a specific ingredient or a hankering for a particular snack hits, sometimes a trip to the regular grocery store just won’t cut it. In East Portland, these markets carry specialty ingredients, often also serving as cultural hubs for the communities they serve. This map will point you in the direction to everything from locally made vegan cheeses to imported snack mixes from India. For more spots to eat on this side of the Willamette, check out our East Portland map.

Note: Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process.

Jerusalem Rose Market

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This tiny, Palestinian market on Martin Luther King serves Southwestern Asian and Northern African pantry staples like dried figs, baking dates, sumac, and olive oil. Owner Ramzy Farouki’s mother makes stuffed grape leaves and pastries for the cold case, while Oregon-raised meats hang out in the refrigerators and freezers. If you’re lucky, paper bags of falafel will be sitting at the cash register, ideal for snacking on the way home.

Mama Pauline's African Market

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There are a number of lovely African markets to visit along Martin Luther King Boulevard, but Mama Pauline’s is the jewel in the crown, with a wide selection of snacks (chin chin, anyone?), fresh produce like plantains, and pantry standbys like fufu mix and attiéké. Plus, Mama Pauline’s sells a variety of stunning African textiles, clothing, and beauty products.

Providore Fine Foods

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Likely Portland’s most popular high-end specialty market, Providore exudes luxury with its selection of high-quality imports and local goods. Fishmongers at the TwoXSea seafood counter wrap McFarland Springs trout for customers, who may also fill their basket with Revel Meat steaks and Pastaworks ravioli. Picnickers stop by the elaborate cheese and charcuterie counter, grabbing a few Little T baguettes and pre-made salads as accompaniment. And those stocking a pantry may end up nabbing a few cans of Spanish octopus or Sibeiho sambal off the market’s shelves. Providore also offers delivery and pickup for those who order online.

Cutiee Buys

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The vegan convenience store from the team behind next-door neighbor Coffee Beer lives up to its name, with its splashy pink interior and cheeky post-it note signs scattered throughout the shop. Beloved local brands like Creole Me Up, Missionary Chocolates, and the Flavor Society line the shelves and refrigerated cases. On a hot day, pop in and beeline to the back of the store to find Ice Queen paletas and Doe ice cream sandwiches. Displays in the front of the store often feature employee favorites and hot deals.

Bread & Roses Market

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This micro-grocer started out in 2017 with a coffee counter and produce section, but has since developed into Foster’s hub for specialty groceries. The frozen meat section is of particular note, carrying high quality meats that are often nabbed by Portland’s finest chefs: Visitors will find local producers like Marion Acres chicken, My Brothers Farm bison meat, lamb from Deck Farms, duck from Campfire Farms, and Birkeland Farms’ grass-fed beef in the cases here.

Shun Fat (SF) Supermarket

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This California-based Chinese and Vietnamese supermarket took over a former Fred Meyer in 2019, retaining its mini-mall feel with several small businesses attached. Many grocery items here are conducive to quick meals, from pre-cut mixed vegetables ready to be tossed into a stir-fry to vacuum-sealed bags of assorted meatballs perfect for hot pot at home. Plus, the seafood department will clean, cut, and fry fish free of charge.

Tan Sang Tropical Fruit

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A shopping haul from this humble market is sure to result in vibrant and delicious smoothies, fruit salads, and more. Tropical fruits such as guava, green sour mango, soursop, Thai jackfruit, and mangosteens are imported from all over the world. Dragon fruit comes in three varieties — pink, white, and yellow. The highly prized Musang King, a variety of the infamously pungent durian, comes frozen from Malaysia. Check the shop’s Facebook page to see the latest fresh arrivals in store.

Cherimoya, dragonfruit, and other fruits are wrapped in plastic in one of Tansang’s produce displays.
A selection of fruit from Tansang.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Namaste Indian Bazaar

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The family behind this Northeast Halsey market also own Namaste Indian Cuisine, with locations in the Lloyd District and on Northeast Sandy. For those wanting a taste of the restaurant’s chicken or vegetarian curries without the fuss of dining in, the bazaar offers food to go. A trip to the freezer section reveals a staggering array of chapatis, naans, parathas. Within the market’s limited produce section, staples of Indian cooking can be found, including white and yellow turmeric, tindola (also known as ivy gourd), and okra.

Namaste’s aisles on Northeast Halsey.
An aisle at Namaste Indian Bazaar.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Roman Russian Food Store

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Upon entering this Eastern European store, a hot deli case filled with cabbage rolls, beef plov, and stuffed bell peppers entices customers along with a nearby rack offering freshly baked bread. Its cold counterpart offers herring under a fur coat, or shuba, by the pound, plus interestingly named meats like Mother Goose pork pate and children’s sausage. In the market’s cafe area, enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee with sweet cottage cheese pancakes, or for a heartier meal, opt for a bowl of borsch or pierogies.

Lily Market

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Primarily focused on Thai products, this market also offers a good range of Southeast Asian goods. The market’s prepared foods section is bustling around lunchtime, as combo plate orders are cobbled together from stainless steel deli pans of piping hot pad Thai, spicy sausages, and bamboo shoot curry. On the deli counter and adjacent case, find more heat-and-eat specialties like patongco, bamboo soup, and Thai steamed fish curry in little foil boats. 

Food Fight! Grocery

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This mom-and-pop grocery store has changed locations — and more recently, hands — since its founding in 2003, but remains one of the city’s go-to spots for vegan groceries. Tucked into a lot with Jet Black Coffee Company and Rad Magic Subs, the trio of like-minded businesses make for a vegan haven in the Gateway neighborhood. While stocking up on essentials like bulk soy curls, Jorinji miso, and Vtopian cheeses, pet owners can also pick up vegan pet food.

Mingala International Mart

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This Rohingya-owned market, which also has a location in Beaverton, supplies a variety of international goods, predominantly from India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. In the cooler, Palestinian Nabulsi cheese cozies up to Italian mortadella, while the market’s plentiful shelves hold everything from Indomie instant noodles to boxed fufu mixes. One of the market’s big draws is the butcher section, with halal meats including fresh and frozen chicken, lamb, and goat. Fish cutting services are available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Canisters of fufu flour sit on the shelves of Mingala in Portland.
A fufu display at Mingala.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Tortilleria Y Tienda De Leon

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Portlanders have long flocked to the city’s outskirts for the guisados, or meat stews, at this Mexican market and deli. Order a combo plate or meats like the succulent puerco de nopales or cochinita pibil by the pound. No trip to the tienda is complete without grabbing their house-made tortillas and salsas, in varieties like roja, habanero, nopales, and the super hot “loca.”

Supermercados Mexico

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All of the essentials for a Mexican meal can be found at this supermarket, whose ceiling is festooned with brightly colored pinatas. In the meat section, cuts of taco meat are conveniently situated across from locally made tortillas. Find self-serve conchas, churros, and other Mexican pastries displayed in a bakery case nearby refrigerated desserts like flan, tres leches cake, and rice pudding. The store smartly stocks the makings of a michelada — an assortment of Mexican beer and tomato juice — side-by-side in a cooler. At the back of the store, the fruit stand La Casita de Frutas slings spicy-sweet mangonadas and snacks like esquites.

Pineapples, mangoes, and more sit on shelves in the Supermercados Mexico fruit display.
Supermercados Mexico’s produce department.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Jerusalem Rose Market

This tiny, Palestinian market on Martin Luther King serves Southwestern Asian and Northern African pantry staples like dried figs, baking dates, sumac, and olive oil. Owner Ramzy Farouki’s mother makes stuffed grape leaves and pastries for the cold case, while Oregon-raised meats hang out in the refrigerators and freezers. If you’re lucky, paper bags of falafel will be sitting at the cash register, ideal for snacking on the way home.

Mama Pauline's African Market

There are a number of lovely African markets to visit along Martin Luther King Boulevard, but Mama Pauline’s is the jewel in the crown, with a wide selection of snacks (chin chin, anyone?), fresh produce like plantains, and pantry standbys like fufu mix and attiéké. Plus, Mama Pauline’s sells a variety of stunning African textiles, clothing, and beauty products.

Providore Fine Foods

Likely Portland’s most popular high-end specialty market, Providore exudes luxury with its selection of high-quality imports and local goods. Fishmongers at the TwoXSea seafood counter wrap McFarland Springs trout for customers, who may also fill their basket with Revel Meat steaks and Pastaworks ravioli. Picnickers stop by the elaborate cheese and charcuterie counter, grabbing a few Little T baguettes and pre-made salads as accompaniment. And those stocking a pantry may end up nabbing a few cans of Spanish octopus or Sibeiho sambal off the market’s shelves. Providore also offers delivery and pickup for those who order online.

Cutiee Buys

The vegan convenience store from the team behind next-door neighbor Coffee Beer lives up to its name, with its splashy pink interior and cheeky post-it note signs scattered throughout the shop. Beloved local brands like Creole Me Up, Missionary Chocolates, and the Flavor Society line the shelves and refrigerated cases. On a hot day, pop in and beeline to the back of the store to find Ice Queen paletas and Doe ice cream sandwiches. Displays in the front of the store often feature employee favorites and hot deals.

Bread & Roses Market

This micro-grocer started out in 2017 with a coffee counter and produce section, but has since developed into Foster’s hub for specialty groceries. The frozen meat section is of particular note, carrying high quality meats that are often nabbed by Portland’s finest chefs: Visitors will find local producers like Marion Acres chicken, My Brothers Farm bison meat, lamb from Deck Farms, duck from Campfire Farms, and Birkeland Farms’ grass-fed beef in the cases here.

Shun Fat (SF) Supermarket

This California-based Chinese and Vietnamese supermarket took over a former Fred Meyer in 2019, retaining its mini-mall feel with several small businesses attached. Many grocery items here are conducive to quick meals, from pre-cut mixed vegetables ready to be tossed into a stir-fry to vacuum-sealed bags of assorted meatballs perfect for hot pot at home. Plus, the seafood department will clean, cut, and fry fish free of charge.

Tan Sang Tropical Fruit

A shopping haul from this humble market is sure to result in vibrant and delicious smoothies, fruit salads, and more. Tropical fruits such as guava, green sour mango, soursop, Thai jackfruit, and mangosteens are imported from all over the world. Dragon fruit comes in three varieties — pink, white, and yellow. The highly prized Musang King, a variety of the infamously pungent durian, comes frozen from Malaysia. Check the shop’s Facebook page to see the latest fresh arrivals in store.

Cherimoya, dragonfruit, and other fruits are wrapped in plastic in one of Tansang’s produce displays.
A selection of fruit from Tansang.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Namaste Indian Bazaar

The family behind this Northeast Halsey market also own Namaste Indian Cuisine, with locations in the Lloyd District and on Northeast Sandy. For those wanting a taste of the restaurant’s chicken or vegetarian curries without the fuss of dining in, the bazaar offers food to go. A trip to the freezer section reveals a staggering array of chapatis, naans, parathas. Within the market’s limited produce section, staples of Indian cooking can be found, including white and yellow turmeric, tindola (also known as ivy gourd), and okra.

Namaste’s aisles on Northeast Halsey.
An aisle at Namaste Indian Bazaar.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Roman Russian Food Store

Upon entering this Eastern European store, a hot deli case filled with cabbage rolls, beef plov, and stuffed bell peppers entices customers along with a nearby rack offering freshly baked bread. Its cold counterpart offers herring under a fur coat, or shuba, by the pound, plus interestingly named meats like Mother Goose pork pate and children’s sausage. In the market’s cafe area, enjoy a cup of Turkish coffee with sweet cottage cheese pancakes, or for a heartier meal, opt for a bowl of borsch or pierogies.

Lily Market

Primarily focused on Thai products, this market also offers a good range of Southeast Asian goods. The market’s prepared foods section is bustling around lunchtime, as combo plate orders are cobbled together from stainless steel deli pans of piping hot pad Thai, spicy sausages, and bamboo shoot curry. On the deli counter and adjacent case, find more heat-and-eat specialties like patongco, bamboo soup, and Thai steamed fish curry in little foil boats. 

Food Fight! Grocery

This mom-and-pop grocery store has changed locations — and more recently, hands — since its founding in 2003, but remains one of the city’s go-to spots for vegan groceries. Tucked into a lot with Jet Black Coffee Company and Rad Magic Subs, the trio of like-minded businesses make for a vegan haven in the Gateway neighborhood. While stocking up on essentials like bulk soy curls, Jorinji miso, and Vtopian cheeses, pet owners can also pick up vegan pet food.

Mingala International Mart

This Rohingya-owned market, which also has a location in Beaverton, supplies a variety of international goods, predominantly from India, Southeast Asia, and Africa. In the cooler, Palestinian Nabulsi cheese cozies up to Italian mortadella, while the market’s plentiful shelves hold everything from Indomie instant noodles to boxed fufu mixes. One of the market’s big draws is the butcher section, with halal meats including fresh and frozen chicken, lamb, and goat. Fish cutting services are available on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Canisters of fufu flour sit on the shelves of Mingala in Portland.
A fufu display at Mingala.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Tortilleria Y Tienda De Leon

Portlanders have long flocked to the city’s outskirts for the guisados, or meat stews, at this Mexican market and deli. Order a combo plate or meats like the succulent puerco de nopales or cochinita pibil by the pound. No trip to the tienda is complete without grabbing their house-made tortillas and salsas, in varieties like roja, habanero, nopales, and the super hot “loca.”

Supermercados Mexico

All of the essentials for a Mexican meal can be found at this supermarket, whose ceiling is festooned with brightly colored pinatas. In the meat section, cuts of taco meat are conveniently situated across from locally made tortillas. Find self-serve conchas, churros, and other Mexican pastries displayed in a bakery case nearby refrigerated desserts like flan, tres leches cake, and rice pudding. The store smartly stocks the makings of a michelada — an assortment of Mexican beer and tomato juice — side-by-side in a cooler. At the back of the store, the fruit stand La Casita de Frutas slings spicy-sweet mangonadas and snacks like esquites.

Pineapples, mangoes, and more sit on shelves in the Supermercados Mexico fruit display.
Supermercados Mexico’s produce department.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

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