The Limp Noodle

Here’s another cart run by smokers who don’t seem to mind smoking right in front of their cart. It’s another cart that I’ll never visit as a result.
To make matters worse, the guy who works here, often smokes in front of Rick’s Wild Seafood (the seafood cart next door).
Why can’t Portland have more smoke-​free carts?

This is probably the cleanest, newest cart in Portland, so all you food-​cart-​health-​code-​fearing diners can be at ease.
You can be further at ease by watching the process of getting your meal: pasta comes out of the cooling unit, gets boiled then is topped with heated marinara. Very simple and the products seem pretty commercial.
Without a lot of pasta options in the food cart scene, this provides such a meal, but I feel like I could easily make this at home. I got the meat tortellini with marinara for $ 5.75.
The guy working the cart is incredibly nice. If the signs are right, this place takes credit cards — quite the rarity in the food cart scene.

The guy who owns this new food cart is super nice. He threw some free sauteed mushrooms in with my order since it was the end of the week and they were just going to go to waste. He also gives out free mini-​candy bars to entice customers, which is cool.
The tortellini was noting special, nor was the bread that came with the order. The food comes in a biodegradable clamshell container, and while I love that idea, it just didn’t work well with this kind of food. By the time I got back to my office, the container was already starting break down, which meant I ate a very messy lunch.
If the grittier carts scare you away, this is the shiniest/​cleanest cart I’ve ever seen, so it’s probably a good bet for you. The pasta is pre-​cooked and only has to be steamed for a couple of minutes, which means quick service. For $ 5.50, the meal wasn’t bad and I’m glad I tried it, but next time I’d rather try one of the more unique carts down the block.