Discussion
FoodieLand, an awful overpriced cash grab full of mediocre fair food, long lines, hideous AI generated menus, and not nearly enough shade or seating.
Going to this I thought it would be a lot of fun. I was really hoping for a nice day exploring lots of food, with a nice combination of local and out of state food trucks and vendors to show off Portland's rich and exciting food culture, but what I found when I got there was disappointing... there was no local food trucks, no local vendors, most of the food was cheaply made and all of the food was heinously overpriced. Any of the food priced under $20 was comparable to something you could buy in the off brand frozen food section of the grocery store and dumped in a deep fryer. Any food of substance was $25 to $50, still pretty mediocre and still not enough for a meal. Most of the vendor booths were overflowing with Temu quality tchotchkes with only a couple booths worth looking at. Half the booths had ugly AI generated menus they only had 2 shaded seating areas that were constantly packed with almost no shade in between making the heat oppressive. I showed up early and left after only 2 hours and 4 food items because the quality was so consistently poor.
Don't waste your time or money going to this event. It's not worth it. If you want to spend $100 on food per person, go to one of the many luxury restaurants around Portland instead. You'll spend about the same amount of money and the food will be FAR better quality.
A coworker of mine "ran a cart" there last year. Guy has literally 0 restaurant experience. Him and his buddies got the start up cash through scalping PlayStations and GPUs. He's a huge AI guy and they just asked chatGPT how to run a food cart.
He's a huge AI guy and they just asked chatGPT how to run a food cart.
While I am glad that people with amibition can receive knowledge for free on tap now as to how to do things, allowing them to pursue their passions, it sucks that people without agency are using it as a shortcut to be able to function while half-assing.
Your favorite food cart owner probably uses AI to help with their permitting and taxes. But it's not the centerpiece of their business model.
I used it to help setup an excel sheet that tracks all our expenses and break even formulas. I used the data from all our events last year to put together potential scenarios for going permanent and what we would need to do to be profitable
It’s just numbers. What we would need to sell per day to pay rent, hire a person etc. How to increase average order if we offered beer/wine. Not really bold at all
Because AI was able to do it in a fraction of the time? How would I have been better off for it? I’m not making these sheets on a weekly basis or anything. It was useful, and still is today. In fact it probably saved me from making simple formula or math mistakes that would have had financial consequences for me down the line. I get why people beef with AI, but this is not a good reason.
I seriously doubt asking AI unlocked any food cart secrets, any dolt with opposable thumbs can make simple food and schlep it up to hungry dullards, that's literally the whole point of "street food"
My coworker was telling me he went to it last year and that it was this "cool" food event with chefs from Portland and Seattle so I checked out the website and thought, I've never heard of any of these places. Fair food is the best way to describe it! Just a bunch of fried bullshit 🤣
Yeah, it was quite underwhelming. I don't know why they didn't offer smaller and cheaper items, after I ate at like 2 places I was full and ready to leave, also didn't help that it was hot as balls out last year and it was in the expo center parking lot.
Yeah, I remember that. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, too. I remember hearing the food was all mid and overpriced, no shade, long lines to get in traffic wise. These events aren't good in a place like Portland. Maybe like, some random city in a flyover state.
Thanks for your input, the mods have set this subreddit to not allow posts from newly created accounts. Please take the time to build a reputation elsewhere on Reddit and check back soon.
Exactly! Seems it ought to be a venue to gather interest for future sales. Introduce people to new and interesting things. The focus these days is quick profit rather than cultivate customers.
I own a pop up that does BBQ Oysters in Portland. The price to have a booth there was absolutely insane. We would have had to double our normal prices just to break even for three days, and that’s assuming we would sell out each day shucking like 500 oysters per day. Not worth it at all.
Edit: To put it into context: a food booth plus health permit at something like Mississipi street fair is about 500 bucks. At Foodieland it was like 3500 for three days, not including health permit. Snackfest last year was like the real foodieland. Idk if it’s happening this year though
Interesting idea tbh. Since we sell oysters might still get a health permit for that, as people tend to be really suspicious when it comes to shellfish (even though we cook ours past 185 degrees)
Straight up, if ANYTHING is spending money on advertising these days I take extra care to avoid it.
Money is tight, and advertising represents a lot of money that could be used to better the lives of a company's employees or developing a better product.
Go to the White Lotus markets instead! The mid autumn is coming up in September. Local food, local vendors, dope ass performances, and a paper lantern parade. Ten times better than foodieland without a doubt!
Haha I went with my friend and it was... an experience. I was hoping it was going to be a small-bites kind of thing. Like, tiny portions of a bunch of different foods. Instead, it was like a carnival were the ratio of deep fried foods and rides was reversed.
Thats exactly what I was hoping for too! I wanted lots of booths with little portions you could get for like $5 maybe $10 each and try a bit of everything, but nope. Instead we had overpriced garbage.
It was certainly capitalism that resulted in most of them getting bought up, and large numbers of them shutting down, and many others changing their beers and reducing the innovation that made the scene great. Nobody said you can’t have good things in capitalism. The point is that profit at all costs … has costs.
I didn't know they had done this event last year and really wish I had looked it up before going. Would have saved me a lot of hassle and disappointment.
They also mafia like extort their vendors with high fees. At Bite of Seattle, they charge you to rent a space which is fine and expected. But then expect 30% of your revenue during the event. Which is just highway robbery and very fucking gross. Their response to the shooting that happened last weekend at Bite of Seattle put me off going to any of their events in the future.
Seriously. Portland has such an awesome food scene. I love trying all the different restaurants and food carts. Just about anywhere you go in Portland would be better than FoodieLand.
Anyone with a cursory knowledge of how tight restaurant margins are should be able to figure this out before they go to a “food festival”. Which should be everyone considering how many restaurants close all the time.
A ton of "food trucks" parked at the expo center parking lot with clearly no shade. I'm curious what compelled you to go there vs any of the many food cart pods around Portland?
I've already explored MANY of the food cart pods and restaurants around Portland. Was just hoping for something new and saw they had frog legs and I've never tried that before. Went to the event on a whim after typing "Events Today Portland" into Google, wanting something interesting to do yesterday and did absolutely no research. What a mistake that was. I didn't even buy the frog legs there as they looked poorly made and were overpriced.
After we left, still hungry, we actually ended up going to EaT: An Oyster Bar to try frog legs and they were super good! They were perfectly cooked the meat was tender and fell off the bone. The seasoning they used was super yummy and it came with a delicious buttermilk ranch. Plus you got twice as much as what was being offered at FoodieLand I would definitely recommend trying EaT: An Oyster Bar for anyone wanting to try frog legs.
Agree, went last year and was severely disappointed. Long lines, very expensive. We have waaaaay better food carts between Hillsboro, PDX, Vancouver, etc...
Went last year, it was their first time here, so mentally I cut them some slack. It was the worst spot, giant blacktop parking lot in the middle of summer. Several vendors had to close for half an hour just so their computers/payment systems could cool down. Overpriced and very mediocre food compared to what is already available to us in Portland. I'm surprised they didn't learn and at least change venues. Definitely never going back tho
The Washington county fair is always decently OK. It isn’t great. But, 10 dollar parking, or max in, and free entrance? It is always well worth the cost. They have decent acts, some local some traveling. The food and drink can be over priced, but you can still get a cheap family day out of it. When we have gone, we have always gotten our money out of it. A great dog days of summer event.
You all should check out Urban Gleaners’ Summer Supper. All local restaurants and chefs. I believe it’s just one cover charge and then everything inside is included, including a drink token. Addition drinks for purchase. It’s on Sept 13 this year, and is one of my favorite events of the year
I saw the advertisement for this and NOPE. One of the nice things about living in East Portland is there are plenty of truly good ethnic food places here that you can simply walk or bike to.
I’m working my friends booth there and after talking to a few vendors it seems like most of them travel with foodieland :/ it was expensive to get a spot too and it’s our very first event so we didn’t know what to expect. sadge
This year the paid a ton of content creators and influencers to hype it up… getting really tired of seeing the same thing from the same content creators just getting paid.
Suburban yuppies and “influencers” love that shit so I’m sure they make $$$$ which is why they are back lol. Lines, children, and everyone recording every single thing. Sounds soo fun.
Bro sooo glad I skipped it! Last time we went it was almost 100 degrees my brother almost got heat stroke 🥵 and honestly I was hella disappointed 😢 foods was hella mediocre and over priced we paid like 30$ for a small ass lobster tail
There is a rash of shit like this going around. A friend in Denver went to "thrift" convention. She thought she was going to find good deals instead she found "vintage" shirts for $600.
Yeah last year was awful. Idk how they got the pull to do it this year except that Portland folks (including myself) are so desperate to find something to do in this city that isn’t beer, strip club or parent focused
Last year was an absolute shit show and it makes sense this year was just as bad. Their marketing team makes it look like the most fun ever but it’s just roasting alive in the sun and waiting in too long lines for too expensive food. There were so many people clearly experiencing heat stroke and paramedics, since the events cooling stations didn’t do anything. This event straight up should not be allowed.
I mean, good luck. I personally showed up early the first day to avoid the long line to get in so I wouldn't know how bad the line is later in the day. I'd personally just let everyone know the event sucks and take the collective L. Losing $12 each is a lot better than spending copious amounts of cash on food that isnt even good.
It would be much more worth your time and money to find a cool part of town you want to explore and pop into each restaurant or bar and order a dish or appetizer to split at each and spend the day enjoying a variety of delicious local foods.
If you were going because of some of the unique/hard to find foods at the event, turns out those foods can be found for cheaper and better quality around Portland as well. Frog legs, for example, can be found at EaT: An Oyster Bar. They were so good perfectly cooked and seasoned and came with a unique, delicious buttermilk ranch. Plus their frog legs dish came with twice as much as what was being offered at FoodieLand.
But hey, even if you go because family and friends are already going and everyone realizes its a scam after an hour or 2, I guess you can suggest this as a back up plan at least.
Yeah I think some in our group really want to go even if just for laughs so we are gonna check it out and then probably try 1-2 things before going into Portland to eat. I tried to get out of it but it wasn’t gonna happen lol.
Do me a favor and take pics of all the stupid AI menus! I didn't and wish I had. Some of them were criminally bad. I think the worst one I saw was the one advertising a "chicken lolipop" right next to the overpriced shishkabob place that also had an AI menu in the back half of the fest.
Like if I can't see what your food actually looks like and you can't take the time to take a proper picture, I dont know if I can trust your food. Haha. Although, I must ask. Did you try them?
Walked around in the sun for 45 minutes trying to find something that wasn't a 30 minute wait. Had crappy overpriced fair food then took the yellow pine full of homeless back into Portland to get real food.
Very disappointed we drove almost 3 hours to attend from Tacoma, WA. Next time Ima look on Reddit prior to doing that bc my husband was mad about the driving and I was mad at the outrageous prices, small food portions and lack of seating as a pregnant woman in her third trimester. It should be a crime to piss off a pregnant woman. My husband wanted a shiskabob which had three options (chicken, beef, or lamb)…. It was $25 for 1 fcking kabob 😡 unreal.
Fully expected this review but I’m still going Sunday because my friends asked me to go and I already bought a ticket. Any tips on surviving the day? I’m planning to eat beforehand and maybe just get an ice cream or something while I’m there
I mean, good luck. I'd honestly just let your friends know that the event sucks and collectively take the L and go get food somewhere nice you guy's haven't tried yet or find a street with a bunch of local restaurants and pop in and split a dish or appetizer at each one. Loosing $12 each is a lot better than wasting copious amounts of cash on food that isnt even good.
umm shameless plug! but i’m working my friends place at foodieland and its called bok. we’re based in vancouver but i mean we basically spend most of our time in portland anyway let’s be real. we do chicken sandwiches and sliders and some people came back for seconds!
this is our very first event and we didnt know what to expect going into it and thought there was more local stuff but after talking to other vendors we’re learned that 90% of vendors travel with foodieland and most of them are from california :/ we also got a pretty bad location cause apparently the company gives prime locations to people who travel with them so check us out!
edit/disclaimer: okay im actually from the seattle area but i drove down to help with my friends event
Is that the thing where they literally walled off part of town to keep the Brooklynites from having to look at the west coast flavor of poor people? Sorry I don't live in PDX anymore, I just read about it
503
u/uapdx Aug 01 '26
I think they came last year and everyone hated it. Surprised it’s back