Opening Soon: Yellow Line Food Cart Pod, Navigator Coffee, and Alma in Portland

A few things have crossed my desk in the past few days that I wanted to tell you about. First, the grand opening of the Yellow Line Food Cart Pod in North Portland—a pod we haven’t covered here before—is this Friday.

Then to catch up with a couple of things we have covered: the opening of Navigator Coffee on Hayden Island on Saturday, and Alma PDX on NE MLK opens on Friday.

Yellow Line Food Cart Pod

Across the street from the MAX Yellow Line is the Yellow Line Food Cart Pod, located at the Arbor Beer Lodge in North Portland. The pod will have five food carts and two anchors. These anchors are Hail Snail, a vegan bakery; and the Arbor Beer Lodge, which offers craft beer, cider, and wines.

They’ve been developing this space as a pod since early 2025, and some of the carts have been operating there since spring, but now it’s time to make their debut as an organized food cart pod.

The Carts at Yellow Line Food Cart Pod

The folks behind the pod are really excited about the diversity of food carts there are Yellow Line. They are:

• Wen’s Kitchen: Southeast Asian fusion food.
• Cocina Serrano: Authentic Mexican comfort food.
• Shawarma Town: Middle Eastern wraps and plates.
• Ginzake Sushi: Fresh, made-to-order sushi and Japanese street food.
• Honey Butter Country Fare: Gluten-free country fair food

Hail Snail, Arbor Beer Lodge, and the pod itself are happy to offer a space with “a lively, community-forward atmosphere.”

Other Amenities

Along with great food and drink, the pod offers bathrooms, indoor seating and outdoor covered seating, as well as heat and A/C. Looks like there is a little parking but they are really close to the Rosa Parks MAX Station and the 44 bus, for those who want to arrive via transit. There’s WiFi for your internet needs, plus there is live music, trivia, and games in the plans.

Their grand opening is Saturday, June 13 from 6pm to 10pm. The party will have live music, as well as food and drink specials. Pod hours (individual cart hours may vary) are Tuesday to Saturday 11:30am to 10pm and Sunday 11:30am to 8pm. They are closed on Monday.

Yellow Line Food Cart Pod [opening June 13, 2025]
6550 N Interstate Avenue
Yellow Line Food Cart Pod website | Instagram

Navigator Coffee Co.

I got a quick email from Justin King, owner of Navigator Coffee Co., with the simple message: “Hey Meg! Just wanted to let you know that we’re opening next Saturday!” That would be Saturday, June 14. They’ll be open from 8am to 3pm daily.

What to Drink and Eat at Navigator Coffee Co.

Since our original article, they have published a website with their menu on it. It’s split up into three parts: Coffee & Tea; Smoothies; and Eats. It looks like for coffee (drip, espresso) and tea (including chai and a matcha latte) you have choices of dairy, oat, and soy milks; smoothies all look plant-based; food is mostly variations on a sandwich (e.g., avocado toast, breakfast sandwich), but there is a Greek yogurt parfait and few sides.

Gluten-free pastries are available, and I expect Ben & Ester’s bagels, too.

But take a look and see what you think. This is going to be a really nice coffee shop option on Hayden Island.

Navigator Coffee Co. [opening June 14, 2025]
12006 N Jantzen Drive, Portland
Navigator Coffee Co. website | Instagram | Facebook

Alma

We wrote about Alma early on before there was minimal info, but some months after that their Instagram account provided additional details. And so did a recent press release.

Balkan Tapas

Alma is described as “a new Balkan tapas restaurant,” and they are opening this Friday, June 13. Chef Vedran Jordan had previous stints in the kitchens at Langbaan, Gado Gado, and Oma’s Hideaway. As a reminder, he named his restaurant after his mother.

They will serve “elevated Balkan tapas and large plates that celebrate the contrast of play and tradition with a menu inspired by family recipes, Ottoman-era classics, Asian flavors, and contemporary technique.” These Balkan dishes use local PNW ingredients.

Enticing Menu Items

You can see their full menu on their website. Things that catch my eye: the eggplant and mushroom kabops, the Balkan fish & chips, Imam Biyaldi, the kefir-marinated wings, and the lamb shank. But honestly, it all sounds really good and interesting.

Their hours will be Thursday to Monday, 4pm to 9pm and those will be the hours of service on opening day. For the first month, the only way you can dine at Alma is by reservation (on OpenTable); walk-ins will be added and available after that. During opening week, 5% of all sales proceeds will also be donated to The Sameer Project.

Alma PDX [opening June 13, 2025]
5237 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland
Alma website | Instagram | Facebook

Sending our best to Yellow Line Food Cart Pod, Navigator Coffee Co, and Alma for their openings just around the corner!

Updated June 12, 2025.