America's Largest Food Cart Plaza Opens

The new food plaza, officially named Vancouver Station Food Carts, is located at 1817 SE 164th Ave. With space for up to 44 vendors, it surpasses other large food cart pods in the region, such as the BG Food Cartel in Beaverton which hosts 31 carts. While only a handful of carts are open during the initial soft launch, most of the spots are already spoken for, with more vendors expected to open as they receive state permitting. A central, two-story hub anchors the plaza, featuring an 8,000-square-foot indoor dining area with heating and air conditioning. This indoor space also includes a full bar with 36 taps for beer, cider, and wine, as well as an ice cream shop and a coffee bar. The design is intended to create a year-round destination, comfortable for patrons regardless of the weather. The project is the creation of developer Tai Dang, who is also behind the successful Hillsboro Downtown Station. That sister location in Oregon hosts 27 carts and has been a thriving community hub for over two years, suggesting a proven model for the new Vancouver plaza. Dang's firm, Hillsboro Properties LLC, is also planning a 138-unit apartment complex across the street, signaling a larger investment in the neighborhood. While the full vendor lineup is still being finalized, the first carts to open include the Bobablastic franchise and an Asian fusion cart called Flavors of Joy. The developers have curated the vendor mix at their Hillsboro location to ensure a wide variety of non-competing cuisines, ranging from Cuban and Korean to Italian and Indian, which points to a similarly diverse offering for Vancouver. The plaza's management also plans to feature nightly entertainment, such as live bands, DJs, trivia, and bingo, to create a lively community atmosphere.