The Pines Dine, Lincoln City’s Taft Beach food cart hall, is the gold standard for the format on the coast, with a dozen carts and three in particular you shouldn’t miss if you stop in. Try locally sourced albacore or bay shrimp at the build-your-own poke bowl spot Sha Sha’s. Stop at Momo on the Wheels for chubby little Nepalese-style dumplings and curry dipping sauces. And at Rook & Larder, a cart from Besaw’s and Wildwood alum Jim Holland, try a constantly changing seasonal menu that, were it served on a plate instead of in a to-go container, would rival many of the coast’s more elegant restaurants. His greatest hits include bowls of ramen with spicy crab or smoked pork belly, New England-style Dungeness crab rolls, and local rockfish po’ boys. But don’t overlook his excellent salads made with seasonal produce or, in summer, the Japanese riff on elote, a fresh ear swizzled with Kewpie mayo, sweet tonkatsu sauce, and furikake. A bonus, the colorful, climate-controlled dining area offers a fantastic selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, free parking, frequent opportunities to see all-ages live music on the in-house stage, and remarkably clean restrooms. PSA to parents: take your food to go, and you can post up at the nearby Schooner Creek Discovery Park Playground.
Emily Teel