Cultured Caveman

Last updated
Cultured Caveman
Cultured Caveman
Restaurant information
Established2012 (2012)
Closed2020 (2020)
Street address8233 North Denver Avenue
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97217
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 45°34′58″N122°41′14″W / 45.5829°N 122.6872°W / 45.5829; -122.6872

Cultured Caveman was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. The business started as a group of food carts, before opening a brick and mortar establishment in 2014. The restaurant was considered the first paleo food cart on the West Coast. [1] It closed permanently in 2020.

Contents

Description

The 60-seat counter service restaurant Cultured Caveman operated in north Portland's Kenton neighborhood. [2] The interior had communal tables and a play area for chidlren with a dinosaur theme. [3]

Cultured Caveman's paleolithic diet-focused menu emphasized meats and vegetables, with dairy-, gluten-, and soy-free options. [4] The menu included almond-stuffed and bacon-wrapped dates, Brussels sprouts fried in beef tallow, chicken tenders, and pork carnitas. [2] [5] [6] The restaurant also served meat chili, meatloaf, [7] [8] a bone broth soup made from knuckle bone marrow, a salad with cabbage, carrots, and kale, and another with beets, jicama, and walnuts. [9] [10]

History

Joe Ban and Heather Hunter were the owners of Cultured Caveman, which began as a group of food carts before operating solely as a brick and mortar establishment in 2014. [4] The first food cart was installed on Alberta Street in northeast Portland in 2012, following a successful fundraiser for the cart. [5] [11] [12] [13] A second location opened later in 2012. [14] The business grew to operates three food carts: the Alberta Street location at 14th Avenue, another on Hawthorne Boulevard at 41st Avenue, and a third in downtown Portland at Southwest 3rd Avenue and Stark Street. [15] [16]

The duo claimed Cultured Caveman was the first "paleo-friendly" food cart on the West Coast [4] and raised $30,000 via Kickstarter to fund the brick and mortar restaurant, which opened in a space that previously housed an E-san Thai Cuisine location. [2] As of 2016, Cultured Caveman hosted the musician Mr. Ben weekly. [17]

Cultured Caveman closed permanently in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. [4] [5]

Reception

In 2012, Michael Russell of The Oregonian said Cultured Caveman was among Portland's best new food carts. [15] [18] The business ws also included in the newspaper's list of the top 50 food carts. [19] Cultured Caveman received honorable mention in the Best Gluten-Free Restaurant category of Willamette Week 's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2015. [20] It was a runner-up in the same poll's Best Paleo Options category in 2016 and 2017. [21] [22] It ranked third and was also a runner-up in the Best Paleo Options category in 2018 and 2020, respectively. [23] [24]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Explore the New Carts at Alberta's Paleo and Vegan-Friendly Pod". Portland Monthly. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  2. 1 2 3 DeJesus, Erin (2014-06-10). "Inside Cultured Caveman, Bringing Paleo to NoPo". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  3. ↑ Bakall, Samantha (2014-06-02). "First look: The Cultured Caveman, Portland's first Paleo-friendly food cart goes brick and mortar (gallery)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Frane, Alex (2020-07-22). "One of the City's Oldest Paleo Restaurants Has Permanently Closed". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2025-04-10. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  5. 1 2 3 Smith, Suzette. "The Week in Food News: Goodbye Cultured Caveman, Hello Higgins Piggins, and a Riot Ribs Rundown". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  6. ↑ "Gluten-Freed". Willamette Week. 2019-08-20. Archived from the original on 2024-12-12. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  7. ↑ "The Alternative Eating Revolution". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  8. ↑ "Portland's Essential Gluten-Free Food & Drink Guide". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  9. ↑ "Cultured Caveman". Willamette Week. 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  10. ↑ "Macrolicious". Willamette Week. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  11. ↑ "Inside Cultured Caveman, Portland's First 100% Paleo Restaurant". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  12. ↑ "Paleo in Portland and the raw meat diet". KATU . 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  13. ↑ "Cultured Caveman". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  14. ↑ "Eat Beat's News to Chew". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2023-06-10. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  15. 1 2 Bakall, Samantha (2014-03-07). "The Cultured Caveman to open brick and mortar location in North Portland". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  16. ↑ Lannamann, Ned. "Boner Juice". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  17. ↑ "Portland's Best Kindie Musicians". Willamette Week. 2016-01-05. Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  18. ↑ Russell, Michael (2012-08-10). "The Cultured Caveman: Portland's best new food carts 2012". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  19. ↑ "The Oregonian's Top 50 Food Carts". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  20. ↑ "Best of Portland Readers' Poll". Willamette Week. 2015-07-15. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  21. ↑ "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  22. ↑ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2017". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  23. ↑ "Here are the Winners of the Best of Portland Readers' Poll 2018". Willamette Week. 2018-07-11. Archived from the original on 2019-01-06. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
  24. ↑ "FOOD, DRINK, RESTAURANTS". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2020-11-15. Retrieved 2025-05-05.
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