Grass Roots Cafe

Location: 3503 N Mississippi, north of Fremont
Hours: Mon-Sat, 12-9pm, Sun, 12-5pm

The Story:

Mississippi avenue is bookended by food carts with venerable elder statesmen FlavourSpot at one end and Mississippi Marketplace on the other. In between, just north of Fremont, a pod has struggled to take shape and keep carts. A new cart, Grass Roots Cafe looks to be one that will be there for awhile.

Grass Roots Cafe is the work of Ellis and his partner who opened the cart earlier this year. While Ellis attended culinary school at Clark College, looking at the menu and chatting with him, the flavors and feeling of the cart have been sitting in his culinary mind for years. Sandwiches, burgers, sliders, mac and cheese – and wings. Yes, chicken wings. We have had a few carts in town doing wings, but at this time, none are open, so if you want wings from a cart, Grass Roots Cafe is your place.

Upon arrival, Ellis was there, leaning out the window welcoming me and telling me about the specials. I was intrigued by the Charles Bronson Chili, but was more in the mood for a sandwich. He offers the “Bro that’s stupid hot” Chicken burger with grilled chicken, chipotle mayo, sliced jalapenos, insane heat sauce, lettuce and tomato. It even has a note that a waiver must be signed. I enjoy spice, so ordered it. Ellis started looking for the waiver. Seriously! I stopped him. I thought it was a joke, but it wasn’t. The sauce is made with habaneros and ghost peppers, some of the hottest on the planet. While I wanted a spicy sandwich, I opted to not include the insane heat sauce and Ellis served the sandwich up with a spicy BBQ sauce instead. The grilled chicken had a wonderful spice rub on it and paired with the chipotle mayo and jalapenos it was enough flavor and spice for my palate. A wonderful mix of flavors.

"Bro that's stupid hot" chicken sandwich

I love it that he has waivers for his hot sauce. That tells me he is proud of the heat. If you’re a heat fan, you should check it out and report back. I know I’ll be returning to try out the chicken wings – maybe on Monday nights when they are only 50c a piece. Drop on by Grass Roots Cafe, say hi to Ellis and try some of his vittles. They have covered seating and he’s open into the evening. Let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

The menu at Grass Roots is vast. Here are a few of the items offered.

• The John Bryant Pulled Pork Sandwich – $6
• Pedal Power: basil & pesto chicken sandwich – $5
• “Bro that’s stupid hot” Chicken Burger: chipotle mayo, jalapenos, insane heat sauce, lettuce, tomato – $6
• Grass Roots Burger – $3.75
• Chicken and Waffles – $7
• 2pc Chicken and Fries – $4
• Chicken wings – range from 6 wings for $4.95 to 48 wings for $38.95 and more
• Bacon Mac and Cheese – $5
• Shrooms and Mac – sauteed mushrooms and elbow macaroni – $5
• Green House Effect Salad – $4.75

Hours: Mon-Sat, 12-9pm, Sun, 12-5pm
Phone: 503 960 2623
Facebook: Grass Roots Cafe

Sin Wagon

Location: SW 5th and Oak
Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime

The Story:

When you first see the sign and think about the name, you know you want to try it. We’re drawn to items that sound naughty. Sin Wagon is now open and ready to feed your guilty pleasure.

Sin Wagon is the work of Tracy and Chad. Tracy runs the window and owns the cart while chad works the grill and deep fryer to create what makes Sin Wagon work. The name? Well, Tracy and some buddies were playing Rock Band and came across one of their favorite songs and it stuck. I like it! Weren’t the original food carts the covered wagons on the Oregon Trail? If they had deep fryers back then, the chuck wagon may have had a nickname.

The menu at the cart offers wraps, dogs, and plenty of items from the fryer like chicken fingers, corn dogs, onions rings and tater tots. I opted for the burger with tots. After the holidays, I just couldn’t do a full meal of fried goods. On a standard burger bun, they stack the patty, leaf lettuce, a thick cut tomato slice, white onion and pickles. A simple but tasty burger that will satisfy your sandwich needs. The freshness of the veggies was an added bonus – I love the crunch of sliced pickles and onions with the saltiness of the burger and cheese. The tots, crispy as ever, are an excellent side dish to anything. Need I say more?

Burger and Tots from Sin Wagon

If you’re looking for something beyond the burger, check out their deep fried Mac & Cheese balls. You can even get baby elephant ears. Sin Wagon is now open on SW Oak between 4th and 5th, around the corner from the main strip of carts on 5th. They are looking to expand hours into the evening or late night, so keep an eye out for that. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

All baskets come with fries, tots or slaw.

• Simply Fingers: crispy or grilled chicken or steak fingers regular or spicy – $7
• Finger Sandwich: crispy or grilled chicken or steak fingers on a hoagie roll – $7
• The Perfect Burger: beef burger with all the fixin’s – $7
• West Coast Wrap: crispy or grilled chicken or steak fingers rolled in a tortilla with lettuce,cheese, tomato and sauce – $7
• Whuttup Dog: steamed beef hot dog on a bun – $5
• Batter Up!: hand dipped honey corn dog – $6
• Mac & Cheese: $3
• Mac & Cheese Balls: deep fried – $4
• Baby Elephant Ear: $3

Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Phone: 503 567 2SIN (27456)
Facebook: Sin Wagon

Breakfast Lunch Today

Location: Cartlandia, SE 82nd and Harney
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8am-4pm; Fri, 8am-6pm; Sat, 11am-6pm

The Story:

I saw the logo first and my mouth began to water. blt. I immediately had that memory from childhood of stacking bacon and lettuce on toasted bread (no tomato, I didn’t like tomatoes then) with plenty of mayo and taking that wonderful first bite. Breakfast Lunch Today, or otherwise known as blt is a sandwich shop at Cartlandia.

Etienne Saucier opened his cart in summer and moved to the Cartlandia pod in August. Originally, he had planned a large menu of diverse items, but reality set in and he realized he wouldn’t have a large cart to support such efforts. In the trailer he did outfit, he designed a menu that would work with the confined space. After a few months, he’s happy with his choice and has succeeded.

Montecristo from Breakfast Lunch Today

Etienne focuses on sandwiches and has a broad selection to choose from including fried sandwiches, cold sandwiches and classics like the Dagwood  and Croque-Monsieur. I was ready to go for the namesake and get a BLT, but asked him for his recommendation and he steered me to the Fried Montecristo. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a few variations on the Montecristo – usually a deep fried traditional sandwich with powdered sugar atop. When we opened up Etienne’s version I was completely surprised. Instead of a traditional sandwich with slices of bread, his Montecristo is made up of black forest ham, turkey, Gruyere and emmental cheese then wrapped in beignet dough and deep fried. Beignet Dough! I just stared at it for a minute not sure what to think, but took the first bite and tasted the sweetness of the dough mixed with the excellent choice of cheese and meats. So good. We even tasted a bit of wine in there, but Etienne explained that beignet dough is over yeasty which brings out those types of flavors and smells. A great twist on an already wonderfully decadent sandwich.

Etienne and his cart are open during the week and on Saturday for breakfast, lunch and on Friday and Saturday, you could pick something up for an early dinner. If you’re in the mood for a well crafted sammy, drop on by Breakfast Lunch Today and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Fried Cheese: their special dough filled with Mozzarella or cheddar and fried – $4; add bacon or ham, $5
• Egg and Cheese: like a fried quiche – $5.50
• Fried Denver: bell peppers, ham, eggs and stuffed in dough and fried – $6.50
• Turkey-Cran: turkey, provolone, cranberry sauce fried in special dough – $6
• Tomato and Fresh Basil: tomato, Mozzarella, fresh basil in signature dough – $5
• Fried Montecristo: ham, turkey, Gruyere, emmental, dijin mustard wrapped in beignet dough and fried – $8
• Turkey Club: bacon, turkey, lettuce, tomato, may and cheddar – $5
• Ham and Spinach: ham, spinach, provolone, olives and honey mustard – $5.50
• Roast Beef and Cheddar: add lettuce, tomato, horseradish and cheddar – $6
• Muffuletta: ham, salami, mortadella, provolone and cajun olive spread – $7

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8am-4pm; Fri, 8am-6pm; Sat, 11am-6pm
Phone: 503 310 4631
Facebook: blt
Resources: Credit/Debit cards accepted

Wooster's

Location: SE 52nd and Foster
Hours: Tues-Fri, 8:30-8:30ish; Sat/Sun, 11-8:30ish; Late night 12-3am Sat/Sun

The Story:

We did a couple of roadtrips across America in the past few years and some of the best food we enjoyed was in the south. A mixture of down home cookin’ and a grandmotherly service makes you want to stick around and chat about old times. Wooster’s had all those traits and more.

Matt and Spencer make up the team that brought Wooster’s to Portland. When I say brought, I mean it. The bright orange cart was acquired and outfitted in Florida and then driven to Portland. The original goal was to hit some festivals along the way, but as they learned, the rules are different in every city, state and county, so ended up just coming straight here to open. Both Matt and Spencer are from Texas and met here in Portland at Le Cordon Bleu, the culinary school. With those southern influences, a few recipes from grandma and some time spent in Alabama, the menu and flavors of Wooster’s were born. They like to call it an original country soul food style.

Fried Green BLT from Wooster's

Wooster’s is open from breakfast to dinner and even late night on the weekends, so their menu reflects all kinds of options one would enjoy during the course of the day. You could start off with biscuits and gravy, have a chicken salad sandwich for lunch, shrimp and grits for dinner and they even have desserts and fried goods for that late night craving. Being there for lunch, we tried the fried green BLT with a side of fried whole okra. The BLT was just that with thick slabbed bacon and leaf lettuce, but substitute in fried green tomatoes. The bread for the sandwich was toasted just right to provide a crunch without forcing you to chew your way to the goodies inside. The fried green tomatoes (which we also got as a side dish) had an amazing batter to them which added an exceptional twist to this southern favorite. The whole fried okra were delectable. Using the same batter, which had a cornmeal element, the okra were cooked just right so as to not have that slimy texture so many simply can’t stomach. The true star with both fried items was the crust created by the batter. You gotta try it.

Fried Okra from Wooster's

Wooster’s is hard to miss. A bright orange trailer right on Foster just east of 52nd. Matt and Spencer are Texas gentleman and welcome you with a smile and a hearty southern “hello.” I’m excited to get back to try some of their other menu items – especially the country fried steak. Head on down, get a bit out of the south in your belly and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Biscuits and Gravy – $4
• Bacon, Egg and Cheese Croissant – $4
• Fried Green BLT – thick slabbed bacon, leaf lettuce and fried green tomatoes with 1 side- $7
• Country Fried Steak – hand breaded sirloin, sausage gravy with 1 side – $9
• Southern Chicken Salad or Sandwich – white grapes, walnuts, love with 1 side – $6
• Shrimp and Grits – pan seared fresh shrimp, andouille sausage, creamy polenta – $9

Sides – 1/$4; 2/$6; 3/$8

• Fried Green Tomatoes
• Sauteed Veggies
• Beer Battered Rings
• Curly French Fries
• Whole Fried Okra
• Black Eyed Peas – Polska Kielbasa

Hours: Tues-Fri, 8:30-8:30ish; Sat/Sun, 11-8:30ish; Late night 12-3am Sat/Sun
Phone: 503 664 0131
Twitter: @WoostersPDX
Facebook: Wooster’s

Year of the Fish

Location: SE 50th and Ivon, A la Carts Food Pavilion
Hours: Tues-Thur, 11:30-9; Fri, 11:30-12am; Sat, 12:30-12am, Sun, 12:30-8pm

The Story:

Out off Hawthorne in what many refer to as Stumbletown due to the number of bars, there is a new cart that is open late to sate those munchies you get after a few drinks – Year of the Fish. [Update 11/2011: Year of the Fish moved to SE 50th and Ivon]

Edward MacGregor opened Year of the Fish in September after being out of the restaurant game for a few years. Having grown up working in restaurants and subsequently owning them as a family business, he had taken a break from the grind, hoping to do something else. Well, the call of the deep fryer was too strong, but Edward didn’t want to do another restaurant, so decided on the cart. Locating at 47th and Hawthorne was also a strategic decision – an attempt to attract some of the crowds that line up to the few restaurant options in the area late night.

Tiger Prawns from Year of the Fish

Year of the Fish is a fish and chips cart. With options including cod, red snapper and halibut, if you love fish, you’ll like love this cart. Edward offers traditional or gluten-free batter depending on your needs. What surprised me was the offer of tiger prawns. I love a good fish and chips, but to get batter fried tiger prawns raises the bar. Lightly breaded and crunchy, the prawns are delightful. You can get different sauces, but these are so flavorful, you don’t need it. Sided with a handful of steak fries, you have a great little snack.

Year of the Fish is now open for lunch and dinner weekdays and late night on the weekends. Drop on by for some well made fish and chips and other treats and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Cod and Chips – $7
• Red Snapper and Chips – $7
• Halibut and Chips – $market rate
• Tiger Prawns and Chips – $8
• Clam Chowder – New England style – cup, $3; bowl $5
• Just Slaw – $3
• Just Chips – $3

Hours: Tues-Thur, 11:30-9; Fri, 11:30-12am; Sat, 12:30-12am, Sun, 12:30-8pm
Phone: 971 258 6567
Twitter: @YearoftheFish1
Facebook: Year of the Fish

Location: 3503 N Mississippi
Hours: weekdays: breakfast, lunch and dinner

Cheesesteaks, Pulled pork sandwiches, breakfast items. More information coming soon.

Phone: 5034773164

The Burger Guild

Location: SE 50th and Ivon, A la Carts Food Pavillion
Hours: Tues-Sat, 12-9pm

The Story:

At some point, Portland became a burger town. Just last year, Willamette Week detailed the 50 best burgers in town which included some food carts. 2010 also introduce Portland to stuffed burgers and now we have our second cart offer such goodies – The Burger Guild.

Burgers and travel trailers go hand in hand and with The Burger Guild, the blue trailer that houses the operation is exactly what I would want as the kitchen for my burger maker. The Burger Guild opened in early July and already has a spot in one of Portland’s newest pods – Green Castle. Even after the first visit, the cart has moved to a more prominent position in the pod, indicating it’s immediate success. What makes The Burger Guild unique is that they stuff the burgers with ingredients like blue cheese, red peppers and onions or garlic and feta. These are great burgers with broad flavors.

Kalamata Mama

The Kalamata Mama is a burger you would take home to mom. Using Cascade Natural beef, the burger is stuffed with red peppers, onions, garlic and feta cheese and then thrown on the grill. The whole shebang is put together well with a great bun, spinach, a mix named the Mata mix and some Burger Guild secret sauce. I gotta say – one of those burgers that is photo worthy. A stunning example of A) a unique way of creating a burger and B) an eye for presentation. That first chomp included the green flavors of the spinach with the juiciness of the burger and some overwhelming garlic tones mixed with the savory and warm flavors of the Mata mix. One juicy burger, don’t try to eat this on your lap. But if you do, its worth it!

The Burger Guild is now open at Green Castle on NE 20th and Everett with about ten other carts. There are tables there so you don’t have to sit in your cart with the burger on your lap. Drop on by, try one of their burgers and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Black and Blue: Cascade Natural ground beef stuffed with blue cheese, red peppers and onions and topped with lettuce, tomato and TBG secret sauce – $6.75
• Kalamata Mama: burger stuffed with red peppers, onions, garlic and feta cheese, topped with spinach, “Mata” mix and TBG secret sauce – $6.75
• Deep Fried Mushrooms – $5
• Deep Fried Sliders – $4 or 2 for $7
• Midwest Style Pork Tenderloin Sandwich – pork tenderloin breaded and fried and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mustard – $5.75

Hours: Tues-Sat, 12-9pm
Phone: 309 299 1377
Website: TheBurgerGuild.com
Facebook: The Burger Guild

BeMap

Location: SW 10th and Washington
Hours: Lunchtime, weekdays and weekends

The Story:

In the lot with the most food carts, the highest number of Thai carts and carts that sell Japanese and Bosnian cuisine, we can add something new – fresh made mini-donuts and bubble tea from BeMap

This cute little cart that claimed its space off in the corner initially away from the other carts has made a name for itself. I’ve been hearing about the mini-donuts for a month or so now, but when I visited they were closed for an event. Finally, after Fox News profiled them, I new I had to visit, so a friend and I dropped by for a couple dozen mini donuts. At BeMap, they make the donuts to order with an extra bit of love and a dash of sugar. I had heard that a 9-year-old ate an entire dozen while everyone else waited for pad Thai down the street, but didn’t believe it until we were handed that warm bag with a dozen little bite size treats you can’t resist. We walked down the sidewalk with bag in hand joking about if we should dive in or not when we stopped for Mexican and decided to dive in. I tore the top of the bag off for easier access and we snapped up a few of the minis. Shut the front door! These were the tastiest little nibbles I’ve had. Dip them in the added chocolate sauce and you’re transported to another dimension. We got 2 dozen for $5 and there were donuts left over after everyone and their brother had one or three.

BeMap has great mini donuts, but they offer up much more, including coffee and hot chocolate, tea, smoothies and even bubble tea. If you’re up that way visiting any one of the many cart, wander down to BeMap and drop that $2.50 for some sugary treats. You and everyone you know won’t be disappointed. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Mini donuts: 8 for $2; 12 for $2.50; 16 for $3
• Chocolate sauce for dipping – 50c
• Coffee – $2.50
• Banana Coffee – $3
• Hot Chocolate – $2.50
• Banana Chocolate – $3
• Fresh Fruit Tea – $3
• Honey Ginger Tea – $3
• Smoothies – $3.95 – flavors: strawberry, banana, mixed berry, mango, pineapple, coconut, orange, avocado and papaya
• Bubble Tea – $2.85 – flavors: strawberry, mango, peach, coconut, honeydew, taro, pineapple, papaya, green tea, lychee, milk tea

Hours: lunchtime, weekdays and special events
Contact: unknown

Cackalack's Hot Chicken Shack

Location: SE 43rd and Belmont – Good Food Here
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 12-9pm; Fri/Sat, 12-10; Sun, 12-6pm

The Story:

When you say the name, Cackalack’s Hot Chicken Shack, it just rolls off your tongue as if you’ve said those words every day for the last few years. I’m pretty sure that is the first sign of a successful food cart.

It was a quiet day at the lot when we visited Cackalack’s which allowed me to have a great conversation with the owners, Jeff and Stephanie who moved to Portland from Ashville, NC in order to open their cart. It just took one visit in spring of 2010 to convince them that Portland was where they wanted to live. (Jeff even got one of those iconic state of Oregon with the green heart in the center tattoos on that visit.) The two aren’t newbies to food, having worked in restaurants and been around food for years. Their goal though was to bring well made crispy fried chicken to the masses for a reasonable price. Portland only has a few places doing real southern fried chicken and as restaurants, they charge a pretty penny for the experience. Jeff stated his recipe was inspired by a Memphis Nashville restaurant, Prince’s, which is known by many as a prime fried chicken haunt.

Hot fried chicken from Cackalack's

At the shack, you can put together a meal with numerous options for chicken including cuts, spiciness and sides. Start out with portions – breast, leg quarter or wings and then the heat – naked, mild, hot or XxX hot. Lastly, you can choose from either potato salad or cole slaw for your side. Each dish has the chicken served atop a slice of Texas toast with a sliced dill pickle. The leg quarter seemed the appropriate size to check out what they were cooking up and I wanted it spicy, but edible, so chose hot instead of XxX hot. Like I said, I wanted to enjoy it. The presentation was spot on with a large piece of chicken, battered and deep fried to create a thick spicy crust surrounding some excellent juicy meat – all atop a slice of white bread. I picked up the pickle first which was skewered atop the chicken and took a bite, immediately tasting the spice from the chicken – cayenne and habanero. My lips burned, but I kept going and took that first bite. Wow! So that is what southern hot chicken tastes like? The crust was crunchy, it burned my tongue, but in a good way; the chicken juicy and flavorful. For $6, it will sure to become a return trip when I get hungry. The chicken does take a few minutes to make and they do warn you about that when ordering, so be prepared to hang out and chat or relax in the covered seating area.

Cackalack’s Hot Chicken Shack opened in April as one of the first carts at the new Green Castle Food Pod. Head on down and welcome Stephanie and Jeff to Portland and try some of their hot chicken. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

[update: Cackalack's moved to SE 43rd and Belmont in October 2011]

Sample Menu:

All chicken served atop a slice of Texas toast with a pickle slice

• Chicken portions: Breast – $7; Leg quarter – $6; Wings – $5
• Heat: naked, mild, hot, XxX hot
• Sides – potato salad or coleslaw
• Chicken and Dumplings – cup, $3.50; bowl, $5
• The Blazer – boneless fried breast on a bun pickles, smokey slaw and garlic herb aioli – $6.50

Hours: Tues-Thurs, 12-8pm, Fri/Sat, 12-9pm
Phone: 503 388 1772
Website: Cackalackshotchickenshack.com
Twitter: @Cackalacks Facebook: Cackalack’s Hot Chicken Shack

Timmy's Fish Fry

Location: SW Montgomery at 9th in the Park Blocks
Hours: M-F, 11am-5pm

The Story:

Portland has food carts of all different styles-  former hunting trailers, re-purposed U Haul trucks and purpose built carts that started from a flatbed. What we have few of are traditional old school push carts that were the forefront of streetfood in this city and also define streetfood elsewhere. Timmy’s Fish Fry, a newer cart at Portland State University is one of these carts born from the hot dog cart of yore.

Tim Bass literally dreamed up Timmy’s one night last summer and spent three to four months working out the details, getting inspections and setting up his cart at Portland State University. Tim’s cart is different than what we’re use to, a pushcart that is both open to the elements and arrives in the morning and leaves at the end of the day. In Portland, these types of carts are few and far between. When placing a cart on parks and rec land like the park blocks, you have to follow an extra set of regulations and roll up the sidewalks every day. Not a trivial task. I checked out Tim’s cart, both compact and functional, allowing him to deliver a simple menu of excellent quality items well prepared.

Fried Catfish Sandwich

I first tried fried catfish in the south a few years ago and whenever I get a chance, I order it. Some people are drawn to salmon, I’m a catfish fan. Tim offers up a fried catfish sandwich with crispy fillet atop some cole slaw on a french roll. The batter for the fish is made up of Bob’s Red Mill flour and some good old Hamm’s beer. A crisp light coating creates an excellent flavor with the fish. The slaw has a malt vinegar touch to it, providing a balance and zing for the fish similar to when you get fish and chips at a British pub and douse it with the malt. Sometimes, fried fish fillets are overly greasy, but not at Timmy’s, not at all. An excellent sandwich.

Timmy’s sets up his cart in the park blocks of SW Montgomery at Portland State University. Since he is fully mobile, you may see him elsewhere in the city, keep your eyes open. I enjoyed chatting with Tim and hearing his story and enjoying the sandwich he made me. Drop on by for a visit and let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Bay Shrimp Roll: french roll with bay shrimp and sauce – $6
• Crispy Catfish Roll: battered catfish, cole slaw, aioli on French roll – $6
• Fried Calimari – $5
• Fish Fry: fried pieces of cod, house made potato chips and slaw – $7

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-5pm
Email: tdbass1@yahoo.com
Facebook: Timmy’s Fish Fry