Velas Cart

Location: N Lombard and Burr
Hours: Daily, 11am-7pm

This guest post was written by Scott Batchelar, a regular at many of the carts throughout the city. Thank you Scott.

The Story:

“Welcome to Velas, how are you tonight?” says Mario Vela the owner and chef of the Velas food cart as I walk up to this small food cart pod which includes a Kruger’s Farm Market and Captured by Porches Microbrewery.

In Portland we have close to fifty Mexican Food Carts and for me the trick is finding the gems at each cart. I looked over the extensive menu of Mexican and American foods at Velas and asked Mario for some advice on what his favorite dishes are. He immediately recommended his chicken mole even though I am still perusing the menu to see what else looks promising. My eyes settle on the empanadas and after asking some questions I order both a beef empanada and the chicken mole.

Chicken Mole from Velas Cart

I sit down in the Captured by Porches Bus for a tasty and filling meal. I especially liked the tenderness of the chicken and authentic mole sauce that Mario makes fresh daily as well as the delicious topping of pico de gallo. Add to that the cheese in small cubes he placed on the moist and delicious beef empanada as a bonus.

Velas is open daily from 11am to 7pm. They have an extensive menu of Mexican and American foods including tacos, burritos, tortas, sopes, empanadas, memelas, garnacas, tamales as well as numerous Mexican and American drinks and burgers. With the Captured by Porches bus, you can sit inside out of the rain and even enjoy a cold microbrew. Velas is a great addition to this small but intimate pod. If you drop in let them know Food Carts Portland and Scott Batchelar, the unofficial Food cart King, sent you.

Sample Menu:

PLATES: (with rice & beans)

• Pollo En Mole (chicken mole) $6.00

BURGERS: (With fries or potato salad) $6.00

• Velas (jalapenos, tomatoes, onion, pepperjack cheese)
• BBQ (grilled onions, bbq sauce, cheddar cheese)
• Garlic Mushroom (mushrooms, swiss cheese)
• Chili (green chile, onions, provolone cheese)
• Cajun Chicken Sandwich (marinated chicken, pepperjack & chipotle mayo on foccacia bread

MEALS:

• Tacos (pastor, steak, chorizo, chicken, lengua) $1.50
• Burritos (pastor, steak, chorizo, chicken, lengua) $5.00
• Tortas ((pastor, steak, chorizo, chicken, lengua) $5.00
• Sopes (chicken or beef) $2.50
• Empanadas (chicken, beef, chicharron) $2.50
• Memelas (beans, salsa, sour cream, queso fresca) $2.00
• Garnachas (red sauce, potatoes, onion, beef) $2.00
• Tamales (Veracruz Style – Chicken) $1.95

DRINKS

• Mexican – Jarritos, Horchata, Sidral, Jamaica, Sangria, Tamarindo, Jumex $1.50
• Domestic – Pepsi, Fanta, Diet Pepsi, Dr Pepper, Sprite, Root Beer, Mt Dew, Coke $1.00

Hours: Daily, 11am-7pm
Phone: 503 754 2904

Flyin' Hawaiian

Location: SE 52nd and Foster
Hours: Daily, 11 am to 8 pm

The Story:

It’s weird how a random trek to SE Portland confirmed how small the world can be. Knowing that several carts in the Foster pod had moved or closed up for winter, I wanted to see which carts remained – and if there were any new arrivals. Flyin’ Hawaiian was one of the newbies in the pod. I was born and raised in Hawaii, so any time I see a Hawaiian-style food cart, I just walk in a hypnotic state, almost compelled to try the food.

Jason Manolian and his business partner, Rusty Silva, opened Flyin’ Hawaiian in early December 2011. Amazingly, Jason is not only from Hawaii, but lived no more than two minutes from my house, mere steps from Aiea High School (no, we didn’t know each other prior to this food cart visit). Before opening this cart, Jason had worked in the restaurant business for several years.

Scanning the menu, I spotted the word “habanero.” Win! Jason has two types of habanero sauce for his wings – pineapple habanero and mango habanero, along with four milder options. And when I say wings, I mean the whole wing…think Pok Pok large. These wings appear to be fried naked, resulting in golden-brown crispy skin and juicy meat. I asked for the two habanero sauces on the side so I could try both. After a time, the fruity, spicy habanero ran wild in my mouth and I couldn’t tell which sauce was which. To me, it didn’t matter. Big chicken wings and spicy sauces already made me a happy panda.

Chicken Wings from Flyin' Hawaiian

I had enough room in my stomach for a mahi-mahi taco ($3). Double corn tortillas hold diced cooked mahi-mahi (fish), tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and more. Customers have a choice of a spicy or a sweet tartar sauce, and of course, I chose spicy. Steamed tortilla, moist fish, refreshing toppings, and a satisfied stomach. Jason said people usually order about three of these for a nice filling meal.

The Garlic Teriyaki Burger and the Chicken Ranch Sandwich are some of the more popular items and non-meat eaters can rejoice, as there is a Vegan Burger on the menu. Also, watch for weekly specials! A recent kalua pork sandwich special was a huge hit. Check out Flyin’ Hawaiian, and tell Jason that Food Carts Portland sent ya!

Sample Menu:

• Giant Wings and Legs – $5 – three wings; $8 – five wings; $15 – ten wings; choice of sauce – pineapple habanero, mango habanero, honey bourbon, orange teriyaki, lemon garlic, or smoky apricot
• Garlic Teriyaki Burger – $6
• Mahi-mahi Burger – $6.75
• Mahi-mahi Tacos – $3 each – choice of hot or sweet chipotle sauce
• Chicken Ranch Sandwich – $5 – add bacon for $1.25 more
• Vegan Burger – $6
• Cinnamon and Sugar Crisp – $2
• Fresh Cut Fries – sm, $1.50; lg, $3 – choice of seasoning – sea salt, pepper, salt and pepper, garlic salt, Cajun, sweet basil, seasoned salt, cinnamon and sugar

Hours: Daily, 11 am to 8 pm
Phone: 503 567 8424
Website: http://www.flyinhwn.com
Facebook: FlyinHwn503
Twitter: @flyinhwn

The Sausage Shack

Location: SW 3rd and Stark
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 10:30am-2am; Fri, 10:30am-3:30am; Sat, 10:30am-7:30pm

The Story:

When the previous owners of the cart that houses The Sausage Shack landed the cart on the corner of SW 3rd and Stark, one would have thought the circus was coming to town. This uniquely shaped cart reminds one of getting a corn-dog after watching the clowns pack themselves into a Volkswagen bug.

The Sausage Shack laid claim and opened a year or so ago and has been feeding Portland some the city’s best bacon. How do I know it is the best? They won the 2011 Bacon Cup for best bacon in the city. That is a title to be proud of in this city where we believe bacon is one of the essential food groups. The Shack is the work of Shawn and Tamara who took their award winning bacon and created a menu of burgers, chicken wings, and dogs and incorporated bacon into each item. You can follow their exploits on their YouTube channel where they document the life and times of a food cart family.

Farmer John Burger from The Sausage Shack

While the bacon wrapped chicken wings did sound appealing and made my mouth water, I was on the move and didn’t have a place to sit down and get messy, so I perused the burger options. The Farmer John is BLT on a burger along with a fried egg. That egg surprised me, but I liked it. Not an over the top monster burger, all the different pieces fit together well so I could enjoy it while walking to my next gig. The bacon was excellent and paired with the crisp lettuce, a thick slice of juicy tomato and good quality burger, I would rate high on my burger list of Portland’s food carts.

At The Sausage Shack, you can get bacon wrapped chicken wings, a bacon wrapped corn dog, a Philly cheesesteak dog and so many more great combinations. They are open for lunch and late into the night every night except for Sunday. Drop on by, give it a try and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Full menu can be found on their website – PDXSausageShack.com

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 10:30am-2am; Fri, 10:30am-3:30am; Sat, 10:30am-7:30pm
Phone: 503 515 7962
Website: PDXSausageShack.com
Twitter: @Sausage_Shack
Facebook: The Sausage Shack
Other: Debit/Credit cards accepted

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

Rock House Grill

Location: Cartlandia, SE 82nd and Harney
Hours: Daily and weekends, breakfast, lunch and dinner

The Story:

In a trailer that reminds one of the 50′s or maybe a boardwalk vendor, The Rock House Grill creates some great food to sate your needs- morning, noon or night.

At Cartlandia out in east Portland, James has opened his shop after years of working in restaurants and honing his skills at the grill. He’s worked in small bars, been a line cook and even catered for concerts. If you can manage a crowd of rowdy rockers, you’ve proven you can man the grill.

NY Steak Sandwich

With an extensive menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, burgers, burritos, pork chops and steaks, there is something for everyone. Instead of ordering what I would normally order, the burger, we asked James what his signature dish was. The NY Steak sandwich is what he prepared. Ordered medium rare, just before we went to sit down, he yelled out the window “leave the fat on or off?” I’ve never been asked that, so again, deferred to his discretion – fat on. The large steak came atop some melted cheese on a toasted bun with some grilled onions and peppers sliced tomato and a salad mix of finely chopped cilantro, spinach and leaf lettuce. At first bite, you could taste the amazing steak, cooked perfectly medium rare and juicy, the veggies and a hint of horseradish that was pleasantly spicy, but not overwhelming. Having the fat left on gave it a great little buttery flavor. An excellent sandwich and one of the best I’ve tried in awhile.

The Rock House Grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and will feed you until you’re full. The portions are large and satisfying and James is a character who will bring your food to the table and make sure you’ve had a satisfying meal. Drop on by and let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu: by far not everything

• The Big Badass American Outlaw Burrito: steak, chicken or pork with all the fixins – $8
• NY Steak and Eggs w/hash browns or fried potatoes and toast – $10
• Pancakes – $6
• English muffin, ham, egg and cheese – $4
• NY Steak Dinner served with salad, rice or fried potatoes or baked potato, beans and a dinner roll – $10
• Double Double style burger-  double meat, double cheese – $8
• Single Steak Burger – $5
• NY Steak Sandwich  – $10
• Patty Melt – $6
• and more

Hours: Daily and weekends, morning to evening
Contact: unknown

Best Burger

Location: SE 185th and Stark in Rockwood
Hours: Open daily at 11am

The Story:

Situated on one the cities busiest and most diverse streets, Best Burger has staked out their territory and feeds the masses that make their way up and down the arterial.

Best Burger, both the food and the cart were put together by general contractor John who saw a need in the area for a food cart. Where they are located, there has been a Peruvian cart for awhile, but no hot dogs or burgers. John decided to use his skills with power tools and built the cart he now spends his days in. With a broad menu ranging from chicken wings to mac-n-cheese to soup or chili to burgers and fries, John has something for everyone. He can even make you a milkshake if that is your desire.

Chicago Dog

When visiting carts, I really do my best to try their specialty, but the day I visited Best Burger was also the day I had just eaten a burger, so didn’t want to repeat that, so I opted for a Chicago Dog with green relish, chopped onion, tomato and a pickle. When John was preparing it, he asked if I liked it spicy. I love everything spicy, so he added in a few chopped pepperoncinis to give it a bit of a kick. A great dog, simple and yet so flavorful with all the fixin’s. It reminds me of summer bar-b-ques and baseball games. Not a bad way to spend a lunch hour – good food and good memories.

Best Burger is now open at SE 82nd and Brooklyn, just north of Powell on the east side of the street. John is working on a new location, so he may move. We’ll keep you posted on his location when we learn of it. Drop on by for some good food prepared by a great guy who just wants to feed ya. Let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Chicken wings – original Hot, BBQ or Extreme Hot – $4.50
• Chicago Dog with relish, onion, tomato and pickle – $3.50
• New York Dog with sauerkraut – $3
• Mac-n-Cheese or Chili-Mac – $2.50 or $3.50
• Hamburger-  $3.50
• Cheeseburger – $4
• Double Cheeseburger – $5.50
• Chicken Burger – $4
• Fries – ranging from naked to garlic to chili cheese – $2-$4
• Milkshakes – $3.50-4

Hours: 11am-close, weekdays and weekends
Phone: 503 709 9843

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

Flogene's Home Cooking

Location: SW 9th and Washington
Hours: Mon-Fri, lunchtime

The Story:

Over the past few months, it seems the South has discovered Portland and decided we need to enjoy some of their delights. We had some southern style carts for awhile, yet have added a few more focusing on southern delights and Flogene’s has opened downtown with her take on southern fried chicken.

Flogene’s opened in mid June in the cart that use to be Mono Malo Tapas. On the strip on SW 9th between Alder and Washington, they have some stiff competition with carts that have been featured on TV or highlighted in the Oregonian. That doesn’t hold them back though. Flogene, the carts namesake, has that wonderful southern drawl that seems to hug you as she speaks. To get the recipe right for her chicken, she flew in her friend Kenneth from Nashville who was there working the cart the day I visited. Now that’s dedication to food.

Fried Chicken and a Biscuit from Flogene's

While I believe the southern fried chicken is the primary focus of the cart, they also offer hand pattied burgers, hand cut fries and hot dogs and an assortment of salads. I opted for the fried chicken and biscuit for $6 as that isn’t an item you usually find downtown. The chicken was wonderful – a leg and a breast – with a crisp flavorful outer crunch and a juicy inside. I ripped off a bit of the breast and split the biscuit in half to create an excellent little sandwich. The biscuit almost stole the show. I think I may just return for those to pair with other meals I get from the carts in that lot.

Flogene’s is an excellent addition to the Alder pod. While other southern food and even a variation on fried chicken available in the pod, Flogene is giving it to you straight. At this point, we may need to have a “fried chicken off” to see which carts have the best chicken. I want to return for one of the burgers. If the chicken is any indication, that burger will also be tasty. Open for lunch daily, check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Fried Chicken and Biscuit – 2 pieces of chicken – $6
• Hamburger or Cheeseburger with all the fixin’s – $5-5.50
• Hand cut fries – $1.50
• Chicken Salad -$5
• Pimento Cheese – $4
• Egg Salad – $5

Hours: Monday-Friday, lunchtime
Contact: unknown