A Guide to Food Carts in Portland Oregon
Tandoor’s Saffron Indian Kitchen – 5th ave
Location: SW 5th and Oak
Hours: Weekdays, lunch
The Story: Tandoor’s has expanded again. This is their 3rd location with others at SW 4th and Hall and SW 9th and Washington. You can find our profile of them here.
Location: SW 5th and Oak Pod
Hours: Mon-Fri 11 am – 6 pm
The Story: I think there’s a tendency to lump all Middle Eastern food together. Generally, many do all have common dishes (often with the same name) Hummus, Pita Bread, Shawarma, Falafel and the like. Yet like Europe, the Middle East is a vast place with some distinct variations and dishes found country by country and region by region.
Take Falafel for example. Sure, it’s usually ground chickpeas with some spices and fillings then rolled into balls and fried. But have you ever had Israeli Falafel with it’s all you can eat buffet of topping choices? Or what about Egyptian Falafel, generally made with bright green Fava Beans and not just Chickpeas? Some are balls, some are patties, some are golf ball sized and others much larger. Seasonings vary from country to country too from mild to spicy to herbal to garlicky.
Enter Babylon Iraqi. This nicely decorated cart, nestled into the bustling SW 5th and Oak pod downtown, offers menu items you might be familiar with through “Middle Eastern” cuisine, but here things are just a bit different. They are also very, very good. It’s the quality, care and freshness of the ingredients that matters, and Babylon Iraqi has all three.
The tender, and really, I mean melt in your mouth moist Falafels at Babylon Iraqi come with herbal notes and a bit of spicy heat, also drizzled with bright red hot sauce, have become my top Falafel in Portland – Chickpea based, in case you are wondering. At $5.00 for a sandwich, or $6.00 for a heaping plate that includes salad, saffron rice, and hummus, they are a BARGAIN. Don’t just stop at the Falafels though. Rice Burianey is enough for 2-3 meals with my appetite, and comes heaping with aromatic rice, and falafel, chicken, or lamb as you wish. Chicken Shawarma, hummus, and my favorite garlicky, smokey, creamy eggplant dip known as Baba Ganouj are also available. Hey, you can even get a Halal hot dog or burger if you’d like to try some Western/Iraqi fusion cuisine. Come to think of it, a burger with hummus on it sounds pretty good right about now…
Sample Menu:
Phone: Coming Soon
Location: SW 5th and Oak
Hours: 8am-6pm, Mon-Fri
The Story: At many food carts, the portions and size of the dishes are so substantial; one has no choice but to eat at a table with a knife and fork. Sometimes, it’s refreshing to visit a cart where the food is truly mobile. Something you can carry in your hand and eat on the go. The empanadas coming from The Fix are just such items—flaky, homemade crust encompassing a delicious filling.
It was lunchtime, and the pod at 5th and Oak was hopping with corporate denizens and street kids alike. Tucked away on the corner of this pod, facing Oak Street, is The Fix. Owners Dylan and James were inspired by a recent trip to Argentina, and motivated by Dylan’s girlfriend Lourdes, who kept searching for a cart in Portland with truly authentic empanadas.
Hungry for lunch, I decided to try two savory empanadas, and a sweet one for dessert. I started with the Green Mafia—filled with spinach, mushrooms and ricotta cheese. The flavor was mellow and balanced, which was a perfect compliment for the chipotle mango sauce. Next was El Jefe—a beef picadillo made in the Cuban style, with potatoes, peppers and olives. This empanada was rich and flavorful on its own, but when paired with the chimichurri sauce, it was heaven. The chimichurri sauce is a perfect blend of herbs and spices, and was so delicious I would like to buy it on its own!
Empanadas from The Fix
For dessert, I tried the Runaway Goat, an empanada filled with goat cheese, almonds and raspberries from Sauvie Island. The smooth and sweet goat cheese tamed the spiciness of the El Jefe. I really enjoyed the texture, a balance between the crunchy almonds and the smooth cheese. After three empanadas, I was pleasantly full and happy.
The Fix has many vegetarian options, as well as breakfast and smoothies. Lunch combinations are available; $6 gets you one empanada and one side, and $8 covers one empanada, two sides and a drink. Availability of the sides vary, but may include Ceveggie—a vegetarian ceviche with corn & black beans, Mexi Slaw, or Caprese salad. The Fix accepts all major credit cards, with a $5 minimum purchase. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent you.
Sample Menu:
Empanadas, $4 a la Carte for first, $3 each additional
Savory
Sweet
Smoothies, $5 each
Hours: 8am-6pm, Mon-Fri
Phone: 503.893.4FIX
Facebook: The Fix Food Cart
Twitter: @TheFixFoodCart
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Wagsy's Hot Beef Sandwiches
Location: SW 5th and Oak
Hours: Weekdays, 10am-4pm
The Story:
Family is the strongest bond one will have in his or her life. To me, it’s always a cool story when a parent and child take a common interest and open a business together based on that shared link. At Wagsy’s, which opened in early January 2012, Kevin and his son, Eric, share their love for sandwiches with the public.
Wagsy is Kevin’s nickname, given to him by some of his good friends. There are five sandwiches on the regular menu, each using a fresh Italian roll. Several sandwiches are named for various regions of the United States. I had the Beef ‘n Bourbon sandwich with thin slices of roast beef, chopped cabbage, and Wagsy’s special BBQ sauce infused with premium Maker’s Mark bourbon. The large slices of roast beef are extremely tender and juicy with the fresh cabbage adding that contrasting crunchy element. The warm tangy/sweet BBQ sauce is a home run, and the bourbon shines through. The Italian roll is soft when biting into it, yet thick enough to encase the beef, sauce, and cabbage. A simple sandwich, yet so comforting.
Wagsy's Hot Beef Sandwiches
People have raved about the Chi-Town Beef Dip – a beef sandwich dipped in au jus, and the Rip City – roast beef and garlic butter sautéed mushrooms. Wagsy’s also offers a vegetarian sandwich option. Wagsy’s is open on weekdays for lunch. Check them out and tell ‘em Food Carts Portland sent ya!
Sample Menu:
Hours: Weekdays, 10am-4pm
Phone: 503 884 0658
Twitter: @Wagsys
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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.
Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Phone: 503 567 2SIN (27456)
Facebook: Sin Wagon
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