BrunchBox

Location: SW 5th and Stark
Hours: M-F, 8am-6pm; Sat, 11am-3pm

The Story:

Back in early 2009, Portland saw a surge of food cart openings and I distinctly remember when BrunchBox opened because A) they served burgers and B) they had breakfast sandwiches. In the two years that have transpired, BrunchBox has made a name for itself and become a fixture in Portland’s food cart community.

BrunchBox has recently gone through a sort of reboot of their menu, branding and ownership. The new owner Derek took the famous menu which still includes the YouCanHasCheeseburger and infamous Redonkadonk, but expanded to include build your own burger options and a large breakfast menu. I stopped by the first day the new menu debuted and enjoyed the new Thai Bacon Burger with grilled pineapple and jalapenos, bacon and peanut sauce. You can even choose mild, medium or hot for spiciness. That is just one of the many new choices being offered. You can also join them for breakfast at 8am weekdays and build your own with options of an omelet or breakfast sandwiches and even french toast. The possibilities are endless.

BrunchBox has been featured on The Cooking Channel, numerous print publications and even showcased on Health.com for the Redonkadonk sandwich. I’m happy to see them be as successful as they are and love the new menu. If you’re a regular, note that you now grab a menu and mark it up with your options and name and hand it off. That way you get exactly what you ordered. Hit up BrunchBox and check out the changes and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

The Redonkadonk from BrunchBox

New Menu can be found at BrunchBoxPDX.com

Hours: Mon-Fri – 8am-6pm; Saturday 11a-3pm
Phone: 503 477 3286
Website: BrunchBoxpdx.com
Contact: brunchboxpdx@gmail.com
Twitter: BrunchBox
Facebook: BrunchBox
Additional Info: Credit/Debit accepted

[Our original post about Brunchbox from March 2009 beyond the fold]

Description: Welcome to the strip Brunch Box. So excited for you to join us. The Brunch Box is a new cart in the 5th avenue cart pod where Matlocks used to be. They’ve only been open a couple of weeks now and you can see by their menu, they are making it a go with a broad array of lunch choices. I love how new carts quickly take over a space and make it their own. Brunch Box specializes in sandwich and burger fare. They also do breakfast. I was lamenting earlier this winter that there weren’t any breakfast carts that could serve me up a breakfast bagel or sandwich and what not. The other morning, I ventured to Brunch box for a yummy homemade English muffin, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich. So good. That English muffin was so fresh, I could still taste the baking going on. Talking with the owners, they stated the muffins had come out of the oven only 20 minutes before I arrived. Oh, and looking around, they were one of 2 breakfast spots at 8am. I see success. And for $3, it beats any other breakfast sandwich downtown unless you’re opting for fast food at the mall.

When I first discovered Brunch Box, I thought they were an old cart that just revamped the menu, but then I took a closer look. They had burgers. Not just any old $5 burger, but a $3 burger and then more options for more money. I opted for $6 OMG burger because A) anyone who incorporates texting speak into food names is a win in my book and B) I hadn’t had spam with a burger yet. Yup, SPAM! and bacon. and egg. The burger was put together with care and wrapped well so I could transport it over to my lunch eating spot at the US Bank Tower. When I bit into it, I was in heaven. Everything was proportionate and stayed together while I munched it down. It was messy, but what do you expect from an OMG burger? I would suggest grabbing a few extra napkins if you order one. The meat was cooked just right – not well done and the egg was firm enough not to drip the yellow guts all over everything else. After finishing and having a mild heart arrhythmia, I vowed I would go back. And I did for the aforementioned breakfast.

I will become a regular at this cart. The owners are nice and friendly and they have a great menu for everyone. If you are downtown, check them out and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya!

Sample Menu:

Breakfast (all day)
$2 Homemade English muffins (fresh daily)
-$1 Add: ham, bacon, spam, vegetarian sausage
-$.50 Add: egg, cheese, tomato, onion, mushroom, lettuce, peanut butter, pickles

$3 omelet breakfast sandwich: egg, mushroom, onion, American cheese

$5 omg! Breakfast sandwich: egg, ham, spam, bacon, American cheese

$3.50 Bec (bacon, egg, cheese)

Brunch (all day)

all burgers lettuce, tomato, onion, condiments

$3 ¼ Lb black Angus or veggie burger
-$1 add: ham, bacon, spam
-$.50 Add: egg, cheese, mushroom, pickles, sauerkraut, pineapple, chips (as topping)

$4 black & blue burger:
blackening seasoning w/blue cheese

$6 omg! burger:
egg, ham, spam, bacon, american cheese

$4 5-oh! burger:
pineapple, teriyaki glaze, spam, (yes, spam), swiss cheese
$4 reuben burger:
sauerkraut,  1000 island, swiss cheese

$5 youcanhascheeseburger!:
burger between two texas-toast grilled cheese sandwich “buns”

$9 redonkadonk
“omg! burger” (Egg, ham, spam, bacon, American cheese) between two texas-toast grilled cheese sandwich “buns”

$2 all-beef hot dog
-$.50 add: cheese, sauerkraut

$1.50 texas-toast grilled cheese sandwich

kids meals
comes with juice, apple sauce, and a sticker!

$3 cheezasaurus rex:
texas-toast grilled cheese sandwich shaped like a dinosaur

$3 pb & j:
texas-toast peanut butter and jelly sandwich shaped like a dinosaur

$2 ½ hot dog

Beverages & chips
$.50-$1: -coke, diet coke, bottled water, hot tea, assorted steaz teas and juice boxes
-frech-press, french-roast coffee by farm- friendly/local portland roasting company

$1: Chips, assorted varieties

*brunch box chooses local/organic whenever possible.
**all angus burgers are hand-pressed and made to order.

The Big Egg

Location: N. Mississippi at Skidmore in Mississippi Marketplace

Description:

Breakfast! The most important meal of the day. Isn’t that what we’ve learned all our lives? And yet, what do we eat when running out the door trying to get to the office or run that important errand – coffee, pastries… or something like that. I try and eat healthy in the morning, but am not the best example of a breakfast eater. I am usually on the fly to work when I decide I need something and grab a donut or something equally unhealthy. Today though, I changed it up. I woke up earlier than usual, made quick my morning routine and walked down the street to a new cart offering breakfast in my neighborhood- The Big Egg. Mississippi Marketplace, a new pod located in north Portland opened two weeks ago and the carts are beginning to open and work out the kinks. This morning was The Big Egg’s first morning and I’m glad I was there to welcome them.

When I think of breakfast out, the mind ranges from the full greasy spoon breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, fruit and toast all the way to the simple egg McMuffin from the fast food joints. If you venture beyond the local diner and fast food, you can enjoy a healthier breakfast, but you may be required to stand around for awhile since there are more people wanting that than there are amazing restaurants that offer it. In comes the breakfast food cart! The Big Egg serves breakfast. Simple as that. They craft breakfast in the form of egg sandwiches and wraps, but also offer up french toast, granola, fruit and sweet stuff.

This morning, while perusing the menu for the first time, my heart skipped a beat seeing that The Big Egg had a Monte Cristo on the menu. Seriously, my heart skipped a few beats remembering the last time I ventured into Monte Cristo land. This is one sandwich you do not take lightly. It is also one I will need to return for as this morning, I wasn’t hungry enough to tackle it. I ordered up the Breakfast Wrap, a grilled tortilla filled generously with scrambled eggs, roasted red potatoes (chopped up in small pieces for easy eating,) grilled portabello mushrooms, fire-roasted poblano salsa and Gorgonzola cheese. All this comes drizzled with their yogurt-lime sauce. It was huge!

The Big Egg Breakfast Wrap

As I wandered back down the street to catch my morning train, I dove in. The wrap was a larger tortilla that wasn’t filled to the max. That to me is a good think since I don’t have to worry about everything bursting out the sides. It was juicy, so I got a little messy at the end, but it was worth it. I loved the mix of the ingredients. Everything was just the right amount that nothing overwhelmed anything else. The potatoes and mushrooms were cut perfect. Small, so when grilled, they became tasty morsels. Needless to say, it filled me up.

I’m excited to have these new carts so close to me. With a couple of them, including The Big Egg, offering breakfast, it expands our options for when we don’t want to make it at home. Also, this will be perfect for those weekend mornings when you want something good but quick before heading out on errands. Head on down to The Big Egg, enjoy some breakfast or brunch, welcome Gayle and Elizabeth to the neighborhood and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• The Portlander: two eggs any style, cheese, with fresh chive and country dijon mustard served on a toasted Grand Central brioche – $5. w/meat $6 (meat includes apple wood smoked bacon, ham, veggie sausage)
• The Arbor Lodge: one egg any style, grilled portobello mushrooms, caramelized balsamic onions, arugula with roasted garlic and herb aioli on grilled Grand Central brioche – $6.50
• The Mississippi Monte Cristo: one egg any style, grilled black forest ham and gorgonzolla, drizzled with pure mable glaze, stacked between two pieces crunchy vanilla cardamom brioche French toast and dusted with powdered sugar – $7
• Breakfast Wrap: tortilla filled with scrambled eggs, roasted red peppers, grilled portabello mushrooms, fire-roasted poblano salsa, cheese, drizzled with yogurt-lime sauce – $4.75; w/meat $5.75
• Granola, Fruit and Yogurt cup – $4

Hours: Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun: 8am-2pm
Website: The Big Egg
Twitter: TheBigEgg