Cheap Food Critic

3517 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118

Mon-Sun 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

This place may look like a broke-down school bus on Rainier (and it maybe) but who really cares…the Mexican food being served from it is damn good. When coming here it’s pretty hard to miss but if you didn’t see the big white school bus keep an eye out for the racks of old car tires; that’s how you know you are close. If this is your first time here skip the menu and just order the torta and/or the mulitas with asada or chicken (both are probably some of the best if not the best in Seattle). The torta and 2 mulitas will cost you a “whopping” $8.50 after tax.

The torta is pretty much the Mexican version of a sandwich. My favorite part of the tortas here are the super buttery roll that are toasted on insides to give them a nice little crunch. Inside the bun these guys also pack in a generous amount of meat with slices of tomatoes, diced onions, jalapenos, lettuce, and mayo. One downside, because the buns are so soft they will break apart especially with the amount of stuff they pack into them. Not a huge issue, just grab a handful of napkins before you leave the bus.

I was never a huge fan of mulitas because they are pretty much just tacos with two tortillas (twice the carbs). But these guys toast up the tortillas to a super crunchy state. It’s almost like eating a perfectly packaged nacho with your choice of meat, a slice of avocado, cheese, and cilantro. I could probably eat these everyday.

In summary, overlook the junk yard feel and get the best tortas and mulitas in Seattle.

Note – There’s probably 6 seats inside the bus and 2 covered benches outside. But you probably drove here (because no one walks in Rainier) just eat in the comfort of your own car.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (179 Ratings)

827 Southwest 2nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

Tues, Wed, Thurs – 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fri, Sat – 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Sun – 12:00 pm – 6:00pm

There’s something about Korean food in a taco that is just amazing. Koi Fusion is no (Seattle) but they are representing Korean tacos for the people of Portland. This location is located in the same pod as Gonzo, Fuego de Lotus, and a beer cart so there’s stiff competition near by.

I got the beef tacos for $2.50 each and a pork rice bowl for $7. The pork was well marinated but again not quite as flavorful as Marination’s. The pork rice bowl was also really good. It pretty much tasted like bulgogi. The kimchi was a nice touch though, it added a little kick to the mixture of brown rice, bean sprouts, and cabbage.

Overall it was delicious food served cheap and fast. The atmosphere was also very nice with the hippies playing their instruments in the background and beer being served.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (189 Ratings)

9811 15th Ave SW
Seattle, WA 98106

Mon-Sun 10:00 am – 11:00 pm

This place is pretty far from downtown Seattle but if you happen to be in the West Seattle area (specifically the White Center area) you have to give it a try. This place is one of the best values in Seattle. Not only is it really cheap it is also really really good. I had the five taco combo which comes with a drink for under $6. I selected two beef, two spicy pork (my favorite), and a chicken taco. The combo comes with a grilled onion and pepper. I made the mistake of taking a bit into the pepper will all the seeds intact. After the burning stopped I was able to really enjoy the tacos. The spicy pork also has a little kick to it but is definitely do able for most people. The beef was also very tender and seasoned perfectly.

These guys are known for their tacos but there are so many other items on the menu I want to try. I’ve heard the torta is suppose to be amazing here. The Lengua (cow tongue) is also suppose to be really good if you are into that stuff.

So if you want one of the best values and probably one of the best taquerias in Seattle give this little taco truck in West Seattle a try.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Start (78 Reviews)

14513 Aurora Ave N 145th St
Seattle, WA 98133

Very very newcomer to the mobile food truck race. I had pretty high hopes for this place since they are so close to where I live. Prior to coming here I wasn’t able to scope these guys out on Yelp, Urbanspoon, or their website because they were so new. So I was going in completely blind and hoping for the best.

My first trip here I got the gyro for $6.56 after tax. There was nice flavor to the meat and the pita was nicely grilled. There was a perfect amount of tomatoes, onion, meat, and green stuff. It was a little messy though, but I guess it comes with the territory.

My second trip here I realized that these guys were starting to get quite a following. I was here at 8:45 at night at there was a line of 4 people here and another 8 people already eating. Still working out the kinks still but I see improvement since the first time I came here on day one of opening. This time I got the Falafel for $6.01. It was also pretty good but it was no falafel from Gonzo’s in Portland. The pita was nice but the “meat” was a little too grainy for me. That just maybe personal preference so i wont knock them for that. The overall flavors were good though. I do wish they had a little more of the sauce since it’s a pretty dry sandwich

Although they still have some kinks to work out, as long as they keep pumping out the good food I keep coming here. But I’ll keep and eye out for these guys and update later on.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/curbside-kebab-seattle

3221 Division St.
Portland, OR 97202

Tue-Thu, Sun 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Fri-Sat 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The day I came here Gonzo probably the least busy location here at this pod of food trucks (probably because it’s vegetarian food). It was also one the biggest surprises out of all the food I had here in Portland. To be honest, this place was not on my list of places to eat at all. Me and some friends really came to this area for Pok Pok’s Thai food but they were super busy so we wondered across the street to try some other food. After stuffing our faces with an assortment of food from other food trucks I noticed someone eating a monstrous cone of meat and fries. Come to find out it was the falafel from Gonzos, so it was not meat. But it looked too good not to try.

I ordered the Falafel for $8. About ten minutes later I had my very own cone of “meat” and fries. It was soooo good; probably one of the best falafels I have every had. The flavors were a little different from the normal falafel; the sandwich contained jalapenos, french fries, and a taziki sauce that had a pesto-ish flavor. Aside from the flavors the “meat” was a really nice consistency (not too grainy). The crunch from the pita bread was also a nice touch.

This place is fricking awesome. Eat here!

Note – Cash only.

Yelp – 5.0/5.0 Stars (11 Reviews)

1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97214

Tue-Sun 12:00 pm – 3:00 am

Poutine is not just for the Canadians anymore. At least for people near the Hawthorne food stand pod in Portland, Oregon. If you don’t know, poutine is a fast food dish that originating in Quebec, Canada. It typically contains french fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds.

Here at Potato Champion their poutine is not only cheap but also pretty damn delicious. For $6 you can get a medium poutine that is large enough to be a meal in itself. Your first bite of this Canadian delicacy will overwhelm your mouth with richness. I almost get a ramen-esque flavor that will probably be a little too salty for some people but it’s like eating normal french fries…it’s suppose to be salty. The french fries were obviously fresh and didn’t taste too oily like the typical fast food french fries. My favorite part of the poutine was huge chunks of cheese curds and onions mixed in with the gravy.

This is the type of place you can’t eat all the time but have cravings for everyone and awhile…especially after a night of drinking. Lucky for you these guys are open late.

Note – These guys have a whole list of specialty sauces. Try them out in different combos for yourself. I also heard the peanut butter and jelly fries are suppose to be amazing. Definitely giving them a try next time.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (354 Ratings)

SW 5th and Stark
Portland, OR 97204

Mon-Fri 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

Tabor has been featured in almost every food magazine out there for their Czechoslovakian food. Given the accolades I was really excited about getting their Original Schnitzelwich (chicken). The Schnitzelwich goes for $8 here and is worth every penny. My initial impression of the sandwich was that it looked like a super-sized version of Jack in the Box’s Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta sandwich. Tasted wise, it obviously was way better than the fast food sandwich. The Schnitzelwich includes a hot chicken schnitzel on a Ciabatta roll with lettuce, paprika spread, sautéed onion, and homemade horseradish sauce. The horseradish was my favorite part of the sandwich. It was not too overpowering like some horseradish sauces can be. The ciabatta was also nice and soft, a nice contrast to the crunchy breading around the chicken. Once you get the meat its explodes with flavor and juices.

I’m pretty sure I could have eaten the whole sandwich in one seating but my stomach would have been in a serious hurting if I did. The sandwich is massive; you will need two hands just to hold it. Having said that, I can’t wait to go back and try the pork version and stuff my face again. I might even pay the extra $2 to get the Presidential Schnitzelwich which is the Original with slab of melted Munster cheese and you get a sticker.

Tabor did not disappoint food-wise. But I do have one complaint…their website says they opened at 10 AM but the day I was there they did not open until 11 PM.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (97 Ratings)

SW 3rd & Ash St
Portland, OR 97204

Mon – Fri 11:00 am – When they sellout
Sat-Sun 12:00 pm – When the sellout

After hearing some pretty good reviews about Big Ass Sandwiches food truck I made it my very first stop in Portland. However, the lines were crazy long…rapping around the corner of the block. I decided to come back later in the day hoping the lines would have died down. That was a horrible idea. At 4:00 PM I came back and they were sold out of everything and were getting ready to close for the day. I was determined to get these damn Big Ass Sandwiches! Came back the next day and waited in a line with about 15 other people a good 15 minutes before the truck even opened. Once opened, it still took about 15 minutes to get to the cashier to put in the order and another 15 minutes for the food to be prepared.

I got the Gut Bomb for $9.50 which comes with roast beef, cheese sauce, bacon, and French fries all on a ciabatta roll. Don’t forget to ask for the Aardvark sauce (this stuff pretty much makes anything taste awesome). When unwrapped (see pictures below) it looks like there was an explosion of fries and meat in your sandwich. This is probably the messiest sandwich I have ever had. Grab as many napkins as you can, you will need them all. The sandwich, despite the gimmicky name and fries is in essence a very good roast beef sandwich.

So would I eat this sandwich again? Definitely yes! Would I wait in 45 minutes to get this sandwich again? Hell no! Despite being a very good sandwich the wait times are a little too crazy for me. I just don’t have the time to be waiting in line that long when there are so many other great places to eat in the area. I do recommend you at least try them out yourself if you have time.

Note – This place does accept credit cards. It seems the line of people here are mostly tourists hoping to try food they have seen on the Food Network.

Yelp – 4.0/5.0 Stars (129 Ratings)

232 SW Washington St
Portland, OR 97204

Mon-Fri 11:00 am – 4:00 pm

Oh man, after a whole weekend of eating sandwiches in Portland I was excited to get some pasta on the menu. The service was friendly and very quick, especially compared to all of the sandwich places that seem to take at least 15 minutes. This is the place you want to come to if you are in a hurry for lunch.

I got the Penne alla Vodka with chicken for $7.50. It was really flavorful like a bowl of tomato bisque soup was poured on top of some penne pasta. The pasta was the perfect consistency (not too hard and not too soft). The pasta was also topped with a healthy amount of grilled chicken.

Overall the food kind of reminded me of a better, faster, and cheaper Macaroni Grill (don’t hate on the Mac G, it’s good stuff). But to be honest this is probably better pasta then most fancy place out there. Who knew you can get such awesome pasta from a street cart.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (326Reviews)

3221 SE Division St
Portland, OR 97202

Tue-Thu, Sun 11:30 am – 8:00 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am – 9:00 pm

I came here on a nice sunny day and the entire pod of food stands/trucks was super busy for dinner. Although a little out of the way from downtown Portland it was worth it to get this unique treat of a meal. Their specialties here are the arapas. You can grab any of them for $6.

I haven’t had much experience with Venezuelan food so was excited to try something new for a chance. I was recommended the chorizo and plantain arepa. However, with few high-quality plantains at the market that day the guy running the stand sold out before I got there. I was pretty disappointed but I can appreciate him wanting to maintain high standards for his food even if it is served from a food truck/stand. He recommended I try the Pork belly in a red chili maple sauce arepa. When I got the arepa it was presented beautifully like a piece of art (see picture below). It almost looked like an open faced sandwich made by Van Gogh. After taking a few glamor shots of the food I dug into the meat first. It was a good amount of spice with the really flavorful maple sauce. It also didn’t seem too greasy like most pork belly sandwiches. I next grabbed a piece of the corn bun that was soaking in the juices below. Wow!!! The corn bun, the maple chili sauce, and the pork belly runoff made a killer combo of flavors and textures.

Note – Credit cards are accepted here.

Yelp – 4.5/5.0 Stars (41 Ratings)