Hunker Down Food Cart — Restaurant in Portland

I’ve been here twice now since Poppyseed (now on Alberta) occupied this space at Hinterland, both ordering to go, to take to my home 5min away. If you’ve ever tried Poppyseed, Hunker Down has a similar vibe, which I’m grateful for, in that it’s overwhelmingly high quality conception and execution (there’s fine dining experience here). The cart menu has many more options and specials than the website, even if some is just the ability to get half portions, in order to try more things. I LOVE this! The service is always really friendly. Thank you for that too!

My 1st time here [see pic], I got the Brussel sprouts and the pork cheeks, over cheesy polenta, with baby carrots, and turnips. The Brussel sprouts were perfectly cooked with just the right amount of flavorful parmesan fondue. I was less impressed with the pork cheek, as it was SO good and tender—with a wonderful reduction, but there was very little of it, and the polenta was a bit slack as well (and not so cheesy), though the veggies had a really nice al dente bite to them, even if also sparse. Looking at other pictures of it online, it seemed that the dish has been improved a bit since then. 4 stars for food on that trip.

My 2nd trip, also to-go, I knew to try more things, thanks to half size options. I got the half-size potatoes, half-size cauliflower, a full size mac n cheese, and a fried sardine slider with the $ I saved. Everything was fantastic. I suspected the potatoes were over-hyped. I was wrong. Perfect crunch that you rarely get with bigger cut potatoes, but also an excellent chemistry with the shrimp aioli, lemon, and umami from the mushroom power. The cauliflower was equally impossible to improve: perfectly cooked, with a deft Mediterranean profile (hazelnut romesco [loved the occasional crunch of nut!], olives, fried capers, gremolata) that was right in the not-too-much/not-too-little flavor zone). Notably: both dishes had excellent textures. The mac n cheese had shells (my fave) and you could taste some of that shrimp aioli in that creamy, cheesy mix—occasional zips of Dijon. I loved that too, though it looked more like a half order, and there’s room for improvement, maybe w/ some topping for texture (e.g., a few fried shallots, fried leeks, etc.). The sardine for the slider had a light coating/crust w/aioli and pickle chips on a really soft, fresh role. Yummy. 5 stars for food on this trip.

Since I tried six good-excellent things and only one was okay-good, I’d give it a 4.5 overall. Next time, I’ll hit salads and specials. Last, you might want to bring your own bag, as they didn’t have any both times I went. Really worth visiting. Repeats would be the pots, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts. HD and Matt’s are the top 2 carts...

Best all around food in the pod, which isn't putting the other food carts down, it's that Hunker Down is that far elevated. Don't be intimidated by the gourmet-esk menu. The dishes are crafted and composed as you'd expect from a fine dining establishment, but they're doing it in a 50 sq ft kitchen. These unpretentious dishes hit the spot, all the spots. Smash Fried yukons with umami aioli and lemon rinds? Crazy delicious. Seafood poboys ftw, Vegetarian options, great salads, and despite its seemingly fancy approach, you don't feel like you need to hold your pinky out while eating a chili glazed chicken wing that came straight from a glamour catalog. Go get it, all of it, now!

The cherry on top is the incredible bar next door, so don't forget to order a drink while you wait in either of the massive heated, covered patios. I suppose you could wait inside too, but this is Portland,...

Just stop.

Stop looking. You wanted something interesting to eat but also professionally competent? You found it. It's this.

I'm from PHX and spent a few decades eating my way through the Valleys thousands of restaurants and this place would be worthy of any downtown brick and mortar establishment.

Holy HELL is the schnitzel good. CRISPY yet juicy, suited-up with a coleslaw you won't be able to totally wrap your head around the first time - each bite has you come back for more trying to unlock it's secrets. Toast on the bun ( brioche?) Was flawless. Oh and the pork belly Mac and cheese? If you are fortunate enough to order this fondue laden masterpiece before it sells out..do you self a favor and get it.

All of the above paired extremely well with the rosemary gimlet they serve at the bar nextdoor. There's nothing to...