Etta

This is one of those examples of food businesses knowing how to make amazing food but knowing nothing about running a business. Unreliable hours, no means of contacting regarding where they currently are or whether they’re open, no updates on current whereabouts or openings, random closures during listed business hours that always seem to coincide with when I look for them… Their burgers and truffle oil fries are the best in town and yet I rarely get to eat any because I can never find them!

Glad after Violetta’s closed in Director Park that I can still get my slow food fix. Amazing localvore cart with delicious burgers, fries, and shakes.

I love Etta burger. Seriously, I drove 20 minutes out of my way to get some of their delicious burger goodness now that their new location is in NW Portland. And the fries — OMG the Oregonzola fries are the best combination of potato and cheese and while I can only have them once in a while — it’s worth it.
Plus they make a tasty turkey burger. Not a lot of burger carts can say that.
Etta, please come back to SE. Or at least downtown. I miss you.

Every time I go to write this review, I get angry. This is my experience hiring Etta to cater my wedding this past September. I paid in advance for 100 guests and was told that if I went under that amount that I would be reimbursed per guest not in attendance under 100. My wedding was outdoors so, based on the sun setting around 7:30, the schedule was very time sensitive. Violetta agreed to serve from 5−8pm and they were told the address of the venue, I went out of my way to warn Dwayne (the owner) that it was a 45 minute drive out of Portland.
Alright. Guests began arriving at 3pm, the ceremony started at 4pm and refreshments were served to tide them over until the truck showed up. 6pm rolled around, no truck and my guests were dropping like starving flies. We started with around 90 guests by the time the truck rolled in about 30 had quietly left due to hunger. The truck finally showed up at 6:20pm (80 minutes late). Again, our agreement was SERVICE from 5−8pm. No food was served until 7:20 pm when my husband and I were finally given food without an apology from the employees. Most of the guests were in line for upwards of 2 hours in the dark while we were doing cake cutting, toasts, the bouquet toss, the garter toss, Father daughter dance, our first dance, etc. you know, general wedding stuff that guests like to watch.
You can probably imagine how frantic I was for over 2 hours waiting to feed the guests. You can also probably imagine just how drunk the guests got while waiting to be fed. We left for our honeymoon two days after the wedding and I emailed Dwayne asking him to call me to resolve the problems with the service. He just replied «Should I call you when you get back?» I said no, I want to talk to you asap. To that, he never again responded. After the honeymoon was over and we were settled back at home I emailed him again requesting the amount owed for having only 60 guests in total and I requested more of a reimbursement on top of that for terrible service and arriving so incredibly late. He did respond to that only to tell me that he would email me the next day. He never responded.
I got a lawyer.

A transplants answer to In and Out.
I dont want to mislead you by saying that these burgers are at all alike, because they aren’t. I will say however that one bite of this burger and you’ll be saying «In and Out who? «. I felt my fingers lock up while typing that but now that it’s out, I want to scream it from the mountain tops. Or at least mosey on down for a burger.
The meat! They promise you «The best of the Northwest «but they might stop by 82 and pick up some crack to sprinkle on these patties because they leave you gasping for more. The truffle fries are likewise a work of art. I have yet to stay from the burger but do do have vegetarian options.
They can be a bit allusive to find… but once you do you wont be disappointed.

Current status: driving with truffle fries in my lap, stuffing my face as I go although they’re so fresh, they’re a bit too hot for comfort. Regretting: nothing.
That was my thinking process last week after I visited Etta at her new location in the Green Castle pod. I stopped in to grab food between jobs, and although I only had a few minutes, the goods were served up fast, cooked to perfection and piping hot. The truffle fries were just the right balance of crispy to mealy, with just enough truffle flavor to make them pop. The Oregonzola burger perfectly balanced salty gorgonzola, smoky bacon and sweet caramelized onions atop a juicy patty of local beef.
Yeah, it’s a bit on the pricy side, especially for a food cart — the burger & fries ran me up to $ 11, but I definitely think it’s a case of ‘you get what you pay for’ here. The portions are good-​sized and the ingredients are quality. A burger of similar quality would easily cost $ 11 alone in an upscale sit-​down restaurant. I might have shelled out a few extra bucks here, but like I said: regretting nothing.

One cold, wet night, we stumbled into the Good Food Here court of delectables. We’d had a hard day schlepping large boxes of furniture from the airport and our mood had soured. Traveling in a new city (to us) in driving rain with limited ability to see out the back had placed undue strain on our otherwise cordial demeanor… that is until we sampled the offerings of Ettas.
In the dark and cold, we pressed close to the truck and knocked where it said «Knock Here».
I ordered the turkey burger with Tillamook white cheddar, bacon, 10-​hour tomatoes and the Chipotle aioli. He ordered the Oregonzola. We split a large truffle fries. I thought I would melt with gustatorial joy and this from someone who does not typically order burgers anywhere. By far, it is the best hamburger I had ever had.
Oh yes, the fries are light, and crispy yet creamy inside and filled the car with an aroma that was indescribable. Amy told us that it is something about the truffle oil they are fried in that makes them so light and crispy. Fries from anywhere else, done the conventional way just won’t cut it for me ever again.
The night I found Ettas I found my happy place and I plan to visit it again, and again, and again.

The Violetta cheeseburger with bacon is a damn good burger. Add their terrific truffle fries and a soda, and you have a nearly perfect meal.
I need to remember to request for the patty to be cooked medium well as I tend to shy away from the rarer side of beef. But their standard medium grilling renders the meat with equal parts moistness and crunch that is quite delectable.
I also love that they serve Blue Sky sodas, which is fast becoming a favorite of mine.
That they also accept debit cards is also a big plus.
I needn’t say more. Go get your ‘Etta on pronto!

Turkey burger with bacon. Hell yes.
There are plenty of things I enjoy about this cart. The 10-​hour tomatoes. The aiolis. The burger varieties. The burgers are each uniquely tasty, definitely hit the spot when I’m craving red meat.
The fries, though, are… hmm. I can never quite decide how I feel about them. I keep ordering them because they all sound so interesting. Blue cheese sauce? Truffle oil? Yes please! But then I eat them and they’re never as good as they should be. I still eat them, though, but I suppose that says more about me than it does about the cart.

I find myself torn regarding the whole food truck phenomenon. I really like the idea of chef-​entrepreneurs bringing their talents to the masses in an affordable and accessible medium, but I think that in many ways food trucks jumped the shark a couple of years ago. There are just too many trucks out there willing to serve mediocre food, while riding the coattails of a few innovative food carts. I suppose this rant doesn’t wholly apply to Etta, as there is a brick-​n-​mortar restaurant from which Etta originated.
At any rate, I ordered a blue cheese burger. I was not given the option to choose a temperature for my meat. After waiting ten minutes for my food and seeing the thickness or rather slimness of the burger patty, I could see why. The burger patty was actually all kinds of wrong. It is machine formed. It cooked to a dull gray color. It was über thin. Despite it’s grade school cafeteria lunch appearance, the meat actually tasted fine.
The real star of the burger was the carmelized onion, blue cheese and bacon slathered all over the top of my burger. It yielded an amazing flavor. Oh, and the brioche bun, yeah it was fluffy and soft and good. Well, it was mostly good, the bottom half of my bun was mushy, but whatevs.
A few other reviews offer kudos and complaints about the french fries. When I ate here, they were sold out. That must say something about their popularity no?
The only other complaint I have is moreso about the Good Food Here Pod. Hey, its a great idea, but really, you need to do something about the fly problem.

This cart shines in some areas, but misses some easy things.
The white truffle fries are quite genius with a nice touch of chives, maybe parsley?
The Park Block 5 burger condiments are nice, especially the 10 hour tomatoes. I would add more basil to the aioli, or go just straight pesto.
I requested medium rare, but the grill meister stated the best he could do is medium because «the grill is too hot.» If you hand form the burger, you can form it thicker to compensate. These appeared to be machine burgers, about 3/​8″ finished thickness.
I’ll compare to Director’s Square as soon as I can, but Violetta, you can easily do better.

So it’s like expensive Burgerville. We ONLY eat here with one of those nifty Merc Perks. Unless you’re some rich southeast b-​hole, half-​price is the only way to do this. Who pays $ 12 for burgers and fries in a parking lot? Shouldn’t this be like $ 7 – MAX.
With Violetta, you need to know how to order.
The Spicy Bean burger is actually a LOT bigger than the standard meat burg and it’s pretty good too. The fries are way over priced, especially when they only fill the bag half full. It’s potatoes and oil. Next time I go, I think I’ll try ordering the truffle fries for $ 6.5 and just say no truffle oil, ’cause somehow they’re better without it and you get WAY more for the extra buck fifty. Also, the fries last time were a little burned.
But really, here’s the problem. I think they train the staff to say your name as many times as possible. So like, my name is Beth. They will say, «Beth, one bean burger (pfffft!) and large fries.»
Beth walks over, says «thank you.»
Violetta says, «you want some sauce Beth.»
«Sure,» says Beth. «Thanks.» Ketchup gets handed over.
«Here Beth. Here’s that sauce, Beth. Thanks Beth. You have a good night, Beth.»
STOP SAYING MY NAME!!! You don’t know me like that. I’m just a customer. It physically makes me uncomfortable.
This has happened more than once.

My burger was disappointing. I was looking forward to trying the burger with mozzarella, basil, and balsamic glaze, but the burger was over-​cooked, and they were out of mozzarella so they substituted Swiss, which wasn’t great with the other flavors. I wouldn’t order the beef burger again.

It’s been awful. Etta’s been closed for 2 days now, and for 2 days I’ve traveled to the Good Food Here pod to experience defeat!
Etta is «slow food fast,» and the little sister of Violetta of SW Portland.
They have veggie and meat burgers and delectable fries. They also offer the BEST turkey burger I’ve ever eaten. Organic turkey, avocado, pickled red onions, 10 hour (succulent) tomatoes, butter lettuce, bacon (I skip that), and chipotle aioli with a toasted bun.
It’s heaven.
If hell or heaven is on earth, it’s at Etta, the best delicious food for reasonable prices, usually accessible.

Best turkey burger anywhere. Anywhere, inside or out. And the vibes always the best, (and that goes in the food, man!) I was in a place in Hollywood (CA) last week that claimed it had the best turkey burger you’ve ever had. I enjoyed telling them that it was second only to several I’ve had off the same food truck in Portland.
Thanks for the special food and the vibes, Amy & Co.

Amy is one of those shining happy people you want to see every day :)
The burger was amazing ! The big dog version of the bacon blue burger was insanely good ! i never rave about roaste tomatos but Amy serves it all with love ! the bacon is a thing of beauty and the beef was superb. i am not the biggest fan of fries and these were really good. there will some bragging involved in this one .
If you want a few more gorey details check out the violetta review @
keep on Keepin on Amy !

It’s not often that you hear people raving about a turkey burger. Well, buckle up, folks, coz I’m about to!
This was a turkey burger so tasty, you hardly even noticed that it wasn’t made of cow. Herby, juicy, and flavorful, topped with a nice tangy slice of white cheddar and the signature Etta burger sauce? Fageddaboutit.
Totally customizable and a steal for the size, this was a turkey burger I’d order again and again, and not really care that I’d never tried their beef burgers.
Except next time, I’m getting white cheddar AND bacon. Yeah, you heard me.

delicious, delicious burger.
the first thought I had when I bit into it was: «is this going to be my Portland stand-​in for in-​n-​out?»
It was that good. Salty, slightly greasy, with sun dried tomatoes for a kick and an amazing chewy and crisp bun.
I was so happy. Throw in a hot lips soda and a hand held pie and it was the perfect meal.
Plus, the dude taking my order was super nice and helpful. In a sea of kitchy carts, Etta stands out as one that makes really good food.
Next time, I am taking the hubs and we shall try some of those fries.

All is well with the world. Violetta’s was back in their designated space at Good Food Pod today.
I asked where they were this past weekend, and the gal at the window says they cater private affairs on weekends, but that they plan to post on the cart what Saturdays they will be gone.
In celebration of Violetta’s reappearance (and in direct defiance against unsolicited advice all the way from Afghanistan to not eat out so much), I ordered a hand-​dipped corn dog and the white truffle fries.
The hefty-​sized corn dog was very good. The frank on the inside was sausage-​like, juicy and totally delish. I really liked the cornmeal batter that was used, but opine that maybe the batter could use a speck more salt and maybe not so much batter should be applied. Having said that, it’s the best corn dog around Portland that I know about.
The white truffle fries were a new flavor for me (administered onto the fries from a squirt bottle). I liked the golden crispy fries adorned with a tiny little toasted leaf of green as a finishing touch. The fries are greasy (but fries are greasy and that’s their nature) and so rich you will want to share your order with somebody, because there are too many for one person.
White truffle flavor is hard to describe, but maybe, it’s a little bit like garlic. It’s okay. I guess.

Whoa. Burger. Good burger. Not the best I’ve had in PDX, but damn good. Greasy good. Oregonzola-​y good. Scrumptious, one might say. Tasty burger.
I finally got to try this ever-​elusive cart, and now that it’s parked near my hood, I’m sure I’ll be trying it out a lot more. I sampled the Oregonzola burger with caramelized onions and burger sauce, and grabbed a side of Yukon Gold fries along side. For $ 10, it’s overpriced, but it’s tasty, so the sting doesn’t last long. Well, ok… the burger being over-​priced, maybe by $ 1 or so. It’s a damn good burger made from locally-​sourced ingredients. I’ll give them that. But the $ 3 fries are woefully small for the price, so when paired with the burger at $ 10, it’s more expensive than, say, Foster Burger — which pays rent in a brick-​and-​mortar space.
That said, I really liked it, and when I feel like dishing out cash for some tasty burger action, this will easily be way up there on the list. Next I’ll try the double burger with cheddar and bacon. Well, ok… that would be, like, a $ 10 burger. But if it’s bomb enough, it’s worth it.
Mmmmmmm… burger.