Herb’s Mac and Cheese

I can’t stop thinking about their Mac n cheese! The fat girl inside me keeps growling at me in her deep voice «BIG GURL WANTS OUT!» I hope they’re up and running again soon.

One of my favorite carts in Pdx. I like the pepper jack cheese and bacon. Owner (Tommy?) is friendly and the food is always tasty. When Im down Belmont way, I always try to stop by.

The best Mac and cheese ! I love this place, try the feta topped option it’s amazing !

I trust this stuff for my kids– I order from here nearly once a week, no skimping on cheese, noodles, or toppings.

This might be the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had. When I was a younger individual, all I ate was pasta. This was not too beneficial for my athletics but it was stellar for my taste buds. Having said this, I am well experienced when it comes to mac and queso. I have yet to meet «Herb,» but when I do, I will be groveling at his feet. And that is because this man (woman?) knows what he is doing with his mac. His flavors are pristine and the combos he’s put together are better than peanut butter and jelly. If you’re feeling good, or bad, or hungry, or thirsty, or somewhere in the middle of all that, I’d recommend you take a trip to Herb’s for what will be the mac and cheese ride of your life. Enjoy.

Mac and cheese with hotdogs and a Mexican Coke, frickin so delicious. Well priced and food portions. GO.

Herb’s was the epitome of comfort food. The healthy portions could fill up even the hungriest tummy’s cravings. I chose the jalapeño chicken mac-​n-​cheese (the special) but that was a hard choice considering the wide variety of selections. There was plenty of chicken, the perfect amount of heat and spice. Thank you Herb’s! Cute cart. Next time I’m going to customize my order.

A bunch of toppings to choose from from meats to veggies. I ordered a regular with spinach, jalapenos, sun-​dried tomatoes and bread crumbs to top it all off!
The food cart is in an area with a nice selection of others for your whole group to have an interest in something.

You know you’re a mac ‘n’ cheese addict when you go to a food cart in 95-​degree heat, just so you can eat some mac ‘n’ cheese out of an aluminum tray.
But such is the state of my addiction.
The hubs ordered the classic mac with bread crumbs. And it was classic mac ‘n’ cheese with breadcrumbs. You know the one, like your grandma would make if your grandma was a Southern chef extraordinaire, with a nice crispy crust, and a rich cheesy sauce.
I ordered a weirder mac ‘n’ cheese, because I’m just weirder than he is. Mine had chicken, jalapeños, and a pepper jack cheese topping. It was unctuous, rich, and gloppy. Too much to finish at one sitting. An excellent breakfast the next day.
So, Herb’s was pretty much everything I expected.

Excellent selection of toppings. The cheese sauce is A+. Tommy is doing a great job of maintaining Herb’s legacy and more! Highly recommend.

My husband got a mac and cheese with tomatoes, jalapeños, and kale (or spinach, can’t remember). He thought it was awesome and enjoyed every bite.
I read on Unilocal that they also have a vegan sauce, but I didn’t ask as I was in the mood for something else. I can see us going back here and I’d love to try the vegan sauce.

I added broccoli and fresh tomato. I would skip the fresh tomato next time. I was very hungry and it fulfilled my craving. I would go back.

So I went here while on a trip to Portland and was pretty impressed.
I chose to make my own mac and cheese with my own selection of ingridents.
I ended up putting pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, garlic, mozzeralla and chicken breast into my mac and cheese.
It was pretty darn good. I am a big cheese person so it was very cheesy and flavourful.
I was so impressed with the burst of different tastes.
The lady was bit grumpy. Might have been due to the rain and cold weather but other than that this place was pretty good.
I wouldnt eat here though if your counting calories because it’s probably a whole weeks worth of calories in one dish. :)

Jalapeño Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese.
I could stop the review there because it should be glaringly obvious that the food is good.
After ordering, I thought I’d get my food promptly, but surprisingly, it took quite a while to get. I looked into the kiosk to find my food maker putting some tender loving care into making my all-​time favorite food. Boiling, shaking, sprinkling, pouring, cutting, … just a whole lot of food prep.
Eight minutes later, my food maker handed me a palm-​sized aluminum tray of mac ‘n cheese. I looked down at it and realized a line of drool cascading down my shirt. It looked bomb. Gooey cheese, al dente noodles, tender chicken, jalapenos with a lil kick!
If you like mac ‘n cheese, make a box of Kraft cause that’s good. If you love mac ‘n cheese, add some meat to it. If you lust mac ‘n cheese, come here! GOOD!

My meal here was very enjoyable. I went with the regular size as I wasn’t super hungry, and this proved to be more than enough as I ended up taking some home. I asked what the cheese was that the dish originally comes with and the guy working there told me it was a blend of cheddar and asiago.
I really recommend ordering from for the first time without extra cheese. Reason being, the original flavor of the cheese without the extra is actually quite delicious and I find extra cheese to be unnecessary. Simply because they provide a lot keeping the mac very flavorful. It was a very sharp and bold flavor and it was already quite cheesy and creamy. The extra cheese would definitely over do it.
As for the toppings, I went ahead and got chicken, bacon, tomatoes and jalapenos. The jalapenos provided an excellent spicy kick that didn’t make the dish too spicy, but just the right amount. Tomatoes seemed fresh, and the chicken and bacon were both well cooked. The bacon was crispy as well, and wasn’t left stringy and chewy which I would find unpleasant with my pasta. It seems as if they know what they are doing here, and although this may be the most I’ve spent on mac and cheese, it was very well worth it. Try this place out for a unique twist on one of my favorite dishes that definitely packs an abundance of flavors and textures.

This is serious business, folks. Serious. Business.
As far as comfort food goes, mac & cheese is pretty much at the top of a lot of people’s list. It’s devastatingly fattening, and full of carbs. But damn, it’s good… especially when done right. Herb’s does it right.
The setup here is simple — choose your size: regular (enough for one) or double (if you’re feelin’ frocky). Then pick your add-​ons from a selection of meats (bacon, chicken, hot dog), veggies and extra cheeses. Bread crumbs are also on offer. They mix it up, bake it up, and send you on your way with a hot tin full of cheesy goodness.
My inaugural combos were broccoli and cheddar with bread crumbs and a mix of pepper jack, jalapeños and bread crumbs. Both were pretty much perfect. Baked enough to arrive in block form, gooey enough on the inside to keep it from being too dry. Perfect pasta consistency, and plenty of flavor. This is the stuff that (fat) dreams are made of. Seriously some of the better mac I’ve had in PDX.
There’s no reason other than sheer carnal indulgence that I should ever be setting foot up to the window of this cart ever again. The last thing my waistline and arteries need is a big old tub of too-​good-​to-​stop-​eating mac n cheese. But damn, it sure does a hangover good.

Uummmm … Herb’s Mac and Cheese.
We first came across Herb’s Mac and Cheese on their last day at the D-​Street Noshery food pod in the Fall of 2011. (FYI, D-​Street Noshery, SE 33^rd and Division, closed in October 2012. Sad Face) That is the nature of food carts and pods, and it’s like shopping at Costco — if you like it, get it, because there is no guarantee it’ll be there tomorrow.
So we were delighted to find Herb’s Mac and Cheese at the Good Food Here Food Pod on SE 43^rd and Belmont. Tommy was running the cart, smiling up a storm and preparing our order in record time.
We shared a regular order Mac and Cheese ($ 5.00), adding Bread Crumbs ($.25) and Cheddar Cheese ($.50) as additional toppings. Delicious.
But be warned, this is real food, not the blue box stove top macaroni and cheese we grew up with. Four Stars.

1) Choose Your Size: Regular (stuffed), Double (perfect for sharing)
2) Choose Your Topping: Bacon, Garlic, Broccoli, add Baked Breadcrumbs
I was skeptical because I am picky – I’ll have to give it to them, they make some bomb Mac and Cheese. Al dente pasta, creamy cheese sauce, and crunchy topping.

Thick, rich and creamy but not necessarily the most sophisticated concoction and definitely by no means is this stuff healthy. Don’t try and fool yourself. This Mac and cheese screams fat and calories. I had mine topped with sun dried tomatoes, which helped cut the fat a bit.
It’s comfort food but I think I’d prefer a more sophisticated cheese blend that makes consuming all those calories worthwhile.

Herb is like the smart person in the corporate meeting who keeps his mouth quiet unless he’s got something worthwhile to say. He also does not multitask, since this is a specialized food cart. He only makes macaroni and cheese and he makes it as if his life depended on it. In a world where restaurants are frequently trying to add useless menu items, Herb realizes the distraction that it brings and then endeavors only a one-​front war for specific results in mind.
Real cheese accompanies real pasta but it’s setup so that you can know it and see that for yourself. The creaminess of the dish is with only occasional peer. It is so thick and refined that a fork can stay in it, as it did for me.
The pasta arrives quickly and every bite is magical. You can eat big portions of it.
At the end of the day his macaroni and cheese is reflective of a passion and specialty that is rarely seen in today’s restaurant industry. Portland is lucky to have the inexpensive, but fulfilling and savory, Herb’s Mac and Cheese. Herb’s keeps his eye on the ball.
Needless to say, Herb’s Mac and Cheese is wonderful.