Sideshow Eatery

The pork belly burger was amazing! Definitely a must try!

Omg I loved the food. The poutine had a nice northwest twist with cheddar curds my guess tillamook. They ran out beignets early but owner managed to find one last one for me since I told him I drove 2 hours for his food and he was a beaver alum too! I will definitely be going back.
Also the regular size is enough for two people.

I managed to squeeze in a visit to Sideshow Eatery on the second to last day before they closed. They seemed busy with other patrons who I’m sure saw their own chances dwindling to visit this cute cart, and the workers were chipper and friendly. This was my first experience with poutine, and it was an excellent one! Only get the large if you intend to split it! The dish is heavy, rich, starchy and delicious. The cheese curds were adequately sharp to cut through the gravy, and the fries were well cooked. I loved it, but the friend that went with me admitted it was too dense for his taste. Poutine is clearly not a dish for the faint of heart or arteries, but I will definitely be back once they reopen to enjoy their take on it again, and look forward to the chance to try some of their burgers as well.

Love the burger and poutine. Lots of bacon on the burger and tons of gravy and cheese on the poutine.

A duckfat burgers with white truffle oil. Sound fancy? That’s OK, it’s still less than a burger from some chain place like Red Robin. And let me tell you, they’re pretty good!
This place is a great burger joint on 9^th and Alder area, which is ironically a niche that isn’t filled too often at food carts. I always think of a burger as being the obvious thing, yet for whatever reason (perhaps in everyone’s desire to be fresh, original, and creative) there aren’t a whole lot of burger carts going around. So, it’s always refreshing to see one pop up.
The burger had a different flavor than most thanks to the unique way it is made. A crisp, clean taste while still remaining juicy and flavorful (but not bloody). This can be attributed to the duck fat. The white truffle oil is a nice touch (who doesn’t like white truffle oil? I mean, come on. I hear nay-​saying skeptics talk about all of these fufu ingredients, but it’s not like we’re paying $ 20 for a burger to get this. This is the same price or cheaper than most places charge for a frozen patty with ketchup). In any case, this burger has got a personality all of its own and it’s worth ordering.
The fries and sauces were also very good (reminds me of a mini Potato Champion). I can’t comment on the other menu items, so I’ll leave that to the other reviewers, but as a food cart option for a good burger, this place gets a thumbs up in my book.

Excellent burger.

I paced around the block examining and scrutinizing each menu with the same vigor I would have if I were choosing the holiday present I would be giving to my boss– feelings of anxiety, apprehension, joy, and thoughts of the future.
What deliciousness should I fill my belly with? So many decisions, so many choices, and so many 4 star Unilocal reviews. Sideshow eatery stood out to me with it’s «new american» menu, which offered twists on your basic burgers, fries, and desserts. I mean damn, they have beignets?! Of course with my luck, they were sold out already. The pork belly sandwich caught my eye, boasting of it’s magnificence with a large arrow drawn to it’s ingredients and it’s place at the top of the menu. This review of sideshow eatery is specifically for the pork belly sandwich.
It was served on a sweet burger bun, with sriracha mayo, arugula, and pickled apples. I imagined this sandwich would have some zing, crisp, pepper, and crunch. A combination of savory and sour, a surprise flavor my tastebuds had never tasted. Wouldn’t you expect the same thing upon reading the sandwich ingredients? At the very minimum, it would taste different than most things you had ever eaten.
The pork belly was thick-​sliced and cooked crispy like bacon. It was plentiful and cooked with amazing care. Unfortunately, in it’s sandwich setting it was drowned out by the ultra-​sweetness of the bun. I detected a small ‘kick’ of something slightly spicy (must have been the mayo), and did not taste any other trace of arugula or pickled apples. None, whatsoever. In fact, they were barely visible in the sandwich– everything appeared to be the same color and consistency as the brown pork belly. I couldn’t bring myself to eat the rest of the sandwich– because there was no way I could justify consuming something as decadent as porkbelly, when all it tasted like was sweet bread. I also had a few bites of the poutine and was also unimpressed. It seemed very basic and was not worth clogging arteries over.

Get the pork belly sandwich! Got it for lunch on Labor Day and it was delicious! Lots if pork belly slices and very filling.

Chose this food truck based on Unilocal reviews. It was soooo good. I had the pork belly sandwich which was heavenly melt-​on-​your mouth goodness. Tender pork belly with a paper thin slice of pickled apple, arugula on a toasted pillowy soft brochure bun. It was just the right melding of flavors.
My son had the BLT which he says was excellent. He wouldn’t let me have a bite!
Give this place a try!

Really liked this food cart. Definitely a spot to hit when you want to pig out.
Ordered the Pork Belly Sandwich, with an egg (because fried eggs, make all sandwiches better. Seriously. Even the guy at the window agreed), and an order of the poutine fries.
The sandwich was a masterpiece. The pork belly was nice and fatty. The arugula and other veggies cut through the oiliness with crisp texture and semi-​tart flavors. The bread that it came on had a solid crust and did not get too soggy.
The duck fat fries covered in poutine… pretty awesome. The gravy does not look or taste how you would expect it but it had a very cool earthy, salty flavor. I promise you, it’s good. The curds were large and added a nice pop to each fry. Also, they don’t skimp on the poutine, extra points for that.
This was a really good happenstance stop, I would definitely come back and consider bumping it up to 5-​stars.
Cheers!

Wanted poutine… they had it… so we went for it.
Ordered a small poutine for 6 bucks to split with the gf.
It looked small, but you could feel the weight… it was dense and the owner packed it full of fries, gravy, and cheese curds.
The looks of it were very deceiving… its slightly different than traditional poutine, as it had a more cream colored gravy instead of your peppery traditional brown gravy. However, this gravy was slathered on generously and had great salty/​shroomy flavors. Seriously every fry had a great coating, and while it LOOKED lackluster, it TASTED awesome and I was glad he was generous with this. The fries were standard fry fair… thicker cut, but nicely fried and salted. TONS of cheese curds. TONS. they were still squeaky and had a nice pop to them. They also were perfectly sharp for curd standards.

I only ordered the Poutine, so I do understand this is a limited review. With that said, it is NOT an authentic Poutine yet is one of the MOST incredibly comforting dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Freshly fried potatoes topped with salty, melty bites of cheese curds and covered in a tasty gravy… DIVINE.

Seriously, this guy knows how to make food. The Fancy Burger is literally the best cheeseburger I have ever had. And I love cheeseburgers! Seriously, do yourself a favor and get one. It’s $ 9. And completely worth it. It’s juicy, and flavorful. The bun is the perfect consistency. The cheese and sauce is super fancy and delicious. The meat is cooked to perfection and dripping with tastiness. I never knew a cheeseburger could taste this good ever!!! What are you still doing here? Go get one!

Ok, so I only really got two things, the pork belly sandwich and the poutine fries.
The pork belly sandwich was pretty amazing. It’s super juicy and has great flavor. I definitely enjoyed it.
The poutine fries were… well… tasted like cheese fries? I wasn’t impressed at all.

My boyfriend and I tried the Pork Belly Sandwich here for $ 8.
Unfortunately, I cannot say I honestly enjoyed the sandwich much. Something about the sandwich made it taste very tart. I’m not sure if it was the bread or the spread, but for some reason my boyfriend and I both felt that the sandwich tasted quite tart.
Overall, the pork and arugula were good but I don’t think the bread was the right choice. I wish the pork was cooked longer and the bread was toasted. I felt like the sandwich was quite soft, so for me, I can’t say I’m a huge fan.
The service was so great and I would be happy to try a different sandwich/​burger in the future, but I don’t think I’ll order the pork belly sandwich again.

Sideshow served my first meal in Portland.
We circled the food trucks looking at the options (many of which were closed because it was a Saturday but many were open) and I settled on Sideshow. The burger drew me in!
I was moderate (not) and decided on the bacon burger (around $ 5 or so, I can’t remember exactly) and the small poutine ($ 5). The small poutine was really quite a big portion and between 5 of us sharing we didn’t finish it. The poutine was pretty good but didn’t blow me away. It’s vegetarian which is nice.
Same with the burger. It was pretty good. The beef tasted good. The bacon wasn’t quite as crispy as I prefer but that is a personal preference. The beef is Cascade all natural beef.
The guy at the counter was very friendly. I’d return to try more items. The beignets were sold out which was too bad because they sounded really good. It’s obvious the quality is high here but next time I think I would try different items.

BEIGNET — that is all you need to know.
You are welcome. ..

The horrible thing about reviewing a place too late is that I cannot remember what to write!
All in all, I recall the pork belly to be pretty good. It wasn’t mind blowing but still worth the walk. Yes, the long walk from neighboring carts. Lol.
What a lame review. Oh well, it still gets 4 stars.

I first learned about this cart after Brett wrote a great article for Food Carts Portland in August. With a certain item on this particular menu, I had to make a special visit ASAP.
Jason, the owner of this cart, started his menu with pommes frites, a.k.a. Belgian fries, which are fried twice to produce this amazing golden brown color. Each fry has that crispy exterior, exactly how I want them.
Here, Jason also does his own sauces, and that includes the ketchup. Choices at the time of my visit included ketchup, curry ketchup, mayo, garlic mayo, and sriracha mayo. The latter two are the most popular at the moment, but honestly, they all sound great.
My initial visit was for the poutine, a Canadian comfort food with fries, gravy, and cheese curds. The curds here are orange in color to go along with a light-​colored gravy. For $ 7, I received a healthy portion of the pommes frites, a ladle of gravy, and the curds on top. But wait! Add bacon for $ 1 more. Um, yes. No need to ask.
Top-​notch execution on every component. Among the crispy fries were some extra crunchy smaller ones that took me back to when I was a small kid addicted to those small extra crispy McDonald’s fries. I won’t dare compare the two, because Sideshow’s frites destroy McDonald’s any day of the week. Thank God I opened my eyes and started supporting small businesses instead.
Bacon. I shouldn’t need to say any more than that, but I will. The meat crack here is finely minced, a generous portion scattered on top of the frites and curds. Extra protein, fat, and sodium for my panda diet. Hell flippin’ yes.
The gravy is the glue that brings everything together, much like how the gravy on a Loco Moco brings that dish full circle. My friend and I raved over this poutine like über giddy pandas. I’m sure a few expletives were echoed in public, but neither of us cared. I only wish I could have had someone else drive me home so I could enjoy my food coma.
A few thoughts: I’d add a couple of overeasy eggs and some sriracha (just the rooster sauce) to my poutine and I’d probably never leave. I’m sure any of Jason’s homemade sauces listed above would work here.
While I could see this dish being too salty for people (I made sure to have a lot of water for dinner), I’d rather have that than some bland dish. Reading some comments on the Food Carts Portland article, one in particular stuck out. A person from Quebec said this poutine was the best outside the province. I’d say that’s one amazing compliment!
Jason started serving sandwiches at the beginning of September. The seared pork belly sandwich ($ 8) simply includes arugula, sriracha mayo, and pickled red plums on a Pearl Bakery baguette. The pork belly is flat out awesome, juicy and tender. While I’m not a big fan of chewy bread, I’d just ask for the bread to be toasted up next time. The bite of the arugula and the pickled red plums work well here. Sriracha mayo? I’m not a big mayo guy, but sriracha makes it an auto win.
For kids and adults, try the PB&J ($ 4), featuring whole grain bread, homemade peach jam, and homemade peanut butter. Yeah, even the jam and peanut butter are made from scratch. Much respect there.
This cart accepts credit cards and is also open seven days a week!
For me, the poutine is hands down one of best dishes at the downtown Alder pod. If you’ve ever had one of those breakfast dishes with potatoes, meat, cheese, and gravy included, that’s really what it is here. Check out Sideshow Eatery and tell Jason that I sent you down there.

The poutine was tasty, fresh, and a meal in itself!
my 2 pennies