The Whole Bowl

I love it, it’s great. But oh man it smelled SO bad in there this afternoon. I usually order from the window to go, so this was my first time going inside. It was so bad I lost my appetite immediately. I think it was the fish tank? I’m hoping it was just the fish tank — not something from the kitchen.

So delicious and seemed healthy! And I loved the simplicity of having one menu item! No choices to make and the line was speedy!!!

Mmmm pretty, dang good!
So what you get is a bowl. And that’s it, a smaller or larger but the larger one is only $ 1 more so why not? There is this cute little schematic right up front that shows you exactly what you get in the bowl. Don’t want something? Just tell them!
The whole bowl is vegetarian! Yay! And it is mighty tastey. You might look at what goes into it and think it isn’t going to be that great, but they sure to surprise you. You can add chips to your order to scoop your bowl (which I like) or you can grab whatever cookies that have too!
A few different drink options, but not positive on alcohol.
They have a cool fishtank on the inside, to keep kiddies (And adults to love fish like me) occupied while waiting for your food. The food really only takes a handful of minutes to prepare though, so you’re in and out relatively quickly!
Fast, great service and wonderful food!

Here I’m again, never thought i would like a vegan place. But it’s so good and addicting… Extra avocados and tallie sauce, and hot sauce made the bowl perfect!

They keep it simple and delicious. The big bowl is more than a single meal, which I love. It is absolutely delicious, especially with some sriracha if you like things a little more spicy. I’ve probably had Postmates deliver Whole Bowls to me a dozen times. When I’m starving at work it is magic to just push a couple buttons and then have a bowl brought right to my face. They’re just healthy enough to make you feel good about your meal choices, and just savory enough to feel like a treat. Thanks Whole Bowl!

This is one of the best food sites in all of Portland! Only one item on the menu and its worth it baby!!! I highly suggest the whole bowl! Everytime someone new comes into town to visit me, this is the first place I usually take them! So simple, easy and tastes SO SO good! The Tali sauce recipe will never be leeked… or will it?!

All I can say is the guy at the counter and making food needs a serious attitude adjustment, The food is great and predictable. That being said, you would think customer service would be a best foot forward scenario.

Reasonably priced, delicious, healthy, vegan. That’s really everything you could ask for, and then they throw Aardvark sauce out there for us. Beautiful.
It’s especially nice for us fasting Orthodox Christians who are basically vegan on fast days!

Yes! Get to The Whole Bowl and eat. It’s fresh and delicious. If you’re in a rush it also quick. Yum!!!

Yay for whole bowl !

Blows me away every time! I am amazed a business can be doing SO well with only ONE dish to order. This dish is PHENOMENAL and always keeps me coming back for more!

Fantastic, simple yet delicious and satisfying bowls are the only available option here, and it is all that you need. These bowls are, some might say, the healthiest delicious comfort food that one can consume… indeed, the fresh and familiar flavors are entirely vegetables and rice. As so many others have noted, the sauce is outstanding and adds a lot of flavor. The sour cream and cheese may be the most unhealthy part of the bowl but I love what they do for the texture and flavor!
To the reviewer that compares this to Chipotle, the tastes are different though many ingredients are shared among them. Obviously the providence of each ingredient is completely different also and this is a local chain with higher overhead I imagine, so I’m happy to pay a price that is comparable to Chipotle even though it lacks the meat. And I’m actually a big fan of Chipotle’s bowls. I appreciate that two sizes can be purchased and I think either can satiate as a meal in-​and-​of themselves, depending on the person and the meal.
Whether you mix it all up first or just jump into the first scrumptious layer, the bowls at Whole Bowl are a delicious and simple treat that rewards appetites at all times of the day! Highly recommended.

I love the whole bowl! The ingredients are so simple and yet crazy yummy. I highly recommend this place. This is an awesome quick lunch and it’s pretty big so I usually take home the other half for dinner. I get tortilla chips also as I likes to get my dip on.
Sometimes there is a line but don’t let it deter you, it moves really quickly.
Happy eating Portland!

One of my favorite places in town. They serve one thing, and they do it really well.
The tali sauce is sooooo good, better than some other variations I’ve tried (yum sauce). Always fresh ingredients and always $ 6. Can’t beat that.

The whole bowl is pretty simple: beans, rice, guacamole, ect. But the Tali sauce really makes it great! And it’s chickpea-​based, as opposed to almond-​based (the way yumm sauce is), so it’s allergy friendly :)
Cheap, delicious and healthy is my favorite combination!

Got the big bowl and loved it! So simple yet so delicious. When I was handed the bowl I thought the serving size was too small for my normal appetite (I biked 140 miles in the last two days), but I was surprisingly full by the time the bowl was empty!
There was a small line but the lady was fast in service; I would recommend this for anyone nearby looking for a quick and tasty lunch.

I honestly didn’t feel The Whole Bowl was worth the hype. If you compare the veggie bowl at this place and that at Chipotle, you’ll see that for almost the same price, you get so much more in the latter. Chipotle’s Veggie Bowl is everything you get here plus fajitas, lettuce and three different salsas. Okay, minus the Tali sauce, but I don’t think that’s enough to offset everything else.
If you’re in the area and hungry, go for it! But is it worth driving down from across the river and waiting in line? Methinks not.

This was one of my first places I ate when I came to portland, this topically is not my thing because I do enjoy meat but I will say this place is AMAZING and keeps me coming back for more.
I found the food cart in the pearl district on a sunny afternoon in May. The line at this place was huge so I knew the place would be good. I always get the big bowl with extra sauce and cilantro. The sauce they use is out of this amazing it makes your taste buds dance. It’s the perfect meal to hit the spot. People are aways friendly and remember some of the repeat customers by name. That’s great customer service in my eyes.
Support your local businesses!

My sister lives in Portland and took me here for lunch. It is apparently a Portland institution to a certain extent.
The Whole Bowl makes one thing and one thing only — «The Whole Bowl» which consists of a bowl of blended whole foods. It is a variation on the beans and rice foundation that is tried and true.
I loved the simplicity of what is is and what it does. Definitely worth a visit if you like brown rice, beans, avocado and other natural foods blended together with some of the special sauce they call «Tali» sauce.
It was tasty and a good value for the money. A nice, casual lunch spot for a wholesome meal. Some might be put off by the hippy/​natural casual vibe, but I really liked it. i would totally go back for another bowl in the future.
Much talk about the secret «tali» sauce, and herein lies the appealing mysticism of this place. Anyone can throw together a bowl of beans and rice and some herbs and other tasty stuff. But these guys turn an ordinary dish into something more with a synergy of preparation and secret ingredients.
Fun stuff! Go check it out and be your own judge.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
I am hesitant to compare it to Chipotle but I feel like it’s a little similar… but so much better and fresher!
They basically only offer one item which is the «whole bowl». You can get different sizes however.
The bowl comes with rice, salsa, avocado, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, black beans, olives, and the most amazing sauce — kind of like a yellow curry?!
I always leave feeling satisfied and yet feel so good and healthy with the choice!
My tip… get a drink/​juice from Kure next door. The perfect meal!
My only suggestion would be to have brown rice rather than white. Can’t wait to go back tomorrow!