Walking up and seeing the wacky designs and colors of Portland’s Brunchbox, one might think it’s just an ordinary food cart. But this is something special. The burgers here are huge, with flavor matching the size. Instantly you receive a friendly greeting, putting you in a good mood as they prepare your meal. The service is speedy quick, and soon enough you have a piping hot burger, perfect for a rainy day in Portland.

I had the pleasure of enjoying a 5-Oh burger, a big meaty patty smothered in a taste bud tingling teriyaki glaze and topped with sweet pineapple, spam (I substituted this with bacon) Swiss cheese and fresh veggies. It was the perfect size, filling me up but not making me sick. They also offer chips and a variety of reasonably priced beverages, such as pop, assorted teas and even organic coffee.

Knowing the memorable flavor of that burger, I can only imagine that the other ones are just as good. The price range for burgers is about $3-9, with a build-your-own option included. They also have a breakfast menu, with fresh English muffins or breakfast sandwiches, and a kids menu, with items such as peanut butter and jelly and hot dogs. These items have a price range of about $2-5.

This cart is perfect if you want a quality meal on the go, but still want to avoid emptying your wallet. Brunchbox is located on SW 5^th and Stark, and is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and on Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

-Gracie Sleeper

Brunch Box, a box worth tasting

Right in the middle of the land of food carts along Fifth Ave. and Stark St. in downtown Portland, a mob of people stands in line for the Brunch Box. The menu features concoctions and one-of-a-kind names which leaves customers struggling with deciding on what to order.

Intrigued by their creative and original menu, it was crazy to think of how the menu was created. There was everything from PB&J to a nice Rueben sandwich to the Bergermeister and Slaughterhouse IV. The Burgermeister included two all beef patties, two slices of American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce and pickles smothered in thousand island dressing on a three piece bun. The Slaughterhouse included a beef patty, turkey patty, and egg and cheddar cheese with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, ketchup, mustard and mayo.

The menu was mind boggling; some sandwiches included two grilled cheeses on each end instead of hamburger buns. With flexibility to substitute any ingredient of your choice, most of the burgers were made to order for a reasonable price and an unbelievable amount of food. The prices ranged anywhere from $2.50-$9.50.

Their food had just the right amount of veggies, cheese and meat. This monstrosity of a sandwich was very enjoyable. With every bite there was a burst of flavor that will make your mouth water. Complimenting each other perfectly, all of the ingredients blend together to create a cheesy, meaty and greasy sensation.

-Lenaya LeBlanc

The Mecca of food carts is filled with gigantic, delicious burgers

When you think of a burger what usually comes to mind is this: Two buns, patty, maybe some boring vegetables and if you’re lucky, a condiment. At the food cart Brunchbox you’ll be tossed to the side if you ask for a burger combination as simple as that. At Brunchbox, burger artistry is taken to a whole new level.

Brunchbox, located at SW 5^th and Stark, offers 12 juicy, gaping burgers form the Outlaw burger (a patty with cheese, bacon, onions, lettuce, barbecue sauce, tomato, and mayo served on a two slices of Texas toast), to the Burgermeister (two patties with all the fixings’ plus Thousand Island dressing in a three piece bun), and finally to the Redonkadonk (a burger with bacon, ham, spam, and a fried egg plus your normal burger attire. But here’s the catch. Your buns are grilled cheese sandwiches; that’s right a grilled cheese sandwich on the top and on the bottom!) The prices are reasonable for the amount of food you’re eating, ranging from $5-10. Make it a combo with a soda and chips for an additional $1.50. They do accept credit cards.

This food cart is also open for breakfast. They offer an assortment of breakfast sandwiches as creative as their burgers. As for vegetarian options, there aren’t many. The best you can do is a veggie patty for an extra 50 cents, but I think one look at Brunchbox’s menu would scare even the slightest vegetarian.

Open 8 a.m.-3p.m. on weekdays and 11a.m -3p.m. on Saturday, burger lovers of all ages can enjoy a warm  environment, while eating the most unique burger of their lives. No matter what time of day you go, make sure your stomach is empty and your mind is open, because Brunchbox will fill both.

-Ben Jacobs