Chochu Local ISLAND BBQ

I lived on Guam for almost 30 years and I have missed the food and people tremendously. I got my long awaited fix today and it was everything I could have hoped for. If you want to know exactly what Guam food is all about this is the place to go. Whatever you order, make sure to add a side of chicken kelaguen.

This is a legit 4.9 star restaurant. Do not delay like I did! There are a lot of Hawaiian , Filipino, Pan-Asian and Pacific islander plate lunches around Portland, but this Chamorro/Guamanian Food is a cut above. It's sort of a "refined Island barbecue". The main lunches here are charcoal grilled meats over flavored rice with a salad and some delicious homemade sauces to compliment. A lovely family takes good care of you while they grill over real charcoal. The lumpia were also the best I've had in quite a while, balanced, light, delicate, crunchy with a nice vinegar-based sauce. The empanadas are apparently a favorite because they ran out by the time I was there. I will have to come back.

The food was amazing and the portions are generous, exactly what one expects from a place serving Chamorro food! The red rice, bbq chicken, bbq ribs, pork belly, lumpia and empanada are all delicious. Did I mention the generous portions? Oh, don’t forget the finadene! There are a few more items on the menu that I have to try so there’s definitely a trip back very soon. Stop by, meet the owners, talk to them about the menu and enjoy the amazing food from Guam. They reflect everything that is good about Guam and the Hafa Adai spirit.

O.M.G.!!!!! I found THEE spot for some of the BEST BBQ I've ever had!! Chochu Local Island BBQ has some of the best bbq pork 🐖 belly and bbq chicken!! 🐔 So freaking good!😄They also serve some incredibly tasty rice with chilli sauce and healthy dark green leafy salad mixture with an amazing dressing to go with! 😃 If I am ever around the area again visiting the Cosmic Monkey comic book shop or whatever, I WILL ABSOLUTELY be coming here to eat again 😋 WOW! Mike, you've earned one of my 1,000 star 🌟 reviews!! Keep up the excellent work!🤙👏💯×💯 ***Update*** Stopped back in while visiting my cousin and this time I tried the Fiesta 3 protein meal with pork belly, BBQ chicken and ribs 😋 So AMAZING!!! I'll say this again... This has to be some of the best BBQ I've ever had and I plan on coming back each time I'm down this way!! My goodness, the pork belly is out of this world!!! 🤩🤙Thank you again Mike! And Joy was such a delight and provided great service ✌️ We also tried the Latiya dessert which was also very delicious!

We’ve never had Guam food before so we decided to make this our final meal before leaving Portland. That was a mistake because my husband will need to drag me out of this city to take me back on our flight tomorrow because I can’t believe we didn’t find this place earlier so I could eat everything off this menu. We ordered the empanada, lumpia, pork belly platter, and fiesta platter with chicken and ribs. Everything was outstanding from the sauces to even the salad dressing. Perfectly smoked and well portioned. You HAVE to stop by this place if you have the time and want to start off your Portland trip well. Plenty of parking out in the back and food comes out quick. The service was impeccable, with the owner(?) being super nice to make us some lumpia even though it was sold out and explaining the dishes to us! I’m going to miss this place so much and will absolutely plan to come back when I’m in Oregon again!

It was my first time going to this food cart today and Oh-My-God the food was awesome. I had the choices it comes with chicken, pork belly and rib and rice with a side of salad. It is hard to find good pork belly cooked right and it was excellent. The rib when I looked at it reminded of the ribs you get at Chinese restaurants back in the New England area. Overall the food was just amazing. If you haven't tried their food you are missing out. I went around 11:00 because it seems like they have ran out of food in the past. Customer service was awesome too! I cant wait to go back!

So you like BBQ? Curious enough to read some reviews here. Perhaps you're standing now amongst the many delightful options on in this food court. I can help. The tender morsels that are being flame grilled by real mesquite charcoal are calling to you for a reason. You want this. I did. I do. I dont know the secrets here, but they must have them. There is not a more tender piece of grilled meat in Portland. The BBQ meat is that sweet crispy flamed grilled outside with that butter melt in your mouth inner meat. The flavors here are all fantastic and best combined. Don't just do the grilled meat, though you would be happy enough if you did. Give your taste buds the island celebration. The sides are bright with nice acid and wanted to all be paired together. We had the BBQ Chicken plate that was elevated by pairing with the Octopus Kalaguen, think ceviche, lime acid and a side of the titiyas. The coconut rice could be a main dish and plays well with the grilled chicken and whatever that sauce is, bright nice salt with a little heat. We also tried the empanada, made fresh. Crackling hot from the fryer, with a beautifully blended filling of chicken and sweet potato. The food here is a celebration of Mariana Island flavors, with tables right by the grill, even on cold fogy Portland days you can feel the warmth and hear the waves. The people here love what they do and love sharing is.

This is the first restaurant I tried in Portland and it sets a high standard. I've never had Chamorro before, and it's some good stuff, the titiyas are a cool coconut flavored flatbread, and I got the All 3 Fiesta Plate to get a bit of everything. I think the Chicken and Pork Belly is their best. It's got a balanced flavor that pairs well with their buttery rice.

Genuinely friendly staff, amazing, CONSISTENT food, and always a place to sit outdoors. A true gem.

Best Chamorro food!!! I'm a foodie and I love to eat. I'm originally from Guam now living in California and it was a must to try this place out because I love to see if some still have the culture in them. Well you see I gave them a 5 star because it was so deserved. Everything we got and more taste just like home. The flavor and the spices was perfect to the T. If you are from Guam and looking for a place to eat, look no further. The food is perfect and you won't regret it!!! PS, the empanadas are pikaaaaa

Wow so good. I've had Hawaiian bbq before but first time trying Guam food, similar I would say but a tad more BBQ-ey, and a bit more Filipino (lumpias). Also the rice is orange kinda Mexican style so more flavor. Their meats are ribs, pork belly & chicken. We went w/ the fiesta plate (2 meats) ribs and PB of course. Everything was succulent and w/ nice smoky flavor, grilled to order. They also had a tasty ponzu style sauce that complimented nicely for dipping the meat or drizzle on top. We also tried the Telaguen, a kind of cold spicy chicken salad which I made tacos w/ at home but I imagine would go well with their coconut milk flatbread. They also had some things that tasted like slightly spicy samosas which were good too. Located in the Rose City food cart pod off sandy.

Once again PDX has some of THE BEST CHAMORRO food in the area (and I'm talking about in the PNW)! True to its roots and the island flavors I grew up enjoying! We have been longtime customers and fans of Chochu Local! We were sad when the previous Guam food truck (PDX671) had decided to close, but we were ecstatic when we found out that Chochu Local was opening up in it's place. Grateful that we'll still be able to get our Chamorro food fix in Portland. For those who don't know, "chochu" translates to "eat" in the Chamorro language. So when you visit, you "eat local" Chamorro food. Now let's talk about the grub! We just get the Fiesta Plate - with nods to the fiestas back on Guam. It's the complete meal (and it can easily feed 2 people, or one "husky" islander). Now the fiesta plate has red rice (a staple in Chamorro food), a salad (the sesame dressing is delicious and refreshing and one of my favorites), fina'denne (soy- and lemon or vinegar-based dipping sauce) and a choice of meats (chicken, porl belly, or ribs) - or you can get a combo of the meats, we just get all 3 cuz we roll like that! They also have Chamorro style empanada, kelaguen, lumpia, etc... All staples for a proper Chamorro fiesta! You're just missing the drunk uncles in the back! Lol! Service is fantastic, always with that big island smile! Biba, Chochu Local for keeping it cherry!

Ordered their chicken and pork belly combo with salad since they ran out the red rice. It tasted great with the grilled options. The combo is big enough to share. Great local following. Great service from staff. They have great sitting outdoor space and enjoy your meal.

Yum, yum, and more yum. Got the Fiesta Plate with chicken and ribs and it was pretty yummy. Definitely nice to have this food truck in our neighborhood. Salad and rice with delicious.

If you love meat and rice, you'll love this place. You can taste the love in the food. Don't forget the finadene sauce!!! Not sure if it is family owned but sure feels like it! Super nice and friendly folks running the cart and you can see your food is being freshly grilled on the side.

Full of flavor and love! They're very friendly and will take time helping and explaining. Omg that chicken is so perfect and melts in your mouth. These flavors reminded us of childhood memories when we were little kids eating this exact marinated chicken - I don't know how they made it taste like that but it brought back memories!!

Went again with a new buddy on 3/15 and grabbed a pork belly (PB) and chicken plate with a side of titiyas and my friend got the ribs plate. Delicious, Smokey, fatty perfection like ALWAYS! If you want island BBQ, or just plain great Portland BBQ, come here. Grab the titiyas and eat it like sweet pan coconut corn bread with yo' smokey meets. Grub down. You won't be sorry. Unless you forget extra finna'dinne. WYKYK.

Hafa Adai! Come hungry! Delicious food!! Big portions and packed with flavor. Ordered- fiesta plate (ribs & pork belly) bbq plate pork belly, titiyas, lumpia and empanada.

There's ample excellent options for "Island" food in Portland, this is a standout. On taste and definitely service, I much more favor Chochu than Grindz on NE Cully. The pork belly is succulent with a nice degree of char, the dipping sauce (albeit a small portion) compliments it very well. The rice and kimchi noodle salad are better than average. And like with most Island food venues the service is consistently friendly and chill.

So good! Friendly service (Thanks Joy!) Unique flavors and everything was tender. You can tell they care about their food

Freaking AMAZING!!!! Omg so while in Portland my bestie made sure I checked out this outdoor food court sitch. And I'm so glad she did! The very first truck I walked up to was serving Chamorro food! Fun fact, I lived in Guam for 2 years and absolutely lost my mind when I saw this truck! I've only found a restaurant serving this type of food once in the US when I lived in San Diego. So I was elated to say the least. The gals working the truck were so sweet! We chatted about Guam and it was so nice to just talk about a wonderful childhood memory. The lumpia I ordered was perfection!!! I lowkey should've ordered more than one order because they were absolutely delicious. Highly recommend this spot!!!

Chicken plate so good! They are super nice and kind people. Good price as well. Pro-tip: don't forget the Hawaiian Sun drink which pairs well.

This is it baby. This is what it's all about: succulent meats Dude at the cart was super friendly and had a great energy. Wait for the order took a bit, possibly since I was there right when they opened, but was worth it. I ordered the three meat fiesta platter which came with pork belly, chicken thighs, and pork rib. The pork belly was perfectly crisp with melt-in-your-mouth fat. The chicken was soft, well seasoned, and had that charred flavor from being grilled to perfection. The rib was the weakest of the three but still strong. I appreciate that it was soft but wasn't falling off the bone (which is the correct level of cooked rib). I'll nitpick a bit and say it was a bit bland, at least relative to the other two meats, but sparks up when you add their signature finadenni (spicy garlic soy sauce - surprisingly good). All this complimented by some tasty red rice and a thoughtful salad. I think the dressing on it was a honey mustard type deal which added a bit of sweetness to a salty and savory dish. Portion sizes were definitely generous and fit the price which was $24 at time of review but they also have a chicken plate at $14 This place is a proper treat and easily somewhere I'd take an out-of-towner or a local. There's more for me to explore on their menu so this is 100% worth a revisit

A little taste of home in Portland! This is authentic CHamoru BBQ and was so great we had lunch and bought seconds for dinner too! The truck is run by a few local boys who grew up here in Portland so the service is great and the food is the best!

Last time we were here was four years ago on a work trip. Back in town for a work trip and decided we wanted food from home! That's what we got! You can taste the effort that goes into the food. It brings back memories of being back on the island. Service here is a reflection of the culture....super friendly and inviting. We WILL be back again for more. Appreciate all you do!

Dangkulu na si Yu'os ma'ase, Chochu! As a homesick island girl who's been to MANY fiestas in Guahan (Guam), I can say these guys are legit! All the amazing deliciousness that I grew up with. I ordered a bunch of food and was feeling happy and homesick. Almost cried! The kelaguen is some of the best I've ever had, richness of the chicken and coconut, balanced with the tartness of the lemons. I LOVE the empanadas! Crunchy and flavorful - and nice mild afterburn from the donne'. Took me all the way back to high school morning recess, when I lined up to get my snack of crispy spicy happiness. I talked to magical Mike while he was barbecuing slabs of awesome, just stood there inhaling all that bbq smoky goodness that smelled like every weekend on Ypao Beach. Definitely coming back!

Update!: well, today is now yesterday's tomorrow, so Miki and I went back for more! We had more ribs and also got the pork belly! Wow! The pork belly is huge chunks, meat on one side, crispy, crispy joy on the other and the wonder of pork belly fat between. Drool... so good! Oh, and Miki agreed, the sauce is great over the rice and the meats are just stellar on their own. We are both hooked now! You really need to try this before they are "discovered" like Matt's and lines become longer than the newest Marvel movie! --------yesterday's review -------- I got the ribs, which came with rice, a gorgeous and tasty salad, and a dipping sauce similar to what you dip gyoza into, but more citrus-y. "My God, it's full of flavor!" to paraphrase 2001: A Space Odyssey. Without anything added in terms of sauce, these ribs wouldn't just play in TX, they would RULE. So much umami here. I used the dipping sauce over the rice personally and that really made it pop. Let's not forget the salad, which was a beautiful mix of fresh greens with a nice dressing. I can hardly wait to eat here again... I hope they are open today! Note: They were closed for a bit due to a family situation, but they are back now. Pro Tip: Pair it with a beer weekends and evenings when the beer garden is open. I would recommend a lighter beer like a pilsner or lager or even a very dry cider.

Is there more stars ???? Food was fantastic it reminded me of my grandmothers food . I got there and they had closed the kitchen ( it's in a tiny food truck ) for 30 min to cool off . It's been crazy weather for the whole week . I am from TX and I am used to heat but this was insane for OR . I waited the 30 min comfortable in my rent car - After eating the food I would wait 2 hours for it ! Y'all those Chamorro ribs !!!!! I dream about them . They are 99.9 % close to my long gone gramma . I made sure o told the owner . By the way they are the nicest people !!! The wife really cares and took the time to ask about my family from Guam , My only regret is not asked them if they belong to any of the Chamorro FB groups . If you have tried food from Guam this is it ! If you have not ... go because this will be a go to ! YUM

Great food. Great people. And the smell walking up to take your order sets the tone for a great meal. Authentic Chamorro cuisine done right by authentic islanders!

Great meal and great service! The pork belly was amazing. The flat bread too! Highly recommended!

Spreading love from the islands stopped by this gem since we were around the area. And we do not regret it! Street parking / small parking lot in the back- walk in over to their stall and enjoy the company of friends with amazing tastes. We got their 3 choice fiesta plate with ribs, pork belly, and chicken. So flavorful! The chicken kilaguen is new for us. We're Filipino- and the only time we get Chamorro food is from our neighbors. But we are used to goat and shrimp kilageun. It was sooo yummy though! A must try

Whenever I go to the rose city carts for dinner - this is my first option. The family that runs the operation are very sweet and kind. The meat is grilled to order it looks like and plate prices are very affordable given the fact prices have gone up at a lot of places these days. My go to plate is the chicken rice combo. I always ask for the slightly spicy and savory sauce upon request. When placing the order, the food arrives in only a few minutes time then I get ready to dig in. I pour the sauce over the chicken and rice. The salad is refreshing and the tangy dressing is an bonus to the dish. I cut the chicken into more bites and then eat it with the special rice that is seasoned just right. As long as they are open when I visit, I will continue to support this amazing family business, cheers!

Great flavor! Love island food and Lumpia's . Need pancit added to menu. Really great place friendly and freshly cooked food will run out.

Very tasty food and really friendly staff! My friend and I shared the fiesta plate and lumpia. Both fairly priced and delish. Fiesta plate came with a sort of soy sauce-marinated rib and a chicken thigh that was teriyaki like - can't remember exactly how they were described, but trust me they were yummy. Located in a little food pod area so it's a great choice for getting food with friends.

You need to have this food truck on your must do list, if you even kind of like BBQ..... Their Island BBQ is very different than your more typical regional American BBQ's. Truly one of the best food trucks in Portland!!!

Delicious food cart with large portions and authentic food that does not make you feel greasy or bad after

If your aching to go back home to Guam and can't afford that expensive ticket ! Stop by for the best comfort food that takes you back to your childhood, your roots , takes you back home ! After years and years of wanting to stop by we finally made it ! Very very sweet family , Mike is a solid guy! The food is amazing and the empanadas are the new standard , better then rosary grade !

They're back and still so good! We got the BBQ chicken and half-portion pork add-on, both smoky and flavorful and so good. We were also blown away by the salad? Like, WHAT is that nutty-sweet dressing? It's so good. Almost like a tahini-honey, but not quite that. Walnut? I dunno but I want a bottle of it! The pickled papaya is spicy but refreshing, and offsets the richness of the meats perfectly -- really good pieced over the rice. The only thing I would change is getting an extra sauce for the second scoop of rice. That sauce is just so good over everything!

Keep it coming! The food that takes me back home. Deliciousness all the time! No matter the season, they keep delivering that "local island food".

I'm almost hesitant to write a review about Chochu Local because it's so good I know it's only a matter of time before getting a plate of food here will be next to impossible. This is the real deal. The people who own/run it are so nice, the chicken is perfect, and if you ask for no rice you can get 2x salad instead! This is a go-to post-workout meal for me. Never change, Chochu Local.

Great food, great people! I've eaten their food for years and still can't get enough. Love the chicken kelaguen, titiyas, empanada, lumpia, bbq chicken, bbq ribs, ok so I love it all. You have to try it for yourself.

I am married to a Chamorro from Guam and I have over 30 years of immersion in Chamorro culture and cuisine. I've been to Guam many times and I've been to many stateside, authentic Chamorro fiestas and parties... Chochu Local is by far the very best Chamorro food I've had in my 33 years of exposure to the cuisine! Mike and Joy have absolutely nailed the flavours of all the various dishes... from the humble red rice to the exotic octopus kelaguen... every dish is perfect! All the BBQ, the lumpia, the empanadas, the titiyas, the shrimp things, the kimchi noodle salad and the biringhenas (smoked eggplant) dishes are delicious! Just to mention a few... We have hired Mike and Joy several times to cater events for us and everyone who tastes the food is amazed! They rave about how great everything tastes and how different all the dishes are! Everyone always wants to take a balutan (togo box)! Mike and Joy and their family are the kindest most gracious and humble people you will ever meet! They love to share their island's recipes and always go out of their way to make sure your meal is exactly what you want...even adjusting spiciness levels to your liking for pre-ordered/catered events! Cannot say enough about how fantastic Chochu Local is and I make sure all my family and friends try them! PS Chochu Local is catering a wedding for us this summer and everyone is super psyched about the food! The bride-to-be's parents tried the food for the first time tonight and LOVED it! Keep up the outstanding food preparation and service! We love you guys! Si yu'us ma'asi!

Some of the best food I've ever had from a food truck. And all of the workers were super friendly and helpful with ordering!!

Wow! The food was amazing. I had the pork belly and chicken fiesta plate. Everything was outstanding but pork belly rocked my world. The service was exceptional. I will be back for sure.

Authentic, delicious Guamanian food! Their Kelaguen chicken is addictive! So much flavor - grilled chicken thigh and scallions with citrus and heat - all chopped up small and served cold. It's a symphony of flavors that once you try, you will crave it again and again. Usually I get two portions so I can have one there and bring one home for the next day!!! Order the Tityas to go with it; grilled round flatbread made with coconut milk giving them a hint of sweet that balances the heat from the kelaguen. The first time I had Guamanian food was from the previous PDX671 cart that used to be in Rose City Food Park. I love it but they were only open 1 or two days a week. They now have a brick and mortar (BIBA! CHamoro Kitchen) on NE 42nd and the food is still fabulous. But this location is super convenient for me and Chochu Local makes incredibly delicious food! Plus, they are open everyday! Since they make the popular Keleguen ahead of time, service is fast. And always, always, with a smile! Rarely can one find authentic food from Guam in Portland. Do yourself a favor and stop by Chochu Local and experience this unique flavorful island food.

Chochu Local is what dreams are made of...seriously! My boyfriend (born and raised on Guam) and I traveled down to Portland from Seattle specifically to indulge in Chamorro food for his birthday. We ordered a bit of everything...all absolutely amazing. The titiyas and kelaguen were both the best we've had in the states. Thank you, Chochu Local, for bringing Chamorro food and culture to the PNW.

Amazing food and amazing owners Perfect location with plenty of room to sit and enjoy your food. Covered eating area to stay out of the sun or rain. A Portland must eat!

This is it !!!! The if ever around Portland area check this guys out food is just delicious worth my drive from Salem, fast service I ordered the bbq pork belly it just hit the spot, not crowded island reggae music to in the background, if haven't try this place you should definitely.

The smell is what attracted me to this place as my friend and I was liking for something to eat at food carts. The smell of grilled meats is definitely a weakness of mine. We ordered the Firsta Plate - 2 scoop of red rice, grilled chicken, bbq spareribs, kim chi noodle salad. It took awhile for the food to come out, but it was worth the wait. The grilled chicken was super flavorful and went well with the rice. There was also this citrus type sauce that you can pour over the rice. The bbq spareribs was also tasty, but a bit on the salty side. Other than that, the flood was good and the service was very friendly.

Hands down the most authentic and delicious island food you can get. The staff creates a warm environment and always treats you like family.

Recommend to try out the local grinds from the pacific islands of Micronesia...!won't be disappointed, made with the best ingredients "Love"

Wow, what a gem among all the various and fabulous food carts around the Portland area. Chochu Local delivers with great flavorful food and great staff. We had fiesta and chicken plates, lumpia, pork belly and chicken kelaguen, everything was delicious. If you've never tried the cuisine of Guam, I highly recommend Chochu Local as it's some of the best Guamanian food I've had in the States and even Guam.

This was our first time ever eating Guam food and it did not disappoint! The owner was super friendly and we got the fiesta plate, chicken kelaguen, and lumpia. Everything was so tasteful and we killed everything in one sitting.

Came from the Bay Area where island food is more common so when I found out about Chochu Local in Portland I just had to try it because I was seriously craving some red rice and kelaguen. If you haven't had Chamorro food, WAKE UP and get some. You don't want to sleep on this. Went while they were closed but they were EXTREMELY kind to serve up some of their food. Ordered: 2 orders of chicken kelaguen 2 orders of red rice (2 scoops) 1 order of lumpia (3pcs) I honestly wanted to cry when I got my food. I haven't had kelaguen in so long and it felt like home. Red rice, made to perfection and YES, you read my order right. It comes with not one but TWO scoops. Lumpia was also tasty, 3 large pieces and they came out fresh out the fryer. They serve it up with vinegar + garlic. OMG, bomb. They recently opened about 5 weeks ago and wanted any feedback but honestly it just tasted so good. Nothing but smiles on my face. AND Uncle Mike made us try their BBQ after we finished eating and I'm so glad we did. Their chicken & ribs were sooooo juicy and marinated the island way; to perfection. Thank you Uncle Mike and Auntie Joy for the amazing food! See you guys real soon!

Now and then, I think of island leisure Like when "Hafa Adai" brings us all together Told myself that Mariana must be heavenly Neni plays my tastebuds like a symphony Kelaguen was lit and it's a heat I still remember You can get addicted to certain empanadas Strive to revive 671 tradition So, when we found that same Fiesta fodder Red rice redemption, cheat carbs confession Gotye is somebody that we used to know Now it's Guam Bar-B that we Chochu Local

I love this food cart! I come from Saipan and I love going here because I really miss eating food from home. The staff are so nice and the food is amazing. If you want to try island food I recommend this place!

Best Chamorro food in Portland Area! If you're looking for the location, the place is actually like a food-truck style and not a restaurant so try not to miss it! For starters, their red rice is so rich and flavorful! I actually really enjoyed eating it by itself. Also, their meats (chicken thigh and spareribs) are so moist and juicy and pairs well with their soy-lemon dipping sauce (fina'deni). My boyfriend ordered their lumpia and I love how crunchy it was, but I wasn't much of a fan of their sauce. I feel like it could be improved or they should offer other variety of sauces. On another note, I really recommend their kimchee noodle so for those who have not tried that, def do so!!! Overall, we really enjoyed their Chamorro cuisines and will be back for more!