El Brasero

I was excited to try this cart as they had great options on their menu. We got the three chicken enchiladas and fajita burrito. They both looked pretty decent. Was I disappointed in the way they tasted. If I didn't know what I ordered, and did a blindfold taste test. I couldn't tell you what they were. Especially the enchiladas. Flavorless is an understatement. I tasted. Cilantro, corn tortilla, and sour cream. That's it. The burrito wasn't much better. The chicken fragments we're also flavorless. And the " Spanish rice" had to be days old if not a week. Maybe take a trip back home and remember flavors again. I find your passion for cooking.

I visited Portland for the first time. I haven’t had good Mexican food in a while. The first time I got a torta de asada. El pan estaba calientito y suave. La carne sabrosa y tierna. I loved it so much I came back two days later for a torta de al pastor. Same quality! Y las salsas estaban picantes, how a salsa should be. Whenever I’m in Portland, I will definitely go to El Brasero!! My mouth waters just thinking about it.

This place is complete trash. I ordered three street tacos: chicken, steak and pork. The steak and chicken were both ground meats. A steak taco shouldn't beef ground beef… Anyways I then ordered salsa which was NOT salsa. It was long jalapeños with carrots. The tacos should cost $4 each x 3= $12 the chips and GUAC were $8 so my salsa should have been right around that price as well. My grand total came to $31???? The guy working the cart gave himself a huge tip as soon as I tapped to pay so by that point it was too late. Between getting completely ripped off to having the most flavorless and dry tacos, I don’t know how this place stays open. Please do your tastebuds and wallet a favor and don’t waste your time eating here.

We ordered the soy chorizo burrito and it was awesome - tons of flavour, great texture and big portion. Might have been a bit better with some veggies inside but we didn't mind. If ur a vegan it is a must try. The tortilla was fresh and homemade - unbelievably good! The rice was ok but the beans were also great. Make sure you get the salas... they were fantastic. We will be back.

The food is absolutely disgusting. Beans and rice have absolutely no flavor. Barely any meat given! A generous 20% tip was given and we only got a few napkins and 2 measly salsa cups?!

A chile relleno burrito always has the chance of being special with the treasure inside of a hot cheese-filled poblano pepper. El Brasero in the Cartopia food cart pod had exactly the hidden gem we were looking for. Under a hot mid-day sun we found it by venturing deep into the far-NE corner of the pod past the encroaching bamboo beds. When we finally got ahold of their chile relleno burrito, we felt like we discovered one of the best hidden treasures of the Portland food cart scene. This burrito includes refried beans, rice, and sour cream surrounded the chile relleno - a poblano pepper filled with cheese - the gooey cheesy center running almost the entire length of the massive, delicious food brick. It slowly disappeared as we drizzled their mild green jalapeño salsa over it and passed the burrito back and forth. We forgot about the long hot day, and our tire rotation happening down the street, and enjoyed our unique, handheld lunch. El Brasero has held its Cartopia spot since 2007. The chile relleno burrito - and the line to order - is proof of why they continue to stay.

I was waiting for food from another cart and decided to try one of their chorizo street tacos. It was absolutely the best taco I have had in Portland.

Wishing I’d read the reviews before ordering! We had the chicken burrito and steak quesadilla. Beans and rice are super lacking in flavor, one of the most underwhelming burritos we’ve had, and the steak had so much fat mixed in it was tough. Whatever they use for pre-shredded cheese melts really poorly too. Love Cartopia but we’ll pick elsewhere in the future.

I'm genuinely shocked by the poor reviews. My company moved to the office space across the street recently and this was my second time eating at El Brasero. Both times have been good, but today I discovered the special quesadilla. It was seriously the best quesadilla I've ever had. Hot and gooey and delish, with Monterey Jack cheese and sauteed mushrooms, also pico, lettuce, and sides of beans and rice, which are also tasty. This was the quesadilla of my dreams. The gentleman working the cart is always polite and the servings are huge, can make this two meals for sure.

It hurts my heart having to rate a Mexican vendor so low, however with all due respect this place was nasty. My mother and aunt flew in town, I took them to Cartopia; we chose this place as one of our eatery and it was so disappointing. I lowkey was embarrassed because of how I gloated about Portland having the best food trucks. The taco shell was not warmed. I'll credit the meat for having some type of flavoring but the sauce, they could had kept that with them in that kitchen. It was a no ma'm

I would not eat here again. Similar to other reviews, the food is over priced and flavorless. While service was fast and the overall environment is cute - the burritos are absolutely bland and boring.

Thought their Asada Burrito was decent. A tad stingy on the protein but overall still a filling meal. Lots of fresh veggies and their salsas were bomb! On the pricier end of things too, $16 for a burrito.

Vegan burrito bowl, my child can't eat dairy and is vegetarian. The meat substitute was awful, half a spoon of black beans and rice. My child was able to eat a little of the rice, now I need to purchase them another meal.

First time here and I've got to say it's pretty solid! The reviews were a little sketchy but we gave it a try anyways. The pod it's in is great! Multiple fire pits and a big covered eating area! The gentleman who took our order was friendly and helpful. He even gave my daughters a candy when leaving. We ordered the asada burrito and carnitas quesadilla. It took about 10 minutes and our food was ready. Took it home and got it ready for the girls (and myself). The quesadilla was pretty good - nice flavor, not to greasy and decent sized. The asada burrito was also a nice size and had a good balance of meat, rice, beans and other fillers. It wasn't a meat brick which I appreciated. Pretty good flavor. I'd come back if in the area!!

These people put iceberg lettuce in their burritos. No taste. Very little meat (if any). Dont eat there.

I was trying to order a side of plain white rice because of a gluten/dairy allergy. They didn't have it, but they did have Mexican style rice that was seasoned with other ingredients. I asked if it was gluten and dairy free because some places use butter and seasoning power that contains gluten. Instead of telling me if it was gluten/dairy free, he scoops me a sample for me to try. Sure, just let me try it and wait to see if I have an allergic reaction. That's the dumbest thing I've ever encountered. I don't know about you, but that's probably the most rude and disrespectful thing I can thing of happening when trying to order food for someone with allergies. I'm sorry but hygiene also seems like an issue. Not sure how comfortable I'd be having someone who looks like they didn't brush their teeth in years make my food.

This place is still open! And I'm surprised to read these negative reviews, because I had a freaking amazing Torta. We made it vegetarian and filled it with grilled Soy. The soy curls almost tasted like chicken and were marinated to perfection. My favorite part of the Torta was that it was pressed down and toasted perfectly. The bread was just slightly crunchy and flaky. Most Tortas I eat don't toast their bread so, and it become such a hassle to bite down on this huge freaking thing. Not the case here! And it was filled with jalapeños and tomatoes. The RED SALSA on the side was delicious. I've never had a salsa like that before, I can't even describe the flavor but I loved it. I'd definitely come back for the Torta. Bummed to see people think it's closed because it might not be getting as much business (which it rightfully should), but I guess for now this will be a nice little secret for all of us in the know

I dont know what happened to the older lady who used to run this cart, but it seems that ever since the two gentlemen started running it, service and quality have taken a nosedive. They seem grumpy, not interested in anything but your bill snd all around standoffish. We went there last night for a quick bite, knowing that this was a spot that my wife could eat at, with her digestive issues. $45 later and we get called up. Pick up our bag with a sense of mission accomplished after a hard days work and drive home (less than 10 min away). We never recieved our bowl, which was one of 4 items we ordered. Not to mention most of the food was cold when it was handed to us. We were so tired and just hungry from work we didnt bother to make a big deal out of it. Very disappointing. It would seem the quality of the service at this cart has degraded over the years. Having messaged them via instagram and square, it seems that this is yet another spot we will be frequenting much less now.

DO NOT do it! The food used to be good before covid time idk if they got a new owner or what but the food is NOT I REPEAT IT IS NOT what it used to be. The asada burrito was like ground beef? Flavorless! And the whole vibe was just health code violations. I give the guy props for trying, he was somewhat friendly but the food is so bad!! It's screaming stomachs ache. The horchata was so bad it used to be the bomb! Sad!!

The steak taco was solid, but wow, the al pastor taco was fire--the best I've had of the flavor anywhere, so I give it a five star review just for that.

I would like to give a 3.5. The food is pretty good, but the wait time is a little insane. Took almost 30 minutes for me to get 4 tacos. Many other people were expressing their frustration with the wait time. My cousin arrived after me, ordered from somewhere else, and received his food before we did. Prices were decent for the amount of food received and the portions as well.

Worst burrito I've ever had in my life. Ordered a steak burrito, and the meat was minced, stringy, and chewy. The rice was severely overcooked and mushy. Nowhere near worth the price of $14. Avoid.

To all who claim that eating here is delicious, please stop. This is the most unpleasant Mexican food I've ever eaten; it's just a waste of your money here. And I ended up with diarrhea the next day.

My boyfriend and I went to Cartopia to try some food trucks and this was one of the place we've tried. The menu seems like they would have some good "authentic" Mexican food, but after trying it... this place was not it. Items we got were: beef and chicken burritos, beef and chicken tacos, and horchata. When I'm paying for $9 for a burrito, $2.5 for a taco from a food truck, I expect it to be decent or good, but their food was VERY bland. The meat was completely dry, no flavors, or marination, and no special seasoning... It looked like as if they barely cooked up some frozen meat, and seasoned it with peppers, and called it good. Also used very fatty meaty junks. She put raw onions in the burrito mixed with raw lettuce which wasn't very pleasant tasting. My tacos were crossed contaminated with meats. She threw like 10 tiny pieces of onions on 6 tacos with no cilantros. Didn't asked me if I wanted all the toppings or anything.. Their verde hot sauce was junky and oily, like they didn't blend up the sauce. You can just taste the junks of peppers and bland in flavors. It wasn't a consistency of what a sauce should be. Their horchata was super sweet and you can taste the junks of whatever they use to mix it with. I give that horchata a 2/5 stars. I feel like I just spend 15 minutes waiting for disappointment meal... After coming back here twice, I'd pass on the third time.

Ok, so the last of my Yelp folks to write a review of this place was two years ago. They were not impressed with the food here. It was hit or miss for me. There are better places in town and I've been to many of them but somehow El Brasero is still around, so some folks around the Hawthorne area do enjoy the food. First, you are not going to go hungry here because the food is huge. Or at least the burrito was gigantic. For anyone who has lived in Texas and knows about Freebird Burritos then you know what their monster burrito is and this is basically a comparison. I ordered a pastor(pork) burrito and the meat itself wasn't half bad but it was a matter of finding it within all of the rice and beans that were overwhelming said large burrito. The salsas that came with it we're also a little underwhelming and I was surprised that they only had two varieties. Most have a red sauce a green sauce and an habanero. They only had a green and habanero sauce to offer. The green was basically semipureed chiles and the habanero had a little kick but was watery. The price was right and probably one of the reasons it is inviting but with several really good food carts here, I'm not quite sure how it survives other than there isn't any other Mexican food in the immediate vicinity. Simply, if you want a good amount of food for your dollar, than you will do good here but just know that there is great Mexican food in Portland.

Their veggie burrito is okay... better than some of the mediocre burritos in Portland. But the service is sloooow and $14 for a barely okay veggie burrito? No... that's it. Nevermore.

Well this just was okay. I got the Cactus Burrito, vegan, and if it weren't for hot sauce, it would basically been flavorless. It was big and full of iceberg lettuce, rice and beans but no real flavor. I definitely won't be back as I like my Mexican food packed with flavor and heat. It was 100% boring.

Three star because of slow service and I didn't really like my burrito. I placed an order for one burrito and waited almost 15min for it, while my party was ordering from other food carts after me and got theirs before me. It wasn't that busy, not sure why it took so long. I ordered the Chile relleno burrito. The burrito lacks a lot of flavor and texture. Every bite just felt like mush. I'm from California and I've had my fair share of great burritos and this does not meet my good burrito expectations. Being that the Chile relleno is being used as the main content in this burrito, i was expecting another ingredient in the burrito to crunch. Maybe I'm just biased to this particular burrito. Because I love Mexican food, and if I can give this place another try, I'll order their more popular items to see how it compares.

We absolutely love the Cartopia Food Carts! Just a great vibe on the corner of 12th and Hawthorne! Lots of great food to choose from. El Brasero is nestled I to the back corner on the right. We ordered some Street Tacos and a Horchata. The tacos we good...we tried the Al Pastor and the Chorizo. They came topped with fresh Onion and Cilantro just how I like my tacos. We all liked the food but nothing really stood out to us as being spectacular...but still good if you are in the mood for Mexican!

The beans on the nachos were cold. The service was slow and communication was not ideal. The steak tacos were alright but the chicken on the nachos was grey and unappealing. Those of my party that ate from El Brasero were sick to their stomachs the next day.

I am a fan. It's buried in the back corner of the cartopia plot. It can be hard to find with all the greenery. The order window on the cart seems to be the first clue to the service to come. There are steps you need to go up to order. The menu is spread over two chalk boards. The boards are often smudged and difficult to follow. All this aside. There is an extremely long wait after you order. Three other carts had their order placed even after this cart. Every time this cart was well last in providing food. Here is the rub and why there are still there star on this reviews the food is great the flavors are authentic and the subtle flavors are there. Every meal is provided with the condiments and hot or mild sauce I found it not usually necessary since the love is in the food I recommend the bowls. Seems to provide the most volume and ability to share. Enjoy

I've always loved visiting Portland for the great food and wondered why we never went to a Mexican spot. After finally trying some Mexican, I understand why it's better to stick with my native SF for our tacos + burritos. VEGETARIANS BURRITOS * Cactus (rice, black beans, fresh cheese, pico de gallo & lettuce. Avocado replaces dairy for vegan style. $7) - 2 stars pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-brasero-mexican-cart-portland?select=XWFX0XS31Yzu7BCCZ6Ytsw#XWFX0XS31Yzu7BCCZ6Ytsw Really just not impressive. Loosely packed, the tortilla wasn't too fresh, and the cactus (and all the veggies!) seemed very very old & was overcooked, soggy, and flavorless. The black beans were decent but all the ingredients were not distributed well so when you took a bite it was either all beans and rice or all veggies or all avocado. Menu: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/el-brasero-mexican-cart-portland?select=XWFX0XS31Yzu7BCCZ6Ytsw#7uNHJWlYdcvKJ_pVnxuMJw

They didn't put that the breakfast burrito had beans and loaded it with beans no meat or eggs to be found. When returned to ask if they could make without beans he said nope. $13 down the drain plus a tip he didn't deserve.

They have a vegan and vegetarian friendly menu. Awesome. I was worried that since I started my pescetarian diet recently, that they wouldn't have anything of interest to me. Howeverrrr, I ordered the soy chorizo breakfast burrito and it was Awesome! For $8, the burrito was HUGE... Like Chipotle burrito with everything in it huge! When it came to service time, there were like 4 orders ahead of me, but it only took about 10 minutes for the food to be ready. I can't speak for the other menu items, but my mates said the food was ok (maybe the meats aren't marinated enough or something..). Again, large portions, so you'll definitely get your fill. I would probably pass on the salsa though as its not very good. The area it is located at has plenty of seating and a few firepits for warmth. A nice place to hang before going out or after hours.

I'm writing this after having waited almost 40 min and still not yet even having my food. Service is SO DAMNED SLOW. I MAY update after I try their food, but I doubt it. EDIT: ok, the food warranted a return visit to this review--and not for a good reason. Chorizo burrito was overpowered by refríes beans. Chorizo...by beans. TF. Wife said the street tacos were good, but not worth a nearly 40 min wait.

Very surprised by the average star rating here. I think this place is great and the best burrito in the close-in SE area. Don't sleep on the braised lamb. The al pastor is good too. Also those breakfast burritos! Don't sleep on those breakfast burritos either. The only reason I don't give this place five stars is that I think everything is about $1 too expensive which makes it hard for me to tip. Authentic-ish, family owned and operated, traditional cart fair, nothing fancy, a huge variety including vegetarian and vegan, what more could you want?

I don't normally leave reviews, but I have been working nearby Cartopia for almost two years now. I come here for lunch regularly, and I never tried this food cart until today. I was served rotten steak in my burrito. Thanks for the stomach ache I am currently having to work my shift with.

Should have known better. Very mediocre burrito at high prices. Also, very annoying, disorganized ordering process. Despite ordering just after my friends my order came a good 10 minutes later than theirs. They don't take your name and kind of just hand food out to whoever's standing closest. They either gave my food to someone else or somehow forgot it - had to go back to the counter with a 'where's my food?' at which point they finally made my order. Avoid the urge, there are better choices at Cartopia and around.

I don't know why I haven't left a review already. Cartopia as a whole is awesome. I went at night recently and it was poppin. El Brasero just happens to be my favorite cart/go-to there. I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I enjoy vegetables, so these options are nice. I really like their Nopalito items. I got some nopalito street tacos last night and they were SLAMMIN. The Asada were great too. I have yet to try their Horchata, but maybe next time. The sauces are amazing. I feel like most trucks and taquerias use the same sauces, but these sauces feel and taste like they're made in house. The green sauce tastes like a whole serving of vegetables.

So...at 2/am they were out of two things I tried to order. They had two tamales left, and I learned this after the very youthful guy who gave me my order informed me he had to refund me for one, because they only had two left and he dropped one. The tamale was very overheated/cooked - but if I had gotten one not super dried out at the ends, it would have been one of the best tamales I've had in awhile... I'll try them again mid-day. Steer clear at night.

Worst Food Cart Award goes to...........(Drumroll).........El Brasero.....(loads of awkward clapping) I was so excited after getting a pizza at Pyro Pizza to see that they offered Breakfast Burritos. The next Saturday, which is the only morning of the week I work, I stopped by and ordered a Chorizo Breakfast Burrito. I have had Chorizo in the past and loved it so I was super excited to get to the office so I could chow down. Grisly, fatty, slightly burnt, gritty texture, and bitter flavors welcomed me with every bite. The flavor was similar to a deep fryer that hasnt been changed in months. Disgusting and Foul would adequately describe my eating experience. The man at the stand didn't speak english and seemed irritated to have a customer so early in the morning. Needless to say I wont be back EVER AGAIN! This place should move elsewhere its giving all the tasty carts around it a bad name. BLEK!

This is my go-to Mexican food cart in my neighborhood! Their food is great, PARTICULARLY the chips & guac! The guac is seriously good, give it a try. The only negative I have is they take a looong time. That being said, you can rest assured the food is fresh!

What is wrong with your light and weak burritos? Meat is flavorless and needs more Mexican spices. Sauces are dull. 9.00 dollars for a cheap burrito and I'm still hungry. Those guys need to be schooled by LOS GORDITOS. Maybe I should try their breakfast burritos only.

Dope little court yard with fire pits plentiful sitting surrounded by 8 different food carts. Absolutely enormous burrito for great price. Wife loved the vegan soyrizo and the plentiful vegan options. Friendly service, good food, good ambiance at a good price!

I'm a regular over here. What can I tell, I chose my new apartment based on the proximity to this food place. Amazing veggie burritos (and you know that Mexican food doesn't have much veggie options in general). This place has bomb mushroom burritos in town! They are huge! They are delicious! My wife loves their fish tacos (orders them every time ). The wait can be a bit long sometimes, but what you expect from such a popular place?! Oh yeah, they actually know my name, so that's pretty cool. Such a personal service Love from Alex and Olga

SO. MUCH. YAS. Food is amazing - service eh. Who cares though. It's a food cart and it's delicious.

Ok, this spot is a 5mins bike ride from my house and it's the best GO TO Mexican "FOOD TRUCK"around here!! Breakfast burritos/ soft tacos... come check it out! Staff is awesome I always tell all my friends about this place! Thanks guys

5 stars for the burrito portions and flavor. 4 stars for the wait time to place my order and price. Overall pretty good.

Dusty here... What can I say about El Brasero? Probably a lot. It's amazing. Better than amazing. Ok, so, although born in Portland, I was raised in Phoenix. Phoenix has some amazing tacos and other Mexican foods, but sadly, Portland does not. There's great Chinese food, but not great Mexican food, BUT, El Brasero is GODDAMNFINGAMAZING. Their street tacos have no other cart coming close. You like burritos...well, as a former 423 pound food-oholic, they are so big (and so godddamn tasty), I can't finish one now. It's that huge. It's like the forearm of the Mountain from Game of Thrones. The tacos, amazing, and how everything is mixed, almost divine. The street tacos are my favorite though. Pollo with pico, some lime, and a dollop of sour cream...simply divine. Their fish taco's...glorious. And although I am not vegan, their vegan options, I'm told...best in Portland. The staff is friendly, and always with a smile, and in most cases, they remember your name, even after your second order. El Brasero is situated in the far corner of Cartopia and it's been there for years. They are always open, and always serving THE BEST tacos and burritos in the metro area. Go there...you won't be sorry. Except at the noon hour...it's usually pretty busy and it's a 2 person operation. If you go when it's busy, relax, have a Coke, sit at the tables...be patient. It's worth it!

Authentic & spicy; the foundation of bomb Mexican food! You have to eat here if you're a sucker for tacos like myself.

***Fish Taco*** $3.50 We got the fish taco and it was good. But not worth the price compared to the chicken, beef and pork taco for $1.50. My fiance and I went there on a friday night, surprisingly not all that busy. Not a place I would make an effort to drive from Hillsboro to eat their food. Service was a 1 1/2 star. I had to wait and realized that I needed to get their attention to make my order.

Ordered overpriced tacos last night and have had terrible stomach ache all day. Stay away!

Pretty pricey. Didn't even want to get the tacos bc 2.50 for tacos is pretty ridiculous. Idk could just be me. But I got an asada burrito, it tasted very very bland. No flavor and not really authentic to what they claim. It was really big tho however. Still don't think it was worth my money though. I think the only plus for me is that their sauce is really spicy. Nowadays you can't find a Mexican place with sauce close to that spicy.

Not sure if I tried this food cart on the wrong day, but the guy helping customers really lacks customer service skills. His attitude made me feel he was doing me a favor. No smiles. No sign of gratitude for my patronage. My questions were answered with a "I'm bothered" voice tone. My "choices" of salsa were handed to me upon me asking what the options were. If only the food could save this place... Unfortunately, the chile inside the chile relleno burrito was tough (uneatable). First and probably last time giving my money to this place.

This is probably my favorite mexican food cart. Great veggie/vegan options, good customer service and the portions are great. Sometimes they're very busy though and the lines can be long. Overall, good food at an affordable price and the atmosphere of the setting is very lively.

After a night of weekday drinking, this place was calling my name. And I answered. Huge burritos for $9.50? Sold. Do yourself a favor and get the al pastor burrito with their hot sauce and you won't be disappointed. Not only will you be full and happy, but your mouth will be numb from the homemade hot sauce. Pro tip: relax by the fire pits and eat your burrito because it'll make everything that much better.

I agree with the rest of the reviews, unfortunately.... It took wayyyy too long to get my order (only a quesadilla) and the food was pretty mediocre.