El Pilón

Oh, WOW! Such a good find. The best empanadas with a variety of fillings. Authentic Colombian food and sauces. Very welcoming and friendly. After trying one I bought two whole trays so we can freeze them and have them available (as we don’t live in Portland). All our family loved these. Very reasonably priced, too. So very good - we will definitely order from here again.

Everything we ordered was incredible. The cheese and guava empanadas, the soursop, the pandebono, the Colombianita empanadas, the garlic sauce. It was all incredible. Eat here you won’t regret it.

I had the cheese and veggie empanadas. Both were very delicious and had me craving for more. The empanadas were small so I recommend this place if you are looking for a small bite that’s rich with flavor. The workers were friendly and provided excellent service. I would rate this place a 5/5 on flavor but 3/5 on value. 4/5

Very good food. I asked what the best thing was and they got me an empenada and an arepa. Both had fun flavors, were hot, tasted fresh, hit the spot! Lady cooking was super nice and helpful getting me some good food.

The empanadas live in my mind rent free. The cheesy bread was seriously amazing. Forget about your garlic bread lol

Super cute in a food truck garden. Celiac safe, the empanadas are fantastic and always fresh.

I ordered the Colombianitas, Mora smoothie, and yuca fries. Absolutely delicious, some of the best empanadas I have had. Definitely made with love. Everyone here is extremely friendly and personable. Highly recommend the food and service.

The empanadas were light and crispy. Super delicious! I’ll be back.

Visited the pod at the Midtown Beer Garden and I'm so glad I did! The Midtown Beer Garden, as a whole, is a great spot - plenty of seats, constant security, and tons of options. Service was nice and gave us recommendations as to what was popular - a great help when everything sounded delicious! We ended up ordering an arepa with half beef and half chicken, yucca fries, and passionfruit juice with a water base. The wait was a bit long despite how empty the pod area was. The passionfruit juice hit the spot - refreshing and not too sweet. The arepa was delicious! I particularly enjoyed the arugula, which I've never seen in an arepa before. The star of our meal was definitely the yucca fries, crispy and crunchy on the outside, but soft and warm on the inside. They were perfect with the creamy garlic sauce. Such a solid choice for a mid-afternoon snack for two. I definitely recommend if you ever come across this place at any food pod area!

I just returned from a month in Colombia and the empanadas at this cart are better than any that I had in the whole country. Mind you I tried everything on their menu basically, the yucca fries, the plantain they have empanadas with beef and potato and the patacone with cheese, along with a couple of juices. Their patacone was delicious and the perfect line between crispy and soft. These were always a gamble in Colombia. Sometimes they would be so crunchy. Your teeth were hurt and other times they would be undercooked. This cart gets it perfect. I love it with just the cheese. It's simple and super delicious. I would definitely order that again, but the real stand out to me was the empanadas. They were perfectly lightly crisp, not greasy at all, and the filling was very well seasoned and flavored. It's also hard to find gluten-free empanadas anywhere else besides Colombian food so I love that. The ladies that were working, the cart were great and very helpful. The Arepas were pretty good with well seasoned meat, but I'm definitely more of a fan of Venezuelan Arepas with a lot of stuffing. Only change or feedback I request is to get rid of the lettuce on the items, and one day add Arepas de Chocolo with cheese to the menu because they haunt my dreams since I left--one week ago. Very authentic, try it you haven't visited Colombia or if you have!

The plantains filled with shredded beef and avocado sauce is delicious. It's juicy and I find myself often craving it. The chicken is also juicy! You really can't go wrong with your order here. Empanadas are cheesy and soft. I really enjoyed the ham and pineapple. The bread bites are delicious, a few bites and it gone. I never get enough of them. The lady who owns the truck is very sweet. I cannot recommend this spot enough, if you are looking to change it up this is the place to try!!

This is one of my favorite food carts in all of Portland, and their empanadas are to die for. They fry it right on the spot just as you order so everything comes out piping hot and fresh. Sometimes it does take a bit of time but they are definitely worth the wait. As these are Colombian style empanadas, the crust is corn-based and therefore gluten-free. The beef and surprisingly, the Hawaiian are my favorite. While the beef is more traditional, I love the gooey-ness of the cheese in the Hawaiian empanada and don't forget to ask for a side of their salsa as the acidity brings so much flavor and juice into these delicious empanadas. Their new location is in the new food cart pod and there is a lot of seating available and there is a pretty cozy atmosphere. Would highly recommend people checking this spot out!

Super tasty! I love arepas and have been excited to try them out. I got the arepa with shredded chicken which was beautifully flavored with delightfully stretchy cheese. The aji sauce had a nice acidity and spicy which balanced out the cheese and chicken. Will definitely be coming back to try other ones!

I went here and I was not happy with my food for the price. If I wanted a snack size meal I wouldn't mind but it cost me $13 for just the food not including the drink. I got 2 very small empanadas that I ate in 3 bites. Now, I never had Colombian empanadas but I have had Yuka fries and mine were too hard to enjoy and unseasoned so I tossed them. Not only that, my order was wrong. I asked for chicken cheese empanada and specifically asked if he can add cheese to the chicken and he said yes. I ended up getting one cheese and one chicken. Not happy with my food at all. I would not recommend eating here unless you want a spendy snack or a meal for your child (hold the fries)

Big shout-out to my friend's food recommendation, this food truck in Oregon is a must go! My buddy and I went straight here after we took care of our shopping errands. I will say this right now...THE FOOD & DRINKS HERE ARE FREAKIN AMAZING!!! If you are visiting Portland, this food truck must be on top of your foodie list! You don't want to miss the opportunity to try yummy arepas, crunchy yuca fries, and their refreshing juices. They ran out of the lulo juice, but you can bet that I'll come back again to try that juice and many others!! My friend and I ordered two arepas (chicken & beef), yuca fries, and two juices (Passion Fruit & Mango). From eating there and on the way back home, we couldn't stop talking about how AMAZING the food and drinks were. I appreciate the friendly customer service when waiting for our order...it is totally worth the wait! You will not regret coming here and discovering this wonderful food truck which I consider a hidden gem!

Delicious food, the patacon was light and crunchy and the arepa was also crunchy but soft and tasty on the inside.

My cousin and I visited El Pilón on a whim. She can't have gluten and their entire menu was gluten-free, so it seemed like a no brainer. I'm just going to get right to it... THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. I repeat... AMAZING! This food truck is a definite must try if you're in Portland. Please don't miss out on the deliciousness of the arepas, the yuka fries, and the lulo juice! We ordered one chicken arepa and one beef arepa and both of us could not stop raving about how amazing they were. We also ordered the yuka fries, which I had never had before and again... DELICIOUS! If you're feeling extra adventurous then give the lulo juice with water a try. I had no clue what it was, but luckily found it to be a very refreshing orangey/tangerine like juice. The service is great and the food even better! Make sure you give this place a try. Seriously, no matter how far or near it is from you, give it a chance. You will not regret it.

The food is delicious and the staff is so kind :) the food makes me want to move to Colombia and eat for a living

Omg. I got the chicken, Hawaiian empanada and the beef arepa. The meat is so tender, the flavors are so incredible. So happy to have found this little gem of a place. Truly blown away!

Amazing food. The buñuelo was on point, crunchy outside but soft and warm on the inside. The juice was really tasty and refreshing, definitely a 10/10 and finally, the chicken patacón was super crunchy and perfectly seasoned, not too salty but not bland either, very tasty!!! I'm so happy I went to this place because the food was great and the service was excellent. Colombian people are a bundle of kindness

Wow. Just wow. I wish I could eat the whole menu. The arepas was crispy yet soft on the inside. Meat was filling and flavorful. For $8, such a deal. I want to come back at eat more! 10/10 would recommend

I was feeling overwhelmed by all the options at the SW 2nd @ Oak food cart pod but while I was deliberating I overheard another customer say, "La comida era tan rica que regresamos!" I was happy to have my Spanish major pay off and even happier to hear that someone loved the food enough to come back the following day! Decision made: my lunch would be ordered from El Pilon as well. The whole menu sounded great but I do love me an arepa so I focused my attention on that part of the menu. I was excited to try a Colombian style arepa (apparently made thinner?) but instead ordered their version of a Venezuelan arepa, the Arepa El Pilon, because I was curious about the "white sauce" it came with with. I can usually figure out ingredients but I honestly am not sure what I was eating. A thin and delicate arepa grilled to order, crisped, split, and stuffed with a light chicken salad, gently chewy queso blanco, and that mysterious white sauce. A small serving of vinegary green onions and tomatoes, looked like salsa but not spicy and totally different. It's ok to not know what exactly you're eating as long as it tastes good! This was a delicious meal that I 100% recommend.

My husband decided to get some arepas from this food truck and shared some with me. He got a beef, chicken, and cheese arepa, as well as a soupsop drink. I always like meat in my food, so the beef and chicken were the ones I liked the most. They really stuff it with lots of meat! There was also some cheese, mixed greens, and sauce in each one. It was a really flavorful a crunchy treat.

Service is SO friendly, 10/10. Got the yuka fries, patacons mix, the pork arepa and a frosty milo. Yuka fries were incredible, super crispy, soft pillow-y interiors, salty enough, the best bite. The patacons were okay, the plantains were mainly a vessel for the meat and I just felt like it could have all used a smidge more seasoning. The salsa though was super tasty. Arepa was good, definitely bigger than anticipated. Milo was yummy.

Drove into Portland downtown area just to visit another food truck, which unfortunately was closed. It didn't help that it was Black Friday. No worries as there are tons of other wonderful places to choose from. When you manage a 5 star rating after 168 reviews, there's a story there. Having had arepas and empanadas previously, I opted for the patacones. It's described on the menu as an appetizer, but it was enough for me as the main dish, along with an order of the fried yuca. I imagined patacones as similar to tostones, but these were sliced much thinner, then shaped into a cup (think lining a muffin cup) and filled with various ingredients. My cheese patacones were filled in the bottom with various mixed greens and to the brim with generous amounts of shredded cheese; all surrounded by a crispy thick layer of twice fried green plantains. Served with their hogao and creamy guacamole, it was more than enough to satisfy. I felt as if I ate about 1/4 pound of cheese. The fried yuca was so crispy on the outside and yet tender on the inside; so much better than french fries. I know what to order when I'm in Colombia now! Y'all deserve the 5 stars and then some. It took a while to get my order as there were a few folks ahead of me, but I think it just meant that everything was made fresh. Highly recommend and will return. Thanks.

A must have, I frequent here often and their empanadas are second to none in the country. I get one beef and one veggie and it usually comes with salsa and a garlic sauce.

I think this was a great spot. I usually don't like food truck or food hut scenes, but this lil spot was able to provide such variety so I saw the appeal in this instance. The sauces were fantastic and la comida Colombiana was delicious. You can definitely get something filling for less than $10. Not easy to say for most places. I can see why this place has been around for this long.

The reviews for El Pilon don't lie! Super sweet staff, and really good food - empanadas that are crunchy on the outside, with tasty filling, complex spicy salsa, and not too greasy. If I worked nearby I'd be in trouble ordering these all the time. PLUS - you know me - there are veggie options: straight vegetables inside or with Impossible fake meat, both of which I tried and both of which I liked.

Empanadas and arepas are great! They make for a quick and easy lunch! Super tasty and worth it

Absolutely delicious eat and quick service. We ordered the beef and chicken empanadas, chicken arepa, and beef patacon. The chilly vinegar that comes with the meals make them so Much more tasty. Perfect meal to pick up before heading to the train station to Seattle. This food truck deserves a perfect 5 out of 5.

Absolutely incredible food! We got the Arepa Mix, Beef Empanadas, Yuca fries and two juices. It was the perfect amount for the two of us for lunch. Every single dish was absolutely amazing! Very flavorful and fried to perfection. The the sauce for yuca fries and the sausa paired with the dishes very well. There are so many different choices of food from the carts but this is a must try!

The empanadas as tasty- per recommendation we tried a cheese and a chicken and both we delicious. Had to get the arepas of course. The combo/mixed arepas were recommended and they of course were also delicious. Both came with a side of a light salsa/sauce. Also got the Yuka fires because I can't resist fries. If you've never had them I would highly recommend. They're pretty much like thick cut French fries with a heartier texture. The food took a little bit of time but it seemed like she was making them fresh so it's worth it. Would definitely come back again!

Excellent food and even better service! People are amazing and the food brings me back to Colombia every time. I never go to Portland without stopping there! Highly recommend it!

We tried chicken & Vegetable Arepa and Beef Arepa. Both were very good and filling. Red truck offers all gluten free and Colombian food. For desert we had an Oblea.

I love this place so much, it reminds me of home, Miami, Florida Their empanadas and sweet bread are so amazing. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and juicy, not dry. My go to Latin place. I love going to the restaurant or ordering through DoorDash. Even through delivery, their food is always fresh!

First time trying this spot and ordered ahead through Yelp. Ordering process was easy and food was ready when we got there 5 min before the promised time. Lady in the cart is very friendly, and the food is amazing! Kids loved the Hawaiian empanada and pandeyuca, us adults had egg arepa, arepa mix, and aprepa El pilon. The bread is done just right, and the ingredients tasted fresh. We will certainly come again.

I hardly ever can give a 5 star rating. We tried every item on the menu. Although I must say we tried to be healthy and get some chicken items. We concluded the beef has more flavor. Too bad we will never find a spot like this in SF.

We had a very enjoyable takeout meal from this cart. The arepas with beef and chicken were delicious and the star of our meal. The empanadas were also just as good. I would not hesitate to recommend this cart and the staff were very nice. Buen provecho.

I've been eating here since I was a kid, and 10 years later the food still stands out to me as some of the best Colombian food in Portland. I bring anyone who visits town here, would 100% recommend to both locals and tourists! Pro tip: always always always say yes to the ají and any other salsas :)

A-MAZ-ING!!!! The reviews are all true. You'll love it, and I promise you won't be disappointed.

This excellent food cart offers the most authentic version of Colombian cooking that you will find in Portland. Owned by a family from Medellin, with a regional menu that includes fresh ingredients. The quality of the food confirms that nothing has been frozen or microwaved. We recommend: the arepa with beef/ chicken and mozzarella (a Medellin classic), potato and cheese empanadas, and Salpicon, a fruit cocktail soda. Top-5 food cart in Portland

Found this place via Yelp and was instantly attracted to it because of the five-star rating and because it is 100% gluten free! Everything on their menu sounded so bomb... I wish I could have ordered one of everything. I've had plenty of arepas and yucca fries in the past at other locations so I decided to try something new. My husband and I decided to try the Beef Patacon, the Patacon Mix, a beef empanada, Hawaiian empanada, and for dessert, the Oblea. The patacon seemed to be a tostones (twice fried plantain) shaped in a small bowl filled with meat. They were yummy! I really liked the patacon with the thinner pieces of plantains. They tasted crispier. The empanadas were amazing. Simply amazing. My fave was the Hawaiian empanada. Since I turned GF, I have not had empanadas in years... so many other cultures including my own (Filipino) make empanadas with flour. Needless to say, I was so happy to find out that Colombians make their empanadas completely gluten free with corn. I had two and wanted MORE! MORE! MORE! Even now, as I write this review... I want to make the 3.5 hour drive back to Portland to eat more empanadas. To end our meal with dessert, we ordered the Oblea. The dessert was more like a wafer with caramel in the middle. Not the best dessert I have had in Portland but for some reason I couldn't stop eating it. So apparently, my stomach still found it to be pretty yummy. Overall, the food was pretty amazing. The main dishes were all fried but they were so light and not heavy as fried food typically is. Especially the empanadas... they weren't like empanadas I've had in the past. They were so very light and crisp... We tried to go back on out last day, Monday. Sadly, Monday is the only day they are closed. Needless to say, El Pilon will be the first place I visit the next time I roadtrip to Portland. Parking: This food truck sits in a PAY parking lot. You can pay to park in this lot or you can find street parking. Environment: Its a food truck located in a parking lot in the heart of downtown Portland. There are several other food trucks located with it... maybe 8-10 other food truck choices. There are a lot of homeless around since it is downtown. They all seem to mind their own business but if your heart is feeling full... you can not only grab some yummy eats but you can also do a good deed and fill a hungry soul's belly for the day. :)

I LOVE THIS PLACE, EVER SENSE DAY 1. THEY ARE SO SWEET, SO WELCOMING THE OLDER COUPLE WHO OWN THIS PLACE. The food is AMAZING warm, full of love just like my Abuela's. The empanadas are crispy thick and hot, buen Rico! During the colder season they have Sopa de pollo! Like if you're on the go or not, this place is amazing and the folks who own it are TRULY A GEM. If you're mad at the price, like take a step back to acknowledge that this is real ass traditional comida(food) like chill, it's going too two amazing people, the food is delicious! This isn't some truck or restaurant owned or ran by YT PEOPLE. You know exactly and to who it's going too. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE, BOMB ASF, I WILL FOREVER COME HERE WHEN I CRAVE MUCHAS GRACIAS POR TODO XX MWUAH CHAO GO, FALL IN LOVE, SUPPORT IT NEVER BEEN DISAPPOINTED XOX

My favorite place right now. I ALWAYS order two chicken arepas for delivery and they are still hot and fresh by the time they get to my job. The crispy outside holds in a pillowy soft inside stuffed with beautifully seasoned chicken and melted cheese. The cheese pulls are phenomenal, the taste is out of this world. Easily the best arepa I've ever had and I'll continue to stand by that statement.

El Pilon had a booth at the Lake Oswego Farmers Market today, and it was our first visit [to the market] since transplanting to the area. The music was too loud nearby so I honestly wasn't sure what I was getting (the friendly cashier was explaining it but I only picked out a few words over the music). We got the chicken and beef arepas, and they were surprisingly filling! Even our toddler liked the chicken version. I've not had an arepa before but this was a nice balance of greens, cheese, and meat... even more meat than expected. And it didn't seem greasy, which usually makes my stomach turn. Looking at their Yelp, we'll have to visit the stand in town to try their other offerings. Would definitely stop by again if they are at the farmers market on the day we stop by!

Was told about this place by a tour guide. Ordered the cheese empanadas. Was amazing. Better than ive had in many places. Living in south florida, we have our share of colombian restaurants but this had them beat. Comes with a nice side of sauce. Price is great too and friendly service

Super affordable and delicious food! Had a chance to try a bunch of their dishes, namely Arepa El Pilon, Pandeyuca, Buñelo, Cheese Empanada, Chicken Patacon, and Veggie Empanada. Everything was good and freshly made. The Arepa was filled completely with chicken filling mixed with avocado sauce. It could have been seasoned a little more but besides that it was delicious. Their Empanadas weren't like others that I've had before. The casing was rather buttery and chewy, giving a mochi-like texture. The Cheese one was ozzing with warm, stretchy mozzarella on the inside with a hint of sweetness from the brown sugar and the Veggie was flavorful. I also love the dipping sauce that came with the Empanadas. The Buñelo was a ball of fried dough, the best kind. It was slightly cheesy. Again, mochi-like chewy. Highly recommend checking this place out!

Been wanting Colombian food so this was a no brainer. I got the beef arepa which was filled with yummy beef and cheese and crispy made to order yucca fries. Oh sooo good! We shared between the 2 of us and the portions were just right. Didn't get to try the empanadas but will do so on the next trip. The lady was super nice too!

I walked by and tried for the first time remembering my good days in Venezuela some years ago. They did not have guasacaca sauce I am addicted but their salsa sauce is nothing less. Got chicken arepa, $6.50 but really heavy and good size. Together with Oblea (wafer and dolce de lete inside. wow!) my lunch was so complete. I will be back regularly. Gracias !!

The best Colombian food outside of Colombia!!! Was only in Portland for the weekend and wanted to go there again. Arepa Mix was delicious!! The service was amazing and the workers were so friendly. They ran out of Bunuelos so I have to find my way back there again soon!

The reviews were right. Great stand to eat at. Food made to order. Took about 10-15 minutes to get my food. I would definitely go back.

I've had the arepas and fired yuca, and they're both really good! The arepas are bigger and cheesier than they look. It takes take some time for the food to be ready too. I will definitely be back.

Everything I've had here has been fantastic. The Arepas, Patacon, Empanadas, etc. Glad I finally tried this cart a month ago. I keep coming back :)

Honestly feel like ripped off just a bit. I was under the impression for 2.00 id get 2-3 rolls so, I ordered x2. basically paid 4.00 for 2 lil rolls of bread. if I would of known I'd of gotten something else. in my opinion not worth it. was good but, a lil dry as well.

Seriously amazing. Best Colombian food and company. I stop in every time I'm in town. Patacon Mix, beef empanada, arepa mix, pandeyuca, salpicon, and guanabana are my go tos for sure.

Some of the nicest most humble people we encountered in P town. A Hardworking mom and pop truck. Our favorite were the arepas of all fillings. So delicious and it came with a spicy house salsita. The empanadas were solid too. But we were won over by the arepas and went back for more. Also they have guanabana smoothies! What a treat!Must get with milk. So gooooood! Brings you back to your travels.

We were drawn like a magnet, back again for our Colombian fix. I devoured the chicken and beef empanadas w the little cups of aji... Soooo GOOD! We had fresh mango and guanabana juices that the kids gulped down in record time. The carne arepas were devoured equally as fast and the yuca frita had a perfect fry to it... Maybe just needed a touch of salt (then again I LOVE salt, and others don't as much). Sadly, no chorizo this time but maybe another stop again on our way outta town is needed. Only downside this visit was how slow they were getting the food out... I watched them lose a few potential customers for this reason. But if you have the time, it's WELL worth the wait

I am from Colombia so I off course love Colombian food. Compared to the other Colombian food I have had in the US I thought this was really good. I loved the Aji, pan de yucas and patacones! The only bad thing is that there is not really a place to sit