Salt & pepper Peruvian food cart 82 Ave

It’s pretty rare I actually go and leave a review after eating somewhere, that being said a close friend of mine has been bugging me to try a dish called “lomo saltado” for a while now. Today I set out to do so and the only regret I had was not doing this sooner. The owner is very friendly the portions are generous and the flavor combination was out of this world.

If you like authentic Peruvian cuisine, check this spot out. This is a food truck, and the meal presentation is better than a majority of restaurants. The food is really delicious, and they have a variety of beverages to choose from. There is seating available, and of course, you can get it to go. Definitely check this spot out, especially if you're looking for a great meal, bon appetite!

Absolutely amazing food! Well worth the trip! We ate there and the presentation was beautiful!

My wife and I got into Portland late last night at the airport hungry to find this gem open till midnight on a Tuesday. The food absolutely made with love, real coke in a glass bottle, and promt service with a nice little area to eat. Can't go wrong here 5 stars 🌟 for us!

Don't let the prices turn you off this unassuming location - you get huge, fresh, AUTHENTIC restaurant-quality Peruvian food served on real dishes with real silverware.

This was our first time eating Peruvian food and let me tell you we are impressed!! The food had great flavor, the portions were filling. We ordered Cordero Trujillano, Seco Norteño (flavor was great, loved the rice and beans), Bistec Encebollano (the salted onions and steak was delicious). Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed.

10/10 recommend!!! My boyfriend is Peruvian I'm American, we BOTH lived in Peru recently, for 6 months and moved back to the states not long ago so we know what good authentic Peruvian food should look and taste like. THIS FOOD IS AUTHENTIC, FULL OF FLAVOR, ARRIVED STEAMING HOT AND HAS THE FRESHEST INGREDIENTS....the meats are cooked to perfection, and the spices are the perfect balance....they have EVERYTHING you could want! they offer almost every single every famous Peruvian dish and they are all INCREDIBLE. There's not one dish they can't make perfect. The onion and cilantro mix that comes with most dishes is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. WE WILL BE BACK. Oh also the owner was so kind he turned on the heaters for us and was very welcoming and accommodating and helpful with the menu. Very good owner amazing employees!!

We arrived @ PDX around 11pm. We found this place still open ! The food really hit the spot for my family with two college boys. Food was delicious and big portions!

The potions were huge and the presentation was as authentic as it gets (we ate in front of the cart). This isn't the fancy avant garde stuff, this is real everyday mouthwatering life sustaining fare. I had the lomo saltado and we shared some lúcuma ice cream- divine!

12/16/2023-NEW LOCATION UPDATES: I drove by the old location on Belmont last week and did not see the cart. Then, today, when I headed to the airport on 82nd Ave, I spotted it. I was surprised, so I turned around to confirm if it was the same one. I snapped a photo with the food pod location and contact info. The new location is on the corner of 82nd Ave NE and Beech Street NE. It's a super small food pod; they are the only cart here. It was 8:45 am, so it was closed, and I don't know if it's currently in business. I may drive by later today to check it out because I'm curious now. I hope it's in business and the quality has improved. I do miss the Peruvian seaweed on my sea bass ceviche. June 2023- I returned to the old location for the second time with my son and daughter (their first) since I loved it so much my first time. We were all disappointed since most of what we wanted listed on the menu wasn't available (we were told no ingredients) or he no longer makes them. I suggested he needs to cross them off on his menu. I ordered the sea bass ceviche again, and the portion was much smaller and salty with no flavor, which made me brag about it in my first review. I gave it 4/5 stars. My daughter got the chicken with rice dish, which was dried and again salty with no flavor. My son got the seafood fried rice. It was all mushy and salty and barely had any seafood. I was totally disappointed with this visit. We wondered if the owner was a bit off today since he was not as friendly to us as he was to me during my first visit. I told my adult children I might return a third time only if I'd be in the area to give it one last chance, but I won't drive to this side of town just because I'm a seafood ceviche fanatic.

Looked interesting and gave it a go. Not sure what makes it Peruvian ~ noodles with just a couple seafood shells, tastes no different than Panda chow mein. Chicken was ok, but again no unique flavor pop. Pretty expensive for a food truck. The area at night was a bit sketchy and was concerned for our vehicle even though we were parked right next to the truck.

I used to live near here, so I knew what we were getting into from that standpoint and the location did not disappoint, shall we say! It's pretty sketchy on that section of 82nd, but the cart pod is protected by a good fence if you pull inside (which is also a bit tricky). That cart pod is hurting and this place deserves a little better location. That said, The Oregonian's restaurant of the year 2023 (Ki'ikibáa) is like 5 blocks south, so there you go! But, on to the food review. The food is overall really good. It's not quite as good as the best Peruvian spots in town, like Cafe Zoraya which is my Peruvian wife's favorite. But the lomo saltado was great, the tamale was good, and the papa a la huancaino was good. But the ceviche mixto was....ironically, mixed. Some of the seafood was just right like most of the scallops and all the shrimp, but the octopus was tough for the most part and some of the scallops were overly chewy. I think if you stick to the basics like the chicken, beef, rice, fried yuca, beans, and sauteed vegetables, you're going to enjoy your meal. It's all a bit salty, but I feel like Peruvian food tends to be that way. My super picky daughter wolfed down a huge plate of beans, rice and fried yuca, and even some of the potatoes.

WARNING! If you are a fan of Peruvian food, ya just hit the jackpot! I lived in South America for 10 years, so I got some creds. Drove by and saw this place, had to try. I only tried 2 dishes and desert but I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. The fish ceviche is the most legit(con leche de tigre) Peruvian style you will find, I often search out this dish and make it myself but I can't get mine like this. My wife had some meat dish, (can't remember, maybe Peruvian stew?) with rice, beans and onions-super tasty, would order again. I will be a regular here, poor location, hope it lasts, you won't have regrets.

Such a big portion and the food was soo good. Most definitely will be Coming back to get this again

10/10 recommend!!! My boyfriend is Peruvian I'm American, we BOTH lived in Peru recently, for 6 months and moved back to the states not long ago so we know what good authentic Peruvian food should look and taste like. THIS FOOD IS AUTHENTIC, FULL OF FLAVOR, ARRIVED STEAMING HOT AND HAS THE FRESHEST INGREDIENTS....the meats are cooked to perfection, and the spices are the perfect balance....they have EVERYTHING you could want! they offer almost every single every famous Peruvian dish and they are all INCREDIBLE. There's not one dish they can't make perfect. The onion and cilantro mix that comes with most dishes is the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. WE WILL BE BACK.

We found them via Yelp. Yelp had their hours of operation wrong and so we called to confirm. We ordered: - Lomo Salado: My partner said it was wonderfully flavorful(& we've traveled to Peru). But for a $16 dish, she felt there were more veggies than steak. - Cordero Trujillano:Trujillo-style lamb slow-cooked lamb. The meat was beautifully cooked and falling off the bone. The portion was great. But it was slightly lacking in flavor. The rice was wonderful though. Note: I wanted to order the Tallarín Saltado De Mariscos - Fried rice with fish peruvian-style fried rice with fish, egg, and vegetables. I asked what fish it was, and the gentleman said he didn't know. Just that it was Peruvian fish. So I decided against it. Would I return: Maybe

tamale and skewers of spiced beef hearts best Peruvian cart equivalent to michalan star places in Lima and Cusco but more genuine. loaded with flavor, hot and salty spices, fresh cilantro and silvered fresh onions I had the grilled spicy beef hearts 2 enormous skewers moist tender (for hearts that is)and thoroughly delicious. I thought that meat went well with the ground cornmeal tamale. which was full of its own delightful treasures. the starches were amazing tomales rich flavors moist and crumbly potato like veggies I cherish these moments of discovery. So will you. try it Father and Son opened this hidden cart 4 months ago. I presume they do everything. They close up at 2am.

Came here late at night around 11:00 PM after a long drive up. I wanted the lomos saltado, but unfortunately they only had chicken at the time so I got the stewed chicken. The chicken itself was super dry but the stew was ok. To be honest I was really hungry so I didn't care. Wasn't the best meal but the owner was nice. Got some hot sauce and it definitely made it better. The hot sauce isn't flavorful but it kicks a punch!

Food was great portions , tasted amazing and reminded me of my grandma's cooking. Definitely recommend

One of the best Authentic Peruvian places I have gone to. The food was made fresh to order and was delicious. The Cordero meat was so tender -the meat just falls off the bone. The broth, yucca, rice and beans were incredibly flavorful. The Jugo was so refreshing and tasted so natural, not too sweet or artificially flavored. Definitely will be a place to eat at every time I visit Portland.

On my way to airport my friends and I stopped at salt and pepper Peruvian food truck , and it was absolutely FANTASTIC ! My friend is Peruvian, and told me to try the lomo saltado (beef with onions, tomatoes, and insanely delicious sauce, with rice and french fries), and he was spot on. The sauce was so flavorful, a nice portion for $18, truly full meal, and don't forget to ask for the hot sauce, which was spectacular! MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOURSELF A LITTLE LITTLE BIT OF TIME, BECAUSE HE COOKS IT FRESH, SO TOOK ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES. If I wasn't leaving Portland, I'd be back again ASAP.

** To the owner (or friend) who wrote a phony review just hours after mine: you do realize a 3-Star means "A-ok", right? Based on what I experienced below, you're surprised I didn't have a stellar award-winning experience? Oh, and I appreciate the aggressive message from one of his fan boys. People need to check their everyone deserves a frickin' gold medal mentality. The hours are extensive, open to Midnight I think. It was difficult to decipher what's available as six of the menu items had "not available today" stickers covering the photo, but not over the description. Anyway, the Papa Huancaina appetizer was a toss after one (okay, two) bites. The potatoes were hard and the creamy cheese sauce lacked any flavor. The Papa Relleno was bland and had bites of unthawed COLD on the inside.

The restaurant is customer service is suck They fucking idiot cancel my order twice

If the food weren't so salty, I'd definitely be giving this place a 5. We ordered the ceviche mixto (seafood mix) & lomo saltado. Portion control is not a thing here because the entrees he whips up are huge. The vegetables he used were really fresh and surprisingly the ceviche was pretty spicy, they type that creeps up on you after a few bites. I recommend trying both if you're ever in the area. Both solid dishes, not sure if the owner was tired or just ready to go home but our food had a lot...a lot of salt (we ordered at 11pm).

As a Peruvian living in the states, I have tried many restaurants and food carts. I can tell you that Salt & Pepper Peruvian Food Cart is among the best that I have tried, especially in Portland. The entrees are a little pricy, but the portions are huge and taste like the traditional Peruvian food from back home. Never disappoints!

I moved to Oregon a year ago knowing I was going to suffer for my Peruvian ceviche habit I had developed while living in LA. On a trip to Portland we found this food truck serving the dish and OH MY GOODNESS it was exactly what I needed. I asked the chef/owner to make it super spicy and my face almost melted off eating it. It was perfect. (you can order it mild, of course) I also ordered some yuca with yellow sauce (it must be done when eating Peruvian) and it was fried to perfection. I will absolutely visit this food truck every time I'm in Portland. If you are a seafood or ceviche fan and have never tried Peruvian ceviche you need to hit up this spot. The menu is varied and delicious, the seafood was fresh, potatoes and yuca were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Thank me later for demanding you check this place out.

the enchiladas are the best I've ever had. they're very spicy but so delicious and fresh tasting. The beans and rice have so much flavor, also the best I've ever had. I get this dish all the time, my roommates and I love this place!

The Pato (duck) was delicious! Never had the duck made Peruvian style which was a really great surprise. The other dish was ok too but the Duck was the winner. 5 stars for the Duck 4 stars for the other fish (forgot the name - I wanna say Seco Norteño?) Price and portion was also Fair.

Finally -- Peruvian food in Portland! Saw this cart because of Yelp recommendations and made a trek out to see it specifically. Five stars because it's basically the only place near downtown that has this type of food, and the owner is so nice. On a Saturday around 5pm there isn't anyone there, so the food came out within 12 minutes. The owner was also nice enough to give us a FREE lemonade as well because it wasn't busy at all! There's three tables on gravel seating. If you haven't had Peruvian, I highly encourage you to try this place. We had the Lomo Saltado and the "pasta" as well (the only noodle dish). Compared to Chinese cooking, the beef was overdone and a bit hard to chew, and it was definitely very salty, like all Peruvian food, but overall the flavors popped. The servings are very big. Cost was about $15 a plate, which is pricey for a food cart but still worth it. The lemonade was bomb. It tastes creamy, which was new. And the glass it comes in is absolutely huge.

We are so lucky to have an authentic Peruvian food cart in our neighborhood, the food is so delicious it's like eating at my aunt's house in Perú, brings great memories Hopefully they will stay here for ever Best food cart in Portland Somos muy afortunados de tener un carrito de comida peruana auténtica en nuestro vecindario, la comida está riquísima, es como comer en casa de unas de mis tías en Perú, trae muy lindos recuerdos Esperemos que estén aquí por siempre La mejor comida de carrito en Portland.

Why aren't you eating this yet?! The owner is so kind & enthusiastic about his food! Authentic & delicious. The ABSOLUTE BEST IN TOWN! I had the Lomo Saltado & the Papa a la Huancaina. AMAZING! So fresh, well salted & the Lomo was crunchy & yumm. He told me he makes everything with quality ingredients like olive oil & jasmine rice. Makes a difference for sure! Can't rave about it enough. Right on Belmont. Friendly proprietor. Will come back... bring your friends!

I see you driving crowds uptown with the grub I love And I'm like, "Peru" I guess the change in my pocket was just enough I'm like, "Peru, at a food truck too." I said, "If I were a restaurant, I'd still be with ya." Ha, now ain't that some fusion? Although I do it all myself I still wish you the best Here's to "Peru" I'm sorry, I can't hire an army But that don't mean I can't CeeLo share I guess she's a Pepper and I'm more Salty In love and grub, all is fair I pity the fool That doesn't read this review I've got some news for you I already ate your Picarones Now I know That I had to promo Cook and clean and marketing Trying to feed ya Trying to please ya 'Cause being in Portland ain't cheap And now, Rafeal's renowned with the biggest cart in town  And I'm like, "Peru" I guess my new set of neighbors are generous I'm like, "Peru, at a food truck too."

Some of the best food I've ever had, the stuffed potatoes are so good and the owner is a fantastic chef

Ricardo recently open his food car about 5 days ago. I have been hearing a lot of buzz coming from this place and I live in Tigard. Today, I decided to give it a try. Honestly, there is so much love and culture to the menu that's it's unbelievable coming from a cart. Ricardo spends 24 hours braising his Lamb for the dish. The seafood pasta easily could go for $20-22 at a normal sit down restaurant. The Peruvian sodas are something else. He's open until midnight and The Vern is next door for drinks. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING!!! He will open a restaurant someday and these dishes will cost. Just wait or look at my photos.

Food was great! Found this place just out and about, decided to stop by. Glad we did! Owner was very nice The passion fruit drink was and the beef hearts are a must try! Will definitely be back

THE BEST ceviche in Portland. I'm a foodie, and that's an understatement. When I go to Andina, I order 2 ceviches to start....and Salt & Pepper just blew it out of the water. The flavor is just perfect, the seasoning, spices, juice, yuca, corn, sweet potato, ahhhh. Doesn't get better than this. Authentic Peruvian Food! I also ordered the Lomo Saltado which was also AMAZING. I found a write up in the Portland Mercury saying that this was the best ceviche. So I had to test it out and they were right. KEEP IT UP, SALT & PEPPER!!

I'm so glad I came across this food truck! Purely authentic! Absolutely delicious! I can't wait to go back! Highly recommend!! It's worth every penny. You won't regret it. Mouthwatering food!! There's a parking lot right behind the food truck and little picnic table set up off of the main street. Service was fast and I still can't get over the food... delicious!

Wow this Peruvian food is amazing. The owner was patient and helpful when we were ordering. Our chicken was delicious and hot and we sat outside to enjoy the Portland city vibes.

Really good ceviche and fair priced. a ton of food for what you get (relative to other peruvian places in portland) and the ceviche was so well seasoned. I got the spicy and it was definitely spicier than what I was used to but it mixes well with the fish and it goes down well with a nice Jarrito. Def would recommend to anyone visiting portland and wants good ceviche, you can grab a beer while you wait at Earthlob in the same lot!

The. Best. Peruvian Food In Portland!! We got the shrimp ceviche and it was phenomenal. The perfect taste and spice. Leaves your mouth tingling in the best way.

Stopped by on my way from San Francisco to Seattle, and this food hit the spot and made my night. Best Peruvian food I've had outside of Peru. Traditional but also inventive.. for example, adding a bit of seaweed to a very authentic ceviche de pescado, And vegan meat prepared traditionally aswell. And very generous portions. The owner (or cook?) was very accommodating and super friendly. I wish I lived in Portland so I could come here all the time. Thanks for a great meal.

TLDR; If you're looking for ceviche, this is a ceviche! Unfortunately, everything else is very bland and quite expensive. My partner, who is from Miami, jumped at the chance to eat some Peruvian food. Unfortunately, this was very bland and overpriced. The most seasoned thing was the ceviche, which was majority imitation crab meat (the bright red and white crab sticks). I got a dish with plantains, rice, and eggs and there was no seasoning on any of it. Not even salt ): The cancha fritas were also unseasoned...no salt on any of it. The yucca at least had a good crunch and some nice sauce on top, but we're quite literally the only seasoned thing aside from the limòn and cilantro on the ceviche. It was also quite expensive--$19 for mostly imitation crab ceviche. The service was nice, but it was just an overall disappointment considering this is Portland's best. We were hoping for some fresh fish and some good flavors considering the prices and the rankings. Oh well, better luck next time!

Food was very good and took some alfajores for desert , 100% recommended and there is a beer garden next to the pod. Beer and food never sounded so good right. #arribaperucarajo

My brother's girlfriend is Peruvian and she took me and my best friend for dinner! Absolutely EXCELLENT! I have celiacs and they were extremely accommodating with every question I had along the way! I will 100% be coming back!

Absolutely delicious. The lomo is a must try. They got many choices of Peruvian dishes. As a Peruvian it was more than satisfying to eat here. He makes the food fresh to order which is always a good thing. The price is just right for what you get. The owner was also a cool guy we had a good conversation. Definitely going to bring my family next time I come!

First time in Portland and this is the first place we tried because of its proximity to where we were staying. I am a huge fan of Mexican style ceviche and this was my first time trying Peruvian style. All I can say is AMAZING. Extremely flavorful and delicious. We also tried a steak dish and a seafood pasta and it was great. Definitely check this p

I saw good yelp reviews of this place so I decided to stop by I noticed that the prices online were pretty high for a food cart but still wanted to try. I had the Cordero trujillano which was very good, the arroz chaufa was ok a little salty but fine, but the ceviche was atrocious the seafood was not fresh and I'm pretty sure they used imitation crab.....Im South American so it was an insult to every ceviche I had in my life. Maybe some of the other items are good but I'm not going back to try.

Happened to be in Portland for a day and stopped by to try the ceviche mixto. If I lived in Portland I would come here every week!

I was driving through Portland and was hungry. I stopped here and was treated to a delicious meal. I ordered the Ceviche Mixto and everything was delicious. The spice was terrific, the cassava and sweet potato really meshed well with the seafood. I tried Peruvian Dougnuts with honey made with pumpkin and sweet potato. They were so good. The owner saw that I was needing a drink and offered me a Inca cola on the house. The flavor was completely unexpected and I'm looking forward to visiting again! Oh and many of the ingredients are sourced from Peru.

I'd been meaning to go here for years & oh my goodness. Do not make the mistake I did of putting it off. I got the ceviche de pescado & yucca & my life has changed. The ceviche is plentiful and made fresh and QUALITY. 100% worth $16. There's also picnic tables and good vibes out here.

Today is the 3rd day in a row we have gotten food to go. We live down the street and are thrilled at the quality and variety at Salt and Pepper. So far seafood rice and the Duck with beans have been favorites. Don't miss!!

The food is fresh and unique. This is food-truck price but reataurant-quality Peruvian cuisine. The service is great. Rafael is very friendly and willing to introduce the best Peruvian food to every customer. I feel lucky that I tried this newly-open food cart during my short stay in Portland.

Wow!!! The time is finally here. I have lived in Portland for 5 yrs and have yet to find a authentic Peruvian restaurant. Being Peruvian and being raised around such amazing food my expectations are extremely high. I got the lomo saltado an the ceviche and was extremely impressed. The flavor was incredible serving size was plenty, prices are good and the service was great. I am so excited to come here all the time. Thank you Peruvians. Muy muy ricoooo

What a happy healthy delicious surprise to find! And the service was exceptional! We weren't looking to get food but it smelled soooooo good. The rice is soft and fluffy AND sticky as nd the meat and veggies are juicy and tender. We'll be back for sure!!

What a nice find! We tried the chicken anticuchos, the seco norteño (so so good), and the lomo saltado. The food was very tasty and the portions were big. We will return to try more of their food.

Amazing food! I have been vegan for 8 years and missed Peruvian food soooo much! I have been to many Peruvian places that offer vegan options and they have all been a disappointment and not very authentic tasting until I stumbled upon this food truck on my way back home! OMG!!!! You guys have to check this place out! It is absolutely amazing with soooo much flavor. We ordered the vegan lomo saltado and the picarones! They can also make the arroz chaufa vegan if you opt out the egg. My boyfriend and I loved it!!! Great food and great service. Thank you so much!!! I will be back.

I'm Peruvian and this is my go to Peruvian spot. Highly recommended authentic dishes in EXCELLENT portions, perfect for sharing. Absolutely delicious. The lomo saltado is my favorite Peruvian dish but also recommend the ceviche, the anticucho, the chaufa, and the tallarines verdes. And of course you need dessert too! Try the picarones which are essentially Peruvian donuts. You won't regret it! 5 stars EASY