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    El Pilón

    4.7 (241 reviews)
    Closed 10:45 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 weeks ago

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    EL PILÓN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Pilón

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    Cheese empanda, vegetable empanada
    Harshath G.

    Best empanadas. Incredibly everything is gluten-free (except some chocolate drink?) at this food truck. There are some tables around for people to eat at in the shared space outside. The wait does usually take at least 15-20 minutes even if you order just 1 or 2 items. I tried the cheese empanada and veggie empanadas. They both tasted incredibly fresh, and the outer layer was even slightly different in texture between the two of them. It was super crispy, but broke apart well, with a great amount of filling in each one. Yuca fries were also pretty decent being thick and crispy but somehow some pieces were better than others. The pandebonos were also yummy, though slightly sweet and a bit well-toasted. There are also several sauce options you can request. Overall, great food and would return here again.

    Soursop juice
    Iris H.

    Ordered a fresh soursop juice. It reminded me of the juice back in Central America. It was slightly sweet (I was able to ask for less sugar) with a tangy fruit flavor (kind of a mix of pineapple, coconut and banana). Would recommend trying if you haven't had it before! The kind server made my juice faster than expected since I only ordered the one item. It's located within the food cart pod with plenty of seating.

    Outside of the cart
    Maria A.

    Went on a Saturday around 2 PM and there was no line. I thought my food would have been done quickly, but I was disappointed. In total it took me 20 minutes to get two empanadas and a cheese arepa. The empanadas were good and crunchy. The ají was okay. The salsa rosada was good.

    Kenny C.

    Walking up to El Pilón Food Cart, I have to admit it looks really nice. All colorful, inviting, and giving off those "I'm about to eat something amazing" vibes. But then... the empanadas arrived. And honey, I shrunk them. At $3.50 a pop, you basically get what feels like a miniature potsticker. I only managed one bite, and honestly, it barely left a mark on my taste buds. I wanted to feel the hype, the Colombian street-food magic but it just wasn't there. I'm giving two stars mostly because the plate was adorable but absurdly small. Presentation points, sure but flavor and satisfaction? Not so much. Maybe I hit a bad batch, but these empanadas need to bulk up if they want to live up to the looks.

    Emily K.

    Love el Pilon! There are many gluten free options. They are happy to customize orders, which is great for dietary restrictions. The people who work there are friendly.

    Chicken Arepa
    Oralia D.

    I really wanted to like this because it is a small business and has great reviews. We ordered the Arepa and beef empanadas. The empanadas were good and crispy, however the arepa was toasted on the outside but the filling was ice cold. It tasted like chicken salad scooped inside an arepa. Since I'm not completely sure if that's just how they are supposed to taste or if it was poorly made, I'll chalk it up to me not liking it. The lady at the register was nice and the food truck is in a mini food plaza with many other trucks, however it is the only Colombian food option.

    Classic chicken Arepa Classic Beef Empanada Passionfruit Juice
    Rich B.

    I had such a genuinely beautiful experience at El Pilón Colombian Food. You can feel the care the moment you're there. The people are incredibly kind, personable, and welcoming, with such positive energy. There's a real human connection here--you can tell they truly care about what they do, and you leave feeling fed in more ways than just food. And the food absolutely deserves the praise, too. The chicken empanada was perfectly crispy and full of flavor, and the chicken arepa was warm, cheesy, and so comforting, with tender shredded chicken that just hit. Everything tasted intentional and made with love. Even the sauce on the side brought everything together so well. I would honestly pay double for this experience--not because it's expensive (it's very reasonable), but because the food, the people, and the overall vibe are just that good. Beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful company. They deserve the world. Highly recommend. --------------------- Tuve una experiencia realmente hermosa en El Pilón Colombian Food. Desde el primer momento se siente el cariño y la dedicación. Las personas son increíblemente amables, cercanas y acogedoras, con una energía muy positiva. Hay una conexión humana muy real -- se nota que de verdad aman lo que hacen, y uno se va sintiéndose lleno de muchas más formas que solo con la comida. Y la comida también merece todo el reconocimiento. La empanada de pollo estaba perfectamente crujiente y llena de sabor, y la arepa de pollo estaba calientita, con queso derretido y muy reconfortante, con pollo desmenuzado suave y delicioso. Todo sabía intencional, hecho con amor. Incluso la salsa que viene al lado unía todo de una manera increíble. Honestamente, pagaría el doble por esta experiencia -- no porque sea caro (el precio es muy razonable), sino porque la comida, las personas y la vibra en general son así de buenas. Comida hermosa, personas hermosas, una empresa hermosa. Se merecen el mundo. Súper recomendado.

    Vegan Veggi(e) Empanada
    Jennifer S.

    All Gf and GOOD! Went here for lunch when my family came into town for an appt. So glad we have options like this! I needed more but thats because i was just being greedy.

    Beef Empanada
    Ellena K.

    Visited at the midtown beer garden food trucks. Need Empanadas were amazing, so tasty and crunchy. Also really loved the patacon, plantains are my favorite so it was perfect. Dipping sauce was yummy too! Would love to try the chicken next time. Chill atmosphere at the beer garden!

    Passionfruit Juice

    Delicious! I got one beef and one chicken with the garlic sauce. Not super salty, flavorful and a nice crunchy shell. I could have eaten four of those easily. I washed it down with a yummy passionfruit juice. 10/10 would return. Two empanadas for $7. Great service - super friendly Super cute location inside the beef garden. Great place to hangout after work or a family outing.

    Patacon el pilon chicken
    Danyon D.

    Amazing food truck! My girlfriend is half Colombian and once she found out about el pilon we had to go. That was 2 years ago now and we consistently find ourselves going back. My go to order is the patacon el pilon chicken, but I find everything on their menu to be great. The ladies in the food truck are always so sweet when ordering. Plus, the midtown beer garden provides a great spot to sit down and enjoy with friends and family.

    Cart
    Cynthia M.

    Cute little trailer food truck located in the midtown beer garden. Delicious food with friendly service.

    Passionfruit juice, Yuca Fries, Arepa (beef)
    Alyssa Mae L.

    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!

    Classic Chicken Empanada and Classic Beef Empanada

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    2 days ago

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    3 months ago

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    Fernando M.

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    9 months ago

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    4 months ago

    We got an empanada sampler. They were all quite good and the selection was nice. Good spot for a quick bite.

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    2 years ago

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    6 months ago

    La comida 10/10. Las arepitas colombianas súper ricas y lo mismo con los pandebonos.Un servicio al cliente excepcional :)

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    Fernando M.

    Thank you a ton!! You don't realize how much this means to us

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    9 months ago

    Amazing empanadas and smoothie. These ladies were the nicest and the food was amazing! Great price as well!

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    Page 1 of 7

    El Pilón Reviews in Other Languages

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    Qué Bacano!

    Qué Bacano!

    4.3
    (62 reviews)
    4.9 mi
    $

    I'm not a Colombian food connoisseur by any means so I chose this restaurant purely on reviews. I…read moreordered the Patacones with pork, Estofado de Carne, Arepa Rellena with veggies and cheese, Arroz con Pollo and Sanchocho de Gallina. The food was delivered and plated quickly upon arrival. I appreciated the cardboard containers vs plastic but it did soak through. The bags it was packed up in kept it from becoming a mess. The smells were amazing and I had to taste as I plated. Everything was amazing, very flavorful, tender overall and large portions. Sadly, the carne was a little tough and I would not order this again. The Estofado de Carne had a hot sauce I had on the side. It was a very hot and delicious habanero sauce that was amazing! Great food, we'll be back for sure!!

    Good GOD! I have never had Colombian food before, but I had heard good things about this spot…read more Came here on a date, and after having a couple of beers at the nearby Barrio, we both wanted something to eat... enter Que Bacano! I looked at the menu for a while, and EVERYTHING looked amazing. I couldn't decide! I eventually settled on the Arepas Relleno, which is a thick corn tortilla that is fried and split down the middle, then filled with absolute deliciousness! It's a bit of a fragile eat (mine was falling apart as soon as I picked it up), but dear lord is it tasty. My mouth is literally watering as I write this, remembering how good it was. That's saying something! The gentleman working there was very friendly, and kept speaking to me in what sounded like Spanish (I clearly don't speak Spanish). He soon realized I had little to no idea what he was saying, started laughing and apologized after switching to English. All the guys that had been in line before me were speaking Spanish with him, so I get it. Anyway, not much to say about the ambiance as it's a food cart, but overall a very positive experience and I will DEFINITELY be back. I gotta try everything else!

    Photos
    Arroz con pollo
    Arroz con pollo
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    En Vida PDX

    En Vida PDX

    4.8
    (44 reviews)
    2.2 mi

    E A T. H E R E . if…read moreyou're like me and maybe live nearby and have driven by or scrolled passed thinking "looks cute but I'm in 'X' or 'Y' mood right now and I'm not all that familiar with South American or Cuban etc so you put it off another day... STOP. Come here IMMEDIATELY. I popped in for brunch on a Sunday, no wait, Sat right at the bar. Vibrant bright sun filling the place, upbeat tunes playing. Handful of tables occupied. The vibes were 10/10 I pulled up a barstool and the menu had a lot of solid, tempting options. I went with a pressed Cuban sandwich topped with fried egg, bacon strips, hollandaise and sliced avocado. Had a beer and a shit, tasty. It was PERFECT. I'm coming back again, frequently, before this place POPS OFF. Gotta be a regular for me going forward. It is just GREAT!!!

    Enticed by all the good reviews for this place and a hankering for Latin American food, I needed to…read morecheck them out. They're quiet on a Friday afternoon. Their space is very colorful and has a lot of fun energy. Their menu is pretty focused but the items all sound very tasty. We went with an Empanada of the day, The Cubano, and the Bandeja. Their focused menu certainly paid off when you see how fresh and well-executed their dishes were. The empanada of the day was a mushroom and cheese. It's made fresh so the cheese was nice and gooey. Their crust is different from what I'm used to. It seems to be a mix of maize and cornmeal rather than flour. I think it gave a nice crunchy crust and slightly chewy inside. A bit small for the price though. The Cubano was again made fresh. Bread was nice and crispy. Inside was filled with hearty meat and cheese. A solid sandwich, especially when paired with their pico de gallo. The start of the meal was easily the Bandeja. You can choose between chicken and flat iron steak for the Bandeja; we went with the steak and we weren't disappointed. It's cooked medium-rare, making the steak super tender. The outside crust was well-seasoned and flavorful. The Plato came with a lot of other tasty things like a perfect over-easy egg, rice and beans, avocado, and the best chicharron I've had. It's small but packed a punch. The outside was crispy all around while the fat layer was still melt-in-your-mouth soft. This dish had everything, perfect for sharing. The staff were attentive and friendly. Happy hour is from 3-5PM on weekdays. All in all, we had an amazing meal and will be spreading the word of their goodness for sure.

    Photos
    Menu (Nov 22)
    Menu (Nov 22)
    Medianoche & Bandeja Paisa
    Medianoche & Bandeja Paisa
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    T is For Trustworthy
    Mestizo

    Mestizo

    4.4
    (247 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    We went here with friends, including one who is gluten free. To be honest, I'm always a skeptic…read moreabout gluten free options. However, this place was incredible. Everything tasted amazing, and they certainly did not lose any food quality with that choice. In particular, we enjoyed the breaded/fried calamari, and the sweet corn empanada. And the pisco sour was very well-prepared, as well. Give it a shot!

    First off, the food itself is very good, and the quality has been consistent. We've eaten here a…read morefew times, and it's usually a solid experience. I made a reservation for 7:00 on a Tuesday evening and noted that it was my daughter's birthday. That said, the service was slow and spotty, which was disappointing. They also wouldn't provide separate checks within our dining group, and instead put the responsibility on the customers to figure out and settle the bills among ourselves. I have restaurant experience, and separate checks are very easy to do. It was also a hot day, and my beer arrived at room temperature. The noise level in the restaurant was very unpleasant, and they really need to invest in sound dampening. The biggest disappointment was that they did nothing for my daughter's birthday--they didn't even ask whether we wanted dessert. She's gluten-free for medical reasons, and she genuinely likes this restaurant, but this visit was definitely not stellar.

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    Mestizo
    Empanada Platter (3)
    Empanada Platter (3)
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    Casa Zoraya

    Casa Zoraya

    4.7
    (255 reviews)
    3.9 mi
    $$

    We came here to celebrate my father in laws bday, and we didn't regret it! I liked how the kitchen…read morewas the first thing you see as you opened the front door. We were greeted right away by the chefs as you entered in. The place was really colorful inside, and showed a lot of culture through its decorations and artworks. It was a fun environment to be in. I ordered the Lomo Saltado, and it was really tasty. The steak was tender, and it balanced out well with the acidity from the onions and tomatoes. It was a great hearty meal. My girlfriend got the Arroz Con Mariscos, and I liked that even more! The seafood was fresh and they had a lot of variety. Almost reminded me of a paella in some ways. The parking wasn't bad, we had to park in the neighborhood behind the building, but if you're lucky there's a few spots on the street at the front. The server was friendly, but she was definitely worked though. Not sure if someone called out, or if they're understaffed in the front. It did take awhile to get our orders in. Overall, I highly recommend this as your first stop, if you've never had Peruvian food before!

    As a Peruvian visiting Portland, Casa Zoraya immediately made a great first impression. The…read morerestaurant is beautifully decorated, colorful, and unmistakably Peruvian the moment you walk through the door. The atmosphere feels authentic, the space is immaculate, and the attention to cleanliness was noticeable. Easily 5 stars for the ambiance and overall presentation. For food, I ordered the Lomo Saltado Criollo. It wasn't your traditional lomo saltado, and I'm assuming adding the word "criollo" and changing the presentation is what justifies the nearly $30 price tag. That said, flavor-wise it was excellent. The seasoning was on point, the ingredients were well executed, and the presentation was beautiful. No complaints about the quality of the food itself. Unfortunately, the service was a different story. Upon arrival, I stood waiting for approximately 7-10 minutes before anyone assisted me. A kitchen employee repeatedly told me, "She's coming," so I assumed the server would be right over. During that time, other guests arrived after me and were also waiting. When the server finally came out, she acknowledged me by saying she'd be right with me, then proceeded to assist the guests who arrived after I did. They were only ordering drinks, but it was frustrating that she didn't take a moment to determine who had been waiting first. Once seated, service remained inconsistent. Another table that had arrived before me was still waiting to place their order, and since I was dining alone and trying to catch a flight out of PDX, I was concerned I'd be overlooked. Thankfully, the food came out quickly. However, throughout the rest of the meal, not once did my server check in to see if I needed anything. I had to flag down another employee for aji and later for my check. Coming from California, where I'm used to paying California prices, a quality lomo saltado typically runs between $22-$27 and is often accompanied by attentive service. I don't mind paying $30 for a plate when the food delivers, and this one certainly did. But for that price point, the service should match the quality coming out of the kitchen. Overall: excellent food, beautiful restaurant, disappointing service. If Casa Zoraya focused on improving attentiveness and guest experience, this would easily be a 5-star restaurant.

    Photos
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    Cocktails

    El Pilón - foodtrucks - Updated August 2026

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