808 Grinds

Awesome food and service! There are a couple Hawaiian carts in this pod, but this one is by far the best! The prices are slightly higher, but worth every bit!

I’m crying inside thinking about how I have to go all the way to Portland in order to have this amazing food. 808 grinds is hands down the best hawaiian food I have ever had on the main land. The loco moco plate is pure happiness. Literally everything about it is amazing but especially the gravy. The chef has conquered the perfect texture of gravy and beautiful smooth flavor. The meat is thick and cooked just right with a little bit of juice coming out as you cut into it.
The combo plate with shoyu chicken, 808 chicken, and kalua pig was amazing as well. The shoyu chicken and the 808 chicken were huge winners. I literally which I could have bought a giant gallon ziplock bag, filled it with chicken, brought it on the plane, and freeze it once I got home so I could experience this magicalness again. The kalua pig was probably the least exciting. Don’t get me wrong, it is still delicious, but side by side to the chicken dishes, it was no match.
Also the mac salad was pure perfection and the scoop of mac salad and rice was just the right size.
Overall I truly enjoyed everything and considering the price, it was even more so worth it. Since it is a food cart which means you don’t have anywhere to sit doesn’t take away from the food eating experience. My suggestion is order the food, find the closest place to eat it, and eat it while it is hot, especially the loco moco.

Food carts are the way to eat in Portland. 808 Grinds is on the corner of a big pod. They usually have a small line and a short wait to get your food. They definitely hustle, knowing most people have limited time for lunch. The menu is simple: plates or combo plates and musubi. That’s it. You can choose from shoyu chicken, loco moco, kalua pig and 808 fried chicken. We split a trifecta (3 item combo) of shoyu chicken, kalua pig and 808 fried chicken. This came with a scoop of rice and mac salad. Yummmmyyyyyy!!! The serving size was plentiful and enough for sharing… but I didn’t want to share after the first few bites. LOL. The kalua was on the drier side, but moist and not salty. The shoyu chicken was tender and sweet but savory. The 808 chicken was good. It’s hard to get a nice crisp when you’re cooking out of a little trailer, but it had a really good flavor.
If you have the time, you can walk to the little open courtyard across the street and people watch while you eat your lunch. Portland is small enough that you can walk from one side to the other easily, but if you’re driving… street parking is a premium. Don’t forget to feed the meter since they do ticket.

Friendly customer service. Cool atmosphere. Great Food.

All of my coworkers highly recommended this place, so I finally decided to give this place a try. I have to say their food is pretty tasty. I’ve tried the Kalua pork and the fried chicken. The pork was super tender, however it was a bit too aggressively seasoned for my liking. The pork none the less was still very tasty, and went really well with steamed rice. The fried chicken was fried to perfection without being too greasy and seasoned nicely. The fried chicken alone is worth a visit to this food cart. Portions are very generous, sometimes I can get 2 meals out of 1 order of food, especially if I get the combo plate. This place closes at 3pm but if they sell out before then they will shut down early. I recommend getting there right when they open at 11am so you can get dibs on your favorite items. This food cart is also closed during the weekend.

True 808! If you’re looking for some solid authentic Hawaiian-​prepared meats, look no further! 808 Grinds has some of the most tastiest and juiciest meats I’ve had since I left Hawaii over the summer.
I got the Chicken Combo which comes with the BOMB Shoyu chicken and their 808 Chicken (reminded me of mochiko chicken) was perfectly juicy. Not to mention the portion size was very generous for $ 9.50. Definitely a go-​to when I’m back in PDX!

Try every meat. Every sauce. Just try everything. It’s all just right.

Friendly customer service. Sometimes I get spam musubi, but today decided to go for Loco Moco and separate it into lunch and dinner for today. Going to Hawaii in March but could not wait! Also very fast all ready in five minutes. Piping hot and ready.

Loved the Spam Musubi! Only reason it is not getting 5 stars is because it doesn’t come with eggs on it.

In Short:
Food = VERY tasty with a few of the traditional items you’d expect to see at a Hawaiian BBQ joint; Service = Lacking enthusiasm, but not the worst.
Suggestions to Try:
808 chicken, sweet wasabi sauce, and their mac salad.
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The only reason I’m not giving the place 5 stars is because of the girl at the counter. SMILE AT YOUR CUSTOMERS! Make them feel welcomed… This was completely lacking in this girl’s training. No smile, not even when we mentioned it was our first time there… Just this blank «what do you want???» look as we browsed the menu and no smile to even be implied on her face. Guh, it kills me when the person who is supposed to be giving you your first impression of an establishment is just a grumpy, cold fish like that. We almost turned around and walked out.
That being said, we love Hawaiian BBQ. I was a little bummed that they didn’t have kastu, so I order shoyu chicken and my husband got the 808 chicken (which is basically a friend chicken that comes with no sauce). Both were great and the macaroni salad was REALLY awesome (at other places I usually mix it with my rice because the sauce is a little rich for me, but this place had a perfect balance to theirs). It still seems really weird that their 808 chicken comes with no sauce, but it was really well made. It sort of reminds me of Chick-​fil-​a nuggets with the way they are breaded and cooked.
They have a bar of side sauces that I tried as well. My absolute favorite was the Sweet Wasabi Sauce. Had I known how good it was, I would have gotten more of it and ordered the 808 chicken as well. It has very little kick. Just as you think you feel that wasabi burn creeping up, something about the sweetness or the cream in the sauce kills the heat so it’s just a really good tasting sauce.

I didn’t eat my full lunch from this place, but everything there looked incredible. I was just walking by and saw spam musubi (onigiri) on the menu and couldn’t resist. Omg, it was incredible I would definitely go back and try other things on their menu as well!

Pretty good stuff! Sauces are amazing! I had the 808 fried chicken. Probably better if I had it fresh! But it was decent walk back to the office. Mac salad was the Mac!!! Best Mac salad I’ve had. Will try again when I’m in the mood!

808 Grinds makes good Hawaiian food and dishes it out in massive quantities. Price-​wise, it’s about average for the downtown foodcarts, but considering how much food you get, it’s a good deal.
I ordered the Loco Moco meal, which featured two hamburger patties covered in brown gravy and topped with a easy egg, served over white rice. While I’ve rarely had Hawaiian food and had never eaten Loco Moco before, I can definitely describe this as great comfort food. The gravy was thick and had just the right amount of salt to it. The egg, patties, and rice were suffused well with its meaty flavor. The patties, studded with minced onion, were juicy and perfectly cooked. Those wishing to enjoy the full benefit of the runny yolk might want to mix the Loco Moco quickly after receiving it, as the dish’s heat is strong enough to further cook the egg a bit when sealed. According to the cart’s operators, both the gravy and patties were homemade. Good on them for not cutting any corners.
The macaroni salad was solid as well. Not soggy or under-​dressed, though I might add a pinch extra of salt to mine next time I come here. Your mileage may vary. It’s not quite as awesome as the Loco Moco, but it’s light and nice.
With all this food, I had enough for a massive lunch, plus leftovers, for $ 7.50. Loco Moco strikes me as a dish that might be best consumed shortly after preparation. However, if their other meals are sized comparably, I’m sure that you’ll be in luck if you’re looking for a dish that will yield a decent amount of good leftovers.
I would definitely come back to 808 Grinds to expand my knowledge of Hawaiian food, as well as to have some delicious, comforting Loco Moco, served in a truly massive portion.

Prob. the best food truck I have ever visited. Amazing food and very nice people.
I can’t wait to go back!!!

Got the Kalua pork and Chicken Shoyu. Pretty decent food, a huge amount though, easily feeds 2 adults or multiple meals. Their accompanying sauces are pretty darn good too. And the macaroni salad is always good to have.

Kahlua pork was too salty and 808 chicken was too bland. Added the spicy mayo on the chicken and wasabi mayo on the pork and it became edible. Had higher hopes for this cart but was left slightly underwhelmed.

Synopsis:
Simple offerings that are filling and delicious. For $ 7.50, you get your choice of meat (shoyu chicken, kalua pork, fried chicken bites, or Loco Moco (ground beef with gravy)), a large scoop of rice and mac salad. It ends up being about 20% too much food for us. We also opted in for the Spam musubi, an oddly delicious nori-​wrapped sushi-​handroll-​like snack filled with a slab of Spam, topped with rice and a bit of sesame seeds on the inside.
Scores:
Time: Our service was lightning quick; we were out of there in under three minutes. Our total meal time was well under 30 minutes, allowing us to bask in the sunlight of the warm spring noontime at the park.
Value-​4: We felt this was one of the more fairly priced items in a while. There was a healthy helping of smoky pulled pork and the fried chicken was a decent size as well. The habanero-​infused teriyaki and spicy mayo were complementary, as well.
Gut check at 3pm: Totally fine. May not need dinner.
Sustainability-​2: The amount of garbage was fairly minimal and mostly paper. Except for the plastic tubs for sauces, most of this was compostable.
Fear Factor-​4: Spam? As sushi? It’s a bit off putting, I have to admit. And plate lunches are sort of heart-​attack looking. There’s a little fear here, and Hawaiian isn’t common nor super healthy. But once you get over that, you’re in for a real treat. It’s nothing like a double cheese-​sandwich bun on a hamburger or anything, but it’s still a bit intimidating.
Staying Power-​5: A solid deal, a solid meal and a quick lunch make this a power player. It’s also been here a long time.
Creativity-​3: These guys get an average rating here. Plate lunches and spam musubi aren’t exactly common, except in the islands. But compared to some of the other carts around, they do a good job with their awesomely creative sauces and their plate lunch combinations. All of it is done in a way that is simple and not confusing, which is an added bonus.

Love the fried chicken here! I went here on a Saturday afternoon and got the 808 fried chicken plate ($ 7.50), which was a good sized portion. I’m usually not a fan of dark meat, but these chunks of chicken had a great flavor and perfect texture, not overly battered or greasy. Rice was well cooked, not sticky. Macaroni salad was more peppery than I’m used to, but I liked how it wasn’t overly mayo-​y and had tiny chunks of veggies for a nice crunch. Loved, loved, loved how they had several bottles of sauces on the counter to help yourself, including small cups with lids. I enjoyed the spicy mayo, 808 soy sauce, and habanero teriyaki. Service was very friendly and food came out quickly.

My review will be biased because I love Hawaiian food. Well worth the $ 10. I got the 808 Combo which was kalua pork, fried chicken with a side of rice and mac salad. Check it out. This place will not disappoint.

When I want Hawaiian food I go to 808 hands down. From the food, to the service, to location I can give it a solid 5 stars.
The Kalua Pork is my favorite dish here and the macaroni salad and rice are great components to a satisfying food coma. Great sauces available like he wasabi mayo and teriyaki to personalize your simple and simply delicious dish. Huge portions and wonderful service.
Now let me tell you a story, I was jonesing hard for that sweet, delicious kaluha pork and wasabi mayo after a hard afternoon bouldering and when I finally got to the cart it was closed! I was so disappointed and exhausted, but I asked the two women working out of desperation if they had anything left that was ready to go. They said yes and gave me both Kalua pork and Katsu chicken, not to mention rice and macaroni salad and didn’t charge me! So kind and fortunate being that I really couldn’t afford to go out and eat that day but I got lucky!
The angels of Hawaiian food blessed me that day, and I will definitely go back!

The whole feel of 808 Grinds might be reasonably blue collar. They fill you up so that you aren’t going to be hungry for long. Their entrees consist of multiple combos and you can add loco mocco, basically a SPAM sushi. Since they are part of the Alder food cart rally, your friends can go to a different food cart.
When I ordered, they gave me the food in a single minute. Not even McDonald’s does that, but of course the food is likely going to be better here. I went to the nearby park with all the hipsters and homeless, my «Da Combo» and a drink for $ 11.50.
The pork was highly flavorful and notable. The chicken was okay and predictable. They gave me a nice helping of mac and cheese, along with some rice.
It’s value overall was something to feel glorious about. They certainly gave sheer quantity. The chicken could have been a little more interesting even with the sauce. The pig was what I will remember.
808 Grinds is certainly a dependable lunch.

Salt salt salt. I love salt… but this place is salty to the extreme. Salt. They love salt.
But…the rice was cooked to my liking.

It was quite disappointing. I got the shoyu chicken for 7.50. It was wayyyyyy too salty. The only thing that was on point was the mac salad. They were also very quick but that’s only because it was already made…

I was in Food Coma Heaven after I got the Tri Fecta plate from here.
It includes their Shoyu Chicken, Kalua Pig, and Fried Chicken. All for $ 10!
I also ordered the Spam Musubi and it was SO GOOD.
If you love Hawaiian food then 808 is a must.

3.5 stars
I shared a combo plate with a friend that had the 808 crispy fried chicken, the shoyu chicken, and Kahlua pulled-​pork ($ 10). We also nommed on some Spam musubis (2 for $ 5). Everything was pretty solid and they give LOADS of meat for the price. They also offer a variety of sauces to take-​out as well, like a spicy-​mayo sauce, a habanero teriyaki sauce (not spicy for me at all), an 808 sauce, and more. The meal also came with a mac salad (okay-​lots of pepper) and scoops of rice.
While I enjoyed my meal and thought it was a good deal of food for the price, I don’t know how quickly I’d be back. The crispy 808 chicken was my favorite out of the three meats, but parts of the shoyu and pulled pork were dry and salty. The spam musubi was pretty bomb though.
The food truck opens at 11 a.m.

Can I give this place 6 stars?
1 for super friendly service.
1 for almost no wait
1 for giant spam musubi
1 for big ass portions. You get your money’s worth.
1 for perfectly fried chicken bites
1 for cool and refreshing mac salad
BRAH!!!

This is my spot for lunch since they are only open Monday thru Friday at the carts on 9^th. I bring my 808 combo plate into the office and everyone follows their nose to see what I have in my compostable to go container. Then it’s like magic and 808 gains more customers. I have thought about keeping this place to myself but everyone already knows so sometimes items sell out.
So I first tasted 808 at eat mobile fest and have waited until I could eat again, now that I work nearby there’s never an excuse. I do wish they were open on weekends. The tender, juicy, crunchy 808 chicken is delish. The shoyu chicken does have it’s days, sometimes it’s on point but once or twice it’s been a bit salty. Kahlua pork is also tender and goes down by the spoonful with some Mac salad or rice but 808 chicken is a def star in my eyes.
Ono!

Today I ducked onto the Nike campus to get some lunch from 808. I’d seen them there earlier in the day (about 11) and formulated a plan. So when I was hungry and out of mtgs at 1:30 I zipped right back there.
I like shoyu chicken, a lot, so I went with that. For $ 7 it comes with a scoop of rice and one of mac salad.
The nice young lady who took my order was friendly.
I thought the shoyu was tender, a bit too salty, with a little bit of heat. Not bad. The rice was, well, rice. A little hard. But fine.
The mac salad was ok. It had random stuff in it, corn and maybe peppers? Green onions? I have eaten a lot of plate lunches in Hawaii and usually mac salad is best when it’s super simple. No corn, no random bits, just mayo and noodles and maybe some pepper.
I frankly have given my shoyu chicken loving heart and macaroni salad eating tummy to Roxy’s Island Grill but this is pretty good, too.
Give it a try.

I’ve had 808 Grinds bookmarked for a while now & they were at an event OMSI was holding in their parking lot that I happened to be volunteering at. What better opportunity is there to try 808 G?
The shoyu chicken ($ 7) consists of well-​marinated white & dark shredded meat. It was moist & tender all throughout & the portion size was plenty big to share or save as leftovers. Their mac salad was pretty good; perfectly cooked elbow noodles, light & creamy mayo, shredded carrots, & green peas. I liked their mac salad but I like the mac salad at Roxy’s Island Grill better. Still it’s the perfect side to any Hawaiian plate along with a scoop of white rice. I added a little Sriracha & 808 sauce but there are others to try as well, i.e. spicy mayo, wasabi mayo, teriyaki, soy sauce.
The crew was very cheerful & the service was super fast. It was actually the fastest serving food cart I’ve been to which was perfect since I was only on a 15 min break. This was just the right meal to fill my hunger & I would be happy to recommend this cart to anyone craving for Hawaiian.