PBJ’s Grilled

These folks are amazing! Last Friday was my nieces going away party. Through OHSU Doernbecher, PBJ’s whipped up 30+ sandwiches on short notice. All were delicious and a huge hit at her party! She loved it. Interacting with the staff was great too. Very nice and accommodating. I cant say enough good things. We’ll be running an extra tip by here soon!

Seriously, who doesn’t love PB&J sandwiches?!
While I’m all for my original creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly, this shop took me into a whole other world by adding amazing breads and extra interesting flavors to the mix!
My group and I ordered the Spicy Thai, Good Morning, and Sunup. The Spicy Thai was by far all of our favorites; it included challah bread, curry, and shrimp! And while lumping all that together with peanut butter and jelly may not SOUND good, I guarantee that it TASTES awesome! The Good Morning sandwich was much more chill than the Thai, it was PB&J with eggs, bacon, etc. the flavors didn’t really flow together but it was still a combo worth trying! The Sunup sandwich was a total sweetness overload on cinnamon raisin bread, super good!
Overall thus place is great! It’s open really late, there’s lots of seating and the staff of very friendly. Definitely a place to stop by on a visit to PDX, or a regular outing with friends!

Since I was only in Portland for three days, I had the audacity to question if I should spend one of my valuable meals at a PBJ’s food truck. So so glad I gave this place a chance — my PB&J sandwich-​eating experience has forever been changed!
This food truck is what rightfully so makes Portland so damn weird and equally delicious. We arrived just when the owner was opening the food truck for the day and had a chance to talk to her about her gourmet sandwiches. She was such a nice person and incredibly educated foodie, I was already in love! We went with her recommendation — the spicy thai. For the next hour (and days later in fact), my partner and I didn’t talk about anything else other than how unique and tasty that sandwich was! Go go go! And when you go, tell the owner to bring PBJs Grilled to SF — we want you here!

Some really unique pbb&j sandwiches that are very delicious. The best strategy for a group is to get several different sandwiches and split them amongst yourselves.

Before receiving a poorly made sandwich, I was talked down to by the owner.
After asking politely if there was a chance we could exclude white peppers from one sandwich, the owner herself told me no and continued to ask, «So where are you from?» I said I lived within the city, she proceeded with, «No, where did you grow up?», I said Washington and she explained to me how us «transplants» need to get used to no substitutions or exclusions from recipes in any restaurant in Portland. That it’s a «very Portland thing».
I grew up a couple hours outside Portland and this is the first time I’ve encountered this rule, and the first time I’ve been made to feel like an outsider in a city I loved that took care of me so well, until her, growing up.
I used to love this cart but the service and sandwiches has gone on a spiral leading them straight to the toilet. Never coming back.
P. S. The tender kept my change and put it in the tip jar without even offering my change back. Over the top rude.

holy goodness gracious!!! the Spicy Thai with Shrimp!!! are you kidding me. I will crave this forever…

The most decadent food we’ve had since moving to Portland … and that’s saying something. We both had the Hot Hood; my husband added fried chicken to his. Buttery grilled challah with warm peanut butter, bacon, jalepenos, and cherry jam, just the thing for ten on a Saturday night. Going to have my nice little coma now, thank you.

The good morning sandwich with egg reminded me of my grandma’s cooking growing up. The combination of egg, bacon, french toast, blueberry jam, and peanut butter is one of the best things I have ever tasted!

These are not your traditional PBJ sandwiches. The Spicy Thai sandwich is incredible. Hot Hood is also fantastic. I’m sure they’re all good.
I met the owner and she was super nice and chatty. We talked for a while about her past, love for food and Portland strip clubs. I love good people and a good story behind a great restaurant.

I would be so fat if I kept coming here. Read the great Unilocal reviews. I had a spicy Thai. Yummy ingredients with marmalade, crispy chicken, cheese and some other ingredients I can’t place. I never tasted anything like it. Has a little kick to it. I was going to try the Oregonian, but it was sold outs

The Smoking goat is amazing! Crunchy olive bread with goat cheese, almond butter, apricot jam AND bacon. I think it’s now my new favorite. Super friendly service, in a chill ass area. Will repeat!!!

I came to this food truck as part of a bike and food tour of Portland that I participated in as part of my friend’s bachelorette party. I am so glad I tried it, because it was definitely a unique experience! All the sandwiches here were very unique and while many comprised of atypical ingredient combinations, they were delicious! I ordered the Smoking Goat sandwich without bacon, and it was a great combination of sweet and savory ingredients (though slightly more on the sweet side). I would highly recommend it, as I think it’s one of their most popular dishes! The Spicy Thai (I got it without shrimp) also had an interesting taste and was more on the savory side, but I definitely liked the Smoking Goat better. I split the Smoking Goat and Spicy Thai with a friend and it was more than enough food.
The seating is an area in the middle of all the surrounding food trucks and it consisted of covered benches which was nice because it was pouring rain when we went. We had a big party so we called our orders in advance since we heard it sometimes can take a while for the food to be made when there are many orders. Overall, I thought PBJ’s Grilled was a unique option and great for a quick and casual meal.

I had the Spencer and it was the closest thing I’ve had to a religious experience. I could eat that sandwich every meal for a year.
Not always a fan of savory-​sweet food combinations, but they got it perfect. Feels like these ingredients are soul mates making sweet, sweet love in my mouth.

I was skeptical of this place. But it was after midnight and I had just been to a bunch of breweries, so I was feeling adventurous. The rule with these kind of places is to just get the most whacked sandwich with the most ingredients.
That said, you might choose the Spicy Thai: fried coconut shrimp, peanut butter, sriracha, basil, curry, and orange marmalade.
Surprisingly it was delicious, everything went together pretty darn well and it was a nice snack before bed time. I saved the other half for the next day and I also enjoyed it then, so you know my great experience wasn’t completely under the influence.

I came here on weeknight around 7pm. It was cold and rainy out and I was actually the only customer around. Still, it seemed like they’d had good business earlier in the day for I had wanted to try to the Oregonian with seared duck, but sadly they were sold out :(
I decided to order the Good Morning instead, made with two slices of French toast, PBJ, and thick cut bacon. It was quite yummy. Nothing stupendous, but a really good combination and I liked it so much, I kept eating it on my bus ride home, nevermind the jam I was getting on my face in front of a bunch of strangers.
The portion is pretty generous. I actually couldn’t even finish all of it, so I saved the other half in the fridge ans finished it for breakfast. Still tasty.

My love for grilled cheese is so real. Originally I thought this place seemed outlandish because I’m a traditionalist when it comes to grilled cheese. Man, they proved me wrong! PBJ’s Grilled changed my views on grilled cheese. I love the innovation behind these sandwiches. The combination of sweet and savory works so well! Even better when you’re eating this for drunchies and the sandwiches hit the spot.
Betty.
Spencer.
I will name my children after these grilled cheese masterpieces.

Flavorful, satisfying sandwich. I had the Spencer which has capicola, grilled onions, brie, and pear butter. The wheat bread was also wonderful. Each of their sandwiches appear to be a take on pb&j with a sweet/​savory component. The sandwich was large– I could only eat half in one sitting. The only thing I regret is not getting the soft egg added as well, that would’ve complemented it very well. So tasty!

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I have to admit… I wasn’t blown away. I wish I can give this place 3.5 stars… Not quite a 4, but not quite a 3. BUT with that being said … Let me describe the experience:
The location and truck itself is adorable! Pebble stones cover the ground as bistro lights hang over your head. The two workers were incredibly friendly — such a feel good vibe as we walked up to the window.
Savory:
Unfortunately, on a Sunday night, they had quickly run out of the chicken and duck, so we were unable to try the Oregonian… I was dancing between the Thai and the Goat Cheese (?) but decided on the Thai with coconut shrimp. The Thai flavors with the marmalade really came together well! But… What I didn’t enjoy in the sandwich was how thickly breaded the coconut shrimp was. The bread, with peanut butter, and coconut breading made the sandwich way too dense. OVERALL, I did appreciate the creativity and the flavors of the Sriracha, peanut butter, marmalade, and coconut. I may want to try this with chicken next time, though (to get a chicken satay effect.)
Sweet:
We ordered a pumpkin pb&j grilled. This was definitely tasty … It almost felt like they melted an entire slice of pumpkin pie in between two deliciously grilled pieces of bread. The peanut butter and marmalade went well with the pie crust and peanut butter.

If you go here, know what you’re getting into.
SANDWICHES! But not «normal» ones that are huge, with a million different ingredients bursting all over the place. Here, it’s more like a handful of jams/​butters, meat protein (if you are so inclined), condensely layered.
I usually go for either the Spicy Thai (gotta love Rooster sauce on everything), or the Oregonian, which, like the rest of their sandwiches, is very rich – pan-​seared duck, hazelnut butter, and marionberry jam…
Like I said, this ain’t normal like your mamas PBJ. It’s like PBJ on crack.

PBJ’s Grilled plays beautifully with a single concept to produce numerous innovative, delicious sandwiches. Trust the chefs – these combinations work marvelously.
I’ve been coming here for years for lunches, dinners, and late-​night snacks. For the sake of keeping my review current, I’m only reviewing what I’ve had most recently here, which are savory sandwiches.
My most recent purchase, the Spencer, has walnut butter, brie, pear butter, caramelized onions, and capicola, and is served on Italian wheat campagnolo bread. Each of these ingredients wear many hats in forming a sandwich that combines sweet, salty, rich, nutty, fruity, and savory flavors. They are judiciously chosen, with each playing a vital role in balancing the sandwich’s flavor. It’s a little like a baked brie, but with an extra savory kick to it from the capicola, grilled onions, and walnut butter. It’s sweet, but you’ll never mistake it with dessert. Wonderful stuff at any time of the day.
I also highly recommend the Oregonian, which features hazelnut butter, marionberry jam, bleu cheese, and seared duck. This sandwich is is full of loud flavors, to be sure, but combined together, they sing in harmony. The duck makes this one especially hearty, and the acidity of the jam tempers the bleu’s funk. The hazelnut butter isn’t as sweet as you’d think, but it is rich, with a bit of salt, and it helps brighten these fine ingredients even more. It’s served on grilled challah, which retains all these flavors nicely.
Finally, the Smoking Goat is incredible. Almond butter, goat cheese, apricot jam, and bacon, served on kalamata olive bread. Yeah, you heard that right, olive bread. Again, each ingredient plays multiple roles, with saltiness coming from the olives, bacon, and goat cheese, tanginess from the goat cheese and jam, and sweetness from the jam and almond butter. I once was skeptical about how the olives would work with these other ingredients, but after tasting it, I can tell you that they’re integral to the sandwich – they give an unami savoriness that ties it all together, particularly when combined with the grilled flavors of the bread in which they’re encased.
PBJ’s Grilled exemplifies the Portland aesthetic of taking something ordinary and making it special, but not rarified. Each sandwich is the product of remarkable creativity and care. As I’ve said before, I’m often wary of meals that try to combine a great many disparate flavors. It’s so easy to overdo it with one of the ingredients, and each additional ingredient affords another opportunity to throw the meal off balance. Particularly with sandwiches, where excessive condiment use is pretty much the norm in America (think about how many sandwiches and burgers that also seemed to be trying to be trying to contain some kind of hastily-​planned salad). But at PBJ’s Grilled, the ingredients all work perfectly together.
There’s nothing too exotic at this cart, despite its menu’s penchant for novel combinations. You’ve heard of the nuts in the butters, the fruits in the jams, and the meats and cheeses that the cooks combine them with. You won’t find any arcane ingredients or attempts to gild the lily with flashy poshness. No Kobe beef, no lobster, no rare superfood berries. Yet in keeping with the Portland tradition, PBJ’s ingredients are more than a cut above good, and are combined together and cooked with tremendous skill and thoughtful planning. You can tell how much they care about what they’re making here. PBJ’s Grilled takes something already good (PB&J) and makes it special, but just like a good Portland beer or brunch dish, at the end of the day, it’s recognizable, filling, affordable, and delicious. It’s places like this that make Portland a special place.