Wagsy’s Hot Beef Sandwiches

Where my other review went, I do not know. Poof into the ether. This place has GREAT staff and even better food. I went yesterday hoping for one of the hot meals but it was steak and despite going to a beef place, I’d rather have my steak on china with a knife made of metal. Although I wish I would have asked for a side of the smashed potatoes. I bet they were fantastic.
I had a Roast Beef sandwich with bacon, romaine and cheddar cheese. Can’t remember the name but it’s on the standard menu. It was cheap and despite preferring to eat half and leave the rest for dinner or a snack later, I just consumed the entire thing. Huge, messy, but oh so good.
As far as second visits go, it seems like they have a different special just about every day so you could go on a regular basis and be constantly surprised by something different or special.
I was sad that I didn’t get that little extra special touch of the toothpick attached to the top of the togo box but I survived. I love that as a finishing touch. It leaves an impression and makes them memorable… putting aside the great food, of course.
There’s usually a crowd but you get served efficiently and with very little wait time. I’ve never seen them disorderly and the inside of the cart speaks to the efficiency and always looks clean.
They take cards which is definitely a plus with food carts. I wish I started work a little later so I could try breakfast but I’m well into my workday by the time that happens. This is a must go to place in Portland. Heck, I’d make a friend take a day off just so we could lunch there because I know it’s up his alley and he’d love it that much… and he’d leave knowing it was a day off well spent.

I had breakfast here one morning it was mad decent. Went back for lunch today. Ordered the rip city Parmesan hot beef sandwich. The garlic mushrooms weren’t garlicky enough. The beef was tender though. I love crispy sandwiches and hate when the bread get’s soggy from the hot ingredients. Anyone that tells you it’s impossible to get a crispy bread with a hot sandwich does not know a thing about a great sandwich place. The sandwich was a bit lacking but we had some left over horse radish sauce at the office from lunch the other day. It sure kicked up a notch and made it a bit better
I thought I was ordering the same sandwich from the photos, but I didn’t get any green stuff! I love the green stuff, any green stuff! So I was a little disappointed. All in all
Always great service, very accommodating and decent food! Priced right as well

They’re specials are really outstanding. Shrimp scampi, open-​faced sandwiches, briskets, etc.
I’m actually torn about telling you all about the specials. They only have a limited number every day, and if too many people know about it I could miss out. But they’re too good not to praise. Strongly recommend.
I promise I don not work for or have any relationship with Wagsy’s or their employees. Just a happy customer.

Hands down the best breakfast scramble ever and at an unbeatable price. If your in the area during the week you must stop and buy some breakfast. Healthy, good and affordable and the service is even better. A father and son run this and they are great. I have been going daily for mine. Next up is to try their lunch.

I normally don’t eat at food carts but Wagsy’s is the lone exception. The Staff is friendly, remembers my name, and has large bottles of soda for $ 1. The french dip and the steaks on Friday are excellent and reasonable. Beware of the swarms of homeless people in the vicinity, but this, after all, Portland.

Hot beef sandwiches.
Several choices with most being around the $ 7 sweet spot.
Sandwiches come on a big soft hoagie filled with some beef and whatever condiments you picked. The sandwiches are fairly basic yet filling.

Very friendly! Amazing food! Will go back for sure!

Super good food! Very friendly and they remember what you like to order or what you dont like.

Great sandwich spot with great food and service. Meat was very juicy and tender which will make you want to go back for 2^nd’s.

I had the Ranchers Cut Special today. It was very disappointing. The meat was marbled with fat and was a poor cut. There was no seasoning, and I was ready to pour my catsup on for some flavor. I would not go back. On a happy note… The guy at the window was super friendly… And the food was served really fast.
I wish I could have given it a better review… But fair is fair.

The food is great and the breakfast specials are fresh and reasonably priced. My new breakfast go to!

Being tired of all the Thai, Indian and Mexican food carts my co-​worker and I branched out a bit. We had intentions of trying Love & Whisky but they were closed. So Wagsy’s was right next door. I ordered the Rip City Parmesan sandwich. Oh my goodness this sandwich was delicious!!! The sandwich was loaded on a nice hoagie roll with roast beef dipped in au jus piled onto the roll along with sauteed mushrooms in garlic butter and topped with melted parmesan cheese. It has to be one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in a long time. My co-​worker got the French Dip with Provolone Cheese. It too was dipped in au jus and loaded onto a nice fresh hoagie roll and topped with melted provolone. It included the perfect amount of au jus for dipping also. We’ll definitely be back again and highly recommend it. They have Wednesday Blue Plate specials and Friday Prime Rib Lunch Entrees. It was recommended to call in and reserve your Blue Plate Special as they limit the number they sell. Finally, they also offer breakfast daily starting at 7:00am. This breakfast menu has some seasonal items so be sure and check back from time to time. They can be contacted at 503.884.0658

I’ve been to Wagsys twice now, both for breakfast — so 5 stars is well deserved.
How can you possibly beat an egg scramble with cheese, onion and ham (or choice of bacon, sausage or ham) with 2 slices of sour dough for $ 3 DOWNTOWN!!?
The service is great, very down to earth guys. Waiting for you food, you can hear regulars stop by for «the usual» and spit digs on the others football team. How often so you get that at a food cart, let alone downtown.
I’ve heard great things about their sandwiches as well.

I recently changed jobs and am working downtown after a hiatus for several years, and one of the things I was really looking forward to is the food carts. For the most part, I have found my food cart experiences disappointing – often average tasting food, less than friendly staff taking your order, and dozens of people begging for money. Then I happened across Wagsy’s. Wagsy’s is different.
First off, I have to say that the gentleman that takes orders is refreshingly pleasant. He always has a smile on his face and you just can’t help but smile back. A little friendliness goes a long way in my book.
Second, the sandwiches are really, really good! The roast beef does not taste like your usual deli roast beef, but tastes flavorful and fresh. The serving size is generous and well presented (nice box, love the towlette/​toothpick touch!). Today I tried a special they were serving (California something) and it had the right mixture of beef, onion, tomato, avocado, fresh spinach and a flavorful melted cheese.
Third, while waiting for your order, they have a nice electronic board that advertises their upcoming specials. I was super excited to see a chicken cordon bleu special with red potatoes and baby carrots coming up for a whopping $ 6. Great marketing ploy – I’ve put it on my own calendar so I won’t forget to try that out!
Good job Wagsy’s! I’ll be back.

Staying at the Courtyard by Marriott just one block over. On the recommendation of my son who lives in Portland, I tried their Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich, and so glad I did! Very hearty sandwich, filled with tri-​tip, ham, bacon, cheese, and well-​cooked eggs. Shared the sandwich with my wife, and wished I had ordered a whole one for myself. Service was quick and friendly. Too bad I’m leaving this morning or I’d certainly be back for lunch.

They have best breakfast for three bucks.

So many options from which to choose on the SW 5^th food cart block!
The only guideline I had to go on was an inkling of wanting a sandwich, so as I made my way to the last few carts on the Oak Street end of things, Wagsy’s caught my eye. Roast beef sandwhiches you say? «OK let’s go here!» says my friend.
$ 5 for a classic french dip with a surplus of beef in it. Doesn’t look so big, but as you dig in, you realize just how much beef is packed in there!
The secret to this sandwich is that the jus that normally accompanies such a sandwich is already in there! So you bite into the sandwich, get beef… bread…and then you realize that there is jus in there that is amping up the beef flavor, and cutting down the bread a bit, creating a great balance. I wouldn’t recommend leaving this sandwich sitting around for too long, as I think it could end up a bit soggy after awhile. But if you eat it fresh, it’s a done deal. Maybe throw some grilled onions on this bad boy.
We also split a BBQ sandwich ($ 6), which featured the same beef but with a tangy, spicy BBQ sauce. It tasted somewhat similar to other BBQ beef sandwiches I have had along the way, but I was somewhat unaware of the fact that the spice was creeping up into my mouth, and by the time I was done, the afterglow of roast beef heaven had been magnified by a subtle, but noticable burn. Wonderful.
Great price, great portions, great flavor — I’m rooting for Wagsy’s

Lunch time in DTPDX (Downtown PDX) can be daunting. Everything from food cart to buffet, from grass fed beef to grass fed grass is available to you. Up on fifth street, there is a food cart lot (or a lot of food carts) best known for pizza, Indian, and schnitzelwich. But on the other side of the lot. On the extreme opposite end, you will find Wagsy’s Hot Beef Sandwiches.
Like the journey to Mordor, one does not simply walk to the opposite end of the fifth street food car lot. You will be tempted with everything the many cultures of the world has to offer. But you must take the journey. Head down, power through to Wagsy’s. The far corner of the pod is packed with good stuff (Sin Wagon, The Fix).
The reward for your journey, Wagsy’s Philadelphia cheese steak. It’s good. But they are all good. Get it with a soda and a bag of chips. I wouldn’t tell you to eat someplace crappy.

Food was good, cart was clean, employees were friendly.
This was my first food cart visit so I have nothing to compare them too yet. Went on a Saturday to were all the carts are set up and there wasn’t many of them open or at least at 11am on Saturday isn’t a good time to go.
We ate the food on a bench down there and only had one little old lady ask us for money «for food» she said. I asked her what was in that brown bag in her pocket, it was her «night bottle» she said. My reply was, ok I will give you some money but you better buy food with it. She walked 20 feet away to a food cart and bought a meal.
Just a heads up, the area looks like it could be a hot bed of homeless looking for hand outs around these carts, I didn’t mind helping the old lady out.

Family is the strongest bond one will have in his or her life. To me, it’s always a cool story when a parent and child take a common interest and open a business together based on that shared link. At Wagsy’s, which opened in early January 2012, Kevin and his son, Eric, share their love for sandwiches with the public. «Wagsy» is Kevin’s nickname, given to him by some of his good friends.
There are five sandwiches on the regular menu, each using a fresh Italian roll. Several sandwiches are named for various regions of the United States. I had the «Beef ‘n Bourbon» sandwich ($ 6): thin slices of roast beef, chopped cabbage, and Wagsy’s special BBQ sauce infused with premium Maker’s Mark bourbon.
The large slices of roast beef are extremely tender and juicy. The fresh cabbage adds that contrasting crunchy element. The warm tangy/​sweet BBQ sauce is a home run, and the bourbon shines through. The Italian roll is soft when biting into it, yet thick enough to encase the beef, sauce, and cabbage. A simple sandwich, yet so comforting.
If anything, I would have liked the bun toasted a bit more for that crunchy texture contrast against the beef.
I also received a plastic token for $ 1 off my next sandwich. I’m not sure how long that promotion is for. Perhaps it’s limited to first-​time visitors at the cart?
People have raved about the «Chi-​Town Beef Dip» (a beef sandwich dipped in au jus) and the «Rip City» (roast beef and garlic butter sauteed mushrooms). Wagsy’s also offers a vegetarian sandwich option. Basically, you can’t go wrong here.
Starting on Feb. 6, Wagsy’s will open at 8 a.m. on the weekdays to serve breakfast scramble platters (until 11). Until then, they are open on the weekdays for lunch, generally starting around 10 a.m. Check them out ASAP!