El Pilón

Okay, now that I’ve been back a couple times I have to note how small the arepas are. Probably good if you’re dieting. Still tasty.

Stopped here for a lunch snack. Had the cheese arepas. They were hot, crunchy and fresh tasting. Yummy for my tummy. Also tried the Columbian soda, which is sorta like a vanilla coke, sorta. Wasnt a big fan of the soda but it was neat to try something new.
People running the truck were very friendly and helpful. Checking to make sure we were enjoying our food. You could tell they take pride in their food.

I love this food cart! Authentic Colombian food and super friendly staff. The arepas are excellent but my favorite thing to get here are the bunelos, a cheesy desert bread in the shape of a large donut hole. It’s best to call ahead to make sure they have bunuelos as they don’t always make them. It also helps to know a little Spanish.

No empanada left behind.

The first time I stopped by, the cart was closed. I told my friend I found a Columbian food spot and he urged me to go back for bunelos & the milk wafer cookie (can’t recall the name).
I went the next day and to my surprise, there wasn’t a line around 1pm. The woman helped navigate the menu, catering to my gluten-​free and dairy-​free needs. She made several recommendations. I went with the mixed patacones (no cheese), yucca fries, and the beef empanada. The line that came after I ordered put in a lot of orders of those arepas. Maybe next time.
The yucca fries are creamier than normal fries. They’re delicious. I read that yucca fries have to be fresh to be comparable to potato fries. If they’re frozen before frying, it can be stringy, which was not the case here.
The patacones were very filling but I wanted more of the empanadas. I only got one, but the dough was chewy yet crisp. It was perfection.

Growing up in South Florida this place gives me my South American flavor fix 2 blocks from work. Arepas ($ 5) are perfectly proportioned meat to bun and great side sauce, but a touch small as the meal alone. So add an Expanadas for a couple bucks more.

Amazing couple running the cart. So humble, warm and caring. Today I showed up as they were walking to their car and they were so kind and reopened to cook me up some amazing arepas and pan de yuca. So happy you guys are in Portland :)

I visited Portland for a week last August and tried various food trucks/​restaurants. This was the only one I went back to twice, just for their deliciouuusss patacones. If I ever go back to Portland I pray that this truck is still around! I live in SF Bay Area and Colombian food is not common, and I haven’t found anything close to resembling patacones (anyone from NorCal have suggestions?) Ahhh. To this day I dream of patacones

The arepas, empanadas, and buñuelos at this food truck reminded me of the food I’d eat back home in Colombia. What a pleasant surprise to run into this excellent Colombian food truck downtown Portland! Highly recommended to anyone who wants to try simple, but tasty Colombian food.

Yummy empanadas, bunuelos, and arepas! Decent prices. This is a great spot if you’re if you’re craving for Colombian delights. Great food and excellent customer service. You should also try their guanabana shakes. A perfect ending to their delicious meal :)

Amazing Columbian arepas, patacons, and empanadas! Everything was freshly made! The salsa and drinks were also very tasty and on point!

Delicious variety, attention and flavor! Try a little bit of everything… Specially the arepas

Thank you for delicious gluten free food!!! The food was so good and I love that I could choose anything on the menu because all food was gluten-​free!!!

Yo vivo en Colombia, pero puedo decir que la comida del pilon es mejor que la que consigo en Colombia, deliciosa y de muy buena calidad.

¡Delicioso!
This is the real deal for Colombian fare. We gorged ourselves on authentic typical foods– arepas con carne y queso, chorizo, and my personal Achilles heel– empanadas. The masa had an amazingly fresh taste (probably not packaged, but fresh ground) and the fillings were seasoned impeccably. The ají and hogao were great to have as well with the empanadas… Something that’s an option but for me is a requirement. The fry on the empanadas was perfect– crispy, crunchy exterior before reaching the varied savory fillings. Everything here was spot on for flavor and authenticity regarding Colombian food.
La señora and her son, Samuel, were the epitome of Colombian hospitality and friendliness. Having lived in Medellin for short times, they quickly brought me and my family back without having to travel 14 hours… All for under $ 25. Their outgoing personalities and delicious food will keep me coming back. This is little food truck is truly a gem and an impeccable representation of Colombia’s finest!

My first time trying Columbian food and they made it perfectly awesome! The lady was very nice and friendly, her food was exceptionally delicious. The crepes were crispy and tasteful, beef and chicken were both perfectly cooked and seasoned. Her salsa is to die for!

Best Colombian truck in the northwest. Doña Elizabeth and Don Fernando are so welcoming and will prepare every order fresh as you get there. If you want to eat some of the Colombian common dishes this is definitely the place!

Closed my eyes and imagined I was back in Colombia. Delicious and authentic! I wish it was Colombian prices, but it was so worth it! They have that sweet Colombian hospitality too! I would definitely be a regular if it wasn’t so far from my neighborhood! Arepas $ 5, empanadas $ 2, pandeyuca $ 2, and more! They also have traditional fresh juices like maracuya and guanabana for $ 4. There are more options, basically most things you can find on the street stands in Colombia. I want to go back every day and try everything. Would definitely recommend.

Nice little Colombian food cart in downtown PDX. There is such a variety of food available but this small cart stood out, its a bit out of the way from the three main pods but within a block of the cart pod at 3^rd and Stark.
I had the Chicken Patacon. For $ 5.50 you get a lot of food! I’ve never had a Patacon before, but they are like tostones, but they come in a bowl shaped fried crispy dish (not sure what exactly it is made of), with cheese and shredded chicken on top. Its almost like you break a ball into two hollow hemispheres and then stuff it with chicken and molten cheese. They taste delicious and a plate of those is enough for lunch. They don’t have too many things on the menu (Arepa and Enchiladas were the others), but I might stop by again to try out the other options.

Awesome. Just awesome. You can eat the patacons with you hands – they’re just the right size. The food is dense, so a little goes a long way. The service lady explained everything to me, so I knew what to expect. Nothing I had was spicy (which is great for lunch on a work day when I have to sit in a cube all afternoon). The Colombian soda was tasty, but it cost more. Worth it.
This is a definite go-​to if your tired of standard cart food!

Columbian food doesn’t seem to be well represented in Portland. Or at least I don’t think so. That all changed when El Pilon opened within the last month or so. One of my co-​workers told me about it so on Friday I took the short walk over from my office to get lunch.
The food is very good here. I really need to get used to smaller portion sizes as I get older. It might catch up to me one of these days. The portions here are not big, but the prices allow you to try a few different things without breaking the bank.
I started out with an empanada ($ 2) with chicken. I have been to Argentina and had some of the best empanadas there. I have yet to find any as good in the states. This one was ok. For one thing it was yellow which was interesting for no real reason. Don’t get me wrong, it was quite tasty. Just a different empanada from what I am used to.
The second item I ordered was the Arepa ($ 4.60). An arepa is a flatbread made of ground corn dough or cooked flour. This one had shredded beef and cheese and was served with fresh salsa. I definitely would go back for this. I might actually get two the next time around. Would probably make for a good and filling meal.
I am happy to know this place is not too far from where I work. I imagine they should do well as there isn’t much if any competition in town as far as Columbian food goes.