The Local Grind

This place is just awesome! The guys that work here are super friendly and hard workers. And the food is amazing! I had the teriyaki chicken with the honey garlic sauce with a side of macaroni salad. It was to die for. I highly recommend my friends to go here. Probably the best Hawaiian food I’ve had here in Portland

I used to frequent the PSU location and recently revisited a few more times. I found the quality of the food to be lacking from my previous experiences. Normally, the meats, potato salad, rice and veggies are cooked perfectly. The last two times I ordered the chicken wasn’t grilled enough and the veggies were a soggy mess. I am hoping that it was just a lapse of quality. as normally I would rate this cart a 4 or 5. I am going to give it one last try next time I am on campus and hope for the best.

Not as good as it used to be. The last two visits I received «shreds» that were barely shredded at all which is a shame because that seems to be what made the chicken moist and flavorful. This last visit, my veggies were undercooked and my food was floating in about a half inch (or more) of liquid in my to go box. Even the mac salad has changed! Sadly, instead of the «krackaroni» that kept me coming back, I got this overly peppered average mac salad. Wonder what happened in the last few months. I hope they can turn it around!

This place used to be my absolute favorite! It was the best Hawaiian food I’ve ever had. I went there all the time. Recently (within the last couple of months) it has gone downhill. The chicken doesn’t have a lot of flavor and felt under cooked and the mac salad was too mayonnaise-​y. It looks like they have new people working and it just isn’t the same.

I used to work near the cart and it is hands down the best hawaiian food in pdx. I’ve since moved away and live in the bay area, and if I’m ever in town during the week/​right season, I’m going to make sure to hit it up! The macaroni salad can’t be beat, and the sauces are to die for! I wish he sold the sauces online!

Excellent spread for our wedding last weekend. The pork and chicken were very flavorful and the macaroni salad was «the bomb.» Feeding 50+ people is not an easy task and Larry greatly exceeded our expectations. Thanks!!! T & D

I always looks forward to the day that The Local Grind shows up at the Keller Fountain park. The cart serves Hawaiian food, with it being both reasonably priced and delicious! My favorite is the teriyaki chicken with brown rice and veggies. Or you can mix it up with some mac salad as your side. They also serve really good honey garlic chicken and Kahlua pork! This cart is definitely one of my favorites in the city.

Just what you need. Complex carbs, protein & veggies. Surprisingly tasty for such simple fare. & oh so affordable.

Absolutely one of the best food carts in Portland. Perfectly cooked rice, excellently grilled chicken, and marvelously steamed veggies at a fair price. Doesn’t get any better than this, folks.

Super awesome! Just had the Local Grind cater my wedding last weekend. The pulled pork, rice and Mac salad was amazing! I didn’t catch the name of the guy who was working the cart but he did such a great job. Hats off to you guys and gals, thank you for the great food and being so easy to work with, everyone loved it!

Our company attorney’s brought in lunch today and had the Local Grind cater.
Oh my word! That mac salad is probably the best I’ve ever had i! Even better than what I’ve had at luau’s in Hawaii. I live near a Hawaiian restaurant and love it, so I will never knock it, but the Local Grind’s is better. Mostly because it’s got carrots to make it crunchy and give it texture.
The teriyaki chicken breasts were moist and tasty. As was the traditional Kalua pork.
I am a sauce fan so I piled my sticky rice, mac and meats onto a plate and smothered them with the sweet chili, garlic sauce and plum sauce.
It was so heavenly that I ate so much that my pants were too tight, but that didn’t keep me from going back for more.
The only thing I did not shovel only my plate was the sauteed veggies, because I’m not a big fan of broccoli. However; the rest of my group is and I will just take their word for it that it was yummy.
If you are looking for someone to cater an event or get asked by a vendor «Who should we have cater?» — try this place. You won’t be sorry!

The BEST Hawaiian food in the Portland area!

During the summer months, my work has food trucks come out every other Friday. The Local Grind was here last Friday and they did an absolute amazing job. Everyone loved the food and the services was so quick. I had the garlic honey chicken and it was awesome! We will definitely ask them to return.

This food is incredible! The mac salad is some of the best around and the chicken and the pork are fantastic. We hired them to work our wedding reception in mid June and it was a huge hit! Two weeks later people are still coming to me and telling he how great the Hawaiian food was at our wedding. I keep directing them to find the cart in Portland. If you are going to have an event and want to do something less traditional, consider hiring this cart. Your guests will appreciate it, and it won’t cost you an arm and a leg like a plated meal will. You do not need to host an event to get this delicious juicy yumminess, you can also just head down to their cart in Portland or Hood River.

They were at my kids school carnival. It was an amazing surprise. Great chicken, great mac salad. I will be tracking them down on a regular basis. Best Hawaiian food I’ve had in PDX.

Long time passers-​by, first time customer. I must say, I’m really disappointed… in myself for not eating here sooner. I got the teriyaki chicken over brown rice and a side of mac salad. The mac salad has to be some of the best mac salad I’ve had in a long time (shhhh! Don’t tell Mom). The rest was really good too, but the mac salad was definitely the showstopper. I will no longer just walk on by this cart, there are other dishes for me to try and more mac salad (of course) for me to eat.

My favorite Hawaiian food before my trip to Hawaii. My favorite Hawaiian food AFTER my trip to Hawaii. I wish I had a box of The Shred right now.

I love the food here! This is probably the best Hawaiian Mac Salad I found in PDX, and The Shred just is amazing. It really makes me want to move back to just have it again.
Good to keep in mind that it has two locations depending on the season. When PSU is in session, the cart is located right beside of the Subway and Starbucks on campus. In the summer time you can find them at the top of the fountain near the Keller Auditorium. Worth the walk in any case.

I became a loyal customer this summer when I finally discovered this food cart after I started venturing out of my new office in downtown portland. I love the honey chicken with rice and a side of veggies. It is a huge meal at a great price. And it it is mouth-​wateringly delicious.
I like to pretend its «healthy» because it is protein with some veggies. I know I am only kidding myself. But the food does not taste greasy and is simple and fresh.
Owner of the cart accepts credit cards for a small fee.

Tried this place because it right next to my work. Everything that I have tried so far is amazing.
The food is a box of buttery rice (white or brown) with your selection of meat on top and veggies if you are interested. Total — $ 7.50 for a large (6.50 without veggies).
My favorite part is that each box is lunches worth of food and it has reheated well for me in the microwave at work.
* As far as I can tell, the difference between a small and large is half a box of meat compared to a full box of meat (it covers the half the rice or all of it)