It was not that long ago that Hillsboro had very few if any food carts. In the past, we have all seen food trucks cruising construction sites or parking lots but they have always been transient. It was not until Carts on Main set up their food cart pod on Main Street a couple of years ago that Hillsboro had an option for this type of food. Now the City seems to be coming alive with individual carts and some more elaborate plans for “Pods” where multiple food options are going to pop up. This is food lovers excited about the options they will have to try more and more types of food.
Carts On Main Paves The Way-
The Carts On Main pod was the first of its kind in our city and it remains the only fully established. Featuring 5 carts, the location is right next to the Hillsboro Bar and Grill and across from Noble Hop Tab House where those tipping the suds can bring food in and enjoy! They have clean tables, covered dining areas, and a secured environment for visitors to enjoy the experience. Here is a look at the choices offered right now by the carts and they are all #Delicious and creative.
Larry, the creator, is the man seen above at the Carts On Main and one of the great food promoters in Hillsboro. His former ‘BORO Burger truck was a real hit with locals and this is but one of his food ventures now. He knows food and has been a real leader in the efforts to promote safe and successful food cart pods in Hillsboro. From zoning to health and safety compliance, his work has been crucial in Hillsboro where no codes existed until now. The result of his efforts are notable because Cart on Main is a hit. There is a great group of carts including Bun Intended, Mama Lily’s, Chadwicks Pit, and Chili Goat Gruff. If you have not been there to try the food make it a point. This pod has added vibrancy to the Main Street offerings and made that block a destination along with Pizzatio, Noble Hop, Amelia’s, Bag and Bagge, Hillsboro Bar and Grill, and others!
On the eastern edge of our City, a new option has popped up recently. Taco’s el Patron has a food cart and a fantastic covered eating area just West of Harvey the White Rabbit. This cart is excellent and the effort of local boy Efrain Abarca. The food is incredible and for those looking for a spot to eat fast and get out of the weather, they have your hook up. The lot appears to have room for a few more spots and that is a part of the plan moving forward. This is the original location of the historic J.B. Imlay and Sons flour and grain business from the late 1800s. They shipped grain from local farms from Hillsboro to Portland and beyond and their original building is still standing. Check them out.
Back downtown at 320 SE Oak Street, a more ambitious effort is underway. Hillsboro Downtown Station is going in on the SE corner of 3rd and Baseline Streets. The formerly burned-out building has been partly removed in recent weeks and the rest of the building is being refurbished as food hall. That will support 28 food carts which are slated for the lot as per the attached plans below.
The carts will be designed in rows in a secured setting. That is an ambitious plan modeled after the Rose Biggi in central Beaverton. The developer is hard at work right now and we should see this facility open by year’s end. No parking is being provided which could be a limiting factor. Once finished the project will add 28 more options for diners to try out. At that point, we should be able to see Hillsboro become a leader in this category and a foodies’ dream destination.
More is not always better. Quality needs to be the key for anyone getting into the business. Rumors of three or four more locations are floating around the city. Local building and zoning codes are being updated to manage this food cart mania because it is widely an unregulated business. The Herald will continue to bring you information and stories about new opportunities as they roll out.
Suffice it to say this is an exciting trend for food lovers and the community at large.
“No parking is being provided which could be a limiting factor.” Let’s be honest: Asking people to cross Oak or Baseline is likely going to be the limiting factor. Otherwise… wow. Put the new wine-tasting rooms on there (including the one in the Perks of Art space), and you have yourself a nice little culinary map of the neighborhood.
I didn’t think any cart would want to compete with Ochoa’s Super Taco, but OG Birrieria changed that game.
I will have to try OG- we should cruise some carts and trucks in HB together. That would be really fun!
I’d be game for that. There’s a great rotation at the pod, but also a nice collection of trucks across from the SHARC. Ochoa’s opened a cart on Oak.
Thanks! We’re the owners of the place in the old Perks of Art space, and we were already so excited about our location, and our neighbors, And we didn’t even know about this amazing cart development at the time. We are also going to allow people to bring food in once we open the Wine Lounge in conjunction with the retail shop (which is open now). We’ve always loved downtown Hillsboro, but now that we are part of something so healthy and thriving we could not be happier!
Welcome- and I am excited to meet you all. Fellow Main Street business owners and all!
You folks got a great spot: Right next to Noble Hop, across from Amelia’s, the carts and HBG. The Vault two door down. I’ll have to head down to check out the retail location now that it’s open. It’s always baffled me that Hillsboro, tucked between two nearby AVAs and right at the top of the Willamette Valley, didn’t have a wine shop that reflected this. Love seeing you sell some imports as well. I’m from New Jersey originally and miss the broad selection of European wines that were available back east. Congratulations, and we’ll see you soon.
I can’t agree with Jason more – No Parking? Has this developer really thought this through or has our City and their planning department gone even nuttier than the proverbial Holiday Fruit Cake? That location could be a disaster just waiting to happen! Where will the staff for 28 food carts park? Welcome to the neighborhood folks.
At the house that is being torn down that’s next to the building. Sad really, ppl really aren’t seeing the damage these owners are doing to be able to make parking for that business. Of course the home was not part of the original plans submitted by these ppl, the house was bought after the “OK” came. Now all they do is talk trash about those who live in that home to ppl that will be renting a space there. Look at the picture of the proposed plans and you won’t see that it’s on there, we’ll maybe now it is tho.
Sad part is that a family that has lived next to the building for about 12 years, is being forced to move to make parking for the trucks to come. The house was sold and now they need to find a new home. They are a young family that has two little ones and another on the way. I understand progress and business is business, but forcing a family out in a short amount of time to make a dollar on food? I guess a new place to eat is worth the profit right?
I would like to look into that. Can you provide the address? The project has no parking as it was planned or submitted. It sounds like the developer or someone bought the property to the East and then evicted someone? How long did they have to move? That is always concerning. I personally am not in favor of people being forced out anywhere. We report on what is happening. If this is something new it was not turned in as a part of the project.
The article says, “Suffice it to say this is an exciting trend for food lovers and the community at large”, emphases on ‘trend’. Removing a family for a TREND is really kind of sad if you ask me.
The article nor the information that we have does not include that home. It was not part of this project. Removing a family is not something anyone wants to see. It is happening all over Hillsboro and beyond. All part of one of the biggest gentrifications in the history of the Pacific NW. I preach housing options and affordability and have covered the topic to the Nth degree. Pretty much no one has stepped up to assist in these matters. I am very very sensitive to what you are saying! Thank you for engaging the story and letting me know what is happening!
The address is 346 SE Baseline St. Hillsboro Or. Also I stand corrected, its more than one family that lives there. His brother also lives there with a daughter.
You are right that it wasn’t part of the original building plans, but was bought I believe after the paperwork was submitted. I’m sure you can do the fact finding and see what was done.
The residents of the house are going to start a Gofundme to help them move soon as they need to move by the 26th of july. Thank you for taking a look into this.
My email is kittygato112@gmail.com
My family, the one residing in the home next to the development got a letter giving us 90 days to vacate, our last day being July 26th with 0 chance of an extension. Not only has the developer been very standoffish and rude he harassed our landlord relentlessly for months to sell to him, threatened to give us a 30 day notice before he even bought the property, and his partner and or wife is slandering us to other people. Our home, front and back is in disarray because our family has live here for over 10 years in one way or another. We are being accused of being drug users and sellers. My partner works hard at a legal job, pays his taxes and nobody in the house uses drugs, as we don’t want that around our children and niece. They have been nothing but rude and non understanding of our situation. With the pricing of housing being so marked up it is difficult to move, especially being a growing family it has been an incredible stressful time for my family. Only to learn that the woman is slandering our family based on assumptions, from family friends who are also customers of my partners side job doing mechanic work. In this day and age it is despicable to judge a person on appearance and assumed tax bracket. Hard working people do not deserve to be thrown to the street just so one can destroy a home for parking and revenue.
There are legal remedies for being harassed or having your tenancy rights violated. I am so sad that housing issues continue to plague our community. This is just very sad. While we can not specifically comment on the actions of any of these parties we hope you find some help in this matter- Community Action sometimes can be helpful.
Thrilled about this! My husband and I are moving to downtown Hillsboro from Portland and I have a suspicion we’ll be spending an absurd amount of time at both the Main and Oak Street pods.
That is MUSIC to our Ears! Keep on reading and following the Herald and we will see you out there!