Hot Boxx

Hot Boxx is located at the Green Castle food pod at the corner of NE 19th Ave. and Everett in Portland, Oregon. I absolutely love their colorful designs on their food cart...definitely one of the coolest-looking carts in Portland.

Love their cart design!

Menu (early September 2011)

I ordered their Lobster Roll ($12): pieces of Maine lobster, cooked with melted butter, topped with some green onion on a toasted roll. It is served with a bag of chips.

Lobster Roll

Compare the size of the lobster roll to the small bag of chips.

The lobster roll was OK. First of all, I loved the toasted roll. Just putting the roll on the flattop for a little while gives it that lovely toasty texture and, in my opinion, enhances just about any sandwich, roll, hot dog, or burger. The melted butter gives this dish some lubrication, both for the roll and for the lobster.

The sweetness of the lobster and the richness of the melted butter is a heavenly combination. I got claw and tail lobster meat in my roll. Unfortunately, some of the pieces were rubbery/overcooked. Perhaps the biggest drawback is paying a hefty price for a small portion. It really makes this more of a "gotta-try-this-for-the-experience" moment than a meal one would get every day (unless you really love lobster that much). In all fairness, Hot Boxx uses real lobster, so it will be more expensive than other menu items.

Other than the execution flaw with the lobster, it's a good (although pricey) meal. I am also interested in their pork belly and steamed bun, so I may return anyway to try that one out. Since the pork belly is only $5 and has gotten rave reviews, I'd be down to give Hot Boxx another go. But for now, an average score. 5.25/10