MEET

(UPDATE 6/30/15: MEET has closed its doors, according to Eater PDX)

(UPDATE 4/5/12: After a likely winter hiatus, MEET is now located at the Mississippi Marketplace food pod)

MEET is a relatively new food cart located near NE 14th and Alberta in Portland, Oregon. John started this breakfast and lunch cart around late August to early September 2011, so right now, it's still a newbie to the food cart scene.

You'll definitely get your BBQ meat fix here (ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, etc.), and John will even add those meats to his breakfast items!

Menu (early October 2011)

Menu (early October 2011)

I decided to check this cart out after stopping at Bye and Bye a few minutes earlier. I tried John's pulled pork sandwich ($3).

While I waited for my sandwich, John offered me a free chocolate chip and pecan cookie. It was OK, but clearly had lost its freshness (not very soft) and had a salty aftertaste.

Chocolate chip and pecan cookie (MEET)

After a few minutes,my sandwich was ready. I had a choice of sauces at the window: a vinegar sauce, MEET sauce (tomato-molasses based with mirepoix and other spices), mustard sauce, Memphis sauce, sriracha, green taco sauce, or hot sauce.

A bunch of sauces to choose from....

Pulled pork sandwich (MEET)

I tried the MEET sauce first. I got the tomato and molasses right away, and it also contained what I felt was a cumin or curry powder sensation. I liked the Memphis sauce the best because the cayenne pepper brought a pleasurable kick to my palate.

The sandwich itself was OK, nothing special to me. A fairly small portion, but hey, it's what $3 would probably get you at a food cart these days. The pulled pork was dry, a vast contrast from the juicy pulled pork I've had elsewhere. While those places likely also roast their pulled pork low and slow in the oven (and is probably a different cooking process than what John uses), I just prefer those juicier, more tender meats in my sandwich. Juicy, flavorful meats won't require me to use the BBQ sauce as a crutch for lubrication and extra flavor.

I'd call this an average first experience at MEET. To be fair, the rating is only based off one small sandwich, and there seem to be more appealing dishes on the menu that I could try next time. 4.5/10