Mumbo Gumbo

Mumbo Gumbo is a Cajun and Creole food cart near SW 9th and Washington in downtown Portland, Oregon.

This food cart just opened at the beginning of May. It has a simple, solid menu that includes many of the New Orleans staples: Jambalaya, gumbo, etoufee, and mac & cheese. There's even maux choux (a.k.a. maque choux), a French-American Indian fusion dish consisting of cajun chicken and vegetables served over rice. All dishes are served with bite-sized homemade cornbread.

The Jambalaya ($9.50) had a healthy dose of Andouille sausage and chicken. Delicious and extremely flavorful. I thought that maybe the dish was a little oversalted (easy to do with all the tasty goodness in there) but otherwise outstanding. The cornbread was well-executed.

Not surprisingly, there's a small basket of hot sauces on the table. I picked out the Gator Hammock Swamp Gator sauce. Nice flavor, lots of vinegar in there.

As the summer months approach, the Swamp Float ($5) also appears to be a tempting choice. It's basically a root beer float. Pandas love root beer and vanilla ice cream, so I'll have to get one for science in the future.

This cart has only been open a month, but I see good things on the horizon for Mumbo Gumbo. They're open six days a week (Mon-Sat) from 11-6 right now. Check them out! 8.5/10