Delivery
Take-out
Catering
Venezuelan
Venezuelan comfort food. Arepas and patacones (fried green plantains). Open Wed-Sat 12:00pm-8:00pm, Sun 11:00am-6:00pm. Closed Mon-Tue.
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Last update on 21 Mar 2024 by OperationChowhound
Update business info -
Added by OperationChowhound on 27 May 2023
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15 Reviews
First Review by OperationChowhound
1AP1
Points +746
Great food - Edit
Great food, wish their menu had a bit more variety but still good as is
Read moreGuest
georgemcg
Points +81
Vegan Venezuelan food?!? - Edit
What a great spot, phenomenal vegan Venezuelan food. Very much worth a stop!
Read morePros: Amazing arepas, Perfect patacones, Ludicrous lemonade
Guest
pizzybot
Points +755
Such delicious comfort foods - Edit
We had the reina pepiada arepa and the carne asada arepa. Both came with maduros, and we also ordered a side of tostones. Everything was fantastic, so fresh and flavorful. We loved the sauces too, especially the guasacaca sauce. We loved the reina pepiada arepa, but the carne asada was great too. Definitely try this place!
Read morePros: Great flavors and textures
Guest
beeshed
Points +76
Flavorful, one of a kind - Edit
Arepas and patacones, several all vegan fillings and condiments to choose from. Quickest and friendliest service. An absolute must try. Please support them, we can’t loose another one of a kind vegan spot
Read morePros: Unique, Flavorful
Guest
Laurel33
Points +20
Fantastic!!! - Edit
First visit to the cart - Soooo good!! Had the Carne Asada Arepas and I am hooked, So excited they are walking distance and Thank you also for the rad sense of community!!
Read moreGuest
HenryLi
Points +1256
Solid Food Cart - Edit
I tried the reina pepiada which was pretty good tasting but did not blow me away. It came with a a side of maduros. The pricing is fairly steep, with the arepas ranging from $12-$15. For comparison, La Arepa has vegan arepas for $9-$10. I do not feel that the pricing is competitive for a food cart. That said, this place is worth checking out.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-03-25
Pros: Unique food for Portland
Cons: Pricy
ElSalto
Thank you for your visit and your review Henry!
Read moreI am sorry that our prices seems steep, we do spend a lot of time and labor making our proteins from scratch, therefore our food is a bit pricier than the store bought options such as beyond meat and others. If you would like to give us another try, please show us this review next time for a meal on us :)
-Paola
Guest
Quieroplantas
Points +36
So good - Edit
Great arepas. This may be our new favorite vegan restaurant.
Read moreElSalto
thank you thank you!
Read moreGuest
eddielovesyou
Points +52
Unique and so good - Edit
Arepa and patacon were both amazing, house-made seitan was excellent.
Read moreElSalto
thank you, Eddie! we spend a lot of effort on our proteins so we love to hear the good stuff!
Read moreGuest
coldpoison
Points +26
V Stands for Vegan AND Venezuelan - Edit
Purely unique, excellently prepared and utterly satisfying. Let's discuss each reason for praise.
Read moreWhen I say it's unique, I mean that in three ways. One being that Venezuelan food is already uncommon as it is. Factor in that it's vegan at the same time, and it's a rarity to find even if you look throughout the entire US.
Secondly, the style itself is distinctive. Paola goes for authentic tasting versions of her people's food. She's trying to have you take a bite out of Venezuela, and won't sacrifice taste because it's vegan. So, where as a restaurant may be boring and just use naturally vegan ingredients like a Black Bean Arepa with no meat or cheese, El Salto gives you the full package. It stays hearty, gooey, tender, juicy, and flavorful. If places do somehow manage to do a vegan Arepa with a meat/cheese option, it's more than likely a name brand like Impossible. Nothing wrong with Impossible inherently, but it probably means they aren't enriching their meat with deep flavoring and just the right texture like Paola does. She makes all her meats from scratch, and her labor of love is what sets her apart from competitors who offer less interesting, more copy-and-paste vegan options (which wouldn't exactly wow a typical client, let alone a food critic). From the perfect seasoning, to a great feel when you bite into it, a fulfilling sensation in your stomach that doesn't make you feel like you'll be hungry in two hours, and yet not too overwhelming in any one category of judgement.
Thirdly, it's unique to have so many options of both the kinds of different foods, as well as different variations of the main entrees. El Salto offers a total of FIVE Arepas: Chicken, beef, chorizo, cheese, AND a chicken/cheese combo. That's plenty to get addicted to. They also have four kinds of patacones, and four sides. PLUS, if you're lucky enough to come in when she's doing a special, you'll have even more options. A little Trupia told us that the tequeños are becoming a regular item soon, so look out for that! As for the excellent preparation, well, take a look at any pictures of her food and you'll see an outstanding and mouthwatering result. The presentation is simply worthy of photo-taking.
Please stop by to pick up her incredible cooking. Seriously, you'll be impressed by how thoughtful her creations are from start to finish. When the word is out about El Salto, you're going to want to brag about how she was your favorite before it was cool.
Pros: Quality, Presentation, The Owner's Personality
Cons: Too hard to pick a favorite, There's not a location each mile like Starbucks, There's no "endless serving" option
Guest
CozyElixir
Points +58
Insanely delicious vegan food! - Edit
OOMMGG! We've never had Venezuelan food before, so we were definitely missing out! But specifically, the way Paola from El Salto hooks it up is spectacular! If you've had tostones before like we've had, but not as a bread replacement for a sandwich, you need to try the various "patacon" dishes. There's so much flavor in it, and it's so huge! It's even better when you pour some Guasacaca over it. It's cilantro based but even the pickiest of cilantro haters like us will adore it! This place truly brings some South American comfort food to Portland in the most beautiful, vegan way possible.
Read morePros: Rich flavor, Large Portions, Parking
Guest
str
Points +167
The BEST vegan meat - Edit
Wow. This is the juiciest, yummiest, most satisfying carne I have ever had. It's bursting with flavor and leaves you dreaming of the next time you'll have it again. The patacones are fantastic too. This place is a must try!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-04
Pros: Amazing flavor and texture , Kind and helpful staff
Cons: Limited options at the popup
Guest
foon
Points +689
Delicious - Edit
Lovely lovely patacones with beef. Super flavorful and surprisingly not too filling, for deep fried carbs covered in stewed protein.
Read moreGuest
Mkurt
Points +16
Went back the next day and brought a friend - Edit
We were at an event and I had not had Venezuelan food before. So I asked them what they recommended, and got a Carne Mechada arepa. It was so good! The next day I picked up the same thing for my partner and I because I knew she’d love it too (and she did). I want to try them all!
Read morePros: Very nice, personable , Delicious and filling, Unique in Portland
Guest
iloveveganicecream
Points +968
Amazing arepas! - Edit
We tried arepas, patacones, tostones, arepitas, mint lemonade, and plantain cake. It was all FANTASTIC and flavorful. It satisfied my meat-eating parents. The arepitas were a standout. And Paola is so nice!
Read morePros: Incredible flavor and variety
Cons: Take-out/delivery only
Guest
OperationChowhound
Points +7312
Vegan Venezuelan - Edit
I ordered the Carne Asada Arepa, which includes seasoned soy curls served with two patacones (fried green plantains) and guasacaca sauce. The sauce contains cilantro, which I do not like, but the food was flavorful even without it.
Read moreTip: Walk two blocks to Hawthorne Asylum food cart pod at SE 10th and Madison for outdoor seating.
Pros: all vegan
Cons: no seating
Guest
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