Friday, December 02, 2011

Portland Soup Company - Okay food and Not-so-okay company

Portland Soup Company Food Truck
I dragged D and lil T to the Portland Soup company.  I'd seen them on the Eat St. or Diners and was impressed how this young guy was making his own food from scratch.  I am a sucker for homemade soup.  D was not as excited and less so when we discovered it was in the cluster of foodtrucks out by the University.  Portland is a haven for foodtrucks.  They are everwhere and not just downtown.  You will mostly find them in clusters and semi-permanent sites in a sort of strip mall set up in parking lots and empty lots.  Sounds awesome but then as a local told us, it becomes harder to distinguish the good from the 'me-too'.   Well, I thought from the sounds of this one, that this was going to be one of the better ones with a guy who cares about good food and his patrons. Well, I regretted dragging D away from the downtown cluster and the Frying Scotsman for this one.  

Portland Soup Company Menu
First thing to note is that the soup was sold out by shortly after lunch as the Pork Butt he wanted.  Okay.  D looked at me, unimpressed and asked if I wanted to go elsewhere since I seemed so fixated on Soup.  I said no, undaunted since he was also known for his fresh Sandwiches and Salads.  So I ordered the Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich and D ordered a large Arugula Salad.  

Portland Soup Company - See the Salad titled ARUGULA?!?!
D then proceeded to take lil T and the stroller away to find a shady spot to eat.  I paid and waited.  After already running my creditcard, the dude behind the counter said he was out of Arugula.  I said, rather sarcastically and incredulously, "What!?".  He said again "We're out of Arugula.  Would you like to replace it with Spinach?"  I said "well, it was my husband's order and he's rolled away.  He really wanted Arugula."  I hemmed and hawed and said "Okay, give me the Spinach."  Dude turned around and exchanged words with dude#2 and cameback to me to say "we're out of Spinach.  Is mixed greens okay."  I said, emphatically "No. That's ridiculous."  He said to me, rather nonchalantly and exasperated "It's the same thing" To which I said "If that were true you wouldn't have felt it important to title the salad "Arugula Salad".  Then Dude#2 muttered, audibly, "What time is it?  Let's get out of here."  Arse!
Portland Soup Company - Arugula Salad without Arugula!
Portland  Soup Company Bland Mozzarella Sandwich
So left with no alternative and knowing D would have not been happy if I returned without his salad, I accepted the Mixed Greens. It was not the same thing.  The Salad had about as much personality as one of those plastic clamshell salads from McDonalds.  I guess that was why the chef had chosen Arugula!  The Sandwich was fresh enough but the Mozzarella was bland and the whole thing was not seasoned enough.  It tasted thrown together.  Disappointing food and experience.  Should have had the Mexican a few carts down.  Oh well, at least the Bangkok Duck&Chicken Thai (just the name, not what I ordered) and the Frying Scotsman the nextday was good and friendly.  

Service: Snotty
Ambiance: It's a foodtruck but University zone offers lots of alternative seating in shade. 
Cost: $$
Food: Mediocre and offered substitute was not par
                        
The Portland Soup Company (Food Truck)
(541) 968-1230
University area
SW 4th and Hall Map
Portland, OR 97201
The Portland Soup Company (Food Truck) on Urbanspoon


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2 comments:

Cucina49 said...

As someone who goes to Portland often, I appreciate hearing these things. I would have been frustrated too!

Yummo said...

@cucina49 Thanks! It was more about the two dudes grumbling about a paid customer than the swap really. It's like those episodes of Kitchen Nightmares when the owner yells at patrons for sending food back. Attitude.