Tahrir Square

Nice falafel and the other things we ordered (salad, gyro) were good.

I write this as I’m noshing on an amazing lamb shawarma. The pita is freshly toasted, the meat is tender and flavorful, and the portions are great for $ 6. The service was very friendly and accommodating.

the lamb shwarma plate was ok, at $ 9 seemed like a fair price.
the meat just didn’t do it for me, it felt like the gyro meat from a sandwich (the long thin pieces) diced up into smaller pieces over rice.
the hummus was super bland.
the side salad was actually pretty good.
i wouldn’t get their plate again but, would give their sandwich a try.

Great food !
Med salad was amazing. The dressing was refreshing and not to bitter ! Be carful the olives have pits in them. It’s a appetizer salad so it looks small but is actually filing. All the vegetables were fresh !
I also got the chicken gyros ! They spice the chicken with a curry flavor ! It was a very big portion. Same with the gyro, all the ingredients were fresh.
Awesome staff ! Super nice :)

There are five major things I look for in a gyro, in no particular order:
1. Moist, flavorful meat,
2. Non-​soggy, somewhat pillowy pita,
3. Enough tangy, zesty tzatziki sauce to have some in each bite,
4. Crunchy, fresh vegetables,
5. Layered so each bite can contain all ingredients.
The lamb gyro at Tahrir Square hit 3.5 of these, failing partially in layering and entirely in tzatziki sauce. An otherwise acceptable-​if-​not-​great gyro was doomed by a particularly bland sauce that failed to permeate all but the uppermost layer of meat. It also took 15 minutes to be served, which seemed quite long for a food truck.
There are better trucks in this pod – the PB&J place next door might appear kitchy and unfilling, but I assure you it is delicious and plentiful.

The falafel supreme was excellent and totally worth the 15 minute wait.
It was fresh and filling.
The hummus was to die for!!!

The best thing in the plate was the Greek salad! I got the lamb shawarma plate it was okay… Customer service was great!

Not sure why this place got 5 stars. I had the falafel supreme. The falafel itself was pretty good, nice and crispy – , but the pita wasn’t warm. There wasn’t much flavor in the hummus. Husband had the lamb gyro and said my food tasted better than his. Overall not great, but not bad. Given other better options around, I probably won’t return.

Ordered a lamb gyro from this little food cart and was still hungry after. It was not a big portion and I was not impressed with the taste. It’s mediocre at best. Too many other food spots in Portland to give average another try.

I always order the same thing: veggie mezza plate, sans pita/​dairy/​onion and they get it right every time. (Baba ghanoush, hummus, falafel, dolmas, simple vinaigrette salad, and if you’re having the things I’m not, pita, feta and tzatziki) Also have had the fried eggplant and the orange chicken, which are tasty. These guys make absolutely everything from scratch and can tell you exactly what’s in every single dish, which is important for me because I’m avoiding a whole lot of stuff. Affordable, high quality, delicious, healthy. Get the mango juice they make, too. Wow.

This place never disappoints. Was open late on memorial day.
Had the Orange chicken shawarma with falafel and Baba ghanoush. The shawarma was big enough for 1.5 meals and tasted great. The Baba ghanoush was okay

I have been eating falafels for a really long time. Even had them in Isreal. This carts falafel is Really good! The best I’ve had in a long time. I can’t say anything about the rest of the menu but the falafel is awesome. You know it’s good when they put french fries inside.

I’ve been going here for over a month now, and it’s always been a pleasant experience. Their falafel is amongst the best I’ve had, and the babaganoush is unparalleled.
I would like a bit more selection on the menu, but I understand they only have so much time and manpower to devote to cooking in that small of a space.
They lost their guy who always worked nights (college started back up), so I’m interested to see how the 2 of them handle it.
However I’m sure it’ll turn out well, and if you’re in the area it’s definitely a great place to try out!

My personal favorite amongst all the cartopia carts. This wasn’t there when I visited the pod a month and half back, but its a welcome addition to the variety on offer here. Had the lamb shwarma with falafel and baba ghannouj as the sides. For $ 8 its a very good meal, fresh and piping hot. Will go again when I need a late night snack!

This Egyptian food cart operates out of the spot Bubba Bernie’s once occupied. Standard Egyptian/​Mediterranean menu here, with gyros, falafel, shawarmas, and baklava.
Lamb gyro ($ 6): Pretty good. Good amount of lamb, lettuce, tomato, onion, and tzatziki. There’s an orange chicken meat option that I did a double-​take on. I don’t think that’s the Americanized Chinese protein of the same name, is it?
You’d expect this from me anyway, but I recommend adding their hot sauce. Extra flavor there. They have feta on the menu, so it may also be possible to add it to gyros and shawarmas.
Solid cart!

If you are looking for a new favorite taste, I highly recommend the shawarma sandwich with lamb. Here was my first time eating egyptian food and I was very satisfied. My friends all ordered too and confirmed that this food cart is top notch.

I hate to hear that they are shutting down the Cartopia food pod! Aw man! What makes me happy is getting to add a business on Unilocal and when you finally get around to reviewing them, they already have several glowing reviews! Robert H. couldn’t have said it better. I did notice a shit ton of gyro trucks around town, but I’m glad I got to try this one.
The salad was so refreshing and I couldn’t stop eating on that lamb gyro. I get annoyed with pita bread but this one was light and fluffy. Go to there now!

In a city with a gazillion middle eastern/​Mediterranean food carts, this place was a pleasant surprise. It just moved into the Cartopia Pod on Hawthorn and 12^th, which is kind of strange, seeing that the entire pod is closing at the end of Summer. Nevertheless, the lamb shwarma pita I had was excellent. I’ll probably go with the platter next time, now that I know what to expect.

If you are vegetarian and love Middle Eastern food then head over to Tahrir Square, pronto. Get the veggie mezza for a complete gourmet delight. Every item is prepared to mouth watering perfection!

Tahrir Square is a place, a movement and a moment in history. Egyptian people, especially students, changed the government, peacefully. It was similar in some ways to Tiananmen, but different in that it succeeded, in no small part by using Twitter and Facebook. The result, and it is still unfolding, was not the perfect dream, but it was thankfully not the perfect nightmare.
So naming your food cart in SE, Portland, Oregon, USA Tahrir Square is bold.
Tahrir Square has taken over the Bernie Bubba’s cart in the Cartopia pod at 12^th and SE Hawthorne.
They have a range of foods of the region, vegetarian and meat. You will find gyro, shawarma, falafel, kebab, dolmas; sides, appetizers, sandwiches and plates. Desert too! The shawarma plate has tender, slightly and pleasingly charcoal tinged lamb over rice. I had the baba ganoush, lemony, not over herbed and not over processed. I’m all for an all eggplant, no sesame, version, this is more in that direction. The Greek salad has a nice mix of greens, the feta is crumbled, and we are starting to get into the season where tomatoes taste like tomatoes. The pita is pillowy. Yum!
They use Square for credit cards. Tahrir Square Square!
The Arab Spring was a beautiful thing. How it unfolds in each country is unique. We live in an international world, and we are curious about what is going on in one another’s countries in a deep way. But beyond politics, food is an entre to culture, and this cart is an accessible entre to Egyptian food of the people.