Gabagool

Simple and delicious, exactly how Italian food should be. The owner is a pleasure to talk to, the giardiniera is to die for and I’ve never had anything I wouldn’t give 5 stars.

Dropped by and had the Tagliatelle with meatballs for dinner tonight. Yummy! The best meatballs I have had in Portland so far. Pasta was very good, not great, but the sauce made up for it. Next time, I’m going for the Polpette. A winner by my standards. Thumbs up!

Amazing Italian food… from a cart!!! House made pastas, gnocchi, sauces all made to a very high standard. The regional sandwich is equally astounding. This food easily exceeds that found in many sit-​down Italian restaurants in town. And the prices are very reasonable considering the portions. I live nearby and feel incredibly lucky to have this card in my neighborhood. This is obviously a labor of love.

Fantastic! I love fresh pasta and this place has it. I wish I still lived in Portland so I can go back and try the other one with sausage because the girl next to me had that one and it looked delicious also.

excellent fresh hand made pasta… above and beyond for good Italian food coming out of a food cart…

Omg! So delicious! I’ve been twice and both times the food was bomb! I recommend the ravioli and the papparadelle (sp?)! Also, the guy is really nice! Definitely the best Italian food cart I’ve had so far!

Had the Pappardelle with pork ragù, added a meatball on top. Perfect for this rainy evening. Cannot recommend Gabagool enough… Oh, and the portion was large. (Even without the meatball…)

I eat here at least once a week. Specifically, I eat the Classico. I wish I could eat this sandwich for every meal, for the rest of my life. I recommend this place (and sandwich) to any one who likes fresh ricotta, prosciutto and scratch made flat bread. Which should be everyone on this planet.

I just noticed that I had checked in to Gabagool but never wrote a review — so by now, I completely forget the names of what we got to eat a few months ago. But I remember it was DELICIOUS! We had taken a quick day trip down to Portland for a few hours and I was STARVING when we arrived. A quick Unilocal search for nearby places yielded the food truck area. I saw pics of food from Gabagool and had to have it.
I remember there was pasta, there was tomato sauce… and there was a meatball for one of us. I remember exclaiming how GOOD it all was and that everything tasted very fresh. It’s one of the rare places that has me suggesting we need to drive down to Portland again just because I keep craving this little blue Italian food truck.

So gnocchi is my kryptonite. I know how to make it, I know how delicious Cathy Whims of Nostrana cooks it. And then I have the long list of awful terrible no good very bad gnocchi. But I always have to order it. I expected $ 10 street gnocchi to be terrible. It was amazing. In my top three and I’ve been all over Italy. Delicious spice, perfectly cooked squash, amazing truffles, and perfect amount of salt. Definitely coming back. Four thumbs up for this place (counting my wife). Just try not to burn your tongue eating too fast!

The Gnocchi was one of the better I’ve had. I’m somewhat partial to the version at an Italian food cart on 3^rd in Downtown.
First, the portion was ample so not sure why another reviewer slammed them for this, it’s subjective I guess. I was already thinking of reheating options as I didn’t think I’d finish in one sitting.
Texture was awesome and the squash and mushroom made a nice combo. I’d like to see other varieties, but not sure if they offer that.
I ate this wonderful dish on their patio when it was very cold, so it felt extra gooood.
Parking is a little tricky and service was stoic, but polite. A return visit for sure.

I’ve been working my way through the set menu. Each and every meal is a treat, and at an incredibly reasonable price.
Today was the Popette… meatballs with cheese and pomodoro sauce. The words «pomodoro sauce» made me wince (lots of red-​sauce failures have crossed my tongue over the years).
But to back up a bit: The other day, a GF and I ate and I had the Ravioli (again, NOT ravioli like you grew up on… I haven’t eaten ravioli for over 40 years because it is just nasty stuff. This ravioli is just simply like no ravioli I’ve ever tasted. Prosciutto, kale, others in a white sauce…) So back on track: My friend had the Popette. I had the ravioli (second time). We tasted each other’s, and then swapped half-​way through. She loved the ravioli, and I loved the popette.
So back to today: I had the popette – one all to myself! It was just so NOT red-​sauce-​fail. The sauce is not red, but kind of brown-​red, maybe? It is hard to describe but my best descriptor would be «luscious.» The meatballs (only the 2^nd I’ve ever eaten that I like) are THE BEST I have ever eaten. Nothing compares to these anywhere. It’s crazy… why couldn’t they taste like this all my life! Even my mom’s can’t hold a candle to these. Juicy, flavorful with surprise flavors popping through from time to time, and just «luscious» (again that word).
Well… I guess I’ve said enough. Bottom line is: Five stars is all we can give, but not enough to give this place its due. Go there. Even if it is cold out, go there. I can promise that nothing there will disappoint. I live a pretty long pedal away, but it is just so worth it. And I walk away filled, and with all my taste-​buds resonating with happiness.
And they take plastic!

Good food truck. Its kind of crazy getting italian from a food truck but somehow it works!

Me and a friend had the gnocchi here this weekend. Disappointingly small portion for $ 10. Not terrible food, just not much better than I could probably make with my own untrained cooking skills at home. For the price point, I could go to a restaurant, sit indoors, and get a larger portion of higher quality food. I would encourage others to look elsewhere for a good value.
SUGGESTION TO FOOD CART OWNER: Please be realistic about the value proposition of a food cart. The gnocchi should cost $ 7 max.

Nice fresh tagliatelle pasta in tomatoey sauce.

Flat out AMAZING! Came out of Stormbreaker brewing across the street and saw this truck and was intrigued that it was Italian. In my mind I was hoping for pasta, not just sammiches or pizza etc. I got my wish!!! This truck does fresh made pasta and it’s to die for! We got the pappardelle, it’s a steal at $ 10 and is a good portion of pasta. I rarely go out for homemade pasta because I know how to make it and it’s honestly too expensive for the portions you get. Gabagool is the place to get your fix, if only I lived in Portland :(

This was one of our stops on the Forktown Food Tour of Mississippi Avenue and probably one of my favorites. We had the Gabagool Piadina sandwich. Amazing! I’ve never had anything quite like it before. The piadina (Italian flatbread) is made to order, and everything just tasted incredibly fresh. According to our tour guide, the mozzarella is made in house and the capicola ham and salami are from Olympia Provisions. I look forward to coming back and trying more from Gabagool, including their handmade pasta!

At the behest of my friend in Italy I was told to seek out a piadina sandwich. I looked around and found Gabagool. I crossed check the menu with his opinion, he gave a thumbs up and even exclaimed that they had prosciutto di Parma which is where he is from in Italy. Apparently it’s a big deal over there so of course I had to get myself over to North Mississippi for Gabagool which is only a few blocks from my house and not a transatlantic trip to Italy. I ordered the Classico (prosciutto di parma, fresh ricotta, arugula, extra virgin olive oil) and the Gabagool (capicola ham, salami, romaine, toasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, hot peppers) piadina sandwiches along with a tritata salad (chopped romaine, salami, proscuitto di parma, fresh mozzarella, basil, roasted tomatoes, castelvetrano olives, chick peas, hot peppers, balsamic).
Oh my goodness. This was some incredibly tasty food. It was a sophisticated blend of bright airy oil delicately dancing with the savory/​salty prosciutto in the sandwiches. The addition of the fresh arugula played along with the ricotta which played a role in making sure everything was perfectly bound together whenever you took a bite. These sandwiches would be best for a hot sunny day picnic with a refreshing sparkling wine or citrus drink on the side. It’s exactly what they tasted like. The salad– so tasty. It’s one thing to slap some greens with a dressing but this was a collection of greens, meats, cheese and sweet yet savory roasted tomatoes among everything else. I highly recommend getting this salad if you want to try the prosciutto not in a flat bread sandwich form, and those tomatoes. Delicious. My friend and I agreed that next time we go I will get one of the pasta/​ravioli dishes that they have because I saw other people getting theirs and they looked like they would be promising. The great thing about this location is that it’s basically food heaven. You have Gabagool. Southwestern Americana food, South Indian and then bike powered smoothies/​juice all in this delightful food pod. Even if a friend doesn’t want Gabagool they will be set with the other options (bur they would be making a mistake to not give this place a try).
If you enjoy clean, true to form Italian food that isn’t the atypical experience of what we envision for Italian cuisine (covered in cheese, greasy, drowning in red tomato sauce) then this place is for you. It’s refreshing to sit down and rediscover another country’s food each bite at a time. Gabagool does that and then some. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by the bold flavors this food truck can churn out.

Oh my god, if I ever had to choose my last meal, it would be from Gabagool. We got the gnocchi and the tagliere special. The gnocchi was pillowy, the mushrooms and asparagus were perfectly cooked and the egg was the perfect addition. My boyfriend’s tagliere was really good too. It had delicious perscuitto and really amazing homemade noodles. Side note: the people who worked there were very friendly and accommodating, even chilling our wine for a bit since it’s so hot outside. I would get either dish again but I can’t wait to try everything else they have to offer.

Italian street food with flatbread sandwiches, handmade pasta, etc. I had the tagliatelle with meatballs and a cold Peroni. Sauce was terrific and meatballs uniquely tender and full of flavor. Highly recommend.

The gnocchi was great, the braised lamb special was meh and we realized too late that part of our order was missing from take out. Hopefully it was just an off day.

Excellent pasta and salads. Yet to try the sandwiches, but it’s some of the best food I’ve had on Mississippi Ave!

My response to biting into their Classico panini: «Whoa, this is a really good sandwich!» The fresh ingredients on handmade flatbread was delicious and I’m excited to go back and try more.

awesome, best italian in pdx.

After a few visits to the Gabagool food cart I am now ready to lay down my blessing of future visits. The menu essentially is broken down in to two parts, the first is «sandwiches» which are more like loose Italian wraps. They have a fancy Italian sounding name for these things and there are about four or so to choose from. The other half of the menu is pastas and more entrée like dishes. I have only had the funky sandwich things, as that just seems more like cart fare to me than pasta.
The sandwich things are actually pretty damn tasty, although a bit skimpy. I keep wanting them to be a full meal, but they are more of a large snack. The ingredients are simple, fresh, and very loosely wrapped up in a warmish Italian style tortilla. It works. My biggest complaint is how flimsy the whole contraption is and how strangely wrapped up in paper and foil it is. Also, they leak, or at least I am not smart enough to figure out how to hold the total limpness of it all inside it’s strange packaging and it ends up dripping down my arm.
Overall a worthy cart that I am happy to eat at when I have a medium size food craving.

I’ve been here twice and I’m in love with the food!!! The last time I went I got mushroom Ragu with a fried egg, and it was amazing. I didn’t talk for a full ten minutes because I was too wrapped up in the food. I brought my bf and his brother here, and they both ordered the Brasato sandwich and the beef is so tender and so delicious. The kale is the perfect complement to it. Definitely worth a try!

Italian street food out of a truck in SE portland. Oh yeah, they have this one nailed as well. I got the namesake sandwich on fresh italian flatbread. Ingredients which included ham, salami, mozarella cheese, chili peppers, and tomatoes were extremely fresh. Great little cart for a lazy delicous lunch.

Stop what you are doing right now! Go get some food from Gabagool!
I’ve been to this cart on Mississippi about 10 times over the last few months. I’ve been here for lunch, for dinner, for take-​away. I’ve been here in good weather and bad.
Every single meal has been exceptionally good. The lamb ragu is to die for. I love the salads. The house made pasta is always good and perfectly cooked.
Staff here will help you choose a good dish. Their FB page has updated pic’s of what they are cooking. I love the seasonal ingredients that are chosen.
Parking isn’t too bad and there are usually plenty of seats. This cart takes Credit Cards so don’t sweat it if you don’t have cash.
Oh…and you can bring your dog to lunch here!

This was the first of what will be many visits to Gabagool (across from Stormbreaker Brewing at N. Beech & N. Mississippi) as long as the food quality and tastiness match today’s meal of pappardelle w/​pork fennel sausage ragu, & grana padano cheese. Before this meal, I had no clue what pappardelle was, but that was the old me and now I am smarter and know it is a wide yet very thin pasta. If you make all gone and behave, you can get up from the table to go across the street for some Ruby Jewel iced cream. haha
The portion size was very filling, well worth the $ 8 with the pasta being full of flavor, tender, and perfectly cooked then topped with pork fennel sausage ragu that had the right balance of deliciousness to perfectly complement the pasta.
Updated Nov 11, 2014
The food here is consistently delicious. Recently I tried the tagliatelle w/​pomodoro sauce, and it hit the spot; this is one of the less complex offerings that shines in the simplicity of the pasta, sauce, and cheese.