As you walk along the colorful row of food carts on SW Alder in downtown, there is one that gets right to the point. Julia’s Mobile Café is a tiny orange and red trailer that simply reads “Russian Food.” I was immediately drawn to this humble establishment toting working class entrées like Cabbage Rolls, Borscht, Meat Sandwich, Russian dumplings, paprika chicken, etc. Everything on the menu is under $6, and the portions are huge.

The Salmon in Red Pepper Sauce is exceptional, bold, fresh and served with w/ rice and salad (a delicious homemade coleslaw!). The Russian Style Meat Sandwich comes on a long French-style roll of sorts and is heaped with grilled sirloin, fried onions, melted cheese and optional horseradish sauce. I wonder if Dostoevsky ever had a sandwich this good.

Julia makes everything from scratch and cooks each dish to order. Just two visits and I’m already so hooked! There are a lot of carts to choose from on this strip (like Ziba’s Pitas), but right now the clear front runner is Julia’s!

Julia’s Mobile Café: Russian Food
SW 9th and Alder
(503) 341-0482

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