Best Food Cart 2013 | Dump City Dumplings | Food | Bend

Best Of Central Oregon

Best Food Cart

Dump City Dumplings

It's standard Friday-night fare for most of Bend's twenty-somethings—a quick stop at the corner of Bond and Oregon on the walk home from the bar for a no-cutlery-necessary snack. But that's not the only place Dump City Dumplings can be found. We've seen the boys at Four Peaks Music Festival, Munch & Music, Last Saturday and just about other regional festival slinging their signature palm-sized treats—a coveted geometric wrapper stuffed with savory fillings—$3, or two for $5. Classic fillings include pad thai, four cheese and Chinese pork, plus specials like the perplexing Xiaolongbao (if you've been drinking you can call it the soup dumpling), Mediterranean or Himalayan lamb, a bacon-leek mac-n-cheese dump, and recent addition, spicy buffalo chicken.

We count on the cart year-round, rain or shine, in sub-freezing temperatures and on hot summer nights, for their friendly, goofy service. It's great downtown alternative to the bar deep fryer after midnight (these dumps are steamed!). Next time you're out late, tag on to the next morning recollections. "Oh, yeah—and then we had dumplings!" You won't be disappointed. (BB)