Manzanita Grill is easily one of the best food carts in town. Actually, let me rephrase that: Manzanita Grill is one of the best restaurants in town...full stop. It won Food Cart of the Year in the Source Weekly's 2022 Restaurant Guide, but it can compete with any brick-and-mortar spot. Limiting it to the genre of "food cart" is placing an invisible barrier that the food has never once suffered from. In fact, in the years that I've been eating at Manzanita Grill, not only has the food always been delicious, consistent and adventurous, but I'm not sure a single limitation could hold them back from making what I think is some of the most exciting food in Central Oregon.
Owned and operated by couple Jade Sellers and Joaquin Ortiz, Manzanita is one of the last remaining places to eat in Bend that prioritizes quantity and quality, serving up what are not only the largest plates of food in Central Oregon, but also ones filled with the freshest and highest quality ingredients in town. Obviously, this isn't much of a secret, because while I was visiting the spot nestled in the parking lot of the Humm Kombucha taproom, the cart had a level of foot traffic that was frankly jaw dropping. In the hour I was there, I'm not sure Ortiz and staff had a second to slow down.
In the five years Manzanita has been at that location, the menu has changed a little bit, but the staples have always remained.
"At first, we only had sandwiches, sliders, munchies and sides. We did tacos as a special and they were soon added to the everyday menu board because customers kept asking for them!" says Sellers. No matter what you order, every single dish on the menu is a knockout. "We picked our favorites at first and wanted a good blend and variety. The menu has grown with our customers. We saw what people were coming back for and would add it to the menu."
The jalapeño poppers are legendary and second to none; massively fat and crispy, packed to bursting with either pulled pork or shredded chicken, a melted three-cheese blend and a perfectly balanced chipotle aioli. I don't want to oversell the aioli, but the blend of smokey, sweet and spicy is so on point that I would buy bottles of this if I could.
My go-to at Manzanita is usually the French Dip with thinly sliced and incredibly tender steak, caramelized onions and that incredible aioli with its light and mouthwatering au jus. This sandwich is such monolith of delicious meats and flavors that it's easily enough for lunch and dinner. For this review I wanted to expand my horizons and see what Ortiz felt I should order. He brought me so much food that the people inside Humm laughed at me. It was everything I always wanted.
I received four giant Tex-Mex tacos filled with a mixture of smoked pork carnitas, pollo asado, carne asada and al pastor. Lightly topped with pico and cheese, these tacos were unbelievably tasty, while handily being larger, fresher and more flavorful than most other taco selections in town. All were delicious, but the carnitas had more going on than I knew was possible, balancing a deep smoky spice with a light sweetness that was deceptively complex. Plus, the pollo asado was honestly the most tender chicken I think I've ever had.
Next, he brought me the Deschutes Philly with easily a pound of steak, grilled bell peppers, onions, jalapeños, white American cheese and chipotle aioli. This beast is massive, sloppy and amazing...enough for at least two meals. The steak was perfectly cooked and the bread was so fresh and sweet that it was hard to stop eating even after I was full. It's hard to do this sandwich justice in description, so I think you should just eat one right now and thank me later.
Finally, Ortiz brought me the Manzanita Torta. Let me be clear with zero equivocations: this was, without hyperbole, the best torta I've had in my life. Not just in Bend, but from my childhood in California to today: none have come close to this. This gargantuan beauty is topped with carne asada, chorizo, al pastor and ham with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeños and avocado, nestled in a flawless crunchy Mexican sweet bread. The chorizo adds deep oregano smoky vibes into the sweet and thin ham and the adobo robustness of the al pastor create a complexity of flavor I'm already dreaming of repeating.
Sellers explains Ortiz's history as a master chef. "It's from Joaquin's hometown being Mexico City, blended with his time spent cheffing in Arizona and Texas, mixed with his love for BBQ from living and cooking in Kansas and Tennessee," says Sellers. "He loves to explore and create that Mexican flair with savory, smokey and slightly spicy southwest fusion. Joaquin has been cooking for 20+ years in the States and learned he had a passion for cooking as a kid helping his mom cook and sell food in Mexico City."
Don't take my word for it. From the chicken sandwich to the amazing French fries and everything in between, Manzanita Grill will leave you fat and happy with visions of chipotle aioli dancing through your dreams. Great food made by great people: isn't that what we're after?
