Robert De Los Santos’ love language is serving someone up a delicious plate of food. He’s been that way since his days growing up in the countryside of the Dominican Republic, where it’s customary for people to have a meal ready for anyone who might happen to walk in the door.
The love behind the food explodes from the plate at The Dominican, the Caribbean-style food cart De Los Santos opened in January 2025 with his wife, Trisha. It’s been a bit over a year since they’ve been delighting diners from the Dogwood at the Pine Shed on NE Second Street, but the cart is so delicious (and still relatively new on the scene) that we couldn’t help but peg it for this year’s Rookie Cart of the Year in our annual Source Restaurant Guide.
Sharing the love of food starts with the free samples the cart offers to anyone who comes to the window. Never tried La Bandera — marinated beef — or a deep-fried tostone — a salty, double-fried plantain? The couple is happy to entice you to try their offerings with a little paper cup.
“I think that a lot of people have been turned on to the food based upon having the sample,” Trisha De Los Santos told the Source. “They’re like, oh my gosh, La Bandera! It’s so great.”
My own love affair with The Dominican started in one of those little cups, where Robert and Trisha lovingly placed a hunk of yuca — the root veggie also known as cassava— and Carne Frita, Robert’s seasoned steak that plays a little sweet, a little crispy. I instantly knew I needed a whole plate.
“I think that we’re really attentive to just really connecting with people and ensuring that we have a good level of customer service. For us, the receiving part of that is that people come back and they share their stories.”
Trisha De Los Santos
Not content to just let me stay with one dish, Trisha suggested a combo plate that gave me the Carne Frita offerings — yuca, beans and meat — as well as the stuff that comes on La Bandera, including rice, beans and the always-yummy tostones. It was far more than one person could take down in one meal, and I was grateful for the leftovers. Robert’s combinations are both soulful and precise. I was hooked.
I’ve been back numerous times, mostly sticking to the Dominican side of the menu, but also enjoying the salads, sandwiches and burgers — Robert’s takes on the classics. Of course, here you can get tostones with that Bacon Cheeseburger… if you wish.
What started as a sweet gesture of customer service turned me into a loyal customer — but I think that’s the whole point.
Credit: Alyson BrownCredit: Alyson BrownCredit: Alyson BrownCredit: Alyson Brown
“I think people see that there’s another component to the good food that we serve,” Trisha said. “I think that we’re really attentive to just really connecting with people and ensuring that we have a good level of customer service. For us, the receiving part of that is that people come back and they share their stories.”
Sharing stories and experiences has had its benefits for the owners, too.
“When Robert moved stateside, his soul was hungry because, you know, the food is not the same,” Trisha recounted. Seven years into his journey in the U.S., opening the cart helped him share his culture, and also connect with fellow Dominicans in the area. The foods at The Dominican have also attracted Africans and other people from Equatorial regions, whose homelands share foods like cassava and plantain.
“People who come to our window, they feel, like, heard and seen, and they feel like family,” Trisha said. “That’s how we want them to feel, and to be.”
Robert and Trisha recently returned from a trip back to the Dominican Republic. It was the first time Robert had been back since moving to the U.S. and gaining American citizenship, and with the food cart now part of their lives, he kept a close eye on foods and flavors he might be able to bring back to Bend.
Selfishly, I am in support of those travels… not just because everyone deserves time in a Caribbean paradise, but also so us hungry diners can see what Robert De Los Santos comes up with next.
Nicole Vulcan became Editor of the Source in 2016 and was promoted to Editor in Chief in 2024, managing the Editorial Board and the news team's many investigative projects. She's also at work on her debut...
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