Portland Cray !!! Going HAM on Lardo’s Sandwiches

The Lowdown
Restaurant Name: Lardo
Cuisine: Sandwiches
Average Price per Person: $10 to 20 USD per person
Location: Portland, Oregon (see map below for details)
Recommendations: Pork Meatball Banh Mi, Porchetta, and Crispy Pig's Ears

Ratings (out of 5)
Taste: 4.5
Creativity/Authenticity: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Bang for Buck: 4.5

Crayscale !!!

Portland knows the culture of food trucks. The relatively lower barriers to entry has provided talented chefs with a jumping off point. The local growth has made Portland’s food scene a point of conversation nationally. A handful of food trucks has successfully turned their businesses into full blown restaurants including Lardo. Founded by Rick Gencarelli, Lardo started out as a food cart in SE Portland serving sandwiches dedicated to all things bovine and swine.

Gencarelli uses old school cooking techniques utilizing all cuts of meat, mainly pork, serving it in a contemporary yet approachable manner. Gencarelli gives zero f*cks when it comes to counting calories. This place is called Lardo for a reason. Most of the sandwiches and sides are either made of pork, covered in pork, fried in lard or smothered in cheese, which is why it’s so f*cking delicious.

The menu consists of a mix of classic sandwiches such as the signature Porchetta along with Lardo originals like the Pho’rench Dip made with shaved beef, hoisin, sambal mayo and Thai basil with a sidecar of pho broth. Order your sandwich with a side of Lardo fries, BBQ potato chips, or my fav, crispy pig’s ear!

Crispy Pig’s Ear with fennel salt and Bee Local hot honey ($5 USD). The pig’s ear was dope, crispy, chewy and that sauce was crack.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi ($9 USD). YASSS the pork meatball banh mi was bomb! The pork meatball was packed with flavor and incredibly moist, topped with pickled vegetables, tangy Sriracha mayo, fresh cilantro and cucumber.

Porchetta ($12 USD). The classic porchetta was flawless, perfectly cooked with crispy edges paired with fresh gremolata, caper mayo, arugula and parmesan.

1212 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214, United States
w: lardopdx.com
p: +1 503-234-7786