Sol Verde.

It seems that mobile kitchens — let’s just call them food carts, as some are trailers, others trucks, but not all are motorized — come and go like the seasons, literally and figuratively. While some operate year-round, a greater number are in business only when the weather is warmer. Others, such as Jeff Hunt’s Spork and Steven Draheim’s Barrio, evolved from simple food carts to become top local restaurants.

Even with attrition, however, the numbers of food carts in Central Oregon keep increasing. Following a trend that has made Portland one of the food-cart capitals of the country — Oregon’s largest city claims to have more than 600, most of them grouped into neighborhood “pods” — Bend now has a couple of dozen carts with regular locations and hours, along with many others that cater concerts and other special events.

The city’s first food-cart pod, The Lot, just off Galveston Avenue at 745 NW Columbia St. (www.thelotbend.com, 541-610-4969, open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day), has a central beer garden adjacent to Hutch’s Bicycle Store. Surrounded by five carts serving a variety of cuisines — and incorporating a tap room serving local beers, cider and kombucha — it offers open-air seating with overhead heaters for year-round dining.

A newer pod is reportedly in the works on Industrial Way in the Old Mill District.

Meanwhile, the preponderance of food carts are on the west side of Bend — mainly along Galveston Avenue and Century Drive, the city’s principal arterials toward Mount Bachelor and the Cascade Lakes. Perhaps not coincidentally, most are located beside bicycle shops or other sporting-goods stores.

GALVESTON AVENUE

Bethlyn’s Global Fusion

{%GoRestCarts-p2 052215%} Chef Bethlyn Rider, well-known locally for her work at Common Table, the Broken Top Bottle Shop and as a Bite of Bend “Top Chef” winner, launched this “farm-to-street” cart last July. The menu is heavily, but not exclusively, vegan and gluten-free, with an emphasis on local ingredients and a variety of Asian- and Latin-influenced plates. Favorites include the fried avocado-and-black bean bowl and a “Global Fusion” burger. In early summer, Rider will add a permanent cafe on Northeast Second Street.

Location: 1040 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, with plans to extend hours until 9 p.m.

Price range: Small bites $4 to $6, entrees $10 and $11

Contact: www.bethlynsglobalfusion.com, 541-325-6297

Burgz N Dogz

Gourmet burgers and hot dogs, along with fries and grilled-cheese sandwiches, are the only thing you’ll find in the kitchen of Jack and Suzan Ashley. Burgers are made from one-third pound of Painted Hills natural beef. Dogs, which might come with sauerkraut or apple slaw, are all beef and served on toasted buns. If you like it spicy, try the Crispy Wasabi Dogz, deep-fried and topped with crispy bacon, mild wasabi cream cheese and jalapenos; Korean kimchi comes on the side.

Location: 745 NW Columbia St. (The Lot), Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day

Price range: Hot dogs $3 to $6, hamburgers $8 to $10

Contact: www.facebook.com/bendburgzndogz, 541-678-1786

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Fries a la Carte

A veteran of Parrilla Grill and Jackson’s Corner, chef-owner Brandon Chambers offers a cart that specializes in French fries. Most of his plates feature shoestring fries with a variety of toppings, including carne asada fries (with steak and salsa verde), Gorgonzola bacon fries (with its namesake cheese and Cajun seasonings), Vladimir Poutine fries (with beef gravy and cheese curds). He also has sweet-potato curry fries and a couple of healthy salads, a Caesar with fried capers and a bacon-blue cheese salad.

Location: 745 NW Columbia St. (The Lot), Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day

Price range: Fries $8 and $9, salads $7 to $10.

Contact: www.facebook.com/friesalacarte, 541-815-1247

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Mauna Kea Grill

Travelers who venture to Hawaii and return with a taste for island-style plate lunches will find them at this cart. Served by brothers Tyler and Zach Baumann, who spent part of their youth in Hawaii, the menu offers a choice of three marinated and barbecued meats (Pulehu beef, Kalua pork and shoyu chicken). Each plate comes with steamed white rice and macaroni salad; the pork, slow-smoked and shredded, is especially good. A salad of shredded Napa cabbage suits vegan diets.

Location: 745 NW Columbia St. (The Lot), Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday

Price range: Entrée meals $9.50 to $13.50, salads $4 to $6

Contact: www.facebook.com/maunakeagrill, 541-840-9624

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Real Food Street Bistro

Wholesome and eclectic, Real Food supplements its everyday menu — pork and fish tacos, “sticky” chicken and a Reuben sandwich — with changing specials. The breaded chicken dish comes with sweet chili sauce and a side of bean sprouts with house-made kimchi. Korean pork tacos offer bulgogi-style pulled pork with a slaw of Napa cabbage and cilantro, served in corn tortillas with kimchi. Jay Miller is the owner of the bistro, with Jason Hogan as chef.

Location: 735½ NW Columbia St. (The Lot), Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Price range: Entrée plates $9 to $11

Contact: www.realfoodbend.com, 541-771-7325

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Shred Town

Chef-owner Kurt Voorhees has refitted a boat trailer as a food cart and parked it outside of Aspect Boards and Brews, open through the winter to serve fellow winter recreation lovers. Tacos and burritos are original favorites, and the pressed sandwich, once a special, has been requested so often it’s now a permanent menu item. It features shredded pork, cheese, pineapple, green onions and a honey-chile sauce. Specials range from pork spare ribs to an Indian naan-bred pizza with shaved Brussels sprouts.

Location: 1009 NW Galveston Ave., Bend

Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day

Price range: All meals $9

Contact: www.shredtownfoodcart.com, 541-647-4399

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Thailandia

Formerly Bee’s Thai Cuisine, Thailandia offers a wide range of Thai dishes: The daily menu lists 14 different plates, including curries, stir-fries, noodle bowls and soups. Owner Maliwan Hansen serves generous portions of dishes like massaman curry, cashew stir-fry, pad thai and traditional tom kha coconut-milk soup. Vegetarians gravitate toward her Chinese-Japanese yakisoba chow mein, a blend of stir-fried egg noodles with a cornucopia of fresh vegetables.

Location: 745 NW Columbia St. (The Lot), Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.

Price range: All meals $9

Contact: 541-390-0230

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CENTURY DRIVE

The Bend Soup Co.

Despite its name, The Bend Soup Co. is more than just a place to get a hearty bowl of soup behind Century Center. There are three homemade potages every day, mostly gluten-free and often vegan, available by the cup or the bowl. There are also sandwiches — multiple varieties of grilled cheese, specialty meats on artisan breads — and several salads, including the Mad Greek and the Asian Zoodle. Owner Dave Johns is assisted by his son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Amanda Johns.

Location: 30 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

Price range: Soup $3.50 to $5.50, sandwiches $4.50 to $6.95, salads $4.50 to $7.50

Contact: www.facebook.com/bendsoupcompany, 541-200-5058

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Big Ski’s Pierogis

Rich Winiarski doesn’t have the culinary credentials of other mobile kitchen owners, but he does have heritage. A retired prison guard who moved to Bend a year ago from New England, he has what he needs to make outstanding pierogis and kielbasas: Polish ancestry. The former — stuffed dumplings popular in Russia and other Eastern European countries — vary daily, but always include the potato-and-cheese “OG.” Kielbasas are sausages; you’ll never have better ones than at this truck behind Skjersaa’s Ski & Snowboard.

Location: 130 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day

Price range: $6 and $7

Contact: www.facebook.com/bigskispierogi

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Broken Top BBQ

Although owner-chef T.J. McNabb was raised in Southern California and trained in French restaurants in Europe, his passion is barbecue. He prepares wood-fired, Texas-style meats on a custom-built smoker-trailer and serves them in the parking lot beside the GoodLife Brewing Co. — when he is not catering special events. Most patrons get a combo plate of chicken, pork or tri-tip with moist buttermilk cornbread, but the truly hungry might dive into a full rack of ribs with pineapple slaw.

Location: 70 SW Century Drive, Bend (at GoodLife Brewing Co.)

Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday

Price range: Sandwiches $7.50 to $9.50, combo plates $8 to $18, ribs $11 to $33 (full rack)

Contact: www.brokentopbbq.com, 541-604-8708

Cascade Kolaches

A kolache (pronounced ko-LA-chee) is a Czech-style breakfast savory similar to a Cornish pasty. A crispy bread shell is filled with the likes of egg, bacon and cheese or, for the more adventurous, Philly cheesesteak ingredients (meat, cheese, mushrooms) or Greek-style spanakopita (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese). Cheesecake poppers, dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in a Graham cracker crust, are an original. Owner-chef Joel Ross parks his “little red shed” by Skjersaa’s when he’s not working special events or traveling.

Location: 130 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: Kolaches are $2 and $2.25

Contact: www.cascadekolaches.com, 541-906-5902

Num-Nums Korean

Hawaii native Grant Miyashiro, a former sous chef at Trattoria Sbandati and Tomo Sushi, is of Japanese ancestry. But he and partner Lance Tamashiro have chosen to focus on another Asian cuisine, Korean, in their trailer parked beside Skjersaa’s ski shop. The house specialty is bi bim bap, a beef-vegetable casserole topped with a fried egg. The menu also features bulgogi (beef marinated in kiwi pear teriyaki), kalbi ribs (grilled with pineapple sauce) and side dishes like cucumber kimchi and sesame spinach.

Location: 130 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: $8 to $10

Contact: 541-420-5093 or 541-639-1612

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Ronin Sushi

Chef Scott Byers’ resume reads like a who’s who of Central Oregon restaurants of the past and present. You may have dined upon his fare at The Spot in Redmond, or in Bend at the Seventh Mountain Resort, the Astro Lounge, Joolz or 5 Fusion, to name but a few. Now he has taken a step back to spend more time with his young son. The result is Ronin Sushi & Japanese Grill. Visit next to Skjersaa’s for ramen and udon noodles, for yakitori chicken and katsudon pork cutlets, or for tuna or salmon rolls made fresh daily.

Location: 130 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday

Price range: Plates $7 to $10

Contact: www.roninbend.com, 541-419-3790

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Sol Verde

Chef-owner Kat Morrow has been a fixture beside The Gear Fix since opening in May 2012. Her specialty at “Green Sun,” as Sol Verde is translated from Spanish, is the cuisine of her native southern New Mexico. From-scratch dishes such as chili verde, carne adovada, tacos and enchiladas use the world-famous, red and green Hatch chiles that she has specially shipped. Breakfast burritos are the best in town, and daily specials such as posole (a chicken-and-hominy stew) are always worth ordering.

Location: 345 SW Century Drive, Bend

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: $6 to $9.50

Contact: www.solverdebend.com, 541-610-7365

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ELSEWHERE IN BEND

The Brown Owl

An original member of The Lot, this food cart is now in the midst of relocating to a new pod on Industrial Way. Owner-chef Lisandro Ramon said he plans a summer opening. Highlights of the menu include a burger on a Big Ed’s sesame potato bun, a veggie breakfast burrito, a gluten-free vegetarian bowl, and “The Sandwich” — buttermilk-fried chicken with cheddar cheese, topped by a fried egg, served on a Sparrow Bakery brioche with greens and fries.

Location: 550 SW Bond St., Suite 120, Bend

Hours: To be determined

Price range: $5 to $9

Contact: www.facebook.com/thebrownowl, 918-906-8282

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The Curry Shack

Bend doesn’t have a wealth of true Indian food, so this truck that parks beside Gear Peddler on Greenwood Avenue is a welcome addition to the food scene. Arun (Runi) Srikantaiah, a native of Bangalore, India, learned how to cook from his mother — and what a cook she must have been. From baked vegan samosas (stuffed pastries) to rice-and-curry boxes with masala chicken, from Mysore sambhar stew (a daily special) to authentic chai tea, the menu is guaranteed to stimulate Central Oregon taste buds.

Location: 184 NE Greenwood Ave., Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: Samosas $2, larger dishes $6 to $7.50

Contact: www.facebook.com/thecurryshack, 503-544-9584

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Dump City Dumplings

For five years, college friends Keith Shayon and Dan Butters have operated this late-night food cart beside the U.S. National Bank building in downtown Bend, and they’ve now added a midday business. They serve Chinese-style dim sum — bite-size dumplings steamed in stacked bamboo baskets — with highly original fillings. Minced pork, with carrots and onions, is more traditional than the likes of pad Thai and four-cheese pizza dumplings. There are also dessert dumplings filled with a sweet bean paste.

Location: Northwest Bond Street and Oregon Avenue, Bend

Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: One dumpling for $3, two for $5

Contact: www.facebook.com/dumpcitydumplings, 203-644-7701

DaKine Grindz

For the past five summers, Andy and Shannon Harlin have operated their Hawaiian-style shave ice stand on Bend’s west side. They haven’t yet announced a location or opening date for the 2015 season, but Andy Harlin promises that will come soon. The food cart offers 25 flavors of shave ice; Brazilian acai bowls, made with fresh fruit, coconut and soy milks, and fresh fruit juices; and several coffee and espresso drinks featuring Kona beans and other Hawaiian blends.

Location: To be announced; last year on Galveston Avenue, Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

Price range: Not available

Contact: www.facebook.com/dakinegrindz, 503-740-3326

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El Sancho

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Many Bendites know owner-chef Joel Cordes as the man who co-founded Barrio. Cordes has returned to the food cart that has made him a crowd favorite from Bend to the annual Arizona Taco Festival. Now he’s a fixture on the lawn behind Crux Fermentation Project, where he makes seven different varieties of tacos: chipotle chicken, pork carnitas, beef barbacoa, chorizo sausage, lengua (beef tongue), spicy mushroom and Oaxacan cheese with green chiles. In June, El Sancho will have a permanent taqueria on Dekalb Avenue.

Location: 50 SW Division St., Bend (Crux Fermentation Project)

Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Friday to Sunday, 4 to 9 p.m. Monday

Price range: One taco for $3, two for $5, three for $7

Contact: www.elsanchobend.com, 541-264-0397

Tacos Pihuamo

Pihuamo is a town in Jalisco, Mexico, from which the Lara Mendoza family hails. The food they serve from their lunch wagon, parked in the St. Vincent de Paul lot on Bend’s south side, is authentic. The menu offers six meat options — chicken, steak, shredded beef (birria), beef tongue (lengua), fried pork (carnitas) and sauteed pork (adovada) — and these can be prepared in tacos, burritos, tortas or quesadillas with sauteed onions, radishes and avocado. In summer, the menu is expanded to include outstanding fish tacos.

Location: 950 SE Third St., Bend

Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday

Price range: $4.75 to $9

Contact: 541-390-9992

Taste of Thailand / Thai on the Fly

Kaew Sumner’s original Bend food cart has served Thai cuisine since 2001. Parked beside Xpress Lube on Greenwood Avenue near Seventh Street, the trailer is famous for the food samples it offers to patrons waiting in the drive-through line. Daily selections include curries and stir-fries, along with fresh veggie rolls wrapped in rice paper.

Sumner’s daughter, Mam, has a Thai food cart in downtown Bend called Thai on the Fly. She offers two daily specials, along with pad Thai noodles and a tangy soup.

Location: 696 NE Greenwood Ave., Bend; cart behind 1002 NW Bond St., Bend

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Saturday; cart 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday (summers only)

Price range: $8 (fresh rolls $3 and $4); cart entrees $7

Contact: www.facebook.com/atasteofthailand, 541-815-0180; www.facebook.com/thaionthefly, 541-788-0353 (cart)

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— Reporter: janderson@bendbulletin.com

Scroll down for an interactive map of Bend food carts.