Jojo’s Long-Anticipated Brick-and-Mortar Has Finally Opened in the Pearl District. Believe the Hype.

A stationary version of the much-loved Jojo food cart has arrived in Northwest Portland.

After a quick soft opening, the new Jojo storefront—a roomy corner space, long on natural light—at Northwest 13th Avenue and Kearney Street opened its doors on Thursday, Sept. 15, and was immediately overwhelmed with affection from fans of the currently closed cart and curious acolytes-in-waiting.

After three days of lines that translated into waits of up to an hour and a half, owner Justin Hintze shut it down the following Sunday and Monday to gather his wits, hire more staff, and start back up again Tuesday. His hope is to prevent excessive waits in the future and potential walkouts from frustrated would-be customers.

A midafternoon weekday visit was as calm as can be, with a nearly empty dining room and my order filled in 10 minutes, tops. During another midweek stop, at around 8 pm, the place was crowded but not crazy, and the food still arrived quickly. So, word to the wise: If you can swing it schedule-wise, check out Jojo on weekdays for a late afternoon snack or an early or late dinner.

As before, the highlights are smashburgers and multiple permutations of fried chicken, plus the eponymous deep-fried potato wedges, served with a side of sauce of which there are 10, including ketchup, a ketchup-mayo Jojo sauce, chipotle mayo, Crystal Hot Sauce, and a “very hot” pepper relish. Mix and match for 50 cents each additional side.

For my pilot visit, I clucked on the Southern ($14), a large boneless chunk of fried thigh on a bun with the Jojo sauce, coleslaw and pickles. Add-ons include cheese and bacon ($2 each), and you can ask for it to come out Nashville hot for another two bucks.

Burger mavens rank the version here among the top in town. The base model, aka the Classic ($11), features a patty, American cheese, Jojo sauce and condiments on a toasted bun. Variations (all $11) include a spicy version with that pepper relish, chipotle mayo instead of Jojo sauce, and caramelized onions; an allium bomb called Mr. Onion with white onion, caramelized onions, fried shallots and chives; and the Jojo burger with cheddar and American, Alabama white mustard sauce, plus more caramelized onions. For kiddos and lightweights, there is the Little Cheeseburger ($7), essentially a half-sized version of the Classic for two-thirds the price (hint: They have knives here).

The unadorned jojos ($5 small, $9 large) at Jojo are a marvel to behold: golden, crispy and lavishly seasoned outside, creamy-starchy within. A small order is ample for two. But go ahead, gild the lily and get one of the loaded versions (all $13), with different combinations of cheeses, sauces and alliums.

There is a full vegan menu, too, with fried tofu sandwiches, Beyond Burgers and so forth. Vegan food is not in my wheelhouse, but the menu appears to be making many happy. I will grudgingly admit that the vegan fried Brussels sprouts side ($8) sounds delicious, though I have yet to try it.

There are hyper-sweetened, syrup-enhanced fountain sodas, milkshakes and a full bar at the new Jojo as well. Best of all, Hintze’s side-splitting Instagram feed (@jojo.pdx) lives on. So, eat, drink, like and comment, as you please. Northwest Portland should be overjoyed JoJo has opened in its midst.

EAT: JoJo, 902 NW 13th Ave., 971-331-4284, jojopdx.com. 11 am-10 pm daily.