It’s time to vote in the next category of The Oregonian’s Readers Choice Awards: best Mexican restaurant.
We asked for your input and started with the seven restaurants that received the most reader nominations. Then we asked our dining critic to make three picks to round out the list of 10 finalists.
Michael Russell, The Oregonian’s dining critic, thinks that despite the complaints you might hear (mostly from transplanted Californians), Mexican food in Portland is surprisingly diverse, both in terms of regional variation and price. You can head downtown to Republica, a 10-course, $150 “Mexican-forward” tasting menu from chef Jose Camarena, as well as its sister restaurants Lilia and De Noche. Or you can head the other way, visiting the Portland-Gresham border for great carnitas or soul soothing birria.
“If I were building this list, I would probably add Lilia, the most consistently successful restaurant in the Republica Hospitality Group; Astral, the ambitious restaurant residency at Duality Brewing; and Salsas Locas, the de Leon’s reincarnation near the Reed College campus,” Russell says. “But our readers seem to be more interested in family-style restaurants and food carts (shout out to those of you who nominated the great cart Mole Mole, now with two locations), so we’ll stick with that theme.”
“To our readers’ list, I’ll add Güero, owner Megan Sanchez’ fantastic sandwich shop with its annual summer pop-up in the back lot; Ki’ikibáa, the great Yucatecan restaurant that was our 2023 Restaurant of the Year; and Tito’s Taquitos, the phenomenal flauta cart that started next to a Southwest Portland gas station and now runs a brick-and-mortar on Swan Island.”
You can vote once a day at the bottom of this post or at this link until the poll closes at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. We’ll reveal the results Friday, Oct. 4 at oregonlive.com/readers-choice.
Cocina Mexico Lindo
With four food trucks in Beaverton and Hillsboro as well as a restaurant in Beaverton, Mexico Lindo has a lot of fans. One reader who nominated Mexico Lindo drives 90 minutes each way for what they say is the “best food outside of Mexico.”
18475 S.W. Alton St., Beaverton, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday; cocinamexicolindofood.com
El Sombrero
This family-owned restaurant was lauded by our readers for the food and the staff. Multiple people said the refried beans are the best and margaritas should not be missed.
10820 N.E. Sandy Blvd., opens at 11 a.m. daily, closing time varies from 7 to 8:30 p.m. depending on how busy it is; elsombreropdx.com
Güero
After starting as a Silver Streak trailer parked on Southeast 28th Avenue, Güero moved just across Burnside to the former Tabla space, expanding its menu of tortas and bowls with a full bar and a seasonal pop-up venue out back. Russell’s favorite sandwich is the masa y papa, a starch-on-starch vegetarian number that somehow ends up juicier than the carnitas.
200 N.E. 28th Ave., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily; guerotortas.com
Chef Manny Lopez serves up a to-go order at Ki’ikibáa, a Yucatecan restaurant in Northeast Portland.Dave Killen / The Oregonian
Fans of the great Yucatecan food that Lopez first served at Angel Food & Fun held out hope that one day, he and wife, Suny Parra Castillo, would open a new restaurant. They did that in 2022, reviving the panuchos, poc chuc and frijol con puerco they first introduced to Portland 10 years ago. Don’t miss the weekly specials, the pozoles or the relleno negro, a Scotch egg-style pork loaf formed around a hard-boiled egg and served with shredded turkey in a savory black broth made from charred chilies that takes Lopez around a week to prepare. It also has what might be Portland’s best carne asada burrito.
3244 N.E. 82nd Ave., 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday; instagram.com/kiikibaapdx
This vegan restaurant offers tacos, burritos and chimichangas with seitan spiced like asada carnitas and more. One of the readers who nominated Mis Tacones said, “I am not vegan, but I could be if the nice folks at Mis Tacones cooked all my food. It’s that good.”
1670 N.E. Killingsworth St., 3-9 p.m. Monday-Wednesday, 12-9 p.m. Thursday, 12-10 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday; mistaconespdx.com
Mole Mole’s offerings include chicken al pastor tacos.Sean Meagher/The Oregonian
Mole Mole
This food truck was applauded by our readers for its traditional Mexican food and beautiful presentation. “Mole Mole feels like having dinner at your tia’s house. The flavor is always spot on, the service amazing and the price point can’t be beat,” one reader said.
2231 N.E. Alberta St., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday; 4237 N. Mississippi Ave., 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. daily; molemolepdx.com
Nuestra Cocina
Practically a Portland institution after serving up ceviche for more than 20 years, Nuestra Cocina is a hit with our readers for the food and cocktails. One reader called it “reliably wonderful year and year,” and noted the creative seasonal dishes and delicious margaritas.
2135 S.E. Division St.; 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; nuestracocina.com
¿Por Qué No? Taqueria
Por Qué No has long been a favorite for Oregonian readers. “Their carne asada is the best I’ve ever had. Their chips are perfectly crispy. Their salsas are also unique and perfectly flavorful. I also love their rice and whole pinto beans. They elevate everything and prices are reasonable,” said one person who nominated them.
3524 N. Mississippi Ave. and 4635 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday, both locations are closed until Friday, Sept. 27 for their annual End of Summer Employee Party; porquenotacos.square.site
Si Señor
Most people who nominated this restaurant specified the Beaverton location, but there’s also one in Portland’s Cedar Mill neighborhood. Readers complimented the authentic dishes, fresh food and large portions.
8220 S.W. Hall Blvd., Beaverton, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; sisenorbeaverton.com
Tito’s Taquitos features crispy hand-rolled potato taquitos with your choice of toppings and sauces. Tim Brown, The Oregonain/OregonLive
Tito’s Taquitos
Anthony La Pietra’s great taquito truck has moved on from its original home next to a gas station. Now found in a Swan Island restaurant and a cart at Breakside’s Beaverton pod, Tito’s serves good tacos, but it’s the taquitos that make it a destination. Hand rolled daily, each stack of golden taquitos is presented traditionally with shredded cabbage and avocado sauce, topped with micro herbs and optional veggies or meat. If it’s your first time, order them unadorned for one of the city’s most delicious $9 dishes.
3449 N. Anchor St. Suite 200, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 12675 S.W. 1st St., Beaverton, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; titos-taquitos.square.site
Cast your vote here
You can vote once a day until the poll closes at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. Check OregonLive.com/readers-choice on Friday, Oct. 4 to see the results.
Mims Copeland is a social media producer and covers trending topics for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach her at [email protected]
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