Food is fantastic. Took some family here and more recently a best friend and I had a much deserved day out eating here. I've tried the mole, the elote, the empanadas, and the carne asada bowl so far. O My Great God it's so good. For sure more expensive than I'm generally comfortable paying for food so it isn't an all the time thing, but I like how easy it is to split a bill and order through their QR codes *and* their chip reader, if you're not a tap guy like me. I am non alcoholic but Grandma really loved theirs, mezcal I believe but I may be incorrect! It is LOUD outside on the patio, because duh, you're right on the busy street. If you live here, you're quite used to that! Quieter inside, the music is loud enough to confidently have a conversation without lowering your voice too much, but not so loud that you can't hear your friends. Waitstaff is pleasant, accommodating, and compassionate! It feels and smells clean inside, and my experience in back of house food let me perceive that the dishes had been freshly cleaned and steamed dry; they just had that feeling on the fingertips. (I wish the cleanliness of dishes wasn't a highlight in Portland but here we are.) Also the water didn't taste like fish OR rocks! What a win!!! If you're not sure what to get I recommend starting with the empanada plate and some elote to share with a group of three, to build your expectations. read more

The service was fine.., food was great!!! Perhaps our server was having an off day...we were told to leave our menu hanging 1/2 off the table when we were ready to order entrees so we could be left alone. We got there early and there were plenty of open tables.. we had a resie since we were 1st timers and we weren't sure what to expect. There was great music playing so that's a plus too... and the entire menu is Gluten Free. read more

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First off, the food itself is very good, and the quality has been consistent. We've eaten here a few times, and it's usually a solid experience. I made a reservation for 7:00 on a Tuesday evening and noted that it was my daughter's birthday. That said, the service was slow and spotty, which was disappointing. They also wouldn't provide separate checks within our dining group, and instead put the responsibility on the customers to figure out and settle the bills among ourselves. I have restaurant experience, and separate checks are very easy to do. It was also a hot day, and my beer arrived at room temperature. The noise level in the restaurant was very unpleasant, and they really need to invest in sound dampening. The biggest disappointment was that they did nothing for my daughter's birthday--they didn't even ask whether we wanted dessert. She's gluten-free for medical reasons, and she genuinely likes this restaurant, but this visit was definitely not stellar. read more

First off everything is gluten free!! This already made my day since it makes ordering my meal so much easier. I split calamari with boyfriend for an appetizer and got the fish dinner for my main. He got the pork tacos as his main Everything was delicious but I would say portions are on the smaller side but tasty. I wish my fish meal was a little bit more flavorful, and we had a little bit more calamari. Please note the calamari picture I took. It was about a quarter eaten before taken. You can find street parking, recommended to check the neighborhoods. There's also plenty to do around here after you eat, which is kind of nice. read more

Mestizo - Calamari - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Looking for a gluten-free Mexican restaurant in SE Portland? Check out Mestizo. I went with a group from work and really enjoyed everything we tried. The staff was friendly, there's street parking available, and overall it's a solid spot. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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We went here with friends, including one who is gluten free. To be honest, I'm always a skeptic about gluten free options. However, this place was incredible. Everything tasted amazing, and they certainly did not lose any food quality with that choice. In particular, we enjoyed the breaded/fried calamari, and the sweet corn empanada. And the pisco sour was very well-prepared, as well. Give it a shot! read more

If you're seeking out some good Latin American food then this is your place plus the drinks and happy hour are simply devine! I like the fact that it is a gluten free and soy free menu. We started off with the yummy Beyond Meat Empanadas that came with Three Sisters' Masa, beyond meat (that actually tasted like meat), onions, pikliz - a spicy Haitian pickled delight of sliced veggies - and red wine aioli. I got the fish tacos filled with deep fried rockfish, radish, slaw, orange habanero, and chipotle aioli. Our server was great and came to fill our waters frequently. The ambiance was lively and upbeat in a relaxed atmosphere. Had a great time and will def comeback again! read more

Mestizo - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This restaurant is cute and located in a great area with lots of shops, art, and things to do. The service was attentive. The drink was good, I got a mestizo punch mocktail which was tart and worked well with the food. I also got the mushroom empanada, which reminded me of cool ranch Doritos, but the mushrooms were great. The carne asada tacos were tasty and filled. Do note most of the menu has spicy next to it. The carne asada tacos had jalapeños that were camouflaged in lettuce, and the sauce was actually spicy. I love that there are vegan and vegetarian options. read more

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I was our first time here, so we had to learn the process. There is no table service. You order either through your phone by pointing your camera at the barcode on the table, or you by finding a waitress inside. In latter case, you pay right there. The food and water is brought out to you. The food was flavorful and tasty. There is inside and outside seating available. We picked outside as it was a lovely day and everything tastes better outside anyway . We also had drinks, which were good. We will be back. read more

Mestizo - Fish tacos. - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Quick and friendly service, great location, lots of gluten free options. Would come back again! read more

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Great vegan options. I had the beyond meat empanadas and the HONGOS EN SALSA ROJA. I was there for a quick lunch and appreciated the speed of service. Too bad they were out of all soft drinks read more

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I went here at 6pm on a weekday with a few friends and it was an amazing experience. The food and the service were incredible. We got several starters for the table but my favorite was the Brussel Sprouts. I ordered the Barramundi Del Norte and the fish was cooked to absolute perfection. All our food came out so insanely fast and our server Jasper was so amazingly attentive to our table and always checking in with us and offering great recommendations from the menu. I'll definitely be returning! read more

Incredible gluten free food that is 100% celiac safe! Great service, food, and vibe. Highly recommended!

The Mestizo Rice Bowl (with fish) is now my favorite meal in the country. If I could drive or fly anywhere right now, it would be to Portland to have this meal again. The first time I had it was January and I fell in love. The second time was in February and I was nervous that maybe it wouldn't be as good because I ordered it late with the intent to refrigerate it overnight to keep for lunch the next day. This meant inevitably re-heating it, which I worried would change the flavor. But guess what? It was still amazing re-heated!! The third time was in March. Again, another impressive experience. I wish everyone could try the bowl. It has so much flavor and variety. I think if other chefs experienced this dish, confronted with the fact that this kind of richness can be achieved across a bowl of whole foods, they would elevate their offerings and then such fare wouldn't be so rare to find. read more

The entire menu is gluten free and dang is it phenomenal. We enjoyed Yuca fries Seafood Ceviche Brussel Sprouts Empanada Sampler (3 different types) Wife got a pisco sour and I got a Mexican Coke. Place was half full at 7 and slammed by 8. 1 host 1 server 1 food runner And a woman I believe was the owner Vibe is more casual but food is off the charts. So much flavor. Wife was happy. Before tip $77. Absolutely recommend. We should all increase our GF intake, afterwards I felt great with no bloating, the magic of not participating in our toxic wheat belly epidemic here in the US. Will def return! read more

I bet the profit margin on margaritas goes way up when you stop mixing them with alcohol, but is it worth not getting repeat customers? Try mixing a decent drink. Also, not everyone likes a mountain of cilantro on their tacos. read more

We were back in town for 2 nights and had to come back here! This time I was able to get a few pictures before we devoured everything. It is so great to find a place that all of our diets work - celiac/gluten free, dairy free, vegan. read more

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10/10 let's go! You can either make reservation or walk in when they open but be careful because they are open at certain times and day. Sunday & Monday = closed and Tuesday-Saturday from 12p-3p then 4p-9p. The service here is always great and several employees would check up on you to see if you're doing okay and take your empty plates away when done. The food here is delicious! The elote is nicely burnt with a delicious sauce on top which makes it so good! It's a must try there. Then we got the fried fish tacos. Amazing, crispy and flavorful. I'll say the best fish tacos in town. Plenty of seats inside and outside. Nice decorations. Good vibe. There's also a bar where you can sit and chill. Always a good time here. Definitely will be back to try other things! read more

Mestizo - Elote (Seasonal) (VG) - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We were really disappointed with the lack of service for the price point:/ The hostess pointed at the table we should sit at, we ordered through a QR code, then the food was brought. Not a single person checked on us throughout the entire process from sitting down to leaving. One of the rare places I've been that genuinely made me question tipping culture. read more

Delicious gluten free restaurant! Good vegetarian options too! Recommend the elote and fried fish tacos. read more

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We ordered a Mestizo colada, sweet corn & queso fresco empanadas, chicken tinga tostada, fried fish tacos and a Mestizo rice bowl. Everything was wonderful and full of flavor. Especially loved the empanadas and the rice bowl. The place is small with tables pretty close together and it's pretty loud - we could barely hear our server while he was talking to us at our table. That kinda took away from the experience for us. But just loved the food, so will be back for sure. read more

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Every bite was fascinating. A dance upon the taste buds. Truly unique and delicious coming. The banana flower tacos were so juicy and succulent. They were not tough at all. The branzino is very complex and delivers a rare depth of taste. The pineapple Brussels sprouts were a blast of flavor. The corn empanadas are little shells with soft marrowy masa. Stunning. The kitchen was brisk and the staff was friendly and efficient. This is one of those meals you remember. This could be my Pig Movie dinner. read more

Food and service absolutely 5 star!! Tuna Tostada has incredible flavor, empanadas soo good!! Love that it's all gluten free! Parking is a challenge unless you get real lucky. It's on Division so unless you can walk there you may end up a block or two way. The place is obnoxiously LOUD it felt like we were in a dive bar after midnight. I felt like I had to yell.. next time I'll see about the outdoor seating... read more

Mestizo - Tuna Tostada - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I had a really good meal here recently on a beautiful early September evening. As somebody with celiac, it was a big relief to know the entire menu is gluten-free. That's a big perk. My only semi complaint was they told us where to sit outside, but they didn't give us any instructions so we sat out there for a long time, waiting for service not knowing that we had to do everything by QR code. I would suggest giving some instructions when people are seated. We waited a long time even for water and utensils. Other than that, it was great. read more

Mestizo - Outdoor seating - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I came here one evening with my boyfriend and had an amazing time. We walked in at an earlier dinner spot and were fortunately able to grab a table. I recommend reservations if you're planning to grab dinner here around 6-7pm as it can get pretty busy. The inside can feel a bit packed but there's plenty of seating. The lighting is dim and decor is nice. My boyfriend and I ordered the calamari, elote, fried oysters, and adobo branzino and everything was delicious. The calamari was crispy and the sauce complimented it so well. The elote was a bit on the burnt side for my taste, but it was also still good. The fried oysters were also fried to perfection and amazing. And, the adobo branzino was so filling with a phenomenal blend of flavors. My boyfriend and I rarely go out to Mexican restaurants but I could see this becoming a favorite. I highly recommend this spot !! read more

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We started with a Mexican coke and a horchata (which was absolutely the star of our lunch - a perfect balance of coconut and cinnamon without being sickly sweet definitely order). We ordered a mestizo rice bowl with chicken tinga which was a good portion for the price ($18). The sweetness from the grilled yam and pickled onion balanced out the chicken tinga well. The Birria was outstanding, a deep rich and thick broth with the braised beef that melts in your mouth. The blue corn tortillas were an added, and hard to find, treat. The service was outstanding with the waitress being very welcoming and attentive, offering sauces and chips to elevate our meal. read more

Mestizo - 12 oz Bottle Horchata Mestizo Rice Bowl (V) Chips - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Pro: The food is good. I ordered the mestizo salad bowl with shrimp and both the orange cumin vinaigrette and coconut ranch. Both of the dressings were delicious and I loved all the different textures in the salad. We also shared the guac and chips, also good. Con: The service is not so good. We came on a weeknight and it was visibly not that busy, however I found the service to be quite slow. We started off by ordering some drinks and shots. We were asked if we wanted the shots neat or chilled. When we replied with chilled, we were then told that wasn't an option since they didn't have a shaker. I'm not sure why we were given options when there was really only one option. And then when we were asked if we were ready to order, the waitress proceeded to clean up dirty tables before coming back to take our order. I was a little thrown off by that too. If you were not ready to take our order, why did you ask and then go do something else? I'd definitely come back for the food but probably order take out. read more

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The food was amazing as always, the ambience on a Tuesday evening was chill. Services was fine, just a little meh; the dishes all came out quickly. The bartender/host and the server seemed to be having terrible days or something. They both struggled to smile and the server was apathetic at best about being at work. Maybe this is just the Portland attitude now? The world is absolute crap right now, so I want to give grace to people having a hard time. But I feel like when you're in a people-facing position, you have to be a little more able to at least pretend to care. I've been wanting to bring my husband here for a date for a long time. The stars aligned that we had a free night when we could also get a babysitter. So expectations were probably a little high which left too much opportunity to be underwhelmed. The food was 5 stars, and my 4-5 other times visiting with friends over the years have been 5 stars. Overall experience this time- more like 3.5. It's sad how much the interactions with the staff shaped the feeling we came away with. I feel like it's kind of a disservice to the beautiful efforts of the culinary team to have the front of house service be so perfunctory. Maybe a Friday night would be more lively. read more

This was a very fun and vibrant spot for dinner! They have mezcal drinks and a variety of Latin American tapas for sharing, as well as larger entreés. All the ones we got to try were very delicious. I especially enjoyed their Empanadas, Arroz con Pollo, and the Rice Bowl with Shrimps. Would love to be back to try other items. Prices and portion of the food were good. Staff was also very friendly. The place does get a bit loud with music and people chatting so keep that in mind if you want a more intimate atmosphere. read more

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Food was good, though expensive. Staff were attentive. I understand the 90-minute limit because restaurants want to make money but also, come on... it's not enough time to properly enjoy a meal and we were kicked out at exactly 90 minutes even though we still had drinks. Definitely won't be back on a weekend night ever again. read more

Had a great time here. Service, drinks, and food were all top-notch. Space is really nice also. Plenty of tables outside too. read more

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Yes this place deserves its high rating! Obsessed with the drinks, food, ambiance, and service here. We got the guac and yuca fries to start - delicious although can they make the guac portion bigger :) Then we got the mestizo rice bowl w chicken tinga which was rich, flavorful, and moist. No cheese but still felt super creamy somehow! Also got the chicken tinga tostadas - what a unique and amazing flavor profile! Would 10/10 recommend that dish to anyone. Lots of mezcal cocktails which were a big hit. You can't go wrong with any of them. Parking not too bad especially if you look into the surrounding neighborhoods Will be coming back and bringing more friends for sure. read more

Super trendy restaurant. Cool vibes, unfortunately a little loud to hear each other in restaurant. Food flavor I would give a 4/5 however super over priced and small portions. read more

The calamari was crispy and have the right amount of seasoning. There are two types of dipping sauces but you can try both. We ordered a few dishes to share and each had a unique flavors. Everything came out fast and the server was kind enough to check in time to see how we are doing. Each bite is full of richness and flavor! read more

Mestizo - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I came here right at noon on Saturday morning. The restaurant had just opened for the day so I was able to be seated immediately. I was in the outside seating so my dog could be with me and it was lovely and spacious. I tried the breakfast tacos and the fried banana flower tacos. The banana flower tacos were a unique vegetarian option which was fun, and the breakfast tacos were tasty as well. Definitely a messy time eating them because of ingredients falling out, but that can't really be helped with breakfast tacos. Overall, I'd definitely try this place again whenever I'm next in Portland. read more

Mestizo - Breakfast Tacos. - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Excellent gf food, with friendly, but inexperienced service. Without exaggeration, the worst service experience in a long time, particularly at such a nice place. (Rounding up due to the food, and as a new server was being trained the night we visited.) Nice drinks (a homemade horchata & a paloma) to start. We really enjoyed our appetizer with a sampling of three empanadas, all which were remarkably good down to the filling and sauces. Unfortunately, testones were dry & hard to eat, very large, & served without knives. The chicken tinga flautas were delicious and we really enjoyed the vegetarian fried banana flour tacos. The service experience was problematic. Dirty plates and empty glasses left on the table throughout the meal, while new plates of food were arriving to our very small table. We asked for things that the server agreed to, water, knives, items to be cleared, but most requests were forgotten. Our waitress was being trained, to be fair, but the experienced staff didn't seem to notice. The capper was at the end of the meal when all the dirty plates that sat all night were just pushed to the side (but not cleared) to make room for the bill. read more

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Guys guys guys. I REALLY liked Mestizo on my first visit. But now I LOVE it. I took my best friend to celebrate 1 year divorced, and we sat at the bar. Amber was our bartender and took VERY good care of us. She recommended the Mezcal Raicilla flight we did and it was STELLAR. We ate a lot of tapas: Brussel sprouts are tops. They had a pineapple Chili sauce and HOLY MOLY y'all they were slightly spicy to me (my best friend said her mouth was on fire!) But they were JUICY. Like SO yummy. Beat brussel sprouts I've ever had hands down and I LOVE them. We also had the Tostones, which I LOVED how thin they were because it made them delicate and the Mojo Aioli was TO DIE for. We also tried the Patatas Frito which was both of our least favorite item. They were good but they weren't WOW which literally everything else was. She is a meat eater and got the BBQ Pork skewers & Tuna Tostada. She said both were very very good but spicy for her. Which she said she couldn't stop eating them despite that lol. I had the Banana Flower Tacos without the corn taco because I don't like corn tacos but I LOVE this dish!!! She tried it as well and said it was SO good. We ended with just chips and guacamole because I didn't want sweet and neither did she :) As far as drinks I had a Mestizo Negroni, which was excellent and a Mezcal Old Fashioned with a tequila I'd never had before and cannot recall the brand of, and I'm kicking myself for that!!! My girl had a spicy margarita to start, then the Bossy, then the Gaia's Delight. We shared the Raicilla flight that Amber recommended and fell in love with both the Sierra del Tigre and the Raicilla Sur. So I got her a divorce shot of the Sierra del Tigre to cheers!!! I only had the two, but we were really lucky as the owner, Nan, who also owns Norah PDX, popped in to start working on the drinks for their pop-up with Norah and Ruthie's on Monday evening. We were super nosey asking what Amber was making and Nan let us have a try. Oh my word. It was SO good. That's a woman with some seriously amazing taste buds who knows her alcohol and her food. It felt pretty damn good to be here on International Women's Day, hanging out with Amber and getting stellar service, food and drinks and the bonus of meeting Nan!!! PLEASE go visit them! read more

Finally checked out Mestizo after months of wanting to try it! Wooho~ Went by on a weeknight after work with a friend and easily got a table for 2 without reservations. I couldn't decide what to get so I got the tostones and the banana flower tacos -- par for the course here. The tostones were super yummy and the sauce was sooo good; 10/10 would get again. The tacos were flavorful and had a nice tang to them. I also grabbed my omnivore husband some fish tacos and elote. Can confirm the elote was fire. There were so many menu items I was curious about so of course I will have to go back in the near future and try them out! Service was a little strange? We were initially told to choose between a couple tables in the corner but once our meal actually got started, we were told that a party had reserved our spot and we'd need to wrap up pretty quickly. It was just odd since there were a multitude of empty tables though I honestly don't know if all of those other tables were spoken for so who knows. Overall, a bit jarring and I was confused about why there was no option to move elsewhere? We just felt very rushed and our server seemed almost annoyed even when checking in on us. Minus this little hiccup, we had a great experience and I would definitely go back -- especially with friends who have any gluten free or soy free needs! Literally love that they can cater to so many dietary restrictions/preferences. read more

Mestizo - Banana flower tacos - Latin American Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place was recommended to us and I am SO grateful that it was. There is so much incredible food around town and not enough lifetimes to try it all. I was delighted by the quality, flavor, and beautiful appearance of all the food we ordered. Our mezcal cocktails were mind-blowing. Our server was lovely. The location is also gorgeous; big windows, brightly colored decor, nice layout. I am really looking forward to returning and spending more time and money. read more

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Yum. We came here on Wednesday and there was plenty of seating and helpful staff. We ordered tuna tostadas, Brussels sprouts, jicama fries, fish tacos and everything was tasty. The stars of the evening were the brussel sprouts and tuna tostadas. Amazing read more

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