This is a lovely little place with delicious food! Wait staff was amazing and made lots of great recommendations. The small plates were so good so you can try lots of options. The cocktails were sublime! Recommend the tamarind prawns and the cocktail with blood orange and tequila. So fresh and delicious. read more

Excellent food and friendly service! will definitely be back. Open know kitchen is really cool and feels very personal. Also, where the f** else in Portland do they bring you burning wood that smells like HEAVEN (cedar i think) on your drink?? read more

Nuestra Cocina - Beautiful & Delicious mescal rita! - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'd love to complain about the long wait getting in, but the experience was worth it. Everything from the appetizers to the kind service was impressive (especially given the throngs of people and the summer heat). Margaritas were ordered by everyone but myself. After sipping a couple, I realized they were of a rare 'craft' quality -- the quality one doesn't expect from mere ice/fruit/alcohol fluff. My friend talked this place up before we arrived, but I was slightly skeptical while attempting objectivity. Aside from the wait, I was surprised as each taste won me over, successively as each offering hit my mouth. By the end of the night I enthusiastically accepted that this place is tops in this genre. Can't wait to go back. read more

Service was great and ambiance very cozy place! The tiquestas were delicious but everything else was just ok. Forget the queso fandido was soupy not very cheesy like it should be! read more

First time in and we loved it! I statted off with a Serrano Pepper Lime Drop Martini and it was the perfect hint of heat and delicious. My daughter ordered the appetizer special of 4 steak tacos. Husband ordered the Fish Ceviche special and I ordered the Gordita. These dishes were all executed perfectly. I loved that the dishes don't come with rice and beans since I never eat those anyways! Our server was so sweet as well. Great first impression and we will definitely be returning soon! read more

Holy crap. This place is amazing. Each dish had its own unique sauce which was spectacular. We had the octopus (best octopus we have ever had), the pork tacos, guacamole (to die for), enchiladas (effing delicious), the taquitos, and even the crepe and banana dessert (holy crepe). The sangria was amazing and the margaritas are awesome. If you get sangria, get a pitcher and share. I would give this place 6 stars if I could. Service was fantastic and food was outstanding. read more

Sitting at the chefs counter! was an experience! Will aim to do that more often, really love the dishes they were dishing out! I had the Lamp shoulder cooked in a Banana leaf, was extremely delicious, juicy lamb and the accompnying green salsa and salad were a perfect accompaniment. We also got the Sopes de Chorizo as an appetizer which were very nice indeed. The only thing I can complain about is the waitress said it would be a 2 hour wait (at 830pm on a friday), which I thought was a bit excessive, I still stuck around cos I was sure there was no way it would take that long (and sure enough we got a seat in 45 mins). There is no harm in this, but I feel the staff should have a better idea about wait times. But after that, there was no issue at all with the service at all. Hope its a one-off incident! read more

Yum yum yum. The tortillas were soft and the right amount of chewy. Soo good. The original margarita was great according to my mom, who seldom drinks. We were a group of four and ordered three appetizers and three entrees to share. Lamb Meatballs were decent not my favorite because I'm just not a huge fan of meatballs? Shredded Pork on tortillas were DELICIOUS oh my goodness. yummy, the pork was perfectly seasoned. Also ordered a mixed green salad w mangoes jicama and pumpkin seeds? we needed something refreshing and this definitely hit the spot. The entrees were Shrimp w plantains. oh my goodness the plantains were DEEEELICIOUS. I'm not a big shrimp fan, but my sister is and she definitely enjoyed the shrimp. We also ordered the fish of the day which was panfried link cod. OH MY GOSH, order this everytime you come to this restaurant. The fish was cooked perfectly, and sauce and corn and carrots that came with it paired perfectly. Oh my gosh this was definitely my favorite dish. We also ordered the Lamb wrapped in a banana leaf and that was very well done too. My mom does not like eating lamb because it has a smell that she just cannot stand. And when she ate it shouldn't couldn't tell it was lamb! Definitely order this too. We also got the flan for dessert which was decent. nothing to write home about. Overall loved the restaurant definitely coming back read more

Nuestra Cocina - Pork shredded on tortillas! - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is one of my top 3 places to eat in Portland and I recommend it all the time. The margaritas and sangria are delicious but they don't hold a candle to the food. From the handmade, warm tortillas and salsa that are served to the care in how the dishes are plated, you can tell that this place serves food that they truly care about. I have been here a few times and I can't seem to make myself order anything besides the taquitos de carne desebrada, gorditos rellanas and enchiladas de suizas de pollo. All three dishes are perfection. The crispy tacos are mouth-wateringly gorgeous and they taste as good as they look. The gorditas are incredible without adding pork or chicken; the combination of cheese, crispy stuffed tortillas and poblano is heavenly. The tomatillo sauce on the enchiladas is amazing enough to drink on its own but together with the enchilada, this is a seriously memorable dish. I highly recommend this place, it has not disappointed in any way. read more

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One of my favorite restaurants! I've been coming here for years and the food and service never disappoints. Colleen was our server and she knew the menu very well and could tell you the limited items that contained gluten. I am allergic to gluten so it's nice to know for sure the items I cannot order. I recommend ordering several of the small plates to get a variety of flavors. The cinnamon ice cream is delicious. If I lived nearby I'd come every week. Highly recommend this place. They don't take reservations so get there at opening or wait a couple of hours until after opening time. read more

This place feels like home! It is a warm, welcoming environment with tasty drinks and delicious food. You always see the same familiar faces working and they never disappoint. If you haven't been here yet, put it on your list! read more

This place is great! Started with the Cocina Cadillac margarita...we loved the pork tacos and the grilled escolar special was amazing. We sat at the chef's table and had the best server Jennifer who is the best server we've ever had in Portland! We'll be back! Back again and loving it! read more

Nuestra Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Today I learned how to spell delicious and it's C-E-V-I-C-H-E. Other than that the margaritas were basic but good but the queso de cabre en hoja de platano was a truly incredible dish. The cheese was sharp but smooth and perfectly balanced by the full bodied nuttiness of the pumpkin spread that accompanied it. The rockfish special was incredible and left us wanting more. Kayla timed the arrival of our dishes perfectly and her recommendations were great. This was truly the most special place that we ate during our stay in Portland. Thanks Kayla and Nuestra Cocina! read more

Nuestra Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Busy place, prepare to wait a bit for a table. It's worth it. Great selection of inventive margaritas & cocktails to keep you occupied. We chose several small plates to share. My favorites ranked: Coliflor con Vinagreta de Pepita-Roasted Cauliflower in all it's roasty toasty deliciousness. I wanted to keep this small plate all to myself. Ceviche del Dia-I don't recall the seafood that was in it, but is was a delight. Could have eaten this one all myself too. Taquitos de Carne Desebrada-crispy tacos, I thought the shredded beef could have had more flavor. Chile Relleno con Picadillo-while I read raisins, this was a little too much on the sweet side for me. Flan de Naranja-I decided I'm a flan purist & would stick to flan made without the Gran Marnier. The reason why 4 stars even thought it may seem I was only a fan of a couple dishes? We sat at the chef's counter and could see a lot of great plates coming out of the kitchen. It looked and smelled delicious. Seeing where we sat, right next to where orders were coming out, it was a bit loud. Next time, I'll sit at a table and enjoy what I'm sure whill be another tasty meal. read more

I really don't get it. We showed up at 6 on a Saturday night and there was an hour wait. It took us almost 15 minutes to get up to the bar because it was so packed. We get drinks that are fine and hole up in a corner for awhile and chat. When we get a table, we're in a separate dining room that my friends were excited they'd never been in. Basically it was a repurposed garage for the establishment. The waitress tells us there are only two entrees left of one of the specials, so we immediately ordered them. The third person got a few other things off the menu. We ordered a couple appetizers (what kind of Mexican Restaurant doesn't offer free chips?) which were all great. As for the entree, meh. It was fine, but not worth the hour wait and the excitement of it being the last one. Pretty much not somewhere that I'm so over the moon about that I'd wait for it again. I know they were thrilled and love it- it just wasn't my scene. read more

good food and service best flan ever thank you Mario and Rebeca for the service and food

Overpriced Mexican diner This place has a nice outdoor and semi-outdoor dining area. Ok, with that said, does that mean you can overcharge on the meals? Let's see, Salads are $6-8 each, Entrees are $16-18 each, and uh, excuse me, but what's up with $3 each for adding rice and $3 each for adding beans to my entree? My dinner just went from $18 to 32. The food was "OK" but not all that flavourful. I would pass on this place except for the cocktails which were excellent. I think that is what they are banking on here. I noticed lots of afternoon cocktail'ers occupying the patio. Guess I came here for all the wrong reasons . . . to dine. read more

I had several items here and they were all great. Its definitely not your traditional Mexican restaurant. I would recommend the grilled shrimp app and the margaritas. Its a great place for a date or just to talk to some buddies. read more

I really enjoyed my meal here. The restaurant is in a clean and quiet neighborhood and was packed on a Tues night. My company and I started off with the ceviche special and it was very good, but it came on a plate next to chips which made the ceviche more of a salsa dip. I wish they would have gotten rid of the chips, leaving just the fish and juices by itself on a plate which would have given it more of an authentic look which is what I remember eating in Peru. I ordered a shrimp dish and it was delicious. The shrimp were large and tasted clean, and the beans that came with it were excellent. I forgot to mention in the beginning you get salsa and hand made mini tortillas. A great finger food while you wait for the entrees. Our waitress was very friendly and genuine. She made for great conversation. If you're in Portland I recommend trying this place out. read more

Showed up at 9:45pm on a Tuesday and was told that they were closed and that the kitchen was closed and staff left already. Clearly not about your money or customer service read more

I somehow overlooked Nuestra Cocina for years. I'd been by, I'd heard people talk about it, I'd read Yelp reviews, and seen Foursquare checkins, but still shrugged it off. Seriously did myself a disservice by waiting so long! I finally wandered in here on a Friday night a few months ago. While we were expecting a crazy wait, we snagged some margaritas at the bar and were seated within 20 min. Not bad for a Friday night. Anyway, I've been back a couple times since, and still love it. On my first visit we split the daily fish option and the veggie gordita. If I'd gotten just the gordita I would probably have a 3.5 star review to write, but all the daily fish dishes are fantastic. And best house margaritas in town. read more

Nuestra Cocina - Pescatarian dream dinner - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wow! This place rocked my world!. My girlfriend wanted Mexican and since we are new to the city, we whipped out our trusty yelp app. After a few scrolls... I was sold! When we walked in, I didn't think much of it and sad they didn't serve chips and salsa. However, what they lack, they go above and beyond on what they do have. The mojitos were perfectly poured, the ceviche literally melted in our mouth, and the grilled octopus.... a true foodgasm! After all that taste bud action I was ready for a smoke and a nap! I was incredibly pleased and will return again soon! Bravo! read more

I had the most amazing, tender fish here; it was wrapped in banana leaves and served with delicious potatoes (and we all know that I have a certain weakness for potatoes). Everyone else at my table raved about their meaty meals (which I could not try). The only down side: the price. An average dish is about $14, not including drinks. read more

Nuestra Cocina - from their website - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Excellent food and service! I am not kidding it is muy bueno. The Gordita was spot on and crunchy. The pork was perfectly spiced. I also had an amazing salad with fresh mango, jicama and diced avocados. Everyone I spoke with was a local who were all frequent customers. Family business thriving in SE Portland suburbs. read more

The entire time I was eating here I was thinking about when I could come back for more. Everything we ordered was amazing. We shared a pitcher of the sangria, pulpo, sopes de chorizo, pork gorditas, tacos de puerco and guacamole and chips. Oh! And the handmade fresh corn tortillas were addicting. read more

Really great Mexican food, the flavors are amazing, really good house margaritas. The ceviche was delicious! It was worth the waiting, really good and attentive service. We had gorditas with chicken, ceviche, chile relleno and enchiladas. Everyone in our group was satisfied the flavors, food and portions. Next time I come I will like to try the flan . read more

Nuestra Cocina - Stuff chile - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Our kitchen, what a cute name. The place was very dim, almost eating in the dark. The service was great, our server was kind and recommended a BUNCH of things. We are visiting from California and we're glad we stopped by. I got the platos, Pollo Asado, and my boyfriend got the Lamb. We left so full and happy! Not 5 stars because I found it to be noisy, we were sat really close to other couples and so incredibly dark, it was difficult to see things. I would go again but maybe during the day for lunch instead or earlier in the night. read more

We used to love this place. Something was off last night. Food was room temp, drinks were weak. Pork tacos were too greasy to eat, and the chicken tacos were a little bland. The pork poblano pepper and the squash poblano had excellent flavor. Service was very slow even though they weren't very busy. read more

I'm a little torn. This was a good meal, no doubt about it, but I can't say that I'll remember it a week or a month from now. I got here right at opening to avoid the rush and enjoyed shrimp ceviche on special along with the lime chicken tortilla soup, accompanied by a glass of white sangria. Spices and seasonings were perfectly balanced for ideal flavoring. Our server was either distracted or disinterested, but we got what we needed when we needed it. I can officially check this off my "to try" list. read more

Nuestra Cocina came to town on the very first wave of Portland's 'new' Eastside cuisine. That was years ago. Today, the place retains its original magic and quality in the face of the ever-changing culinary landscape that is SE Division. I confess that I get caught up in the hype and pageantry of wanting to try the latest and greatest offerings in town. I need to take a breath and revisit those places that have been part of the gastronomic fabric of Portland well before Portlandia hit the airwaves. There are those gems (Like the Cocina) that continue to deliver again and again. The spicy marg is STILL one of the best in Portland. The Sopes, ceviche, handmade tortillas... ALL continue to represent. Belly up to the bar and treat your belly to Northwest-Mex that will leave you satisfied and delighted! Glad you are still around old friend! read more

Love this local treasure! Great margaritas and fun staff preceded a delicious meal of grilled octopus and braised ribs that just melt in your mouth! Delicious! Note: this is not your bare-bones typical Mexican place, and the prices reflect that. The food here demonstrates a level of sophistication beyond your standard cantina. Be adventurous with the menu and order things you might otherwise not. If you're looking for more basic and predicable items, try somewhere else. read more

Flat out, this place is a keeper. The ambiance, the staff and especially the food keep us coming back for more. This is not a chips/salsa/taco/cheese enchilada Mexican restaurant. This incredible restaurant is a Mexican flavor bomb composed of creative dishes that are sure to be unique and make you wanting more at very reasonable prices. The bar is sure to produce some flavorful drinks as well. read more

Best Mexican food in PDX! Has mostly southeastern Mexican style. I have not had even a mediocre dish yet. Their mole is house made and fantastic - excellent enchiladas. Oh, and don't forget to order the sangria. read more

Nuestra Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Almost gave this place a 5! A hip, wonderful ambiance was the first thing I noticed about this amazing restaurant. They have indoor and outdoor seating, along with a bar area. We arrived on a saturday night, and it was packed. The waitress said it would be a 35 minute wait, but encouraged us to enjoy the bar and offered us nice seats outside while we waited to be called. To our happy surprise, she got us seated within 10 minutes and we were served water and hand-made tortillas (with a killer flavorful salsa!) within seconds. Our waiter was very nice and knew a lot about the menu. We ordered the lamb meatballs (to die for!!-- so moist and the sauce was so good that I would have ordered a jar of it to take home if I could!), pork tortilla tacos (the pork was SO tender and had a nice kick to it, and the home-made tortillas made it one of the best pork tacos I have ever had), and the gorditas rellanas (stuffed tortillas, black beans, avocado, roasted poblano chiles & cheese-- very good, but not as good as the other dishes). I would gladly go back and try more items-- the only thing that stopped me from giving it a 5 was the fact that I had only tried a small percentage of the total menu. Also, our meal was super cheap: 2 apps, 1 main dish, 1 beer, and tip came to $33, and we were absolutely stuffed at the end. Seriously recommend!! read more

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Great food and atmosphere, very authentic Mexican style restaurant with charm and a sophisticated nature. My tamale with green sauce was incredible and massive. My chips and queso fondido were also spectacular! HOWEVER... Drinks -wise: Their sangria was abominable, packed with so many spices and sugar that I wanted to throw up in my mouth. Even their Tequila Sunrise that they followed with was terrible and way too sweet. But again, great food! Absolutely fabulous. read more

5 stars all around. The location, atmosphere, customer service, food presentation, everything. We ordered multiple things off the menu.. Tequitos De carne desebrada- packed with flavor!! The shredded beef was tender and the avocado purée is out of this world good! Chile relleno con picadillo- the almond and raisin part threw me off a bit when I was reading the menu but I was assured it was delicious and it definitely was. Hands down the most flavorful Chile relleno I've ever had. I haven't ordered one anywhere else since I've had it here and don't plan too until I come back. Tacos de puerco- perfectly cooked pork and of course, like all of the other dishes.. packed with flavor. For beverages I had the Margarita de granada which was delicious and the Sangria was delicious as well. The service was great, I love it when people are knowledgeable about the menu and make selecting items easy. I also loved sitting at the bar because it's an open kitchen and watching all the cooking and great communication between the chef and others was pleasant. read more

Wow. How have I not been here before? It is 100% worth of the many five star reviews that came before mine. The staff was unusually friendly (as far as Portland hipster joints go) and the food was excellent. We got the (please pardon my hacking of your food names, Nuestra) masa cakes, the smoked pork appetizer and the crunchy taco appetizer. My husband was feeling a bit less hungry than normal or else that wouldn't have been enough (if you're just going with small plates, order 4 for two people). The masa cakes? A bit spicy but life changing. SO good. I did not want to share. The smoked pork? I like the pork but the topping and cabbage "slaw" was too spicy (in fact everything was on the spicy side but our waiter thought it was more than usual). So since I just was able to eat the pork and there wasn't much of it, it was not worth the $. The crunchy tacos?! Um. Did not want to share those AT ALL. The avocado crema with the pickled cabbage and cheese?! Yummmmmm. We also got the lemon lime margarita and the Granada with pomegranate. I liked the margarita better once the ice melted a bit into it and I preferred the Granada over ice (I poured it over the leftovers of the margarita ice). But I'm a totally noob to alcohol so what do I know. I do know the bartender Shawn is awesome and very nice. Our waiter (Toby? Ugh. I wish I for sure remembered because he *made* the experience) told us about the cheesecake special they had and sold us on it. I almost died when I tried it. It is the best cheesecake you will ever have. That being said. I swear there is cayenne pepper in that cheesecake cause WHOO BOY it was on FIRE. I wanted to keep eating it but I had to leave it off bc it burnedddd. Next time I am getting the flan. Cause it looked insane. Overall: cannnnot wait to go back. Gimme the tacos. read more

This place is delicious! I thought I'd had really good mole sauce before until I tried theirs! Now that's what mole sauce should taste like! Be sure to save room for dessert because the flan is to DIE for! read more

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Best Mexican in Portland. Amazing food and great margarita selection. Do not pass up their chips and guacamole, it may not always be on the menu but you will not regret it. Their open kitchen is really fun. My favorite spot to dine in the whole place is at the bar by the lady pressing tortillas with an amazing view of the food being made. I love watching Nuestra's chefs in action. They usually have a fish special--which has never disappointed and fresh, daily ceviche. My go-to favorite is the Gordita rellenia. My hubs loves their rotating mole dishes (chicken, pork). We go back again and again. read more

They haven't transitioned well to take out. this is one of my overall favs in the city! But they either need to lower their prices or add back in some of the sides. Our chili releno was a sad little deflated pepper sitting in the take out box instead of the overflowing beauty that comes on a big plate with sides. the price was the same :( the marguerita kit $20 came without any tequila! just lemon/lime slices, some salt and the juices. I'll wait until they open back up-then I'll be first in line read more