Holy moly. It's hard to find fine Mexican dining. The staff was super great and made great recommendations. Tasty and cheap drinks too! Definitely recommend the sangria. The open kitchen concept really added great ambiance to the restaurant. This fine dining taste is apparent in the food but not present in the bill! Loved it here. read more

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This is a treasured, revered neighborhood bistro, the kind you hope to experience in Portland, with delightful ambiance. There are no reservations here, you should plan on a substantial wait. Knowing we could wait for at least an hour for a table put me into a brief quandry. Should we wait to get a table for two nestled in the dark recesses of a snug, darkened dining area, or forgo the long wait and grab the two open seats at the counter? Maybe not as romantic, but it was obvious there was no shame in eating at the counter here. We picked the counter and I am glad we did. I declare, we had the best seats. This was the enviable spot where you could take in everything as it happens. This gives you a fascinating and ideal view of the hustle and bustle of a finely tuned, well choreographed kitchen. Here is where the tortilla lady rolls her eyes as she mindlessly pat, pat pats her thick, succulent corn tortillas and drops them into a container, ultimately to be baked in the industrial oven. No doubt a boring job, but hypnotic and not often seen. The end results I can imagine were tender and mouth watering. This would be one of those times I wish we were not refraining from corn and wheat products. This is where the chefs, dashing from container and refrigerator as slabs of meat sizzle on the griddle top, compose their perfect dishes of savory food for the hungry locals. The final touch, frenetic servers impatiently arranging the finishing touches on their plates before dashing their generous platters out with some of the finest morsels you could ever hope to put in your mouth. Our meal was extraordinarily good. We started with a delicious, baby greens salad that was tossed with jicama, mango, avocado, and pumpkin seeds. The citrus dressing was out of this world delicious. A perfect 5 stars. Cochinita Pibil, a slow braised, citrus and herbed savory pork dish served over plate licking black beans, grilled vegetables and pickled red onions. Traditionally it is cooked in banana leaves and served in its wrapper, however this restaurant plated it without. Regardless, a perfect 5 stars. Carne Asada Con Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans), beautifully marinated and grilled, large steak served over savory pinto beans. 4 1/2 stars, and only because mine was even better. I was the person with the Cochinita Pibil and who jealously coveted my prize. This is a meal I will not forget. When in Portland, this should be put on "the list". Only open 5 nights a week, for dinner. Worth the wait, worth the cost read more

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We had a gift card for this restaurant and it's in the 'hood. The ceviche was quite good. i was little thrown off by the tortillas & salsa but it was good. The enchiladas were tasty. The atmosphere is really nice and we got seated right away. The warm crepes with cinnamon cream and fried bananas was great. The only draw back was to much ice in the margaritas. read more

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Came for dinner and it was expectedly busy. Waited around 45 mins for a table but was able to enjoy a drink while waiting. I appreciate the large variety of drinks to select. Started off with the guava margarita. For food, I had the guac & chips, beef tip with mole, and birria tacos. Nothing really stood out to me. The food was a little overpriced for what it was. As for dessert, I had the upside down pineapple cake. There was a vodka infused side of pineapple jam-y situation and it was so bad. Definitely caught off guard because I wasn't expecting it to taste like straight alcohol. Probably wouldn't recommend or eat here again. read more

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We had heard that this place is authentic Mexican and that it gets busy wit lineups. At 6:30pm on a Friday night, we got in with no wait. It seems to be a popular place for "dates". I had a ccoconut lime margarita which was delicious with a chili salt rim. My friend had a mezcal orange drink that had a burning cinnamon stick on top...you dip the burning cinnamon stick into the drink to give it a cinnamon Smokey flavour. We ordered a bunch of small plate appetizers, including pork carnitas tacos, mass baskets stuffed with black bean (Spicey), vinegrette cauliflower with cheese and pumpkin seeds, crispy beef carnitas. Sharing those 5 small dishes made us pleasantly full! The food was incredibly fresh and cooked to perfection- all reasonably priced as well. I wanted to rate Nuestra Cocina 4.5 stars but Yelp only let me rate it 4 or 5 stars. I was surprised by the restaurant bathrooms. There are only 2 bathroom stalls in the whole restaurant. They aren't particularly clean and they looked straight out of a 70s rustic fishing cabin- a little bizarre for the type of restaurant they are in. It's impossible to know when they are occupied unless you try to open the doors. read more

Nuestra Cocina - Pork carnitas tacos - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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All of the food here is super good. We ordered the queso, the daily special tacos (not listed on menu) with steak and bacon, and the prawns in white sauce. All had incredible flavors and the service was great. Will absolutely be coming back. The banana crepes were a light and decadent treat. read more

Nuestra Cocina - Banana Crepes - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Our favorite restaurant in Portland! Delicious, clean food and we have never been disappointed! Highly recommend the Lechugas con mango, jicama, avocado salad, the beef tips and the 1/2 chicken entrees. All are fantastic! read more

I won't be returning. First, we ordered chips, salsa, and guacamole. The serving size was incredibly small, and when my husband asked for a side of jalapeños (for the 2nd time) to add to the guacamole to spice it up for himself, the waiter said, "I'll just bring you our spicy salsa, it's incredible." When we got the bill, we were charged 50 cents for it. I don't care about the price, but the fact that you had to charge 50 cents for salsa when you offered it is gross. Next, I ordered a salad, and I bit into the end of the avocado. This is just an amateur move. Finally, we ordered two margaritas, without salt. Each time they brought one, there was salt. They also charged us for a third margerita, which wasn't ours. I don't write a lot of negative reviews, but Nuestra Cocina, step it up. Seriously. Charging extra for salsa you offer to bring and charging as much as you do for such small plates aren't acceptable. The unfortunate part is that the food is pretty good, but that doesn't justify a return. Nuestra "new" is about right. read more

One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the greater Portland area. The food is exceptional. The sauted beef tips are one of the best Latin dishes I had ever had. A little spicy but amazing. One of my favorite drinks is no longer in the menu. So sad. read more

We love their cocktails! Also, their food is not your average "Mexican American", but the waiter described it as what a Mexican grandma would make her family for a special celebration. Definitely recommend Nuestra Cocina! read more

My brother in law found this place looking for somewhere to dine with five adults and two kids- 3 and 1&1/2. Diverse list of beverages, from sangria with a healthy dose of brandy to knock those winter colds. There was also a blood orange lemonade mocktail worth coming back to and a tamarind margarita that involved a flaming cinnamon stick. Appetizers- order the guacamole. There wasn't enough of it. Fresh tortillas served with a house chipotle mole. Yum yum yum. The menu required old school language refresher and we still needed to ask questions. The server was kind and answered all our questions. For dinner there were a couple of vegetarian options. I had a chilie rellenos with a Oaxacan cheese. My family loved the different steak and pork plates. I glanced at the huge dessert menu but we were having cake at home. Although they had high chairs and it was a bit noisy- it wasn't super younger kid friendly. When I make it back to Portland I would love explore more of their dessert and mocktails. read more

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We stopped by Nuestra Cocina last year for a quick dinner. We walked in at 7:30 and got a table right away, and service was fast and friendly. The seating area is cute, too, with some nice tiled tables on the patio, where we sat. And the food was great as well, with rich, refreshing flavors. Definitely worth a visit! read more

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Went to this place after reading an article that it was the best Mexican food in Portland. Let me tell you, they did not disappoint! We ordered quite a few sides since we wanted to try so many things. My favorite was the cauliflower in a pumpkin seed vinaigrette; unlike anything I have ever eaten. The taquitos were also delicious! While the food was good, the absolute best thing about the night was my drink! Holy cow. I have never had a drink that dangerously delicious. The cocorita (I think) was divine. The chili lime rim added the perfect amount of zest- I seriously could have drank 10 of these. Great team, nice ambiance, fun menu! Will certainly be back. read more

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Still a favorite! We walked over after a 45min proposed wait time at a nearby new spot. That decision did not disappoint. We had a highly allergic person with us (seafood) and we mentioned it to the waiter upon getting seated. This place still has it. Pork tacos were still great. The rest of the four top all got the same, enchiladas-and they all loved it. We shared a couple sides or rice and beans. And I had myself a Cadillac margarita. We were there near closing time, but was not at all rushed. We had a birthday celebrant in our group and was told that had we said something sooner, he would have set aside a piece of cake, but offer a flan nonetheless. It was a really nice gesture and a great ending to another great dining experience at Nuestra. I will always recommend and come back. Thanks Nuestra. The staff are always incredible. Great value for this dining experience. read more

Awesome! Stumbled onto the fabulous restaurant and could not be happier...food was fresh, creative and tasty. Service was outstanding!

Extremely good food with extremely nice people at the restaurant! Our waiter was kind and knowledgeable. Exactly what one wants! Food was really really yummy and a great value for the price. Enjoy! read more

Always a great meal! Chips are amazing! Margaritas are top shelf! Great variety on menu! read more

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hmm so its been awhile since i've been to Nuestra Cocina. we made a quick stop to grab drinks and a few bites on a Thursday evening. Its first come first serve, but had no problem getting seated right away. It was almost shocking to see because everytime we pass by (pre-covid) this place was always packed! I was a little disappointed with some of their dishes. Did we come on a off day? Overall the flavors were more on the bland side (especially the ceviche) but the tacos were still pretty tasty. service was good, drinks were tasty so we'll try to come back and give it another go~ read more

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Absolutely delicious traditional Mexican cuisine. Not your average Mexican joint. The food is upscale gourmet Mexican food. I eat here ever time I visit Portland. I've tried many items on the menu and they have all been delicious. I highly recommend this place if you want traditional Mexican food. read more

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It's pretty good. Just be aware they always run out of their specials. I will recommend this place

We do need more restaurants like NC in Portland. Having said that, this long standing eatery pushes most of my buttons when it comes down to my palet. I've been here 3-4 times over the years, ya know, I did have a life before a yelp check in, wink. My favorites are the carne asada, enchiladas with mole, chile relleno, pollo asado and the cocina cadillac margarita. You can't go wrong with these choices. My least favorites are, the ceviche (the tomato with shrimp) uninspired and too sweet. Also, the pork chops were a tad on the dry side, the mashed potatoes are great though. Service was nice but seemed to disappear as the night went on. All & All, I really like this place, always have. The only reasons they don't get a 5 star is simply due to them not taking reservation and the ceviche needs some inspiration. read more

Such a cute place for Mexican food! Due to covid we called and made reservations and they take Day of reservations only! We were a big party and they couldn't split the bill only two cards per table which kinda suck, but we figured it out. The guava margarita was delicious highly recommended it and the food was soo good! I had the queso and gorditas. Will be back! read more

So happy found this place...food and cocktails are amazing. The soup is so good. We went back a week later as couldn't stop thinking about it. read more

Absolutely love this place and the vibes! I got the chicken & rice. I thought the chicken was well cooked and charred to perfection. The serving size was perfect. I felt like I was full, but still had room for dessert afterwards. My friend & I also got the flan for dessert. I personally thought the flan wasn't anything special, and wouldn't get again. Service was attentive. Overall, I would highly recommend this place. read more

Nuestra Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Instant favorite. More than 5 stars. Everything we ordered was incredible. I've had this on my list to try for some time and finally got the chance. The waiter was amazing and seemed like he must have been an owner or a family member with his knowledge and love for the restaurant otherwise just exceptionally trained and loyal. His recommendation were spot on. I'm still dreaming about the chile relleno although nothing like I've had before. The fish was expertly cooked and fell apart like butter. The tacos were good but slightly outshined by the other dishes. We ordered seconds of the ceviche as it was gone too soon. Even my child's quesadilla was stuffed and fried into a hot gooey pillow of tortilla and cheese. As if it couldn't get any better the desserts came out. Fantastic crepes with caramelized bananas filled with custard and the most amazing Grand Marnier flan. You could go for the drinks alone. My margarita was magic and the house sangria was really good. We needed to drive otherwise we would have tried several other delicious sounding drinks. Like I said instant favorite! read more

Going to this place for past 6 years-they have never disappointed us. We celebrate all are special occasions here. Awesome food- our favorite is Carne Asada with beans and Gorditas. Even there cocktails are amazing. They also have the best service! read more

This is still one of my favorite places for a margarita and their grilled chicken dish. Its always consistent and well executed. Ther service here is always friendly and speedy. Even when the is a long wait, they allow you to sit in the bar waiting area and enjoy a cocktail. read more

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I was debating between 4 and 5, and a going 5. Atmosphere - 5 (very cozy and warm in the evening) Service - 5 (seated quickly, friendly staff) Pricing - 4 (a bit pricey, but nice for a splurge) Ceviche - 5 (different... larger pieces of shrimp) Sopa - 5+++ (definitely get these -- soo good) Chilaquiles - 3 (good flavor, but way too much heat for me) Tacos - 3 (fine, but try other things on the menu) Crepes - 5+++ (very very good dessert) It was a great experience, and even though I didn't absolutely love everything we ordered, the things that I did love were amazing and the small plates style lets you experiment. We had a great night out, and will probably be back. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. They make delicious margaritas & they have a solid & affordable wine list that pairs nicely with their food. Sit at the bar for some lighter fare or sit at the chefs counter and have seafood, enchiladas, homemade tortillas, steak, beans. AND the owner & staff are some of the nicest people around. No attitude- this is a comfortable well-run restaurant. read more

Delicious savory dishes! Everyone enjoyed their meals and the environment is comfortable and allows conversation. The absolute best sangria anyone of us has every had is their House Sangria BE SURE and try it! read more

Nuestra Cocina - Tiny tortillas with Their house salsa not hot just flavorful. - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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STAY AWAY! Host was horrible sitting a family today, she said 30-40 minutes and it was over an hour to be seated. Never apologized or try to accommodate, when we questioned why it was taking such a long time she said we would just have to wait. Still happily charged us a 20% tip for service. Food is not authentic. Horrible food, that was tasteless and wasn't worth the wait. The host didn't even acknowledge or apologized to our family and had a horrible attitude. The cooks are Latino which might have you fooled, with music in the background, but this is not authentic. read more

Like a lot of places in Portland these days, I try not to visit Nuestra Cocina at prime time - their popularity is well deserved, and parking in this neighborhood can be tough any time you visit. But - and of course there was a 'but' coming - it's well worth a little scheduling effort. Nuestra Cocina provides quality ingredients, wonderful seasonings, and terrific presentation. One particular item that you won't find many places is Cochinita Pibil - and I highly recommend the version that you will find here. My wife is a big fan of their Ceviche as well. read more

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Best ceviche I've had in a long while. Tacos were absolutely delicious and cocktails were yummy!! I will be back as soon as humanly possible! Would give this a 6/5 If possible read more

The best Mexican food in town. Menu says that they have small portions due to the pandemic, but I think that are not small at all love it read more

Nuestra Cocina - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The best Mexican food and margaritas I've ever had! No reservations taken here, but don't let that keep you away! We've been here twice and have been so delighted with the food, drinks and service each time. If we lived in Portland it would be a weekly visit! The menu is very varied and everything we've ever tried has been great. The first time we were her we were with a group, so I got to taste quite a number of menu items. The second time we all shared 4 appetizers and 2 entrees, all of which were absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. The prices are very reasonable and portions are large. I especially recommend the lamb, which is served in a banana leaf "boat." The margaritas are outstanding, my 2 favorites being the Scarlet (blood orange) and the Granada (ginger infused tequila with pomegranate and lime). The chocolate pound cake with cinnamon ice cream is the perfect ending to a perfect meal. read more

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Technically I'm giving this a 3,5 review, but Yelp doesn't allow half- stars. We've been several times, and the atmosphere is always lively, the service is good, the staff are friendly, and the food is pretty good. They cocktail menu includes some tasty margaritas, and a few variations on some classics. The drink prices are fair, and the pour is generous. The menu has more selections of small plates and appetizers than entrees. There are some vegetarian dishes, several seafood options, and lots for carnivores. The asparagus with hearts of palm appetizer was very flavorful and the asparagus were cooked perfectly. The Queso Fundido was OK, but the flavors didn't blend well, but the fresh tortilla chips were great. The cauliflower with cheese and pumpkin seed vinegarette was very good. The beef tips (Puntitas de reys en chipotle..) was nice and spicy, but there was so much broth that the beans and squash got lost in what just seemed like a soup. The Gorditas Rellenas with pork looked good, but I did try this. (My friend seemed to enjoy it. read more

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service was fine but the guacamole was flavorless and so was the food, salsa options were also lacking in flavor. for the price i expected more from the dishes. read more

Shrimp enchiladas, yummmm!! Got carry-out though and the chips [with guac] were stale. Hubs loves the chicken albeit pricey for size. I look forward to going back soon vs getting carry-out. read more

I love this place except for the wait times . The margaritas here are awesome and you cannot go wrong with any pick on the drink menu. I have tried different options in the menu such as the chicken. Enchiladas, the poblano rellleno and the goat cheese dish (forgot the name). I loved all the dishes I ordered and would definitely visit again. read more

I take my Mexican food very seriously (how could I not? I'm from South Texas!) so I was thrilled when I thought I found a great Mexican restaurant in the PNW. The small plates were great for sharing and obviously made with fresh ingredients. The house-made tortillas, however, were dry and left me longing for the fluffier tortillas of my youth. Pricing was also frustrating at this spot. To get meat on the Gorditas Rellenas was an additional cost as was adding beans/rice to the meal (normally a staple for Mexican platos). read more

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