I had such a genuinely beautiful experience at El Pilón Colombian Food. You can feel the care the…read moremoment you're there. The people are incredibly kind, personable, and welcoming, with such positive energy. There's a real human connection here--you can tell they truly care about what they do, and you leave feeling fed in more ways than just food. And the food absolutely deserves the praise, too. The chicken empanada was perfectly crispy and full of flavor, and the chicken arepa was warm, cheesy, and so comforting, with tender shredded chicken that just hit. Everything tasted intentional and made with love. Even the sauce on the side brought everything together so well. I would honestly pay double for this experience--not because it's expensive (it's very reasonable), but because the food, the people, and the overall vibe are just that good. Beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful company. They deserve the world. Highly recommend. --------------------- Tuve una experiencia realmente hermosa en El Pilón Colombian Food. Desde el primer momento se siente el cariño y la dedicación. Las personas son increíblemente amables, cercanas y acogedoras, con una energía muy positiva. Hay una conexión humana muy real -- se nota que de verdad aman lo que hacen, y uno se va sintiéndose lleno de muchas más formas que solo con la comida. Y la comida también merece todo el reconocimiento. La empanada de pollo estaba perfectamente crujiente y llena de sabor, y la arepa de pollo estaba calientita, con queso derretido y muy reconfortante, con pollo desmenuzado suave y delicioso. Todo sabía intencional, hecho con amor. Incluso la salsa que viene al lado unía todo de una manera increíble. Honestamente, pagaría el doble por esta experiencia -- no porque sea caro (el precio es muy razonable), sino porque la comida, las personas y la vibra en general son así de buenas. Comida hermosa, personas hermosas, una empresa hermosa. Se merecen el mundo. Súper recomendado.

I ordered two cheese empanadas, and they were extremely disappointing. I also accidentally selected…read morea maracuyá juice instead of a guanábana juice, and even though I realized the mistake immediately, before the drink was even handed to me, they still refused to change it. I ended up paying for something I did not want, which felt unfair and frustrating. This experience completely turned me off from returning or trying anything else on their menu. Based on this visit, I would not recommend them at all.

I'm not a Colombian food connoisseur by any means so I chose this restaurant purely on reviews. I…read moreordered the Patacones with pork, Estofado de Carne, Arepa Rellena with veggies and cheese, Arroz con Pollo and Sanchocho de Gallina. The food was delivered and plated quickly upon arrival. I appreciated the cardboard containers vs plastic but it did soak through. The bags it was packed up in kept it from becoming a mess. The smells were amazing and I had to taste as I plated. Everything was amazing, very flavorful, tender overall and large portions. Sadly, the carne was a little tough and I would not order this again. The Estofado de Carne had a hot sauce I had on the side. It was a very hot and delicious habanero sauce that was amazing! Great food, we'll be back for sure!!

Good GOD! I have never had Colombian food before, but I had heard good things about this spot…read more Came here on a date, and after having a couple of beers at the nearby Barrio, we both wanted something to eat... enter Que Bacano! I looked at the menu for a while, and EVERYTHING looked amazing. I couldn't decide! I eventually settled on the Arepas Relleno, which is a thick corn tortilla that is fried and split down the middle, then filled with absolute deliciousness! It's a bit of a fragile eat (mine was falling apart as soon as I picked it up), but dear lord is it tasty. My mouth is literally watering as I write this, remembering how good it was. That's saying something! The gentleman working there was very friendly, and kept speaking to me in what sounded like Spanish (I clearly don't speak Spanish). He soon realized I had little to no idea what he was saying, started laughing and apologized after switching to English. All the guys that had been in line before me were speaking Spanish with him, so I get it. Anyway, not much to say about the ambiance as it's a food cart, but overall a very positive experience and I will DEFINITELY be back. I gotta try everything else!

E A T. H E R E . if…read moreyou're like me and maybe live nearby and have driven by or scrolled passed thinking "looks cute but I'm in 'X' or 'Y' mood right now and I'm not all that familiar with South American or Cuban etc so you put it off another day... STOP. Come here IMMEDIATELY. I popped in for brunch on a Sunday, no wait, Sat right at the bar. Vibrant bright sun filling the place, upbeat tunes playing. Handful of tables occupied. The vibes were 10/10 I pulled up a barstool and the menu had a lot of solid, tempting options. I went with a pressed Cuban sandwich topped with fried egg, bacon strips, hollandaise and sliced avocado. Had a beer and a shit, tasty. It was PERFECT. I'm coming back again, frequently, before this place POPS OFF. Gotta be a regular for me going forward. It is just GREAT!!!

Enticed by all the good reviews for this place and a hankering for Latin American food, I needed to…read morecheck them out. They're quiet on a Friday afternoon. Their space is very colorful and has a lot of fun energy. Their menu is pretty focused but the items all sound very tasty. We went with an Empanada of the day, The Cubano, and the Bandeja. Their focused menu certainly paid off when you see how fresh and well-executed their dishes were. The empanada of the day was a mushroom and cheese. It's made fresh so the cheese was nice and gooey. Their crust is different from what I'm used to. It seems to be a mix of maize and cornmeal rather than flour. I think it gave a nice crunchy crust and slightly chewy inside. A bit small for the price though. The Cubano was again made fresh. Bread was nice and crispy. Inside was filled with hearty meat and cheese. A solid sandwich, especially when paired with their pico de gallo. The start of the meal was easily the Bandeja. You can choose between chicken and flat iron steak for the Bandeja; we went with the steak and we weren't disappointed. It's cooked medium-rare, making the steak super tender. The outside crust was well-seasoned and flavorful. The Plato came with a lot of other tasty things like a perfect over-easy egg, rice and beans, avocado, and the best chicharron I've had. It's small but packed a punch. The outside was crispy all around while the fat layer was still melt-in-your-mouth soft. This dish had everything, perfect for sharing. The staff were attentive and friendly. Happy hour is from 3-5PM on weekdays. All in all, we had an amazing meal and will be spreading the word of their goodness for sure.

They are having a Tamales Festival (March 22-26), 11-8pm. I stopped by today at 5pm and got three…read moretamales (and additional ones to go). The elote tamale from Principe Maya was so delicious!! Sweet with a kick of spice, recommend this one for sure!!! We also got a pollo & cheese tamale from Casados Pura Vida. Very delicious that my 5 year old asked for another Chichen (pollo) tamale.

Deciding where to eat in a foodie city is sometimes difficult, especially if there are multiple…read moremouths to feed, so the Mercado is a great choice with a number of food trucks and many different ethnic dishes. Today I chose an Al pastor burrito from Fernando's Alegria and my wife had chicken in mole from the Oaxaca truck. Everyone was happy! They have both outdoor and indoor seating available.

Tiny little hole in the wall with just the best empanadas you've ever had in your life. Fantastic…read moreprices, too. Not all of the staff speak English so I recommend ordering online then picking up your food in person at their service window, but every interaction I've had with them has been lovely. Great place!

El Pilon is a favorite at our house, we regularly order empanadas (beef and colombianita with the…read moregarlic and cilantro sauces are my favorite) and juices (especially mango and soursop), but love everything we've tried, including the arepas, plantains, and loaded fries. Staff is incredibly kind as well. Great value, rewards system, and i love that they're a gluten free dedicated facility.

We had an amazing experience at Andina. The food was absolutely epic--every dish we tried was full…read moreof flavor and beautifully presented. The service was just as impressive: attentive, friendly, and really made us feel taken care of without being overbearing. The venue itself is gorgeous and has such a great atmosphere. It's the perfect place to gather with friends and enjoy a night out in Portland. Everything about the experience felt thoughtfully done, from the pacing of the meal to the overall vibe. Andina is Portland institution and pays such great homage to Peruvian cuisine. This restaurant never disappoints. Thank you Andina for always being a Portland constant...great food, great food, great service ! We'd definitely come back and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a great group dining experience.

Amazing.... area (Pearl District), food, staff, drinks, decor - everything!! Highly, highly, highly…read morerecommend this delicious spot to anyone. Bonus: They are very accommodating to dietary restrictions; I have a tree nut allergy and another guest was gluten free. The restaurant is also open yet cozy. Beautifully decorated and well done overall. Just do yourself a favor and make a reso to enjoy a yummy meal

We went here with friends, including one who is gluten free. To be honest, I'm always a skeptic…read moreabout 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!

First off, the food itself is very good, and the quality has been consistent. We've eaten here a…read morefew 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.

La Arepa is a great food cart with tons of authentic Venezuelan food. I had never tried Venezuelan…read morefood before, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and variety of this place. Their menu is quite large, and there are options to suit many dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free). I particularly enjoyed their cheese empanadas, refried black beans, and vegan Pabellon arepa. Everything came out hot and absolutely delicious, and the service was pretty fast even though there was a bit of a line. I can't wait to go back and try more of their food.

Great Arepa cart near my home on Halsey. Had the Pelua, shredded beef with a generous amount of…read morecheddar. Be sure to add their spicy garlic sauce to complete this crunchy, hearty meal. Must try!