My wife and I enjoyed a delicious lunch of empanadas and fried potatoes on Wednesday, December…read more10th, on our way to the airport. We definitely will return to LaChona next year on our annual trip to Portland with our family. To add, the service was exceptional and the ambiance very pleasant. Bill and Maureen

This review is from a visit last year. No idea if things have changed since then but I sure hope…read moreso. We had a gift card here so gave it a go. Seated upstairs so felt bad the waitress had to go up and down many many times. The empanadas were awful. I am being extremely honest. It seemed as if they were pre frozen and lacked flavor and filling. We were so surprised at the quality and price. I also had the shnitzel and it had no seasoning and was so bland. With a sad excuse for chimichurri. That seemed haphazardly put together, again lacking any flavor. Was it an off day based on the amount of people raving? Maybe. But also maybe they aren't aware of the better options in Portland so lack the awareness of true potential in this cuisine. I recommend Lechón if you want real chimichurri and empanadas.

New updated menu, authentic and hearty empanadas. Glad I gave Abuela another try! The empanadas are…read morea bit tangy and saucy, and filling. The Spinach Empanada was flavorful and hearty. I wish it had more cheese and creamier! I wasn't a big fan of the Argentinian Chipa cheese bread. It was very dense with bland lukewarm cheese. I kept searching for a good bite, and finally threw in the towel 1/2 way. It didn't have the fluffy texture with ooey gooey melty cheese that I was hoping for. Great spot to grab an empanada!

I'm not an empanada expert, but I found these to be quite tasty! The pastry is the best part, it's…read morelight and very flaky, not the sturdy dough I was expecting at all. I got the combo, which includes 2 empanadas, fries, chimichurri sauce, and a nice sandwich cookie. I chose the Abuela Chona and criollo empanadas. I ate one and my dad ate one. Both have ground beef, I honestly am not sure which one I ate, as it seemed like all that was inside was ground beef, but it was nicely seasoned. It was hot! Fries were ok, nothing too exciting. They were also nice and hot, although a few were soggy. They sprinkle dried herbs on them, which is a nice touch The cookie looked different from the pic on the menu; it looked like a flat, white, unexciting disc. In real life, it is 2 glorious, light, melt-in-your-mouth shortbreads sandwiching a generous amount of creamy, rich, not-too-sweet dulce de leche. I highly recommend the alfajores!

Yummy empanadas and savory with every bite!…read more I like their beef and cheese! Pork shoulder was nice and tender. Both were juicy when eating it piece by piece! Delish and food pod for the win through this market stroll!

Located at the Portland Saturday Market, this food truck has a great selection of savory and sweet…read moreempanadas, alfajores, and ojitos, including some great vegetarian and vegan options. I decided to try the standard beef and cheese empanada and it was fantastic. Perfectly spiced ground beef with cheese and vegetables wrapped in a flaky and delicious pastry shell. Cheap, high-quality, and tasty. Definitely worth stopping by!

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 had my first empanadas from El Pilon's food truck that's tucked inside of Midtown Beer Garden…read morelocated in downtown Portland! I got 2 to try, a Colombianita and chicken. I prefer the chicken one more because it was more flavorful and had way more meat. The beef and potato one was still good, but it was mainly just potato. Both empanadas were piping hot, but sitting outside and eating it fresh in the cold weather helped cool it down quickly. I was expecting them to be bigger, but it was actually pretty small and I could have ate it in 2 bites. The menu is very modern and easy to read/comprehend. I like the helpful descriptions for some items and I am interested in trying their yuca fries. The ladies who helped with the order were very nice! The person in the back was definitely on top of it because I am pretty sure they started preparing the food right when they heard my order, before I was even able to complete my payment.

I ordered a sobrebarriga and it honestly was at least 60% fat. Sobrebarriga is a fattier meat, but…read morenever in Colombia or the states had I visited a place comfortable serving something like that. It is a shame that the only Colombian restaurant in Portland that serves plates is so mediocre. As much as I miss the food, I don't even bother going to this restaurant because they are consistently mediocre or bad. what a shame

This was our second round ordering here. We had it delivered so I can't speak to the restaurant…read moreitself. I will say that the restaurant did call me when the delivery service picked up the food to let me know it was on the way. Food was ready on time. The Sobrebarriga en Salsa Criolla was exceptional. The flank steak was very tender and well seasoned. The potatoes, plantains and rice made this a great dish. The Arepa Rellena with pork was also wonderful. The pork was cooked spot on and absolutely delicious. The Choriarepa had great flavor and a great appetizer. The Yuca Frita was good and the sauces added to give flavor. We'll continue to give Que Bacano our patronage

Came in on a cold Sunday, we arrived before they open, fortunately their patio heater was already…read moreturned on so it wasn't too terrible to be waiting outside. The owner did let us in a few minutes earlier as they continued to set up the tables. The interior felt like we were in Cuba, not that I've been but I imagined the decor would be like this . The owner is very friendly, took the time to explain any questions we had as we are not familiar with Cuban cuisine, this included how to properly enjoy some of the dishes. Everything we had tasted fantastic, full of flavors, fresh, just delicious. The empanadas were definitely our favorite, we saw a Cuban lady coming in and taking two big boxes of them, we almost wanted to ask her where the party is at. I'm thinking about those empanadas while writing this review, I think I need to go back again soon.

This restaurant had been closed for a few years now! The mural on their walls, have also been…read morerepainted by the new owners. I can't believe it! The neighborhood I grew up is back, to how it used to be, when I lived there, in the 70's. I actually missed that building now, it doesn't fit the funkiness of the neighborhood.

Good place overall. Food was decent and service was fine. Nothing outstanding, but everything was…read moreokay and met expectations.

I was in town for work and this place was highly recommend recommended both by staff and what we…read moresaw online from reviews. A colleague and I made a reservation and while it was for an outside table, they were able to accommodate us to sit at the bar which we really appreciated because of the weather. The menu is mostly small plates and they recommend 2 to 3 dishes per person. We ordered five total. I ordered the jicama salad, octopus and snapper-- all of the items were delicious and there was nothing left on my plate. The Bartender forgot my colleague drink, but once we let them know, got it right away and comped it. Overall, an amazing experience and would highly recommend. I plan to return on my next visit to try out other items on the menu.

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!

We couldn't decide on what to do for dinner with so many options in the area. After discussion we…read moredecided on a Puerto Rican dining experience. We enjoyed the food on Puerto Rico on our cruise so this was a treat. The restaurant was vibrant with island decor and family photos on the walls. My wife ordered a Mojito and I had a Rum and Coke. The mojito was underwhelming and was missing flavor. On to the food..... I ordered the Mofongo with pork and my wife had the garlic chicken. My meal was moist and tasty along with being filling. The garlic chicken was pounded thin and overcooked, very dry and hard to eat. The accompanying beans, rice and salad were very good. I mentioned the quality or lack of to the waiter (I think was the owner) and he questioned me like I was wrong. No apologies given. I didn't ask for a discount and wasn't given one. All I would have liked was an acknowledgement. We won't be back especially with a food truck park within a quarter mile away with almost 30 assorted trucks.

We decided to stop by this place after always driving by it and wondering how it was. The place was…read morenice and cozy and had like a local relaxed vibe to it. We ordered the Tenderized Steak Marinated in a Garlicy Vinegar sauce, the Mofongo with roasted pork, and empanadas to share. The standout dish for me was the Mofongo. It was a unique dish that I hadn't tried before. It came in like one of the mortar shaped bowls with like smashed plantains and the slow roasted pork in the middle. It was pretty good. The Marinated Steak was decent and had a good flavor to it, but the Mofongo would be my recommendation.

Great empanadas, lots of food serve, had the choripan, como en Buenos Aires!…read moreExcellent service too! Oh and don't forget to gets some alfajores! Riquisimos Gracias!

Came for the empanadas, which appear to be everyone's favorite…read more We tried three kinds -- the beef, the onion and cheese, and the humita (sweet corn. yellow onions, with a traditional Argentinian white sauce and spices). Small. Flaky pastry. Reasonably filled. Our order came with one very small plastic cup of plain hot sauce and a few french fries. A tastier salsa or two would have made the meal better, brought out the flavor of the fillings, sharpened the overall taste.