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

I seem to have a very poor memory of this place. I thought they had improved their menu and food…read moreand was looking forward to eating here again. Overall I would say it was a disappointing meal as the food quality and offerings don't justify the price point. Cocktails were good and perhaps just stopping here for a drink is all that's needed. For food we ordered the following: Empanada: Tasty and probably the best thing we had, although the portion was small for the price Scallop Ceviche: Red onion overwhelmed everything so was hard to enjoy Quinoa rice dish: Super boring and not very tasty Lomo Saltado: Overcooked beef and soggy fries. Strawberry shortcake: seasonal dessert: Cake was dense and lacked flavor. This was an exceedingly disappointing meal and I'm sad to see this restaurant hasn't improved over the years.

Ox has super friendly staff, a great energy and vibe to the space, and an expansive and delicious…read moremenu spanning Argentinian inspired fare. They started us off with a lovely cold soup, if I recall correctly leek and potato, and from there moved right into a lineup of heavy-hitting dishes that were packed with flavor. The beef tongue a la vinagreta was absolutely dynamite. Each piece of carpaccio was cut to the perfect thickness, which let it stand up beautifully to the punchiness of the spicy horseradish, acidic caper vinaigrette, earthy fried sweetbreads, and creamy ensalada rusa (potato salad). The clam chowder came out next, and while it was good as a standalone chowder, it was the one course that fell a little short for me. With smoked bone marrow in the mix and at the fairly high price point, I expected it to be more of a knockout, but it unfortunately just did not quite come together the way I hoped as the piece of marrow felt more decorative than additive to the flavors overall. Of course, we had to order one of the asados, so we opted for one of my absolute favorite cuts in the skirt steak and it did not disappoint! The steak was incredibly tender, cooked to perfection, and paired beautifully with their house made chimichurri sauce. Overall, it was a fantastic meal with great portions relative to the prices, and I'm definitely looking forward to returning next time I'm in the area to try some of the other offerings that we simply did not have the stomach space to try on this visit.

We were able to snag bar seats at 5pm. It was a super busy and packed night and we had an amazing…read moreexperience. The wood-fired smell hits you the moment you walk in. You know it's going to be good. The clam chowder blew me away. Smoky, rich, and layered in a way that I've never had chowder. The smoked marrow bone is the secret weapon. Then came the pork chop. It was moist and the maple glaze added just the right amount of sweet. Our bartender was slammed all night but never missed a beat -- always checked in, never made us feel forgotten. That's a hard balance to strike and they nailed it. Go and try to sit in front of the fire if possible. Order those two dishes. You're welcome.

We had a great time at this restaurant, the vibes inside are amazing and the food is delicious! I'd…read morerecommend the horchata and the queso fundido poblano! What we ate: Queso Fundido Poblano as a starter. We had a Carne Asada Taco and a Pastor Taco. Then got the La Costa Burrito, a shrimp burrito drenched in a creamy white wine sauce with pico, avocado, chili oil & queso fresco. Additionally, for drinks we had a cocktail and a horchata.

This is ONE of my favorite places to frequent often. However the reason for 3 stars is because they…read morerecently changed their menu to brunch Fri-Sun 9a-2p which was a complete disappointment. We really didn't enjoy the new offerings that they had. In my opinion they should stick to their full delicious menu. One piece of feedback, they always seem to be shorthanded. It'd be really nice for their staff to have more support. I did witness at least 8-10 people walk out either. They didn't like the new menu or they were being ignored to get a table.

I first visited Bicho's on a rainy Portland afternoon. My fiancé sweetly gave me a few lunch…read moreoptions, and this was one of them. I had been craving pupusas, and the moment I saw they had a good variety to choose from, I knew he made the right choice. I ordered the pork with rice and beans pupusa and the chicken with beans pupusa, and both absolutely hit the spot. They were filling, flavorful, and comforting in the way only good, handmade pupusas can be. The curtido and sauce tied everything together perfectly. Honestly, I could've just stuck with the pupusas and been completely satisfied. But I was really craving plátanos, so I also ordered a side of plátanos with beans and crema ..and wow. That combination was next level. The sweetness of the plantains with the savory beans and creamy crema was so good that I've decided from now on, that's the only way I want to eat them. The whole meal kept me full and happy for hours. One thing to note: you do bus your own table here, which I personally don't mind at all! just something to be aware of when you visit. After I finished eating, I took a walk down Mississippi Avenue, which made the whole outing even better. It's such a charming stretch -- little boutique shops, a cute pet store, a piercing shop further down the street, and plenty of restaurants and dessert spots if you want to keep the day going. Comforting Salvadorian flavors, this spot is definitely worth stopping by.

Craving pupusas?!? I was today and I was not disappointed!…read more Short order with a large menu, I only ordered two pupusas to go (one cheese/pork, one cheese/zucchini). While it seemed that several people tended to my pupusas on the grill, which seemed to be there forever - maybe due to my hunger, but they all did great. The cheese kept seeping out and they would flip the burnt cheese back on it. The wait was sooo worth it! Absolutely perfect! Still had plenty of cheese inside. I wish they gave more slaw, plenty of sauce for two. I imagine styles vary for slaw and sauce, these were good, but different from ones I have had in SF.

This was a pleasant visit. We were meeting a friend for lunch and randomly chose this place. It…read moreturned out that it was a great place. The food options were very good. The drink that I ordered was pretty good, as well. I really need to start writing down what I order or taking pictures so that I can add those to the review. Just know the place is yummy! They have indoor and outdoor seating. ....... .. .... .. .....

Hello Everyone: I am writing a review of Verde Cocina - this is a Mexican inspired restaurant in…read morePortland. We went visiting family in the area. Note: Their meals do not come with complimentary chips and salsa, something I have come to expect in this type of a setting so that was a bit of a disappointment, but not a deal breaker. If you want chips and salsa, the menu has a photo of the "amount" of chips and side dipping sauce you would receive for $5.00, so you can decide if you want to spend the money or not. I ordered the Chile Relleno and my husband ordered the Fajitas. Chile Relleno review: This is made with a poblano pepper, sweet potato, apple, quinoa, melted queso, veggies and garbanzo beans. This is not a typical filling for this dish, but that is exactly why I tried it. The veggies in my dish were carrots and zuchinni. I enjoyed this dish, the flavors of the veggies was very nice. My only complaint was when I cut into the pepper, the filling inside was a bit watery, as opposed to the filling on the plate which was a more appropriate consistency. As far as a spice level, I would give it a 3.5 out of five (five being very spicy). The presentation was beautiful as you can see from the photo), and this dish is at $20. It is plenty of food for one person. I would give this a 4.5 out of 5.0 stars. Now, many of you would not care for apple along with the other items in the filling, but I found the apple brought a little sweetness to the otherwise spicy filling, so it worked for me. My husband got the Fajitas. They are served with corn tortilla shells warmed in foil, a side of black beans and the filling which consisted of red and green bell peppers, onions, adobo sauce with chicken at $20.00. The menu shows it served on a plate, not on a hot skillet, but we found we prefer the "char" that a hot skillet provides this dish. Therefore, we give this dish a 4.0 out of 5.0 stars. Chuck also thought it was a bit spicy, as he said his mouth was "{on fire" after he started eating the dish. I don't know if he accidentally ate a hot pepper, or in general if this dish is served on the spicy side since this was our first visit there. I only mention this if you don't care for spicy items, this may not be a good choice for you. There is a good selection of beers - although I did not indulge this trip since it was lunch. Another reviewer mentioned the "smell" from the water glasses and sadly, we experienced the same during our visit. Therefore, I would skip the water and perhaps order something which comes in a bottle instead. This is a gluten-free restaurant for those of you on the hunt for this type of food. I would say this is worth a visit if you are in the area and are looking to try something different - a bit non-traditional than what you would expect.

I'm always craving a bit of home (i.e. Mexican food) when I'm traveling and Tamale Boy did a good…read morejob. We ordered: guac, salsa & chips, kids bean & cheese burrito, pozole blanco, and a variety of tamales (banana-leaf wrapped and corn-husk wrapped). The guacamole was tasty: I really enjoyed the seeds they sprinkled on top. The chips were nice and crunchy and not stale. Most of the tamales were nicely filled with well-flavored meats, but the masa was on the tad dry side. The pozole blanco was good, but felt super pricey at $16 in a little half container. The tamales were generously monstrous in size. All in all, I would say they are def worth a visit! Thank you!

I ordered at the food truck -- Nortenos Tamale Plate, Chile Verde. Honestly, this is the best…read moretamale experience I've ever had. I don't eat tamales often but I've had a decent amount growing up in Los Angeles. The tamale was my favorite item on the plate but I was surprised by the beans. I've never had anything like it. I can taste the bacon but it's subtle. I don't usually like beans but this was actually really good. Everything on my plate was packed with flavor but not salty at all. It was all very tasty. All the flavors are in harmony, even the pickled onions. I don't usually like onions but the pickled onions were tasty -- a nice touch to the plate and did not leave me with a tummy ache. Also, the tamale was pretty big so I split my meal into two. Definitely worth the price for me. I will probably order the same thing next time cause it was just too good ... and I love Chile Verde. Yum!

This little hole in the wall is staffed by the nicest people. They have serving a steady stream of…read morecustomers down to a science- which is great because they always have a line! Don't worry, they'll move you through quickly! The food is kind of pricey but always fresh, incredibly tasty, and not your typical Mexican fare. There's outdoor seating for those fabulous Portland summer days!

Great tacos and fast service, but a bit on the pricey side. $5.25 per carnitas taco and my husband…read morewas still hungry after 3 ($15.75). Lots of outdoor seating and shade on a hot day. Dog friendly outdoor seating.

Papi Chulo's is one of my favorite spots in Portland. The food is consistently amazing, the drinks…read moreare great and the atmosphere always feels welcoming and fun. Every time I've been the staff has been friendly, attentive, and genuinely seems to care about giving customers a great experience. Their tacos are super flavorful, the portions are excellent and everything tastes fresh. If you're stopping in for a quick meal or drinks with friends or even a night out, it's the kind of place that makes you always want to go back. You can really tell management takes pride in running a quality restaurant because everything feels organized and well taken care of. Portland has a lot of great food options but seriously Papi Chulo's stands out for both the food and the service. Definitely highly recommend checking it out if you haven't already!

Came back for a late-night burrito and it's decent. The vibe and energy inside was super fun. Lots…read moreof people and hype music but the food was ok. The Birria Burrito was full of meat and cheese but everything was too greasy. The burrito itself was also kind of soggy, might be because we took it out though. Salsas were good. Nothing to right home about but still hit the spot after some drinking.