El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant
10820 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR, 97220
El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant Menu
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Address :
10820 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR, 97220 - Phone (503) 257-6010
- Website https://eltapatioor.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Zach P.
Awesome lunch and dinner specials and a great happy hour at amazing prices either way COME TRY IT
(5)Diego B.
Fun familia environment with bright, lively and authentic decor. Waitresses were attentive and friendly. I had the carnita plate and judging from my plate and those around me, El Sombrero has got the traditional mex style down. And a $7 shot of cazadores reposado, and their $4.50 Bohemias are definitely worth writing home about.
(5)Dan M.
Stopped in at this place because it was less than 2 miles from the airport (where I was staying in a hotel for business) and because it was given 4 stars on Yelp. Big Mistake. Ordered pork carnitas, which was described as a "house special", and said to be "beef (or pork) tenderloin fried with green peppers, onions and spices, served with guacamole" on the menu. (That actually sounds more like fajitas!) What came was as described, EXCEPT: not tenderloin pork; more like Non-tender pork! Half of it was unchewable and mostly gristle. No guacamole with the meal. Had the pork been simmered in some tomatillo (or other) sauce for a while, it would have had a better chance of being tender. But grilling tough meat won't work here. The meal was accompanied by tired Spanish rice, and beans that may have been from a powdered mix because they were so bland, and of course covered with the requisite gooey cheese. This is basic Mexican food, and most places get it at least edible, if not special. But not at this place. On the plus side, salsa that accompanied the chips was good with a kick, and the servers were friendly and attentive. It appears that you will have to travel a bit farther from PDX to get palatable Mex food, because you may not find it here, other Yelp reviews notwithstanding...
(1)Chris K.
I have been stopping in and eating here for quite a few years now. I come here frequently for lunch. I am a huge fan of chips and salsa. If a restaurants chips and salsa suck, I will probably not be back. Granted, there are probably quite a few places around that have better but, they are pretty tasty here. There are quite a few selections on the menu but, I always have the super good Tacos El Carbon. The service is freindly, prompt and attentive, food comes out super quick which is nice if I am pressed for time.
(4)Ingrid H.
We arrived shortly after 6 pm. The place was pretty empty, a waitress quickly came by to take our drink order. While we checked out the menu another waitress brought us some chips and salsa ( one hot salsa and one mild salsa). Then it took forever for a waitress to come back and take our order. Once our order was finally taken it took once again forever for our food to be delivered. The food was nothing exciting. I ordered an enchilada and chalupa plate with rice and beans. I must say that I have never had more bland food in my life. Zero flavor. The place got busy, mainly older people who seem to be regulars. Once we were done with our meal it took a long time for anyone to notice that we had our card out. They delivered the bill and once again no waitress. There's nothing more annoying then having to stand up and track down a cashier because no one is paying attention. We are definitely not coming back. A can of Rosarita refried beans has more flavor than this place.
(2)Allen S.
Food was delicious! The best I've had so far in Portland. The ambiance was perfect. They didn't try to modernize. It was old-world style Mexican. This will now be my go to place for Mexican food. Everything was cooked to perfection.
(5)Laurie G.
Came in around 8pm. There was one table finishing in the bar. We were the only other ones in the bar. It took over ten minutes for her to take our order, even after she acknowledged we were ready. She preceded to clean tables and make us wait. Very handy to speak Spanish since she was speaking to us almost all in Spanish, but I couldn't understand a word she had to say. This is usually a good sign since if Mexicans are cooking the Mexican food, its got to be good. Mostly all the customers were Spanish speaking Mexicans, so food has to be good, right? The salsa is good, not too spicy or runny or chunky, but a little overboard on the onions and green peppers. Beans were a little too salty and they really skimped. Fajitas were good, but nothing special. Got ignored multiple times. Won't come back here again. Plenty of other Mexican places to go. We were friendly and did not complain at all. She just kept getting ruder. Never came back once the food was dropped off. Waited half hour for a drink refill, and finally gave up. Would not I do love horchata and the horchate here is extra delicious and definately homemade. I highly recommend the horchata for your drink.
(1)James K.
We headed to El Sombrero for dinner on the way to a late flight at PDX. The reviews were generally decent and it is conveniently located a few minutes off 205. Plus Mexican is usually a hit with our two little men. As has been stated, the customer service was friendly and frequent. This was the first time in a while that we didn't really have to wait for anything, even our check. But that and the murals were really the high point for us. I got the Chicken Mole, which I've had in many other establishments. I've even had it in Oaxaca Mexico, where it was created. In this case the sauce was uninteresting and the chicken was well overcooked. It's the first time I've ever had Mole served with small chicken strips, like something that would be put into an enchilada. It's not a bad idea necessarily, but it was dry and tough. My wife had the spinach and shrimp enchiladas, again a risky choice in a strip mall Mexican joint. She said they tasted okay, but it seemed as though all of the shrimp were in one tortilla and all of the spinach in the other. I didn't say anything to freak her out, but I hope she is seated close to the bathroom on her overseas flight just in case the shrimp wasn't completely fresh. Lastly, the $8.50 house marg was large, but obviously not made with fresh limes. It didn't taste bad, just not close to the best margarita I've ever had. All that to say that there is worse Mexican to be had in the city, but if I had the choice to do it over, I would have found a Chevy's and gone there instead.
(2)Amber H.
Bad service even though they have very delicious food. Well balanced flavors and very yummy yet spicy salsa. Terribly small portions but good dinner specials.
(3)Kimberly P.
The 3-Star "A-Ok" rating applies. I wasn't overly wowed by anything in particular, but I didn't leave dissatisfied either. We went in for lunch and ordered the chicken and steak fajitas for two and two iced teas. The bill before tip was $25, which was reasonable considering the portion size. There was enough food to feed at least three, possibly four, people. We both received plates of rice, beans (choice of black beans or refried), pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. The iced tea was brewed, which I appreciate, rather than being served up from a soda dispenser. The chips and salsa were decent...the salsa had some heat which is all good, but the chips were on the thick side and lacked salt. The servers seem to rush the ordering process a bit, the steak was really pretty chewy and the rice had a puddle of grease underneath, which I'm not used to seeing. Overall, I'd like to give it another chance as some of the reviews I've read imply better experiences, and I haven't had a chance to try a margarita!
(3)Sherry S.
A sunny, sleepy Saturday brought us here. We were expecting to see someone in a sombrero chillin', it was that kind of day. It's on Sandy Blvd, and there are bars on the windows. You can park in the back. When we headed in, there is the coolest black metal gate with, what else - El Sombrero on it. Nice touch. They've got outdoor seating and I can imagine what that could be like.. sitting in the sun, drinking cervezas, while eating tacos.. hmm.. this is getting better all the time. We walked in and the first thing I noticed was their fun and colorful murals on the walls. I also noticed that the size of the place is pretty decent and it's pretty clean. We were seated with a pelican and a giraffe behind our booth peering over at us. I am liking it more and more. The waiter was one of those that was intuitive, you know, gets things before you ask.. asks you things, before you have to.. Wonderful through the whole meal. Oh, but the food? This is a place that's inbetween a taqueria and an americanized mexican joint. That's the best way I can put it. The salsa is spicy and was very flavorful. We ordered some coronas with lime and they came with nice frosty glasses. I always like my pan fried fish tacos but they had the breaded/deep fried ones so I passed on those. We ended up ordering the chile rellenos and a whole tilipia fish. The cheese from the rellenos was melted inside and they are not the breaded type. The whole tilipia fish was boneless. He told us that but that was hard to believe. It's true though. We might have found 2 small bones.. It was deep fried and so crunchy, and NOT greasy. The fish was perfect inside and fresh. I actually thought that the fried fish skin resembled the skin off of fried chicken.. it was truly crispy. Just as we were leaving, 3 guys walked in but they all were wearing baseball caps. Not a sombrero in the place.
(4)Flory W.
We ate at the El Sombrero Mexican restaurant for the first time recently. It was a Sunday morning and my husband and I were the only customers. Not surprisingly, the service was excellent. The atmosphere of the place was clean and pleasing. IMy husband ordered his favorite Mexican dish - the Chile relleno. It was very, very good - and this is coming from someone who has ordered Chile rellenos is a great many Mexican restaurants. The typical side dishes - Mexican rice and refried beans - were also well-prepared and tasty. All in all, we liked El Sombrero and recommend it to others.
(5)Mark H.
I've been coming here for lunch intermittently for almost 20 yrs now. Had lunch there yesterday. They have definitley changed and not for the better. Pros: Had great service and always have. Green Chile was great! Good flavor, tender pork, creamy and flavorful refried beans. Salsa was spicy with good flavor. Cons: Their tortillas are now industrial tasting and nasty. They used to be the go-to spot for chips and salsa but not anymore. Even the pre-meal chips were sub-par and tasted cheap. They used to be taste freshly cooked and kept warm in an oven. Spanish rice fell a little flat but that's somewhat standard to my taste at most Mexican food spots. Prices had gone way up! Borderline too expensive. I'd given it more stars but was very disappointed in the crappy cheap tortillas. I grew up in Tucson so I know mexican food and good tortillas which are difficult to find in Portland. Even my coworker who grew up in Phoenix agreed with me. Also dont know where the bad service ratings came from, I have never experienced that. Hope this helps
(2)Aviles C.
Worst seafood ever. Bought half a dozen of oysters for $10. They were old,dry,and WARM. As soon as I saw this I threw them out because I didn't want to get sick from the temp and the fact they were obviously old. I also got a shrimp cocktail and it was warm!!!! Who eats a shrimp cocktail warm?!? It's not soup ?! I had to put it in the freezer and wait till it cooled down , it only had 5 little shrimps in it and the rest was juice - for 12$?!?! Out of their mind. In total spent about 30 $ . Also got some enchiladas so those were pretty good although they didn't have any enchilada sauce on them ! They were naked enchiladas ): just moved here from southern ca and it was just a total let down . Don't order the seafood but I'm sure some other things on the menu may be ok .
(1)Bruno D.
In town on business and had a Mexican craving. Closest place to the airport was El Sombrero, and very happy I took the chance. Great service, the food was amazing! Whoever thought to wrap bacon around shrimp (C. Monterrey) deserves a gold medal. Which I will personally administer, by the way. If I find myself back around these parts, I will stop by again!
(4)Mick R.
This has been a neighborhood favorite for over ten years. They're now called El Tapatia but the same family is still running the place and the food is still great. I very much recommend the Tacos Al Carbon. They are the best I've ever had.
(4)Nathan C.
Delicioso y amigavel. I'm excited to find an authentic and well run Mexican restaurant in Portland. I'm from San Diego and have missed the burritos and enchiladas from there and nearby Tijuana. The chips and salsa are fresh, crisp, and perfectly picante. The service was friendly and attentive. They even swapped out my burrito colorado even after I had taken a few bites - and it was my fault for ordering the wrong kind! (I wanted bean & cheese and had never heard of colorado meaning steak.) I'll definitely be back to try the sizzling fajitas.
(5)Rebecca F.
The service was awesome and the salsa was fantastic. The encheladas where not great but where absolutely standard fair for Portland's Mexican Food scene. I miss mexican food accented by queso fresco and crema. This place has the salsa down pat. It would be awesome if they would use more authentic food products to accent their meals.
(3)L L.
We love to split a veggie fajita plate with margaritas. The waitresses are super sweet and bring us all the chips and salsa we can eat! Everything about this place is delish! We come here every week.:) Only recommendation I would have would for the to staff more heavily on weekends. We waited over 1 1/2 to get our food one Friday night.
(5)B S.
We've been coming to El Sombreros for many, many years. Friday nights meal was a stand out. The Chili Verdi plate, as well as the C.V. Burrito were superior. We've eaten a vast majority of the menu items over the years. You really can't go wrong. Good service and fair prices don't hurt either. Yum.
(5)Terri R.
Muyo delicious. I tried this place based on the Yelp reviews and I was not disappointed. I tried the taco, enchilada, tostada combo as these are basics I used to judge whether I will return. The food arrived quickly and was piping hot. The salsa had a nice kick and the service was excellent. If I had any complaint it is the music was a bit loud, but it was a Saturday night so I forgive them! I will definitely be back. One surprise is they closed at 8:30 on a Saturday night which could be a problem for some.
(4)Erin H.
Tex Mex heaven! Been looking for cheesy, saucy, Tex Mex heaven in Portland for a while and this place is at the top of my list so far. As per the norm when I go to a new place, I order a friggin lot of food. Also as per the norm I try to order some very basic items that should be easy for a place specializing in one type of cuisine. In this case being Mexican/Tex Mex I went with the Chili Relleno and taco plate as the first order, Queso Fundido for a appetizer, and on the side a pair of Enchiladas. Queso comes out bubbling like molten cheesy lava covered in tasty Chorizo. Really good stuff! Creamy, rich, with the salty spicy Chorizo, you really can't go wrong! Plate one. Chili Relleno is perfect, nice and puffy with a meaty chili stuffed full of cheese. Batter is perfect, fluffy and a little crispy. Not to much sauce but just enough. Rice and beans with it are the norm though taste freshly made. The taco was your standard crispy taco with beef. Beef wasn't to greasy, plenty of cheese, top it with the Queso and your in Tex Mex heaven. Plate two. Though they botched my order and instead of Enchiladas with cheese and Salsa Verde I ended up with chicken Enchiladas I wasn't going to complain. Full of chicken, covered in cheese and sauce these things where perfect in every way! If your looking for good Tex Mex style food, this is the place to go. Great service, great food, you can't go wrong! Nothing bad to say....which is probably a first if you read my other reviews. =)
(4)Dl L.
We arrived about 8pm and the restaurant was busy. We were visiting with our kids for the holiday so they seated us in the bar as there was no available group seating. We did not realize the main seating had cleared and the restaurant was closed until we walked out. They were so gracious in addition to the food being good. Very cold frosted mugs with beer! We have tried several Mexican restaurants in the area so far the group picks this one.
(5)Alexander W.
Awesome authentic food and people. Servers are excellent and attentive. Nice artwork. I really liked this place, especially the service.
(4)Ron G.
Good Mexican food and lots of it. Prompt and courteous staff!
(5)Tim S.
My wife "loved" her food where I was more on the "really liked" level. We have been here once before and definitely thought it was worth coming back and it was. The people that were serving are really friendly. When our server was busy, two other people chipped in and helped. All three were friendly and smiling. They have some really good combos but they also have combos options where you can mix and match items yourself. I have not had any alcohol myself but the table near us was served a beer with a "frosty" glass and a lime on the rim. Yummmm! My idea of perfection. The refried beans have a lot of garlic in them, which gives them pretty good flavor, but this time it was a little too much. Too much garlic is something I would never say but it was this time. It won't keep us away though and luckily we go by this location just about every week. See you again soon El Sombrero!!
(4)Julie F.
This is just another average mexican restaurant. Not impressed with quality of food. Nothing outstanding either way.
(3)Corey C.
I came here on a Tuesday night for dinner not knowing the potential this Mexican restaurant had. I ordered a Fajita Monterey and was well worth the $14 I spent due to the large plate of prawns and extra dish of beans, rice, and guacamole for the tortillas. There were a few tables that night but I bet the place would be filled on weekends. I couldn't help notice the unique decorations of the restaurant, especially the large parrot my partner pointed out. Highly recommend if you're a fan of authentic Mexican food.
(5)David S.
I have eaten here a few times. At best the food has been fair. Once it took us about an hour to get our food. I recently called to get take-out for lunch because I was wanting something different. They have a sign hanging outside that says 7.95 Lunch Special. I told the lady who answered that I didn't have their menu in front of me, but that I wanted three lunches to go so that I could continue working on my project. She suggested carne asada and shrimp a la diabla, which are typically the most expensive things on the menu in any Mexican restaurant. I suggested a beef burrito or a lunch special which is typically cheaper. She said that she would take care of me. When I arrived, she wanted $40 for three "lunches" that had the appearance of full on dinners. Guess what? They chopped up the expensive carne asada and put it in a burrito (which was actually more like an enchilada). The carne asada was tough and overcooked. With sales tactics that leave clients feeling like that they have just been had, they won't be around much longer.
(1)Donna S.
LOVE this place. My husband and I meet up with friends after work to catch up and enjoy a good margarita and dinner. Their food is great, service is friendly and centrally located for my gang... Can't ask for more!
(4)Emily L.
This place is pretty good. Cheaper than eating at some dumpy Shari's and the salsa is awesome and spicy. Don't get the guacamole, its packed with sour cream and you can't taste the avacado in it at all! The wait staff was really friendly and attentive.
(3)Sean G.
El Sombrero is a staple of the business office associated with the plant where I work. So it's a place that we can all agree on and meet in a nice halfway point. And that's kind of the whole idea of El Sombrero. They're decent and something everyone can enjoy. Nothing too special. The usual items you would expect at a Mexican Restaurant. I usually get the taco and enchilada combo, but I've tried the tostadas and burritos, and have seen others eat nearly all of the lunch items on the menu. It's all good, but kind of plain. There's plenty of it, and nobody ever has complained about their food. But I've never heard, "Wow this was great!" either. But that's OK. The decor is kind of a joke, really, and the staff never seems to remember my little group. They are efficient and keep things going with a smile, so there's that anyway. The food is reasonably priced, about $7-8 for a lunch combo (they recently bumped their prices, like everywhere else it seems) and they give you your moneys worth. It's a high three, but there's nothing outstanding about El Sombrero. I'd like the food to be a little bolder, but I won't ever complain when it's chosen as the place to go for lunch.
(3)Just Call Me Brain V.
I've had Mexi in many different states and in our two adjacent countries. Mexi food comes in all shapes and flavors. It's really a matter of what you are used to. It bugs me sometime when people think that baja style is true mexi. There really isn't any true Mexi food. If a Mexican abuelita made me a bologna sandwich, is that not Mexi food? It was made by someone who was Mexican? Anyway, I digress. If there is a style to this place, I would say more Cali-mexi (California style mexican prepped food). I'm from New Mexico, so to me it's either New Mexi (with green chile) or Tex Mex. So I rate on this Cali-Mexi level. Maybe there's even an Oregonian Mexi but I doubt it. Anyways, this place rocks in Cali-Mexi style. Great portions. Even places here in Washington that are so-called "Mexi" are bland compare to this. I think the staple to any Mexi place is the salsa. And let me tell you, their salsa is delish! It's more on the spicy end but it has great flavor. Of course, you can't really have any Mexi unless you get a combo plate. The true basics to any Mexican food, frijoles, arroz, taco, enchilada, tamale. If those are screwed up, chances are the rest is going to suck. Well, not true here. This combo was large and in charge. Great flavor, the refried beans weren't too watery and the rice not too dry. My tamale was moist with chunks of pork. My taco shell was freshly fried and the prepackaged type. To top it off, I had a nice sangria to compliment to food. So I am saying that based on this "basic" dish, the seafood menu portion must be just as great. Their main entrees looked very good. An adjacent table had this HUGE loud sizzling fajitas going for them. From talking with my server, it sounded like these folk have been around for about 16 years. To me, that gives them enough time to get it right. Great place!
(4)Eric P.
Good salsa, especially the hotter version. I had the pollo ala diabla. Basically chicken, onions and mushrooms in a spicy red sauce. It was really nice. Not overly spicy. Put together with flour tortillas. Good value for the money.
(4)Helchedda S.
LOVE this place. The food, the margys (we always get our with Hornitos) the decor and the wonderful service. Being from So Cal, it was detrimental to find a Mexican restaurant comparable to what we had tons to choose from down there. El Sombrero satisfies that fix completely. The tacos al carbon and pollo asada are two faves. My husband speaks fluent Spanish and the sweet server who is always there forces me to practice mine. We request the bar section if we have a large party, which is perfect for birthdays or friends in from out of town. Salsa so spicy you can not stop eating it and the tortilla soup is to die for. Lovely, delish and super charming.
(5)Jenny W.
Best mexican restaurant in NE!
(5)Aaron S.
El Sombrero, while humble, is probably one of Portland's best Mexican restaurants. They've been in business for at least 15 years, so they're doing something right. Everything I've had here has been great, from the Chips & Salsa, to the Queso, to the main dishes. And their Margaritas are strong and delicious. Finding good Mexican food this far north can be a challenge, but when I am in the PDX you can bet that I will stop by El Sombrero to enjoy dinner and drinks.
(4)Eric N.
I usually come here once a week for lunch since it's fairly close to where I work. The food are pretty good despite of the cheap price. All of the items for lunch are under 7 dollars. And I'm telling you, their portion is huge. I mean for an average person, you can split your lunch in half and save it for tomorrow if you don't mind to eat left over food. You can always fill you up with all-you-can eat chips and salsa. Btw, their salsa is way beyond medium. It's really spicy yet very addicting. I don't think kids can eat these salsa at all The food are pretty consistent. I've tried from taco salads, enchiladas, taco, burritos, etc... They are all good. I've never been there for dinner but it can be bit pricey. CONS: - Parking might be hell during peak time for lunch, - Interesting / weird decors, well someone might call it "old school" - Servers with thick accent and speak too fast and use the word "Amiga" every 5 secs.... I mean one time I asked this girl to repeat three times and yet my coworker still had to interpret for me. Perhaps my ears ain't working....lols
(4)Alfonso L.
This place has seen better days, I think. It sits there on Sandy Blvd. a little lonely, tired and even the waitresses tuck themselves into a booth, gossiping, hiding from their customers and writing up the non-sales-tax checks for their customers. I did a search for this place on Google. All I typed was "best mexican food portland" and this is what I got: a place with lazy food, lazy servers, thick, plasticized menu with kitschy pictures and really very predictable fare. You can find all the combinations and traditional Mexican dishes, so there is nothing really edgy or original. Ordered the chile relleno and tamale combination. The tamale was the risk since it's hard to find the right texture and filling. El Sombrero's was competent: not too saucy in the filling, but plenty of pork chunks, and in general it worked and paired well with the OK rice and beans. What I didn't care for was the chile relleno, which was a fail. It had no breading that stuck; the pepper was not very fresh either. But the worst thing was that the cheese was rancid or at the very least gave off a rotten smell. All I had to was raise it to my nose and smell it and the cheese, gritty and rough, totally ruined the dish. I had to make do with the limp breading and sauce. The sauce itself, which covered the dish, also had these odd clumps of melted cheese, right from the microwave where the plate was placed just before it reached me. Nay as well on the rough tortilla chips and from-a-jar salsa you are given at the table. There have to be better traditional places in Portland than at El Sombrero. The only saving grace was the lunch special price. Oh, and the lack of sales tax.
(1)Anni B.
I have been searching for an authentic Mexican joint that served margaritas, and all along it was just 3 miles away in Parkrose. I am really starting to love this little neighborhood, Maywood Park is actually it's own town surrounded by Portland! The decor rox, the waitress was awesome, cheezy Mexican food was tasty and plentiful, and the margaritas were strong! Coming back soon....
(4)Rick C.
good recommenpdation by yelp readers ..... excellent presentation ..... excellent flavors .....
(4)Jay D.
It sure isn't the decor that keeps us coming back to this place. The reason: the combination of the quality food, huge portions and service staff that treat us like family. Lunch can be crowded and busy, so we generally go for dinner. The margs are enormous, and the dinner plates too. The carnitas de pollo is my favorite. There are always leftovers, but I usually get two and sometimes three meals out of it. It is a nice family atmosphere, so we sometimes have large extended family gatherings here too.
(4)Maxine M.
In Portland dying for good Mexican. Their chili rellano was delish. Beans were nice the creamy (prob bad for new) just the way I like them. Burrito was just ok but the nice service there and the yummy chili rellano make up for it
(4)Marie K.
We come here often for takeout. The service is great and our food comes out relatively fast. The containers are quality, and although that may seem like a small detail it makes a difference getting it home still hot and in one piece! My favorite thing on the menu is the fajita burrito, but my dad loves their burrito Colorado.
(5)Jeremy L.
I've been on the search for awesome Mexican food since I moved to PDX. I don't really mean the best food, so much as a giant plate of food, with soupy beans and rice, for a decent price. I've been trying out random places, and haven't quite found what I was looking for... until El Sombrero. So much to like. First off, it's decent sized, and not super busy. I've heard they have good margaritas, but ended up sharing a 1/2 carafe of the sangria (~4 glasses), and it was pretty tasty. The chips and salsa are better than most places, semi-chunky salsa with a little heat. Huge food menu, but I opted for a combo. For only $11.25 I got a giant plate of food. I barely ate half. It was exactly what I've been craving. Great beans, gooey cheese, big burrito, and a great chile relleno. To top it all off the service was AMAZING. Our main waitress was super sweet, and attentive, but we were checked on by a couple others, too. Not your usual "Portland-ized" place, which is exactly what I wanted. I'll be back.
(5)D A.
Over the years, friends have referred to this establishment as "Parkrose Mexican". As in, "Hey, how about getting a margarita and dinner at 'Parkrose Mexican'?" It's been a while since we dined there; but we drifted to Acapulco. It's been closed for a while, and we've been looking for more than a taco stand. They recalled El Sombrero Tapatio. It was a good experience. We were brought chips and salsa. Sweetie ordered her favorite beverage: a blended strawberry margarita Grande; at $9.95 a little over priced, but she said it was good. And for supper, she ordered a "Deluxe Enchilada Tapatia" with chicken ($10.50). Her plate was loaded with all one would expect on such a dish. Sweetie said it was delicious. For the last few years, when I want a burrito, I'll stop at Del Taco or Taco Bell. But for supper, I want more than a mélange of ingredients, mushed together and slathered with cheese and sauce. I want food I can recognize. I ordered the Pollo Asada plate. The protein is marinated chicken breast, split thin, and charbroiled. Fantastic! It came with black beans and rice, and a nice dab of guacamole and tortillas! All good tastes! True, the servers typically don't have good English speaking skills. But, with a bit of menu-pointing - and a smile - I'm pretty sure you'll get a good meal here.
(5)Monnette L.
My family ordered the Fiesta Tapatio Platter, seafood chimichanga, and I had a half dozen of oysters. Do NOT order the oysters. I should have listened to past reviews because now I am suffering from food poisoning. Everything else was delicious and customer service is mediocre.
(2)Templeton M.
Service was crappy. They recommended guac with our salad yet brought it out as an appetizer, reminder that it was her recommendation to have it with the salad. The margaritas tasted terrible. I'm not are if its moldy water or booze. The peach should be avoided at all costs unless you're a hobo that's addicted to peach schnapps. The fish tacos are the same as the fish and chips so if you're stuck between the two don't worry. They said they couldn't take that nasty drink off my check because they lost .50$ on the shit tequila and .25$ on the peach schnapps. They forgot to add the beers that we ordered to help wash down the shit food so we had to pay two bills. The only reason it gets the second star is because the fish in my taco was perfectly fried. They must have stolen the recipe from an Irish pub or something.
(2)Sara D.
Wow! So so bad. I love trashy Mexican food as much as the next gal but this place had no redeeming qualities. The salsa and chips were given as we sat down. And then we waited. For a long long time. For water. Or for anyone who looked like they might care to say hello. When someone did come, she simply said 'ready?' We should have just left. But with all of these great yelp reviews I thought something must be good about this place. So wrong. Ordered a margarita and some food. The regular margarita tasted like mop water with the cheapest booze and artificial lime flavoring I can imagine. The food was not as good as the Taco Bell down the street from my house. I was so very disappointed. I will never be back and I warn fellow yelpers beware of this establishment. What a waste of money!
(1)Maurialee B.
Mmmmmmmm.....mmmmmmmm.. Really good American Mexican. The machaca burrito was ah so good.. Drinks strong... Mmmm yes will be coming back!!!
(4)Nate Z.
This place is awesome-friendly staff, delicious food, cool Mayan murals with side-boob. Do not be intimidated by the Parkrose/Tijuana surroundings; it just adds to the authenticity.
(4)Richard W.
My wife had the taco salad and I had the enchiladas trio combination, and they were excellent! Wonderful service great food, don't miss out. Be warned though the salsas a little spicy :-)
(5)Mark D.
Have to admit, after the disappointment at the other close by mexican eatery with a 5 star rating, we went with this one. Full, family style restaurant. Great menu, reasonable price, very tasty Coronarita with enough Vitamin T to make it almost as good as mine, and a Long Island Ice Tea, that, judging from how looped my better half got, was somewhere on the potent side. Drinks and dinner that did not break the bank, and a very pleasant wait staff made for a very enjoyable dinner. Was busy on a Friday night, but the service was still fast, efficient and courteous.
(5)Gail B.
Never had such friendly service in my life! Seriously, all 3 of the servers who stopped by at one point or another were friendly AND efficient. The food was very good. Taking the advice of several of my fellow Yelpers (and my server!) I ordered the carne asada. Some how I got myself one of the big platters - yikes! Good portion of the meat (YUM), another choice (I chose tamale) and all the usual accompaniments. As I mentioned, the carne asada was wonderful -tender & very flavorful. The tamale was odd - totally buried under a load of sauce & cheese. Plus it appeared to have been broken up a bit. The flavor was good but overwhelmed by all the stuff on top of it. Hubby ordered his usual tacos & tostada and enjoyed them. We also had their house margaritas (on the rocks, salt please!). These were potent, delicious, and a good deal. So we had to split a third .... For dessert of course :-) Except for a minor issue, we really enjoyed our meals. Oh, check out the fun mural - I had jaguar staring me down during dinner!
(4)Eric F.
In town on business and wanted some spice in a meal. This was close to my hotel and the reviews were good do off I went. Excellent salsa with a nice bite; surprised since most food I have had in Oregon has been bland. My meal was good and people were friendly though service was not up to the food, spread to thin. Would be a regular if I lived here, that is saying a lot since I eat Mexican at home 5 - 6 times a week...
(4)Jay J.
Very rustic inside but the friendliest staff in the restaurant bissinees. Everyone who stopped by said hi and asked how our lunch was. Big, tall, healthy drinks and the food is very good and hot! I had the enchilada suizas with chicken. It was delicioso.
(4)Paul M.
I eat here almost monthly, I get the #6, but with black beans and extra cheese on everything. It's amazing!!! "2 chicken burritos" First time for a review for this place but it's long over due. I've eaten here for about 3.5 years it's been bad Just 1 time..... The chicken wasn't as fresh as normal, it's normally so juicy and bursting with flavor.! Besides that our server knows us and we never need a menu. She knows our order, and also makes SUPER strong Margaritas, my GF's favorite part, she gets 3 chicken enchiladas. Also amazing!! Never a long wait to be seated or to be served food! If I left a review every time I ate here this place would have 100 5 star reviews. if you like Mexican food this place is a must visit.
(5)Megan S.
First time eating here, has been a wonderful experience. I had their lunch Chimchanga .... was really moist down to the rice. Most Mexican restaurants they make it dry. I would highly suggest eating here.
(5)Hope E.
Best mexican place around! great cool atmosphere and beyond EXCELLENT service, the waitresses always remember us and great us with a smile(: The murals are nice to look at while you're waiting and music is a nice enjoyable volume. The food is amazing too. Only thing is it gets pretty packed around dinner time because it's a popular place so come early so you can get a booth otherwise you are stuck at a table in the middle of the room and it feels like everyone is staring at you.. But besides this place is the greatest. And they have coronaritas, which are awesome! Be sure to come hungry, they have huge portions.
(5)