El Tapatio reminds me of a place I went a lot as a kid: classic Mexican plates with beans and rice, quintessential cheesy, saucy tortilla-y dishes. Filling and enjoyable. The one thing that doesn't remind me of childhood Mexican food experiences are the large margaritas. This place is pretty good. People are friendly, ambiance is that of a typical, traditional Mexican family restaurant, the food is good. What more can I say?
(3)
Cedate S.
I enjoy their food even if service is sometimes grouchy.
(4)
Erin O.
My food was ok. That's the only good thing I can think of to say about this place. Oh, and there was plenty of convenient parking. As in, I could see my car the entire time I was eating. I could also see everybody walking in and out of the restaurant, or taking a smoke break in the front entrance area. Sorry El Tapatio, but my experience here was thoroughly un-enjoyable. from the crummy seating, to the crummy stale chips, to the loud trashy group directly behind me and the overbearing parents directly in front of me. Actually, I lied. The horchata here, best I've had in Portland. But I still won't be back.
(2)
Paige H.
Hot food, fast. Well, that's because it's probably premade and sitting in trays in the back, but if you're are eating this particular variety of mexican food, it really doesn't matter. You are here for big portions, mild, cheesy dishes, and giant margaritas.
(3)
Lee F.
El Tapatio is as close to southern Mexican cuisine as we have found since leaving Texas. If your idea of Mexican food is an enchi-fricking-lada, you should buy a frozen dinner. The service is bright and friendly , the Margaritas are excellent, the guacamole fresh and delicious. Order Carne Asada or Fajitas or any of their specialty dishes and you'll be very happy! Mexican food is the cuisine of the poor, they wrest so much flavor from the most marginal cuts of meat- ask for your waiters recommendations and you won't often go wrong. They are proud of their best dishes, and of the fact that it is America's favorite cuisine! If only one Mexican restaurant in Portland could make a plate of nachos that were properly composed, rather than dumped and slopped (like 7-11) We'd be very happy indeed!
(4)
Angela R.
El Tapatio (which, for some reason, I frequently forget the name to and randomly call El Tequila...), is a good, authentic Mexican restaurant. I have been here several times, ordered several different things, and have never been disappointed. Spacious and comfortable, there's no bumping into the table next to you just to get up to use the bathroom. This is definitely something I appreciate. Decorated to the hilt, with Mexican music playing in the background, this place makes you actually feel like you're dining out for Mexican. It's also a great place to practice your Spanish, since the staff speaks more Spanglish than English while taking your order, and are very kind when you butcher their language. They have a beautiful outdoor seating area that I have yet to try. Guess I'll still be frequenting El Tapatio in the summer. You will never be called "sir" or "ma'am" here. Nope, you're "amigo" or "amiga" at El Tapatio. P.S. Watch out for the complimentary chips and salsa...so good I have to make myself stop in order to save room for the meal!
(4)
Nancy K.
I've been coming to this restaurant semi-regularly for the last 4-5 years. The food is decent but what draws me back everytime is their salsa. Super spicy, delicious salsa. I usually end up eating almost the entire bowl to myself (luckily for me, the hubs can't take too much of the heat).
(4)
Abbey S.
ten dollars for a cold enchilada that tastes like nothing. wtf. had to post my first review on yelp just to warn people about how horrible this was.
(1)
Jordan K.
Delicious Mexican food! They have a delicious (and hot!), what seems to be, homemade salsa that comes with your chips (also have a mediocre mild salsa that they may serve, but if you mix the two they're not a bad combo). They're Pollo A La Diabla is spicy and delicious. Packs a punch but you can ask for them to mild it down a little so it doesn't feel like it's burning your insides if you can't handle it. The staff is always pleasant and speaks bilingually to my boyfriend and I (him being Mexican and fluent in spanish, and me only knowing very little; not to mention I'm shy using what I know) which I quite like. Encourages me to try and use what Spanish I do know.
(4)
Brandy R.
The female server that was here was very rude and a bad waitress to boot. The new male server they have is very professional and inviting and he did an excellent job. Much improved on the staff! The food is excellent as always. :)
(5)
Rex G.
I loved the food but when they charged me for soda refills and couldn't figure out how to separate our bills, it was just too frustrating to want to return.
(3)
Cody P.
I'm a big fan of this place. They do a good job of serving ya, and they leave you alone if that's what you'd like. The fajitas are great and I like the burritos. dont know a lot beyond that but I love them for what I want from them.
(4)
Jack C.
I had just about the worst enchiladas of my life here today. That's saying a lot because I was kind of in the mood for cheap crappy enchiladas. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. I kinda figured I would get a plate of cheesy gooey saucy wraps swimming in a cheap canned enchilada sauce with some slightly crunchy rice and some pale brown refried bean slop. That would have actually made me happy! Instead what I got was dry, totally flavorless crap. There was no enchilada sauce on my plate AT ALL! It was like the tortillas were stained with enchilada sauce and that was all they were giving. The beans were utterly flavorless. The only thing on my plate that I ate with gusto was the rice and the shredded iceberg lettuce with cotija cheese. I had to reach for the salt about 4 times to finally get it to palatable. And with plate prices in the $12 range, these guys have got to step it up a bit. Never again, El Tapatio.
(1)
Nuria C.
I frequently visit El Tapatio and have to admit good "Mexican" food is hard to come by in the Portland area. However, El Tapatio does a great job of serving tasty Mexican fare. You may be disappointed with their Americanized dishes like enchiladas and burritos, but their authentic stuff is very, very good. I almost always get the Carne Asada plate that comes with the grilled green onions. It has never once disappointed. Other things I've tasted are the chile relleno which was pretty good and the Cielo, Mar y Tierra platter that has chicken, carne asada and shrimp in a garlic mojo. That platter is great! Another thing worth mentioning is that their chips and salsa are delicious and give off some good spice. Overall, if you're in the SE Portland area and are craving good Mexican, I'd recommend heading over to El Tapatio.
(4)
Armando S.
Had to send my shredded beef taquitos back. Just not good shredded beef. Dry and when I took a bite all the beef came out. To dry to separate. Waitress said that it's because they were deep fried...hello I'm mexican I know what good taquitos should taste like. I ordered a cheese enchilada (to be safe) before I sent back taquitos and it was barely luke warm. So was the lady's at the table next us. She sent hers back I just ate mine flavor was good it would have been great if it was properly heated. Waitress never came back to check on us even before I politely sent the dry goods back. The beans and rice are good but won't be back unfortunately.
(2)
Barry S.
Veggie fajitas for two. We fill up, it's cheap, and it's tasty. Good array of vegetables besides just the basic onions and peppers. Combo meals, all the basics you would expect. Portions and prices are where they need to be. Very friendly family vibe to the place. Nothing not to like. Nothing that ratchets it up to that fifth star, but a good place to go. Open late enough.
(4)
Mary G.
One of our favorite places to eat! The service is great, the food is great, and the price is right. We love it!
(5)
Chrissy S.
Once upon a time, this young Yelper was in desperate search of mexican food close by. She Yelped and Yelped and Yelped til she could Yelp no more for the hunger pangs began to take over. Turns out this little place was about 2 minutes walking distance away from her house. Sounded good. She headed out, not sure what nummies were to await. Inside it is a quaint mexican style family restaurant, complete with the music and the decor. Awesome she was pleased it didn't look like a total dive, found a table and promptly ordered the margarita and some chips with guac. 3 and a half seconds later, her margarita arrived and BAM! it arrived with a soury-kick-in-the-pants that she so desired!! The guacamole was an outstanding example of what gauc should be. Avocadoy and garlicy with lots of fresh tomatoes. Bueno! She lovingly sipped on her margarita as she paroused through the 6 to 7 page menu. Lots of good sounding stuff, but it is often hit or miss with mexican food. The staff was awesome and helped her decide. She ended up ordering the special of the night, which was a chimichanga, a burrito, rice, and beans all for only $8.00. Wow! Yeah. Sounded rad, so she confidently stated "I'll have that!" and quickly put in an order for another magical margarita post haste! So lets break it down. The food was good. Not over the moon amazing. But pretty damn impressive. The plate came out piping hot and was the size of half the table. The Chimichanga and burrito were both SO huge, she could only take on one of them. The chicken in the chimichanga was good. It was dark meat, which can be a little off-putting. Still good. The shredded beef in the burrito was killer! Just enough salt and spice to it. Yum!! She stumbled home (good margarita!) satisfied and full. Happy to know that her mission was accomplished and that El Tapatio would be there for her...including her leftover burrito for when she would eventually awake with the hangover of doom. ;) The End.
(3)
Donna S.
Came here with the hubby's mexican parents. I really enjoyed the food compared to alot of other mexican establishments...the service was prompt. The chips were disappointing not fresh made but the salsa was spicy and awesome. Chicken fajitas were very good, a bit greasy but good. Tortillas were store bought and steamed. Rice was very good. Carne Asada was one of the better ones.
(4)
Michelle M.
i went here with some friends and it was great. Decent prices and large portions. I loved my chicken salad and everyone else in the party finished their plates. The blackberry margarita is awesome too. Huge and delicious. Our waitress was really nice and the man that refilled water was great too. His English is not the best, but it makes it fun. The atmosphere had the typical Mexican restaurant feel, but at least it was clean!
(4)
Mags S.
This is a suburban Mexican place, not going to scratch a taqueria itch at all, but they do a decent-or-better job at it. There is a small lunch menu from which the chicken verde enchilada was delicious; and a larger dinner menu.
(4)
Sandy W.
We love this place. The food is consistent old-school comfort Americanized Mexican. I usually always order the enchilada suiza and can count on it tasting exactly the same. The staff is especially friendly and makes sure water, chips, soda, etc., is always full. We keep coming back because the prices are good, the food is consistent and the staff makes us feel very welcome.
(4)
Thee I.
Let's get down to it. Good mex, some of the better in the city. Worth a trip definitely, but not mind blowing. Good caucasian table mex out on 82nd.
(3)
Carolyn S.
Love this place. My boyfriend and I decided to drop by for some food and drinks after weight-training. We were instantly seated even though there was a group ahead of us at the register at the time. We sat down and ordered the Grande Margaritas before getting down to chow. I'm not a Margarita connoisseur at all, but when I tasted these, they were the perfect mix. Love love loved it, not to strong, not to weak, just right. We weren't tended to immediately at first, but for me that's a good thing. I don't like to really be waited on hand and foot like a child, even when I go out to eat so I found it great that I was able to sit down and have a conversation with my boyfriend without being pestered every three minutes. Some people want their servers on their a-s-s 24/7 when they go out. If you're that kind of person you should probably look elsewhere. BUT if you can stand a few minutes without having a server coddle your needs, and you don't mind getting up and asking for anything you need if it ever came to that (OMG THE HORROR), this place is great. We ordered chicken quesadilla's and we were served promptly. They filled our waters just as we were running low every time and asked us if the food was good, were there any complaints etc. The quesadilla's were incredible, better than what I had tasted years ago. The margaritas were out of this world and had the right kick, and their bathrooms were clean. All in all there service was amazing, three different guys checked on us and all of them were very nice. I expect to return.
(4)
Marla H.
We will NEVER be back here.... I went with my daughter, 3 year old grandson and 1 year old grandson. When our food came the manager and server put my plate in front of me and said it is very hot. As he was pulling his arm away the baby put is hand in the refied beans and got 3rd degree burns. When I talked to him about it, he not once apologized, and blamed me for not moving the plate, which I had no time to do or room to do. Douche Bag. By the way the food sucked too!
(1)
Amy K.
We've been coming here for years (it's our go-to, sit-down Mexican joint) and I'm shocked at the bad reviews. Genuinely shocked. Everytime we've visited (sometimes just two of us, usually four of us and, on a couple of occasions, we've had groups of 12+), they staff is lovely. Quick to take drink orders, quick to take orders, bring chips, bring food, bring more chips, refill drinks, check to see how we are, bring the check and bid us farewell. They are great people who work their tails off -- and do it with great attitudes. The food is standard Mexican/American fare. It isn't revolutionary. Big-ass margaritas that don't skimp on the strong stuff. Great chimichangas, tasty enchiladas and a Tapatio Burrito that's so good, it'll make you slap your mama across the face. And it's never given us the shits. El Tapatio, feel free to use that quote in promotional materials.
(5)
Allisun W.
If I wanted shitty Americanized Mexican food that puts my bowels in an uproar, there's always Taco Bell. I tend to think there's a lack of artistry when authentic Mexicans can't make good authentic Mexican food. The enchilada sauce tasted like turkey gravy swimming in a sea of what could of very well been Velveeta cheese. Upon asking for hot sauce I was given the same exact salsa I was given with chips after being seated. Funny, considering this place is called "El Tapatio." Well guess what!? They don't have any Tapatio! When asked for sour cream, (because it didn't come with my taco) I was charged 2 bucks., which is more than what my taco cost. Did I mention that the old shithead that owns the place came up to my best friend and moved the table back due to him being a large guy? How nice of you to gauge his comfort level for him, asshole! Yeah, go to Taco Bell. Same quality food and better service for only one fourth the price!
(1)
Terradon I.
Sometimes you just want an enchilada that tastes like an enchilada! Not a New Mexican finagled pou pou platter. This place rocks at Mexican comfort food. Big plates, big salads, lots of cheese, big margaritas and the most comfy seats you could ask for. The salsa ain't half bad. You won't have to sell your first born to eat out.
(4)
kimberley c.
Seriously? $2 for a childs drink? Paid $6.75 for a 2 year olds chicken nugget meal and drink. Cheaper kids meals at outback steakhouse. What a rip off. Slow/non-existent service. Free soda refills that never came. Mediocre food. Won't be coming back.
(1)
Arden Y.
Great food, bad service. Never even refilled our glasses. The menu is a little tough to read but no one in our group was dissatisfied by the dish they choose, only with the lack of attention from the wait staff.
(3)
B T.
Enchilada's are good and their tacos. I love their rice as well. So much food, always have leftovers.
(4)
Kaela S.
Got overcharged for things I didn't order and they refused to compensate.
(1)
Heather K.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. First night in Portland, exhausted,searching for a hotel room, really wanted a food pod but decided to eat at first place we saw... Wake up at 3am, spend rest of trip running to bathroom. Nasty food, no flavor, everything was dry. Expensive for portion sizes and quality. AND I got sick? WHAT A MISTAKE.
(1)
Michelle G.
Worst restaurant I've ever gone to. Sat down and didn't get asked what we wanted to drink. Waited probably 10 more minutes and finally got asked but they didn't come back right away. The restaurant wasn't busy at all. 10-15 minutes later we finally got asked what we wanted to eat and finally ordered. We waited and waited then 15-20 minutes later we were just going to get up and leave since our food did not came back and as we got up the waiter said our food is on the way. So we sat back down and waited. Then he came back and said it'll be 10 more minutes for the food to be ready. Worst customer service I've ever experienced. I do not recommend this place whatsoever.
(1)
Matt C.
My wife and I love El Tapatio! The waitstaff is always friendly in an old-world way. The old man who runs the place is hilarious. He will joke and talk with you and is highly attentive to how full your water and drinks are, as well as how full the free chips and salsa levels are at the table. By the way, the salsa is incredible - their standard table salsa is medium-hot too, which is even better. I hate mild salsa. The chips are served warm and they keep comin' - as many as you want. The menu is full of yummy choices. I've eaten here quite a bit, so here are a few of my favorites: Carne Asada - they cook up their carne the right way. Tender on the inside, slightly well-done on the outside with a touch of flavor from the grill. It is quite perfect. Love it. Chicken Mole - Oh man, this is really exquisite. Their mole has the chocolate and cinnamon taste you'd expect, with the earthy aftertaste that makes this one of my favorite dishes. In addition, they serve it up boneless so you can make some of the tastiest and easiest burrito/taco creations ever. Enchiladas - The chicken are my favorites. The tortillas are soft, the sauce zingy, and the cheese and beans wonderfully proportionate to the plate. Combination Fajitas - This gargantuan platter has shrimp, beef, and chicken cooked with onions and peppers. This is a "you'll have leftovers" plate, for sure. The fajitas are brought out piping hot and taste great. My wife says the Sangria is some of the best she's had in Portland, with a "perfect blend" of tastes. I haven't had it - don't really care for it - but if you do, there's that as well. I recommend El Tapatio to my friends. I hope this was helpful to you.
(4)
Eric J.
Absolutely aweful. The atomosphere is odd, and they kept the place way too cold. Im surprised I ventured in after seeing on dirty dining they failed their health inspection miserably. The dishes were very greasy, and tasted like the dumped salt in to hide something. The waitress, which Im sure is only 14 years old, was rude, especially after I ask what "colorado" meant in terms of their burrito. She dropped, not set, our food on to the table, ignored my many requests for a glass of water, even after SHE ASKED me if id like something to drink. Dont go here! Its dirty, scary and the food taste like shit.
(1)
Cheryl D.
We were lost on 82nd desperately looking for the Best Buy and our bitch of a NAVIGATION system took us on a wild goose chase. We were hungry and everything in the area looked sketchy to us Suburbanites! We found an El Tapatio (which we have one locally) and decided to have lunch. The dude who seated us was nice as was the Waitress who served us, the water glass never went dry. The food was average, I tried a ground beef taco (fairly tasteless beef) and a cheese and a beef enchilada, both which were OK, nothing spectacular or especially authentic, the beans were out of the can and the rice was ok, again nothing special, it seemed a bit Americanized. My husband had the Chili Relleno and Chicken Enchilada (number 9), the Chili Rellenno sauce was watery, the chili was bland and the breading was thin and soggy, one of the least favorite Relleno's I have tasted. The enchilada was also very bland and nothing special. The chips were cold and out of a bag, the salsa however was quite spicy in my opinion and pretty tasty! The food came out hot and fast, which I am not sure if that is a good thing or not!
(2)
Kathi B.
Decent service, and the food was okay, but nothing to write home about. The girls who were waiting were very accommodating. I ordered the steak fajita and only got 2 tortillas and it was more onion than anything else. My rice was dry and crusty, also. Overall, i left unimpressed with the meal and felt that i had paid too much for food so mediocre. Honestly, the servers are what earned the third star in this review.
(3)
Secret S.
I use to come here when it was Azteca over 30 years ago and the food was very good. Went tonight and it was awful. The service wasn't that great either. Don't waste your time or money on this place.
(1)
meganoodle z.
Maybe I went at a bad time but even the chips weren't good
(1)
Megan L.
I do like this place! I have been coming here for awhile. It is good Mexican food, but nothing super special. The staff is always friendly and you get your food incredibly fast!
(3)
Andrew S.
This place is good for price and variety. Salsa is also very tasty, but you need to like spice. Tried many plates. Enchilada Sunrise is good for lunch. Camarones dishes are always okay. Service is good.
(2)
Beerboy M.
You're not going to get the greatest Mexican food here, but it is decent. Generally the average Americanized stuff- burritos, fajitas, arroz con pollo, enchiladas, etc. with a side of yellow rice and black or refried beans. As mentioned, the food comes fast and hot. Nothing fancy. Big margaritas, hot salsa with the chips, reasonable prices, good service from wait staff, amid a sorta '82nd' type of customers.
(3)
Greta E.
The meats here were very savory. The chicken in the tortilla soup had a nice grilled flavor. The pork in the tamale was seasoned well and the chicken in the burrito was juicy and shredded. It was Easter Sunday so maybe they were a bit slow and 3 out of 4 waitresses tried to take our order five minutes after siting down. But over all pretty great.
(4)
Kitt J.
This place is so bad I hated myself for trying to eat the food I ordered instead of demanding a refund and leaving. I literally had better enchiladas served to me during my recent hospital stay at OHSU. A soupy, watery, greasy, bland, textureless mess served up by clearly miserable staff in a way that insults the customer, the establishment and food in general. The problem with this restaurant is not some nitpicking difference between different types of Tex-Mex, and is-it-authentic, and all the usual complaints. This is the Two Girls One Cup of restaurants. All I have to do is drive past and the revulsion comes rushing back. It's no wonder the servers never bother to ask how your food is!
(1)
Maitre D.
Holy fucking shit, this was perhaps the worst dining experience of my life. It is, to be perfectly honest, only the second worse Mexican food of my life, but the first worst was at a place called Bert's Diner. So no huge feat there. I order a cheese enchilada and chile relleno. I was expecting a big pool of cheese. How you order food expecting a pool of cheese and come out disappointed is a mystery. Oh, wait. It's because the tortilla of the enchilada was thin, and the cheese melted to the point where the enchilada was the same consistency as the enchilada sauce. No joke. I picked up a bite of enchilada, and it dripped off my fork. Next thing I noticed was that the beans were the same consistency as the enchilada sauce. So, two of the four things on my plate were a runny soup. The chile rellano had texture, which was a refreshing change. Until I noticed that it started oozing this greasy, cheesy pepper liquid on to my plate, kind of mixing with the runny enchilada/sauce. At this point, I really started to feel visceral remorse for eating this shit. I ended up finishing the last half of my wife's chicken enchilada, and leaving over half my plate untouched. Nobody asked whether we enjoyed anything or asked how things were. They cleared the plate and didn't even ask if we wanted a box. It doesn't matter where you grew up, or whether you "know authentic Mexican food." You should be able to tell right off the bat when you're eating a steaming pile of shit. Please don't do this to yourself.
(1)
Ivana S.
Great service and salsa, what more can you ask for!
(4)
Robert L.
eh. Its fine. Run of the mill mexi place to eat |RL|
(3)
Al M.
Omnomnom! It's good food. It isn't the best Mexican in the area, but it's surely the best I've found in SE so far. It's light-years ahead of most of the SE crap in fact. They even have fresh oysters, which makes me heart them a little more. Only complaint; the management has clearly told their staff to call everyone "amigo" every single time they walk up to a table. It's actually hella annoying after a bit. They should really lay off.
(4)
Rene S.
They have ok food. We were there for mother's day. Just another average Mexican restaurant.
(3)
C S.
So, I'm going to admit something up front here: I'm from Fucking San Diego, and my dad was a fiend for Mexican food, and he ate it nearly every day. We went out for Mexican food as a family at least once a week, and the places we went to were the incredibly awesome, old-style, family-run places, where mom cooked and dad took the orders, or vice-versa. And everything had lard in it. My father was friends with all the local owners and treated them with great respect and reverence. So I love Mexican food and have eaten most of the authentic stuff - or whatever you want to call it - my whole life. So, last summer, my friend Troy calls me and says "let's go to this place on 82nd, it's pretty good," (and Troy was a recent transplant from San Diego to Portland and wasn't suffering from severe withdrawls as I was) and I'm expecting it to be shitty, like the rest of the Mexican places here (except for, say, Por Que No, which is an anomoly unto itself, and also one of the only good Mexican places here, but it gets it's own review, later.), and, just like a country song, I left drunk and in love. It was just like all the food I miss from home - the plates put under the cheese melter....uhhh. The great margaritas, the excellent salsa.... My sister has lved in Portland for 25 years, and has bitched about how bad the Mex food is here (when she goes home to visit, she will land in San Diego and get Mexican food on her way home and also used to bring back rolled tacos on the plane with her. Before the laws changed. Yes, it's an obsession with my family)...anyway, I took her to El Tapatio, and she was nearly in tears about how much she liked it. We know our Mexican food, and we love El Tapatio. Go there when you have a hangover...it's fucking awesome. The service is great, the employees are nice, and there's an excellent level of lardiness with everything. Anyone who would say this place sucks has never had real Mexican food. Sure, the interior is funky and the service may seem strange if YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO MEXICO, but if you've been or have lived in a border town your whole life, you'll get it and it's every bit as Mexican as you can get, 900 miles away. Take my word for it.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : 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 : No Waiter Service : Yes
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.
Willow W.
El Tapatio reminds me of a place I went a lot as a kid: classic Mexican plates with beans and rice, quintessential cheesy, saucy tortilla-y dishes. Filling and enjoyable. The one thing that doesn't remind me of childhood Mexican food experiences are the large margaritas. This place is pretty good. People are friendly, ambiance is that of a typical, traditional Mexican family restaurant, the food is good. What more can I say?
(3)Cedate S.
I enjoy their food even if service is sometimes grouchy.
(4)Erin O.
My food was ok. That's the only good thing I can think of to say about this place. Oh, and there was plenty of convenient parking. As in, I could see my car the entire time I was eating. I could also see everybody walking in and out of the restaurant, or taking a smoke break in the front entrance area. Sorry El Tapatio, but my experience here was thoroughly un-enjoyable. from the crummy seating, to the crummy stale chips, to the loud trashy group directly behind me and the overbearing parents directly in front of me. Actually, I lied. The horchata here, best I've had in Portland. But I still won't be back.
(2)Paige H.
Hot food, fast. Well, that's because it's probably premade and sitting in trays in the back, but if you're are eating this particular variety of mexican food, it really doesn't matter. You are here for big portions, mild, cheesy dishes, and giant margaritas.
(3)Lee F.
El Tapatio is as close to southern Mexican cuisine as we have found since leaving Texas. If your idea of Mexican food is an enchi-fricking-lada, you should buy a frozen dinner. The service is bright and friendly , the Margaritas are excellent, the guacamole fresh and delicious. Order Carne Asada or Fajitas or any of their specialty dishes and you'll be very happy! Mexican food is the cuisine of the poor, they wrest so much flavor from the most marginal cuts of meat- ask for your waiters recommendations and you won't often go wrong. They are proud of their best dishes, and of the fact that it is America's favorite cuisine! If only one Mexican restaurant in Portland could make a plate of nachos that were properly composed, rather than dumped and slopped (like 7-11) We'd be very happy indeed!
(4)Angela R.
El Tapatio (which, for some reason, I frequently forget the name to and randomly call El Tequila...), is a good, authentic Mexican restaurant. I have been here several times, ordered several different things, and have never been disappointed. Spacious and comfortable, there's no bumping into the table next to you just to get up to use the bathroom. This is definitely something I appreciate. Decorated to the hilt, with Mexican music playing in the background, this place makes you actually feel like you're dining out for Mexican. It's also a great place to practice your Spanish, since the staff speaks more Spanglish than English while taking your order, and are very kind when you butcher their language. They have a beautiful outdoor seating area that I have yet to try. Guess I'll still be frequenting El Tapatio in the summer. You will never be called "sir" or "ma'am" here. Nope, you're "amigo" or "amiga" at El Tapatio. P.S. Watch out for the complimentary chips and salsa...so good I have to make myself stop in order to save room for the meal!
(4)Nancy K.
I've been coming to this restaurant semi-regularly for the last 4-5 years. The food is decent but what draws me back everytime is their salsa. Super spicy, delicious salsa. I usually end up eating almost the entire bowl to myself (luckily for me, the hubs can't take too much of the heat).
(4)Abbey S.
ten dollars for a cold enchilada that tastes like nothing. wtf. had to post my first review on yelp just to warn people about how horrible this was.
(1)Jordan K.
Delicious Mexican food! They have a delicious (and hot!), what seems to be, homemade salsa that comes with your chips (also have a mediocre mild salsa that they may serve, but if you mix the two they're not a bad combo). They're Pollo A La Diabla is spicy and delicious. Packs a punch but you can ask for them to mild it down a little so it doesn't feel like it's burning your insides if you can't handle it. The staff is always pleasant and speaks bilingually to my boyfriend and I (him being Mexican and fluent in spanish, and me only knowing very little; not to mention I'm shy using what I know) which I quite like. Encourages me to try and use what Spanish I do know.
(4)Brandy R.
The female server that was here was very rude and a bad waitress to boot. The new male server they have is very professional and inviting and he did an excellent job. Much improved on the staff! The food is excellent as always. :)
(5)Rex G.
I loved the food but when they charged me for soda refills and couldn't figure out how to separate our bills, it was just too frustrating to want to return.
(3)Cody P.
I'm a big fan of this place. They do a good job of serving ya, and they leave you alone if that's what you'd like. The fajitas are great and I like the burritos. dont know a lot beyond that but I love them for what I want from them.
(4)Jack C.
I had just about the worst enchiladas of my life here today. That's saying a lot because I was kind of in the mood for cheap crappy enchiladas. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy. I kinda figured I would get a plate of cheesy gooey saucy wraps swimming in a cheap canned enchilada sauce with some slightly crunchy rice and some pale brown refried bean slop. That would have actually made me happy! Instead what I got was dry, totally flavorless crap. There was no enchilada sauce on my plate AT ALL! It was like the tortillas were stained with enchilada sauce and that was all they were giving. The beans were utterly flavorless. The only thing on my plate that I ate with gusto was the rice and the shredded iceberg lettuce with cotija cheese. I had to reach for the salt about 4 times to finally get it to palatable. And with plate prices in the $12 range, these guys have got to step it up a bit. Never again, El Tapatio.
(1)Nuria C.
I frequently visit El Tapatio and have to admit good "Mexican" food is hard to come by in the Portland area. However, El Tapatio does a great job of serving tasty Mexican fare. You may be disappointed with their Americanized dishes like enchiladas and burritos, but their authentic stuff is very, very good. I almost always get the Carne Asada plate that comes with the grilled green onions. It has never once disappointed. Other things I've tasted are the chile relleno which was pretty good and the Cielo, Mar y Tierra platter that has chicken, carne asada and shrimp in a garlic mojo. That platter is great! Another thing worth mentioning is that their chips and salsa are delicious and give off some good spice. Overall, if you're in the SE Portland area and are craving good Mexican, I'd recommend heading over to El Tapatio.
(4)Armando S.
Had to send my shredded beef taquitos back. Just not good shredded beef. Dry and when I took a bite all the beef came out. To dry to separate. Waitress said that it's because they were deep fried...hello I'm mexican I know what good taquitos should taste like. I ordered a cheese enchilada (to be safe) before I sent back taquitos and it was barely luke warm. So was the lady's at the table next us. She sent hers back I just ate mine flavor was good it would have been great if it was properly heated. Waitress never came back to check on us even before I politely sent the dry goods back. The beans and rice are good but won't be back unfortunately.
(2)Barry S.
Veggie fajitas for two. We fill up, it's cheap, and it's tasty. Good array of vegetables besides just the basic onions and peppers. Combo meals, all the basics you would expect. Portions and prices are where they need to be. Very friendly family vibe to the place. Nothing not to like. Nothing that ratchets it up to that fifth star, but a good place to go. Open late enough.
(4)Mary G.
One of our favorite places to eat! The service is great, the food is great, and the price is right. We love it!
(5)Chrissy S.
Once upon a time, this young Yelper was in desperate search of mexican food close by. She Yelped and Yelped and Yelped til she could Yelp no more for the hunger pangs began to take over. Turns out this little place was about 2 minutes walking distance away from her house. Sounded good. She headed out, not sure what nummies were to await. Inside it is a quaint mexican style family restaurant, complete with the music and the decor. Awesome she was pleased it didn't look like a total dive, found a table and promptly ordered the margarita and some chips with guac. 3 and a half seconds later, her margarita arrived and BAM! it arrived with a soury-kick-in-the-pants that she so desired!! The guacamole was an outstanding example of what gauc should be. Avocadoy and garlicy with lots of fresh tomatoes. Bueno! She lovingly sipped on her margarita as she paroused through the 6 to 7 page menu. Lots of good sounding stuff, but it is often hit or miss with mexican food. The staff was awesome and helped her decide. She ended up ordering the special of the night, which was a chimichanga, a burrito, rice, and beans all for only $8.00. Wow! Yeah. Sounded rad, so she confidently stated "I'll have that!" and quickly put in an order for another magical margarita post haste! So lets break it down. The food was good. Not over the moon amazing. But pretty damn impressive. The plate came out piping hot and was the size of half the table. The Chimichanga and burrito were both SO huge, she could only take on one of them. The chicken in the chimichanga was good. It was dark meat, which can be a little off-putting. Still good. The shredded beef in the burrito was killer! Just enough salt and spice to it. Yum!! She stumbled home (good margarita!) satisfied and full. Happy to know that her mission was accomplished and that El Tapatio would be there for her...including her leftover burrito for when she would eventually awake with the hangover of doom. ;) The End.
(3)Donna S.
Came here with the hubby's mexican parents. I really enjoyed the food compared to alot of other mexican establishments...the service was prompt. The chips were disappointing not fresh made but the salsa was spicy and awesome. Chicken fajitas were very good, a bit greasy but good. Tortillas were store bought and steamed. Rice was very good. Carne Asada was one of the better ones.
(4)Michelle M.
i went here with some friends and it was great. Decent prices and large portions. I loved my chicken salad and everyone else in the party finished their plates. The blackberry margarita is awesome too. Huge and delicious. Our waitress was really nice and the man that refilled water was great too. His English is not the best, but it makes it fun. The atmosphere had the typical Mexican restaurant feel, but at least it was clean!
(4)Mags S.
This is a suburban Mexican place, not going to scratch a taqueria itch at all, but they do a decent-or-better job at it. There is a small lunch menu from which the chicken verde enchilada was delicious; and a larger dinner menu.
(4)Sandy W.
We love this place. The food is consistent old-school comfort Americanized Mexican. I usually always order the enchilada suiza and can count on it tasting exactly the same. The staff is especially friendly and makes sure water, chips, soda, etc., is always full. We keep coming back because the prices are good, the food is consistent and the staff makes us feel very welcome.
(4)Thee I.
Let's get down to it. Good mex, some of the better in the city. Worth a trip definitely, but not mind blowing. Good caucasian table mex out on 82nd.
(3)Carolyn S.
Love this place. My boyfriend and I decided to drop by for some food and drinks after weight-training. We were instantly seated even though there was a group ahead of us at the register at the time. We sat down and ordered the Grande Margaritas before getting down to chow. I'm not a Margarita connoisseur at all, but when I tasted these, they were the perfect mix. Love love loved it, not to strong, not to weak, just right. We weren't tended to immediately at first, but for me that's a good thing. I don't like to really be waited on hand and foot like a child, even when I go out to eat so I found it great that I was able to sit down and have a conversation with my boyfriend without being pestered every three minutes. Some people want their servers on their a-s-s 24/7 when they go out. If you're that kind of person you should probably look elsewhere. BUT if you can stand a few minutes without having a server coddle your needs, and you don't mind getting up and asking for anything you need if it ever came to that (OMG THE HORROR), this place is great. We ordered chicken quesadilla's and we were served promptly. They filled our waters just as we were running low every time and asked us if the food was good, were there any complaints etc. The quesadilla's were incredible, better than what I had tasted years ago. The margaritas were out of this world and had the right kick, and their bathrooms were clean. All in all there service was amazing, three different guys checked on us and all of them were very nice. I expect to return.
(4)Marla H.
We will NEVER be back here.... I went with my daughter, 3 year old grandson and 1 year old grandson. When our food came the manager and server put my plate in front of me and said it is very hot. As he was pulling his arm away the baby put is hand in the refied beans and got 3rd degree burns. When I talked to him about it, he not once apologized, and blamed me for not moving the plate, which I had no time to do or room to do. Douche Bag. By the way the food sucked too!
(1)Amy K.
We've been coming here for years (it's our go-to, sit-down Mexican joint) and I'm shocked at the bad reviews. Genuinely shocked. Everytime we've visited (sometimes just two of us, usually four of us and, on a couple of occasions, we've had groups of 12+), they staff is lovely. Quick to take drink orders, quick to take orders, bring chips, bring food, bring more chips, refill drinks, check to see how we are, bring the check and bid us farewell. They are great people who work their tails off -- and do it with great attitudes. The food is standard Mexican/American fare. It isn't revolutionary. Big-ass margaritas that don't skimp on the strong stuff. Great chimichangas, tasty enchiladas and a Tapatio Burrito that's so good, it'll make you slap your mama across the face. And it's never given us the shits. El Tapatio, feel free to use that quote in promotional materials.
(5)Allisun W.
If I wanted shitty Americanized Mexican food that puts my bowels in an uproar, there's always Taco Bell. I tend to think there's a lack of artistry when authentic Mexicans can't make good authentic Mexican food. The enchilada sauce tasted like turkey gravy swimming in a sea of what could of very well been Velveeta cheese. Upon asking for hot sauce I was given the same exact salsa I was given with chips after being seated. Funny, considering this place is called "El Tapatio." Well guess what!? They don't have any Tapatio! When asked for sour cream, (because it didn't come with my taco) I was charged 2 bucks., which is more than what my taco cost. Did I mention that the old shithead that owns the place came up to my best friend and moved the table back due to him being a large guy? How nice of you to gauge his comfort level for him, asshole! Yeah, go to Taco Bell. Same quality food and better service for only one fourth the price!
(1)Terradon I.
Sometimes you just want an enchilada that tastes like an enchilada! Not a New Mexican finagled pou pou platter. This place rocks at Mexican comfort food. Big plates, big salads, lots of cheese, big margaritas and the most comfy seats you could ask for. The salsa ain't half bad. You won't have to sell your first born to eat out.
(4)kimberley c.
Seriously? $2 for a childs drink? Paid $6.75 for a 2 year olds chicken nugget meal and drink. Cheaper kids meals at outback steakhouse. What a rip off. Slow/non-existent service. Free soda refills that never came. Mediocre food. Won't be coming back.
(1)Arden Y.
Great food, bad service. Never even refilled our glasses. The menu is a little tough to read but no one in our group was dissatisfied by the dish they choose, only with the lack of attention from the wait staff.
(3)B T.
Enchilada's are good and their tacos. I love their rice as well. So much food, always have leftovers.
(4)Kaela S.
Got overcharged for things I didn't order and they refused to compensate.
(1)Heather K.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. First night in Portland, exhausted,searching for a hotel room, really wanted a food pod but decided to eat at first place we saw... Wake up at 3am, spend rest of trip running to bathroom. Nasty food, no flavor, everything was dry. Expensive for portion sizes and quality. AND I got sick? WHAT A MISTAKE.
(1)Michelle G.
Worst restaurant I've ever gone to. Sat down and didn't get asked what we wanted to drink. Waited probably 10 more minutes and finally got asked but they didn't come back right away. The restaurant wasn't busy at all. 10-15 minutes later we finally got asked what we wanted to eat and finally ordered. We waited and waited then 15-20 minutes later we were just going to get up and leave since our food did not came back and as we got up the waiter said our food is on the way. So we sat back down and waited. Then he came back and said it'll be 10 more minutes for the food to be ready. Worst customer service I've ever experienced. I do not recommend this place whatsoever.
(1)Matt C.
My wife and I love El Tapatio! The waitstaff is always friendly in an old-world way. The old man who runs the place is hilarious. He will joke and talk with you and is highly attentive to how full your water and drinks are, as well as how full the free chips and salsa levels are at the table. By the way, the salsa is incredible - their standard table salsa is medium-hot too, which is even better. I hate mild salsa. The chips are served warm and they keep comin' - as many as you want. The menu is full of yummy choices. I've eaten here quite a bit, so here are a few of my favorites: Carne Asada - they cook up their carne the right way. Tender on the inside, slightly well-done on the outside with a touch of flavor from the grill. It is quite perfect. Love it. Chicken Mole - Oh man, this is really exquisite. Their mole has the chocolate and cinnamon taste you'd expect, with the earthy aftertaste that makes this one of my favorite dishes. In addition, they serve it up boneless so you can make some of the tastiest and easiest burrito/taco creations ever. Enchiladas - The chicken are my favorites. The tortillas are soft, the sauce zingy, and the cheese and beans wonderfully proportionate to the plate. Combination Fajitas - This gargantuan platter has shrimp, beef, and chicken cooked with onions and peppers. This is a "you'll have leftovers" plate, for sure. The fajitas are brought out piping hot and taste great. My wife says the Sangria is some of the best she's had in Portland, with a "perfect blend" of tastes. I haven't had it - don't really care for it - but if you do, there's that as well. I recommend El Tapatio to my friends. I hope this was helpful to you.
(4)Eric J.
Absolutely aweful. The atomosphere is odd, and they kept the place way too cold. Im surprised I ventured in after seeing on dirty dining they failed their health inspection miserably. The dishes were very greasy, and tasted like the dumped salt in to hide something. The waitress, which Im sure is only 14 years old, was rude, especially after I ask what "colorado" meant in terms of their burrito. She dropped, not set, our food on to the table, ignored my many requests for a glass of water, even after SHE ASKED me if id like something to drink. Dont go here! Its dirty, scary and the food taste like shit.
(1)Cheryl D.
We were lost on 82nd desperately looking for the Best Buy and our bitch of a NAVIGATION system took us on a wild goose chase. We were hungry and everything in the area looked sketchy to us Suburbanites! We found an El Tapatio (which we have one locally) and decided to have lunch. The dude who seated us was nice as was the Waitress who served us, the water glass never went dry. The food was average, I tried a ground beef taco (fairly tasteless beef) and a cheese and a beef enchilada, both which were OK, nothing spectacular or especially authentic, the beans were out of the can and the rice was ok, again nothing special, it seemed a bit Americanized. My husband had the Chili Relleno and Chicken Enchilada (number 9), the Chili Rellenno sauce was watery, the chili was bland and the breading was thin and soggy, one of the least favorite Relleno's I have tasted. The enchilada was also very bland and nothing special. The chips were cold and out of a bag, the salsa however was quite spicy in my opinion and pretty tasty! The food came out hot and fast, which I am not sure if that is a good thing or not!
(2)Kathi B.
Decent service, and the food was okay, but nothing to write home about. The girls who were waiting were very accommodating. I ordered the steak fajita and only got 2 tortillas and it was more onion than anything else. My rice was dry and crusty, also. Overall, i left unimpressed with the meal and felt that i had paid too much for food so mediocre. Honestly, the servers are what earned the third star in this review.
(3)Secret S.
I use to come here when it was Azteca over 30 years ago and the food was very good. Went tonight and it was awful. The service wasn't that great either. Don't waste your time or money on this place.
(1)meganoodle z.
Maybe I went at a bad time but even the chips weren't good
(1)Megan L.
I do like this place! I have been coming here for awhile. It is good Mexican food, but nothing super special. The staff is always friendly and you get your food incredibly fast!
(3)Andrew S.
This place is good for price and variety. Salsa is also very tasty, but you need to like spice. Tried many plates. Enchilada Sunrise is good for lunch. Camarones dishes are always okay. Service is good.
(2)Beerboy M.
You're not going to get the greatest Mexican food here, but it is decent. Generally the average Americanized stuff- burritos, fajitas, arroz con pollo, enchiladas, etc. with a side of yellow rice and black or refried beans. As mentioned, the food comes fast and hot. Nothing fancy. Big margaritas, hot salsa with the chips, reasonable prices, good service from wait staff, amid a sorta '82nd' type of customers.
(3)Greta E.
The meats here were very savory. The chicken in the tortilla soup had a nice grilled flavor. The pork in the tamale was seasoned well and the chicken in the burrito was juicy and shredded. It was Easter Sunday so maybe they were a bit slow and 3 out of 4 waitresses tried to take our order five minutes after siting down. But over all pretty great.
(4)Kitt J.
This place is so bad I hated myself for trying to eat the food I ordered instead of demanding a refund and leaving. I literally had better enchiladas served to me during my recent hospital stay at OHSU. A soupy, watery, greasy, bland, textureless mess served up by clearly miserable staff in a way that insults the customer, the establishment and food in general. The problem with this restaurant is not some nitpicking difference between different types of Tex-Mex, and is-it-authentic, and all the usual complaints. This is the Two Girls One Cup of restaurants. All I have to do is drive past and the revulsion comes rushing back. It's no wonder the servers never bother to ask how your food is!
(1)Maitre D.
Holy fucking shit, this was perhaps the worst dining experience of my life. It is, to be perfectly honest, only the second worse Mexican food of my life, but the first worst was at a place called Bert's Diner. So no huge feat there. I order a cheese enchilada and chile relleno. I was expecting a big pool of cheese. How you order food expecting a pool of cheese and come out disappointed is a mystery. Oh, wait. It's because the tortilla of the enchilada was thin, and the cheese melted to the point where the enchilada was the same consistency as the enchilada sauce. No joke. I picked up a bite of enchilada, and it dripped off my fork. Next thing I noticed was that the beans were the same consistency as the enchilada sauce. So, two of the four things on my plate were a runny soup. The chile rellano had texture, which was a refreshing change. Until I noticed that it started oozing this greasy, cheesy pepper liquid on to my plate, kind of mixing with the runny enchilada/sauce. At this point, I really started to feel visceral remorse for eating this shit. I ended up finishing the last half of my wife's chicken enchilada, and leaving over half my plate untouched. Nobody asked whether we enjoyed anything or asked how things were. They cleared the plate and didn't even ask if we wanted a box. It doesn't matter where you grew up, or whether you "know authentic Mexican food." You should be able to tell right off the bat when you're eating a steaming pile of shit. Please don't do this to yourself.
(1)Ivana S.
Great service and salsa, what more can you ask for!
(4)Robert L.
eh. Its fine. Run of the mill mexi place to eat |RL|
(3)Al M.
Omnomnom! It's good food. It isn't the best Mexican in the area, but it's surely the best I've found in SE so far. It's light-years ahead of most of the SE crap in fact. They even have fresh oysters, which makes me heart them a little more. Only complaint; the management has clearly told their staff to call everyone "amigo" every single time they walk up to a table. It's actually hella annoying after a bit. They should really lay off.
(4)Rene S.
They have ok food. We were there for mother's day. Just another average Mexican restaurant.
(3)C S.
So, I'm going to admit something up front here: I'm from Fucking San Diego, and my dad was a fiend for Mexican food, and he ate it nearly every day. We went out for Mexican food as a family at least once a week, and the places we went to were the incredibly awesome, old-style, family-run places, where mom cooked and dad took the orders, or vice-versa. And everything had lard in it. My father was friends with all the local owners and treated them with great respect and reverence. So I love Mexican food and have eaten most of the authentic stuff - or whatever you want to call it - my whole life. So, last summer, my friend Troy calls me and says "let's go to this place on 82nd, it's pretty good," (and Troy was a recent transplant from San Diego to Portland and wasn't suffering from severe withdrawls as I was) and I'm expecting it to be shitty, like the rest of the Mexican places here (except for, say, Por Que No, which is an anomoly unto itself, and also one of the only good Mexican places here, but it gets it's own review, later.), and, just like a country song, I left drunk and in love. It was just like all the food I miss from home - the plates put under the cheese melter....uhhh. The great margaritas, the excellent salsa.... My sister has lved in Portland for 25 years, and has bitched about how bad the Mex food is here (when she goes home to visit, she will land in San Diego and get Mexican food on her way home and also used to bring back rolled tacos on the plane with her. Before the laws changed. Yes, it's an obsession with my family)...anyway, I took her to El Tapatio, and she was nearly in tears about how much she liked it. We know our Mexican food, and we love El Tapatio. Go there when you have a hangover...it's fucking awesome. The service is great, the employees are nice, and there's an excellent level of lardiness with everything. Anyone who would say this place sucks has never had real Mexican food. Sure, the interior is funky and the service may seem strange if YOU'VE NEVER BEEN TO MEXICO, but if you've been or have lived in a border town your whole life, you'll get it and it's every bit as Mexican as you can get, 900 miles away. Take my word for it.
(4)