Tacos
With tacos, simple is better—ideally, two homemade corn torillas, still soft and warm, a haystack of juicy, flavorful, and gristle-free meat, a hearty sprinkling of chopped cilantro so fresh it should be spanked, a pinch or two of diced onions but not so many your coworkers have to lock you in the stairwell after lunch to avoid your monstrous breath, a few wedges of lime, and kick-heinie salsa verde. These tacos should be so good that time stops when you bite into them and if you close your eyes and put your bottle of ice-cold Sidral up to your ear you can hear the waves lapping at the Baja shore, sort of like a Corona ad come to life. Lastly, these tacos should be cheap. Like, preferably $1.50, but I’ll allow leeway on that if ambiance and access to a bathroom is thrown in. Here are my top pics when it’s Under the Table Taco Time.
Fonda Rosa
I am fond of bars. Wine bars, tequila bars, swanky bars, dive bars, chocolate bars, gold bars–I rarely meet a bar I don’t like. So when I was handed an entire menu at Fonda Rosa entitled “Taco Bar,” my stomach did little forward flips of happiness. Basically, the Taco Bar menu lists every delicious a la carte taco or taco plato you can get at Fonda Rosa, from the simple Taco de Carbon–carne asada with diced onion and cilantro ($3), to the delicious Tacos de Jaíba–hot crispy fried tortillas cupping warm chunks of crab mounded with soft sauteed mushrooms, Mexican slaw, and freshly made pico de gallo ($10 for two). In addition to their Taco Bar, Fonda Rosa has a full bar, with refreshing margaritas and mixed drinks, sangria, wine, beer, and taco-friendly Jarritos sodas. During happy hour two chicken tacos are $5, and drink specials include $5 house margaritas, classic cosmos and red/white wine of the day, $6 fresh fruit margaritas and sangria, $3 draught beer, and $2 PBRs.
Koi Fusion
As we learned from a winged Jeff Goldblum, fusion attempts gone wrong aren’t pretty. But Korean Taco Truck Koi Fusion’s marriage of Mexican and Korean street snacks is fusion gone wild in a good way. Inspired by a stomach-provoking visit to LA’s Kogi BBQ, Koi Fusion owner Bo Kwon deserted his corporate job to pursue the Great Portlandian Dream of owning your own food cart, and now he and brother Jeremiah drive their shiny truck all around Portland bringing deliciously unconventional tacos to the grateful masses. Soft homemade tortillas are stuffed with tender shredded Korean short ribs, sweet garlicky Bulgogi BBQ Beef, spicy Bulgogi BBQ Chicken and Pork, and tofu marinated in sweet soy sauce–all made from Mama Kwon’s family recipes, then topped with shredded cabbage, chopped scallions, bean sprouts, onion, cilantro, daikon radish sprouts, and Korean salsa. Smooth-talking charmer that he is, Bo shares his taco love between a handful of downtown parking lots so you have to check his website to find out where to get your Koifusion fix. Also follow Koi on Twitter–Bo’s tasty taco tweets inform you about deals like three tacos for $5.
- Location: Varies between PGE Park, SW 6th & College, and SW 3rd & Ankeny; check website for schedule Map it!
- Phone Number: 503.997.6654
- Hours: Koi has lunch, dinner, and late-night shifts that vary by date and location, check the website for details
La Bonita
You’ll find both excellent tacos and the fascinating cross section of the NE Alberta Street population devoted to them at this cheery, busy little Mexican restaurant, where La Bonita herself watches over you with big, knowing brown eyes from her painted bed of plush cushions and calla lillies. Simply adorned pollo, rez, and carnitas tacos can be had for $2 each, while the asada, lengua, shrimp, pastor, and machaco tacos are $2.50. Pescado–your choice of battered tilapia or breaded cod, will set you back $2.95, and comes mounded with lettuce, pico de gallo, crema, and queso fresco. A bonita little extra is the pickled vegetables that come with your tacos–sweet tangy carrots, onions, and jalapenos. La Bonita also makes some of the best horchata around ($2.50).
Nuestra Cocina
The best thing about the trio of Tacos de Puerco at Nuestra Cocina isn’t the price tag—a surprising $6 considering they come with a large helping of ambiance and a comfortable seat that doesn’t involve a folding chair in a parking lot—nor is it the heaping mound of hot, savory spiced pork on a homemade corn tortilla with a fragrant sprinkling of onions and chiles, nor is it watching your tacos be prepared as you sit at the mosaic tiled kitchen bar wishing you had a tortilla press of your own at home and chef Benjamin Gonzalez to braise pork for you. All those things are well and grand, but the best thing about Nuestra Cocina’s pork tacos is wolfing, er, slowly savoring them in tandem with an icy cold Serrano lime drop—chile-infused vodka & fresh lime juice—easily the finest pairing in the city.
Por Que No
It’s impossible not to like Por Que No, it’s so irrepressibly cheerful. The festive colors, the perky music, the friendly and relaxed staff, the huge jars of agua freschas (fresh seasonal fruit juices), the unfussy bright red plastic baskets of tacos. Craving a basic taco? Carne Asada with salsa, cilantro and grilled onion will suit you just fine ($3). Want something a little jazzier? Go for the Porque Tinga—shredded beef in a smoky pasilla chile sauce with tangy Willamette Valley queso fresco ($3). And if you’re feeling decadent, try the Pescado–homemade torillas filled with line-caught snapper that’s been rolled in spicy cornmeal and fried, then served up with crema, cabbage, salsa verde, onion, cilantro, and tropical fruit ($3.50). During Por Que No’s daily happy hour, tacos are 50 cents off from 3 to 6 pm, except Tuesdays, when they are discounted until 10 pm, which gives you plenty of time to get a few Pomegranate Margaritas or Pacificos under your belt as well. Yes, I’d say there’s plenty to like about Por Que. The line out the door? I do not like this as much. However, by the time my belly is full and I’m licking a refreshing Sol Pop for dessert, I’ve forgotten all about it.
Taqueria Lindo Michoacan
Taqueria Lindo Michoacan had me at the roasted jalapenos. Most taco trucks’ idea of accoutrements is a few squeeze bottles of red and green salsa, and don’t get me wrong—I’m grateful for its delicious kick. But while waiting in line at this no-frills SE Division Street taco truck, I noticed some nondescript shoebox-sized plastic bins lined up next to the napkin dispenser and row of typical red and green salsa bottles. One box held fresh pico de gallo, tiny diced tomatoes and onion laced with crisp green jalapenos. One held whole pickled jalapenos swimming in their own pickling juices. And the last one held neat stacks of olive green roasted jalapenos, slightly rippled from the heat of the fire, pocked with condensation, and sprinkled on one side with salt. Now this was interesting. I couldn’t wait to put in my order (one birria taco, one barbacoa, one carnitas, one pastor, one lengua– all delicious, meaty, perfectly topped with itsy bitsy-cut cilantro you can smell two feet away and just the right amount of onion) and pick up my roasted jalapeno. Scurrying to my seat at one of the picnic tables facing SE Division, I took a big bite. Mmm…it was sweet, soft, a little smoky, and then SPICY! SPICY! SPICY! I nearly toppled the picnic table getting to my cold Sidral apple soda. A lesson in moderation. A lesson I obviously didn’t take to hand as I lay on the floor after lunch, thinking about why I’d thought it was a good idea to order and eat five tacos. The roasted jalapeno made me do it.
Taqueria Los Gorditos
I took a little Spanish in high school (okay, I took four years but my Spanish is so wretched I’m embarrassed to admit that), and from what I remember, Gorditos means fat ones. I pondered this as I approached Taqueria Los Gorditos, the tidy little taco truck next to Bike Exchange at 50th and Division, and I felt a little worried. Did I really need tacos? After all, I’d already had two breakfasts, a nourishing pre-lunch, and quite a lot of chocolate throughout the morning. Talk about Gorditos. This food-writing business can be murder on a girl’s chins. But I need not have feared. As I waited in line and watched massive mounded plates of food emerge from the truck, I realized it was definitely the food they were talking about. Sure enough, my plate contained three beautifully chubby pockets of taco joy—deep rich chili-red pastor with shavings of sweet pineapple, tender shredded chicken, and the encebellados—carne asada topped with sweet soft carmelized onions ($1.50 each). The vegan and vegetarian menu is as prolific as the regular menu—choose between regular, onion, Soyrizo, and tofu tacos—ensuring a diverse crowd that included everyone from a Bluetooth-wearing guy in an Armani suit to a black clad hipster duo sharing a huge plate of Soyrizo nachos. Drinks include regular sodas, Jarritos, Sangria Senorial, and water. Seating is ample, with small tables up on the deck and an L-shaped row of four-tops (some with umbrellas) at street level. Limes upon request.
Taqueria Santa Cruz
Once upon a time, I was a substitute teacher. Every morning, armed with stickers and gummy bears and a Taser, I’d be sent to a different corner of this sprawling city to serve as an educational stand-in. Teaching provided me with a real sense of accomplishment, the feeling that I was making a difference, and best of all—Taco Tips. See, one day, as I was leaving James John Elementary, I asked the gym teacher where to get good tacos—and was told the secret of Tienda Santa Cruz and their hidden taqueria. Pass the case filled with gaudily colorful birthday cakes, through a doorway and into the expansive mural-covered back room, where the taco counter shares a kitchen with the panaderia, sit down at one of the long communal tables, and eye the trays of freshly baked pastries and bustling cooks. These tacos are simple, delicious, and an astonishing ONE DOLLAR EACH. Before you leave, you can stock up on your favorite Mexican pantry staples—last time I left I bought a tub of lard, some Ibarra chocolate, and a Strawberry Shortcake piñata from the tienda’s excellent selection of truly bizarre piñatas. I figured I’d use it at my friend Tata’s birthday party, except she went and moved to Africa, but it sure came in handy when my office’s White Elephant Christmas Gift Exchange rolled around.
Trébol
North Portland’s Trébol might not take first prize for curb appeal, but just like your mother always told you, it’s what’s inside that counts. And inside is a beautiful dining room with rich mustard-colored walls, polished concrete floors, comfy green leather booths, a lovely curved bar that’s the only thing between you and one of the best tequila selections in town, and of course, tacos. Trébol’s taco sampler changes often, but last time I went I had a sassy crunchy taco threesome that included deeply flavorful chunks of savory wild boar meat in a spicy red sauce, tender smoky slightly sweet shredded beef topped with an intense green salsa, and cormeal-crusted and fried halibut with a smear of cool bright green house guacamole, all set upon a mound of delicate red and green cabbage slaw and accompanied by a little pile of house pickled vegetables on the side ($10). The drink selection is indecision-inducing–an extensive array of agave nectar-sweetened margaritas include the Margarita Stawberry Basil and the Margarita Spicy Tamarindo ($8). Non-drinkers will appreciate the long list of inventive Agua Frescas ($3)–Pomegranate Cilantro and Blueberry Mint make for good summer sipping as you enjoy Trebol’s large outdoor patio. During Happy Hour–daily from 5-6:30 pm and 9pm-close, the taco trio is $9, and a selection of margaritas and mimosas is $5-$6.
