Are there any good restaurants in PORTLANd (Beaverton, Hillsboro: neighborhood, sushi)

[Maroon197]

Is there ANY decent mexican in PDX? Surely there has to be some transplant who knows how to do it right...

[PNW-type-gal]

The best Mexican food is at the small taco shacks. There are a couple on 82nd (can't remember the intersections), one over in Hawthorne, a couple on Sandy. Over in the Pearl there is a restaurant that specializes in mid-state Mexican food, but that's not generally what most people mean when they say "Mexican."

[scone]

I think the restaurant PNW-type-gal is referring to is called Manzana-- or something like that. I've eaten there, it's very good but not cheap. There are two chains, one is a fish taco place, the other is a "fresh Mex" type. Both are good quick meals, and not too hard on the diet or the pocketbook. Most of the other Portland Mexican restaurants are Cali-Mex or Tex-Mex in style. Lots of refried beans, sour cream, fried taco chips, that sort of thing. I haven't found the lighter "coastal" Mexican style here yet. You could look at citysearch, that might have some listings.

[pretzelman]

Originally Posted by Maroon197

Is there ANY decent mexican in PDX? Surely there has to be some transplant who knows how to do it right...

I highly recommend the truck on SE Division, near 34th or 35th...it's right across the street from the Stumptown building, only open M-F I think, and not late. Best burritos I've ever had....although I'm from Philly, so I don't have the same perspective as others. Still, I doubt you'll be disappointed. I left Portland a few months ago and I miss the food from this place a lot!

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by cdelena

You underestimate the resturants in Texas...

'Dallas. This Lone Star State city has a population of 1,250,950 and a selection of restaurants that add up to 2,666. While the city is known for its BBQ and steak houses there is a surprising mix of great eateries from chic to basic. That means every restaurant, fast food place and steak house in Texas’ third largest city can boast an potential pool of just 469 people. Making this city the winner of the title “City With The Most Restaurants per Capita.” '

Oregon was not mentioned... Which City Really Does Have The Most Restaurants Per Capita?

The most restaurants does not equate to good restaurants. But TX does have some very good restaurants as well as a lot of so so ones of all types. And not just in Dallas either. It seems to have some great influences from the neighboring Cajun, the influx of Mexican, to make its cuisine varied and tasty. As long as they lay off the salt and grease.

[meltinjohn]

The mexican food in Portland sounds like that of southern NH. Sounds like Portland has good places but just not authentic enough and everyone there is white who works there. Like I picture the more hipper places to eat mexican and not the authentic mexican feel with the mexican waiters all over the place.
Where I'm near in FL has some real good mexican. After eating mexican on the gulf coast of FL, I wont focus on it totally when I go to Portland. I will more than likely go to a steakhouse or eclectic oregonian kinda food or chinese food or maybe Genoa or something. Mexican isn't what I'd target there overall tho. Barbeque in Portland is probably hit or miss. Might be one or two places that has real good pull pork or pull beef. Seems the italian selection around there is pretty decent tho.

[EnricoV]

You're better off eating regional food, wherever you go. Portland's not Mexico, or even near it. If you're looking for ethnic food, a higher percentage are Asian. Especially historically. I'd either go for something NW or something Asian.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by meltinjohn

The mexican food in Portland sounds like that of southern NH. Sounds like Portland has good places but just not authentic enough and everyone there is white who works there. Like I picture the more hipper places to eat mexican and not the authentic mexican feel with the mexican waiters all over the place.
Where I'm near in FL has some real good mexican. After eating mexican on the gulf coast of FL, I wont focus on it totally when I go to Portland. I will more than likely go to a steakhouse or eclectic oregonian kinda food or chinese food or maybe Genoa or something. Mexican isn't what I'd target there overall tho. Barbeque in Portland is probably hit or miss. Might be one or two places that has real good pull pork or pull beef. Seems the italian selection around there is pretty decent tho.

Not exactly. Like I said, the best Mexican food (and I go to Mexico frequently) is in the small taco shacks and a couple of specialty gourmet restaurants. The rest of it is standard "California Mexican" aka "gringo Mexican" - like the Acapulco chain. As someone up thread said - heavy on the grease and salt.

The common ethnic food is Asian - Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Cambodian, Indian and a whole host of specialty Asian restaurants. There are parts of town where there is a Pho restaurant on every corner.

[meltinjohn]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

Not exactly. Like I said, the best Mexican food (and I go to Mexico frequently) is in the small taco shacks and a couple of specialty gourmet restaurants. The rest of it is standard "California Mexican" aka "gringo Mexican" - like the Acapulco chain. As someone up thread said - heavy on the grease and salt.

The common ethnic food is Asian - Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Laotian, Malaysian, Cambodian, Indian and a whole host of specialty Asian restaurants. There are parts of town where there is a Pho restaurant on every corner.

Wow funny you mention Acupulco. They got one of these not too far from where I am in FL. I thought the food was just good but nothing beyond. Nothing outstanding, nothing very good just ok especially when you got an authentic mexican restaurant in the next plaza over and more of em all over town/area.
The taco stands I would also guess has the best out there seeing their mexican run pretty much always.
I thought asian food ran rampid out in the NW as far as quality goes. I was told some of the best asian food is out that way. Theres indian food in some places I know too. Those real good?

[PNW-type-gal]

For Indian, I like Bombay Cricket Club on Hawthorne (although it's a mix of Indian and Mediterranean) and India House downtown. When I worked in Beaverton, I liked Swagats, over by Target in the remodeled house. I never cared for Swagats up in NW. When you walk into a good Indian food place, the smell of all the spices should make your mouth start watering right then.

My favorite little Vietnamese place (which I can't remember the name of) is on Sandy Blvd, across the street from Bike Gallery. There are good, mediocre and bad Asian places in Portland, but there are a LOT of them, so there are a lot of good ones. Which means there are a lot of bad ones, too, so if you get a bad one (mostly "gringo" Asian places, which have that stale, steam table food instead of freshly made), just go somewhere else next time.