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In the last decade, the number of Latinos living in Portland has more than tripled. Emigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries have always been the largest minority group in the state, with a double-edged history that stretches back to the Spanish explorers who sailed up the coast in the 17th century to the region’s very first cowboys (buckaroo, the name for horse-riding, hat-wearing, beef wranglers in the dry western states, comes from vaquero) to the post-war labor force that made agriculture Oregon’s top industry. But until their numbers began to swell right here in River City, they were pretty much invisible to the average urban dweller.

Ole! Ole!

2137 East Burnside
Portland, Oregon
503-230-1132

1986 SW 6th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
503-294-0677

San Felipe Taqueria

6221 SE Milwaukie Avenue
Portland, Oregon
503-235-8158
In the last decade, the number of Latinos living in Portland has more than tripled. Emigrants from Mexico and other Latin American countries have always been the largest minority group in the state, with a double-edged history that stretches back to the Spanish explorers who sailed up the coast in the 17th century to the region’s very first cowboys (buckaroo, the name for horse-riding, hat-wearing, beef wranglers in the dry western states, comes from vaquero) to the post-war labor force that made agriculture Oregon’s top industry. But until their numbers began to swell right here in River City, they were pretty much invisible to the average urban dweller.

One of the most satisfying results of this demographic shift has been the proliferation of taquerias, the informal, order-at-the-counter restaurants that evolved from the makeshift food stalls and street vendors of Mexico. Along with a more substantial physical presence, the taquerias here in el norte offer more than just tacos .

Ole! Ole! typifies the new breed. Owner Luis Diaz comes from Cuernavaca, in the mountains south of Mexico City, and he’s worked in restaurants both in Mexico and the US. At his taquerias, Diaz augments the typical taco and burrito choices of carne asada and carnitas with chorizo, a chile-spiked Mexican sausage, the slow-cooked beef tongue called lengua, and machaca, eggs scrambled with shredded beef. He also offers a sandwich and tostada stuffed with what he calls “my Mom’s tinga,” shredded chicken cooked with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes in a chipotle chile sauce that seems to have a little hint of clove.

Other unusual menu items include taquitos dorados, crispy corn tortillas rolled flauta-style around a filling of mashed potatoes and topped with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream, and the mild Mexican cheese called queso fresco. The tostada de camarones combines bay shrimp and avocado with lettuce and tomato, all piled deeply over a crispy flat corn tortilla. The shrimp ‘cocktail’ is more like gazpacho, prawns and avocado in a soupy tomato broth flavored with onion and cilantro.

The downtown version is popular with PSU students and staff, while the east side spot draws a broad cross-section from the local neighborhood. Mexican pop music on the stereo provides a bouncy atmosphere, and bottles of imported Jarrisco soda, in flavors such as gauva and pineapple, add sunshiny color.

San Felipe Taqueria’s specialty is the fish taco, the ubiquitous street food of it’s namesake, a sleepy fishing village on the Sea of Cortes. In a nod to the Pacific northwest, the fish here is halibut rather than shark, and the battered filet, topped with shredded cabbage and a slightly sweet, mustard-flavored mayo, is crispy outside but still moist and tender.

Owner Shamady Aguirre Weed came to Portland in the mid-80s at the invitation of a couple who had met her mother while driving their RV down the Baja peninsula. She studied English, fell in love with the son of her hosts, and stayed here to raise a family. Last October she opened the taqueria with her mother, Marta Cordero. Cordero, aka Mama Marta, ran a popular fish taco stand in San Felipe. Her recipes and Shamady’s refusal to compromise on ingredients give San Felipe an extra edge.

From her two-month quest for tortillas that resulted in the use of seven different varieties to hand-picking the best poblanos for chile rellenos, Aguirre Weed brings a contemporary awareness for fresh, local ingredients to her traditional cuisine. You can taste the difference in the tamales, made every day and never frozen. Cordero’s recipe adds raisins, carrot, potato, and olives to the basic chicken and red chiles, and the corn masa, made with vegetable oil instead of the traditional lard, is so tender it doesn’t require any additional sauce.

Enchiladas Mexicanas fills soft corn tortillas with the ranchero style cheese called queso casique, and the bright red sauce is made exclusively for the enchiladas House-made masa is hand-formed to make gorditas, a sort of fried pie filled with beans, cheese, and your choice of the meats available for tacos and burritos. Topped with lettuce and tomato, the “little fat ones” make a great light meal. Sauteed prawns, still in the shell so they retain more of their flavor, come with red chile (a la diabla) or loaded with garlic (con ajo).

Mole is available only on Saturday, and it’s worth the wait. Shredded chicken and big chunks of potato are cloaked in a sauce the color of weathered brick. Cordero combines five different chiles with chocolate, peanut butter, sesame seeds, and cinnamon to produce deeply complex flavors with a satisfying chile heat.

These taquerias provide a glimpse into a culture we all should know better, and at the same time offer incredibly good food at ridiculously low prices. What more could you want?

Taco talk, a quick guide to filling options.
Carne asada: steak, grilled and chopped into small pieces
Birria (sometimes spelled virria): shredded beef with red chile
Lengua: chopped beef tongue (better than you might think)
Pastor: pork stewed with red chile
Carnitas: pork, grilled and chopped into small pieces
Pollo: shredded chicken (pronounced poy-oh)
Chile verde: Pork or chicken stewed with tomatillo and green chile

Habla espanol? Taquerias are bilingual, so try out that high school Spanish. Donde esta la biblioteca?

We are getting more diverse, but don’t get too smug; Oregon, at about 85% white according to the 2000 census data, remains particularly pale
Can’t wait for a reservation? Bundle up and eat at one of the tables outside.