Alebrije Oaxaca (backyard of Bunk + Brew Hostel) — Restaurant in Bend

First time eating here, and I was very happy to find this gem in Oregon. They have fresh, authentic Oaxacan-Mexican dishes and drinks! There is plenty of space to sit, eat, relax and hang out. Parking is limited.

I ordered their 3 Mole Enchilada plate. At the time it came with 3 enchiladas smothered in chocolate based mole, topped with queso fresco, onion and parsley. The tortillas themselves tasted handmade. They were thick and had good flavor. The mole had an authentic taste. It had a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, which not many are able to achieve. I am used to a more spicy mole in my household, but this one was well balanced; therefore, delicious. The cheese and onion complimented the mole very well and added freshness to the dish. The beans were delicious and simply melted in my mouth. The rice had a nice flavor and consistency. Mole is a traditional treasure, and rigorous to make. And this mole was a really good one. I recommend it.

I was also able to try their Torta de Carnitas. The torta came with refried black beans, mayo, lettuce, onion and tomato. The carnitas were packed with flavor and almost buttery. The beans had a great taste to them that complimented the carnitas. The bread was soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. It was a good size and very filling. The side of tortilla chips were crunchy and salted well. They tasted fresh and were warm.

To drink I had an Agua Fresca de Jamaica. It was delicious, perfectly sour and sweet. It was also very hydrating and paired well with both...

Love At First Sight!......... Nestled behind one of Bends quaint little hostels, Bunk & Brew, is Alebrije Oaxaca. While not much to see from the tight alley parking lot out back, as you round the corner into the courtyard pops out this gorgeous, multicolored, almost psychedelic scene of figures in a case. They are known as Alebrije or spirit guides and man did the spirits guide me to the right place! Once I was done admiring the culture being presented I move on to the menu. There are a plethora of offerings that all sounded very delicious and I was having a hard time making up my mind what to try for the first time so I asked if they would surprise me... What came out was beyond my expectations! A crispy bright orange QuesaBirria Torta, Toasted bolillo, shredded beef, cheese, sour cream, onion and cilantro with consome a couple of limes and a green and red hot sauce. This was a well made torta, the consume was rich and abundant with spices. The green sauce had a nice balance of tangy, salty, very mild heat while the red sauce packed a good little punch with a quick fading heat allowing you to keep going. All of the orders coming out were hot and steaming and it was easy to catch a whiff in the air from the kitchen and smell a thick aroma of Oaxacan style Mexican food! Pricing was very good and there are plenty of options on the menu to keep you coming back for more. There is a really neat vibe in the courtyard at Bunk & Brew where Alebrije...

We ordered catering from Alebrijes Oaxaca for our wedding rehearsal dinner. It couldn't have been better! 5 stars for the ordering process, pickup, quantity, and quality of the food. We ordered a two meat (carnitas and carne asada) taco setup with rice, beans, chips, and salsa for 40, but could have easily fed 50+ with the amount of delicious food. We really liked the mole, avocado salsa, and hot salsa.

I have worked a lot of events and have never gone to pickup and found that a caterer admitted to over-estimating the quoted price before, but this place did and corrected our order to a lower price. They could double their prices and still be an excellent value. I would strongly recommend them and would order catering from them again.

Edit to add: I forgot to mention that they were able to accommodate our order on a tight turnaround- we did not decide to order catering until a week before the event (I had delusions of cooking). They were able to take our order and make it work with a 1 week notice, and that week was...