Casa Madera — Restaurant in Portland

A quiet spot with average food. The real question is "would we go back?" and I'm not sure we would. Here's why. The service was fine and the food was okay but it was the simple things that will end up making us choose to maybe go elsewhere the next time we're craving Mexican food. For example, we asked for queso and were given choices of chicken, beef, or jalapeños to be in it. jalapeños sounded great but it arrived as straight queso, no jalapeños. For an entrée, we split the fajita combo (and mentioned we were splitting it) but we were only provided with three tortillas (very good flour tortillas I should add) for the two of us. We asked for a couple more but they never arrived. When we asked for the bill, we weren't provided a paper bill to review and our server telling us how much we owed. Call me old school but that doesn't work. Was I charged for the jalapeños in the queso? Were we charged for extra tortillas that didn't show up? No idea. These are easy, small things to get right and if they do fix them, then great! Fortunately or unfortunately, you only one chance to make a first...

I was excited for a new spot with different options in the area, but service was disappointing. Bright spot was the house made chips and salsa which were good and spicy. Ended up paying $34 (!!) for 2 margaritas which were way too sweet, and one we had to send back because it was a "skinny" and was way too sweet as well. Even when throwing the complimentary chips and salsa in the mix, it's a lot. We ended up skipping on dinner there because it was frustrating; bartender appeared very inexperienced and couldn't even tell us about the drinks on the menu, which had no descriptions or prices. They were clearly not trained enough to handle customers on their own yet and had to consult a notepad for every drink (which they even said they couldn't read!) until someone had stepped in to help, by which point we had already made our mind to just go to papi chulo's up the street- much less expensive and reliably good. Hope this place turns it around but they very clearly...

I am so sad to submit a negative review. The food was without taste or flavor. Yes, salsa cups were dispensed, but food needs to be flavored when cooked not by putting hot sauce on as an after thought. I wanted to like El Indio de Oro. I want any new neighborhood restaurant to be successful. However if my experience tonight is the norm and that it will be repeated, this restaurant will fail. Items tonight were the Fajita Burrito and the Combo Enchilada & Taco. Both were enormous in size and simply stated, bland. If rating just on quantity, then this would be rated good. Rated on taste, the rating is barely one plus. Here's hoping they will take this as constructive criticism, take this to heart, and make changes. Very disappointed! (The restaurant itself is...