El Mezcalito PDX — Restaurant in Portland

WHAT is happening here??? WHO owns this place? I never want to leave a bad review but we just had the most comically bad experience and you most definitely should have just closed for the day since it seems like whoever was working are not the people who usually work both in the kitchen and front of house. To start off I ordered a mezcal cocktail and asked what type of mezcal they use and she said ohh um probably tequila. I don't think our server knows what mezcal is?? At mezcalito? Then she said sorry we don't know how to make that cocktail but we think we can figure out the paloma. I decided I'd share my husbands Paloma before I ordered my own drink. The cocktail menu sounded like it would be pretty straightforward but when it arrived it was so funny I had to take a photo. This was before we took a sip. You forgot to add the ice! Why offer the drink menu at all? We're not sure what the drink was, maybe squirt and Malibu? Room temperature for sure. Anyway, for food we got the taco plate and ceviche which looked nothing like the photos of the tacos from other reviews. No sauces came with them. Dry and tiny. The ceviche was definitely not raw shrimp cooked in lime. Tasted like boiled cold shrimp with v-8 and a ton of tomatoes. Bizarre. One drink, two tiny tacos with rice and beans and ceviche $48. Ok we'll pay, gotta get back home. Our sever says oh do you have cash? I don't know how to use the machine. Sorry no, maybe put out a sign saying cash only so we know before we sit down? She was super nice and honestly the takeaway here is TRAIN YOUR STAFF OR CLOSE YOUR DOORS FOR THE DAY. Or work yourself? WHO OWNS...

Honestly, I'm really disappointed with El Mezcalito and I find it sad that I didn't like this place more from the good reviews that were listed here. This place is the definition of "Okay" to me, definitely not a restaurant you should or would go out of your way to go to.

My big complaint is that my plate of enchiladas was 80% rice and beans and 20% of actually enchiladas that were covered with lettuce to mask the little amount I was actually getting. Thankfully, it tasted good but to get that output for $19 is kinda absurd to me and is not worth the cost in my opinion, but that will be up to everyone's own perspective. Alongside this, my rice had stale pieces within it which sucked, I wish it was more recently made.

We also got a Mezcalito bowl with carne asada which was good and sold at a good value of $15 which I can recommend! The horchata was also really yummy.

The service was a highlight, the server was welcoming, quick and the food got out in a timely matter, definitely quicker than most places I've been to. At the end, I was just bummed that parts of my dish felt underwhelming for the price I paid which is completely subjective so don't feel afraid to try this place out if you're in the area. The food was pretty good so if you're thinking about trying it out I...

First a fact: Portland has all around mediocre Mexican food.

Unfortunately, this place falls in that trend, though it's got a nice patio out front and the service is great. When these guys first opened it seemed like they had high prices when I looked at their menu online, but when I stopped in the prices actually looked pretty decent.

I've been here twice, the first time ordering a taco plate, and the second for a burrito. The taco plate was decent, the rice and beans a little flavorless but okay. It was enough for me to try this place again. The burrito on the other hand just wasn't what I'd hoped for. I'm a native San Franciscan so I grew up on high quality burritos (e.g. El Farolito) and I've always been disappointed by the offerings in Portland. The rice needs to be a little more firm, the beans need to have a bit more tastiness (also, where's the whole beans), and the tortilla steamed and wrapped tightly.

I might come back and try some more dishes if I'm nearby, but mainly because of the location, patio, service, and decent prices. I'm rooting for these guys as there's not a lot of other Mexican offerings...