Taquería Los Puñales — Restaurant in Portland

A bright spot during a dark time! Who opens a restaurant during a pandemic? Only someone with a plan and something to offer, that's who! It has been about a week since I had the pleasure of dinner at this new hole-in-the-wall, and that's what it feels like at the moment. Tucked away on Belmont it opened without much noticeable fanfare and they've started flinging delicious tacos!

My meal started with chips and salsa which are always a good way to evaluate a new place. The chips were thick and crispy and obviously hot out of the fryer while the salsa was rich and acidic and comfortably spicy with beautiful aromatics. I almost approached the counter to see if they were sell me a tub because great salsa is hard to finds.

The chips and salsa were followed by four tacos on house made tortillas. I purchased a the taco adobada, carnitas, steak al pesto, and chile relleno. The adoboda had wonderfully grilled pork covered in onion and cilantro which brought a bright clean flavor to the smokey grilled meat. Carnitas are always hit and miss for me and this was a hit - tender and flavorful. I was curious about the garlicky pesto on the steak and it didn't disappoint - a lovely heat that marries well with grilled steak. The chile relleno was the only misfire for me - it was a little bland and perhaps... dare I say... too much cheese? Is that even a thing?! But the cheese was almost like a steak that you had to big through not a luscious soft dairy treat that I had been expecting. But, seriously, who can complain about 4/5 amazing components? Not me, I love this place and it is in my neighborhood which means I am going...

As my friend suggested, we came in for a late lunch around 3 pm on a rainy Saturday, 12/02/23, because she said they have good tacos. She's Mexican, born and raised, so I trusted her recommendation!

Service was friendly and quick since we missed the lunch hour. The staff member who took our order was so helpful in helping us decide what to get. She let us sample all their homemade Fresca. We liked the cucumber with mints.

I was bummed they didn't have tamales or ceviche, so I settled on a pork Pozole. I also couldn't say no to the fried plantain and fried yuca.

My friend for the three tacos, and she said they were good. I didn't try them because I got plenty for myself.

I enjoyed the pork Pozole because it balanced flavor and portion well. My previous experience with Pozole, in general, was so fatty that I could see the fat and grease layer on top and on the salty side of flavor. I would come back for their pork Pozole!

The fried plantain and fried yucca were good in crispy texture and had the natural sweetness of ripe plantain, and the fried yucca had just the right amount of salt.

You order at the counter, they give you a number and bring food to your table. Self-serve for condiments and to-go containers.

Outdoor covered sitting without heated lamps. It is cozy and primarily has tables for two inside, only a few (less than 5 for sure) with reserved signs for four or more. You can see them cooking your food if you like to watch.

Limited and timed street parking for the main road and adjacent side streets. There is no time limit for neighborhood street parking within a block of the main road of...

I was so excited to try this place after rave reviews and months of watching their Instagram. Started off fine- the cashier was funny and friendly, the inside of the place reminds me of taco places I went to in Mexico. We ordered (tacos are a whopping $4.50-5.50 each) and sat down. I got my margarita quickly. And then we waited. And waited. And waited. After 45 minutes I went Inside to ask what the hold up was. We watched multiple large groups sit down after us get their food. They said our order was next. They brought out another margarita- I should have taken it but I was too hungry to even realize I could have gotten a free margarita and I sent It back 🤦🏼‍♀️ Then we waited at least another 20 minutes, and asked about our order a second time after watching someone order and get their tacos in 15 minutes. I don’t know what happened- no one gave us an explanation or even an apology for waiting over an hour for 3 tacos and some chips and salsa. If we hadn’t already paid we would have just left. I got the barbacoa Jalisco style, the frijoles con queso, and the mole poblano. The frijoles was my favorite- the beans were very well seasoned. The mole was just ok- the Oaxacan place we go to does a better one, and the barbacoa left me unsatisfied- a word which sums up my entire experience here. If I hadn’t waited that long I’d probably have liked it better. I’m glad I went, but I likely won’t go back because this overpriced taco experience was tainted for me.

Update: it seems they did refund my credit card for the amount paid, which is a nice surprise. I appreciate...