Rosie's Kitchen Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Tualatin

"Muy buena comida!" or for the language impaired, go to Google Translate like I did ... "very good food!". I do not dole out five-star (9-10 Bombs) ratings very often, leaving my highest marks for the places with the best food, superior service, appropriate ambience, and, most importantly, outstanding value. The name of my blog, after all, is "TravelValue".

Off the beaten path and unimpressive from the outside, Rosie's sits in a small strip mall hidden from the main road and not far from I-5 in Tualatin. The inside is simple and basic with a counter where you order and several tables where you can sit and eat your meal if you so choose. This family run operation offers freindly, responsive and efficient service.

Guacamole (about $4) is made to order and we were given the option of eliminating tomatoes and jalapeńos (which my wife is intolerant to), so we took them up on it. With avocado, cilantro, and diced onion as the main ingredients, it was both tasty and plentiful for the price. The chips were homemade and fresh as were the salsas with not one, but six different choices (regular, avocado, habańero, tomatillo, and one other ultra-hot variety).

The cheese and onion enchilada (about $3.50) was unlike any I have had. The handmade tortilla had been soaked in red chile sauce, but instead of being smothered in more sauce, covered with cheese and broiled, this one was topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, queso fresco (queso blanco), and slices of avocado. I like the smothered variety, but this one was deliciously fresh.

My wife's quesadilla ($4.95) was a decent size for the price and her carne asada taco ($2) traditionally made with a hot handmade tortilla, diced steak, cilantro and onion, not the Americanized variety so many places pump out with pre-fab hard shells, ground beef, loads of shredded lettuce and a little cheese.

I ordered the carne asada dinner ($10.95), a thin marinated grilled steak with grilled green onion, a roasted poblano pepper, three handmade corn tortillas, rice and beans. A good value for the price, there was not as much beef as you would see in some restaurants that charge $14-$18 for carne asada, but plenty enough for me to make three reasonable size tacos. The only thing missing was some guacamole on the plate, a nice addition they may want to consider offering for an additional 50¢ to $1.

The menu is very simple, but missing some ala carte items (enchiladas and guacamole for example, hence my "about" estimations) as well as drinks, so I am merely guessing at the prices of those items. They also charge 50¢ for soft drink refills, but may want to consider raising the price by 25¢ and foregoing the refill charge for simplicity's sake. At less than $27 for our dinner for two, we ate very well, the quality of the food was top-notch, and the service excellent.

Do yourself and the owners a favor and seek this place out. They are a small family-run business open for just 10 months and in a building void of much street or foot traffic, making it all that more critical to market themselves properly and for word-of-mouth advertising by folks like you and me to let others know about this hidden gem.

CombatCritic Gives Rosie's Kitchen 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More...

Ordered online through there website yesterday and when I went in the woman working the counter repeatedly told me they don’t take online orders. Even after I showed her the website and the button I clicked, along with my receipt for the order she said they don’t do online orders, only Grubhub. I tried to reason with her for about 5min but after continually being brushed off and not offered any solution I just took the loss and left. Very confused about why or how this happened. When on their website I clicked the first button that says “Order Online” and I was sent an email receipt and my card was charged. If my order for some technical reason wasn’t received I could understand that but instead I was told that they don’t even take online orders. I wish that she had just told me there had been an issue but that they would make the food on my receipt. Pretty terrible customer service, we were really excited to try this place and hopefully have a new local fave. I would avoid unless you’re going in to order in person. Out $35 dollars and...

Love this spot! Rosie's Kitchen is the place to go if you want fresh, delicious, and made to order Mexican food. It's all you could ever ask for really. I'm all about supporting local businesses and this is one of my favorite local businesses!

To start, the owner here, Luis, is so attentive and welcoming when you come in. He remembers you by name and knows you every time you come in. That's quality service that very few restaurants have!

The food is to die for and so fresh, it's always made to order. I really have enjoyed it every time I come in. I often order the quesadillas but I also love the tacos. I definitely want to try more of there menu! I'm sure it's all great!

I love this spot, I've been countless times and believe me, once you try it, you'll be coming back again and again. Definitely stop on by whenever your in Tualatin, I promise...