Filed under: Mexican, Northwest Portland | Tags: Mexican, molcajete, oregon, paleo, Portland
305 Northwest 21st Avenue # 203, Portland, OR 97209-1141
So of course as usual, we found a Living Social Deal/Coupon for Cha Taqueria. The owner of Cha is also the owner of Cha Cha Cha. Cha Taqueria was opened so the owner could “expand on the culinary ideas he started at Cha!Cha!Cha! wanting to create a more formal and modern Mexican dining experience”. I must agree, that that is what he did! Their philosophy of sustainability and local-ness in their foods still rings true with this restaurant. We checked it out and this is what we found!
What we ordered: We were big fans of the “Molcajete” at Cha Cha Cha and so when we saw this at Cha, I was curious to see if anything was different here. So we ordered it. We also ordered the Barbacoa (mix of lamb and goat meat). I couldn’t find it on the menu, but I know it was on the menu at the restaurant, so just in case it’s not on the menu, you should ask for it anyway.
How we ordered it: Hold the tortillas and rice please.
What we got:
Molcajete
Barbacoa
Cost: Molcajete – $14, Barbacoa – $18
Quantity: El Molcajete was decent. Great mix of veggies and meat, but really not a ton of meat. It was almost exactly, if not exactly the same as the $10 Molcajete you get at Cha Cha Cha. Not sure what the difference is, but it’s really close, maybe Cha had a tad bit bigger-crazy-rock-like-plate-presentation….eh. The Barbacoa was just ALL meat. It was a ton of meat. Very filling.
Quality: Very good. They get their meat from Carleton Farms and it was tasty just like at Cha Cha Cha. Thought it’s not grass-fed meat, it’s local. However grass is what goat and lamb eat anyway, so that’s usually the most paleo meat you can order at a restaurant anyway.
MEAT-O-METER says!
Sorry these pics are off a bit. This place is a fancier, more expensive, better decorated version of Cha Cha Cha. The Barbacoa was very generous with its meat. I loved it because it’s great atmosphere for a date night and you can still wear your gym clothes there, as pictured. 
With the coupon and our overall experience here, this restaurant is pretty great. Not many substitutions need to be made and the portions were pretty decent. We’ll be back again of course, with our other coupon.
On a side note, I will try to keep posting Groupon/LivingSocial Deals that I find for you to take advantage of!
Current location unknown!!! If you know of anything about them, please leave in comments!
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7316 N Lombard, Portland, OR 97203
503-935-1977
Oh my gosh! The wedding/honeymoon/school/ is over now! Phew! Geez, so sorry for the long hiatus. I know….really long hiatus. Due to a number of random encounters with random people in random places regarding the meateats blog and the Meat-O-Meter being recognized (it’s so the glasses!), I am forever encouraged to keep going with this blog! Thank you to everyone who reads it!
With that said, if you follow the blog and have some restaurants that need review-ing that I have missed, please post to the comments! As of late, due to our busy schedule and also because by nature we are creatures of habit, we haven’t been trying out any new places. So please recommend a restaurant in the comments section. If you recommend a restaurant please don’t take it personally if it turns out to be a thumbs down by the Meat-o-Meter’s purely objective and government legitimized standards. 
So back to the post at hand, La Merced! It’s a food cart that popped up in our neighborhood by Kruegers Farmers Market on the corner of Lombard and west of Ida-ish…
Of course we all know the Meat-O-Meter loves meat, but in case you haven’t noticed, he especially likes different types of “meat” that have specific bodily functions in order for an animal to survive such as, liver, heart, intestine, ear, feet etc. – hence the quotations. I must admit I do like the occasional Menudo at the hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, but the M-O-M takes it almost to a new level.
We LOVE tacos and we couldn’t resist this place.
What we ordered: A bunch of Carnitas Tacos. The real deal is with corn tortillas. Yes corn is not Paleo, however corn tortillas…jk, they’re still not Paleo, but it’s better than flour tortillas. Other cheats could be worse.
How we ordered it: Carnitas tacos made with just one tortilla please! (We’ve found most Mexican restaurants use 2 tortillas to make their tacos. I guess it just makes us feel a little better about our cheat when we cut down on the amount of tortilla we are consuming)
What we got:
Carnitas Taco
Cost: $1.25 per taco! Some days he has a special for $1 tacos!!!!! Really? Come on, how can you not go here!
Quality: This pork most likely did not come from a local farm. But the owner really does try to use every part of the animal so nothing goes to waste. Kudos for being resourceful! The type of meat he used just made it taste so different and amazing. Very simple tasting, but so different!
Quantity: There is a lot of meat on this taco. It is pretty generous. Cheapest price we’ve found so far for a taco! Watch out King Burrito!
MEAT-O-METER says!
The accolade for this food cart went pretty deep. He couldn’t stop talking about it! The price and the meat are fantastic. It really is authentic Mexican food! Their other tacos are great as well, carne asada, bucha, lengua. They have a ton of other typical Mexican fare and and also some really unique dishes as well.
If you are in the neighborhood, go here! If the other types of “meat” aren’t your thing, you can always go for the hamburger…(booooring!) Don’t think about it, just shove it in! It’s pretty tasty! If anything the cost is pretty darn worth it.
Filed under: Mexican, Southeast Portland | Tags: Mexican, paleo, salvadoran, southeast portland
8324 SE 17th Avenue, Portland, OR 97202
(503) 231-5140
Our new thing, sort of, is Groupon. El Palenque was a Groupon offer we couldn’t pass up! We were also itching to try someplace new. This place is a mix of Mexican and Salvadoran fare. Mmmmmm…
Compared to where we are in North Portland, this restaurant was kind of a trek to the Sellwood-ish area. If we are ever in the area again, we may just stop by for the fried yuca. Have you ever had not good fried yuca? good stuff…
What we ordered: Side of Guacamole Salvador (boiled egg mixed with onions and garlic), Palenque Salad with mole chicken, and Yuca plate with Carnitas
How we ordered it: Guac – as is, Palenque salad – no rice or beans with extra lettuce and some sauteed peppers and onions, Yuca plate – no rice, yuca fried please. 
What we got:
Side of Juevos Guacamole
Palenque salad with mole chicken
Yuca with carnitas
Cost: Juevos Guacamole – $6, Palenque Salad – $10, Yuca with carnitas – $13
Quantity: Very little
Quality: Not bad. Tasty. Nothing special.
MEAT-O-METER says!
OMG fried yuca is so stinking good!!!!! My fav for sure. Very disappointed by the meat amount, hence the sad face. But apparently they are very liberal with the yuca. You can get the yuca steamed instead of fried if you want to go super strict wtih this meal. We were a bit disappointed by the mole, it was definitely more on the sweeter side unfortunately for the MEAT-O-METER, he likes it a bit more bitter. Overall the meal was tasty, but not worth the drive down from NoPo for this, but maybe if we’re in the area and in the mood for some fried yuca…maybe…
2924 North Lombard Street, Portland, OR 97217-6236
(503) 283-9757
So the first time I went to this place, apparently the woman behind the counter was the wife of the owner? She was middle-aged and English was not a primary language. I asked if she could give me a burrito WITHOUT the tortilla and she looked at me and said ,”NO Tortilla??????? No, no, no, no…”; like I was crazy. So I walked out empty handed, cursing a bit under my breath. Thus prompting my vow to never go back again. However, a friend had mentioned how King Burrito was really good and that if you do get the older woman behind the counter, the chances of eliminations or substitutions are next to nil. So I thought I would give it another try and hoped she would not be there. Well, I was in luck and this is what I got….
What we ordered: Carnitas burrito, 2 Carnitas tacos, and 1 Cabeza taco (that means, face meat of a cow…..yes, face meat…if you don’t think about it, it is really OH-So-Good!)
How we ordered it: Carnitas burrito – no tortilla, (we didn’t have to ask for no rice or beans b/c there are no rice or beans in their burritos, yay!), extra lettuce, salsa and whatever other vegetables they have.
What we got:
3 tacos
Carnitas Burrito
Cost: Tacos – $1.30 each, Burrito – $4.95
Quantity: Each taco comes with 2 corn tortillas, yes not paleo, however, there was so much meat that the MEAT-O-METER could put half the meat onto the second tortilla making 2 very MEATY tacos. That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout! For the burrito, the picture doesn’t really do it justice. It was ginormous. I couldn’t finish it.
Quality: The meat was super moist and tasty. I have no idea where it came from or if it’s even grass-fed or not, probably not, but it was really good.
MEAT-O-METER says!
There was a very nice gentleman behind the counter who accomodated our needs perfectly! He is there most of the time, so I think your chances of running into the older woman are slim.
A couple points: The mole is el spectaculare at La Superior, but we would rather buy the mole there and walk it over to King Burrito, down the street and eat it there. So the thumbs up for La Superior is really just for their mole. I will be sure to specify this on that post.
The side thumb is for the restaurant as a whole. The guacamole here is terrible. It’s a bit liquidy, who knows if it was just that batch or just that package….The carpet could really use some….throwing out and everything is paper: the plates and cups. The utensils are plastic allowing low overhead, so maybe that’s why their tacos are so cheap!
Did I mention the cost of the tacos is so cheap? We were just at a food cart and their tacos were $1.50 with half the meat…hmmm…how is this possible?
All in all, I think we have found a new favorite Mexican hole-in-the-wall-esque restaurant close to our house! We’ll be there weekly, if you’re looking for us
Goat dinner plate
Menudo
Cost: Goat meat dinner plate – $7.99, Menudo – $7.99, Side of Mole – $2.50 (not pictured)
Quantity: Menudo is pretty large. The dinner plate could have had more meat on it.
Quality: Fantastic! Salsa bar was great. Their mole is homemade and really very good!
MEAT-O-METER says!
This place is our new Go To place. Super close to our house and inexpensive. When we order the menudo, they always give us a whole pigs foot! Not for the light stomached, but really tasty!
2000 NE Alberta St., Portland, Oregon 97211
The best places are usually the most unexpected. When they are a local business sometimes the servers are a little bit more lenient about making substitutions.
What we ordered: Beef stew, Chicken plate and Steak Plate
How we ordered it: We asked for no rice or beans. So they actually deducted the price of a side of rice and beans from the price of the plate. If only we could get that kind of service everywhere else…
What we got:
Beef stew
Chicken plate
Steak Plate
Cost: Given that they deducted the price for us because we asked for no rice and beans, the price was a lot lower than listed. If I were more organized I would have written the prices down, but I didn’t. But I do know that this place would be considered cheap in my book ~ $4/plate.
Quality: We’re not sure about the origins of the meat. It definitely tasted good, but we’re not really sure where it’s coming from. The steak on the steak plate was a bit chewy and dry, but very flavorful. The stew was for sure the best plate. It had whole chunks of carrot and chayote, chunks of meat…tasty.
Quantity: The stew is humungous. If you move the bowl the soup will spill over everywhere! Entrees were OK for the price, but the beef stew is the way to go.
MEAT-O-METER says!
Oh man, this place is great! Pretty bare to the bones hole in the wall place, but well worth it.
Cha Cha Cha!
2635 NE Broadway St
Portland, OR 97232-1891
(503) 288-1045
We were notified by our fellow Meateats followers, Katie and Anton that Cha Cha Cha is serving a Summer Salad Bowl. Unfortunately summer is almost over, so who knows how much longer they will serve this special dish!
What is it? It is called the Summer Salad Bowl. Mixed salad greens, pico de gallo, guacamole, choice of meat, beans and tortilla strips on top.
How we ordered it: No beans and no tortilla strips and no cheese. Please add peppers and onions (veggies).
What we got:
Summer Salad Bowl
Cost: $6.95
Quality: Meat is moist, not dry. The meat comes from Carleton Farms!
Quantity: Could have been a bit more meat, however the salad was huge!
MEAT-O-METER says to write to Cha Cha Cha by copy and pasting the following text and sending it to Cha Cha Cha HQ!!!!!
Dear Cha Cha Cha,
I am writing to you about the Summer Salad Bowl at your Broadway store. It is delicious, nutritious, and deserves a spot on your year round menu. You see, I go to this gym called CrossFit Portland and they tell me I should eat meat, veggies, and fat. It is difficult to go out to eat and follow this diet, until I found your Summer Salad Bowl!!! Well, your Salad Bowl has all three food categories in perfect balance (a little more meat would be nice!) and it is the talk at the gym. Please keep it on your menu year round!
Sincerely,
Do your part and help promote great Paleo meals at your favorite local restaurants!
5242 NW Leary Ave, Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 784-5568
The Meat-O-Meter heard about this place from Scott. It turns out this place usually has a line outside 30 minutes before it opens! We were in Seatlle so we decided to go here on our way back home. I am sooooo glad we drove here because it was soooooo good! Holy cow. I still can taste the mashed buttery sweet potato in my mouth. My mouth is watering as I’m typing.
What we ordered:
MANCHAMANTELES Oaxaca
How we ordered it: No rice and beans. Extra mashed sweet potatoes please!
What we got:
Manchamanteles - I couldn't wait to take the pic, I was starving and it smelled so good!
Mole Negro
Cost: Machamanteles – $14.95, Mole Negro TLAXCALTECA – $16.95
Quantity: There was so much food on my plate, even though I was starving, I couldn’t eat all of it. It was sooooooo good!
Quality: Did I mention that it was soooooo good!!! Meat was tender, the added bit of sweet plantains in my dish made it nice and hearty and a very fulfilling meal! The mole is made in-house from scratch!
MEAT-O-MEATER says!
I think that means 3, thumbs up. It was crazy ridiculous good! There was so much food and it was all really tasty. You simply MUST go there if you’re in Seattle. Believe it or not, these exact words have come out of the MEAT-O-METER’s mouth: “Let’s drive up to Senor Moose Cafe for dinner!”
Um, yeah, 3 hour drive to get there. Close to totally worth it. This is a MUST place to eat if you are in or even near Seattle!
2608 NW Vaughn St., Portland, Oregon 97210
Mexican Restaurants are our favorite restaurants to order Paleo. The first time is always the hardest, but with practice, by the 10th Mexican restaurant, you’ll get the hang of it.
What we ordered: Peasant Plate -choice of meat, rice, beans, sour cream, cheese, grilled vegetables, flour tortilla. Mexi Salad: all the fillings of a burrito, lettuce, tomato, smoked chicken, guacamole, olives,
How we ordered it: Peasant Plate – grilled chicken, no rice, no beans, substitute grilled vegetables for the rice, extra side salad instead of beans.
What we got:
Peasant Plate
The flour tortillas just showed up! Oh those sneaky processed carbs, how did they get there?
Mexi Salad
Cost: Peasant Plate – $8, Mexi Salad – $7
Quality: The meat serviceable. Nothing special.
Quantity: Eh. For the price, it tasted alright. The Mexi-Salad for $7 was not too bad.
MEAT-O-METER?
Unfortunately you can only substitute rice for beans and beans for rice. If you substitute anything else for rice or beans, they charge you an extra $2.
So it was a little difficult to figure out the best way to order for the best dollar value. Ah well, you can’t win ‘em all…
4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97215
It’s the new fad. The restaurant was packed on Friday night. A great place to hang out with hipster friends, drink margaritas and eat fast Mexican food. That’s it, eat, drink and hipster friends. This place is sort of an anomaly to us. The line for ordering was out the door, but the food was not up to the hype. It is different from the regular Mexican hole-in-the-wall taqueria. Their decor is hip. They strive to be totally eco-friendly and they use local meat.
What we ordered: Simple salad with Tingue (shredded beef).
How we ordered it: No cheese.
What we got:
Simple Salad
Cost: $9
Quality: Terrible. The meat was dry. It may look good from the pic, but it was not tasty. It was local though; Cascade Natural Beef, but it doesn’t really matter if it doesn’t taste good.
Quantity: For $9, it was definitely not enough meat.
MEAT-O-METER
This place is way overrated. I think the appeal is that it is a hip place where you can hang out and drink some good margaritas or sangria. This was the second time we had been to Por que No! and it was the second time we were disappointed. Don’t listen to the hype, see post for La Bonita or Don Pancho Taqueria, coming soon!
