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Reader Survey 2012: Best Mexican Restaurant in Portland

June 14, 2012 by PDX Food Dude 16 Comments

Nuestra Cocina Sopes
Sopes de chorizo

Last year the survey order was Autentica, Por Que No & Nuestra Cocina. This year things swapped around, with a new restaurant in the mix. Though the category received 1096 votes, the lower-ranked restaurants individually received more votes. This dilutes the pool a bit, and shows that we have more of what PFD readers consider “good” Mexican food.

With the addition of Corazon, Mextiza (same owner as Autentica) and Mi Mero Mole to the mix, the competition will only get stronger. As it is, Mi Mero Mole, a relatively new restaurant, came out of nowhere to fall only two tenths of a point behind well-established 3rd place ¿Por Que No? That’s a great showing for a new business in a city where there is so much passion for this type of food. Mi Mero took some votes from both Autentica and ¿Por Que No?, which has affected their ranking. Overall, it is good to see some of these restaurants on the list – it gives me hope for Mexican food in Portland.

1096 votes were cast:

1. Nuestra Cocina – 16.8% of the vote.  2135 Southeast Division Street  Portland, OR 97202  Map  (503) 232-2135  My review

2. Autentica – 14.6%.  5507 Northeast 30th Ave., Portland, OR. 97211   (503) 287-7555.  My review

3. ¿Por Que No? – 11.5%. My Review

  • 3524 North Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR. 97227  ‎Map  (503) 467-4149
  • 4635 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR. 97215  ‎Map  (503) 954-3138

4. Mi Mero Mole– 11.3%. 5026 SE Division St.,  Portland, OR. 97215  Map  (503) 232-8226

5. Mextiza – 4.6%. 2103 N. Killingsworth, Portland OR. 97217  Map  (503) 289-3709

6. La Bonita – 3.8%. 2839 Northeast Alberta Street  Portland, OR. 97211  Map  (503) 281-3662

7. Cha Cha Cha – 3.1% of the vote

  • 4727 NE Fremont, Portland OR. 97213  Map  (503) 595-9131
  • 3808 N. Williams, Portland OR. 97227  Map  (503) 281-1655
  • 1208 NW Glisan, Portland OR. 97209 Map  (503) 221-2111
  • 2635 NE Broadway, Portland OR. 97232  Map  (503) 288-1045
  • 3433 SE Hawthorne, Portland OR.  97214  Map  (503) 236-1100
  • 1605 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland OR. 97202  Map  (503) 232-0437
  • 11008 SE Main, Portland OR. 97222  Map  (503) 659-2193
  • 305 NW 21st Ave., Portland OR. 97209  Map  (503) 295-4077

8a. (tie) Fonda Rosa – 2.1%. 108 Northeast 28th Avenue  Portland, OR 97232  Map  (503) 235-3828

8b. Trebol– 2.1%. 4835 North Albina Avenue  Portland, OR 97217  Map  (503) 517-9347

9. La Calaca Comelona -2%. 2304 Southeast Belmont Street  Portland, OR 97214  Map  (503) 239-9675

10. Tienda Santa Cruz– 1.8% 8630 North Lombard Street  Portland, OR 97203  Map  (503) 289-2005


View Reader Survey 2012: Best Mexican Food in Portland in a larger map

Related

Filed Under: Best of Portland 2012!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sellwood Mafia says

    June 14, 2012 at 4:55 pm

    Cha Cha Cha – really…?

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      June 14, 2012 at 6:41 pm

      Different strokes…

      Reply
    • pdxyogi says

      June 14, 2012 at 6:50 pm

      Wouldn’t be so concerned about Cha Cha Cha. It took them eight locations to muster a measly 3%. Sorta like Mio Sushi’s seven locations yielding 3.8%. When you figure that by votes per location, it’s statistically a non-existent showing.

      Reply
      • Food Dude says

        June 14, 2012 at 6:54 pm

        I agree

      • Sellwood Mafia says

        June 14, 2012 at 9:23 pm

        Hadn’t thought of it that way… guess that’s why I struggled in my Statistics class way back when. Good point, thx

    • rouxster says

      June 15, 2012 at 9:07 am

      my thoughts exactly

      Reply
  2. extramsg says

    June 15, 2012 at 5:19 pm

    Sweet, by that logic, we’re twice as good as Por Que No. Chupalo, Bryan! ;-)

    Reply
  3. Aestro says

    June 27, 2012 at 3:57 pm

    Mi Mero Mole taking 4th when it’s brand-spanking new is pretty impressive. Granted, Nick’s never been shy about promoting himself (with good reason).

    Reply
  4. E says

    July 29, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    So these places are all great for a nicer night out, but is there a different list for best CHEAP mexican food restaurants (aside from the carts?)

    Reply
    • Food Dude says

      July 30, 2012 at 10:50 am

      Mi Mero Mole, Por Que No, and Cha Cha Cha are all what most people would call cheap.

      Reply
  5. joe says

    June 15, 2013 at 5:17 pm

    any Mexican place that doesn’t have serve chips and salsa sucks. Por que no is a tasteless and over priced joke. Cha cha at least has good tortilla soup. Autentico? Pretentious…ico. $20 dishes? I’ll eat sushi if I’m going to spend that much on a dish. Portland has great fusionie restaurants but if you want straight up sushi straight up Korean, straight up Mexican…than drive to Hillsboro and Beaverton.

    Reply
  6. Food Dude says

    June 14, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    Los Gorditos would have been #11

    Reply

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