A few years into the birria boom, and Birrieria La Plaza’s beefy quesabirria tacos still reign supreme in Portland. At other birrierias, a bomb of grease and cheese can mask flavor. That’s not the case here, where the long-simmered beef marinated in guajillo and pasilla chiles is the star of the show, and the cheese and crispy tortillas stand in as supporting characters. Be sure to ask for spicy salsa on the side, plus a cup of consomé for dipping.

600 SE 146th Ave

At many taquerias, tortas are an afterthought. But at Guëro, they’re the main draw, and for good reason. The carnitas torta comes loaded with juicy, slow-cooked pork and simply garnished with peak-ripe avocado, pink pickled onions, and chile mayo with a whisper of smoke and heat, all loaded on a fluffy, crusty bun. Meanwhile, the hamburguesa—two beef patties stacked up along with avocado, ham, gooey American cheese and queso botanero, grilled onions, peppers, and chile mayo—ranks among the best burgers in the city.

200 NE 28th Ave

Opened in late 2022, this Yucatecan restaurant leans hard into regional specialties, from panuchos (thick fried masa tortillas stuffed with black beans) to custardy tamales wrapped in banana leaves and served with tomato sauce. The move is to grab a couple antojitos, plus comforting frijol con puerco (black bean soup with hunks of stewed pork) or relleno negro (inky-black charred pepper stew with turkey and egg) to round out your meal. Keep your eyes peeled for specials like blood sausage.

3244 NE 82nd Ave

This food cart’s signature brunch tacos consist of a fried egg and a whole strip of bacon on a lightly crisped corn tortilla, all garnished with melted Tillamook cheese, pickled onions, and pico de gallo. La Osita also serves smoothies and coffee, plus a menu of lunch burritos and bowls, with vegan options too. A brick-and-mortar in Montavilla is in the works. 

Plaza 122, 1515-A SE 122nd Ave

The Yucatan-style slow-braised pork of the cochinita pibil is cooked until almost buttery, in a velvety achiote-orange sauce, then sprinkled with pickled onions and crunchy cabbage. The carnitas are on the opposite end of the spectrum, super crisp like gloriously porky potato chips. Get them on the panuchos, which are especially toasty and full of fresh masa flavor.

4212 NE Prescott St

This cart reps its Yucatecan cuisine at the Portland Mercado, with a menu of tacos, panuchos, and tortas with shredded chicken or succulent slow-roasted cochinita pibil. But Principe Maya shines with dishes rarely seen on other Yucatecan menus in Portland: brazo de reina—a tamal stuffed with eggs and ground pumpkin seeds then topped with tomato sauce—as well as kibis, a popular Yucatecan street food with Lebanese roots consisting of a crunchy, fried cracked-wheat shell stuffed with meat, mint, and egg beneath a layer of crisp cabbage and tangy pickled red onions.

7238 SE Foster Rd

Blocks away from TV Highway’s car dealerships lives this gem of a cart, which Efrain Abarca opened in 2019 to recreate the taco flavors he ate as a kid while visiting his grandma in Tijuana. Few other taquerias can match the range of styles encompassed here, all served on toasty, fragrant Three Sisters Nixtamal tortillas. There’s no wrong order: Tijuana-style steak tacos dressed with guacamole and onion, the grilled shrimp tacos with a blanket of griddled cheese melded to the tortilla, fatty-crisp suadero (brisket) tacos, or the ubiquitous but exceptionally well-made quesabirria tacos complete with hearty beef consomé. Also not to be missed: the creative aguas frescas, from strawberry horchata to celery-pineapple-lime.

21460 SW Tualatin Valley Hwy

Tacos guisados are the draw here, with dozens of stews and braises to choose from, all served on handmade corn tortillas. Some favorites if you’re having trouble deciding: the standout chicken tinga in smoky chipotle sauce, the salty-spicy pork adobada, the super-tender lengua en salsa verde, the juicy barbacoa served Jalisco-style in a folded-over fried tortilla, the melt-in-your-mouth carnitas, and the choripapa (chorizo and potatoes) in a savory tomato stew. But the vegetarian and vegan options are not to be overlooked either, from grilled panela cheese with sour cream to calabacitas with corn and onion to soy curls with mole. Wash it down with a textbook-perfect pint glass margarita, amped up with habanero or strawberry.

3312 SE Belmont St

When Tito’s Taquitos first opened as a lone cart in a Southwest Portland parking lot, it gained a fast following for its meat-topped crunchy potato taquitos and tacos on handmade tortillas. But everything on the menu is a winner, from the braised beef to the citrus pork to the chickpeas al pastor. Don’t skip the housemade aguas frescas and shortcake-like tres leches for dessert. Naturally, Tito’s expanded with a brick-and-mortar on Swan Island.

3975 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy and 3449 N Anchor St, Ste 200

Tucked into Gresham’s charming historical district, this restaurant serves some of the best goat birria we’ve had the pleasure of trying. It comes slow-cooked and falling off the bone, nestled in a warm consomé that tingles with a bit of chile. It’s sided by fresh-made tortillas, delicate and airy. Several seafood dishes are also on offer, from Baja-style fish tacos to aguachiles to camarones zarandeados. There’s even a full bar.

184 NE Second St, Gresham

If you’re going to specialize in one dish, you’d better do it right—and Los 7 Hermanos delivers. It makes its slow-cooked goat birria the way it’s been done for generations, served in rich, nearly buttery, chickpea-loaded consomé with plenty of corn tortillas. Pair it with a michelada for the ultimate hangover cure.

19131 E Burnside St

First-timers to this essential burrito shop should go all-out with the Super Azteca burrito, a whole chile relleno combined with refried beans, rice, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and a hefty portion of the meat of your choice, all inside a freshly steamed tortilla. We’re partial to the juicy carnitas. If you’re dining in, the bar special is a killer deal: a beer, burrito, plus chips and salsa, for roughly $15. 

1942 N Rosa Parks Way and 6728 NE Sandy Blvd

This Cully spot, whose cheeky name translates to “stupid donkeys,” is a quietly shining gem for burritos and beyond. Rather than throw the kitchen sink of garnishes at every burrito, each is carefully packed with fillings that enhance the protein. Carnitas teams up with avocado sauce, pico de gallo, and chorizo refried beans, while chicken tinga meets whole beans, chipotle lime mayo, and sour cream.

5745 NE Prescott St 

For well thought-out, unusual burrito combinations, look no further than Smart Donkey, a lone food cart with substantial outdoor and covered space. The chile rojo is a saucy, spicy delight stuffed with pork in red chile sauce, while the Zumpango is loaded with Guerrero-style shredded beef. There’s even a fish burrito, plus veggie options paired with the likes of kale, pumpkin seeds, and cabbage. Pro tip: a daily happy hour, plus Monday and Thursday all-day specials, gets you a margarita for five bucks.

3420 SE 50th Ave

Chef Luna Contreras has taken up residency at Lil’ Dame with her playful, artistic, veggie-forward concept, Chelo. It’s named after her grandmother, who not only taught her how to shop at markets and cook while growing up in Mexico, but supported her as a trans kid. The menu highlights local, seasonal produce in a snackable, shareable street food format—gorditas, molletes, aguachiles, even hard-to-find crispy Oaxacan tlayudas. Ready yourself for the likes of duck carnitas with poached pear and fish tacos topped with watercress and radicchio. Save room for tres leches cake and imaginative ice cream.

5425 NE 30th Ave

For a steady source of Mexican seafood, look no further than Don Kamaron. The signature camarones zarandeados pairs grilled shell-on shrimp with a spicy red marinade; others go for aguachile-style cured shrimp in red, black, or green chile. The seafood tower that piles shrimp, octopus, scallop, and fish, and the stone molcajete overflowing with octopus, shrimp, and oysters are Instagram-worthy impressive. Don’t skip the micheladas, from the basic kind to ones flaunting upside-down beer bottles, shrimp, and oysters.

16246 SE Stark St

For tlayudas that rival what you’d find on the streets of Oaxaca, it’s well worth the drive to one of La Mixteca’s two Hillsboro locations. Atop the massive, super-thin, crisp tortilla, find lard-enriched black beans, stringy Oaxacan cheese, cabbage, radishes, and classic tlayuda meats ranging from puerco enchilado (spicy pork) to cecina (steak) to chorizo. Should you need an appetizer while you wait, may we suggest the super-crunchy chapulines (grasshoppers) with lime and chile? They pair great with one of the house margaritas.

1050 SE Walnut St and 230 E Main St, Hillsboro

Mole Mole’s presentation is unsurpassed by any other food cart—and rivals some brick-and-mortar restaurants, too. Dishes are served on custom ceramic dishware from Puebla, hand-painted with the cart’s name. Rice comes mounded in a pyramid, and the mole-enrobed whole chicken leg is adorned with a fresh orchid. The flavors are even more impressive. Anything you pick from the massive menu spanning multiple regions of Mexico, from soups to burritos to mole plates, is likely going to be a hit. Favorites include mole rosa, a pink mole made from walnuts and beets and served over wild salmon, and the mole verde enchiladas stuffed with the protein of your choice. 

2231 NE Alberta St

At this modern, glass-walled restaurant along the South Waterfront, chef Juan Gomez’s dishes come out like works of art, boasting hyper-seasonal, local ingredients that change by the day: halibut with sea beans, purple sprouting broccoli with black trumpet mushroom escabeche, fig leaf ice cream. A seat at the chef’s counter affords an up-close view and chance to enjoy the tasting menu, but reservations are scarce; Lilia was recently named one of the top 50 restaurants in the country by the New York Times. 

3159 S Moody Ave

Républica describes itself as a “Mexico-forward” restaurant, serving seven- and 10-course tasting menus from chef Jose “Lalo” Camarena. But it’s more than dinner—it’s also a story-rich glimpse into the culinary traditions of Mexico. A meal might include tortillas made from fresh, multicolored masa, annatto-rubbed sablefish with peach and epazote, or duck and apples. Dishes arrive with narratives and history lessons, including how indigenous ingredients came to meet Old World elements.

100 NW 10th Ave