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Um. I liked quite a few things about Esparza's. Like the fresh made tortilla chips, decor, and friendly service. I thought the menu was pretty interesting with lots of different meat options, even though some stuff looked a bit pricey. It seems typical now for Mexican and Tex-Mex places to have a median of $15 per entree.
I had been craving chili rellenos since reading the talk thread about them the other day. So I went with the chili relleno dinner plate. They were the good kind - really real stuffed poblano peppers in an egg batter, filled with queso blanco. I liked what I could eat of it. Because the ranchero sauce that was served over them and all over the entire plate was sooooooooooooooooo sooooooooo spicy my mouth felt like it was on fire. I was not expecting that. I managed to get through 3/4ths of one of the two chilis on the plate, trying to diffuse the spice with the rice and beans and even a side of sour cream. I drank two glasses of water on one chili alone. But I just couldn't continue eating.
I told our server that I had trouble eating it and he was very nice about it. He wound up only charging me for an ala cart order of one chili relleno which was greatly appreciated. I really couldn't finish my entree but I wouldn't have felt right getting it comped completely. There is a note on the menu about consulting servers if you're a spice wuss. Next time, I will.
We were hungry. We wanted Mexican and were near Esparza's. I was in the mood for Tex-Mex and not the fancy Mexican down the street, so here we were.
The marionettes hanging from the ceiling were a little weird, and I swear the one painting on the wall looks like a young Conando, but I wanted enchiladas.
My beef enchiladas were covered with chili con carne and cheddar cheese. I'd never seen enchiladas covered with chili rather than sauce, but these were good.
I have no idea what that tiny bit of lettuce and tomato slice was about, and the beans and rice were just OK. The chips were good, but they needed more salt. Props to having homemade chips.
Service was OK; it was right at the start of dinner so it seemed that they had extra staff than what was needed. However, it started getting busy after we sat down.
I would rather get some fried stuff at Holman's next door, really. However, Conando doesn't watch over your tacos there.
SO overpriced for what it is. As a Texas native, it astounds me what Esparza's charges for Tex-Mex as it makes Portland seem so naive. The chips and salsa are good, though, but those margaritas are just plain awful! I have tried Esparza's about 10 times now in my 13 years of Portland living and it always amazes me that this places is repeatedly jam-packed. Save yourself the trouble and eat at the many excellent tacquerias that this town has to offer and buy a plane ticket to San Antonio for real Tex-Mex that doesn't charge $12 for a mediocre cheese enchilada plate.
And where's the dang QUESO???????
I was skeptical at first. Who's ever heard of REAL tex-mex in Oregon?
The fusty bite of the cheese and onion enchiladas proved me wrong. For a Texas girl it was like being transported home. The decor is funky with a myriad of things hanging from the ceiling. The staff can be funky as well but friendly and efficient. The guacamole amazing and the margaritas even better. The only downside is lack of parking but that's the norm in Portland. Highly recommend!
Whenever I get a jones for spicey shrimp, I go here. I've only had one thing on the menu- the Teihano Shrimp. I've mispelled it, but you'll see it on the menu. It comes with the best-est evah mashed potatoes. I like sitting up at the bar when I'm there. It's really comfy and the service is great. Unlike some of the other yelpers, I like the decor. It's weird. So is Portland and apparently they/we want to keep it that way. Quirky. Like the naked bike ride through downtown- it's the Portland vibe. Don't take yourself too seriously and you'll like it too. I think kids would think it was especially cool- it's definitely memorable.
In my opinion Portland doesn't have enough good Mexican places. I would kill for a good camerones a la diabla- but it is hard to find in this city! Esparzas doesn't have it- but this dish comes remarkably close...and the mashed potatoes are better than your beans-and-rice anyway. :)
I would rate other dishes...but every time I'm here (something like 12 times so far) I only order this dish. It's too good to miss. I love it!
I go here two or three times a year. The place is good, but as others say, is not outstanding. Here's the skinny:
Food: 3
Service: Varies by server 2-5
Drinks: 2 (because of value)
Atmosphere: 4
Food:
This is a typical American-run Mexican joint to me, with the caveat that Esparza's specialises in weird meats. Buffalo, venison, tongue, salmon (well salmon isn't weird except that it is at a Mexican place), I think I saw kangaroo on the menu once. The side salads are iceberg-lettuce awful, but the chips and salsa really are the best in town. They make them all day and serve them fresh, almost always hot, and the salsa is perfect at a 3-star spiciness. Sometimes the portions are smallish, but that's sort of refreshing. At times, though, it seems that value is missed, as in stuff is a bit on the expensive side, especially for Mexican. But, you're not getting gristle and odd cuts of meat; you're getting the good stuff.
Much like many other Mexican places, the pickings for vegetarians are pretty slim. But their chili rellenos are fresh and home made daily. You can always get a bean and cheese enchi-burri-aco (take your pick, really), but that's pretty sad.
I went for lunch today and had a 'smoked' lamb burrito. It was pretty much a not-so-smoked shredded lamb (beef?) enchilada. It was lamb in a flour-tortilla tube with enchilada sauce and a bit of jack cheese. It was good, but wasn't stellar. And there wasn't enough cheese for me to really justify putting it on. Either put enough cheese on to taste or skip it and save yourself the cost.
The flan was very good and obviously made with care. The texture was amazing and it wasn't overly sweet. I can heartily recommend the flan.
Service: Service completely varies by server. At times, we'll luck out and get the guy who used to work at Mother's. He's great. Other times, we get someone who doesn't really care too much. And at other times, we'll get someone who is all over us and gives us the specials, the run-down on everything, and all sorts of information. So... roll the dice, I guess.
Drinks: Drinks are a bit expensive for what you get. There are plenty of places to get a good margarita, and when I think of one, I don't go here. This is just not a place to drink for me, even though they have a nice bar.
Atmosphere: One person reviewed that it was something out of a nightmare, but I like the kitschy marionettes and weird crap hanging from the ceiling. This is a very comfortable atmosphere with old Western movie stars painted on the wall and odd trinkets all around. It has character and the old jukebox by the entryway is gorgeous. The environs are actually one of the main reasons to come back. It sets it apart from most sparsely-decorated Mexican places; you don't feel like you're in an office with a drop ceiling when you're here; you feel like you're on Route 66 somewhere.
Sustainability:
It feels to me that they probably have Nicki's Meats as a supplier, and I believe that they're in tune with local sourcing. I'm not sure, but other than their lettuce and tomatoes (in the winter) this doesn't feel like a Sysco shop. They're locally owned and have been so for many years. It has been a staple part of the neighbourhood for many years.
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas and I could live on eating Tex-Mex for every meal for the rest of my life and I would be perfectly happy. I also now live in Portland, OR where decent Mexican food of any variety, let alone Tex-Mex, which even varies throughout the state of Texas, is very hard to come by.
That being said, I like it here. It's pretty darn good. The margaritas are passable. No margarita machine for a good frozen one, but that's ok. The decor looks like you're in an Austin restaurant. Even if the chips and salsa aren't the best I've ever had, they are free, the way they should be. The food is pretty Tex-Mexy in style. Although, I've never seen most of the things they serve there at any restaurant in Texas, it's the closest I have come in this area of the country to finding someplace that tastes like home.
Biggest drawback: No queso. C'mon, guys.
Biggest plus: Last time I went my waiter was also a native Texan. When I asked him if the Chile Rellenos were actually Tex-Mex and crispy, not eggy, he was honest and told me not to get them. Thanks, waiter from Corpus.
Look, I'm a Texan. But I'm certainly not going to waltz into a "Tex-Mex cafe" in a well-to-do neighborhood in PORTLAND OREGON expecting authentic Tex-Mex food. That's OK. All I ask for is that the food, service, and atmosphere is worth the trip.
Here, it's not. To wit:
Atmosphere: Question - What exactly are those marionette dolls hanging from the ceiling? Answer: the stuff my nightmares are made of. And why did anyone hang those planes up? Seriously, I don't get the decor at all. It's like an evil toy store vomited all over the ceiling. The tiled bar is kind of nice, though.
Service: Simultaneously rushed and slow. I was there on a busy Saturday night, when, granted, service staff tends to get slammed. But it would help if they had a dedicated hostess - I walked in and at least 10 people were waiting by the door for a table - and there were several empty tables in the place. Basically, prepare to be ignored for a while.
I sat at the bar and it took the bartender several minutes to come over and wipe a rag across my table-space, let alone hand me a menu. He was busy, no doubt. But why? When there are only a handful of folks at the bar and your only other duties are pouring the pre-mixed margaritas for the tables, why are you running around like a chicken with your head cut off? Anyway, I was rushed through my meal, which is annoying - I'm at the bar, with empty stools next to me -- WHAT'S THE RUSH?
One of the waitresses was clearly fed up with her fellow servers, and snapped at them about mixed up orders and running low on salsa, well within earshot of the entire joint. It's a small place. Yes, angry server lady, we can hear you. Perhaps try another profession if you can't make it through a Saturday night shift without raising your voice (!) and insulting your coworkers. Relatedly, though we all know that Tex-Mex food is slopped together from large vats in the kitchen, try waiting at least 3 minutes before bringing out the plate of food I just ordered. Literally, a woman handed it to me 3 minutes after I ordered it. Like I'm just going to ignore that and convince myself that the brisket was fresh-sliced and the tacos lovingly assembled? Get serious.
Food: Well, the food. Like I said, I wasn't expecting much. The chips were homemade (yay), but way too thick and greasy (boo). I actually thought the salsa was pretty good - just a kick of heat, but not too spicy.
I ordered smoked brisket soft tacos, which were dry dry dry. Texas brisket, though slow-smoked and non-sauced, is supposed to be tender and juicy, believe it or not. This was neither, although the smoky flavor of the meat itself wasn't bad. The rice and beans were totally unremarkable - not bad, but not good. Bland, I guess. The guacamole was unforgivable. It tasted like it came out of a freezer and was reconstituted. Just awful. My margarita was pretty much just sweetened lime-flavored juice, but for $5 I wasn't expecting perfection, to be sure.
The mediocre food wouldn't bother me so much were it not for the prices. Seriously, charging $11-12 for a plate of three dry tacos and small portions of rice and beans is enough to get you arrested in Texas. Try halving that.
In conclusion, I don't give a damn if you want to be a shitty Tex-Mex restaurant in a lily-white neighborhood in a lily-white Pacific Northwest city. But god damn. If that's what you're going to be, at least be the best darn shitty Tex-Mex restaurant in a lily-white neighborhood in a lily-white Pacific Northwest city that you can be. Because this, here? What you're doing here? Is crap.
Blasphemous.
I cannot believe this place refers to its cuisine as "Tex-Mex".
Unbelievable.
If the place weren't so badly misnamed, I would give it a 3 star rating because the food wasn't terrible; it's just that when I walk into a restaurant expecting Tex-Mex, I better damn well get Tex-Mex.
First, the margarita. For the $8 price tag, it was one of the worst margaritas I've ever had. It's not even on par with the margaritas I've had out of a Taco Cabana margarita machine. The drink was bitter and sour, and there was no sweetness to balance it out.
The chips, salsa, and guacamole were okay, but not enough to salvage the meal.
I ordered bbq pork tacos (I know, I know, tortilla + bbq does not make it Tex-Mex), which were ok. The meat was dry, but the sauce was sweet and tangy. Overall, edible.
The buffalo tacos were medicore, albeit, kind of greasy for a gamey meat. Anyway, this place did not hit the spot, especially since I was jonesing hardcore for a taste of home.
Hooo boy.
So we pass by this place pretty regularly as it is on the Ankeny bike corridor... and it always looks pretty crowded and hopping in there. One weekend we decided to give it a try with some friends of ours who grew up in central Texas.
My group got there before I did, so I didn't have to wait to be seated. There were a couple large groups of people in the back room with us, everyone seemed to be having a good time.
As soon as I joined my group, though, I knew something was wrong.
No one was finishing their food. It was all bland, dry, and over priced for what it was. I had a (shriveled, anemic) tamale that I thought was going to be a big deal as you have to "check for availability". My husband had the buffalo enchiladas and could only muster up a hearty "....eh" about them. Our friends didn't even pack their leftovers to take away.
Between my little tamale, The Mister's enchilada plate, and our three beers, we ended up spending about $36.00. !!! Not a good deal at all.
And the margaritas that all the other tables were gobbling up like it was ambrosia were cloying and tasted like mixer.
The place looks fantastic, too bad the food does not match it.
Lousy.
My date said, "This reminds me of a white guy from Connecticut trying to make Mexican food." Couldn't have said it better myself.
The single vegetarian option on the menu was an underwhelming $9.95 guacamole tostada which consisted of a single flour tortilla, iceberg lettuce, corporate pink tomatoes and rice. The guacamole was cut in half with sour cream, big pet peeve of mine. The salsa for the free chips was incredibly spicy for some reason, and the flour chips were greasy as hell.
Uber-skip.
I was born in East Texas, and lived in that sorry state for 30 years. I believe that qualifies me to pass judgment on TEX MEX.
New to PDX, this is one of the first establishments that comes up if you search for TEX MEX on yelp or google. The yelp reviews seemed favorable.
I could not disagree more ...
Starters: wife had a margarita, it was a watered down salty mess ... did not finish, gave it back and asked for 2 waters
We were hungry for fajitas, Esparzas does not offer? Fajitas are the defacto staple of the TMex movement ... fail!
The waiter suggests some smoky brisket thing as "like" fajitas ... I order the boar nachos ... ok ... this smoky brisket ... if you like your beef iridescent and marinated in formaldehyde I suppose this might pass, but it was simply inedible. The boar meat looked better, and as a bonus, it had no accompanying funk smell to it as the smoky brisket had. However, it had very little taste aside from the salt overused in the mystery marinade.
In the end, $30 thrown away on inedible food, the most watered down beverage I've yet tasted in PDX ... the place was dead (2 other tables) and our waiter was very in-attentive.
Tex Mex is not a complicated cuisine, and I have never been as disappointed by an attempt. Will stick to my own homemade salsa and chips/tortillas/cheese/beans from Trader Joes.
They have gotten much, MUCH faster at Esparza's...the food is literally on your table within mere moments of you placing your order, and good Lord McAlmighty, it is still as tasty as ever! I am now officially in love with the Barbeque pork burrito, my favorite lunchtime fare, and now that they have added the chocolate hazelnut cheesecake for dessert?
Oh. Man.
I am upping my score of Esparza's to perfection - for amazing Tex-Mex, even more amazing (to the point of astounding) service and still the best chips and salsa in town, I cannot walk away leaving them with anything less than a perfect score!
I'll admit it: I'm a huge fan of free chips and salsa. Give me a warm bowl of chips and keep the… Read more »
I am stuffed! I should not eat an entire basket of chips and salsa, but what can you do.
I had a fine solo experience sitting at the bar here drinking some Negro Modelo and eating their special mushroom pollo, which is a little spicy. Good times. If you get stuck waiting in line at Ken's Artisan or no longer want sushi stop by for some tex-mex and lots of hanging marionettes.
One rainy evening while driving around looking for dinner with a friend we spied Esparza's Tex-Mex and immediately pulled in. Esparza's is one of those places that I really enjoy but keep forgetting about. You might that means I think it is pedestrian or below average, but it isn't. This place is great and maybe by finally reviewing it I will remember to go back more often.
Walking into Esparza's is a full on assault of the senses, visually mostly. From the marianettes hanging from the ceiling to the various taxidermied critters mounted upside down on the other part of the ceiling to the vivid glow of neon. You can tell the regulars, they don't squint a little when they walk in.
We were seated quickly, had menu's, chips and salsa and water glasses before a moment passed and spent the next ten minutes reaquainting ourselves with the menu. Wild Boar, Buffalo, real nachos with each chip piled high with various meaty/cheesy goodness, enchiladas that sing to the taste buds... it's a lot to handle at one time.
The service is always fast and friendly, we ordered finally and I swear it wasn't five minutes before plates hit the table. Wild boar enchiladas, chicken fried steak and toast with chipotle infused butter slid into place. It was all good, it always is here and for some reason I was surprised. Esparza's just simply has to be on my list more often.
If this place is part Texas, where the hell did George Dubya come from? The interior deco was quaint. Food, B-O-M-B.. I ate the pork quesa-diller, shit was killer. The salsa was over the top. So tasty with the salty chips, and it packed a minor punch. I am going back for the food fo sho.
The waiter was kinda diff. He looked like he worked at "Chotchkie's" in the movie Office Space.
The margarita was nothing special. The best part was the salted rim. But I watched the bartender put the tequilla in so I couldn't complain. I've been known to like the beer that has been sitting on the front porch with the ciggy butts in it.
Don't mess with Texas but make sure you mess with this place.
Tex-Mex...now is that both Texas and Mexico? hmm!
Their chips and salsa are super tasty and i'm preeeeeetty positive that salsa must taste better when it's comin to me from a large plastic pitcher. indeed!
My mole was a one-way ticket to delicious and Wesser's pork tacos were meat-packed (uh-huh) and crispy and really quite awesome.
I'm gonna say...while I wasn't too keen on the whole we're-like-a-diner-but-in-the-southwest-don't-you- love-all-the-kitsch! thing while I was there, I've put in it perspective and feel good about it now.
But I still don't like all those creepsville dolls hanging from the ceiling.
Sometimes I like to take my Mexican mother to Mexican places when she visits just to get her reaction. I can't wait to bring her to Esparza's. My guess is that the first words out of her mouth will be something like, "Ay, por dios!", "Que feo!", or "Wacala!"
Needless to say, it's overwhelmingly tacky when you walk in.
I found it pretty amusing, though, and it certainly didn't deter me from eating. I chose the Hank Williams tamales, which were filled with beef brisket and were surprisingly delicious. My husband seemed to enjoy the enchiladas he got, though I'm sure he'll have something to say about the Trinity River Special since he's lived in Dallas his whole life up until now. The service was good and the food was delivered to our table rapido!
While it doesn't compare to the best TexMex from Texas (shock of shocks), we're glad to have found a very satisfying place whenever we get the craving. Recommended.
If you enjoy fantastic chips/salsa, authentic great tasting tex-mex, and even a unique homemade margarita, than you must try Esparza's....
A few years ago, I convinced my parents to try Esparza's and we have continued to eat many meals here as the food and ambiance never fail to disappoint. One reason I like Tex Mex/Mexican Food is for the chips and salsa. Esparza's has some of the best salsa in Portland. Homemade daily, the salsa is chunky (versus soupy), medium spicy, and contains a bit of a kick at the end. Warm chips are served and both the chips and salsa are refilled as needed. The glacamole is a must as well prior to the main meal. To go alongside the chips/salsa I highly recommend a blended margarita. I am not a big drinker, yet their margaritas are blended just right, not overly priced, and superb in taste leading you to want another!
Esparza's has the typical chicken tacos and enchilada's, yet many items are a bit more exotic such as the BBQ shredded beef tacos, Buffalo tacos, Longhorn, Wild Boar nachos, Ostrich, and more. Every dish I have ordered tasted better than expected (The more I eat here, my expectations get higher and higher). The meals are all reasonably priced and the portions are quite large. You will not leave hungry!
In addition to the exotic dishes, the decor in the restaurant is incomparable. There are hundreds of dolls hanging from the ceiling, a phone booth, and juke box to name a few. There is also plenty of parking around the restaurant. I give Esparza's two thumbs up!
After graduation, back in the 1900s, a friend of mine turned to me and said, "Do you like meat?"
It was a fair question, given that so many of the girls had become vegetarians in college. So I was like, "Sure."
"NO," he said. "Do you like MEAT?"
"Uh..." confused (was this a thinly-veiled double-entendre?) "...s-s-sure?"
I thought I knew what I was in for. I mean, I'd been to Black Angus, right? My uncle had some mounted trophy heads in his living room. I was ready, right?
All I can say is that I remember the environment way more than I remember the food. It's been a while since I've been there, for sure, but from what I can recollect....
If you're the type who's going to complain that there's a hair in your soup, this is not going to be the place for you, because, honestly, identifying the source of that hair could take you, like, the rest of your life.
You know how you go to some place like Applebee's or Red Robin or HappyHappyBirthdayfromallofusto you, and ever square inch of every wall is filled with stuff and you're wondering, "Where do they get all that junk?" but it's not actually surprising and it's all really tame because it's corporate and clean and replicated in triplicate and the same in every chain?
Well Esparza's is maybe where those places got their idea. The OG of random crap, floor-to-ceiling, dusty and presumably non-living (but quite possibly hairy), swinging precariously over your heads and plates, which, from what I DO recall, were all chock-full of meaty meat, with meat on the side.
After a big day of acro yoga in the park, soccer practice, saxophone lessons & just general mayhem, I kept hearing The Big Man's voice informing me, in his no-nonsense tone, that dining out is a thing of the past. We must begin to be less improvident in our spending. We must save. Yeah, easy for him to say. All he has to do is get himself to work & back most days. He is not doing the hauling to various lessons, then facing the inevitable question,
"Mommy, what are we having for dinner tonight?"
And thus, the 3 Musk-A-Teers & I found ourselves pleasantly ensconced in a booth at Esparza's. Chips & salsa are plentiful, & just the right amount of heat for the boys. It's not the spiciest, but then it doesn't have to be. The Margarita for yours truly arrived muy pronto & was exactly what was needed.
We really didn't get fancy. The guys all ordered the chicken flautas with rice, beans, salad & some guacamole. You be the judge: the plates were all spotless. That says it all.
I completely enjoyed my cheese & onion enchiladas (also served with rice, beans, salad) tho' I kept hearing some lyrics about said delicacy wafting through my brain...either some vintage Warren Zevon or perhaps some Lyle Lovett. Doesn't matter, Tex-Mex is packed with te amo, & so's this place.
We loved all the taxidermy creatures (skunks, havalinas, armadillos, caiman's, you know...a veritable Who's Who of the vermin world...). The music selection is great, the servers are fun, the booths & Formica tables are great! The phone booth is the perfect touch, as is the juke box. Parking is no problemo.
This may just become the boys' & my little secret for how to negotiate dinner on Tuesdays when a plethora of lessons await (NOT arranged by me, mind you). The Big Man need never know that Esparza's is this Mother's Little Helper...Many thumbs up!
A meal at Esparza's is like eating in a curiosities shop somewhere near the Mexican border. An old, glowing jukebox sits near the entrance. Creepy El Día de los Muertos marionettes dangle from the ceiling, and I'm sure they come to life once the place closes up for the night. Even the music is a throwback - we heard Wanda Jackson, Johnny Cash, and Kool and the Gang in the rotation. If Seymour from Ghost World had a restaurant in Portland, he'd own Esparza's.
Luckily, the food fills you up with spicy, saucy goodness. Sure, it's not really accurate to slather a steak in a peppery tomato sauce, slap a cheese enchilada next to it, serve it with beans, and call it Mexican. The dish comes with mashed potatoes, for crying out loud. But it doesn't matter. Your taste buds will jump up and down like mariachi strippers just moved in next door and you may utter an inadvertent and satisfied "Aye chihuahua." Although I wish they would quit pouring the tequila on top of the fruit slushy part of the margaritas without mixing it. No bueno.
I just got back from my second visit to Esparza, and I'm starting to like it more and more. Their prices seem to be a little high, but the food is much better than some of the mexican food I've had in the area.
Their decor is hilarious. With tacky taxidermy at every turn, it's hard not to lose your appetite while staring at some of the perfectly preserved oddities around you. The creepiest not being animals at all, but the lovably morose dolls hanging from strings above the bar.
But that is what Esparza is all about. If you can't take it, then don't go. I for one, can take it, and look forward to going back again.
A good place to go if you like meat. I went on one of those rare super hot days in Portland and was looking for something light, but there isn't a salad option on the menu. Had the cowboy tacos and they were ok. Lots of smoked (BBQ meats). The beer was cold and refreshing, the interior is cool, but there is better food out there. But would love to return on a cooler day when I am looking for a hearty meal.
They no longer have ostrich... darn! But I got the wild boar enchilada and it was amazing. Oh, but first, the chips and salsa were great! Some of the best salsa I've ever had and I'm from SF!
You can't really beat their lunch specials either. They're around $6-7. That's even with rice and beans and salad.
There's a ton to look at while you're eating- even a painting of a Mexican Cary Grant.
This place has been around forever - and after my second trip to Esparza's, I now fully understand why. The service was friendly, helpful and speedy - on a Friday night when every table was full no less. The chips & salsa were top notch - warm chips, refilled before they even really needed to be, the salsa fresh & just spicy enough. (Plus - we got seated at the booth that happened to be right next to the chip warmer-area...on an effing cold night, that was a super bonus.) I wasn't totally stoked with my margarita - salt+rocks, sauza tequila - at nearly $7 probably wouldn't order one again and would stick with a cold mexican beer from their extensive list. The 'rita was good enough - I think I was more unhappy with my beverage choice than anything. Not a deal breaker by any means.
We shared a bowl of soup (I can't for the life of me remember what it was called) - it had hominy, various vegetables, little tiny shrimps, just spicy enough - it was DE-LISH-OUS. Less than $5 for a good sized bowl - I'm going to remember this item specifically when I'm craving a tasty soup for lunch.
For dinner, I leaped outside of my comfort zone and went for the Wild Boar tacos. Only after I ordered, did I find my eyes wandering about all of the, uh, 'decorations' to find myself staring into the eyes of a taxidermied wild boar HEAD that was mounted over the bar. I mean, I'm a proud carnivore, but I don't necessarily want to look Wilbur in the eyes before I make him my food. Alas, I got over it in about 10 seconds, just in time for my tacos to arrive. Holy cow (or should I say "Holy boar"?) they were tasty. The boar wasn't really discernibly different from a very well seasoned ground beef, and it made for truly truly good food. I wouldn't compare what I had to 'taco cart' tacos - and if I wanted taco cart tacos, I would be at Los Gorditos on 50th & Division - but it was a tasty Mexican meal for sure. I will be back for round three.
Esparza is awesome! The food is yummy satisfying, the service is fun and friendly, the margeritas are tasty, and I love the campy interior; the ceiling is covered in taxidermy creatures and strange dolls.
Last Friday, after an abortive trip to Pambiche (scared off by the enormous line), we turned South on NE 28th and decided to get some grub at Esparza's instead...what a good decision that turned out to be!
We arrived around 8:45pm and scored an outside table - as we head into the twilight of summer, we take every opportunity we can to dine/drink outdoors - so we didn't get to appreciate the quirky cool decor as much as if we'd sat inside.
They don't have the most extensive draught beer selection (an IPA, a porter, a pale, an ESB, and some cheap swill) - but since I paid less than $4 a pint, I wasn't complaining. They do have a few more brews in bottle, including some Mexican beers, if you want to make your Tex-Mex meal a little more authentic. Or you can step it up a notch and try something from their extensive tequila selection.
Keep in mind that when I say "authentic" we're still talking Tex-Mex, not pure Mexican food. Their menu is pretty large, but every time I get no farther than the enchiladas. They've easily got a dozen different varieties, filled with beef (ground or shredded), buffalo, chicken, turkey, salmon, even wild boar, and top them with a variety of cheeses, salsas, etc. They're not exactly cheap (pretty much in the $9-14 range), but come with beans, rice (I think they give you potatoes at lunch time), and lettuce.
I went with a pork enchilada with salsa verde and jalapeno jack cheese, while My Lady had a smoked salmon enchilada with shrimp. Wow, both were totally delicious and they smoke their own meats, which really lends them a fresh seasoned flavor. It seemed like there wasn't much for vegetarians, but like I said I really didn't get much farther than the enchiladas.
Service was quite attentive and we never had to wait too long for anything, though I'd appreciate having a refill on the salsa as we killed it before finishing even half of our chips.
The food was tasty and satisfying, the ambiance is unique and cool, it's very low-key and casual, and the service is good. The prices seem right for the quality of ingredients, so all in all Esparza's is a solid choice!
Salsa: Tomatoes, peppers, onions, cilantro, some lime juice and a little seasoning. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, based on my culinary travels across PDX, there aren't too many places that could find their ass with both hands in the salsa department.
Thankfully, Esparza's actually took the time to read the recipe.
My sweetheart and I had a couple of cocktails in the neighborhood, then made our way over to this little Tex-Mex joint for dinner. The decor here is pleasantly surreal: from marionettes to a wealth of taxidermied varmints (that's a technical term), we couldn't keep from gazing at the ceiling.
The fresh tortilla chips and salsa are hands down the best I've had in town. We ate so damn many chips that we were entirely incapable of finishing dinner. I had the Annie Oakley special, which consists of sliced pork tenderloin with chili verde, and she had a roasted chicken tostada. Both meals were well prepared, if just a touch on the bland side.
I was totally perplexed by the prior reviews that impugned the level of service at Esparza's. The staff was totally awesome! We both remarked on how much they genuinely seemed to enjoy their jobs. They hustled in earnest, and the food came out lightning-quick, which was good, because I would've eaten my weight in chips and salsa.
This isn't Mexican food, so don't get your hopes up if you're out for an authentic experience (whatever the hell that means.) What I can say with confidence is that the food here is solid and the atmosphere is great.
[Note: I rate Esparza's a 4.5, but that isn't possible so I rounded up.]
I try to hit up Esparza's every time I'm back in Portland on vacation (I was born and raised here, but now live in Cali). I'm not the best judge of what authentic Tex-Mex food is, but the food from Esparza's tastes great. The decor is a combination of creepy and tacky with all sorts of stuff hanging from the ceiling.
The menu is full of the usual stuff: tacos, burritos, enchiladas and whatnot, but they also have fried cactus and they often have unique fillings - ostrich, wild boar, buffalo, rattlesnake, etc. I went there today and grubbed down on buffalo enchiladas.
The food is filling and decently priced. The chips and salsa are definitely tasty and the folk who work there are nice. The food also comes out quickly so it's not a great date place since you're too busy stuffing your face to talk.
The restaurant is bigger than it looks and parking is hit or miss. There are a few spots behind the place, but not many. You can usually find spots in the residential area within a couple of blocks.
I highly recommend Esparza's to anyone who likes Tex-Mex. I've gone there with a vegetarian friend and her choices were limited, but she still found something tasty (migas if I remember correctly).
Remember this summer when we had a few days of 100 degree weather? Well, I don't have AC at mi casa, so I thought I would exploit one of my local eateries to cool off and get some grub at the same time.
My girlfriend suggested this place. She's been here several times and likes it. I've never had Texmex food before, so I figured it was time to give it a try. We got there and it was hot inside. I think we might have been better off sitting outside on the shady side of the building. I could feel sweat dripping down my back. To say I was miserable while there is an understatement. So, my opinion may be a little harsher then this place actually deserves.
The food was just kinda "eh". I miss the authentic Mexican food I grew up on in California. Yes, yes... I know Esparza is Texmex, but I was hoping for a little more mex I guess.
I did have fried cactus for the first time. It was good, but needed some ranch to dip it in. They don't carry ranch. (Bastards!) The rest of the food was decent, but I like my food extra cheesy. Who doesn't? I asked for extra cheese and if took about 10 minutes to get it. That's what pushed me over the edge.
Maybe when the ice of winter sets in I'll give this place another shot. I should be able to warm up in no time here.
you know, i really wasn't sure what to expect from esparza's...
when i think "tex mex" i think chevy's and their chips and salsa and prickly pear margaritas.
when we walked in to esparza's i knew i was in for a totally different kind of experience.
this place has a hell of a lot going on! the first thing i noticed were the creepy creepy mexican puppets dangling from the ceiling and the dark and mysterious vibe. it feels like it should be very smoky and in a scene from some black and white detective movie set on the mx/us border.
so they have wild boar meat, and for some reason i wasn't in a very adventurous mood and didn't get it. d'oh! ok ok, next time i promise.
i had something boring, like a chicken enchilada. i don't remember it being especially amazing, it certainly wasn't the best enchilada of my life (yes i have one- a restaurant called las catrinas in san jose del cabo- i'm pretty sure i was born again after that meal) BUT i did finish my entire plate and i don't think i was even that hungry! my plate and a couple of negra modelos and i pretty much waddled home, i was so full.
i went with a couple of vegetarians, and as i remember there weren't a whole lot of options for them- but the chile relleno was really good! oh! i almost forgot they served a side of mashed potatoes with my enchilada! weird and cool and yummy.
all in all, it was a decent experience. the food was pretty good, the atmosphere was pretty weird (usually i'm all about that type of kitschy decor but something about the taxidermy fox just killed it for me) (pun not intended but it stays). i'm glad i went, and i could probably be convinced to go back, buuttt it's not high on my list.
I SO wanted this place to rock my world. Bring a little tex mex to the Pac NW ... sadly ... it didn't.
I present 3 stars for the following reasons
1. the service was stellar (though the staff was bored cuz it was only us there) they were very friendly and funny but not interruptive
2. the decor rocks - in a creepy kind of way. There are marionettes and stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling (quite a unique way to display I must stay) and I think one was actually just the butt of an animal (we weren't sure)
3. They didn't have the kind of tamale I wanted - OR the chile rellenos (apparently not available on Mondays) ...
4. The food was ... just ok.
The chips were delicious - clearly made there, fresh, warm, yumm. The salsa was pretty good. I failed to get the first two menu choices I wanted (see #3 above) and my last choice wasn't stellar. I had a bean and cheese burrito "smothered" with their chili verde. Hubby had the migas (was very excited about that).
The food was kind of bland ... lacked flavor and spice. My beans were no bueno and the chili verde ... bland.
Perhaps my standards are too high.
They DO have an extensive meat menu -- I would definitely give this place a 2nd chance and try the meat. We run into that problem a lot - where the veggie options aren't great but the meat ones are.
I'll start this off by saying that all restaurants have off days. Maybe this was one of them. I have a core belief though that service should be better when a place is practically dead, since you're the only customer there at the time.
When I went to Esparza's the other day, I brought my dad and my grandma. Both of them, it turns out, have character flaws unacceptable to a Tex-Mex restaurant. My dad is a vegan (I knew this would be an issue), and my grandma likes green sauce on her chicken enchiladas (who knew?)
We were attempting to order from the lunch menu. My dad wanted an avocado tostada, as opposed to something with meat, and they wouldn't do it. This bugged me a little bit, but I know the avos are expensive, so whatever. My bad for bringing him. But come on, no veggie friendly options in SE Portland? Who does that?
My grandma was forced to upsell from the lunch special enchilada to the dinner one, $4 more, just to get green sauce. First of all, who DOESN'T serve a chicken enchilada with green sauce. Second of all, would it be hard for the chef to move his ladle 6 inches over and choose a different color sauce for a little old lady in his restaurant. The only one, I might add.
The waitress was kind of snarky, even when apologizing about not being obliging. The wild boar nachos were delicious, but bad service like this never gets a repeat visit from me.
It's as tasty as Tex-Mex can get and the decor is great. A little creepy with all the hanging marionettes but El Dia de los muertos is a little creepy. I really like the mushroom pollo and wild boar. I've been here about 10 times and never had a bad meal.
I had such a great experience!
I came with a group of 5 and we were seated in the back room (the restaurant is deceivingly big).
To start we got the shredded pork nachos, which were amazing. I ordered a pretty decent margarita (half the price on Fonda Rosa) and the "Annie Oakley." The meal was exactly what I was in the mood for, the mashed potatoes were perfect. Everyone else in my group had equally glowing reviews.
The decor in Esparzas was really fun to look at and talk about, puppets hanging from the ceiling and Gene Audry pictures on the wall. I will be back many many more times.
I've been coming here since long before I moved to Portland. In fact, my family used to drive to Portland when I was growing up to specifically eat here. The crap hanging from the ceiling is a bit creepy (and I always wonder how they get it clean...it's GOT to be dusty!). Their music selection is always interesting and often entertaining.
I love their fat chips and the salsa is a perfect combination of chunky but also juicy and has a bit of a kick but not so much that you're sorry you just overfilled your chip. The staff is always really friendly and on top of things and the food comes up fast. I have yet to eat something off the menu here that I don't love although I tend to gravitate towards the plain 'ol chicken tacos. And, although I see a lot of reviews on here scoffing at it being "Tex Mex", this place is 10 times better than the endless number of schwa Mexican joints in this town that think cheddar cheese solves everything when it comes to Mexican food. Oh, and don't park in the Holden's parking lot because they'll have you towed.
Good stuff!, not authentic Mexican but real good Tex-Mex. I love the dirty bird dish (a chicken mole) and their pork dishes are special. Busy, great service and of course, Black Butte Porter on tap.
update 013108: They don't serve Black Butte Porter anymore??!!?! Grumble
I've been frightened many a late night walking by this restaurant. In it hang tons of marionettes and stuffed reptiles and skunks from the ceiling. It's especially scary when all the lights are off inside.
But I'm glad I overcame my fear and finally decided to give this place a try. I walk by it at least twice a day. To my surprise it was quite good! The chips and salsa are so far my favorite in town. I ordered chicken flautas, which weren't so spectacular, but my boyfriend's buffalo enchiladas were mighty delicious! I'm excited to go back to try their margaritas, which looked fantastic. I think I'm going to go now, actually!
disappointing
about $12-13 a plate, at that price for mexican it better be really really good
they seem to prize themselves on their smoked meats, i had smoked pork loin and my father in law had brisket, both were overly dry (and neither had a smoke ring)
verde sauce was bland and not spicy at all, didnt taste like anything
waiter was OK but definitely indifferent, went with a party of 6 and we all left disappointed, will not be going back
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Clinton
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Northeast Portland
Category: German
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Tex-Mex
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland
Category: Restaurants
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