Reviews
This is truly one of my favorite restaurants in portland. The chef, culinary team and staff truly open there doors with heart and hospitality. I missed them during the pandemic closures and am happy to visit again. Very reasonable pricing, out of this world quality and options!
Fantastic Mexican restaurant, elevating classic dishes with seasonal ingredients and expert preparation. I love how reasonable the portions are. You can order a lot of different things without getting too much food.Dine in: YesOutdoor seating: NoTakeout: Yes
Coming from Texas, I struggled to find Mexican food here in PNW. Nuestra Cocina brings classic recipes with a twist with local ingredients. House made tortillas and some of the best mezcal margaritas in the city. Absolutely enjoy yourself.
Presentation was pretty but I do wish the portions were a bit larger for the price. I also found the flavors to be a bit underwhelming. My favorites of the night were the taquitos, carnitas tacos and something del Reyes. The chocolate cake was very dry but both ice cream flavors were nice so I'd recommend a scoop! Chips and salsa was expensive for what you got, it also wasn't tasty enough to recommend for that price. Hibiscus and pink guava margaritas were good! Pink guava for the win!
Food and drinks are fantastic here - just be prepared for a wait, at least on the weekend the only time I’ve been so far. We arrived at about 6:45 on a Saturday evening and were told the wait was about an hour and a half. Once a spot opened up near the bar, we were able to enjoy a drink while we waited, and our table was ready faster than anticipated, in just over an hour. Note that there’s no text alert system or anything, so you’ll want to plan on waiting onsite at the bar area. The tlacoyo is my favorite dish here, but I’d recommend ordering a few small plates to share, as there’s lots to enjoy! The margaritas and sangria are fabulous, too.
Interestingly enough I found this place while searching for cooking classes in Portland unfortunately currently unavailable and their story and menu really caught my attention. 2 weeks later my partner and I move to Portland and came here for our anniversary. Absolutely no complaints. I had the Asada and couldn't have felt more at home. Delicious isn't the right word to describe the food but instead I would say our meal was homey. Don't get me wrong it was also delicious but it was more than that. It felt like eating restaurant quality ingredients in my grandmas home in Mexico. The menu is well planned out and the meal is prepared with care. Later in the meal I asked for green salsa for my meal, but instead the server came back with both the red and green stating that he felt the red went better with the asada my meal and the green pairs best with the pork chops my partner's meal. He was so right and I really appreciated his opinion on the matter because his recommendation definitely enhanced our individual plates.
Well, first time I have ever been to this restaurant. Honestly I was hoping for more. I found the restaurant to be very chaotic for my liking. However, the Chicken Enchiladas were amazing and the sauce was awesome. My issue was even though the price point was low, that is all you got, 2 Chicken Enchiladas, no rice or beans etc. I ended up ordering a side of rice which was also very good but when mixed with the sauce from the Enchiladas was amazing. I might suggest to the owners to get bigger plates and charge $13.00 for the meal and give rice with it, I think that makes it even more of a good deal. Now onto the drink. My total meal was $35.00, 2 Enchiladas and a bowl of rice $13.00, my 8oz drink of scotch $22.00, we know booze is where this place makes their money. I told the waitress I wanted top shelf, not even close, I told them I wanted a double pour, not even close, the drink was bitter and if I could have sent it back I would have. Over all the fool was great, the drink was bad, and I found the place to be way to busy and hectic for my liking, I didn't get my drink until my dinner got there which I find not acceptable. If I were rating this place on food only, they might get a 4, but I felt uncomfortable while eating my food there, so sadly I wont be back. My whole mean was $42.00, 2 Enchiladas, 1 bowl of rice and 1 drink.
One of the great restaurants of Portland. It’s a restaurant that helped make Portland a food destination and make SE Division what it is. The ability to keep delivering the excellent level of service and food year in and year out, through everything that this city has gone through over two decades is amazing. It shows the dedication and love that Benjamin and Shannon have of their craft. I’m grateful they’re willing to share their food and passion with us.
Had a breif wait on a Saturday night. We were told an hour wait, but only got a couple sips of our cocktails we ordered while we waited before getting seated. The service is absolutely on point. The Cocina Cadillac Margarita was super fresh. Love the family style food experience. Not something you see regularly in Mexican cuisine around here. There wasn't a single thing we ordered table of six and LOTS of food that I could even constructively criticise. We literally are EVERY stitch of food. Even the beans and rice were phenomenal. I am not kidding! Clearly this is passion in the kitchen! This may just be my new favorite restaurant in Portland! Thanks so much for a wonderful night.
Our family have been going to Nuestra Cocina for years. First time back since the pandemic and their drinks, food, and service is still always amazing! Love how it's a family operated restaurant dad's in the kitchen and mom/kids are serving, you can definitely taste and feel the love. A great place to order a variety of tapas and eat family style so you can try all of their amazing offerings. Also all of their margaritas are handcrafted with so many refreshing options, a must try restaurant in Portland!