El Tapatio Restaurant

I have been here now a few times when I am in the area, I first came with a date who really liked it.
The food is good, with some not standard options which is nice. The food is always good.
Service is always fast and friendly and my water and drink (usually a Coke) are never empty for long. Also they don’t seem to notice if I just order an appetizer for my meal.
The space is nice with some quirky touches, I’m not a fan of the carpet or the stone horses though. It is always clean inside.
In summary It is fine, Nothing I have had is all that memorable either good or bad.

Decent food, good service. I was greeted by a nice boy (a kid), they hit all the points of customer service like checking on me, etc.
I would come back, definitely. Oh and the place was clean too, unlike some spots on 82^nd. Lol

Came in with a big party of 8 people, had to convince them to give us the big table in the back as opposed to putting two nomal-​sized tables in the middle of the restaurant even though there was nobody else in the whole restaurant.
there was sombody who didn’t speak any english waiting on our table. Don’t get me wrong, i know he meant well, but it’s uncomfortable when he’s pointing at things, setting things down, picking things up, asking questions, saying everything in a language we can’t understand. He kept coming back too and it put us on edge.
the food was fine. they got one of our orders wrong. meh it happens.
since we were a big party, we wanted to split the check among our respective families, but they refused to split the bill and we had to work out what we owed at the table.
this experience has made me not want to come back to this restaurant.

Food was not good. Service was poor. Never go here. No Bueno. Waiter argued with us when food was sent back.

We will NEVER be back here…
I went with my daughter, 3 year old grandson and 1 year old grandson. When our food came the manager and server put my plate in front of me and said it is very hot. As he was pulling his arm away the baby put is hand in the refied beans and got 3^rd degree burns. When I talked to him about it, he not once apologized, and blamed me for not moving the plate, which I had no time to do or room to do.
Douche Bag.
By the way the food sucked too!

Seriously? $ 2 for a childs drink? Paid $ 6.75 for a 2 year olds chicken nugget meal and drink. Cheaper kids meals at outback steakhouse. What a rip off. Slow/​non-​existent service. Free soda refills that never came. Mediocre food. Won’t be coming back.

Love this place. My boyfriend and I decided to drop by for some food and drinks after weight-​training. We were instantly seated even though there was a group ahead of us at the register at the time. We sat down and ordered the Grande Margaritas before getting down to chow. I’m not a Margarita connoisseur at all, but when I tasted these, they were the perfect mix. Love love loved it, not to strong, not to weak, just right. We weren’t tended to immediately at first, but for me that’s a good thing. I don’t like to really be waited on hand and foot like a child, even when I go out to eat so I found it great that I was able to sit down and have a conversation with my boyfriend without being pestered every three minutes. Some people want their servers on their a-​s-​s ²⁴⁄₇ when they go out. If you’re that kind of person you should probably look elsewhere. BUT if you can stand a few minutes without having a server coddle your needs, and you don’t mind getting up and asking for anything you need if it ever came to that (OMG THE HORROR), this place is great.
We ordered chicken quesadilla’s and we were served promptly. They filled our waters just as we were running low every time and asked us if the food was good, were there any complaints etc. The quesadilla’s were incredible, better than what I had tasted years ago. The margaritas were out of this world and had the right kick, and their bathrooms were clean. All in all there service was amazing, three different guys checked on us and all of them were very nice. I expect to return.

Great food, bad service. Never even refilled our glasses. The menu is a little tough to read but no one in our group was dissatisfied by the dish they choose, only with the lack of attention from the wait staff.

We’ve been coming here for years (it’s our go-​to, sit-​down Mexican joint) and I’m shocked at the bad reviews. Genuinely shocked.
Everytime we’ve visited (sometimes just two of us, usually four of us and, on a couple of occasions, we’ve had groups of 12+), they staff is lovely. Quick to take drink orders, quick to take orders, bring chips, bring food, bring more chips, refill drinks, check to see how we are, bring the check and bid us farewell. They are great people who work their tails off — and do it with great attitudes.
The food is standard Mexican/​American fare. It isn’t revolutionary. Big-​ass margaritas that don’t skimp on the strong stuff. Great chimichangas, tasty enchiladas and a Tapatio Burrito that’s so good, it’ll make you slap your mama across the face.
And it’s never given us the shits. El Tapatio, feel free to use that quote in promotional materials.

Worst restaurant I’ve ever gone to. Sat down and didn’t get asked what we wanted to drink. Waited probably 10 more minutes and finally got asked but they didn’t come back right away. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all. 10 – 15 minutes later we finally got asked what we wanted to eat and finally ordered. We waited and waited then 15 – 20 minutes later we were just going to get up and leave since our food did not came back and as we got up the waiter said our food is on the way. So we sat back down and waited. Then he came back and said it’ll be 10 more minutes for the food to be ready. Worst customer service I’ve ever experienced. I do not recommend this place whatsoever.

Enchilada’s are good and their tacos. I love their rice as well. So much food, always have leftovers.

Absolutely aweful.
The atomosphere is odd, and they kept the place way too cold.
Im surprised I ventured in after seeing on dirty dining they failed their health inspection miserably.
The dishes were very greasy, and tasted like the dumped salt in to hide something.
The waitress, which Im sure is only 14 years old, was rude, especially after I ask what «colorado» meant in terms of their burrito. She dropped, not set, our food on to the table, ignored my many requests for a glass of water, even after SHE ASKED me if id like something to drink.
Dont go here! Its dirty, scary and the food taste like shit.

Delicious Mexican food! They have a delicious (and hot!), what seems to be, homemade salsa that comes with your chips (also have a mediocre mild salsa that they may serve, but if you mix the two they’re not a bad combo). They’re Pollo A La Diabla is spicy and delicious. Packs a punch but you can ask for them to mild it down a little so it doesn’t feel like it’s burning your insides if you can’t handle it. The staff is always pleasant and speaks bilingually to my boyfriend and I (him being Mexican and fluent in spanish, and me only knowing very little; not to mention I’m shy using what I know) which I quite like. Encourages me to try and use what Spanish I do know.

If I wanted shitty Americanized Mexican food that puts my bowels in an uproar, there’s always Taco Bell. I tend to think there’s a lack of artistry when authentic Mexicans can’t make good authentic Mexican food. The enchilada sauce tasted like turkey gravy swimming in a sea of what could of very well been Velveeta cheese. Upon asking for hot sauce I was given the same exact salsa I was given with chips after being seated. Funny, considering this place is called «El Tapatio.» Well guess what?! They don’t have any Tapatio!
When asked for sour cream, (because it didn’t come with my taco) I was charged 2 bucks., which is more than what my taco cost. Did I mention that the old shithead that owns the place came up to my best friend and moved the table back due to him being a large guy? How nice of you to gauge his comfort level for him, asshole!
Yeah, go to Taco Bell. Same quality food and better service for only one fourth the price!

Sometimes you just want an enchilada that tastes like an enchilada! Not a New Mexican finagled pou pou platter. This place rocks at Mexican comfort food.
Big plates, big salads, lots of cheese, big margaritas and the most comfy seats you could ask for. The salsa ain’t half bad.
You won’t have to sell your first born to eat out.

Got overcharged for things I didn’t order and they refused to compensate.

My wife and I love El Tapatio! The waitstaff is always friendly in an old-​world way. The old man who runs the place is hilarious. He will joke and talk with you and is highly attentive to how full your water and drinks are, as well as how full the free chips and salsa levels are at the table. By the way, the salsa is incredible — their standard table salsa is medium-​hot too, which is even better. I hate mild salsa. The chips are served warm and they keep comin’ — as many as you want.
The menu is full of yummy choices. I’ve eaten here quite a bit, so here are a few of my favorites:
Carne Asada — they cook up their carne the right way. Tender on the inside, slightly well-​done on the outside with a touch of flavor from the grill. It is quite perfect. Love it.
Chicken Mole — Oh man, this is really exquisite. Their mole has the chocolate and cinnamon taste you’d expect, with the earthy aftertaste that makes this one of my favorite dishes. In addition, they serve it up boneless so you can make some of the tastiest and easiest burrito/​taco creations ever.
Enchiladas — The chicken are my favorites. The tortillas are soft, the sauce zingy, and the cheese and beans wonderfully proportionate to the plate.
Combination Fajitas — This gargantuan platter has shrimp, beef, and chicken cooked with onions and peppers. This is a «you’ll have leftovers» plate, for sure. The fajitas are brought out piping hot and taste great.
My wife says the Sangria is some of the best she’s had in Portland, with a «perfect blend» of tastes. I haven’t had it — don’t really care for it — but if you do, there’s that as well.
I recommend El Tapatio to my friends. I hope this was helpful to you.

The female server that was here was very rude and a bad waitress to boot. The new male server they have is very professional and inviting and he did an excellent job. Much improved on the staff! The food is excellent as always. :)

Let’s get down to it.
Good mex, some of the better in the city. Worth a trip definitely, but not mind blowing. Good caucasian table mex out on 82^nd.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
First night in Portland, exhausted, searching for a hotel room, really wanted a food pod but decided to eat at first place we saw… Wake up at 3am, spend rest of trip running to bathroom.
Nasty food, no flavor, everything was dry. Expensive for portion sizes and quality. AND I got sick?
WHAT A MISTAKE.