Encanto

Tasty, fresh. Not greasy or fatty. New Mexico twist. I had the Carne Adovado stuffed sopapilla, wife had sopapilla burger. Good meat, tender and flavorful. Beans and sauces all made fresh. I could taste the oregano and chile. Nice tequila selection, house margarita was good but a bit too sweet for my taste. Overall a good meal.

Fox (soothing): «Try to remember Scully. Relax. Think. What did you eat there?»
Dana (confused): «I…I can’t remember. Its all a haze. I know there were chips and salsa, but… the chips were weird.»
Fox: «Weird how, Scully? Weird like they were baked by aliens? Like they came from somewhere other than Earth?»
Dana: «No, weird like they were made from some trendy, non-​corn chip substance.»
Fox (pressing): «What else? Come on… you were there twice and you had the same thing both times. You have to remember something!»
Dana (frustrated): «Don’t yell at me, Pin-​head!» *sigh* «Okay, it was some pork thing, with a red sauce, and maybe it was fried in some weird bread-​type thing. I don’t know. There were beans on the side… and rice. It was a lot of pork. It was… oh my god!»
Fox (alarmed): «What is it Dana. Did they put something in the food?»
Dana (cold): «No, they didn’t put anything in the food. Nothing at all. The pork, the beans, the rice… they were all completely flavorless…»

This place was like the stars say… A-​OK. Not great. The entrees we ordered were fine… but nothing I’d go back for.
What I did like was the green chile stew. It was tasty and filling. If I ever go back I’ll skip the entrée and get a big bowl instead of a small.

So lets stress that this is «NEW Mexican» food. Growing up near the boarder I expected more flavor not to mention spice.
Not what I expected but not bad.

I’m pretty much okay with any establishment that serves over 2 dozen varieties of tequila.
And it should be mentioned that I am hesitant about «New Mexican Cuisine»
Service was great. I was with some demanding folks and our server was full of «absolutely“s and «what-ever-you’d-like“s.
I ordered their «ceviche.» It is not ceviche. It is peppered hangar steak with mushrooms and pico de gallo. Still, it was tasty and inexpensive ($ 7). Others have pegged it by saying you’ll be best to stick with aps. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with their entrees. But the aps are super filling and affordable. I was completely full after mine.
Their drink menu looks tasty. I had the sangria. Correction. I had too much sangria. Oh noes! I’m so going to get Y.U.I. Thank God for spell check.
They have this desert that’s called.. . tres leche? something? que? whatevs. Point is: Decadence is the new dieting.

We like Kelly, the bartender, she’s great, always friendly, efficient service. Food is pretty good, we always end up just ordering a bunch of appetizers. I wish they had a larger selection of veg entrees, but I love ht apps so much I don’t know if we would ever eat all the apps we wanted plus an entrée.
Good food, good service, nice to have them in the neighborhood. N. Portland needs more «real» restaurants

Kelly is quite possibly what brings us back everytime. Actually, the staff in general is very cordial and you feel like family.
I highly recommend all of the appetizers and the stuffed carne adovada-​YUM!
Kelly makes a MEAN margarita, and they have an impressive tequila selection. As I am writing this, it makes me thirsty– I think I might go visit again tonight!

Food was good… New Mexican inspired cuisine. We had the roasted vegetable enchiladas, green chile quesadilla, margarita and a glass o wine. Felt pretty healthy, they definitely didn’t overdo the salt, which I appreciated. Appetizer + two drinks + two entrees +tip = $ 60 bucks… so a little steep for my budget, but good for a special occasion. They definitely don’t stay open late early in the week. I think they wanted us out of there by about 9:15.

Eeek, geez. I read all these other great reviews so imagine my surprise at my own dining experience at Encanto, which was… uh…less than… um…stellar.
First let me say that I really hate to bash on a nice neighborhood restaurant, so first – some props to the owners who are definitely putting themselves out there and giving it a shot with their cute little neighborhood restaurant, and for that I have respect. And, I offer an apology to my fellow Yeeps (**cringe**) who have given stellar ratings to this place… all I can say is this is my review, and I will tell it like it is the way I experienced it last week when I went for dinner. (So maybe it was an off night or something.) The beauty of Unilocal,I suppose, is you get lots of reviews, so hopefully, balanced input.
So, now that all my disclaimers are out of the way…
The backstory:
Encanto is in North-​ish Portland, at the convergence of three Portland n’hoods: Portsmouth, St John, and University Park. The interior is nicely done, and I was quite happy and comfortable lingering there for a few hours with my friends. The bar stocks the usual suspects, plus a wide array of tequilas, and some very nice wines. Service was attentive without being too «in your face». Ok, so far, so good. Now the food…
My table ordered the cheese fundido and the green chile stew as starters. How can you go wrong with cheese dip? Well, this totally isn’t against them in any way, but I personally don’t care much for goat cheese, so the cheese fundido was not for me… not for my fellow diners, either, apparently, as no one at my table liked it (if you like goat cheese, go for it!). The green chili stew was just fine, and had nice chile peppery flavors, but seemingly lacked a little seasoning (salt). So, at this point they were standing at a Score = 3 – 4 stars.
Next, I ordered dessert first (highly recommended): sopapillas and honey. You can’t go wrong with anything resembling a warm, fried doughnut, plus dipped in honey. In fact, anything wrapped in bacon or dipped in honey is probably a-​ok in my book. Yum. Pretty soon, we were all covered in honey and with sticky fingers awaited the main course. Score so far = 4 stars.
The rundown:
My friend Angela ordered the lamb dish.
Dana ordered the pork stuffed sopapilla.
Ross ordered chicken enchilada.
Matt ordered (?) meat enchilada.
And I had the cheese enchilada, straight up no frills style.
Unedited diner comments:
Angela takes first bite. «OH!», she exclaims loudly… at which point I look up from my dish with anticipation to her face, expecting the «this is so-​o-​o-​o good» face. But no – a split second later, she blurts out (loudly) — «This lamb tastes like… ASS!» «What the FU (bleep**)K is in this SAUCE?», she continues. I worriedly cast my eyes around the restuarant, not wanting to offend, and wondering if my friend is being a bit dramatic.
We all dip a pinky into her sauce, at which point Matt announces «This tastes like Potpourri»! (It was a rather odd sauce) Dana says, «give me a bite of that», and pops a bite of lamb in potpourri sauce into her mouth. «Yacck», she immediately spits it out – «That is gamey, it’s off!». We all cast looks of horror at Angela’s plate. Angela’s appetite is officially ruined, but she requests a replacement dish. Score = negative 5 stars in Angela’s book.
At this point, with hopes still high, we continue tasting.
Matt: «It’s ok. Pretty good, but nothing to write home about. This place is kind of like Casa Bonita… only without the waterfall and mariachi bands.» (Score = 3 stars in Matt’s book)
Ross: «Meh. It’s good, but not freakin’ extraordinary.»
Dana: «Want to try some of mine? It tastes REALLY good!» (we all taste some of hers. (Score — back up to 4 stars)
Lorri: «Mine was tasty. Huh.» (Score = 4 stars)
In summation, the experience of Encanto probably depends on what dish you order, what your personal preference is for this style of food, and whether they are having an «off night» with either the meat freshness or seasonings.
Also, go with an open mind and don’t be overly swayed by the reviews. We went in having read nothing but stellar reviews, so hopes were high. Angela’s closing comment on this note: «5 stars?! How did this place get 5 STARS?! It might be a 5-​star restaurant… for Gresham!» (sorry Gresham, sorry Encanto)
But everyone else seems to love it, so give them a try, and you be the judge. I am hopeful they do better next time.

Encanto is one of my favorite restaurants! The food is always excellent. The menu is innovative, yet approachable to all.
The space is huge and a little industrial chic with cute authentic SW touches mixed in. I LOVE that they have the tables spaced far apart– I never feel crowded or held hostage by another tables conversation.
The signature drinks are very good. However, the bar staff often seem overwhelmed if you do not order one of their signature drinks (I’m a lemon drop girl).

Sublime. Thanx to Ann S for getting me in here months ago, when I was thinking a Pub Movie might be my best choice for a truly mellow evening out. The Menu beckons, I’m ready to go back.
Encanto is proof that Lombard Street is becoming a Full-​Spectrum community… with something for everybody, BBQ to Ceviche. Wow, what wonderful, peaceful ambiance this food ARTISTRY place has. It is clean, with a full bar and hip, QUALITY food and service. Kudos to Management, Staff and the Chef, you all get 5 Stars —
and the Lombard Experience has been elevated more than a notch!
If you feel like a lively crowd with live music after Dinner, go to the nearby Portsmouth Club, sortof across the street, or further east to the Mock Crest (3400 block) for tunes 8 – 11 most nites; or in downtown St Johns: tiny Clubs like Proper Eats, Coffee houses, and Slims Bar offer tunes different nites, from traditional and Gypsy Jazz to Blues. I love it all. But beware, buying a house in St Johns has become competitive, so make your best offer without delay. I’ve been outbid on a couple of great the Same Day.
Bus # 75 runs often to this great Supper Club. Make a date.
Bummer to hear they are closed… will investigate to see if just new Owners or different name. Anyone know the story? I RARELY give 5 stars…

Oh, wow. This is what I’ve been waiting for. Not some re-​done Taco Bell horror, but real, fresh Mexican food without the heavy cheese and refried beans that accompany most «Mexican» food in these parts.
Our foursome had the goat cheese fundido topped with a pumpkin seed pesto, which was amazing, and shared a carafe of tasty Sangria. You must get the sopapillas — they come hot with honey butter and are sublime. I’d suggest them as a dessert although we had them as an appetizer. One of my dining partners went nuts over the chile verde, stating she hadn’t had anything so good since she lived in NM. There was also a great ceviche, which is one of my tests for a true Mexican restaurant — Encanto passed with flying colors.
I wish it was closer to me, but its halfway between me and my friends in St. Johns, so it makes a good meeting place. I can’t wait to go back.

I LOVE the Encanto!!! I have been there 3 times, and have tried the pork stuffed sopapilla (twice), and the BBQ buffalo short ribs. Both are the stuff of lifetime cravings… wonderful! The atmosphere is okay; kind of big and airy. I love this place!

Visiting from San Francisco, was curious when my brother mentioned a new latin place with BBQ Bloody Marry’s. So I was ready. My bloody marry had a rim garnished w rock salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper. Yizzum! For dinner, my mushroom tostado was the best thing I’ve eaten in recent memmory. below the pillows mushroomy avacodoey goodness was a pumpkin seed pesto paste which was the cherry on the cake. The tres leches was very sweet, very soufleish, VERY good. Our server, who was also the bartender and the host, was amazing. Def. coming back next time I’m in Portland.

New Mexican food is awesome. For being located in Portland, Encanto, as the only real New Mexican restaurant here, does pretty well. Actual New Mexican chilis are flown in, the bar boasts a whole host of tequila drinks, sopapillas with honey butter are complimentary, green chili stew and enchiladas with an option of fried egg on top are just some of the great things about this place.
The only factor that will hinder my continuous return to this place is it’s location on the divide between Nopo and St. Johns.