I ordered a sobrebarriga and it honestly was at least 60% fat. Sobrebarriga is a fattier meat, but…read morenever in Colombia or the states had I visited a place comfortable serving something like that. It is a shame that the only Colombian restaurant in Portland that serves plates is so mediocre. As much as I miss the food, I don't even bother going to this restaurant because they are consistently mediocre or bad. what a shame

Dejaré este review en español para los Colombianos que sabrán de qué hablo…read more Lo que sea que vendieron el 7 de Diciembre, no eran buñuelos. Nada que ver con los buñuelos de verdad. Era solo una bola de queso llena de aceite. El 6 de diciembre llamé y me dijeron que era mejor hacer la orden para recoger al otro día porque tenían muchos pedidos. Entonces hice una orden para recoger a las 4 y aún así tuve que esperar 1 hora para que la orden estuviera lista. Entonces, cuál era el punto de hacer la orden el día anterior? Cuando llegué apenas cogieron la bolsa de empanadas y bueñuelos para fritarlos. Terrible el servicio al cliente y la comida nada que ver, además de los precios súper elevados. Si no saben hacer buñuelos para qué venderlos??

I had such a genuinely beautiful experience at El Pilón Colombian Food. You can feel the care the…read moremoment you're there. The people are incredibly kind, personable, and welcoming, with such positive energy. There's a real human connection here--you can tell they truly care about what they do, and you leave feeling fed in more ways than just food. And the food absolutely deserves the praise, too. The chicken empanada was perfectly crispy and full of flavor, and the chicken arepa was warm, cheesy, and so comforting, with tender shredded chicken that just hit. Everything tasted intentional and made with love. Even the sauce on the side brought everything together so well. I would honestly pay double for this experience--not because it's expensive (it's very reasonable), but because the food, the people, and the overall vibe are just that good. Beautiful food, beautiful people, beautiful company. They deserve the world. Highly recommend. --------------------- Tuve una experiencia realmente hermosa en El Pilón Colombian Food. Desde el primer momento se siente el cariño y la dedicación. Las personas son increíblemente amables, cercanas y acogedoras, con una energía muy positiva. Hay una conexión humana muy real -- se nota que de verdad aman lo que hacen, y uno se va sintiéndose lleno de muchas más formas que solo con la comida. Y la comida también merece todo el reconocimiento. La empanada de pollo estaba perfectamente crujiente y llena de sabor, y la arepa de pollo estaba calientita, con queso derretido y muy reconfortante, con pollo desmenuzado suave y delicioso. Todo sabía intencional, hecho con amor. Incluso la salsa que viene al lado unía todo de una manera increíble. Honestamente, pagaría el doble por esta experiencia -- no porque sea caro (el precio es muy razonable), sino porque la comida, las personas y la vibra en general son así de buenas. Comida hermosa, personas hermosas, una empresa hermosa. Se merecen el mundo. Súper recomendado.

I ordered two cheese empanadas, and they were extremely disappointing. I also accidentally selected…read morea maracuyá juice instead of a guanábana juice, and even though I realized the mistake immediately, before the drink was even handed to me, they still refused to change it. I ended up paying for something I did not want, which felt unfair and frustrating. This experience completely turned me off from returning or trying anything else on their menu. Based on this visit, I would not recommend them at all.

I'm not a Colombian food connoisseur by any means so I chose this restaurant purely on reviews. I…read moreordered the Patacones with pork, Estofado de Carne, Arepa Rellena with veggies and cheese, Arroz con Pollo and Sanchocho de Gallina. The food was delivered and plated quickly upon arrival. I appreciated the cardboard containers vs plastic but it did soak through. The bags it was packed up in kept it from becoming a mess. The smells were amazing and I had to taste as I plated. Everything was amazing, very flavorful, tender overall and large portions. Sadly, the carne was a little tough and I would not order this again. The Estofado de Carne had a hot sauce I had on the side. It was a very hot and delicious habanero sauce that was amazing! Great food, we'll be back for sure!!

Good GOD! I have never had Colombian food before, but I had heard good things about this spot…read more Came here on a date, and after having a couple of beers at the nearby Barrio, we both wanted something to eat... enter Que Bacano! I looked at the menu for a while, and EVERYTHING looked amazing. I couldn't decide! I eventually settled on the Arepas Relleno, which is a thick corn tortilla that is fried and split down the middle, then filled with absolute deliciousness! It's a bit of a fragile eat (mine was falling apart as soon as I picked it up), but dear lord is it tasty. My mouth is literally watering as I write this, remembering how good it was. That's saying something! The gentleman working there was very friendly, and kept speaking to me in what sounded like Spanish (I clearly don't speak Spanish). He soon realized I had little to no idea what he was saying, started laughing and apologized after switching to English. All the guys that had been in line before me were speaking Spanish with him, so I get it. Anyway, not much to say about the ambiance as it's a food cart, but overall a very positive experience and I will DEFINITELY be back. I gotta try everything else!

E A T. H E R E . if…read moreyou're like me and maybe live nearby and have driven by or scrolled passed thinking "looks cute but I'm in 'X' or 'Y' mood right now and I'm not all that familiar with South American or Cuban etc so you put it off another day... STOP. Come here IMMEDIATELY. I popped in for brunch on a Sunday, no wait, Sat right at the bar. Vibrant bright sun filling the place, upbeat tunes playing. Handful of tables occupied. The vibes were 10/10 I pulled up a barstool and the menu had a lot of solid, tempting options. I went with a pressed Cuban sandwich topped with fried egg, bacon strips, hollandaise and sliced avocado. Had a beer and a shit, tasty. It was PERFECT. I'm coming back again, frequently, before this place POPS OFF. Gotta be a regular for me going forward. It is just GREAT!!!

Enticed by all the good reviews for this place and a hankering for Latin American food, I needed to…read morecheck them out. They're quiet on a Friday afternoon. Their space is very colorful and has a lot of fun energy. Their menu is pretty focused but the items all sound very tasty. We went with an Empanada of the day, The Cubano, and the Bandeja. Their focused menu certainly paid off when you see how fresh and well-executed their dishes were. The empanada of the day was a mushroom and cheese. It's made fresh so the cheese was nice and gooey. Their crust is different from what I'm used to. It seems to be a mix of maize and cornmeal rather than flour. I think it gave a nice crunchy crust and slightly chewy inside. A bit small for the price though. The Cubano was again made fresh. Bread was nice and crispy. Inside was filled with hearty meat and cheese. A solid sandwich, especially when paired with their pico de gallo. The start of the meal was easily the Bandeja. You can choose between chicken and flat iron steak for the Bandeja; we went with the steak and we weren't disappointed. It's cooked medium-rare, making the steak super tender. The outside crust was well-seasoned and flavorful. The Plato came with a lot of other tasty things like a perfect over-easy egg, rice and beans, avocado, and the best chicharron I've had. It's small but packed a punch. The outside was crispy all around while the fat layer was still melt-in-your-mouth soft. This dish had everything, perfect for sharing. The staff were attentive and friendly. Happy hour is from 3-5PM on weekdays. All in all, we had an amazing meal and will be spreading the word of their goodness for sure.

Stumbled across this food cart after a cupsleeve event at Tea & Tea across the street, and I'm so…read moreglad I did! I tried the chicken tacos - absolutely delicious. I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying more from the menu next time I'm in the area!

Deciding where to eat in a foodie city is sometimes difficult, especially if there are multiple…read moremouths to feed, so the Mercado is a great choice with a number of food trucks and many different ethnic dishes. Today I chose an Al pastor burrito from Fernando's Alegria and my wife had chicken in mole from the Oaxaca truck. Everyone was happy! They have both outdoor and indoor seating available.

Great food, service (thanks Gabe) and atmosphere! Don't miss…read morethe scallop ceviche! Repeat worthy!

We ordered Ceviche Beef heart is tasty but the portion is…read moresmall We really like the mussels and fries The main entrees are also good

The Mestizo Rice Bowl (with fish) is now my favorite meal in the country. If I could drive or fly…read moreanywhere right now, it would be to Portland to have this meal again. The first time I had it was January and I fell in love. The second time was in February and I was nervous that maybe it wouldn't be as good because I ordered it late with the intent to refrigerate it overnight to keep for lunch the next day. This meant inevitably re-heating it, which I worried would change the flavor. But guess what? It was still amazing re-heated!! The third time was in March. Again, another impressive experience. I wish everyone could try the bowl. It has so much flavor and variety. I think if other chefs experienced this dish, confronted with the fact that this kind of richness can be achieved across a bowl of whole foods, they would elevate their offerings and then such fare wouldn't be so rare to find.

First off everything is gluten free!! This already made my day since it makes ordering my meal so…read moremuch easier. I split calamari with boyfriend for an appetizer and got the fish dinner for my main. He got the pork tacos as his main Everything was delicious but I would say portions are on the smaller side but tasty. I wish my fish meal was a little bit more flavorful, and we had a little bit more calamari. Please note the calamari picture I took. It was about a quarter eaten before taken. You can find street parking, recommended to check the neighborhoods. There's also plenty to do around here after you eat, which is kind of nice.

La Arepa is a great food cart with tons of authentic Venezuelan food. I had never tried Venezuelan…read morefood before, and I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and variety of this place. Their menu is quite large, and there are options to suit many dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten free). I particularly enjoyed their cheese empanadas, refried black beans, and vegan Pabellon arepa. Everything came out hot and absolutely delicious, and the service was pretty fast even though there was a bit of a line. I can't wait to go back and try more of their food.

Great Arepa cart near my home on Halsey. Had the Pelua, shredded beef with a generous amount of…read morecheddar. Be sure to add their spicy garlic sauce to complete this crunchy, hearty meal. Must try!

Most lovely atmosphere! Back enclosed patio great for an intimate tete a tete. Service is very…read morefriendly. I especially liked Casa Zoraya's mushroom dish. Though when the yummy chicken empanadas inspired me to order the chicken as a main course, it wasn't quite as interesting as the empanada version to me, and tastes. Flavors are on the subtle side, not at all spicy. I wasn't enticed by the dishes my co-diners ordered. Re drinks, I don't tend to do much in the way of alcohol, but their house made chica morada is absolutely tops, incredible, amazing! Fruity with baking spices, very invigorating.

First of all, the signage is non-existent. When I thought I was there, I had to go in and ask if…read moreit was the restaurant. After that, however, everything was wonderful. We sat outside and the patio area that was covered and had heaters - - if anything it got too warm (was 50 degrees outside). It is a lovely area. There were four of us, and we all enjoyed it immensely. The empanada appetizers were delicious. We had the special entrées of the day, one of which was similar to a paella. All the food was delicious. Our service people were very knowledgeable and there when they were needed. Oh yes, the Pisco Sours were also very good - - particularly the passionfruit one.

BEST pupusas I've ever had hands down. They were so moist, flavorful, and absolutely packed with…read moregoodness. I'm still dreaming about them! Service was a bit slow, but honestly, it was totally worth the wait. We also tried the quesabirrias and wow it was so cheesy, so delicious. Just ugh, I can't stop thinking about them. Their horchata was super tasty too - smooth, sweet, and refreshing. They take credit/debit cards, which is always appreciated. The inside of the restaurant is simple, nothing fancy, but when the food is this good, that's all that matters. Can't wait to come back when I'm in Oregon.

Love this place! They serve the BEST tamales. I should try something else on their menu, but I have…read moreto get the tamales each time. (Chicken and corn are my favorite.) We had pupusas for the first time here. Soo good! You must order one and try it!