Things you'll learn from yelp -
1) trust no one with less than 10 reviews and no friends
2) trust no one with all negative reviews
If you did these 2 things, you could erase all the crappy Gilberto's reviews, and they'd have a stellar rating!
So here it is, my all time favorite Mexican place in all of Oregon. Unfortunately, I live 3 hours away now, but Gilberto's is a nostalgic place from my childhood through my adolescence, and now far into my adulthood. It is one of the only places that has remained quality, genuine, and the same - ALWAYS. No shortcuts on portions or ingredients, even the take over of the restaurant by Gilbert (the son of the previous owner in the family) hasn't changed their quality. He's always there, very upbeat and super friendly, and willing to go the extra mile to make your service great. And that my friends is why you must visit this place and keep it alive! That and I need to know that my favorite cheese enchiladas and flan will live on for many more years!
The interior could probably use an update, although they do have an outside patio now which is nice in the summer. The waitstaff can sometimes be slow, but hey- things are home cooked here. And the salsa could use some cilantro, but it's been made the same way for the past 30 years and they haven't changed it yet, so cilantro free salsa it is!
What should always stay the same is the rest of their food! Let me start with...
Their nachos-
You will NEVER get nachos anywhere else that are made with more finesse and love than these. They literally put a bite of every single ingredient on EVERY SINGLE CHIP! Yes, you read that right. Now let that sink in. On top of that, they're huge. They may not look it, but a half order can feed just me for 2-3 meals. I always get- beans, cheese, beef, guac, and sourcream. It's the perfect combo!
Their tortillas-
Soft, fresh, hand-made flour tortillas... you can't ask for anything better. Other than a pat of butter in which they used to be served with, and still should be *hint, hint*
Their beef-
It's delectable, it's mystical, and something like having the Mexican version of your mama's pot roast shoved in a taco or placed on a nacho, or smothered in a burrito. It's so freaking good I'm getting hungry describing it. Screw the chicken, get the BEEF!
Their enchiladas-
The sauce, the goodness, the love, a reason I breathe.
Until you have these enchiladas and understand them, you will never understand. I am a connoisseur of enchiladas, and these babies set the bar so early on in my life that very few stand close to them. I want you to understand that these are different from any you have and will probably ever eat, unless you go to where the Duarte's hail from in Mexico and just maybe you'll find some there. When I see people complain about the sauce, it's because 1- they misunderstand the sauce, 2- their palates are just inferior. This is not a "sauce" but rather a gravy. It's like a mexican gravy from heaven that should be worshiped and smothered on everything you could put in its glorious way. It's soft, subtle, and enhancing to the flavors you choose to mix it with. There is nothing worse than an over chili-powdered out, bright red, palate ruining, overpowering abomination of an enchilada sauce (which all other restaurants in these regions serve). At Gilbertos you'll find nothing like that, so give it a chance and stop having expectations of crappy Mexican food. You might find that you actually like it! I always order the cheese enchiladas with no onions (why do they even put onions in enchiladas, I can't understand), in flour tortillas instead of corn. I will travel hundreds of miles for these enchiladas, and I have time and time again.
The flan-
I can't even with this, it's so good it'll make you squeal! It's so soft, so smooth, cold, with a hint of vanilla, a touch of whipped cream. It's surrounded by a generous puddle of thin homemade caramel sauce that enhances every single bite. If you don't try their flan, you aren't truly living.
The rest of their food is great! I've had many things, I love their beef tacos, avocado tostadas, burritos of many, and chili rellenos. But I generally stick with my beloved enchiladas, a beef taco, and a flan. Then I eat this meal for 4 meals, because the portions here are huge! Remember it's "gravy" not sauce, and you'll be okay. In fact you'll be more than okay, because you'll be in heaven eating it! read more