This has become one of our families favorites in Portland. The clock was just right and the salsa Verde and salsa d'arbol were both full of flavor and with a good amount of heat, but not so much it flames out your taste buds. Eggplant Milanese was a good sharable size and enjoyed by everybody. The margaritas are delicious - the mango margarita with a nice way to celebrate a spring day, and I love the Diablo, which is probably my favorite type of margarita.. Every taco was perfect - crispy and filled with so much flavor and texture. The blue corn chorizo Verde taco was a revelation - I normally don't tend to mix my meats in a taco, but I've gotta change that in the future because this was just so good. The mushroom Dorado tacos were also great. And the chicken gringa was just what my wife wanted.. the fish tacos are just right - they need some spice and slaw in addition to perfect fish - - - too many places just throw some fish and don't really get the rest of it right, but they do here in Lenora. read more

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Both fish tacos were SUPER fresh. Saw them walk it into the building and so the quality and taste were perfect. The fried chicken torta was fried perfectly and the flavors balanced together well. The horchata tasted authentic, too. Service was very prompt and efficient. We sat outside, and it was pleasant on a warm day, so would definitely recommend being outside! read more

Lenora is my first stop in Portland. Amazing food, great location for someone like me who is just visiting (I come to Maine/Portland every summer). Great drinks, great salsa amazing food- tho I've only ever ordered the Carnitas tacos. The Carnitas tacos are some unbelievably delicious- unique and perfect! read more

Service was great, food was amazing. We had, nachos, and street corn. It was delicious. I'm strictly gluten free and they had so many choices to choose from. read more

Located in the Old Port, Lenora is easy to find with good available parking. The space is gorgeously appointed- high ceilings, subtle music and classy ambiance. Our server was gracious and attentive. Food was served quickly. The food - amazing! First time in 20+ years to find chilaquiles and it did not disappoint. To find Mexican food of this caliber and authenticity in Maine is a remarkable find! read more

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Yummy food and quick friendly service. Such an underrated spot! I love the coffee menu and find the drinks creative and interesting. Breakfast tacos and burrito are so good, try it! read more

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The good, ambiance, vibe. The not so good: price, quality of food and timing of food delivery. $7 taco is outrageous to me. Considering they charge for hot sauce as well! $10 tostado... i left hungry after everything was said in done. The chicken in the tostada was unremarkable, the dish taco was the same. We were a party of 5, friendly served but our mains came out in strange waves. So people didn't have their food, and I'd finish one item for the other to arrive. Fragmented. read more

Yummy Mexican style food. It's very unassuming form the outside. In fact , I had to look up the place to find out more about it. The chicken we ordered was ok but the beef tacos were the bomb. The guac was good and chunky. Not sure about drinks. Service was great too and we got a seat quickly on a Saturday evening. read more

Lenora - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The owner was nice enough to give us a table for 9 people for dinner and waited on us himself Great service, awesome drinks, and the food was really good. We would go back read more

We are only taking a star off because the seating inside looks uncomfortable (stools). We sat outside on the benches to avoid them. The roadrunner cocktail was good. The happy hour nachos with beef were great! It was a little spicy and loaded with toppings and came with a side of guacamole that was fresh. The nachos could use some sour cream but other than that they were great! Service was good! read more

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Lenora surprised us in the best way. I was a little skeptical going in, given some of the mixed reviews, but both the food and service ended up being a hit for us. That said, I do think Lenora is still figuring out its identity. It's a trendy, mid-upscale spot -- not Michelin-level fine dining, but also not cheap -- which is why some of the little details felt off. Things like comfortable seating, cloth napkins (or at least an easy way to grab extras; tacos can get messy!), and a bit more space between tables would have elevated the experience for us. Speaking of space, the seating was really the one thing we didn't love. They've packed in as many tables as possible, which makes for a cramped and not-so-relaxing dining experience. If I had stretched my arm even slightly, I probably would've bumped into the person at the next table. We could hear every conversation around us, and at times, it felt a little awkward. The stools didn't help either -- zero back support, not much comfort. But the food was phenomenal. We started with the pineapple salsa and chips, queso, and street corn, all of which were great, though the street corn stole the show. We could've easily ordered more. For tacos, we went all in and tried every single one on the menu. The Baja Fish and carnitas were standouts; so good we reordered them. The only miss was the brisket, which was dry, overly salty, and had a strange texture. But everything else, including the vegetarian options, was excellent. Even as die-hard flour tortilla fans, we were impressed by their fresh-made corn tortillas. We finished the meal with a perfectly moist tres leches cake. The drinks program was also solid, though I expected a little more variety in the margaritas. They all seemed to have a similar flavor profile. That said, the ones we tried, including the Diablo, were refreshing and well-balanced. Service was great; our waitress was friendly, attentive, and on top of everything. Despite the seating situation, we really enjoyed our meal and would absolutely come back for the food and drinks! read more

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Lenora is a high quality, well put together yet casual modern Mexican restaurant. They have a central, circular bar, high top tables, standard indoor seating, and outdoor picnic table seating as well. We ordered plenty of drinks and apps (chips and guac, queso, bean dip, pineapple salsa, tacos). Pros: food was delicious, space is great. Cons: Service/server was unfriendly and rushed read more

Lenora - Chile con queso and guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Popped into Lenora while doing a stroll around the Old Port on Tuesday afternoon 10/22/24 around 5pm. This was my/our first time here. We sat at the bar which wasn't busy, but several tables were full and there were some larger parties. It's really nice and I like the ambiance. It's large and open, but somehow cozy. I liked that the bar was not real tall and made the space feel more open. I was thrilled to see a michelada on the drink menu! Bloody Mary mix and Mexican beer - in this case it was Modelo. It was served in a barrel style glass with a spicy rim. The mix was in the glass and I added my own beer. It was so good. Their bloody mix was very tasty. For a snack we had chips and guac. The guac was good! Had a little kick. The chips were crispy and seemed to be made in house. The menu is small, however I would have eaten several things if I had been hungry. I would like to go back for a meal next time around. read more

Lenora - Michelada - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

One of my favorite interiors in the Portland area. Gorgeous. Honestly. The staff has treated me well but I have also had some times where they have been a little short- but I wouldn't let that knock their reputation. Just in my experience. The food is not a lot for the price but I have always been able to get a taco and enjoyed the conversation. I don't drink but feel as though I would recommend trying one, as they seem to have a nice menu and beautiful bar space as well. read more

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Lenora is a casual, yet elevated, spot to grab a fun dinner that fits the bill that is relaxed enough to dine with coworkers, but stylish enough for dinner with the girls and date night. We shared queso dip (the portion was so large that for two people, I ended up taking a majority of this back, along with some chips). The baja fish taco had a spicy tang and the fish was delicious. The taco that made it all worth it for me was the barbacoa: a slow cooked brisket with banana leaf with refreshing pickled onion and a healthy dash of cotija. The drink program is fun with creative spins on margaritas and other trendy drinks like the espresso martini (made with tequila and not vodka!). Laid-back table service with friendly staff, our waiter was attentive. This is a spot that'll join my roster for a casual night out with my girlfriends or the hubby. read more

I have lived in Arizona and California and eaten a lot of very good Mexican. These were some of the best tacos and salsa's I have had. These ambience is also nice Pretty impressive!! read more

PLEASE NOTE: This is a first impression review focused on their all day menu and plant-based eating after visiting once. I didn't know what to expect from this new Mexican-inspired taco bar; the photos on Instagram make it seem waaaaaaaayyyy too trendy for me (am I aging out of Portland?). But, to be honest, one of my top five favorite foods is guacamole and salty chips. Throw some spicy salsa in there? Let's gooooo. Our server was sweet and patient. Currently, at the time of writing this, their menu has nothing labeled gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan. So we asked about what could be made without dairy and egg, and she immediately came back from the kitchen with their behind-the-scenes menu about which items had which allergens. We were able to order with SUCH confidence; still, somehow, in "one of the best restaurant cities in the world" finding good (and reliably) vegan food is difficult. Cheers to you, Lenora, for making us feel welcome! So, here's what's vegan/can be made vegan: 1. the guacamole, 2. ALL of the salsas, 3. the taco sauces (MINUS the crema), 4. the mushroom doradas taco (ask for no queso or crema), 5. the avocado costra taco (ask for no queso crust), 6. the black bean tostada (ask for no queso), We tried the guacamole (which is a much bigger portion than I thought it was going to be!), the pineapple salsa (made with tomatillo, poblano, chile pequin; it's labeled as two star in spice, but we didn't find it spicy at all - it did go REALLY well with the guacamole though! again, the portion size was impressive... also, not sure if they always/usually do this, but our chip basket was refilled complimentary. PLEASE KEEP THIS, LENORA. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE.), and the avocado costra taco (which was absolutely packed with vibrant flavors and interesting textures, and for sure I could easily eat three of these). When I asked for a not-too-sweet drink, our server recommended the Lucha Libre margarita (blanco tequila, lime, agave, orange blossom water), and it was *exactly* what I wanted. This, for me, is a place I'm excited to return to (especially to see if everything I experienced the first time held up)! A couple notes: 1) Their website says they have an "all day menu" - this is NOT true. That menu (with the tacos and guacamole, etc.) has a hard start time of 11am. I think they should either change that languaging OR really offer it all day. Some of us want breakfast margs, guac, and chips! 2) When we visited, the server joked that their frozen margarita machine frequently broke down. Not a huge deal, but heads-up there. read more

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Came in for drinks and tacos one mid week afternoon. Great atmosphere and cool staff. Their tacos were delicious and drinks looked good. Visited restaurant as part of a foodie tour in Portland. Will visit again next time! read more

Lenora - Taco - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

We were pleasantly surprised! The horchada was great as well as were most of the tacos. I would skip the Mahi taco as it was a bit fishy. We sat outside on the benches which were a bit dirty. Come for happy hour, the prices are reasonable and the drinks are good. Our service was terrible, the server was snippy and impatient. But it seemed like others were fine. Bathroom was clean and nicely appointed read more

Love the ambiance, love the drinks, they actually have interesting cocktail / drink program. The food program is kinda tight, American Mexican food taco etc. I had 1 barbacoa $6.5 and it's very decent American tacos. The aqua tamarind cocktail is very tiny but good balance so I ain't complaining. I asked about other thing because it doesn't specify on the menu and the server just said "oh we put a bunch of herb" like what ????!! U can't just say "herb" Problem is our server is not really kind or approachable . Maybe she had a bad day or whatever but she did charge us 20% because we are a big group. Look i totally understand that big group can be too much and I can see she covered a lots of tables, but I guess she can try to be nicer ? Since it's service industry after all. So my advise, don't be disappointed if the service is barely there And you got charged 20% just because they can and u are a big group but don't expect a "service". Good food and drink need to be accompany with good service since the tip exception is at least 20% read more

Lenora - Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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food was excellent, and service was as well! the inside was very cool, lighting was great:)

Despite being opened for quite some time and following this spot since before they even opened, we finally made it in. It's a bright and welcoming space with a circular bar right as you walking in with tables around the outside of the room. Their restrooms are set up in the style of private rooms with a toilet in each (around 4 of them) with a shared sink outside the rooms. Not only did we come in for dinner we also returned two days later for their first day of brunch. Now offering brunch on both Sunday and Monday from 11-3. I think once the word gets out this will become a popular brunch spot. We were very impressed both dinner and brunch. For dinner we sat at the bar the bartender was very friendly and made perfect cocktails. My fiancée ordered their carnitas tacos and I had a special of the day which was a duck carnitas tostada and they were both so good! Some of the best carnitas we have had in the area easily! Still slightly hungry my fiancée got rice and beans which was tasty as well. After our experience and seeing they would be offering brunch starting Sunday we knew we had to return. Brunch was quite busy considering their first day offering it and the fact we got in a few minutes after opening. We were sat quickly and service was quick and attentive once again despite sitting at a table this time. Every thing we tried during brunch was phenomenal and I would any of it again. Their house chai and cafe con Dulce de Leche alongside their papas (their version of potatoes) were the perfect start. Then our meals, burrito and bread pudding were so good, with the bread pudding being the absolute highlight! From our two experiences here, this will be a new favorite spot of ours if we are craving a Sunday brunch or tacos or tostadas. Give this place a try if you find yourself nearby! read more

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Went back to Lenora today and had some great food, tampered by an odd experience with the music that I feel like I should say something about. I ordered a congress st margarita, the special tostadita (bluefin tuna, some kind of aioli, etc). and the escabeche pickles again. Everything was delicious. The tostadita, while small, was incredible - I was literally cooing while eating it. The margarita was nothing special taste wise - good, but not memorable. But a pretty heavy pour, I walked out rather drunkkkkk. The music playing in the restaurant was hip hop music, I think the drill rap style. it was great, but then there was a song which had the 'n' word in it like..a lot, like every 5th word. The restaurant is owned by and apparently largely staffed by white people. Just doesn't seem cool to me. Lenora's a nice restaurant, I think they make good choices with the specials, etc. But like. vet the music maybe? read more

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Delicious, quick and charming spot. We stopped in before heading to the airport. Great coffee options for an early morning. And great menu options for a quick breakfast. I had the breakfast burrito and added chorizo. It was a good size burrito at a great price. It was also delicious. read more

Lenora - Cafe con dulce de leche - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

By happenstance recommendation, ended up at Lenora -- a place that had never even been on my radar but super cute and bright interior. I think I would love to come here for breakfast now that I know this place exists! Stopped by for some light bites and coffee at 2 in the afternoon. Their cafe isn't officially open for lunch but the waitress was very willing to try to make me a cortado. They did have nitro brew on tap and that was quite pleasant. Ordered the salsa verde cruda with chips the Yucatán fish taco, and the barbacoa taco. Considering I came with no expectations, this is a nice little fusion mexican place. They make their own corn (yay) tortillas and their chips were quite good. The tacos weren't heaven on earth but good for a quick bite. Great inventive salsas. Service person was very upbeat and attentive to us. Stopping here because apparently my reviews are too long. tl;dr, cute place, good service, nice food. read more

Lenora - Barbacoa taco, chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Decided to pick up some lunch at Lenora. Beautiful bar, bright and lively. Would love to sit down for a drink there in the afternoon sometime soon. Salad was good, love the bread crumbs and a good amount of anchovy in the dressing. Wings were amazing. Will definitely be ordering those again. Taco was good. read more

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Met a friend for brunch on a Sunday and snagged a parking street out front! Our seats were just OK. We had a 2 top and it felt cramped. We ordered 4-5 plates and they came out pretty quickly one after another. The table was too small for the plates, drinks, etc. The food was yummy and the vibe was good. With all the amazing places in Portland, I don't think I'll rush back but I had a solid experience. read more

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Early impressions of Lenora yield a frustrating experience for me. The transformation of the old Walter's space couldn't be better. It's undeniably an attractive restaurant. And I like the lunch/dinner menu. But...all tacos are served on a soft corn tortilla, and this is an absolute deal breaker for me. If you do soft corn, it needs to be grilled to crispy perfection to even be functional. These are not. So no matter how accomplished the fillings are, I'm never going to like the tacos here compared to others. The house made 1866 Fire sauce though is probably the best hot sauce in town. The cocktail list has more than 25 choices, including 7 margaritas. I ordered the Congress Street (blanco tequila, combier orange liqueur, lime, $13). I admit...I had a moment of sheer panic when asked if I wanted it on the rocks or "up." I intelligently chose the option that I did not understand. As it turns out, "up" is Martini style, in a tiny glass that I initially scoffed at. And I was wrong, as this margarita was shockingly strong and satisfying. I'd definitely come back to Lenora for margaritas and chips, with several house made salsas. But the competition is stiff for tacos in Portland, with more openings on the horizon. Right now, I'd much prefer Taco Escobarr. read more

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This is a perfect spot for a quick and delicious breakfast in Portland, Maine. Opens early, serves Tex mex breakfast fare like breakfast tacos, tostados, avacado toast and some of the best and unique espresso drinks- cafe con dulche de leche Also!! House made salsa is the bomb! read more

Lenora - CAFE CON DULCE DE LECHE - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

I recently went to Lenora for a family brunch. The restaurant itself is esthetically beautiful--warm, stylish, and inviting from the moment you walk in. Unfortunately, the service experience did not match the setting. The staff felt very straight-faced and unengaged. They weren't rude, but they also weren't welcoming, and it left me feeling like I was imposing rather than a valued guest. For my meal, I ordered the Caesar salad with fried chicken. While the presentation was nice, the chicken was dry and disappointing. Combined with the lack of warmth from the staff, it really overshadowed the otherwise lovely atmosphere. Lenora has so much potential given its beautiful space, but the staff experience really blew it for me. Hospitality should make guests feel at ease, and sadly, I left feeling quite the opposite. read more

stopped by here for a quick drink and a few tacos. happy to say it was all delicious! service was kind and fast. i was surprised by how dead this place was on a friday night (there were maybe one or two other tables). it would've been a lot more fun if there were actually people here! overall i'd love to come back here soon and try more of their menu! read more

Owner and server were kind. Service was prompt Ambiance was nice. Meal was well presented but too salty. read more

Popped in for a quick lunch, loved the guacamole and rice and beans. My partner had the chicken tinga, it was wonderful! I had the El Paso, spicy abut a lively bite. The drink was a Rosita, it was ok but too sweet for me! Overall great spot! We will be back! read more

Lenora - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Lenora has a fun atmosphere and a very friendly staff. Much of the seating is backless stools, so that was a bit uncomfortable. The menu was entirely tacos and sandwiches with some sides. Our beef taco and beef sandwiches were messy but delicious. The fish taco was very overcooked and unpleasant. The kitchen does not try to time food to come out together, and instead food comes out helter skelter. It was odd to have meals come for some people long before others. read more

Good little taco spot in Portland. The chips and roja salsa were a good appetizer and I loved how crispy the chips were. My favorite taco was the carnitas, followed by El Paso, then the barbacoa and the avocado was my least favorite and fell apart. The elote was delicious and I would recommend the taquera taco sauce which is tangy and has a little kick. The restaurant is so cute and has a good vibe inside. Tacos had a good flavor profile and the meat was juicy overall! read more

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We've been to Lenora a bunch of times over the last year. Each time we've been able to get a seat with very little to no wait. They have a few picnic tables with umbrellas on the sidewalk outside in the warmer months and inside some tunes playing with a large bar and tables. The drinks are good with some creativity and plenty of local and mex beers as well. The food is overall excellent-definitely elevated Mexican-southwest with tacos, tostadas, burritos, etc which have a lot of flavors packed into each one-if you like bland this isn't for you! If hungry it would be easy to order two entrees for each person as they are on smaller side. Guacamole and their queso dip with chips is excellent though pretty pricey. Variety of side sauces like house made hot sauce. Love the gender neutral/one bathroom for all design with open sinks and individual stalls. It also has no doors to get in/out of the bathroom-This may seem like nothing to some people, but for those with physical disabilities or people who need to assist someone, it makes a huge difference and is worth noting. Service has been nice and responsive 60% of time and other times a bit lacking effort. Overall we love Lenora, but wish their seats were a bit more comfortable (watch out for the "cobbler" stools if you're tall or have back issues). Also like many restaurants recently, the costs have really gone to the max since initially coming here and we went from feeling it was quite reasonable for the amount and quality of of food you are getting to now being a bit expensive overall. Still recommended. read more

Great fish tacos! Good local beer selection, good music, good vibe. I only stopped in for a quick bite and a beer but will definitely be back to check out more of the menu! read more

Lenora - Yummy fish tacos! - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Truly the most posh mexican joint in Portland so far. A grand space marred only by way loud music in challenging acoustics. Service was stellar, drinks delicious with varied margaritas. The highlight here is the rotating creative ceviche. We shared an aguachile with scallops and a tostadita with yellowfin. Outstanding! The tacos were very good, but with all the competition out there not unique, except for the soft corn tortillas, of which I am not a fan: Maybe if they were thinner or grilled more? Thursday night 6pm was easy seating, but tables filled up by 7. The tables have half nice cushy benches, but many seats are short, uncomfortable round stools. Bar seating plentiful. read more

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Stopped here a couple times now to keep trying this new space. Large bright interior and the large long bar. The bathrooms are very nice and they have outdoor seating. The last time I was there we sat outside and it was very nice weather. The service is always great and they are friendly. The underwhelming part of this place is the food. I tried a few of the tacos and the corn tortillas and they were okay but not crispy which is a deal breaker for me. I tried the queso and that was also okay. I would come back for drinks but not my favorite for food. read more

Lenora - Outside area. - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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In a word: FINALLY. While everyone's been hyped about restaurant openings like Twelve, Bar Futo, Papi (okay, I'm excited about Papi), Lenora is the place I had been anxiously awaiting. Given some other reviews and people I've talked to, not everyone shares my opinion, but I'm ready for it. Make no mistake, this is not like El Rodeo or Escobarr. Both of those have a special place in my heart for different reasons. First major difference: the homemade corn tortillas. They're soft and you have to be a little gentle, picking it up like the precious little taco gem it is, but oh, that corn flavor (chef's kiss). Of the 3 tacos we tried none fell apart, which is commendable, but it seems like a delicate balance of fillings is necessary and these are not big, stuffed tacos like Escobarr. Carnitas could've been crispier but you'll never convince me that $5 is too much for a taco with a made in-house corn tortillas. And the salsas, dios mio!!! SO good! I'm so sick of crappy, watery, tomato salsas. Give me the tomatillos, blackened roasted bits of pepper and garlic, rehydrated guajillo peppers blended til smooth with some heat and a teensy bit of bitter. One even had a hint of mezcal in it! I only tried two but both were a freakin shining beam from heaven. The caesar was also good, great two-person split size for $12 or whatever. I'm curious about the wings and their 2 tortas, but I'm here for tacos and salsas alllll day. The drinks add up and you can find a margarita $3 cheaper down the street, but this isn't a dump in sour mix situation. There are some creative and fun options like the Oaxacan Dead, which is essentially a mezcal tiki drink. I could see myself having one for fun and then switching to Pacifico, but it's all about the food here for me. As you can tell, I'm very much the target audience for Lenora, but dayyyum, did they knock it out of the park for me. Went when it was quiet, so I can't speak to what it's like when it's bonkers, which it often is, but they're open every single day of the week so pick and choose. read more

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