New updated menu, authentic and hearty empanadas. Glad I gave Abuela another try! The empanadas are…read morea bit tangy and saucy, and filling. The Spinach Empanada was flavorful and hearty. I wish it had more cheese and creamier! I wasn't a big fan of the Argentinian Chipa cheese bread. It was very dense with bland lukewarm cheese. I kept searching for a good bite, and finally threw in the towel 1/2 way. It didn't have the fluffy texture with ooey gooey melty cheese that I was hoping for. Great spot to grab an empanada!

I'm not an empanada expert, but I found these to be quite tasty! The pastry is the best part, it's…read morelight and very flaky, not the sturdy dough I was expecting at all. I got the combo, which includes 2 empanadas, fries, chimichurri sauce, and a nice sandwich cookie. I chose the Abuela Chona and criollo empanadas. I ate one and my dad ate one. Both have ground beef, I honestly am not sure which one I ate, as it seemed like all that was inside was ground beef, but it was nicely seasoned. It was hot! Fries were ok, nothing too exciting. They were also nice and hot, although a few were soggy. They sprinkle dried herbs on them, which is a nice touch The cookie looked different from the pic on the menu; it looked like a flat, white, unexciting disc. In real life, it is 2 glorious, light, melt-in-your-mouth shortbreads sandwiching a generous amount of creamy, rich, not-too-sweet dulce de leche. I highly recommend the alfajores!

Stopped here for a snack/mini meal and had a good time! The guy working was friendly and helped…read moregive me recommendations. There's lots of seating with shade near the food carts, and it was a nice break from walking around. I got four empanadas, but if I went back I'd really only do two. The green cilantro sauce pictured was delicious. I really don't recall which I ate but they were tasty. A little greasy/hot but nothing a napkin didn't fix.

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.

Good was good, service was okay the guy who was taking orders was on his phone and didn't look very…read morehappy to be there.

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

A haiku review: How…read morelucky are we Accidental happy hour Nacho week returns Me gusta mucho Carne delicioso Bebidas frescas Plantain chips, go off Queso? I barely know her! Empanadas yum Tres leches so moist It should be called quad leches Love you Pambiche

After a long walk across Portland we finally found Pambiche which we tried based on Yelp reviews…read more The place had a great vibe and our water glasses were never empty. We tried the Plato Cubano and the ropa viejas. The Cubano was solid, but the ropa viejas was the better dish. The real winner however may have actually have been the cabbage salad. I'm not a big vegetable person, I'm not a big coleslaw person, but for some reason this cabbage salad just hit me in the right place. Overall the food is good, and you won't leave hungry.

South American (Argentina-Chile-Peru) by way of the Willamette: a winning culinary team presents…read moretapas and an affordable Chef's tasting menu, à la carte also available. A bar backlit by ethereal jellyfish ebbing in blue light, and an incredible (but focused) wine program, along with creative & fun ZERO-proof options. I've had 4 years of mostly unremarkable experiences with service in Portland, but Hunter changed all that. He's thoughtful, thinking ahead, smart & an asset to the ambiance. Meanwhile 3/3 items were exceptional, starting with BRISKET EMPANADAS - buttery smoked brisket & ooey gooey fontina studded with tart little golden raisins in a crisp crust - like a cheesy Argentinian gyoza! PAN SEARED SCALLOPS (by the half-order, thank you!) are precisely seared on the outside, sweet & tender on the inside, plated over a creamy sweet corn polenta that contrasts beautifully with the acid in slightly charred, roasted tomatoes. Finally (in traditional European fashion) a FARMERS GREEN SALAD gently dressed in piquant vinegar balanced by mild goat cheese & roasted pine nuts for a smoky crunch. Chef's Counter is lovely, but the space is deceptively large and accommodating with cozy booths and larger rooms - the more, the merrier sharing tapas to go around!

TLDR: Crazy meal. Great experience. Matthew was awesome. Besides sushi, never had a meal where…read moreeverything slapped hard AND amazing service. We got outdoor seating which was a table adjacent to the curb. Was actually really nice with the shade from the building. We ordered: -bone marrow: MUST GET. We've had bone marrow a couple times and never thought it was worth it. Small portions and not too much flavor. This one changed our minds. So rich and buttery and a decent helping per bone. When we got the order, one of the marrows over rendered and Matthew immediately said he was gonna get us more because it wasn't up to par. Brought us 2 more! -shrimp ceviche: -ahi: the texture was perfect and the chips it came with was a nice neutral bite with all the other flavors. -corn fritters: these were yummy with the green sauce it came with but dipped into the palenta from the scallops, AMAZING. We're gonna always order the palenta and fritters together from now on. -4 scallop and palenta: the scallops were cooked perfectly with a nice buttery crust. The palenta was sooooo good. Had a nice corn flavor and nice and savory to dip pretty much everything else in. -duck breast: the duck breast was really juicy and had a ham like flavor which I enjoyed because I really liked ham. The mushrooms were bursting with flavor as well. Amazing experience and this will be our go to for a nice celebratory splurge dinner. We still wanna try the other items on the menu but our staples will be: bone marrow, scallops and palenta, and fritters.

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!

We couldn't decide on what to do for dinner with so many options in the area. After discussion we…read moredecided on a Puerto Rican dining experience. We enjoyed the food on Puerto Rico on our cruise so this was a treat. The restaurant was vibrant with island decor and family photos on the walls. My wife ordered a Mojito and I had a Rum and Coke. The mojito was underwhelming and was missing flavor. On to the food..... I ordered the Mofongo with pork and my wife had the garlic chicken. My meal was moist and tasty along with being filling. The garlic chicken was pounded thin and overcooked, very dry and hard to eat. The accompanying beans, rice and salad were very good. I mentioned the quality or lack of to the waiter (I think was the owner) and he questioned me like I was wrong. No apologies given. I didn't ask for a discount and wasn't given one. All I would have liked was an acknowledgement. We won't be back especially with a food truck park within a quarter mile away with almost 30 assorted trucks.

We decided to stop by this place after always driving by it and wondering how it was. The place was…read morenice and cozy and had like a local relaxed vibe to it. We ordered the Tenderized Steak Marinated in a Garlicy Vinegar sauce, the Mofongo with roasted pork, and empanadas to share. The standout dish for me was the Mofongo. It was a unique dish that I hadn't tried before. It came in like one of the mortar shaped bowls with like smashed plantains and the slow roasted pork in the middle. It was pretty good. The Marinated Steak was decent and had a good flavor to it, but the Mofongo would be my recommendation.

Came for the empanadas, which appear to be everyone's favorite…read more We tried three kinds -- the beef, the onion and cheese, and the humita (sweet corn. yellow onions, with a traditional Argentinian white sauce and spices). Small. Flaky pastry. Reasonably filled. Our order came with one very small plastic cup of plain hot sauce and a few french fries. A tastier salsa or two would have made the meal better, brought out the flavor of the fillings, sharpened the overall taste.

Those in the know seem to favor the empanadas. Unfortunately, I opted for the round, pastry, with…read moreham and cheese thingy, and barely finished it. I usually enjoy this mixture, but there was way too much ham and it tasted low quality. Maybe it's the way it's supposed to be, I don't know. Their fries are one of my least favorite kind (and I love fries.) They're not thin, steak cut, crinkle, or shoestring, but rather something that has a tempura batter like coating. They just taste oily. Again, maybe that's the norm. The lady was absent for a very long time during the weekday lunch rush. Maybe place a sign that indicates you won't be back for ~15 minutes. A number of potential customers we're waiting and then opted to leave. She was very nice so no big. Gonna start with a 3-Star and try a few more dishes as I generally enjoy Argentinean cuisine.