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Quiero Cafe

4.7 (127 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

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QUIERO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Quiero Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Tostones
Emily K.

This meal was SO good! I came on a Sunday night and it was pretty empty. I ordered at the counter and my food was brought out to me after a short wait! Also thought it was super smart to have a true to size outline of the empanada on the menu because I definitely asked the cashier how big they were. I got the tostones, a pollo empanada, and a carne empanada. The tostones were so delicious and I loved the garlic aioli and guac together. The carne empanada was surprisingly my favorite, it had ground beef and rice and was super tender and flavorful. The pollo was good, but the shredded chicken kind of clumped together which made it hard to eat. The empanada dough was so flaky and soft with a good crisp!

Menu
Ana A.

What a great unexpected surprise while visiting town. First of all, I love the name. Straight to the point, I want coffee. The inside is cute and cozy. The staff was super friendly and patient with all the menu questions. You order your food, they give you a number you get up to get your food. They have a good variety of South American food. We ordered the fried empanadas and a lomo saltado. The lomo saltado the meat was good and tender good flavor, I wouldn't necessarily consider it a lomo saltado but it was good. The empanadas were a good size. Had beef, chicken and the cheese with plantains. My favorite was the beef. Overall a good spot, I would for sure come back.

Empanadas
Ella P.

Took my father in law for a treat earlier this year. I'm so glad to have found this place. I think we have a new favorite spot in Portland. We got 3 fried empanadas (cheese, veggies and cheese and chicken, 3 baked empanadas (chorizo, beef and rice and piña) & a chicken tamale with salsa verde. Everything was delicious and prices are reasonable. The Colombian coffee is solid too. P.S. the baked empanadas are stamped, y'all!

Holly W.

Super cute little place! Loved the leaves painted on the walls. A little confusing quesadilla menu- but the staff easily set us straight. I was here for a snack so I just had a cheese quesadilla. Cooked perfectly, good cheese. I would visit here again but heads up- only on street parking and a lot of needles on the ground outside the establishment...

Taals B.

Really nice Latin food, we got the lomo saltado and the patacone which was the bomb! The yuca frites were a little dry but the garlic aioli was great. The people were very friendly , will go back to try other entrees. Not sure if I want to try their empanadas though , Boludo in Minneapolis has spoiled us

Cafe Con Leche
Sherwin C.

Stopped here for a quick bite on my walk around town and was pleasantly surprised by the meal. The prices were quite reasonable considering the portion size and amount of meat provided. Service was friendly, especially with the cashier explaining different menu options in depth to me. The decor was nice, giving a feeling of being in a more tropical area. I ordered the cold cafe con leche to drink which was a bit mild on the coffee flavor and had a little too much cream, otherwise was quite enjoyable (for only $3.50). The empanadas were really the star of the show though. The beef in the carne empanada was cooked quite tender and served with well seasoned rice. The puerco was probably one of my favorites with tender pork and plantains that were boldly sweet. The pina was also very good, with sweet and juicy pineapple that mixed well with the fattiness of the ham and cheese combination. All of these had a nice crisp dough as well. Overall, delicious food and reasonable places make this a place I'd happily stop by again when I'm in the area.

Yuca fries
Anshita S.

Stopped here for a quick late lunch with my family. It has a casual cafe vibe with lots of seating. The dishes we really liked were: Sweet corn Arepa, Vegetable Empanada and Tamales. Pulled pork empanada and Tomate Empanada were average. Yuca fries were hit or miss. The first plate came in perfect, so much so that we placed another order; but this time the yuca was overcooked and too dry. Some items on the menu are a little overpriced, but it is what it is. The service was okay too and so was their Cafe con leche.

"Puerco" empanada
Erin Z.

Cool little spot, friendly staff. Best empanada I've ever had. Wish I was hungry enough to try more.

Side of rice and beans
Delia S.

I didn't want to give them two stars. I really didn't. For the record, it's not all-around terrible and I believe it could be easily improved. I'll start with the most egregious error: there was a massive piece of paper in my meal. From what I did eat, the patacon left so much to be desired. The plantain was so overdone that I couldn't even chew it. Furthermore, although the carnitas was nice and tender, it lacked flavor and the overall dish was underwhelming and aesthetically unappealing. The rice and beans were also bland. I also tried the arequipe. The cheese was not melted on the inside which was a tragedy. The wait was long, the food was mediocre yet moderately priced, and the service is tepid but not rude. Unfortunately I won't be in a rush to come back.

Carne Empanada, Coconut Limeade, Frijol Empanada, Champion Empanada, Plain Limeade, Yuca Fries
Missy T.

Wow. The food is so fresh and delicious! The coconut limeade was beyond refreshing after a long day at Maine Medical Center. The yuca fries. we're out of this world yummy! I was impressed with how clean and welcoming it is inside and the service was fast. The churros were the perfect sweet treat to end the meal! We will definitely be coming back to try more!

Ryan D.

This quiet and out of the way café is a hidden gem. We were walking in the area and came across this restaurant by accident. Maybe it's not so hidden because there seemed to be a steady stream of customers the entire time we were there. This was my first time in a Mexican/Spanish café, and it won't be the last. We ordered the puenco, carne, and pina empanadas, and the cold café con leche. The empanadas came out individually branded so you could tell which empanada you are eating. These came out hot and bursting with flavor. The café had a neighborhood feel and gave off a very welcoming vibe. Unlike most things in Portland, this café had very reasonable prices. If you're in the neighborhood, it is worth the time to stop in for a bite. You won't be disappointed.

Counter
Taisa M.

Lots of items to choose from, and plenty of seating available. Big fan of the cheesy items!

frijol empanada filling
Kate S.

We were going out for dinner, so we just wanted a light lunch. An empanada each was a good choice. I got the chorizo empanada and my wife the frijol. I felt the dough was kinda dry and too flaky. The filling was spicy and hit the spot. The frijol was pretty good, but the inclusion of tomato in it felt odd. We both wished we'd gotten the sour cream or some other dip as the garlic aioli was thick and chunky, and resembled a salad dressing more than anything. It was weird. I suppose the pico was complimentary and it was fine. In retrospect, maybe even a real aioli wouldn't have been so good with empanadas, so that's kinda on us too I guess. Definitely potential in the rest of the menu, so we'll be back.

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2 months ago

Great food in a friendly environment. Empanadas have moist filling. My son really liked his taco--and he's picky!

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10 months ago

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3 months ago

Great tortas, empanadas, yuca fries. Highly recommended for an authentic cuisine experience.

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7 years ago

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2 years ago

Great little spot for a quick bite! Food was delicious and the decor inside was on par.

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Terlingua - Terlingua board

Terlingua

4.4(493 reviews)
1.2 miEast Bayside
$$

Phenomenal barbecue!! One of my favorite spots in Portland. I highly recommend Terilingua to anyone…read morein the Portland area.

If you're in Portland and haven't been to Terlingua yet, you're missing out. I've been several…read moretimes and I make a point to bring every out of town guest there because it's not just a meal, it's an experience. This weekend I took my best friend and it was perfect, even in the middle of winter. The deck is still open with plenty of space heaters and even heated seat cushions. We actually got so warm we had to peel off layers, which feels like a small miracle in Maine. The two of us love a marg & taco outing, and make a point to scope out the best of the best. We started with chips and salsa and some queso, which were the perfect kickoff. Then we ordered the street corn succotash, my absolute favorite. It's packed with flavor and topped with the most delicious, salty cotija cheese that pulls everything together. I crave that dish. We split the smoked brisket tacos and the smoked pork carnitas tacos, and both were outstanding. The meat was smoky and tender, the flavors were bold without being overdone, and every bite delivered. And the margaritas? Excellent and refreshing. Exactly what you want alongside that food. On top of all that, the staff is consistently wonderful. Every single time we've gone, our waitstaff has been charming, attentive, and genuinely helpful with recommendations. They strike that perfect balance of checking in without hovering, and they make you feel welcome from start to finish. Terlingua never disappoints. Great atmosphere, incredible food, thoughtful touches that keep you cozy even in winter, and a team that clearly cares about the experience.

Photos
Terlingua - Inside the restaurant

Inside the restaurant

Terlingua - Five chili garlic duck Fideos

Five chili garlic duck Fideos

Terlingua - Entrance

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Entrance

Papi

Papi

4.4(107 reviews)
0.9 miOld Port
$$

After a few days of eating ourselves silly on seafood, my fiance & I were dying to find something…read moredifferent. We didn't expect to find good Puerto Rican food in Portland, but I'm so glad we found this local gem! Reservations are recommended; they were still packed during the off season. We were lucky enough to snag two seats at the bar during dinner time without a wait. The bartender is super friendly and gave us some excellent food recommendations. We ordered the beef empanadas, pernil, and pollo guisado. Everything was DELICIOUS. The beef empanada filling is hard to beat - this might be one of the best ones I've had yet. We both really enjoyed the pernil & pollo guisado, but the soup was probably my favorite. I'm a soup gal, and this was just a hearty and excellent bowl of soup. Pernil portions were very generous. Definitely a highlight of our trip!

As a latina visiting Portland, I searched for Spanish food in the area and this place came up! I…read morewas pleasantly surprised and did not expect to eat at a Puerto Rican restaurant. I Gotta say it smelled soo good. Just like my mommas kitchen. The atmosphere was incredible, it was upscale yet cozy. The food was really good too.. The empanadas were very tasty and in also ordered tacos and corn fritters that were delicious as well. Only thing i didnt like is that their rice had an insane amount of olives for the serving size. I counted 18 olives in a small serving. I mean I dont mind olives but not that much. I ordered rice with guandules and I feel I got rice with olives. I honestly had a very good experience here and would definately come back if im ever in the area again.

Photos
Papi - Interior looking towards entrance

Interior looking towards entrance

Papi
Papi - Bar

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Bar

Sal De La Tierra - Chicken burrito

Sal De La Tierra

4.6(59 reviews)
0.5 miArts District, Old Port, West End

Updated review for the Salterito food truck in the parking lot of Allspeed on Brighton Ave. The…read morecarnitas burrito and Three Amigos tacos (1 chicken, 1 pork, 1 steak) tasted very good! I could've done without the lettuce in the burrito, and I did remove 1 star because it was falling apart when I got home and I ended up having to use my own (store bought) tortilla, which was disappointing after paying $17 for a burrito. Even so, everything was super flavorful! Tacos would be my recommendation to others. I also very much appreciate that the food is all authentic and handmade, they had picnic tables in the shade for seating, and the chef was welcoming and happy to explain the menu options.

Saw this food truck on Brighton the other day and had to make a quick turn in to the parking lot to…read morescore myself some Latin cuisine! I have heard great things and was really hoping they had pupusas available on the truck... but no such luck. Only tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. That's ok because the very kind gentleman on the truck made the 3 Amigos sound really good! It's one pork, one beef, and one chicken taco on homemade tortillas with the standard fixings - onion, cilantro, guac, and salsa. I will say that the homemade tortillas are very good, though different than most I've had. They are soft to the point of almost being creamy? Very very rich, reminded me of the base of a sope. The meats were absolutely delicious and grilled and full of flavor. I loved both the pork and the beef, though the fattiness could've used an extra lime or two. I took one bite of the chicken taco and got a couple little bones, so I didn't eat the rest of that one. The sauces were good, though I was told one of the sauces was VERY VERY hot and I didn't detect a lot of spiciness from it. I think overall, I could've used double garnish, double lime, and a lot of extra heat. There are no prices on the board so I was thinking three tacos would come to like $10 - $12. Turns out they are $20 before tax, holy moley. I admit that my expectations were high before I even took a bite, because that price point is a little crazy. I am super curious about the brick and mortar because I'm sure it's a different experience with the food truck. These tacos were definitely tasty enough to do some more research!

Photos
Sal De La Tierra - Dining room

Dining room

Sal De La Tierra - Mofongo with pork belly

Mofongo with pork belly

Sal De La Tierra - Food Truck

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Food Truck

Quiero Cafe - latin - Updated May 2026

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