Tambayan! If you're like me and sometimes miss your dad's cooking or the food from back home, this place really hits the spot. This time we ordered the Beef Sinigang, Pork Sinigang, Dinuguan, and Kare-Kare--every single dish was delicious. The flavors are authentic, comforting, and, most importantly, consistently good every time I come here. For me, Tambayan is one of those places that feeds the Pinoy soul. If you're craving a true taste of home, I definitely recommend giving it a try. read more

See all

We were on the hunt for some good lumpia, and this place came up--and boy, are we glad we gave it a try! Everything was absolutely delicious, and the service was amazing. You can tell they really care about their food and their customers. We cannot wait to come back and try more! Definitely a new favorite! read more

Food is delicious, good amount and decent pricing. Service is super nice. Ambiance is chill and family friendly.

Food is great Service is a hit or miss. I called before they opened and they took my order, I arrived at the expected time and they looked at me like a deer in headlights. They took the slip they wrote my order on to the back and said it would be 10 more minutes, it was 30 minutes more. Just be honest next time, I would have come back another day if I knew they were super busy. The portions have also gotten smaller- I started coming in 2023 and smaller and smaller they get, like the torta talong I've tried everything on the menu and it's authentic! read more

Absolutely love this spot on Foster in SE Portland! Chris, who has served us the last few times, is fantastic--attentive, friendly, and always brings great energy. He's a Filipino native and also a Portland DJ, which adds to the cool vibe. The lumpia could be a little less crispy, but they're still tasty. The chicken adobo? Absolutely spot on. But my favorite dish so far has to be the beef mami soup--it's packed with flavor and tastes just like homemade comfort food. The chicken adobo noodles and beef were pure heaven in every bite. The ambiance is simple but carries a nice Filipino touch. If I had one small suggestion, it'd be to turn up the heat a bit in the restaurant. Other than that, it's an awesome lunch spot! read more

See all

We recently moved to Portland from California and were really craving some Filipino food. My husband decided to try out Tambayan and ordered takeout--Kare Kare ($26), Beefsteak ($18), and Pork Adobo ($17), totaling $61. He generously left a $9 tip, bringing the total to $70. Unfortunately, our experience was a huge disappointment. When he brought the food home, we were immediately concerned. The portions were small for the price, and visually, the food didn't look appetizing at all. The adobo and bistek were excessively oily, and both tasted like they had been reheated in a microwave. The Kare Kare was watery, bland, and tasted old. We were so disappointed that we only ate a few bites and ended up throwing everything away. To make matters worse, I called the restaurant thinking there may have been a mistake with our order. Instead of listening or trying to help, the person who answered was dismissive and ended up hanging up on me. Completely unacceptable. This was a very bad experience overall--both in terms of food quality and customer service. We won't be coming back, and I would not recommend this place to anyone. I hope this review helps others make an informed decision. 0 star for sure! read more

See all

This is a very sad review I have to write as being Filipino myself and from Bay Area in CA. Upon arrival, my family and I ordered and was greeted quickly. But they told us that they had to clean a table, which is not a problem as I also work in the food industry. I know you have to clean tables after lunch rush. We stayed in the doorway for about five minutes before our table was completely wiped down with bleach. After sitting down, our waiter came over to us with menus we decided what we wanted quickly and placed our order. My wife ordered a Calamansi juice which comes in a can and that's what we're used to but, when the waiter brought over the can, the can top was dirty, there was no wiping it off. There was grime on the top that my wife just sent it back to the kitchen and said take it off the bill. My wife ordered the Tapsilog and I ordered the Longsilog. When our food arrived, my wife and I both looked at each other in disbelief like what is this? It looked nothing like we are used to. I personally make both of these Filipino traditional dishes at my home and they look nothing like what they brought me. The longanisa was deep fried(I have to say in the same fryer as the fish because it had a very fishy taste) and not boiled and then pan fried. It didn't have any color, no sweetness sauce on it. It looked like your uncle burning hotdogs, outback at the family barbecue. My wife's Tapsilog, I would consider that being Bisteak without the onions. The beef was very tough. Our son usually loves Filipino food but after having one bite, he said "I'm OK. I don't want it". I had a few bites of my food but push the plate up to the side. My wife did the same thing also. For dessert, we had Leche Flan. That I had to take to go because I could no longer be sitting in front of the meal I was served. The dessert was OK, seem like it was in the refrigerator for a day or so as it wasn't super creamy. But that could be how their recipe is. My overall experience, 1 out of 10. The restaurant itself lives up to its name "Hangout". I would personally make the dish I had for the owner myself. See the pictures that I have attached of what they served me versed what I cook. My plate has the egg still full intact, on their plate picture I have already mixed my egg with the rice.. read more

See all

Awesome service great menu authentic Filipino cuisine crispy pata da kine very clean restaurant and restrooms are nice and tidy

I ordered the kare kare oxtail which was $26 and it came in big container but the meat taste old and the sauce seemed like it was watered down and I can taste more the water than the sauce. I ordered the pork adobo and it came in a very small container for barely enough for one person and for $17. The meat also tasted old and that it was reheated. And greasy with a bad aftertaste. I also ordered the beef steak and the same thing, small container, barely enough meat for one person and taste old and oily. This was my first time and last time. I was so disappointed with food and portions. Very expensive for poor quality food. I should have just went to McDs or made my own food. read more

there must be a problem with the person working as the dish washer cuz i got an allergic reaction and had to go to the hospital for rashes all over my skin. i ordered a dish i eat normally at restaurants and after a few bites i felt the same feeling i get when unknowningly eat something with seafood/peanuts. i understand that some times when there are alot of dishes to wash after a busy day, but at least make sure it is cleaned properly so people with allergies dont get cross contamination. Also the question if portions are unreasonable for its given price is true, as others have said, it is too little for what i pay for. read more

Filipino food don't mind if I do! I was in the search for some kare-kare and Tambayan came up with review. I haven't had much luck with finding Filipino food in the area so I'm up for trying as many as I can before I find my go-to spot. This restaurant is a little farther out and during this time isn't doing dine in so you can only order for pick up/to go. Took around 25 mins for a couple entrees. We ended up getting the kare-kare (oxtail), pinakbet, bangus, lumpia shanghai, and halo halo and with tip came out a little under $80. It's not the cheapest/largest portions around but worth supporting the restaurant when the craving hits. My favorites were the bangus & lumpia shanghai. Great flavor and with some eggplant on the side. Pinakbet was OK as well If you're trying to get your veggies in. The kare-kare had two pieces of oxtail and had plenty of sauce. The oxtail had some pieces that were tender but could have been stewed a little bit longer as it wasn't fall off the bone. Sauce here isn't as thick which is my preference but the veggies were cooked well. Nice to pair with the garlic fried rice. To end the meal we had the halo-halo because it's supreme. Ube ice cream is always A-1 but some of the jellies were tough to chew. Still good on a hot day if you want to cool down. Overall, they have a nice selection of items on their menu and are true to when items will be ready. Food was piping hot when we picked up and staff was kind. read more

See all

Great food and friendly service. The crispy pata is to die for and halo halo is oh so good to beat the heat with. read more

Tambayan - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Pick-up order. Food was all ready for dinner. Lumpia & pancit were tasting. Chicken adobo had the right amount of liquid and garlicky. Plus I ordered beef bistek...it was tasting but a bit oily. Overall a good option for take-out and $price value. read more

Tambayan - A bit of everything I ordered...pancit, lumpia, bistek and a bit of chicken adobo. - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Food wise: very much love the idea that I can have Filipino food anytime I want. Specially when I crave. Kare-kare is really good-- tried combining the letchong kawali with it and it really taste good. Pancit palaboc needs more patis maybe. Since I ordered the tofu kind that might be the reason. I wish we have kalamansi available in the NW tho Chopsuy is good too, I wasn't able to finish it cause I order a lot. Lumpiang sariwa was just fine, I was expecting it to be more like that kind of lumpiang sariwa that we usually buy at SM cafeteria. Lastly, the sago gulaman needs more cooking with the sago. I could tell that the sago came from an asian store bought cans. Service wise: well one of the girl waitresses are really nice. Talks pretty well with me in tagalog and accommodating. Ambiance wise: very clean and quiet, its like you're in the karinderya style but hopefully there would be more customers to come, visit & be aquatinted with other Filipino community I love the experience in here tho. read more

See all

Great shiang hi rolls!!! The kare-kare oxtails is to die for!!! We did a to go order. Food was so fresh and ready. It was hard to not pick on it on the drive home. read more

We visited for 1st time today and I highly recommend them! The food was great! The service and atmosphere were wonderful. Debra was so friendly and made us feel at home. We had the chicken adobo with garlic rice, chicken pancit and Shanghai Rolls(Lumpia). It's a small dinning area so I recommend going on a Sunday like we did because it was just a few people there during the afternoon time. read more

See all

Skip this location. I have warned you. This place is not what it once was. The quality of the food is a zero for me. It's like they re-microwaved the food from the previous day and serves it to you. I can taste the freezer burnt taste from the meat. They covered it with all the sauce but it's still there. If one restaurant says that it's better to family style it, you may think that the portion size is pretty decent. Let me tell you, it's basically kids menu. There are better filipino restaurants out there such as Magna Kusina. Highly suggest skipping this location Vibe: 1/5 Taste: 1/5 Cleanliness: 2/5 Value: 1/5 Service: 2/5 Parking: 2/5 read more

Great food and reminded me of my mom's cooking! There was an error on my order and they did everything they could to make up for it; this goes a long way for me! read more

If you are looking for homemade, comfort Filipino food, this spot is it. Oh my gosh. I haven't had homemade Filipino food in a few years after moving away from my family, so it was the biggest treat to taste this food and feel instantly reminded of them. I kept it simple and ordered the chicken adobo + the pancit bihon, both of which were delicious. It tasted exactly like my grandma makes it - All portions are perfect for sharing!! - The staff was very sweet! I'm absolutely coming back! read more

Tambayan - Chicken adobo, pancit, egg rolls and rice - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Tambayan offers a wide variety of Filipino food. Everything is delicious. On a hot day, halo-halo is a wonderful way to cool yourself down. It's a Filipino dessert woth shaved ice, added condensed milk (or carnation milk, can't remember which one), and coconut, beans, and other yummy items. Try one! And make sure to try the food too. Never met a person who didn't love lumpia (fried spring rolls) and pancit (noodles, meat, and vegetables). But there's so much more... sinigang (a sour soup with meat and vegetables), paksiw (fish in soup), and so on. MABUHAY! (CHEERS!) read more

Craving for Filipino Food ? This place is a must try for those missing food from home. Food: small portions, but packs a great taste. For example, one of the dishes that surprised us the most is the pinakbet it was the size of the palm of your hand or probably even smaller (as shown in the photo). It would have been great if it was filled all the way up, but it was half empty . It was quite disappointing so we ended up ordering another one to feed at least two more people. The portion was at least 3-5 bites good for a small person so it make sense, but the price was a bit too much for ten dollar. My favorite was the sinigang baboy, I love how it's sour enough to tingle your taste buds. It definitely great with the garlic fried rice or just plain rice. My second favorite was the lechon Kawali, I know it was quite pricey , but it taste just like home in the pinas. The malabon palabok actually is proportion to the price and also taste great . My grandpa would always make the best palabok, so this is the closest to the one he makes so it really brought us home. Service: the server that assisted us throughout the end was very helpful . He was able to provide us water to keep us hydrated . He talked to my Aunty and uncles making some conversation about where they are from. It wasn't just your typical I'll drop off your food and we go. They were friendly and made sure everything was great. Conclusion: if your expecting big portions , this is not the location you want to go unless you're okay spending a few more bucks to double the quantity. However, if your not to picky about the portion or price, I believe the taste of the food is worth it. read more

See all

Birthday party catered with Philipino food was a bigger hit than we were ready for. People responded to Lumpia like a fan girl screaming at a beetles concert. I mean people lost their damn minds. We tried a few different places around town and were so underwhelmed by the food until we finally heard about Tambayan- the party people pleaser. From the moment we had lunch at their restaurant we knew we had a winner! The people at Tambayan were great to talk food with! Kind and professional, really showed pride in their business. All the foods options are flavorful and fresh! Whatever you order don't skip the Lumpia- it's a party in your mouth. read more

Tambayan - Lumpia, Pancit Bihon, BBQ chicken, and Garlic fried rice. - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Me and my family are visiting Portland and we finished our church service when my dad requested Filipino food. I was opposed to the idea because I typically do not like restaurant Filipino food. Most places I've been to lacks flavor (and is very expensive) Well, not here. All of us were blown away with how delicious the food was. It literally tasted like home-cooked Filipino food. What we ordered: Lumpia shanghai Crispy Pata Karekare oxtail Mongo Pork sinigang (And my sister ordered a tocilog combo) And ofc rice I was ready to switch into comfier clothes to keep eating cuz it was that good. And the lady serving us was so nice and she was also so confident on how good the food was (rightfully so) I'm so sad this is so far from us (I'm from the Bay Area, CA). I'd definitely eat here again if I'm ever in the area. Sadly I did not take any pics because I went in skeptical, and once I ate the food I just couldn't stop. read more

This is my second time trying to check this restaurant out, and both times they were closed during publicly posted hours of operation. I understand life happens, but this seems to be an ongoing problem. I hope they figure out a solution because restaurants take a long time to recover from bad reputations. read more

The Shanghai lumpias were tasty. It was filled with pork and veggies. They had a vegetarian option too, which I'll try next time. I ordered the Beef soup. The beef was very tender and the vegetables were abundant and cooked perfectly. They were not over cooked like I've had at some other places. I like my vegetables still firm and not mushy. This place did a great job of that. The broth was very flavorful as well. It was probably my favorite thing about the soup. My friend had the longanisa with garlic rice and a fried egg. Honestly I think the star of the shows was the garlic rice. It had so much flavor and garlic. We love garlic and there was a lot. We ordered a extra side of it so we could take it home to eat later. There was a large variety of food choices on thier menu. I can't wait to go back and try more. read more

Tambayan - Beef soup - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I enjoyed the lechon and this was my first time trying dinuguan! It was good but a little oily. Sitting this pandemic they have you call in your order bc and pick n it up later the wait time isn't long! read more

Tambayan - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Ordered chop seuy and adobo for to go since no dine in yet and in less than 5 minutes our order was ready! Good or bad? Well my chop seuy was all soggy! It must have been 3 days old and they just heated it in the microwave what a disgusting practice of business. The veggies melted in my mouth without chewing it, $14 of crappy food for my hard earned money! Do not believe the high stars review of this place it's all lies, the owner wrote them! Their food is not fresh! So sad for this manlolokong Filipinos! read more

Very inhumane treatment to fellow Filipinos from CAlifornia !! Owners were playing mahjong and despite requesting to at least eat a few bites in the resto because my Aunt and I are diabetic and we're so hungry, one of the most rude owners said "you don't have to eat here!" What a show of arrogance and to think that we are a race known for the best hospitality!! read more

Found a really good Filipino restaurant in Portland. I ordered the Pancit Palabok and Lumpia Shanghai. Presentation and flavors were right on. They would've received 5 stars if they put shrimp in the Pancit and trimmed the fat in the meat. The Lumpia was right on. The meat was cooked thoroughly and had a nice crunch. For dessert, I ordered the Halo Halo. Perfect ending to a tasty dinner. Wish I had more time to try other dishes. read more

Tambayan - Pancit Palabok was delicious! - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Filipino food in PDX! We were in SE PDX when we chanced upon Tambayan. The location. decor, ambience and food presentation was not much to write home about. But, the food was great! Today, we had the Pinakbet: sautéed String Beans, Shrimp Paste (Bagoong), Bitter Melon, Squash, Okra, and Pork. Ginataan Lanka: Green Jackfruit, Coconut Cream with Pork and Shrimp. and the Porl Adobo. The Pork Adobo was spot on - really, really delicious. The Vegetarian dishes were well made with fresh ingredients. i'm looking forward to try their other offerings including the Dinuguan, Lechon Kawali and the Kare Kare. read more

Confession: This German/Scottish girl has, for greater than 40 years, been married to a Filipino (I thank you for your kind sympathies). So, I have had many opportunities to develop a keen taste for the intricacies of good Filipino food. That Portland even has this, puts a smile on my face, and I am happy to report, this is the right place for indulging. Why we ate out here in the first place, when Mr. B is such a fabulous cook himself, is primarily because we do not even live in this part of the country, we herald from Los Angeles (ooooh, should I say that?), and who cooks while on vacation anyway? The second reason is, (shhhh) he is getting old and has gone on a cooking strike even when at home. I am happy to reveal that the "old man" declared the recipes mirrored his mother's cooking. His Momma (and Papa) both were excellent cooks, so this is a good starting point, and more importantly, the restaurant owners came from the same region of the Philippines. BTW, if you are not Filipino, you will quickly notice that this is a mandatory, sizing-up question, to ask, "What part of the Philippines did you come from?" before they start chattering away in their native tongue to see if they share relatives. We white folk, at this point, gaze up and count holes in the ceiling tiles. The store front location is humble. Parking is a challenge. You come here to either pick up your to-go order, or because the ambiance is no big deal anyway and you don't mind the walk from your car which is parked another couple blocks down. You come here for the genuine hospitality and for the authentic, family style food they offer. Dinuguan. While this dish tests the constitution of the average American palate (made with a vinegary pork blood gravy, and porky parts that are considered throw aways in white American society), in my case when made properly, is a component that no meal should be without. I have not tasted it with so much ginger component before, but honestly, this made it even more special than I expected. 3 thumbs up! Kari Kari is an oxtail stew. The primary difference from this and a more European version is the gravy, made rich with peanut butter. Our order contained two large oxtails and one small, cooked long and slow so the rich, tender meat fell off the bone, and lots of green beans. The sauce was incredibly good. Mongo is actually a soupy, mung bean dish, flavorful with chunks of pork, garlic, some tomato, and a small bit of spinach. This one was outstanding. Sinigang is a tangy soup made using a tamarind base. I will kill to get my hands on this. While sinigang can be made using different protein, this particular one was made with pork. Yes, Filipinos DO love their pork. The soup also features chunks of turnip, green beans, eggplant, spinach, tomato, onion and the obligatory whole, relatively mild chile to produce just the right zing. Know that Filipinos start everything with onion and garlic, the more garlic the better. If this is a date night and you plan your evening to include a close encounter, just be forewarned. That we discovered this place on the next to the last day before we had to leave Portland is a darn shame. That said, those dishes we ordered gave us a great perspective on what comes out of this kitchen. We would gladly have gone back to try more. read more

See all

Bumber, I'm not sure if the cook changed or they didn't have the ingredients for the dinuguan ( blood meat) but we had to ask if it was adobo because there was maybe two table spoons of blood in the dish. The lumpia I ordered looked like a crepe with cabage, dikon radish and carrots in it with peanut butter on top. Last time we went we ordered Halo Halo, but we're afraid to chance it because of the dinner. Sorry guys, but we left bummed out. read more

This place was pretty good. The kare kare is amazing. I'm Filipino and have plenty of aunts and cousins who cook filipino dishes. And I've had my fair share of kare kare, and I would have to say this was quite delicious. The Palabok was ok. I did not enjoy the lumpia sariwa however. The veggies seemed overcooked. This however does not mean that this isn't a good restaurant. I would definitely come back. Would love to try their breakfast. The restaurant itself is simple. Kind of hole in the wallish feel to it. And that I just fine with me. The staff was super friendly. Mabuhay. read more

Tambayan - Palabok, kare kare and lumpia sariwa - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was my first visit to Tambayan & I was far from disappointed! I usually have to make my own Filipino food at home because I can't find anywhere that can satisfy that very specific craving. With that said, I've found my craving killer! I ordered the lumpia Shanghai + Lechon Kawali for a late lunch and it was so tasty and satisfying! Anyone who knows going out for Filipino cuisine ain't the cheapest thing & this holds true at this little hole-in-the-wall spot. $18 for the lechon and $7 for the lumpia...while that's high it's not uncommon or unusual. But oh well support small business, right? As far as ambience goes, it's not the most aesthetic place that exist in Portland, but I think that's a part of the experience? I don't know -- (please don't attack me) but anywhere I've ever gone to eat Filipino food...it's never been a fancy sit down experience? It always looked very similar to what this place looks like inside, the literal bare essentials: chairs, tables, and some Filipino memorabilia. Boom. Now sit and eat eat, lol. I think I genuinely don't mind the atmosphere because the service is very nice. I really appreciate that. As soon as I walk in, I'm being greeted and spoken to like they have known me for years. Albeit, I came in at a time where there was literally no other customers in the restaurant, so I'm probably getting a very specific experience .... However, it's really nice to meet people who genuinely want to give you good service and don't skimp on making sure you feel welcomed upon your arrival. With that said, I will be back (with friends). read more

Great food and friendly service! They're only doing take out right now and our food took about 25 minutes for 4 orders (if you need a timeframe for planning). read more

Tambayan - Take out number - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

On a recent trip to Portland, we called in a to-go order from Tambayan. We ordered Ox Tail Kare Kare (ox tail stew in peanut sauce), Crispy Pata (roast pork hock) , Tokwa't Baboy (pork and fried tofu), Pancit Malabon and Fried Bangus (milkfish). The owner had the food ready in 20 minutes and we enjoyed a good Filipino meal at our rental. I wish the kare kare had a bit more peanut flavor and the tokwa't baboy was all tofu with hardly any pork. However, the pancit was good along with the bangus. Crispy Pata was good, but portion size was smaller than what most restaurants offer. read more

The quantity of food here are overpriced! I was surprised when i got my to go food in such little containers for how much i paid for it.

Tambayan is a bit confusing. it seems most is deep fried. the deep fried pork belly is delicious. the milkfish is fishy. the kare kare peanut that others rave about was not impressive to me. so i'm not sure if it's me not being a huge fan of filipino food or just not being amazed by Tambayan. read more

Tambayan - Filipino Near Me - Portland, Oregon

First time trying out their food (take out only). Yes, it's location isn't the greatest and a little pricey. Loved the crispy pata and lumpia. read more

I'm going to start this off by saying this was the worst food/service experience of the year. My fiancés mothers side are Filipino and thus know authentic Filipino cuisine. With everyone in town we were on the hunt for a great spot we could enjoy all together. When you walk inside this restaurant, it's bizarre. Totally and completely strange. Old tables, cafeteria style chairs and there really are no decorations on these yellow walls. This looked like something out of a run down city in the middle of nowhere. Upon opening the menu I notice it says only 2 splits of a check at most. With multiple couples and children this is an inconvenience but fine as we saw before the end of the meal. There is literally one younger woman in the small restaurant to act as "server" if you could call her that. She basically sat down at the register ( which looked like a taqueria style restaurant counter ) on her phone. We LITERALLY had to raise our hand to ask or get anything include placing our order. We ordered a bunch of different plates to all try from. The Shanghai Rolls were a joke - flavorless and burnt. Contrary to the great phrase from Ratatouille - everyone can NOT cook. One traditional dish was so bad it was spoiled and had to return. The food was so bad minus one dish that at any other restaurant I would have refused to pay - THAT BAD. It came in minuscule portions in old mismatched china that looked like it was from your grandmas cupboard. An old woman literally carted our food on some industrial cart. Bizarre!! For a family owned restaurant the service was inexcusable. Again having to wave this girl down, she hands us the bill and they had the audacity to add a $12 automatic gratuity which was not stated at all on the menu or noted by her. This was a fast food experience at best with service style and we were just ready to flip our lids. We paid in cash - leaving every penny minus this $12 tip and left. Best part? The girl who couldn't get up once to serve us - was at the window taking pictures of our cars. Please, please repost us over $12 - let's all watch the video together of your bizzare food, and service. read more