Cha Cha Cha Taqueria Moody

I like this CCC location cause it feels so urban (Streetcar line right outside, major bike path adjacent , I-5 behind it and the Tram terminal a block away) and yet manages to have a low- key vibe inside. Food is reliably good, great tacos, good happy hour and even a little patio carved out to the side. Great to sit outside and watch all the different kinds of traffic go by.

requested that my meal be without rice and beans, with some shrimp, and to replace the rice and beans with vegetables. Unfortunately, the portion was very small, and I paid $18 for it. It wasn't even enough for a child. I was expecting them to replace the rice with vegetables but the didn’t. Food was good

delicious. I had fajitas sizzling w/onions and peppers with sides of beans, rice, guacamole, and sour cream. And hot corn tortillas. A glass of sangria topped it with lots of goodness.

Great enchiladas! Had the red sauce with chicken. I’m really picky about enchiladas and find most to be pretty underwhelming, but these were great!

Good Mexican food and good service at a good price (happy hour)

Service is great! The atmosphere is decent for lunch. Most of the dishes I've had tasted good. Here's what I didn't understand though. Most recently I ordered a taco salad with veggies. Surprisingly, veggies = cooked peas and cooked carrots. Consequently, it seemed like I was in the Midwest US somewhere and they were trying really hard to make "vegetarian Mexican" food but didn't quite know what vegetables to use. So, I would say, good effort, consult with some Mexican folks and then give it another try. To be clear, I would eat here again but I won't be ordering veggies as an add-on to any dish.

I went with my friend from college during happy hour for some margaritas. I've been there a few times. Suddenly, I saw that they were charging me 12 dollars. A skinny cashier helped me. I just asked him why? And he just twisted his mouth and told me it was an overcharge! Overcharge for what? I was only going to pay 8 dollars for my margarita!! The problem isn't the money, but the terrible attitude of this man. He grabbed 4 dollars in cash and almost threw it in my face!! Terrible attitude. I won't be back.

stopped in for the first time today. i've been wanting to try this place, and i was in the area so... if you drive, be aware that the parking situation is not great. thankfully i was able to get a spot at the end of the building in the little lot. the inside is nice and fresh, but not overdone. nice little patio area too, although i just got my food to go. the guys at the counter were friendly and helpful. i got the nachos with black beans and carne asada. now having been born and raised in san diego, i know my taco shops and taquerias. the food here is excellent. a little different than your typical fare, and i am very ok with that. the carne asada has a GREAT flavor...maybe a lil pepper and garlic to it? the addition of the hot carrots, zucchini, and potato(?) slices on top was a pleasant surprise. really gave it that something extra. both the green and red/orange sauces were fantastic. hot enough to be interesting, but without overpowering the other flavors. both had a unique flavor, never had any quite like those. much, much better than the typical "red and green watery sauce" you get at a lot of places. i was very impressed with the food and will definitely be going back to try other items.

Food 10/10 the red sauce is amazing love it. I don't like verde sauce but theirs is bomb I could have drank both of them haha. Great staff and service. Love the vibe at this location. They have a private seating area on the side. I had not been to cha cha cha since they closed the location on 23rd. I'll be back.

The food was amazing! It looked delicious and tasted better than it looked. The guacamole was perfect Fresh with. Perfect blend of flavors. The chips were cooked just right with not too much salt. Lots of kids there tonight including mine It was a bit too loud though both inside and out. Large groups were there which may have impacted the noise level Service was good it was an order at the bar place. The bartender too orders and made drinks the margarita was delicious but lots of ice making the drink a little small. For an order at the bar I thought it was a little speedy but the quality was excellent Bathrooms were down the hall and you needed a code.

I have to admit that I'm surprised at the low ratings here. My wife wanted a margarita. ChaChaCha is close by so we went; despite the poor reviews. I'm really glad we did. The folks who work there were friendly and helpful. We received our delicious food and drinks quickly. Many seating options. It has agreat outdoor space with good music playing. There is indoor seating as well. We were't too hungry so we just got chips and salsa and the Margarita. I've been looking for carnitas in this area so I also ordered a carnitas quesadilla to eat later. Everything was incredibly fresh and flavorful. The chips were warm and crispy. The carnitas well seasoned and delicious. My wife loved the margarita. It was strong and mixed well with the other flavors. I lived in southern Arizona for years so maybe I have different expectations for Mexican food. This food tastes authentic and is incredibly fresh. They have nice spicy salsa too.

Giving up on this place. The music has always been annoyingly loud, but it is now so incredibly intense that diners have to shout at each other to be heard... which just adds to the noise level. It's unpleasant and stressful.. The staff people are very nice, but they probably should be getting hazard pay due to the extremely loud working environment. The food is good--what there is of it. The portions are noticeably smaller than they used to be.

I live above this place and I have to say they are the coolest most laid back staff around. They have seen me at my best and at my worst and everywhere in between, but since I came here the first day I moved in they have kept the momentum. The food is your typical Mexican fare. It's not the best or the worst but its good, consistent, and it's decently priced. Not to mention convenient and down by ohsu so it stays busy during the day. The servings are big, and they do have beers and a bar. They play great music are super friendly. Come visit this place and you will likely see me there too.

I've been coming here frequently with my husband since moving next door a year ago, and we've decided we are fans of this little taco shop. The interior is really clean and festive. There's a full bar and a plethora of items on the menu to choose from. They also have a specials board up, last time I was there they had Pozole soup and rock fish tacos as some of their specials. I love the fried taquitos. I prefer them with corn tortillas and you can get them filled with anything from crispy pork carnitas, chicken, beef, or veggies. The guacamole is really good too and we often order it with their warm chips and salsa as an appetizer. They've got margaritas, big 24 ounce draft Pacificos and a variety of Jarritos sodas. I like the fruit punch one, but the mandarin one is also great. They seem to pair perfectly with a plate of cheesy nachos or a big smothered burrito. Also a must-try is their horchata; it is so refreshing and creamy. Prices are already decent, but if you're on a budget, be sure to come eat during happy hour starting at 3pm.

Just a solid meal all around with quick and friendly service even despite the lunch rush that occurred while we were there. We had the chips & salsa, veggie tacos, carne asada tacos, & quesadilla. All were great, and unlike a lot of places in the area, the sides of rice, black beans, & pico de gallo were well-crafted and delicious complements to our mains. I was shocked when I came to Yelp after the fact to see some of the reviews lambasting silly things like a lack of free chips & salsa -- the fact is, these chips were fresh & the salsa was layered and complex. If you want free, cheap eats, you should consider eating at a hole in the wall somewhere else. The service was very gracious & polite and the aesthetic of the restaurant was clearly well thought. As a restaurant owner of a successful food and drink establishment, I pay close attention to the details of every establishment at which I choose to dine. This was a remarkable fast casual experience & one I intend to visit regularly in the future.

Still waiting....... For my food..... Hmmm... Need 85 characters but seriously where is my taco?

Ok Iam trying again to write this review. We where just out and about in Milwaukee and stop in for a bite to eat and it was delicious I had shrimp and ground beef taco my husband had steak tacos we both had beans and rice with a House and Strawberry Margarana . Wonderful meal

I came in for lunch, it wasn't too busy and I was greeted right away and offered a menu! The specials were written on the board and I was offered assistance choosing if I needed. I picked out three different kinds of tacos and asked for a recommendation of margarita and was told the Guava was excellent so I went with that! The tacos were delicious! The prawns were big and flavorful, the carne asada was cooked perfectly and the carnitas had nice big chunks of pork and pineapple. The margarita had fresh fruit in it and was so delicious! The service was excellent and prompt and I would definitely eat here again!

I was served the worst version of the Fresca Salad today. It was not a kale salad, as described and as I have received from several other locations, it was a cabbage slaw like mix, with a sad serving of asada on the side. If I lived closer to it, I would have brought it back and demanded a refund.

Cha Cha Cha is a local chain that has fresh & tasty Mexican food, similar to what you would get at a food cart, but with more options. When having Mexican food, I typically go for the classic street taco; grilled meat in a corn tortilla topped with chopped onion, cilantro and fresh lime. Done. Their carnitas tacos are prepared this way and they are really good and satisfying! But when I go to Cha Cha Cha it's because I'm craving a chimichanga! Oh, yea! A chimichanga is a burrito - I choose carne asada which goes great with the black beans, rice and cheese - which is then deep fried. That's what makes it so decadent! It's then topped with shredded lettuce or cabbage with guacamole, sour cream and pico de galo on the side. Sooooo yummy! Go big or go home! The chimichanga is quite large so I usually enjoy half for dinner than eat the other half for lunch the next day. Food is fresh, served hot and comes out fast. In the warmer weather I like to eat the chimichanga there, on their outdoor patio. Eating it right out of the deep fryer ensures that the flour tortilla will be crisp. Plus, I can have a margarita and chips & salsa, too! During HH the Margaritas are about $6. When I do a pick up, I ask them to leave the box open to prevent condensation which softens the shell. Another great option are the burrito bowls. Basically everything that would be inside the burrito, but in a bowl so it's keto friendly and gluten-free, plus less calories. The enchiladas are also delicious. They are located in the South Waterfront area across from OHSU, close to the Max. Street parking isn't the easiest so I typically go for a walk then pick up food for dinner. I'm puzzled by the one and two star reviews. This isn't a high class restaurant and doesn't try to be. They serve freshly made Mexican food at reasonable prices and large portions. Cha Cha Cha must be doing something right since they have a dozen locations all over Portland! I'm lucky to have one close to my home and grateful to them for staying open during Covid and following all protocols.

This is my neighborhood cha-cha cha and I'm so grateful to be so close by! Hispanic operated, I couldn't be happier to support. I've been to a few other cha-chas in Portland and this is the damn cutest of them all! They serve Mexican Michelada's! Their burritos are bomb and huge and fresh and yummy. Their pico de gallo is clean and refreshing; paired with their chips it is a perfect appetizer. And last time I came I got the taco salad con pollo y pinto beans and it was absolutely delicious!

The problem with Mexican food reviews in Portland is that people from Portland don't know what good Mexican food tastes like. So what you end up with is terrible food with good reviews and good food with bad reviews. This place is great and as someone from Southern California I don't agree with the 3 star rating.

Lack luster. Flavorless. Watery/soggy. Doesn't even begin to describe the veggie bowl we had. It was very unsatisfying. Sometimes I don't understand how you can mess up mixing some vegetables and rice and beans. Do not plan on being back. Should have checked Yelp before choosing restaurant. Rookie mistake.

This is my favorite restaurant in the Portland South Waterfront area. The food is fresh and flavorful, and every morsel is a delight to the eyes and palate. What a joy to find such good food in this area. Can't wait to try more entrees.

Came here for happy hour in a group and had THE BEST TIME their happy hour menu is insane. They have a large selection of drinks and pitchers are $26. They also have discounts on their appetizers and main dishes and it runs until 6 pm. They have a ton of pescatarian and vegetarian substitutions for all their plates - the COD was amazing. They also have a lot of healthier choices than a typical Mexican place - a lot of kale and vegetable based bowls without rice or burritos. Highly recommended. We were going to a show at the Lot @ Zidell and this is across the street.

Went on a random bike ride and remembered how awesome this location is- still just as awesome, maybe even more! We ordered two El Mexi Bowls, one with tempeh and one with extra veggies. Also added to the list was a veggie taco and horchatas. Drinks came out super fast, and we got our bowls within 10 minutes or so. I'm still trying to stick with a (semi) healthy diet, so I appreciated the portion of the bowl, just right! The veggies tasted fantastic- I'm always a bit hesitant when kale is on the menu somewhere. The kale was lightly blanched, not overcooked or anything. I was also impressed with how the tempeh was cooked, some places have a hard time figuring it out. I felt safe as the staff wore masks and noticed employees diligently cleaning surfaces. This place is a WIN!

Came here with a friend and ordered their enchilada with mole. You get a choice of pinto beans or black beans. For the price, you definitely get a good amount fo food. The enchilada is filled with shredded chicken. The mole was good, but not great. The flavors could have been more powerful and it seemed to lack depth compared to other moles I had. Services were great and quick. It definitely can get crowded at times, but there are plenty of indoor/outdoor seatings.

TL/DR: Their employees don't know what gluten is. If you have allergies or autoimmune issues, this is not a safe place to eat. There are two things that seriously piss me off--wasting my time and attempting to gluten me. You guys managed to do both. I have Celiac Disease and haven't had a burrito in six years. Someone in a gluten-free group mentioned that you had gf teff tortillas and would make burritos out of them upon request (apparently this is only true for your Broadway location as I found out later). Sweet! My burrito-lust was stoked. I live in Sellwood, so I called your SW Waterfront location to see if they had the same offering. I called and asked if you had gluten-free burrito shells and the employee who picked up the phone said, "yes, we have burritos." I repeated my question and she said that you did have gf shells. I drove down, paid for parking (it's a minimum of $2, all hours) and went inside. I repeated my question about gf burritos shells and she again answered in the affirmative. My I'm-about-to-get-gluten-poisoned spidey sense kicked in and I asked her what the gf burrito shells were made of and she replied, "whole wheat." Seriously? I told her that wasn't going to work for me and left. I understand that you are not a dedicated GF restaurant, and as a result, I did everything on my part to make dining at your restaurant a reasonably safe experience--I called ahead, asked questions, and went in person (and asked those questions again) and your employee's complete ignorance of gluten/gluten-free almost resulted in my getting sick. This is unacceptable in 2021, in Portland, OR. I'm out $2, time on Sunday, and trust in your restaurants.

My stomach was on E when I spotted this place, which is perhaps why the low star rating didn't detour me. They have a broad menu based on Mexican cuisine (tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc). Only dessert I saw was flan ($4.95). For the most part, you pour your own water and bus your own table. Looked pretty clean inside. Also, there is a daily happy hour that goes from 3pm-6pm (8:30p-10:00pm during summer). Notes-I wasn't brought any chips and salsa, but I didn't complain because I was already full from the burrito. Order: Chicken Burrito Chimichanga Style ($8.95)-- Came with salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream, and chicken. Getting it Chimichanga style was an additional dollar. Cheese wasn't melted when I got the burrito, which might've been intentional. I didn't like the chicken, I felt it was unseasoned and bland. Everything else was great though, I was in the mood for something on the fried side and I got it. Wait time: There was really only one person on register, so the wait was 4-5 minutes until another employee hopped on. Food came out rather quick, with a max 8 minute wait. Service: The guy who took my order was nice! Bill: $

New to Oregon and found this gem. The green salsa is amazing. I love the happy hour cocktails as well.

Nice place to enjoy a bite and a yummy margarita! My favorite is the guava margarita and so far every time I have gone they have been on the stronger side. Just how I like it . The taquitos are amazing definitely choose Birria

Very subpar Mexican food. It's in a great location and has a nice outdoor seating area but that is the only appeal. The guacamole was fine but was very standard, tacos lacked a lot of flavor so we had to drench it in salsa. Carnitas we're dry and bland. Shrimp tasted old and slightly rubbery.

This is an update. This place just keeps going downhill. If it weren't for OHSU and all of the apartment buildings I'm sure their doors would've been closed by now. Their Vegetables used to be fresh cut every day because they advertised fresh everything. Now you can tell they pack them in buckets with water. Too bad! Things such as taquitos are made ahead of time and heated up with some sauce thrown over them. No more fresh. The salsa has even changed. :-( It's like water. We ordered taquitos, chicken quesadilla and a salad with chicken. The salad especially was awful...the veggies had no flavor. Ended up eating the chicken and that's it. I hope things get better here... I have high hopes.

3.5 stars, but I'll round up. I've only had the tacos and the quesadilla. I'm a fan of the carnitas over the chicken and carne asada. The prices seem a little expensive. Hoping to dine-in here soon and try more of the menu.

you absolutely must try both of the sauces that they offer! the green and red sauces were really creamy and delicious, nothing like i have ever tried at another mexican place before. we walked here for lunch, and got chips and roasted salsa, a burrito and taco salad with fish. all of which were very good and the portions were pretty decent for the price! they have a great outdoor seating area on the patio thats shaded for nice weather days!

I'm really puzzled on why the low rating on yelp??? It was my first visit and the atmosphere was nice and very clean. I was impressed with the presentation of the food. But..... the food tasted great!!! I had the Chile verde and ordered a green tamale. My husband and kids had the steak and was super tasty! Gauc and chips were super yummy! I had a favorite Mexican restaurant but this place tops that one. I will be back. Oh I don't want to forget to mention portion sizes are huge. Love Cha cha cha!!!!

Cha Cha Cha Taqueria was found by chance. We parked across the street and before leaving we needed a place to eat. Came in and ordered tacos dorados and enchiladas. Our food had very good seasoning and flavor was delicious. Portions were a good size and plating was pleasing to the eye. Prickly pear margarita and the Mojito were good they were not watered down. Place was packed and lots of good choices of food were observed and looked delicious.

I don't like writing reviews after just visiting the place once, but I just did not enjoy my experience here. My mom was craving Mexican food so I decided to do a pick up order from this place. The menu on yelp is very generic so I based on order off of the photos of the menu from fellow yelpers. I called and no one picked up the first time. When they did pick up, apparently what I wanted wasn't available anymore and they've changed their menu. So I decided to order 6 other tacos and a side of chips with salsa. When I opened the boxes, I was a bit shocked. The spicy tinga tacos were very soggy, both visibly and physically. It was very disappointing to eat. I understand that shredded chicken can be soggy but my tortilla was falling apart and even the box was soggy. The chicken tacos were good and the chorizo taco was average. I would only get the chicken tacos again. Although they provide lots of salsa, I really did not like it. Maybe it's just me, but it did not taste fresh. It tasted as if it was mostly made of spices and very heavy. The waiter was very nice but I don't plan on returning.

I don't know why some of these reviews are so disrespectful and mean. You would think they walked into a Taco Bell. I've been a few times and enjoyed my food. It's fresh and tasty.

If you like bland soggy rice, lackluster food this is the spot for you. European style "Mexican " food. Actually it was disgusting. And to insult to it, the staff is as dull as a butter knife , lacking all forms of customer service. On taste alone, go to Taco Bell. This place is a joke but in homogeneous portland, I can see why it does well.

Highly recommend getting the Taco Salad. You get the most bang for your buck as well as quality. The taco salad I got was a carne Asada. Its better than there bowls they make here. The carne Asada was well seasoned and had a lot of flavor. You should check it out!

Service is here is great. The food is good! Love the outdoors patio seating area. The drinks are great. Staff is very hospitable!

Omg!! From the fantastic. Service to amazing tacos I have nothing bad to say ...I will be visiting everytime I'm in Portland I'm seriously in love! Forget the bad reviews ..so far the pastor, Chile Colorado, carnitas, carne asada, and chorizo have all been the BOMB!! I I KNOW MY TACOS!! Their hot sauce is amazing and they serve drinks and beer !! I have zero things bad to say the atmosphere music just everything was a total pick me up 2 days in a row after being stuck up here for not so great circumstances..this is this place I unwind and I will be back again and again!!

Just had a rock in my nachos. Little rock like you find in a shoe, nice and crunchy in my teeth. Alerted staff, no acknowledgement of wrongdoing, offered to replace nachos, no thank you. And you forgot my daughters lemonade!!

I've been living/working in the south waterfront for over 2 years and it is the first time I heard of this place from my coworker. She recommended it to me yesterday and today I went to try it for lunch! I'm tired of most of the food choices at the waterfront so needed something new! Decided to go with taco salad, with shredded chicken and avocado slices. Food came fast, was reasonably priced, and SO YUMMmMmM!!! I'm obsessed! It also came with rice, crunchy taco shell, cheese, veggies and crema. This is the kind of food I like! I will for sure be returning because I really enjoyed my taco salad and will be back to try more items on the menu!

Nice, clean location. Parking is a bit of a pain and paid. What we ordered tasted good but overall, not that great of a dining experience. I paid $2 extra for meat in my taco salad but all I found were 2.5 large chunks of fat in it, with a few edge nibbles of actual meat. The fat chunks were about 2" across, thus taking up a lot of space and not actually adding anything to the dish. They forgot our kid's meal drink. My husband's dish, what he got, was super tasty. He loved the black beans. Sadly, it was just a small side bowl with his entree. His carne asada was also delicious, but not much, given the cost. It came with a bunch of veggies on the side that he had no interest in eating. So for $14 he went home hungry and still needed more food.

I get the low ratings now. The chicken quesadilla had undercooked hard chicken. The rice had hard uncooked bits. The sauces were just spice with nothing else. The pico de galo, sour cream and guacamole were good. Sadly not a viable option.

White people mexican food. Overpriced, disrespectful to the culture, and just bad food. The staff were very nice but the food is just so bad it's not even Mexican food.

This location is definitely my new favorite. I work around the corner from the pearl district location which is also great but this location in Sowa is newer, larger and b. The margaritas are a little on the sweet side for my taste but I normally drink tequila on the rocks so I suppose that's par for the course. The service is outstanding. I came in 20 minutes before close and they happily served me a margarita!! That coming from a cocktail waitress. So kudos! The happy hour specifically is great. Love the large portion on the beef flautitas and all the veggies that come on the plate with them. I live in the area and will be returning regularly. Keep up the good work!! Update: The quality and consistency has to started to slide a bit so I'm changing the stars to 4/5. When you go in these days sometimes the seasonings they use are way too strong and sometimes nothing at all. It's kind of disappointing but hopefully it's just a new cook getting used to the recipes!

I've come here a bunch of times and have enjoyed their food. They have a broad range of filling options, and things always taste fresh. I love how guacamole is just included in the burrito for no extra charge. Their burritos are huge and stuffed with tasty fixings. I appreciate that they work hard to locally source their ingredients. I really like their tempeh, as it is super flavorful. I also like their green chile pork, as it's something I've missed since leaving Colorado.

My first time at a Cha Cha Cha. This location is by the SW Waterfront and was empty st night but appears to run a steady delivery/uber eats business. The service was ok. The food was so so. My veggie taco fell apart. There's a late night happy hour menu. My favorite item was the margarita pitchers for $18 on HH.

Cha! Cha! Cha! is worth every one of these three stars. It's not terrible, but it's not great. It's absolutely not worth driving out of the way to go to, but it fits the bill for an after-work happy hour or lunchtime meal with coworkers. The food isn't the best, but it's good enough to hit the spot. Portions are rather large. Service is fine, albeit sometimes a bit grumpy (the 'why do I have to be here' shtick). There's something on the menu you'll be fine with. This isn't the time for adventurous eating or a 'maybe this will be good' moment because you'll just be disappointed. Order yourself one of the safe meals you think of that you know you'll be cool with and you'll be fine. Go for happy hour and get a tamarind margarita. It's cheap and actually pretty damn good.

I always describe this place to people as a "local-chain". I've been going to the various locations of this restaurant off and on since college 6 years ago and I have to say what I love most is the consistency. Always good, always know what I'm getting. You can't go wrong here, it's not the fanciest meal, but the prices are good, portions are awesome, and the quality is exactly what you'd expect for the price point. No complaints from me in the dozen or so times I've been here.

Ordered carnitas taco salad. I was very disappointed. The carnitas in the taco salad had pieces of cartilage and tendon in the taco salad. Made me lose my appetite and was unable to finish the taco salad. I will not be returning to this restaurant.

Tasted great! Service not great! I ordered a to-go order, they lost my order left me waiting to recook it. Once receiving my meal, the cook forgot to put kale and green beans in my bowl.

Friendly staff - great food. Easy online ordering & pickup. Happy to have them during these times.

On my quest to try taco plates throughout the PDX metro, I'm trying Cha Cha Cha. It was challenging to park, but service was good. They accidentally gave me two free tacos, which made up for a lackluster dish that I ordered. (They didn't really have a taco plate). With so many better options, I won't be back. Overall a score of 5/10.

Just moved into the apartment complex above the restaurant, and figured I'd give it a try. It was far better quality than I had imagined, especially given the price. I had a taco salad bowl with a fried tortilla, the beans were amazing, which to me is what defines good Mexican food. I also ordered a slice of their homemade flan, which was the best flan I have ever had. My roommate and I plan to make a habit of going.