Chicali Cantina

Environment in the restaurant was enjoyable. Food was alright... a little greasy for our preferences. We particularly liked the chips and salsa, and rice and beans. Staff was nice!

Let me start with our server. Alley is, without doubt, one of the best servers I have ever had in any restaurant. Until now that post was inhabited by a gentleman in Bangalore, India at Paradise Biryani whose name has been lost in the mist of my memory and a young lady in Chinese restaurant. 2nd the food - very good, they nailed it. Exceedingly strong margaritas probably helped. 3rd the portions - way too big - almost unbelievably large. They fetched us more chips twice - we don't need them but we love them. 4th the prices - very reasonable for what you get. Forget Mt Hood - I literally asked for their WiFi password so I could leave this review. I will drive from Portland, arguably one of the best restaurant cities in the world to visit Welches and Alley for Mexican food. What is this? I can't. Be careful with the five alarm tacos - legitimately spicy.

The food is good. The service was not. We waited to be seated and finally seated ourselves. There were no other guests inside, but there was a group outside. There were several servers. They were visiting and laughing. Finally a server brought water and took our order. My side salad arrived first. I waited for my friend's food to arrive. It was a long wait, and it was not what he ordered. He eventually got what he had ordered. His food was good. My taco was delicious until the bite that burned my mouth. After I had recovered, I inspected the taco for the source of the heat. I didn't see any seeds or peppers, and I finished my taco. After we finished eating, we sat a while before we got our check. There were no apologies for the delays or wrong order. Nor did anyone check on us or me as I was coughing and dealing with the burning. By the way, it was Mother's Day. Neither the restaurant nor the servers acknowledged that in any way. But, as we left, a man entering held the door and wished me a happy Mother's Day. Bottom line: Food is good, a little spendy. Service is mediocre at best, terrible that day. We had been there before. We won't be back. There are other options in Welches -- restaurants and food trucks.

The good: we both ordered tacos (birria, bean and cheese) and they were excellent! Chips and salsa? Also excellent! The just ok: the house margarita was merely ok. She didn't finish it, but said that it may have been more a function of it not being one of their specialtie margaritas, which would have more interesting ingredients. That is all subjective, of course. Other may rave about the house margarita. She did not find it compelling, but she is also particular about her ingredients. Second in the just ok list was the Chipotle cream chicken enchilada. This would have been superb, except that it had a fishy flavor to it, which was not subjective. That was unexpected, and beyond the fact that they serve fish as well, seemed unexplainable. I didn't find it completely off-putting, but she was more than done after one bite. I saved the rest, figuring I could drown it in enough of the excellent salsa and birria consumme to cover the fishy flavor. We will be back, because the tacos imply a higher rating is not just possible, but probable. I'm just not sure that I am willing to try the enchiladas again.

A MUST STOP if heading to/from the mountain. I've been several times while in the Mt Hood area and it has never disappointed. I've tried a wide variety of items and everything has layers of flavor. The birria tacos, fish tacos, taquitos, and guacamole are excellent, but I feel like people sleep on the loaded fries - they are top notch! The margs are huge and well-balanced - nothing I've tried has been overly sweet. All of the fruit margs are so fresh and delicious. Try them all! I can't recommend this spot enough. Try it yourself and you'll understand!

We stopped in for drinks and happy hour food. Fun beautiful cantina where staff is friendly and grub is tasty. If you ask Ali nicely, she might take a selfie with you haha...FUN MEMORIES.

Fast service, Delicious food, Cozy interior! Came here during happy hour on a Thursday afternoon. The $3 salsa trio was such a good deal and it was great. I had three tacos. The grilled matcha shrimp was my favourite. Second was the carne asada street taco. Last was the queso birria taco. They were all great. Too bad I'm not from around here. Otherwise, I'd be a regular customer!

Excellent and very unexpected stuck in the corner of a strip mall in a pretty remote area. Cute decor and friendly and prompt service. The braised beef on the tostada salad was amazing and I liked the fact that it was a tostada rather than the usual fried shell. House margaritas were good too which was another plus. Definitely recommend.

Holy heck these plates are massive! Came off the mountain and tried to find something to eat and was extremely glad I found this place. Food was very good and the service didn't give us any weirdness, even though we showed up 20 minutes before close. Every plate, it seems, is 2-3 times the size of any other Mexican restaurant I have been to. The poblano cheese sauce is a must try as well. Will be stopping here again!

I give this place 5 stars for their serving sizes. Ha! However I will say the food was pretty good. I ordered the veggie nachos and man I had at least three servings worth of food! Big fan of the nacho cheese poblano sauce too! Great place to stop after a long day on the mountain, you'll be sure to get all those calories burned back!

Hidden gem is an understatement! Having no idea what to expect from the parking lot, we were pleasantly surprised as we walked up to the restaurant and saw a very inviting atmosphere inside. Then we were introduced to the happier hour menu (2-5 weds-sun) and things got even better. We ordered the salsa trio, mini beef & cheese flauta, and the cheese encrusted quesebirria quesadilla to share based on our friendly waitresses recommendation. She assured us that there would be plenty for the two of us and she wasn't wrong! The salsa trio came with an amazing pineapple salsa that we inhaled, a smoky sweet red salsa that was unique in the best way possible, and a very tasty pico. The "mini" flauta was larger than I've had anywhere else and was delicious with the avocado ranch that comes with it. The crispy quesadilla was not the typical style you get at other places. The flavors were incredible! I also had two of their happier hour margaritas that were much better than most other places. As I told the owners, I haven't had Baja style food that good since I visited Cabo several years ago. We will absolutely be going back anytime we are in the area!

We got seated quickly and knew what we wanted to eat and drink. That was a wrap in 5 minutes. It wasn't busy so we (2 of us) expected beverages within 10 minutes. More like 25. Food arrived 10 later. Or part of the food. Street tacos don't take long, rice and beans are usually on standby. Took another 15 to have an opportunity to ask about them. The tacos and beans were good. The Spanish rice was dry and crunchy. The house margs were ok. This is 2nd time out of 4 or 5 that things were sub-par. I don't think we'll go back. We prefer to do business locally, but see no point in it now.

Food was good. We ordered their salsa tasting (6 different sauces for $10) and 3 of them we really enjoyed ( pineapple, orange one, salsa verde) while 2 of them were ok ( pico de gallo and creamy avocado) and one we didn't care for( red Smokey salsa). The housemade chips were good. I had the red chili enchiladas with shredded beef: generous amount of beef. Too much tomato in the red chili and not enough chili. The margaritas we ordered were ok, my blackberry one was delicious but the watermelon with jalapeño had not much flavor at all. And they were pricey at $16 a piece. Overall, nice dinner but not super impressive.

Cute Mexican restaurant in Welches. I got the Morita Spicy Paloma and the crab and shrimp enchiladas. The enchiladas were good but a little too creamy for me. Their salads and tacos looked delicious. The service was good, they were very friendly and fast.

Nice drive up the mountain, very inviting and also very disappointing. My burrito was served barely warm, The massive burrito was filled with mostly cold rice, lettuce, a few avocados and about 1/2 cup of meat chopped so small It was hard to tell if it was even steak. I didn't complain or send it back as it was date night. Dave your $22 burrito wasn't great I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that didn't offer complementary chips & salsa- Odd!

We took our non-verbal, disabled daughter our to dinner here last night and all we can say is, WOW!! We had been to this restaurant about 4 times before and each time has been so fun and delicious! Whenever we want to escape from the city for dinner, the first place we think of is CHICALI CANTINA nestled in the beautiful trees! The Cantina serves at least "3" different levels of Margaritas, and man, oh, man, are they 5-Star! Life too short to waste your time or money drinking "kool-aid" margaritas at other places! Trust me! The Blackberry Margarita and Blood Orange Margarita will exceed your highest expectations. The chips are homemade; crunchy with LOTS of salt! Chips are "crap" at most restaurants these days and they never have enough, or sometimes, "any at all" salt on them! The salsa last night was amazing, and I was in heaven with the first bite of that salsa-coated, thick, crunchy, salted, homemade chip in my mouth! No exaggeration needed! Our daughter has autism and it's' not easy to take her out to dinner. Much planning and preparation goes Into every community outing. The hostess helped us find the perfect table and happily provided extra support with additional requests we made for our daughter. Her passion in life is MUSIC and we, and SHE, loved that the restaurant was filled with great music that added so much to our fun experience beyond what most people experience. Because music is so important to our family, we have even complained that the music in restaurants is too low, etc. The music at the Cantina last night was PERFECT, a little louder than most restaurants, WHICH WE LOVED! Our daughter was in heaven and enjoyed the food and music so much!! People take their freedom to go out to dinner and do other normal things like this for granted. Our lives have been dedicated to caring for our daughter for 42 years. We do almost everything with her, so to have such a PERFECT, FUN AND DELISH dinner experience last night was really appreciated after a very challenging week we were having! CHICALI CANTINA "hit it out of the park" for our family last night and we can't thank you enough! We will be back soon for that "2nd" round of amazing Margaritas when our precious angel is at home with her precious caregiver. You're the best! Gary, Renee and Khrizma Kuhn

We came here on a recommendation from a man I met on a ski lift. We didn't know what to expect, as the restaurant is at the end of a small shopping complex with Thriftway. We are very glad that we went. We loved this place! The food was excellent. We started with the Chicali Guacamole, Coconut Prawns and Salsa Flight. The guacamole contained chunks of avocado and queso fresco. Everything about it was fresh. My husband loved the tortilla chips that were served with the guacamole. The coconut shrimp tasted like coconut. We're used to having a hint of coconut flavor in the shrimp, but the flavor in this shrimp was unmistakable. We had our favorites in the Salsa Flight: sweet and smoky morita, verde salsa, and pineapple-Serrano salsa. We were pretty full from eating the starters, so when the One Dozen Street Taco Platter arrived, we gave it our best shot. We liked the carnitas and braised beef tacos. There was a lot of meat in those tacos. Very generous portions. They were difficult to pick up and eat, as the tortillas broke apart. They came with lots of cut radishes and lime wedges. The salsas made perfect toppings. Heaven! Our grandchildren ordered strawberry-stuffed churros and vanilla ice cream. The strawberry filling was perfect with the churro. The vanilla ice cream had a weird, unpleasant taste. It tasted almost like rancid oil, but not quite. It was almost like kerosene. It was unpalatable. We also ordered Tres Leches Pina Colada Rum Cake. It was delicious. What made our experience great was our waitress. I'm sorry that I didn't get her name. She made excellent recommendations, was friendly and fun. Overall, it was a great dinner. We are visitors and we plan to return next year. We will definitely be back to Chicali Cantina.

Food was good! Service was lacking due to no bartender so the bartender was also our server. No mention of happy hour which would have been very nice since it isn't on the menu and the prices are pretty high here. I would have expected free chips and salsa for the prices we paid. We got two spicy drinks and they were way too sweet. I get a spicy drink for the spice not for it to be masked by sweetener. I would definitely go again but this experience was a little lacking due to drinks quality and an overworked staff.

Food was delicious, service was on point our waitress was very patient since we had a large group and the ambiance very chill. The mezcal margarita was delicious

We stopped in while waiting for our Airbnb to be ready. They had excellent drinks. Didn't stay for the food but all the plates that walked by us looked great! All the service was also great, very friendly and welcoming.

We were so impressed with the service and food! Couldn't have asked for a better experience! I had a cucumber mint margarita that was delicious and for food we had the poblano cheese asada burrito, hard shell taco, and beer battered fish taco. All were excellent and we can't wait to go back! Bonus points for allowing dogs on the patio and offering special menu items just for them!

Excellent food and the burritos are huge! Definitely try their different salsas! All the different sauces on the burrito are different from their 6 different salsas.

Stopped into this lovely restaurant a few days ago with my fiancé. We were blown away by the decor and the amazing food portions! The Birria tacos are a must have! The service was quick and attentive! Definitely will be coming back for our next date night!

Excellent food. Excellent service. We will be back. I hosted my husbands 50th here with 25 guests. They took such good care of us! Plus YUM!!!

This was a super fun, great place to go! The vibe is awesome and very deceiving from the front entrance by Thriftway. The owners did a great job with the space, the food was delicious and the spicy pineapple margarita was the best I've had in a long time. We had the salsa flight which was great and the set of 12 street tacos and they were all delicious. Highly recommend!

This review is strictly for the vegetarians out there as plenty of carnivores have already shared their experiences here. Calling all vegetarians. I've taken one for the team and tried this place for us all. My recommendation? JUST SAY NO unless you like lard in your rice and beans and want the options of salsa, "salad" (see picture), and/or a lettuce burrito. I'm not even trying to be funny here! You may be surprised to learn they are attached to the grocery store where I'm willing to bet my burnt lettuce and canned corn they just might be able to purchase some things to enhance their options and give their servers a reason to live when one of us veggie lovers finds the teeny tiny disclaimer and actually asks, "so, what are your vegetarian options?" SMH

It was just alright. We drove from Gresham after seeing a recommendation on a local FB group. If you love and are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is not it. It was just ok. The hostess was kind of rude. She was annoyed that we asked to sit outside even though there was plenty of seating. Her excuse was that all the tables were in the sun, which wasn't true at all. Girl, I have eyes! The food looked amazing, but tasted just ok. I got the chipotle cream enchiladas, and the enchilada sauce was more like a mushy paste. We also got the salsa flight but had to mix the salsas together to make it more edible. It was a nice drive, but I wouldn't go back.

Food was pretty decent but very disappointing that we called and specifically asked if they allowed dogs, of which they replied with "yes, we have a heated outdoor area". We arrived to learn that the outdoor area was not set up yet and once set up, they could not get the heaters to work. One person said she'd get the owner because they knew how to operate the heaters. The other girl said the volcano heaters didn't work and the rest of the heaters were out of propane. I told her what the other server said (that they'd ask the owner), and the girl's response was "I'm the owners' daughter and these have never worked and the rest are out of propane". So.... I went to get my jacket because it was really cold out there. AND, guess what, right when we were about to leave, the owner came out and turned on the volcano heater, stating they only work if the propane is turned on first!!?? And Tha her daughter should have known that... So bluf, don't plan on bringing your dogs in the winter because it may or may not be heated outside.

Hidden gem! We LOVE this place so much! They use fresh ingredients and the food was very tasty. We ordered the chips and guacamole with corn (absolutely delicious!), street tacos and a burrito (which was huge). We're in the area for another 2 weeks and we'll be back a few times before we leave. Absolutely the place to stop.

Been here about 4 - 5 times now, and have never been disappointed!! Some of these reviews are bashing for not being "real Mexican food"...it's a California Mexican infusion restaurant...their salsa flight is amazing and very flavorful! I'm a sucker for Birria, and their queso Birria tacos will hit the spot! I'm not big on margaritas, but the pineapple jalapeño margarita is to die for! Definitely worth the drive up the mountain! Can't wait to go back!

I really enjoyed the surf and turf quesadilla. The spicy margaritas were the right amount of spicy. Prices were very reasonable.

Great food offerings. Make sure to try the coconut shrimp and the salsa sampler. All the entrees are exceptional as our group tried all of them. Service was spot on with Kendra at the bar and Robyn working with her staff on the floor. Perfect experience.

Best Mexican food in Oregon. Recipes taken from different types of Latin cuisines and made excellent. And the different types of salsas xoxo.

Just get anything here. The rest of these words are only here so I meet the minimum requirement for the posting.

Amazing food! Quick service and amazing staff thank you so much for everything! I got the beef enchiladas and they were perfect

I LOVE THIS PLACE. We were visiting government camp and found Chicali Cantina online. We stopped by, not expecting much and were completely blown away. So much so, we went back the next day. The owners were there both times and you can tell they love what they do. The food is spectacular. I'm a Mexican food snob having lived in California and in the southwest for most of my life. Definitely get the salsa flight, the guacamole, and the enchiladas. They even have a small menu for dogs which was fun for our small pup. Edit: I had to come back for this. THE BIRRIA TACOS. Must try. Best I have had absolutely scrumptious.

Hands down some of the best Mexican I've ever had! Almost everything is made in house, margs are to die for, salsa so fresh and so clean clean. amazing amazing food it's my fav place

Excellent soup. Salsa and guacamole were delightful. The service was excellent. It's one of those rare, accidental finds that made me want to go back and try again.

The food is AMAZING 95% of the time! Service can be challenging BUT they are a mountain restaurant where staffing can be difficult. The owners are always just as involved as the staff and they take pride in their restaurant and will make the wrong right. The ambiance is great where you can sit up at the bar and have a good drink with some food and watch some tv or sit by the fire out back or bring your family in for one of the large tables.

Great food and drinks. Huge portions for the price. Great margaritas. You won't leave hungry.

We've been here a handful of times and every time it is exceptional! Tucked away in the stop mall you would never guess I some of the best Mexican restaurants in Oregon. Highly recommend the queso Burris tacos and the surf and turf taco. Drooling just think about it.

My husband and I visited for the first time this weekend. Absolutely delicious. we started with delicious salsa and amazing guacamole. We split the taco platter and have absolutely no complaints. Great atmosphere and service. Will definitely be back!

In the area for the holidays rented a house for the family, needed some girl time for the adults. If you're looking for delicious food & an awesome bartender ask for Ally! She is marvelous! Kept on making the margaritas for us & giving us lots of laughs; the food here is to die for especially the nachos. Will be coming back again when in the area. 5 STARS thank you for a great time, the place is beautifully decorated as well.

If you order to go they take the liberty of making it in the microwave for you. Spent 50 dollars on soggy fries, the microwave they used only melted the cheese at the top so the bottom are very dry and soggy at the same time. Also got a burrito that tasted like nothing. I picked up my food within 10 minutes of when they told me to get there, and took it straight home (5 minutes), so I don't know why it would all be so horribly soggy.

We have been to the Welches Thriftwat many times over the years but we tried the Chicali Cantina for the first time today - we were so glad we did! We think this is one of the best Mexican restaurants in Oregon. I got the Pork Chili Verde Burrito, and I got it "wet" with a mix of the chipotle cream sauce and the queso sauce (I think the poblano cheese sauce?) - and it was great! The cheese/queso sauce was so good we got a tub to take home. The salsa flight was also a hit at the table! The scratch-made sweet and smokey motifs salsa was our favorite. We will definitely try to go back!

Amazing service, amazing food!!! The veggie nachos are the best nachos I have ever had. Great margaritas too. I will definitely be back.

Understaffed at 2pm on a Saturday. Had to wait 30min to get a bill after asking for it. Almost dash and dined. Owners need to care for the patrons. So many came in and forgotten.

First time at Chicali Cantina tonight. We were blown away! What an amazing atmosphere - kudos to whoever decorated the place! I had the vegetable enchilada & the Cilantro-Serrano margarita. The marg was impressively good (& strong) - food had very generous portions & was really good. They make 6 salsas in house and the 2 we tried were spot on as well. Food came out in a reasonable amount of time even though they were quite busy. This will be our new date night spot going forward

Met with the ownership at ChiCali Cantina, Robin and David Parker. Where do we start? When you 1st walk in, it's obvious this place has a special vibe. Large seating for groups and cozy couch areas for that special person in your life. The menu is spectacular. Drinks are poured well, and the bar seating area again is super cool. If your heading to the Hood, then ChiCali Cantina has to be on your snow adventure calendar. Don't miss out on a chance to eat some of the best Mexican. The Parkers are what we call super hosts... .

This is the best Mexican food that i've found while living in Oregon so far! Everything is fresh, and authentic, i was informed the chips were made here in house! I love the quessabira quesadilla, it's massive and great to share. If you are coming just for drinks the new Chicali Moroccan coffee is amazing, but i'd also recommend the blackberry margarita, as it's the perfect blend without it being too sweet! The staff is also so helpful every-time we visit, they go above and beyond to make everyone's experience delightful, i'll be back again! Such a cute little hidden gem.