Josh Wa
Google
This place just moved to its new location across from Mt. Scott Fuel, having previously been at the Mercado a few blocks up Foster.
The super kind and sweet owner asked me to help get the word out.
What I can say is they have all kinds of productos Latinos, especially Mexican and Peruvian goods. They make and package fresh guacamole, yellow rice, black bean, and salsas 3x a week.
The guacamole is outstanding. My nephews ate up the beans and rice in one sitting. This rice is not the stuff you get from Portland Mexican carts and restaurants. Try it, it is special. And the salsas are very, very good as well.
I bought frozen chiles amarillos, frozen yuca and a type of dry red bean, fat and round, that is never seen before… these Peruvian products, I think. Last night I made a bean and yuca stew that was so, so good, with products I rarely or never see elsewhere.
They sell giant 14” flour tortillas that you’d need to make a cart-style burrito. I’ve not seen these anywhere but in a much larger store in Gresham, 25-30 minutes away.
Oh and their Mexican cheese. Try the queso Oaxaca en tiras with chipotle. Never seen this before. Now this cheese a 10 minute walk from me. I’ve bought two packages this week because my nephews also gobbled this up the day I bought it.
One more thing: the owner said in 6 months they should have an in store kitchen/hot food counter. I can’t wait. There is a lot of bad Mexican food in Portland, or Maine I’m being unfair and the word I’m looking for is meh, or boring.
Okay this is a lot… I’m excited and I selfishly need this business to thrive in its new location because I need these beans, chiles, yuca, guacamole, salsas and cheeses to be in my neighborhood, forever. And the outrageously nice and friendly owners. We have plenty of boutiquey businesses on Foster and we could use some salt of the earth ones. Please visit and support this place. -Josh in FoPo