La Taq

My Texan husband and I were out looking for true Tex Mex. We heard this place was as close as we were going to get (in Portland anyway). The service was very quick and friendly. We ordered the chips with queso, guacamole and salsa. This was amazing! Definitely Tex Mex! The house margaritas are delicious! Just the right amount of all ingredients! We ordered the brisket puffy taco. It was rich and very filling. The meat was tender and flavorful. We also ordered the ‘Gringo’ taco which was definitely Tex Mex, too. Especially when you dip it in the queso! Kudos to La Taq- your food is Tex Mex and delicious!

This has been mine and my husbands favorite taco spot for over 6 years. Before the pandemic, this was our go-to spot for date night. The food and drinks are INSANELY good. We have tried so many other places in Portland and no where can compare. My personal favorite is the queso and chips and Al Pastor taco… I can’t even describe how yummy they are ahhhhh. We moved away in 2018 and came back in 2020. We were so sad (my heart was CRUSHED) to see La Taq was permanently closed but I drove by one time maybe 6 months ago and saw LA TAQ WAS OPEN!! I literally about cried I was so excited. We finally made it over here tonight and it’s just like how we remembered it. So so so good. And we will be back. Thank you for opening again 🥹🙏🏻

This place is awesome. I love the food, innovative drinks, and the staff are incredible. I would come here every Wednesday (hint, hint) when every other restaurant in Portland is closed if you were open!!! I feel like I have to rate it three stars though because the hours suck. How can you pay rent for 168 hours of the week and then only be open for 20 of those hours!!!!!! It doesn't pencil! And it makes it hard for me to make it there. Also, please don't just be a Portland sucker and close at 10. Stay open til 11! I can barely get to the bar by 9, which makes 10 impossible. Last thing....you have seating. Change your license and allow kids. You're not open bar hours, you're open restaurant hours. I'd be here a lot feeding my kids queso and drinking margaritas.

Enjoyed a delicious array of meat / fish / vegetarian options for our varied group sat in the outdoor seating. FYI minors are allowed until 9PM but cannot sit at the bar. Loved the queso and took advantage of happy hour.

La Taq is where the party's at! The tacos are next-level, and Judah, the bartender, makes the best cocktails and is super friendly. The vibe is laid back and fun, perfect for hanging out with friends or a solo meal. For great food and a fun time, La Taq can't be beat!

La Taq was hyped up for me so maybe that's why my review is bit less than 5 stars. The tacos were incredible, don't get me wrong. Truly great food. The drinks were a bit meh. I think I could make a better cocktail at home (theirs seemed a bit watery and small maybe?). Service was a bit cold and slow for an order at the counter kind of place, but I wondered if maybe they were short staffed? The space is SUPER small, very limited seating and honestly felt a bit crowded/too close quarters for my preference.

This is a quaint place that is super casual and relaxed. When you walk in you seat your self and will find water and menus already waiting for you on your table. Grab a table and check out the La Taq menu. We wanted to order a cheese dip but couldn’t choose between the green Chile queso or the fundido. Our server told us the difference (queso like Tostitos salsa con queso/velveta cheese) we went for the fundido, it was really spicy and I like spicy stuff. It basically was melted gooey cheese and peppers. Not too much flavor and I was sweating lol. The tortillas that it came with were really good but we ran out of them fast. I wouldn’t get it again. Probably go for the cheaper option of the green chile queso. We did get chips and salsa, the salsa was really good. I preferred the red salsa but the green was good too. Lots of flavor and heat! I ordered the tacos: rojas poblanos (veggie) and shrimp taco. The veggie taco was alright, really Tex mex and true to the flavors but the shrimp taco was AMAZING. If you like shrimp but are hesitant about it being fried, it’s surprisingly really good. Great flavors. Friend ordered enchiladas and somehow got the combination plate... the combination plate has a lot going on and was HUGE. my friend barely ate it. Anyways great place for tacos and finger food! And the service was great!

Pork tacos, rice with beans, and ahi tuna ceviche. The pork was like it was cooked in a crock pot. The flavor was ok, but I was hoping for more. The corn tortillas were very greasy. For 14 dollars, the serving of ceviche felt stingy. The tortilla chips were thick and crunchy but a little burnt. Ceviche lemon was overwhelming and was the worst ceviche I've had. Almost no jalapeños, maybe one or two chunks. Almost no veggies, few tomatoes and no onions. Garnished with avocado. Rice and beans were the best part of the meal. One person behind the counter and I believe their boyfriend was visiting because she was spending time attending to his service and sitting with him. Will not be going back.

As a Texan I can confirm that this is top notch Tex Mex - the queso is great, the guac is great, the salsa is great (spicy!), and the gringo taco is great! Service was delightful, vibes were chill!

Margaritas & Tacos! The puffy tacos were not what we get in Texas but were still good. Chips, salsa and queso were on point.

Food: the food here is RAD, if I could only tip the 'back of house'... Service: I'd hate to inconvenience the staff by being a patron here and attempt to order something.... BTW: empty drink for MOST of my visit... Jeez Leuise... staff is not very attentive; into everything but customer experience. It's like the customer OWES something up front. How has customer service/attention fallen this far off the rails?? Tell me

Fantastic place for Tex Mex. Their Al Pastor tacos are phenomenal! They're a little on the greasy side so be prepared but that's what adds the awesome flavor in my opinion! The joint is cozy, there's outdoor seating, and their drinks menus had plenty of options. Service is friendly and fast. The fried taco shells are a specialty with the greens and guacamole so give that a visit try as well!

This place has the best tacos I've had in PDX. Quick and easy service, chill dining environment. Carnitas on point. GO HERE

Great happy hour place, tasty snacks and drinks. The day we visited, loud music made conversation difficult.

Found myself in NE this afternoon and wanted to try some place new, fun, and amazing. La Taq has been on my list for a long time so I figured "Why the hell not" and walked a few blocks over here from Barista. Omg I'm so glad I decided to take that walk! La Taq is a perfect example of everything I love about the Portland food scene: small, cozy, unpretentious, and totally awesome food! I had the Cadillac Margarita, chips and salsa, and chicken bowl. All were amazing! Salsa was one of my all time favorites, rich and a little smoky. Burrito bowl was also awesome with quality ingredients, rich flavors and textures, and just a little smoky. Get the tortillas with that :). Service was also great. La Taq is now on my list of PDX favorites. I'm looking forward to returning! (Note: minors are not allowed)

Wanted a margarita and some tacos and this place hit the spot. Laid back restaurant/bar, not packed for a Saturday night which is hard to find in Portland. Food and drinks were very reasonably priced and the tacos were amazingg. Perfect for a date or something low key with good food and drinks. Ambience was super nice with rustic vibes and dim lighting. We will definitely be back!! Also bartender was chill.

Man I love this place. I actually drove down to Portland from Seattle primarily to eat here. This is the only actual Tex-Mex joint I've found in the PNW. The menu changed markedly from the last time I was here. (BC - Before Covid) So I was really hoping for the brisket enchiladas of yore. Even though those were no longer available, the tacos, queso, and margaritas we brilliant. Our waiter was super nice. I had the brisket puffy taco, standard brisket taco, and an al pastor in addition to my chips and queso with brisket. Everything was delicious. Well worth the trip. I stopped next door and got some takeout at the BBQ joint to have later on my way out. Good times.

I live in the neighbor and have been a raving fan of La Taq for quite a while. The tacos are undoubtably amazing, but after last night's visit and the horrendously obnoxious and rude behavior of the server, I will not, in good conscience, ever return. From the moment I ask the simple question: Is there table service outside (because some evenings there isn't) and the server's obnoxious reply - "That's why there are tables there..." to then be left waiting for 20 mins and the blatantly up-charging us for drinks we didn't order - I now don't even trust that they didn't cheat us on our bill - the server made it that unpleasant of a dining experience. Fortunately, this is Portland, and there are an abundance of great food choices and taco places close by, and with servers who don't make patronizing their restaurant an unpleasant experience.

This neighborhood can get a bit sleepy after about 8:30 so to find this place open, serving food and with a good amount of energy inside was a real treat. We got some top notch margaritas with a perfectly smokey mezcal, basket o'chips and some outstanding guacamole and lots of housemade salsa. the tacos are generous in size so might have over ordered but we got a mushroom, chicken and shrimp. All were delicious. The mushroom was the big happy surprise that I would recommend.

Truly my favorite tacos by a long shot. I always get their puffy tacos. While their brisket is delicious, their ground beef is something spectacular. I'm also a huge fan of their queso y chips. My husband and I eat here probably every two-three weeks. I can't get enough. Mmmmmmmmmmm

Their tacos made my partner and I melt into our seats. Great food, friendly workers. Definitely worth a visit.

Yes go back, they make their delicious margs, and have the puffy taco and ground beef which was great. As usual the brisket was delicious. It was a little hot inside the restaurant, however the front patio lets you dine al fresco. The bartender and server were charming and professional, we hade a nice birthday dinner with family! Glad we came back after so long away (2020-2022)!!

We arrived in Portland late Sunday evening and found that most places were closed by 9pm. We were starving from a long flight and different time zone, so we stopped in to pick up a few items to bring home. It wasn't too crowded just after 9, but there were a handful of people sitting at the bar. The menu wasn't too extensive, but had enough variety to satisfy. After the server's suggestion, we decided on the brisket nachos and the pescado taco. The food was ready quickly and the server was really friendly and accommodating. We walked about 10 mins home with our food on this cool night and we couldn't wait to dig in. They smell delicious! The fish taco had a nice size cod which was lightly battered. The crunch was perfect along with the nice tangy sauce, crisp slaw and the corn tortilla! Excellent recommendation. The nachos were nice size- piled high with cheese and brisket. The chips were thick and the perfect vessel to scoop up the goodies. I prefer more tomato and fresh jalapeño, but brisket was seasoned nicely. We were happy with our choice to stop in here!

This is one of my favorite places to get some queso dip in town! The other items are also delicious, but to me, the queso dip with green chilies and beef brisket is the winner. They make the chips in house so they are nice and crispy. The tacos here are also delicious and they have daily specials. This place is not for minors and opens at 5pm.

I keep a running list of must try dishes around town: I finally checked-off La Taq's Green Chile Queso with brisket nachos. The chips are fresh fried, not even close to the stale store bought variety. The consistency of the cheese is just right, the flavor unique and hearty. It's an excellent value and easily shareable. The ala carte tacos had the opposite impression: small, nothing special and oh so pricey for the portion. I guess it's easier to critique tacos as they're so widely available, thus comparable. A definite future skip. The sangria was refreshing, but don't expect a traditional deep Spanish red. It resembled more of a spritzer. The staff was very nice. Traffic and parking in this area is getting tough. The clientele includes lots of valley-girl lisping and tattoo donning hotties. Not one Hispanic person (from what I can tell) in the place. The major negative is the close to unbearable heat inside. Did someone skimp on a quality AC unit? A nice place for Portlandish Mexican food.

Definitely ask for the specials. I am right now having a puffy, blue corn taco with smoked turkey and mango salsa that is out of this world! And the margueritas are some of the best I have ever had. Rocks only here. But great drinks, lovely atmosphere, and some of the best tacos in Portland! Indoor and outdoor, fantastic for a summer evening.

Absolutely love La Taq...I only wish that it was closer to the freeway so that I would go more often. My dining partner ordered chips and queso with brisket. I normally am not a fan of queso, and I absolutely love LT's salsa...but I was blown away by how good the queso was and that the smoke from the brisket was bold enough to cut through the richness of the cheese. I have to say that the queso was probably the most memorable part of the meal for me. Years ago, there was an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay where the episode was focused on puffy tacos that mentioned that they are a difficult find outside of Texas. I feel like I'm obligated to ordering the Puffy Taco everytime I go to LT due to how rare this novelty is and it never disappoints. The Puffy Taco shell has this satisfying combination of being super crisp on the exterior but soft and pillowy on the interior that I just absolutely love. In addition to Puffy Tacos I ordered an al pastor taco and both were delcious...personally I prefer the tacos here than at Por Que No, which has always seemed overrated to me. The service was quick and friendly and the margaritas didn't disappoint. Give the Queso and Puffy Tacos a shot next time you come here.

I was excited to find out that La Taq was back open and decided to check it out. I loved their queso and margaritas. Unfortunately it has changed. The queso was essentially nacho cheese and the margaritas were nowhere near as good. I miss the previous staff who were friendly and attentive. I probably won't be back.

Place doesn't exist. Need to check my account to confirm my money was refunded for the pickup order. Yelp fumbled this one, awful experience and left the place empty handed because not only was it closed, it was a totally different business at the address.

Puffy Tacos!!! P.S. La Taq is opened back up! Go there! They've been closed for 2 years through COVID...but looks like they are back!

I feel like the theme of all my recent Portland reviews is this: "where have you been all my life?!" This place is no different. They had just opened when I was in the process of moving to Alaska. This place is owned by Podnah's. A BBQ joint doing tacos on the side makes so much sense it's a wonder more people aren't doing it! Coming here for the first time, I was a little worried the tacos were going to be delicious but tiny and overpriced. (hi, Robo Taco) I was wrong, there's a lot of MEAT in these things, as there should be given that it's BBQ-adjacent. Service was quick and friendly. The tacos came out FAST. I came here a little over an hour before my flight home and still made it to the terminal with time to spare! I'll now come here every time I'm in Portland, well done Podnah's!

The queso is slightly better than the stuff that comes out of a jar. And the tortilla chips with it were tasty. The brisket was good also because obviously this is also podnahs. But if you're wanting Tuesday night tacos that are tasty, with good vibes and good service...I'd drive straight on by. This review would be longer had tacos not been relatively cheap. Won't go back.

This is my second time here and it didn't disappoint. They are playing Prince and have the lights at the perfect calming hue. I enjoy the concrete bar top and tile kitchen bar. It's really quite cute in here and a short walk from my house. The vibe is calm yet energetic. There's an energy of possibility and comfort here. I will happily be returning for a cocktail and more tacos

Customer service is A-1. Best tex-mex around Portland. If you don't get there early you may be waiting awhile. Prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is chill, the music is hella diverse. Food is flavorful but sometimes it doesn't come out hot, hence the 4 stars. And the drinks can be hit or miss, depending on how busy they are, it may or not be strong and you'll need a shot to feel the effect. Overall not a bad spot.

I can assure you they are open. Went by and decided to try. Fantastic drinks, amazing authentic tacos. Had the Al Pastor and brisket tacos. Wife and friends also had puffy tacos. We will be back!!!!

You find love when you least expect it. You don't find love, it finds you. Two birds in a bush are no match for La Taq. Whatever cheesy love saying , apply it here. I really gave up on Mexican food in Portland. It was a fairytale, surely not for a girl like me! Then, I got brave enough to look at what was in front of me (or like a mile down the street). La Taq is Texas style, so it may throw off Mexican food enthusiasts with a taste for Mexican food from other regions. Still, it is solid and delicious. I really do not like when any restaurant requires separate purchase of chips and salsa, that really should be part of the meal. Still, I am willing to forgive based on the quality and freshness. The menu has a good variety of foods and options for all diets . The drinks were really good, too ! The service was also great. Our server was happy to answer questions. Food and drinks came out quickly. The restaurant is clean , well organized. This is my new favorite spot for Mexican food. Hands down the best in Portland.

I've been to La Taq before but my experience last night finally deserves a review! Once again, I'm at home craving tacos. I hadn't been to La Taq in quite a while and I knew they were open late. I dropped in about 9:30pm. To my surprise the place was super busy! I was lucky enough to find a spot at the bar that was open. My bartender's name was Emma and she was AMAZING. She really made the whole experience great! My boyfriend and I started with some margaritas (which are my favorite in town) and of course the chips/salsa/queso. I LOVE the fact that they put guac in their queso... two in one combo! So, originally I came here because I was craving chorizo and they have a verde chorizo taco on their menu. But to my surprise, they didn't have it anymore *sad face* - But here's where Emma came in and saved the night. Their special for the evening was chorizo nachos. So she asked the kitchen if they could throw together a chorizo taco for me, and they did! Really made my night! Other tacos we got were the brisket, carnitas, and chicken tinga. We were there into happy hour and had plans on getting the carne asada and al pastor but we filled up on other goodies first. I had no idea they even did a happy hour and it's a pretty good deal! So once again, I will be back!

A haiku for La Taq: I needed nachos To get through final exams Energy revived Thank you for the best nachos ever, La Taq!

One of my friends suggested we go here the other night and I am so happy we did! We arrived at La Taq around 4 or 5pm for an early dinner on a Saturday night. It's a small space but I loved the atmosphere and we were able to get seated immediately at the bar. I ordered the Passion Fruit Margarita and it was fantastic. You could tell the passion fruit purée used in the margarita was fresh. I loved that this margarita only had a couple ingredients that really enhanced the taste of the tequila. I also ordered three tacos: the cactus, beer battered shrimp, and seared salmon and all I can say is WOW. I couldn't even pick a favorite taco! They all tasted unique and amazing in their own way. I was a bit apprehensive about the cactus but it was cooked and seasoned perfectly! I would almost say it had the taste and consistency of green bell peppers? The beer-battered shrimp were not overly battered or fried and the sauce on top of the taco was great. The seared salmon had some sort of spiced cucumber salsa on top which was lovely. The restaurant started really filling up as the night went on. I could tell there was going to be a long wait for everyone who came in later. So I would suggest coming here early! But I really cannot recommend this spot enough. Perfect drinks and tacos!

If you're looking for Tex-mex, you've found it. It's hard to find tex-mex around Portland, so we were really happy to happen across this spot. It's an intimate space with a few booths, high tops, and a bar. They were very busy, but still did a pretty good job at checking in on us. We tried the chips and queso, nachos, taquitos de papa, and mushroom tacos. It was all great! The chips are excellent. The margs were great too. Highly recommend and we'll definitely be back.

Wow! Why have I not been here before? The perfect place to visit before buckling down and watching my food and drink intake in the New Year. The skinny margarita was great, just the right amount of tartness. Started with brisket nachos OMG! The meat was perfect. As if it couldn't get any better we ordered up the Rajas Poblano puffy tacos. The puffy taco shell is so good and light. Even the meat lovers loved these tacos. I will definitely be coming back.

Great food and AMAZING drinks. The atmosphere is incredible the playlist was a hitter. And the service was beyond amazing. If we lived in Portland this would be our spot totally worth every penny. Just visiting but we went back twice

Small, but good little spot in the neighborhood. Especially on a nice day, where you can chill outside to drink and eat. The "Brisket Queso" (w/ meat from Podnah's) and the "Puffy Tacos" are a must try! Definitely worth a visit to either eat, drink or both.

The puffy taco is a different concept and unique, similar to a chalupa kinda. I thought overall it was a bit salty for me especially the queso. The service was fast and friendly but wouldn't come back again.

Two words. Queso dip. Wait, add brisket. That's three. Fantastic, friendly service, amazing green chile queso with housemade chips (add brisket), and delicious tacos. We had brisket, carnitas and al pastor. I think of the mix, I would not go back for the al pastor (because, pineapple, which clearly belongs on pizza but maybe not on tacos). Everything else was amazing and I can't wait to go back to try the puffy tacos and other menu offerings like stacked enchiladas. Go early, it gets busy. Prices are reasonable. Very chill spot. Two thumbs up, add brisket.

Fantastic spot! Everything was fresh, house made with great flavor and service! I had the mushroom taco best I have ever had. House-made chips and salsa and amazing margaritas - heck it out they just reopened from Covid closure!

Go here. Order the brisket puffy taco (a thicker crispy, yet soft taco), then you'll probably want to order another one. It's that good. The brisket is from Podnahs bbq next door and sooo delicious, juicy and not too fatty. Also got the regular carnitas and al pastor, which were good but I regretted not ordering more brisket instead. The regular tacos are served on hand pressed 3 sisters nixtamal masa tortillas - best of the best and local! BOTTOM LINE, come here for the puffy taco and brisket.

Ok go there everyday. Delicious food....great drinks.... nice atmosphere....clean....inviting.....clean.....great neighborhood. Take a date there......go by yourself....take your parents.....coconut margarita!

yep yep yep, love love love. Margaritas... best in town. Queso too. In fact this little hideaway is so great I think you shouldn't go here. I don't want to see a line. Also, service is great.

In hopes of searching for tacos, we stumbled up this place. We came fairly late (around 9:30), so there was no wait for seating. However, I believe you do have to be 21 since it's a bar, and the guy asked if we were 21 before seating us. Service: our waiter was extremely nice, and checked quite often. He was also well familiarized with each and every dish on the menu, which was a bonus. Enchilada: 3/5 This was more of a deconstructed enchilada with beans and rice on the side. Their brisket and rice was delish! However, there's was so much oil from the meat and the cheese, I wish they had maybe strained out the oil a little bit before plating. Puffy taco: 5/5 We got the all vegetable one since our other tacos were all meat. If you like crispy fried foods, you will definitely adore this! It was perfectly crisp and packed with great flavors! Al pastor: 5/5 By far my favorite taco on the plate! The sweet salsa cute the salty ness of the meat while amping in great flavors! I highly recommend ordering this one! Carne Asada: 5/5 This taco came in second to my most favorite taco! Super flavorful and cooked perfectly! Carnita: 4/5 The carnitas were good, but a bit too salty for me. Brisket: 3/5 I like the flavors of the brisket, but same goes for this taco too. I felt like it was very oily and salty. It was so oily that the taco shell barely held up.

Great food and great service. I came here with my boyfriend for a late night snack and drink and we left very satisfied! We got the black bean tostada and fundido and it was a perfect amount for the two of us to split as we weren't that hungry to begin with. The pricing is super fair and led me to believe the portions may be small, but they definitely were not! I can see someone really hungry coming and getting multiple dishes as they were all around $5 and having a wonderful meal or doing as we did and just sharing.

Died and went to taco and margarita heaven. The puffy blue corn Tacos are amazing and the passion fruit margaritas are insane. I don't generally like maragaritas on the rocks, but these are the best. The brisket and carnita tacos are delicious! They do offer daily happy hour from 10-11Pm. Wish they had earlier happy hours too. Thank ingredients are super fresh! Casual environment, small but great outdoor seating. Knowledgeable, friendly staff.

Handmade tortillas add to the score, but we may have ordered the wrong things. Shrimp taco had quality meat, but not much else and the red chili sauce was a nice change from the lime and seafood trend buuuut there was just something missing. Ordered fondito wanting a quest fondito dip and chips and ended up with a fast coagulating cheese spread on great tortillas. Service was great. Attentive, friendly and asked questions but not overbearing at all. Puffy beef taco for the win. Toppings like mom had at taco night in an awesome puffy crispy-and-soft-at-the-same-time-somehow shell.

Very good food overall. We ordered a combo plate which had rice and beans, a queso bowl, and an entree (I canmt remember what my partner ordered exactly.) Mine was a lamb heart mole taco, pork chili verde, and a daquiri. He got a cider, I ordered a daquiri, we also had chips and salsa (a refill of chips) and our bill plus tip was about 50$. I would have liked my food to have more salt or have a shaker on the table. Especially for the chips. The taco could have used a stronger pickled element or some tangy queso. It was a bit bland. Also the rice was overall flavorless. The chili verde was the perfect amount of heat with tender pork pieces. I could have used a smidge more fat either on the meat or added to the chili verde as a dressing like a swirl of avocado oil or additional lard. The music inside was extremely loud. I mean, it is a bar so I suppose that is expected but I prefer quiter places. It not my favorite but I know some people like it. This place is pretty solid and I would recommend it to people looking for a sit down Mexican restaurant over most other places in Portland.

Overrated. I like the space, small and cozy, but the execution of most of my party's dishes was lacking. The chips were overfried to the point of nearly being inedible. The guacamole was bland bland bland. The puffy taco was a soggy mess and a total ripoff. The salmon tacos were decent. The carne asada has no flavor. The chile verde was the only standout dish, well done with just the right amount of heat. Service was also spotty. Sorry Portland Yelp but you have it all wrong on La Taq.

This place is great! I had been craving some good street tacos for a couple of weeks but kept having bad luck finding a place open late enough for my busy schedule. La Taq closes at 11, so it fit right in! I tried the fish, al pastor and poblano tacos. The al pastor was so good I ended up getting a second one! If you're looking for your basic street taco then I would keep looking, they dress up their tacos kind of fancy. But I am definitely coming back here because I can't stop thinking about that al pastor taco. We also got some chips, salsa and guac. The chips are made fresh in house and the guacamole was really good. I enjoyed the green salsa more than the red, which is unusual for me, but they were both super good.

The stacked west Texas enchiladas were freaking excellent. Just the right amount of spice. I wanted to lick the plate and this is coming from a born and raised Texas girl. Highly recommend! Also the Carmen Diablo spicy margarita is great.