Merendero Estela
Honduran restaurant · Brentwood-Darlington ·
Baleadas, pollo con tajadas, aguas frescas, great value
Baleadas, pollo con tajadas, aguas frescas, great value
"Merendero Estela, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it vermillion cart with covered picnic tables, makes the case that Portland needs more Honduran restaurants. Located along a stretch of 82nd populated by used car lots and vape shops, this is the spot for baleadas, plush flour tortillas made à la minute, filled and folded with refried beans, cotija cheese, and crema. But what makes us regulars is the winning combo, pollo con tajadas. Calling this dish fried chicken and plantains doesn’t really do this pile of green banana chips and burnished thighs blanketed in cabbage, red pickled onions, and a creamy mayo-based sauce justice." - krista garcia
"It’s easy to miss this Honduran cart on SE 82nd, just a few blocks from the southernmost edge of Portland city limits. But those in the know come here for warm baleadas — thick, fluffy homemade flour tortillas stuffed with mashed red beans, avocado, scrambled egg, crema, crumbly cheese, and optional carne asada. But don’t overlook the pollo con tajadas, possibly some of the best fried chicken in town paired with pink pickled onions, thin-sliced fried green plantains, and a mayo-laden shredded cabbage salad. Don’t skip the aguas frescas, whether it’s the tart maracuya or the Honduran horchata made with morro seeds, which lend the drink a deep, nutty flavor." - Katherine Chew Hamilton
"Merendero Estela, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it vermillion cart with covered picnic tables, makes the case that Portland needs more Honduran restaurants. Located along a stretch of 82nd populated by used car lots and vape shops, this is the spot for baleadas, plush flour tortillas made à la minute, filled and folded with refried beans, cotija cheese, and crema. But what makes us a regular is the winning combo, pollo con tajadas. Calling this dish fried chicken and plantains doesn’t really do this pile of green banana chips and burnished thighs blanketed in cabbage, red pickled onions, and a creamy mayo-based sauce justice." - Krista Garcia
"Merendero Estela, a Honduran food cart just a few blocks north of Cartlandia, specializes in pollo con tajadas, a.k.a. “chicken with very green bananas,” an underwhelming name for a princely basket of fried chicken and sliced tostones, nestled next to a bed of shredded cabbage and pink pickled onions. For something simpler, the cart’s baleadas — soft, handmade flour tortillas folded over refried beans, cotija, and crema — are hard to beat."
Jason Cromer
Abigail Lopez
Max Schulte-Hillen
Deandre Teklehiamanot
Dan Ross
peggy massie
scott prose
Jose Guerrero
Yvette G.
Naggybeh A.
Jorgi L.
Liz R.
Andrew B.
Ray V.
Owen M.
Ahmed A.
Marina C.
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Kathy B.
Reyna C.
Hja S.
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HJ M.