Taco Escobarr

This is easily one of our top two Mexican-style restaurants in Portland and our go-to spot for burritos (sorry, they never photograph well!) and enchiladas. Chips and salsa or queso are the perfect way to start any meal here. And don’t skip the margaritas. They’re so fresh and flavorful. Today’s pick was orange mango, and it was incredible! You can really taste the quality of the ingredients in the burritos. They’re bursting with flavor. My go-to is the carne asada, while my partner opted for fish with guacamole this time. With so many filling options, it’s easy to mix it up. Just note that there are upcharges for some proteins; we’ve included a receipt as a reference. That said, it’s absolutely worth it. The enchiladas are also fantastic. Can’t decide on a sauce? Ask for the “Mexican flag” and you’ll get one of each. Pro tip: this place gets busy. If you want to skip the wait, call ahead and order takeout, it’s a breeze to pick up from the end of the bar. Trust us, this is a true local favorite! 🌮🍹

Great place to grab a drink, eat some Mexican food and chill. They have outside seating, inside seating and lots of fun decor. The service is nice and the food is as good as it gets being this far from Mexico!

One of my favorite Portland restaurants. The margaritas are bangin' and I love the strawberry jalapeño if you're looking for a kick or the prickly pear for a non-spicy option. I recommend the queso and guacamole for an appetizer. I normally order the puffy tacos (deep fried), but ended up getting the crispy tacos instead and that will be my new go-to. Highly recommend the shrimp and fish as fillers. The churros are so good but it's a big portion that you can share with the table. 10/10 as always!

Mile high el jefe nachos with chicken served easily as dinner for 3 of us! Stuffed and happy. Wouldn’t change a thing. Repeat for sure.

We really enjoyed this place for it's tacos. The service was super fast and attentive. The only ding is that the margaritas were extremely weak and pricey. Tasty, but not worth $14 each.

I stopped here only because I was hungry, so I had no expectations. Both the taco and margarita were excellent. I'll be back.

Super cool spot. Easy going delicious tacos. Reasonably priced. Fast friendly service.

Must try taco spot. Had some amazing tacos, appetizers, and drinks in a very friendly atmosphere with very quick service.

Such amazing food and friendly staff. Their restaurant is on the smaller side so it fills up very quick but they have it decorated to fit the theme! Their drinks are a little strong in my opinion but still super good!

One of our favorite stops when we go to Portland. I grew up in the southwest and am a harsh judge of Mexican food. These are among the best tacos I've ever had on the east coast, definitely better than 99% of the tacos I've had in big cities with abundant Mexican food offerings. Minus one star because the prices are high and they've started tacking on a 5% fee for the kitchen staff. Makes me wonder why they're not paying back of the house a living wage.

Ok, so I am burdened with the bias of being a Southern California girl who was raised on burritos, and while I found the food delicious, I could not call the burrito I had Mexican food. That said, the TACOS, were delicious, I had the Al pastor (not true Al pastor roasted on a spit, but still delicious). Handmade tortillas were amazing and so was the fried avocado taco. The service was fine except that it took a good fifteen minutes to get my bill paid... because someone was "in the bathroom" ?? It was a slow lunch hour, barely anyone there and my waitress was not able to get my change for some reason. I was late getting back to work. Will totally go back to try more tacos, but will be careful about the timing and probably opt for takeout, as the music was a bit loud for my liking and the AC was blasting right on me and I was freezing by the time I left.

Fast & friendly service. We got the salsa trio and a few orders of puffy tacos. The shrimp puffy taco was great! The carne asada was good, but dry. We added some extra salsa and it did the job. The interior is awesome, we loved the string lights with chili peppers. Overall, I'd definitely try this place again and get something new!

The service was great! Love the margaritas! Tacos were wonderful! Great place for a late night meal. Casual atmosphere.

Taco Escobarr is a classic spot in downtown Portland. You know you're there when you see the iconic chili rainbow lights on the ceiling. The perfect spot for margaritas, tacos, and chips with queso, salsa, or guacamole. Top picks are definitely the coconut margarita or the strawberry jalapeño. Can't forget about their mouthwatering enchiladas. The servers are always friendly and prompt. This is a busy place that gets a lot of business so make sure you check it out!

It has been a number of years since I have visited this restaurant. My daughter and I decided to take my wife here for Mother's Day and we could not have been more pleased with our decision. Our server was friendly, efficient and most importantly, patient with my wife's indecision! We shared a Mexican street corn appetizer that made us wish we ordered about three more. I ordered the chorizo torta sandwich which was absolutely fantastic. The sausage was housemade and served with a fried egg on top. Honestly one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten. My only complaint is that the restaurant is so dark that all of my food pictures turned out terribly! Definitely will be back sooner than later!

Sorry my pictures suck, poor lighting back of restaurant. Food was amazing, best street tacos I have had since San Diego in the 80's. Great service, yummy margaritas. Great stop for lunch on a walking tour of Portland. Cool place. Do not miss the Guac, outstanding......5star

Eat here. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Inventive margaritas -- I tried the coconut margarita (super subtle) and the blood orange margarita (delish). The avocado fries were crispy and creamy in all the right ways. I need to figure out the lime aioli. If you want something other than chips and salsa try these. I had the steak enchiladas with queso. Out of this world. I would bathe in their queso. The puffed tacos were a neat twist, tasted like popcorn, which tracks. I would try anything here. Also, great service -- bohemian and chill.

A must try if you are in Portland. A group of 4 visited for a day trip and we love Mexican foods it was a little wait for a table. There are mostly high tops versus regular seats and due to an injury we decided to wait for one of the regular tables which are very limited. Once we sat down the service was amazing. Our server was attentive and offered suggestion for a hungry set of ladies. They have everything from jarritos to alcoholic beverages. We did margaritas and they were yummy. The food portions were perfect and we finished with churros which is a must try. Please try this place if you want a quick bite to eat with a fun and cool Vibe!

We had a good time here before my birthday trip. The food was good but the corn was drenched in sauce that deemed it almost inedible. The server offered us churros for dessert, we ordered them, and then never got them for us and just gave us the check. I'd probably come back here but not 100% sure. Good vibes inside!

Taco Escobarr is a casual and cozy Mexican spot that captures your attention the moment you step in, thanks to its glittering ceiling lights that add to the homey ambiance. They have a solid assortment of apps, tacos, nachos, and other classic dishes. The food is solid, the servers are friendly, and the place is always jam-packed, which makes it the perfect spot to gorge myself on free chips and salsa while downing a strawberry jalapeño margarita and chipping away at a hefty cheese enchilada.

Such a cute little place. We ate here back in May 2017. I am usually not in this area often, but I knew if I were that I had to eat here again. And Sooo glad that we did! First off, the service is always great. Everyone who works here seems happy and that translates to a great service. The decor is whimsical but I love it. The restaurant is on the smaller side, but they do have a few tables outside as well. We ate here on a quite weekday afternoon. We had Taquitos, Avocado taco and salad. Everything was fresh and delicious. Highly recommend!!!

OH MAN. This place is AMAZING!!!! Very quirky and bright on the inside and the food is absolutely phenomenal. I ordered one puffy taco and one crispy taco - you absolutely cannot go wrong with either choice. Both of the textures were great. For fillings I chose Verdue (ancho chili roasted butternut squash with black beans and arugula) and shrimp (grilled jalapeños and lime marinated shrimp topped with pickled onions, and chipotle crema). If there is ANY part of you that is interested in ordering the Verdue, just do yourself a favor and order it (preferably on a puffy taco for some extra crunch). It was one of the best tacos I've ever had in my life. Everything was so fresh and bright and the service was great and quick.

Packed on a Friday night, both outside and inside this trendy restaurant. Put our name down for four people and eventually got in after 15 minutes. The long tables are high-tops and shared with other groups if yours isn't big enough. Menu has all the Mexican standard items as well as a solid drink list. Wanted to try the nachos but it's extra money just for the guacamole (no thanks). Settled on the Fajita Torta ($17) - spanish style bread, marinated flank steak, peppers, onions, fried egg, red cabbage, cilantro, queso sauce, plus a side of rice and beans. Bread is toasted nicely, sandwiching the steak greens, and egg. Good flavor throughout and plenty of beans/rice for different flavors in between. Would have preferred more meat, though everything else was solid. Service and food were quick once we were able to sit down. Good options for everyone here.

We walked in and got two seats at the bar immediately. Bartender was attentive and personable. It's a cute spot with authentic looking decor but definitely small. Not sure how it would work for a large party. Perfect for 2 to 4 people eating together though. The food was good and the drinks were good.

I've been to this spot twice and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. First of all, the decorations are amazing! You walk in and see hundreds and hundreds of colorful chili pepper lights across the ceiling and go "WOW!" It's fun and festive. The servers and bartenders are really friendly and it's just a great experience. The place is SMALL and the tables are tiny. I imagine if you go at a busy time it would be hard to get a spot, but thankfully I went at off-hours. The food and drinks are great! Both times I had the nachos and as a self-proclaimed nachos expert they are really really good. You immediately get a really strong aroma of cumin. The nachos are well-built with even coverage and tons of toppings. The drinks are delicious as well, and strong! I would happily go back here each and every time I'm in Portland.

Visited twice. Service was great. Just note that for the tacos they charge an up charge denoted by an asterisk and fine print on the menu that certain proteins are at market rate. The server didn't mention it when I placed the order. So three tacos at $14.25 turned into $18.25. I might have ordered a different dish if I realized the all in prices. I suggest they be more transparent about their pricing. Additionally they add an automatic 5% gratuity to the entire bill. They disclose this in fine writing as well. All in all in great place but deducted two stars for lack of transparency on pricing.

I have never sat in at Taco Escobarr, but have gotten take out for the family many times. It is high time I shed some love. For starters I am giving g this 5 stars because it produces fantastic food that is not traditional. Yes there are some traditional items but they have put a spin on their food and it works. I love a really good mission style burrito having lived in the Bay Area, this is not that. But man the flavors and textures they work in to their burritos is dynamite. This last time I had the Verdue burrito and it was awesome. The ancho squash flavors and the cabbage crunch are awesome. Queso was amazing and you usually shouldn't order that to go but their concoction held up beautifully! Salsa trio all tasty, lots of hot sauces etc etc. Five of us, five different burritos and everyone happy.......again. Thank you Taco Escobarr

Decent counter serve taco joint in downtown Portland! They also serve alcohol, which is a great win for adult groups. The food itself was good, though the portions were on the smaller side. The location is first come first serve, so we waited about 30 minutes for a table before ordering. We didn't want to order without a place to sit. There were 6 of us. Overall, I'd return with a smaller group and reset my expectations. It's a decent stop on a busy evening, but not necessarily a destination.

Love the food love the service. Best Mexican food in Maine! The tacos are my favorite and they offer monthly specials to keep it exciting!

The waitress was lovely and we had no problems with the service. The fish tacos were perhaps the worst I have ever had. There was barely any fish in the taco and the fish in the taco was totally desiccated. The pinto beans had no flavor. Bathrooms dirty. I wouldn't recommend this eatery to anyone.

I ordered a michelada, but they were out of something and couldn't make it. So I got a cuba libre cocktail (I have never had one, it was okay, but a bit watery). Instead of ordering a regular menu item (and, like both my meal so far and the last meal I had here, running the risk of ordering things they were out of), I checked the instagram and ordered the special tacos, cod with coconut and other things, and it was great. It came with a lightly dressed salad (too lightly dressed, but I found that the blueberry flavored hot sauce on the table was good for fixing that), black beans, and cilantro rice. One difference between my meal at an inside table and my meal a few months ago on the sidewalk outside was the table had several hot sauces already on it, whereas they brought me just one outside. The meal was filling, but I wanted more, and inadvisably ordered churros and a cider. The churros came with an incredibly rich, luscious dulce de leche sauce. Also like my last meal here, a thing I tacked on and ordered after I ate what I intended as meal turned out to be the best thing I ate (last time it was the elote). Very happy I ventured into the snow for tacos this evening!

Delicious! Absolute hole in the wall you must visit Would go back X-rays time in town

I have to be honest, I had this place recommended to me on my first trip to Portland, and it was mid. What I loved, the most was the atmosphere & the margaritas! Not so much the tacos & chips and queso. The queso came out in a tiny condiment cup, which was disappointing for the price. My tacos, I ordered the soft shell & both Chorizo and they had no flavor to them. The meat was honestly more burnt than anything & the tortilla's didn't have any flavor. I had to load up sour cream for them to be okay. However, my boyfriend did enjoy his three & especially the puff shell. I think their nachos & burritos were mouth watering to see come by & I WISH I had ordered instead.

Very fast takeout! Less than 15 minutes for 4 items. We got an order of puffy tacos (one shrimp, one carne asada), a burrito with bisteck, the avocado fries, and chips and salsa rojo. The puffy tacos, in particular the shrimp one, was my favorite! They weren't as "puffy" as I may have expected, but they tasted delicious and that was all that mattered. The flavors balanced perfectly, in both the shrimp and carne asada, so I would definitely get either again. The avocado fries were... interesting. I've never had this type of thing anywhere, so it just might not be a dish for me. I found the texture to be very strange. I love fresh avocado, but the texture seemed to be like over-ripe avocado, when they get a bit stringy. The bisteck in the burrito was delicious! Overall the burrito was good but was overall wet (not sure from what exactly). So it was a bit hard to eat but otherwise was ok. Lastly, the chips and salsa rojo were good, but I might choose to get guac or queso next time because the salsa wasn't my favorite (it wasn't mild, but it wasn't spicy, so I found it to be too much in the middle ground of competing flavors for my taste). But let's be clear, I'm pretty critical of Mexican food after having my neighbor's abuela cook for me for the past two months!

Really cool vibes, with a long bar. I always get the chicken quesadilla which is really good, and chips and salsa. I'm not a huge tequila fan but everyone loves their margaritas they have many infused tequilas. Great tacos, and avocado fries. Bar stools aren't very comfy, but they do have outdoor seating. The food came out quickly!

Fast and prompt takeout. Burrito bowl was very good. I would go there again when in the area.

Stumbled upon this place by accident with friends and was not expecting it to have such great quality Mexican food. The decor is so fun and the ceiling hanging lights are so cute! The drinks were delicious and strong! The food was also very satisfying. The service was quick and the waiter was extremely attentive. Have 0 complaints! Glad we came here!

My friends and I stopped by Taco Escobarr while on a day trip. I can't speak to parking as we walked there however, it was easy to find if you're using Google maps to navigate. The interior ambiance is super cute. We were greeted soon as we came in. It was a little wait (20 mins or so) since we were waiting on a table but they were super accomodating for us. They had these chilli pepper christmas type lights on their ceiling (you'll see in the photos) The place is small and pretty popular, they had a lot of guests coming in and out. There is a bar space if you don't want to sit at the table. Our server Val was super nice and he had our table going. I had one margarita, sugar rim! For food I got the enchilada and the cheese topping was DELICIOUS. I'd definitely visit again! Very worth it.

Came back to visit the area and obviously had to make a stop into my favorite taco place! As always, everything was incredible. This time I tried the strawberry jalapeño margarita which did not disappoint. It had a nice kick but wasn't like a burn your tongue spice if you're worried about that.

Great place for a quick bite! We got the queso combo, two carne asada tacos, and the chipotle sweet potato taquitos. Can't complain about any of them

I went inside and was not disappointed. I got the enchiladas with the verde sauce and it was so delicious. I came here after a concert as they were the only thing opened on the streets. It was still lively. They were a bit busy but still served me at the bar. If you sit at a table they never go up to you so I ordered from the bar tender. Inside was colorful and dimly lit. It is a great cantina and hang out spot.

A little loud and a little cramped but overall the ambience is cool and the fresh Mexican food is always great! Nice drink options, always a good experience there!

This review is solely based on service. We love the food, that's why our experience is so maddening. Used the online ordering system. Said it would be ready in an hour. In truth, it wasn't ready for TWO hours. Stuff happens, but you need to make sure you're quoting within reason. Get home, go to dig in because we're all weak from hunger and one meal is so wrong it probably wasn't even part of our order. It was a meat dish intended for the one vegetarian of the group. There was no way to make it work. Called, requested a refund which was given, but only for the exact cost of the meal. Not the tax, not the tip automatically added nor the additional tip we included. No offer to make a new meal. No apology.

Quick stop for a late lunch today! Good food, nice size baskets of chips and good margs (no slush, but on the rocks is quite good)! We tried prickly pear and coconut, both good with some salty spice hint on prickly pear. Burrito packed full and very good, definitely did not need to make a meal and came in very hungry. Definitely recommend for a casual feel and quick meal.

Such a great place! I can't stress how cute this place is with all the decorations and the ambiance is incredible!!!! The ordering process is quick and simple, and the quantity is also amazing! The best part about this place is that it is open extremely late! I got a chance to check out the wet burrito and it was absolutely delicious. After a long ride this was what I was exactly craving. Their in-house sauces are extremely flavorful and come provide a unique twist to their wet burrito. They do provide veggies inside which helped provide a crunchy and an additional flavor to the meal. Overall I would highly recommend this place if you are in the area. Amazing place in Portland.

The nachos were delicious and the large was plenty to share! Adding chicken was slightly more expensive than I expected, +$8 to the nachos. Our server was nice and helpful! Drinks were delicious, lots of cocktail options!

Easily the best tacos I've ever had in my life! Perfect mix of authentic Mexican and Cali street tacos. I know it sounds crazy but you absolutely have to try the beef tongue crispy tacos! And when in season, the apple cider margarita!

Great food and the decor made it even better! The drinks were sooo good!! The guac was to die for.

Food was gas (amazing)!!! I didn't get pictures because it was to appeal for me not to grab first instead of a picture. The restaurant has a great vibe! And Val was n awesome server!

Small restaurant with big personality! What a fun place - we stopped in for some drinks and split some nachos. They were amazing and my drink was del. Loved the 90s/2000s jams, please share your playlist!

This place was excellent!! Service was so good and the food came so quick. Definitely a must have place if you are stoping in Portland. I got the chicken nachos and they were DELICIOUS!!!

Really good Mexican joint in Portland for late night food, open til 1am. Chicken nachos are a must, lengua & Al Pastor tacos were delicious, I was a little disappointed they ran out of handmade corn tortillas. Great late night spot, chill atmosphere and friendly bartenders.

0/10 would not recommend any one to go here specially if you know and had authentic Mexican or Hispanic food. This place seems to be a party centered Chiptole knock off. The food has no flavor whatsoever. The famous puffy taco was more like a pupusa cut in half and filled with meat. Secondly, their so called Mexican rice is the same cilantro white rice with can corn added. SUPER DISAPPOINTED .

Amazing food. Good ambiance. Accommodates allergies as well as having friendly staff.

I'm super confused. This place has a line to get in every single time I pass by. I only ever hear amazing things about it and everyone I know recommended it to me. But I just paid $10 for what I'm pretty sure was a microwaved quesadilla. The tortilla was so soggy that it literally seemed raw. Look at the pic, toward the top you can see the piece of slimy tortilla I pulled off my fork. It looks and feels like dough. I'm not sure what the liquid on my plate was, but my quesadilla was swimming in it before they sat my plate down. My bf got a chicken quesadilla and his was the same way. Slimy soggy tortilla full of warmish melted cheese, in a plate of juice. I must have come on an off day or something because this isn't the experience everyone told me to expect.

Amazing tacos. My first time coming back since visiting originally around 2017. They also have other food options such as enchiladas, but my impression is that the tacos are really the standout item. Felt like I was lied to when I called in advance of showing up, asking about the wait, and was told it wasn't busy could get food for a medium sized group pretty quickly. When I showed up 20min later there was a 30-45min wait. Didn't seem like the person on the phone was being completely truthful, but hey, ended up getting food rather quickly anyway, so not a huge deal. Overall interaction with staff felt a tiny bit gruff. Reason for the 4 stars rather than 5.

I highly recommend. I love this place!! Great food, good service. Have great drinks. The seating is tight, but i love restaurants such as this gem

Clever names can definitely be a draw for a restaurant. I mean it worked when I was searching Yelp and came across Taco Escobarr. It sounded like Pablo had a slightly less illegally-directed brother who liked Mexican food. With that funny thought in mind (and the decent Yelp score), my fiancée and I figured this would be a fine spot to mix up our heavy lobster-directed Portland trip back in the summer. We were semi-correct on that... Well, there were some factors and parts of Taco Escobarr that definitely made it memorable. I'd say the ambiance was one as it gave off a Day of the Dead feel with strung pepper-shaped lights on the ceiling, some skeleton mariachi images, and Spanish movie posters lining the bathrooms. The menu also seemed like a winner with plenty of taco-type options as well as nachos, burritos, tortas, and much more. Though it should be known that memorable isn't always a positive. The lengthy wait time (45 minutes) wasn't a glorious start, even if we were able to put a number down and spend time elsewhere. Plus the size of TE is tiny and on that Friday evening it was packed. When we finally did get a text to return, our "table" was a few seats at the bar. I'm fine with that, though the bar tender was doing a ton of different things (some productive, but a few that had nothing to do with helping customers) and so it took some time to get drinks and order. He was friendly when we interacted, but his focus on his job (or semi-lack thereof) was a negatively memorable moment. Having said my peace on that, I'd give the actual food a stamp of memorably unmemorable. Huh you say? Well the nachos were deliciously stellar. Plenty of queso, onion, pico, jalapeño, and crema which really hit the spot. My tacos were a mix of tasty and somewhat forgettable. The al pastor and chorizo were both flavorful in the meat department, though the tortillas didn't taste the freshest. Oh and my third taco was supposed to be pescado (fish), but came out as chicken. The wait time on food had been a little lengthy as well so I just ate it to not have to wait any further. I will say the Orono beer I had to complete the meal was perfect, but that's the only time I'd use that word here. Overall, I don't want to say Taco Escobarr was a bad experience as there were some positives between ambiance and a few food factors, but beyond that, there were plenty of question marks as to why this place was so packed and popular. Maybe because there aren't a ton of Mexican options in Portland? I'm not sure, but I am pretty confident that this three star review veers more towards not returning if/when I find myself in Maine again. Sorry, Escobarr family.