Mexican Restaurants, Bend Oregon

Mexican, Bend Oregon - Mexican food is probably my favorite. I could eat Mexican food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My personal favorite is El Caporal for a variety of reasons. I love the service and they have the best chips and salsa in Bend.

Below is a list of the Mexican restaurants in Bend Oregon that I have reviewed.

El Caporal
744 NW Bond
Bend, OR 97701
541-322-8916


Baltazar’s Seafood & Spirits
1465 SW Knoll Ave
Bend, OR 97702
541-382-6622

La Rosa
1444 NW College Wy
Bend, OR 97701
541-318-7210

Hola!
2670 NE Highway 20
Bend, OR 97701
541 389 4652
http://www.holabend.com/

Taco Stand
221 NW Hill St
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-0494

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant
2650 NE Division
Bend, Oregon 97701
Phone 541-330-2652
http://www.mypepes.com/

Longboard Louie's West
1254 NW Galveston
Bend, OR 97701
541-383-2449

Parrilla Grill
635 NW 14th
Bend, OR 97701
541-617-9600

Tortillaria Reyes
1155 SE Division St
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 383-2025

Super Burrito
New address info soon to come.

El Burrito
335 NE Dekalb
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-2177

Los Jalapenos
601 NE Greenwood Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 383-1402
http://www.losjalapenos.biz/

El Rancho Grande
63455 N Hwy 97
541.312.2002

Taco Del Mar
63455 N. Hwy 97 Suite 41
Bend, OR 97701
541-317-1112
www.tacodelmar.com

Baja Fresh
916 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97702
541-617-8781


Bend Oregon Mexican Restaurants that I have not reviewed:

Del Taco
612 SE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97702
541-322-8702

El Jimador
801 NW Wall St
Bend, OR 97701
541-318-1333

El Rodeo
785 SE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
541-617-5952

La Cabaña
1939 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
541-312-9462

Las Cazuelas
547 NE Bellevue Dr
Bend, OR 97701
541-318-7567

Longboard Louie's East
62080 Dean Swift Rd
Bend, OR 97701
541-383-5889

Puerto Alegre
547 NE Bellevue Dr
Bend, OR 97701
541-318-7567

Ranchero Mexican Restaurant
150 Bend River Plaza
Bend, OR 97701
541-330-0685

Rico's Tacos Restaurant
1326 NE 3rd St-
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-4022

Rigoberto's (South)
1913 NE 3rd St
Bend, OR 97701
541-388-6783

Rigoberto's (West)
1365 NW Galveston
Bend, OR 97701
541-389-6751

If I've missed a restaurant in this category. Please submit a restaurant via email.

Los Jalapenos - Bend Oregon

Los Jalapenos

I say "I like such and such Mexican Restaurant" and all I get back is "You have to try Los Jalapenos, you have to go to Taco Stand" and so on. Look suckah, I have been there. I've been everywhere.

Los Jalapenos is good. I went there with a buddy who hadn't been back to LJ's in ages. The last time I was there, I thought it was a lot less expensive. My burrito and a beer came to $12. I am still trying to add up why it cost so much. Maybe the enchilada sauce is made from ground diamonds.

Anyway, my Al Pastor burrito served wet was pretty damn good and the size was impressive.


The food was good. I'm not sure if I'll do it again though. There isn't a whole lot of seating so what do you do when there are not any spots available? Take it back to my cubicle to stink up the whole office? Well I guess it would smell better than the burnt microwaved popcorn and 99 cent budget gourmets.

Suggestions on what I should get if I do end up going back are gladly accepted. Maybe something that can be easily transported back to my desk.

Los Jalapenos
601 NE Greenwood Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 383-1402
http://www.losjalapenos.biz/

Map of Los Jalapenos

Super Burrito is Closing...Moving?

Super Burrito

I was reading Duncan's post on Super Burrito closing and thought that today I'd go down there for lunch to check out the situation. Then I read Lyle's comment about how the Bulletin should hire me (where do I send my resume?). So I was checking out the Bulletin this morning to see where I apply and found their article on Super Burrito being forced out.

"At the beginning of the month, Moreno (SB Owner) said DesertScape issued a 30-day notice to move out because the space would no longer be used for food service."

"Central Oregon residents loyal to downtown’s Super Burrito have until Tuesday to gobble up the restaurant’s generous portions of quickly made and affordably priced Mexican food."

I liked that Super Burrito was downtown. I thought it was a good place to get a quick bite really cheap. Seems like there are not many options left downtown unless you want to buy from the street vendors.

There are many many Mexican restaurants in Bend. I wonder how Super Burrito will do outside of downtown when they are competing against the Taco Stand, Pepe's, the El Caporal gang or restaurants, La Rosa, and so on.

You have until Tuesday July 31st to get your downtown Super Burrito on.

Super Burrito
118 NW Minnesota Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 317-1384

Additional Coverage:
http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070727/AE02/707270482/1002&nav_category

http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/super_burrito_set_to_close/C509/L509/

http://www.tsweekly.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1765&Itemid=71

Hola! for Breakfast?

Hola Bend Oregon

If you're stranded way out on the East side of Bend and need some breakfast, where do you go? Starting this weekend Hola will serve breakfast. I'd recommend calling to confirm just in case they are postponing a week or so.

The wife and I were doing a little shopping on the East side of town and thought we'd get ourselves an early beverage. But then we realized we were on the East side. What do you guys do over there? I was lost, parched, confused, and the sun was in my eyes.

So we decided to get a margarita at Hola!. We had enjoyed our first experience there and so we thought we'd check it out again. We were pleased with the drinks as well as with the chips and salsa. I noticed that they do not offer the rolls along with the chips anymore. I asked about it and they said that they were throwing more than 80% of them out cause no one was eating them.

Marcus, one of the owners, told us about the plans for breakfast so hopefully that will be a treat for you guys. Some folks have commented on my other Hola post about the decline in service and the portion sizes. I'd like to hear from others if they are noticing the same thing. We didn't eat that day, just got our drink on.



Hola!
2670 NE Highway 20 Bend, OR 97701
541 389 4652
Open 7 days a week 11am to 10pm - Dinner Menu after 4pm
http://www.holabend.com/

Tortillaria Reyes - Bend Oregon

Tortillaria Reyes

A friend emailed me and said that I should check out Reyes Tortillaria, a place she believes to be "one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants" in Bend. So I grabbed up a trusty Mexican food enthusiast buddy and off we went. Tortillaria Reyes is located in that strip mall next to Big O Bagels on SE Division (in the strip mall next to the strip mall with Jackalope Grill and Blockbuster).

Restaurant is a fairly loose translation I guess. It was like going to a 7-11 in the heart of Mexico (so I'll assume since I've never been). I stood there a little confused trying to read the menu and seeing if there was any difference between the menu over the cashier and the menu behind the cashier, they looked identical and I couldn't read either of them.

I have no idea what to do and neither does my companion. So I ask "do you make an Al Pastor burrito"? To this day neither of us know what the response was. He said something, I said yeah ok, I'll have that.

Then my friend asks for some cilli verde pork burrito and the guy says "no we don't have that but we do have (no idea what he says here)". My friend says, "yeah I guess that's the same" and then we have a seat at one of the three tables in what we refer to as a doctor's office waiting room. It was small, and they have a small tv on in the corner playing some Mexican soap opera.

I walked around looking at all the different stuff you could get there. I didn't know what any of it was but I enjoyed looking at it. Shortly my burrito arrived and for $5 it was the best burrito I've had in Bend...sorry El Caporal.


The flavors blended nicely together even though I'm not a fan of lettuce in a burrito. But the lettuce was still crisp, the rice and beans were good and the meat (assuming it was actually pork) was juicy and tender. I could not get enough of the hot sauce. Loved IT!

While we sat in the waiting room, we saw all the regulars getting these huge plates of goodies, plates of tacos, something that looked like the Barbacoa at Pepe's, and other goodness. I can't wait to go back and attempt to get something like that. I know some of my friends love finding hole in the wall type places like this for Mexican food and I have recommended that they give it a shot. I hope I can tag along to figure out how to order.

Tortillaria Reyes
1155 SE Division St
Bend, OR 97702
(541) 383-2025

Pepe's - Bend Oregon

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant

I feel sad for Madras. They lost a great Mexican restaurant when Pepe and the familia moved to Bend and into the old Bernie's BBQ building on Division.

Pepe's is probably the most authentic family style Mexican restaurant in Bend Oregon. Of all the restaurants in Bend I've been to, I have never seen Tortas on the menu. Just having Tortas doesn't make a restaurant the most authentic sure but we have a theory. If Mexicans are eating there, it's probably good. Do you disagree?

The wife decided on the chicken and rice soup and a ala cart Al Pastor taco. This taco was the cutest thing ever. It wasn't huge by any means but it was just the right size for her and for only $2 she was happy with it. I love when you get the two tortillas for a taco, one is never thick enough and it breaks. Then you have Al Pastor juice all over your hands instead of where it belongs.


I went for the special of the day which was the Barbacoa (marinated & shredded Beef AND Pork) platter. The beef and pork were tender, juicy, and damn good. I have to say that although it's not the headliner of the dish, the handmade flour tortilla was my favorite part of our lunch.

Our overall experience was top notch. Pepe's daughter was our waitress. She gave us a moment to look over the menu as she collected our drinks. Then she realized that we were not familiar with their menu and asked if it was our first time there. She gave us the run down, explained how everything is made fresh daily by all the family members that work there from Grandma to the cousins.

Fully family owned and operated, Pepe's is definitely worth checking out. Sorry Madras.

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant
2650 NE Division
Bend, Oregon 97701
Phone 541.330.2652
Dine-In or Take-Out

You can call in your order, just go to the Menu Page.
Hours
Monday - Thursday 10:30 - 9:00
Friday & Saturday 10:30 - 10:00
Sunday 10:30 - 5:00
http://www.mypepes.com/

El Caporal - Bend Oregon

It has been a while since I mentioned El Caporal West. For Bend Oregon Mexican restaurants, I honestly don't think it gets any better than El Caporal in Downtown Bend.

Is El Caporal the best Mexican restaurant in Bend serving up the most authentic Mexican Cuisine available? Probably not. But for the friendly and speedy service, the kid friendly environment, the huge portions, not to mention the BEST CHIPS AND SALSA IN BEND OREGON, I'd say it's worth the visit.

When I'm looking for a quick lunch I could try to go to many places for something served in a plastic basket or on a paper plate or in a to-go bag. Or for only $8 I could have all the chips and salsa I could take, free refills on water, and a huge chicken burrito covered with cheese and enchilada sauce served with beans and rice at El Caporal...yeah, I'll take that in a heartbeat.


I honestly believe that this is one of the best deals in Downtown Bend Oregon.

El Caporal West
744 NW Bond Street
Downtown Bend, Oregon
541-322-8916

Hola!, Bend Oregon

Hola!

"Hola, is it me you're looking for?" Yes, yes it is! Thank you Hispanic Lionel.

Quite a few people have recommended Hola since it opened about 4 months ago. The part owners of La Rosa left their gig there and started up their own restaurant on the east side of Bend. Eating at Hola! gave us the chance to see Anna again, our favorite waitress at El Caporal from back in the day. Sadly, Anna was not working that day but we'll be back for sure...next time we go to Costco.

The other reviews that I have read on Hola! have all mentioned their unique take on chips and salsa.

Starting from the left we have your regular salsa, a type of hummus/peanut butter fusion, and some green stuff. All three were rather good. The salsa was your typical salsa, I still think El Caporal has the best chips and salsa in Bend. The hutter was decent for what it was but I left that mostly for the wife as I couldn't stop dipping pieces of that roll into the green stuff. Someone tell me what that is please. HackBend called it a "mint pesto-type sauce" which I'll agree with. And the roll? I'm lost.

When I get confused at restaurants I remember one of the rules from this great sushi place in Seattle called Mashiko (with the greatest domain name ever that I'll never forget) - "Shut up and eat". So I did.

I went for numero uno on the menu, the Carne Azada. Still working out the camera kinks so my photo did not come out. It was cooked to perfection and if you like steak, get it. Their rice is not your typical spanish rice mixture but a lighter more Japanese type of white rice, rather refreshing.

The wife made a great decision and got the apple bacon wrapped prawns:

The cheesy, heavy cream sauce smothering the prawns and veggies was awesome and is currently clogging my arteries perfectly. Who doesn't like Prawns wrapped with Bacon slathered with cheese? Can I unsubscribe you from reading this?

Oh and of course the drinks! Expensive beverages but worth it and the alcohol numbs the pain when the bill comes. Dishes were around $11-$16 for dinner and drinks were around $8-$11 for margaritas. At least that's what I remember. I LOVED that the bartender came out and took drink orders for all of us waiting for our tables. Although standing there with a Cactus Margarita in one hand and the freezing cold shaker containing the rest of my beverage in the other was a little awkward. The alcohol numbed that too.

Hola!
2670 NE Highway 20 Bend, OR 97701
541 389 4652
Open 7 days a week 11am to 10pm - Dinner Menu after 4pm
http://www.holabend.com/

Other reviews/mentions:
http://www.hackbend.com/2007/04/27/hola.php
http://www.thebendreport.com/archives/15 (called the green stuff a cilantro lime sauce but didn't identify the Hutter)
Jen's Yelp

Taco Stand, Bend Oregon

THE Taco Stand

A while back I tried to determine where you could get the best burrito in Bend Oregon and received some feedback that I needed to try a couple other places. One of those places was the locals favorite, Taco Stand. Very inexpensive burritos and large portions.

There is a great photo of the inside of the Taco Stand available in The Bulletin's review available here.

As you can see, the inside is tiny. It was packed when I went so instead of trying to be social and sit at a table with an empty seat I took my burrito to go. I was sort of out of it when I ordered and didn't realize that what I was asking for wasn't even on the menu.

"May I please have the Carnitas Burrito" - Me
"Oh you want it in a burrito? No, no, that's fine, they'll do it" - Cashier
"Oh, yeah ok, with rice and beans" - Me
"Inside? They'll do it, no problem" - Cashier
"Sweet, also can I have that echilada style" - Me
"Of course, $5.90 please" - Cashier

Perfect. I took $2 Pork taco and turned it into a six dollar burrito with all the fixins.

I should have asked for more hot sauce, you can keep the green stuff and the chunky salsa. I just want the hot stuff.

The burrito was good. It wasn't great though. I think my choice for Carnitas was where I went wrong. The enchilada sauce was great and I recommend getting your burrito enchilada style, it's a good choice. I'll definitely be back for the prices are unbeatable. I just need to find my dish.

Taco Stand
(541) 382-0494
221 Nw Hill St
Bend, OR 97701

Bend Bulletin's Baltazar's Article

***UPDATE***
Apparently this issue is still a hot button. As the comments are getting more irritating for me to read through, I've decided that unless you're bringing something new to the conversation or talking about the food, please post your comments in one of the other forums. Many of the recent comments are being deleted by me.

Highchairs lead to high drama

We all know about the comments here and on the Mom2Mom blog as well as the filth on Craigslist about this issue. The article by Anna Sowa of The Bulletin did a decent and very PC job of summarizing the story. I'm glad that someone was able to gather up some additional information. What I was most shocked about was Chavez admitting to saying what he said.

I'm not saying that Yvette was lying, but I honestly thought that she was exaggerating a bit. I also thought, and still think that there is a part of the story that is not being told.

He now apologizes for losing his temper with Nishikawa.
"I'm not going to deny I said that," Chavez said Wednesday. "But she made me crazy."

How did she make you crazy? Where is that? You don't go from explaining that you're not going to offer high chairs instantly to cursing do you?

"Of course I'm worried," he said. "I have (children) to feed."

Must feed them at the house because (in my best "kids on the bus from Forest Gump" voice) "You cain't sit here", "Seat's taken", "Can't sit here".

Ahh but then the sweet southern voice chimes in from the back "You can sit here if you want". Sweet Jenny.

Super Burrito, Bend Oregon

My last experience with the Al Pastor Burrito was not nearly as good as my last trip to Super Burrito in Downtown Bend. I decided to keep things simple and get the Beef, Bean, and Cheese. It was absolutely delicious and hit the spot. Their hot sauce is a great addition and I highly recommend asking for an extra one if you're taking it to-go.

The photo doesn't really matter since the burrito is going to look the same no matter which one you get I guess. I am hoping to get some feedback and recommendations on which burrito or dish to try on my next visit to Super Burrito. I have no idea what's good here as I'm not a frequent visitor. I do know that the Al Pastor was not that good at all and the Beef, Bean, and cheese was awesome for being so simple.

Super Burrito
118 NW Minnesota Ave
Bend, OR 97701
(541) 317-1384

As I normally search for the restaurant I just wrote about, I came across these older posts from 2004 but it's not good:
http://utterlyboring.com/archives/2004/09/12/bend_burrito_joint_serves_cockroaches_with_food.php
http://www.onthebrightside.net/archives/2004/20040912.html

GROSS! The burrito was still good and I didn't see any roaches on this visit. Going back there anytime soon? That's still up in the air.

Baltazar's, Bend Oregon - Not Kid Friendly

***UPDATE***
Apparently this issue is still a hot button. As the comments are getting more irritating for me to read through, I've decided that unless you're bringing something new to the conversation or talking about the food, please post your comments in one of the other forums. Many of the recent comments are being deleted by me.

Baltazar's Bend, Oregon

I received a few comments on an earlier post about Baltazar's in Bend Oregon which didn't sit well with me. I decided not to publish the posts on my blog mainly due to the length of the posts (aside from yours eMusings which I accidentally deleted while deleting the multiple copies of the comments posted by Yvette and Tom...apologies) as well as the topic. I don't mind publishing posts with people's opinions and short stories of their experience, but this one was a bit more than the normal "I didn't like it" type comments.

You can read the entire post at Mom2Mom Bend, Oregon.

There are a few places in Bend that I would NOT recommend taking your kids to and obviously Baltazar's is one of them. I side with restaurants that do not welcome kids. I think it's a good thing to set your business model to go after the clientele that you wish to attract. It's your right and if that's what makes you happy, you will enjoy your work.

Places like Baltazar's, BlackSmith, Merenda, Mars, Zydeco, Staccato, Scanlon's, Han's, Cork, Giuseppe's, Blue Fish Bistro, Robby J's, and many more are not (in my opinion) kid friendly. I'm not saying that all of these places don't provide high chairs or will be rude to you if you bring your kid(s), I'm just saying that I wouldn't take my kid(s) there if I had a choice in the matter.

These places are not fun for children. They don't have menu items for kids. It's obvious that they are not catering to kids. It's their business, it's their choice and they have every right to refuse service to anyone or to do whatever they want with their business.

Having said that, being rude to someone with a child after you have seated them in your establishment, cursing at a customer with a complaint on the service they received, child or not, is absolutely not acceptable. I enjoyed my experience at Baltazar's and have been back with the same results. I have never been there with children though so I can not comment on an experience there with kids.

I intend to notify Baltazar's of the comments made in order to allow them the opportunity to respond. I'm curious to hear their side of the story or to see how they react in general. If I had a restaurant that was not really kid friendly, I'd stand by that point but I wouldn't go to these lengths to get my point across. I'd do something like have a kids menu that was three times the price of the adult menu. An extra plate so you could share your rice with your kid would be $10. I'd gladly provide any of these services with a smile, that way you can complain about my policy but you couldn't complain about my service.

Baltazar's Seafood and Spirits

Baltazar's

I love seafood, I love Mexican food, so it's only fitting that I would love Baltazar's where they serve seafood with a Mexican flare. The wife an I made it over there for lunch recently with what appeared to be a Power Lunch crowd all biz casual types. I actually heard a guy use the phrase 'power lunch' while attempting to impress a waitress. I'm still laughing at him.

She had the fish tacos and I the skirt steak:



The wife traded me a fish taco for half of my steak. Well almost half. If you're smart (and very selfish) you'll fold over the thin tip of the steak and then cut half. It looks like half but you get more! Good thing she never reads this blog.

After lunch the wife described the lunch as clean. Makes sense to me. I will agree with her though, the food was very "clean". The fish was refreshing and not drenched in butter like at some places (El Caporal). I like El Cap's fish tacos but mainly because of the butter. Baltazar's was nice and light. The rice and beans were not heavy either. My steak was filling but not overwhelming even though my half was bigger than hers! hehe.

I enjoyed the lunch immensely and can't wait to get there for dinner in order to enjoy the Spirits.

If anyone has been there and has a recommendation on the drinks, I'd love to here it. I noticed on the drink menu that they have three sizes for margaritas, the largest costing like $18 or something around that! I can't wait.

Baltazar's
1465 SW Knoll Ave (just off of 14th)
541-382-6622

Taco Del Mar Bend Oregon

Taco Del Mar in Bend Oregon

First off let me warn you about the photo below...not appetizing at all. I have been to Taco Del Mar a few times now but I have not had the chance to get a good photo. So I snapped this one after I got home. If I wasnt' satisfied with my experiences at Tac Del Mar then I'd probably just leave this one and call it a day. But, I thoroughly enjoy the meals and the value for my hard earned money (well, my earned money).

Anyway, the Taco Del Mar over by Best Buy in the Cascade Village serves up Mondo Burritos and Rippin' Tacos. I have yet to try one of the Rippin Tacos but it's on my list. So far I have tried the Mondo Burritoes. The first burrito I tried was wet (covered in enchilada sauce). But since then I have decided that I don't want to spend $1.25 extra just for enchilada sauce. Instead, I roll that buck twenty fiver on over to the extra portion of meat. Now THAT's worth a buck!

WARNING - UNPLEASANT PHOTO AHEAD

I have here a really poorly taken photo of my delicious and hella spicy Mondo Pork Burrito. The pork wasnt that spicy but their home made hot sauce is. I have enjoyed everything that I have ordered here so far and their service is fast and friendly. I can't wait to go there again after I shop at Bed, Bath...oh I mean Best Buy...yeah that's it...TVs and Computers...yeah.

What I like about the fast service is the Subway style ordering...only good food, and generous portions. You get to choose your flavor of tortilla, then ingredients including type of beans, meat, salsa, whatnot. Good stuff.

Taco Del Mar

63455 N. Hwy 97 Suite 41
Bend, OR 97701
541-317-1112
www.tacodelmar.com

Here's a much better photo sent to me from the owner (slightly better than mine):

El Rancho Grande Mexican Restaurant

El Rancho Grande Restaurant - Bend Oregon

After reading Jen's review of El Rancho Grande, a newer Mexican restaurant in the Cascade Village, I had to try it out. Is it just me or is the menu almost identical to El Caporal's menu? Is it a standard menu item to have the Deluxe Burrito "Our most popular burrito" at all Mexican restaurants? I swear the description for the Expresso and Deluxe burritos are identical at both locations.

I'm not saying that this is a conspiracy or something. I'm just saying that it's very similar to El Caporal's. I wonder if the owners are all from the same extended family like La Rosa, El Jimadore, El Caporal, and El Rodeo are. Actually I don't know if that last statement is true or not. I heard from one of the employees at El Caporal that they are all owned by one big family. They are related to each other in some manner. So I don't know for sure or not, just what I heard.

Anyway, back to my lunch at El Cap...I mean El Rancho Grande. I usually go with enchiladas when trying a new Mexican restaurant. That's my intro dish. Just like if I go to an Italian restaurant I test out the Shrimp Fettucini. At Japanese restaurants I compare tempura. Does everyone have a default dish? I know Jen likes the Mole!

Today I wanted to do my enchilada standby but thought I'd change it up slightly. I asked for one picadillo (shredded beef) and the other to be pork which isn't on the menu. Our waiter said sure like it was no biggy at all. I liked that.

What I was not prepared for was the green sauce. It made sense because it goes well with the pork but I was expecting the normal red enchilada sauce.

The pork was tender and juicy and with the green sauce, these enchiladas were great. I thought the picadillo was a bit saltier than other restaurants but it was still good. When you get enchiladas that are chicken or beef, they do give you the regular red enchilada sauce (I asked).

After my lunch I was satisfied. I will go back there if I'm on that side of town shopping at BestBuy or Ross. I love Ross! "I got it at Ross" is a jingle I sing as I look in my closet full of $4 shirts that I scored there. Just because one sleeve is longer than the other or it's missing every third button doesn't mean it's not wearable. What? You think you're too good for Ross? Love that place, even if it sort of smells and I want to wash my hands immediately after leaving (like after going to Walmart). Places like that should provide some germ killing lotions as you enter/leave.

One thing that I found a little annoying about El Rancho Grande was that you get the chips and salsa for free (actually that part I love) but they will charge you $1.75 for additional chips and salsa. Might as well charge $0.25 for refills on water. The chips and salsa were delicious though. I'd bet that there isn't a restaurant that serves a spicier salsa when you sit down. That junk was HOT. Not hot enough for me to shell out $1.75 for more. Skip that nonsense.

I do appreciate the complimentary chips and salsa though. I wish all restaurants offered chips and salsa. Skip the bread with oil and vinegar, give me the SALSA!

El Rancho Grande
63455 N Hwy 97
541.312.2002

El Caporal West - Deluxe Burrito

El Caporal West

Hi,

How ya doing? I'm great, family's good.

I'm curious to find out what I'll review next, last week seemed to have a Thai Theme. This week seems to be Mexican or at least Burritos. So the other day I was a bit hung over and needed some serious food to help get me back on track. The Deluxe Burrito at El Caporal West had my name all over it, along with guac and sour cream. Get it?

Has anyone ever had a poor service experience at El Caporal West? No one reads this, why do I bother. I did one time but I've been there a billion times so one out of a billion ain't that bad. Seriously, a billion.

Yeah this one time we get seated and the waitress had this attitude like she was better than us. Like we should be honored that she was our waitress? She ignored us and it took forever just to order our food and drinks. The next time we visited El Caporal the hostess went to sit us and I had to ask to sit anywhere other than her section and pointed her out.

The hostess smiled like she totally understood what I was talking about. Anyway, we have not had any issues at all since then, plus that waitress doesn't work there anymore. Not only have we not had any complaints but we have had nothing but praise. Jimmy or Corona are amazing waiters and their army of bus boys are quick on the draw to hook you up with more water, chips, or either of the two salsa's they place on the table.

The other day on my quest to cure my hangover, I had a basket of chips and some fresh salsa in front of me before I even got settled in my seat.

Hot chips and fresh salsa makes BOR a happy boy. I LOVE their salsa. I always have to get a second helping so I can cover whatever main dish I get with it. So I get to munch on some chips and salsa while I waited (very short wait) for my Deluxe Burrito with Picadillo (shredded beef).

The Deluxe Burrito runs a whopping $9.25 but look at all you get. Picadillo, huge helpings of sour cream and guac, baked cheese, beans, rice, chips, salsa, and when you're thinking about the fact that you just dropped $9.25 at lunch (not including drink which I normally would get a Perfect Margarita or a Dos XX but I had to try and work later so I got water) you get to nibble on an simple version of an empanada (it's a chip sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with strawberry reduction and whipped cream - unlike a traditional empanada).

I am a huge fan of El Caporal West because of their quality of service, huge portions, tasty food, and price. Definitely try their Perfect Margarita. Go there, tell em I sent you.

El Caporal West
744 NW Bond Street
Downtown Bend, Oregon
541-322-8916

Another review on El Caporal West

La Rosa - Bend Oregon

Everyone seems to sweat La Rosa when the topic of Mexican food comes up. Why is it that no one references Mexican food as Cuisine? Everyone calls it Mexican Food. Why can't we call it fine dining, delicious Mexican cuisine? Maybe because after you stuff your fat face with the complimentary chips and salsa, then grub up your fajitas, your margaritas, and your soapapeas (no idea how to spell that one) you end up with the ... Mexicoma.

You KNOW you want to pass out on the couch after you eat that gynormous burrito, enchilada style from Taco Stand, or the Tres Caballos from El Caporal, or the crunch wrap supreme from Taco Bell. Hence, the Mexicoma - a profound state of unconsciousness due to over ingestion of deep fried burritos and mole sauce.

This was our first year participating in the Tour of Homes. You like the segway? That is an odd experience, looking through someone else's house. I was able to score copious amounts of viagra from many medicine cabinets though .... kidding .... there wasn't anything in the medicine cabinets. I'm joking! I didn't even look.

Anyway, after touring all those homes, I found myself quite famished. I know that the wife was quite hungry as well since we were the bickering back and forth over nothing. We ended up at La Rosa.

I like El Caporal when it comes to hanging out, drinking a Margarita, and stuffing my chubby mug. I could write a review of El Caporal in my sleep so I wanted to get a photo or two and give my two cents worth on La Rosa.

Ok, the salsa is amazing...a little chunky for my liking but I know a lot of people like that. The wife loves it chunky (that and my sense of humor is why she still hangs out with me). We asked what their most popular Margarita is and the waiter sait that its the Red Cactus:


OH MAN that's one damn good Margarita. It reminded me of Jungle Juice but without the fruit. They put a little crack on the rim though so it's really not fair. The wife and I were not sure at first so we thought we would split one. I had to get another cause I got all ice on the first split. It really was a great Margarita and I look forward to having it again.

I had the Tequila Tacos.


The Tacos were pretty bland. They simply lacked in any real flavor that I come to expect from some steak tacos. We will most likely go back to La Rosa but I will be trying a different dish next time for sure. Maybe something like what the wife got:


Camarones La Rosa wif shrimps. We both agreed that her dish was perfect. The sauce was great. I should start writing stuff down while at the restaurant so I can try to come up with better descriptions than delicious and great. The cheese just sort of melted into the sauce making it a cheesy creamy tomatoey sauce .... mmmm cheese.

So, while I am not ready to say that La Rosa is "the best Mexican" in Bend, there is enough there for us to want to go back.

La Rosa Authentic Mexican
(541) 318-7210
1444 NW College Way # 104
Bend, OR 97701
http://larosabend.com/

Lunch 11-4 pm DAILY
Amigo 1-6 PM DAILY
Dinner 4:00 PM DAILY
Menu Bar Menu
Take OutPick-up?
Call us directly ay 541-318-7210

Delivery?
Call Bend Take Out 541-382-8844