Camas, WA: No Horsing Around, This Place Is A Definite Neigh ... I Mean Nay

Los Potrillos Mexican Restaurant

1735 SE 192nd Avenue, Suite 101

Camas, WA 98607

Phone number (360) 838-2431

Website: lospotrillosweb.com

Prices: $$$$

I do not know what happened since 2014 when Los Potrillos was selected "Best of Vancouver" (award in the entry), but if this is the best Mexican food in Vancouver, the bar must not be set very high. It was not the worse Mexican food I have eaten and there are more shoddy Mexican restaurants in southeast Clark County (there are two in Washougal), but this place is the poorest "value" by far.

Prices are very high by Mexican restaurant standards with combo plates running $13 to $15 and meat dishes (carne asada, carnitas, etc.) in the $17 to $19 range. One of the few positive things I can say is that the service here was very good. Everyone I came in contact with was friendly and efficient.

Only the margaritas have prices listed on the menu with all of the other mixed drinks, beers and wine displaying no prices. I do not know about you, but I am not going to ask how much a drink is and I refuse to order one not knowing how much it costs, so I normally bypass the alcohol at places like this. Because the margarita prices were listed, I decided to try a medium ($6.50), blended with salt. It was a decent size and not bad with a slight kick, probably being the best value on the menu.

My very small side of guacamole was $4.99 ("Market Price" - price not listed on the menu), the consistency was odd (probably cut with a cheap filler of some kind, probably mayo), and the flavor bland. $2.99 would have been a more realistic price based on the fact that it was probably made with less than one small avocado ($1 retail). The chips were most likely out of a bag, stale, and room temp - YUK - the salsa was oddly sweet and they were accompanied by a plate of cabbage with a couple of slices of jalapeño on top.

I ordered a large combo ($13.95 plus 75¢ for shredded beef on my taco - $14.70 total) with a chile relleno, cheese and onion enchilada, and shredded beef taco. The taco, like most places in the Portland metro area, came on a pre-fab shell (a large one nonetheless) with too much lettuce and not enough cheese - WEAK. I could not tell the relleno and enchilada apart by appearance and the flavors were nearly identical except for the green chile in the middle one. Both were somewhat flavorless.

For someone who loves good Mexican food - me - Mexican restaurants in the Portland and Vancouver metro areas have been a massive disappointment. There is a decent taqueria near our house and I found some pretty good Mexican places in Gresham, Tigard, and Tualatin, but, otherwise, there is a dearth of good Mexican food in the area. Unfortunately, this gringo can make better Mexican food than the supposed experts, so I will likely continue to eat at home, especially with inflated prices like those at Los Potrillos. It should be no surprise that the place was mostly empty at 7PM, having paid $34, including tip, for a dinner for one.

CombatCritic Gives Los Potrillos 3 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Three Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Situation Normal, All Fucked Up"

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Title: Camas, WA: No Horsing Around, This Place Is A Definite Neigh ... I Mean Nay

Key Words: Los Potrillos, Los Potrillos, Mexican, taco, tacos, margarita, Camas, Vancouver, Portland, WA, OR, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google

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Vancouver, WA: EARTH TO JORGE - MENUS HAVE PRICES ON THEM ... GET A CLUE!

 Jorge’s Margarita Factory

14415 SE Mill Plain Blvd, Suite 110B

Vancouver, WA 98684

Phone number (360) 882-8262

Website: jorges.com

Prices: $$$$

Wierd vibe. We were ignored at the entrance for over five minutes before I found someone to seat us and the decor looks more like a cheap diner than a Mexican restaurant.

The drink menu has no prices ... hey geniuses, how many times do I have to say this, MENUS ARE DESIGNED TO LET CUSTOMERS KNOW HOW MUCH STUFF COSTS! I am so sick and tired of restaurants that think they can trick people into paying $10 for a "house margarita" by not posting prices. I should not have to ask how much everything costs, so publish the damn prices for f***ks sake!

Speaking of prices, their food prices were quite a bit higher than any Mexican restaurant I have been in lately and looking at the plates of food around us, it did not look worth what they were asking. So with that being said, along with a "priceless" drink menu, we left. I will not eat at restaurants that refuse to put prices on their menu ... non-starter folks!

CombatCritic Gives Jorge's Margarita Factory 1 Bomb Out Of 10 And A Spot On My "WALL OF SHAME" ... More Bombs Are Better!

One Bomb Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Jorge's Margarita Factory on Yelp

Title: Vancouver, WA: EARTH TO JORGE - MENUS HAVE PRICES ON THEM ... GET A CLUE!

Key Words: Jorge's Margarita Factory, Jorge's, Jorge, margarita, factory, Mexican, restaurant, menu, Vancouver, WA, Portland, Yelp, YouTube, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, Wall of Shame

Translation for Civilians: FUBAR = "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair"

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Portland, OR: A "Wagon"-Load Of So-So Food ... Ay Caramba!

La Carreta Mexican Restaurant

4534 SE McLoughlin Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
Southeast Portland, Brooklyn
Phone number: (503) 236-8089
Prices: $$$$
Facebook Page

Our realtor told us that La Carreta ("the wagon/cart" in Spanish) is his favorite Mexican restaurant despite the outward appearance. You would think it is an abandoned building as you drive by except for the lights of the sign and inside the restaurant.

A group of Latinas celebrating a birthday occupied the table next to us, always a good sign when people indigenous to the cuisine frequent a place. The food was decent by Left Coast standards, exceptional by Midwest standards, and reasonably priced.

We tried the chili con queso ($5.95) and guacamole ($3.50) for starters. The queso has an odd consistency, similar to ricotta cheese, but was good with big chunks of green chili. The guacamole was cut with something because it neither had the texture of mashed avocado nor the taste.

My wife had the quesadilla and taquitos appetizer (Menu price = $9.95, we paid $10.95) as an entree and it was disappointing. Coming with guacamole, pico de gallo , and sour cream, the quesadilla had hardly any cheese and the taquitos were a bit burnt and dry inside. 

I went with the chile relleno, taco, and enchilada combo ($11.95) with, as my dad used to say, "refired" beans. I asked for a cheese and onion enchilada and shredded beef taco, but got a shredded beef enchilada instead. The taco was good, but came in a pre-fab shell (deal breaker). The enchilada was also good, but not what I ordered. When I told the waiter that I got the wrong enchilada, he scurried off before I could tell him to forget it. He brought a cheese and onion enchilada a few minutes later, but I barely touched it because I was stuffed by that time. What I did eat was very good though. I could not even see the relleno because it was covered with shredded lettuce and tomato. I think it was pretty good, but the taste was masked by the unusual toppings.

The "Cadillac Margarita" ($5.95) was rather tasteless and weak, so I did not bother ordering a second. In conclusion, the service was excellent and the decor cheesy, just as it should be.

CombatCritic Gives La Carreta 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of La Carreta Mexican Restaurant on Yelp

La Carreta

Title: Portland, OR: A "Wagon"-Load Of So-So Food ... Ay Caramba!

Key Words: La Carreta, la, carreta, cart, wagon, Mexican, taco, margarita, Portland, Oregon, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Lawrence, KS: UPDATE - El Mezcal Open Again ... Same Location, Similar Menu, Upscale Decor, But No Margarita Specials

El Mezcal

1819 W. 23rd Street
Lawrence, KS 66046
Phone number: (785) 832-8775
Website: elmezcal.com
Prices: $$$$

Old information and reviews do not apply to "new and improved(?)" El Mezcal. There is a new menu and no great margarita specials like they had before they closed ... "We're still deciding" I was told ... Well, I am still deciding whether or not I want to come back! We used to eat at El Mezcal 3-4 times a month, now we eat there 1-2 times max.

Deep fried tacos (3 - $9.99) with shredded beef new on the menu, are a welcome addition, although they are much smaller and skimpier on meat than Mi Ranchito down the street. Unlike Mi Ranchito's deep fried tacos, El Mezcal's fall apart by the time you get to taco #2 and #3 and I do not like having to eat my tacos with a knife and fork. Otherwise, the food is pretty much the same and the decor more upscale after the infamous Italian/Mexican fiasco and expensive building renovation.

Cheese Quesadillas ala Carte

Taco "Plater" (Platter)

Cheese and Onion Enchiladas ala Carte

KU students cannot afford $7+ margaritas, so they should add some margarita specials soon or we and many others will be eating at Mi Ranchito where the food is better. If El Mezcal is trying to make up losses for the expensive renovation, they are going about it the wrong way. I have heard from many friends that the lack of reasonably priced margaritas (like before) is one thing keeping them away and I am sure that is the case with KU students. Cheap, strong margaritas was one of the few things that made the "old" El Mezcal stand out from the other mediocre Mexican restaurants in Lawrence, so they are losing customers and revenue by trying to recuperate losses by charging more for drinks. They could also offer daily specials like $1 tacos (e.g. El Potro) on Monday night ... their place is packed, El Mezcal is not.

CombatCritic Gives The "New And Improved" El Mezcal 4 Bombs Out Of 10 With A 2 Bomb Deduction For Overpriced Margaritas ... More Bombs Are Better!

Four Bombs Equates To:

Read Chris S.'s review of El Mezcal on Yelp

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie





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Title: Lawrence, KS: UPDATE - El Mezcal Open Again ... Same Location, Similar Menu, Upscale Decor, But No Margarita Specials

Translation for Civilians: BOHICA = "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again"

Key Words: 66044, burrito, CombatCritic, eat, El Mezcal, el, enchilada, food, guacamole, Kansas, Lawrence, margarita, Mexican, mezcal, restaurant, taco, travel, TravelValue, value