Tualatin, OR: "Muy Buena Comida" Means "Very Good Food" ... A CombatCritic BEST VALUE!

Rosie’s Kitchen
8145 SW Nyberg Street
Tualatin, OR 97062
Phone number: (503) 563-6890
Website: rkmexicanfood.com
Prices: $$$$

"Muy buena comida!" or for the language impaired, go to Google Translate like I did ... "very good food!". I do not dole out five-star (9-10 Bombs) ratings very often, leaving my highest marks for the places with the best food, superior service, appropriate ambience, and, most importantly, outstanding value. The name of my blog, after all, is "TravelValue".

Off the beaten path and unimpressive from the outside, Rosie's sits in a small strip mall hidden from the main road and not far from I-5 in Tualatin. The inside is simple and basic with a counter where you order and several tables where you can sit and eat your meal if you so choose. This family run operation offers freindly, responsive and efficient service.

Guacamole (about $4) is made to order and we were given the option of eliminating tomatoes and jalapeńos (which my wife is intolerant to), so we took them up on it. With avocado, cilantro, and diced onion as the main ingredients, it was both tasty and plentiful for the price. The chips were homemade and fresh as were the salsas with not one, but six different choices (regular, avocado, habańero, tomatillo, and one other ultra-hot variety).

The cheese and onion enchilada (about $3.50) was unlike any I have had. The handmade tortilla had been soaked in red chile sauce, but instead of being smothered in more sauce, covered with cheese and broiled, this one was topped with shredded lettuce, tomato, queso fresco (queso blanco), and slices of avocado. I like the smothered variety, but this one was deliciously fresh.

My wife's quesadilla ($4.95) was a decent size for the price and her carne asada taco ($2) traditionally made with a hot handmade tortilla, diced steak, cilantro and onion, not the Americanized variety so many places pump out with pre-fab hard shells, ground beef, loads of shredded lettuce and a little cheese.

I ordered the carne asada dinner ($10.95), a thin marinated grilled steak with grilled green onion, a roasted poblano pepper, three handmade corn tortillas, rice and beans. A good value for the price, there was not as much beef as you would see in some restaurants that charge $14-$18 for carne asada, but plenty enough for me to make three reasonable size tacos. The only thing missing was some guacamole on the plate, a nice addition they may want to consider offering for an additional 50¢ to $1.

The menu is very simple, but missing some ala carte items (enchiladas and guacamole for example, hence my "about" estimations) as well as drinks, so I am merely guessing at the prices of those items. They also charge 50¢ for soft drink refills, but may want to consider raising the price by 25¢ and foregoing the refill charge for simplicity's sake. At less than $27 for our dinner for two, we ate very well, the quality of the food was top-notch, and the service excellent.

Do yourself and the owners a favor and seek this place out. They are a small family-run business open for just 10 months and in a building void of much street or foot traffic, making it all that more critical to market themselves properly and for word-of-mouth advertising by folks like you and me to let others know about this hidden gem.

CombatCritic Gives Rosie's Kitchen 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

"U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Rosie's Kitchen on Yelp

Title: Tualatin, OR: "Muy Buena Comida" Means "Very Good Food" ... A CombatCritic BEST VALUE!

Key Words: Portland, Rosie's Kitchen, Rosie, Rosie's, kitchen, Rosy, taqueria, Tualatin, Portland, Oregon, Mexican, taco, tacos, restaurant, combatcritic, combat, critic, review, menu, travel, value

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Tigard, OR: The "Star" Of The 2017 Eclipse: Taqueria La Fuente

Taqueria La Fuente

12198 SW Main Street

Tigard, OR 97223

Phone number: (503) 639-3653

Website: lafuentedetigard.com
Prices: $$$$

A bright, sunny, cloudless day in Portland, Oregon suddenly turned dark and cool, the birds stopped chirping. The quiet deafening, the light seemingly escaped into the vastness of the great Northwest before suddenly returning as if someone flipped a celestial light switch. Was the end of time near? If this was going to be our final meal, it seemed clear that we should eat a bunch o' tacos. 

In a tiny strip mall perpendicular to Main Street in downtown Tigard and barely visible from the street, we found Taqueria La Fuente. Nondescript from the outside, the inside was simple, yet clean with several laminate-top booths and tables. The hot, fresh homemade chips and salsa quickly arrived compliments of the friendly server who warmly welcomed us on this historic day.

A Dos Equis Amber draft (16 oz - $4.25) seemed like a good way to start, quickly followed by a side order of guacamole ($2.95). The beer was cold and frothy and the guacamole as good as any restaurant guac I have had, simple, flavorful and larger than those others charge twice as much for.

Tacos were the star of this show. We ordered the Crispy Tacos ($8.50) and Tacos Mexicanos ($8.85), coming three each to the plate with no rice and/or beans. The crispy tacos came deep fried with two medium tortillas each, filled with carne asada (or your choice of meat), lettuce, tomato and cheese. A little leftover guacamole, metaphorically, was the icing on the cake. The tacos Mexicanos were simple, as they should be, one with carnitas, one with carne asada and one with shredded beef (cabeza), all on large, soft corn tortillas, topped with chopped white onion and cilantro, and accompanied by sliced radish and lime wedges. If they do tacos this well, I can hardly wait to return to sample the other menu items because these were some of the best restaurant tacos I have had in recent memory.

On our second visit, they were closing soon, so we did not go nuts, ordering the go-to Crispy Tacos and a Cheese and Onion Enchilada ala carte ($3.25). I also tried the House Margarita ($5.75), asking for it blended with salt, but when it arrived it was "on the rocks". I did not make an issue of it being so late. The margarita was OK, not big and not very strong, so I think I will stick with the cerveza from now on. The enchilada was presented quite nicely with shredded lettuce, a drizzle of sour cream and some chopped cilantro, but the toppings masked the flavor of the enchilada which was what I wanted to taste.

Cheese and Onion Enchilada

Flan

The service was impeccable - friendly, efficient and professional. We even received a complimentary order of Flan at the conclusion of our second visit, fluffy and delicious as any I have had. Taqueria La Fuente was the "star" of the show and a "bright" spot on an otherwise dark day, celestially speaking. At just $24.55 before tip on our first visit, this was one of the best values I have seen in my two plus months since moving to Portland, hence my nearly perfect rating ...

CombatCritic Gives Taqueria La Fuente 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

"U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Taqueria La Fuente on Yelp

Title: Tigard, OR: The "Star" Of The 2017 Eclipse: Taqueria La Fuente

Key Words: Portland, Taqueria La Fuente, taqueria, la, fuente, la fuente, Tigard, Portland, Oregon, Mexican, taco, tacos, restaurant, combatcritic, combat, critic, review, menu, tavel, value

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Eureka, CA: Good, Authentic, Mexican Food In A Mall Food Court ... Go Figure

Los Gallos Taqueria

3300 Broadway Street, Suite 612
Bayshore Mall Foodcourt
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone: (707) 443-4631
Prices: $$$$

Good, authentic, reasonably priced  Mexican food in a mall food court. Go figure.

I had difficulty finding this place until I realized that it was in the Bayshore Mall food court. As you are looking at the front of the mall, the food court is inside the glassed-in area between the middle and left end of the mall. You will find Los Gallos immediately straight ahead on the right.

Wanting to sample a variety of Mexican staples, I ordered the guacamole and chips  ($3.75), a carne asada and a carnitas taco with cheese ($2.50 each), and a cheese and onion enchilada ($2.50) ala carte. The guacamole was fair at best, obviously from Sysco or cut with yogurt or sour cream and with too many tomatoes which are cheaper than avocados, a trick many restaurants use to same money.

The tacos were authentic and tasty with two medium size soft corn tortillas each, sliced grilled steak/pork, onion, cilantro, salsa and cheese (actually, cheese is not authentic on tacos, but I like it) with plenty of meat. The enchilada was also very good with a zesty red chili sauce, with plenty of cheese and diced onion.

For under $12, I ate very well and, with the exception of the guacamole, the food was good, not great, and plentiful. I am always amazed that most Mexican restaurants cannot seem to make a decent guacamole because it is very simple to make and at 50¢ to $1 per avocado, the profit margin is still 300-400% using only avocadoes and no fillers. See my post for an excellent guacamole recipe!

CombatCritic Gives Los Gallos Taqueria 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16

Tabelog - Official Judge (Bronze)

Zomato - #1 Ranked Foodie





... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Eureka, CA: Good, Authentic, Mexican Food In A Mall Food Court ... Go Figure

Key Words: Los Gallos Taqueria, los, gallos, taqueria, taco, tacos, Bayshore, Eureka, California, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"