Acapulco’s Southwest Gold

I was unimpressed. Started with the large blackberry margarita for $ 8.00 which came with a the thinned possible lime slice. I ended up buying an extra shot which the special board said was $ 2.00 but later found out I was charged $ 3.00. We got the chicken bean burrito it was tasty but there was no cheese inside nor were we offered salsa or hot sauce. They even got our order wrong sending us casadasa. My partner needs go to the counter to ask for a box. And to end the night a couple next to us was asked if they would like more chips and salsa.

This is a nice little place to go that is near our house, and reasonably priced. I have been coming here since 2000 and never had a bad meal here. Great if you’ve had a crappy day at work and don’t feel like fixing dinner!

Hard working family business and I wish them the best. They are kind and courteous people. However, the food leaves much to be desired. It’s not very fresh, and there is much more dressing on their dishes than there should be given the quality of their ingredients — the food turns into a pile of mushiness because of how it’s prepared. But, the price is right!

I want to love this place because it’s in the Village. Really I do, but I just can’t. I’ve tried it several times and always leave disappointed. Chips and salsa are standard and plentiful at any Mexican place. Not here. They dole out the salsa in teeny micro cups, forcing us to repeatedly ask for refills in the rare moments we can catch the server’s eye. Seriously?
Then there’s the lackluster food itself, which is overpriced. And the cleanliness leaves much to be desired. Thanks, but no thanks.

Wasn’t too hungry, so got the peasant plate. What I got was a plate of leftovers microwaved. Nothing was cooked fresh. Half the plate scalding, half cold. Disgusting. Never coming back.

While it might generally be seen as a downside, you will be happily surprised to find the terrible (and terribly overpriced) food is offered in small portions. You probably won’t finish even that small portion of barely edible food, either, which will allow you to escape the awful service sooner.

For such a small establishment in a fantastic area, you’d think that the food would be superb. Instead, it’s subpar. There are a few saving graces: the enchiladas (especially the Tampico) and the chips & salsa. Unfortunately the food seems thrown together haphazardly and the beans look like they came out of a can.

I’ve been eating here since the 1980’s and it’s consistently awesome. I’ve never had a bad experience with the food/drink/service…truly one of the only Portland restaurants I can say that about. In a world where everyone else is trying to adapt to the newest trendiest whatever this place is like a delicious time capsule — still serving great food and drinks exactly the same way they always have. Everyone I’ve taken there has walked away full and happy!

Well, not coming back here again. I ordered the beef tamales (large portion) and was served two dry tamales, a small portion of beans, rice, and salad. The rice and beans were cold on one side and hot on the other. Microwave? They were also bland and dried out from sitting in the back for so long. Don’t even bother with this place

No no no. I’m sorry to do this but the food here was really terrible and way overpriced. Everything tasted canned, bland and the black beans were going bad. I ordered the artichoke and tofu quesadilla and for over 8 bucks, I got one enchilada. Just one! With a side of going bad black beans and a pile of lettuce. The salsa tasted like it was also canned and my enchilada was covered in what looked and tasted like tomato paste with chunks in it. I wish I had read the reviews first! Damnit! Oh, well… lesson learned.

This place is so disgusting, this is not mexican food at all. It takes like Taco Bell but worst. I think Taco Bell is better than this place. Bad customer service. Expensive. I didn’t enjoy this place at all. They ignore you like you’re not even there. Never going back. Don’t spend your money here. You’ll regret it.

I feel compelled to write this because of the utterly ridiculous claims I’ve been finding in several others’ reviews. My job requires extensive travel, and I think I’ve seen a fairly extensive sample of mid-​range eateries such as this, and I’ve also spent time working in various commercial kitchens.
I’ve been coming back to Acapulco’s SW Gold for years because it’s nearby and just plain good. The place is clean, the menu is comprehensive, and the prices are reasonable, though not the cheap side. Over my many visits, the service has been prompt, the food hot and tasty, and there’s always been something decent on tap (or cask!). While the recipes are not particularly «authentic,» whatever you take that to mean these days, the various dishes I’ve tried have been fresh, flavorful and substantial, without being salty or greasy. So what if you see a microwave? There are few kitchens in which that’s not an essential tool, most likely including yours. The house salsa is quite good, and there’s usually some sort of Tequila special. The dining area is comfortable, and there’s always a good selection of magazines to read, if that’s something you still can do without a backlight :)
All in all a solid place, and I’ve always been very satisfied with my experience. Keep it up, folks!

I hope this place closes. Really, really bad Mexican food. Every time we walk by it gives me super sads. They sell Pinatas here though, if you’re into that sort of thing.

I don’t quite understand the negative reviews, I tend to enjoy this place. The food is great. The service was quick, maybe not super friendly, but not unfriendly. Very no bullshit take your order and go, which I love. I don’t want my server to talk my ear off. I got the taco salad and my girlfriend got the Vera cruise. It was amazing. A little pricy, but so filling and great quantity. Will be back yet again.

Went during mid afternoon. Very clean and quiet. Service was very quick. I got the Vera Cruz dish and it was very tasty. My boyfriend had the taco salad and it was piled high with goodies. Don’t listen when they say there is no good Mexican food in pdx, it’s just hidden here at Acapulco.
The décor isn’t necessarily Mexican, more just western. But if you go to restaurants for decorations then you should eat at Ikea.

Why can’t Multnomah Village have more than one decent restaurant? Oh and by the way, this isn’t it (that would be Marco’s, and even it’s just ok and not amazing). This place has been around since I was in college, and trust me, that was a long time ago. It was better then, mostly because I was comparing it to college cafeteria food.
I had the chile relleno and my husband had a chicken quesadilla. They both tasted fine but they both could have been so much better with just a bit more care and love. Margaritas were basically non-​alcoholic. Service was ok but it felt like they really didn’t care if we were there or not.
This just feels like a place that’s running on auto-​pilot. I probably won’t be back unless I’m desperate for Mexican food and don’t want to drive more than 10 minutes away.

I wish this place would close. It’s taking up valuable real estate in multnomah village… if a decent Mexican restaurant would take it’s place, I think everybody in a 5 mile radius would sigh in relief. Seriously, the food has a pretty low bar and it can’t hit that even. If it were just even basic americanized Mexican, like casa Colima or Raul’s, I’d be there once a month. But instead its crap chips, crap salsa, and terrible entrees that are overpriced. I love all the restaurants in our area but I don’t understand why this is still here.

Funky décor (john wayne memorabilia) and opera music (which was kind of fun).
Smelled old/​musty.
Service was just ok; not friendly or un-​friendly; just kind of blah.
Food was good and reasonably priced.
BTW; I could see the microwave in the kitchen, in constant use, from our booth. Not very encouraging to see.
Smallish seating area.
I ordered chorizo and eggs, and I found it to be good flavor and portion size.

Had a nice meal here with some friends. The service was nice. The place was staffed with very youthful and casual young men. Good beer selection. I started with the Tecate and tequila shot combo for $ 4.50. I was thinking the Tecate might be a 16z tall boy, but it was a 12z bottle.
I thought the portions and prices were fair. I had the special Chicken Enchilada with Ancho Chile sauce.
Atmosphere casual. Cool pinatas hanging from the ceiling. You must pass through the kitchen/​counter area to use the restroom. I didn’t have to go, but I guess it’s painted very cool and jungle-​like.
Fairly busy for a Friday evening. Good service, Good Stop, they have extra unique bonuses hot sauces on display to try. I had the Crystal — I guess it’s a pretty famous one from Louisiana.

It’s remarkable in a city like Portland that a restaurant like this survives.
The chips are packaged. The salsa, while the server said it was made in-​house, tasted bland with absolutely no heat whatsoever. If it wasn’t jarred, the recipe is horrible. I’d rather eat Pace.
While we were waiting for our meal, my son saw soup come out of the microwave, and then something else that went straight from the microwave to someone else’s table.
It was hard to find anything substantial under $ 12. Even the tacos START at $ 4. I ordered the grilled artichoke quesedilla. The artichokes were canned. And not grilled. (The waiter confirmed this). The tortilla was dead, White as a corpse, and there was no spiciness whatsoever. For $ 9.75, it was about 8″ in diameter. My son’s burrito was like a white rubber tube with not a drop of seasoning or heat. There was a pathetic serving of red rice on the plate. No finesse. No garnish.
After a short discussion with the manager in which I voiced my displeasure and asked if everything was microwaved, we said we weren’t eating the food, but would pay if he chose to charge us. He took the credit card and ran it. We paid the bill and left without taking more than one bite each and considered ourselves ahead of the game.
Seriously subpar. The worst food I’ve had in Portland in as long as I can remember, and without a doubt a travesty for anyone to eat here when there are so many fantastic and cheap Mexican options in carts and restaurants in Portland. If the owners of this place are reading this, take a field trip to MI Mero Mole or Tamale Boy or Uno Mas and then humbly ask yourself if you’re proud of what you’re doing. Or better yet, a mile up the road to Verde Cocina. Go to school on what fresh and delicious means. You are not even in the ballgame, and your prices are atrocious.