Autentica

I don’t know how anyone could give this place less than a 5 star review. I had the Tacos appetizer, ordered a second round of them… Four total! Then the chicken enchiladas with a chile renello. The red mole if devine! If I lived near by I would work out a weekly deal for dinner everyday, chefs pick. How could one go wrong with that.

One of my favorite places in the Concordia neighborhood as it was one of the original restaurants on the corner of NE 30^th and Killingsworth. It has great outside seating in both the front and in their back patio. The food is very authentic but definitely not your place if you want tacos and burritos. They also make the most awesome handmade tortillas with the 3 salsas for dinner.

*SUBSTITUTIONS POLITELY DECLINED* My husband and I went for brunch. The food was to die for. We went specifically to try the chilaquiles all the way from Corvallis. We are vegan and didn’t know until arriving that the chef declines substitutions. We asked anyway and after watching our waiter debate with the chef we saw him reluctantly agree. I understand wanting to share the authentic culinary experience with your diners I just felt really bad for making the chef so clearly upset and causing the problem between he and our waiter. Anyway this is not a vegan friendly place at all. The website doesn’t make it clear so don’t travel out of your way, they will not make substitutions for people with dietary restrictions. Just a heads up.

This may be one of the best restaurants I have been to in Portland. I don’t think I’ve gotten as excited as last night when I placed some of their chorizo fundido in a little blue cord tortilla, added a dab of their house mole sauce, and bit into it. This lush little appetizer was just the tip of the iceberg…
My friends and I tried the Mexican prawns, the enchilada plate, and the plato de Mexico. All three of the options were incredibly flavorful, the portions were ample, and we left feeling as though the $$$ we had just spent was some of the best money we’d spent in a while. The margaritas are also top notch… I would argue that they have the best margarita I have had (and I’ve had quite a few).
Well done Autentica! I’m looking forward to the next time I can stop by and fill my mouth hole with your deliciousness.
Edit: I actually dreamt about this food last night, mere hours after I ate it. If that’s not a sign… I don’t know what is.

My review for Autentica may be a little skewed since amazing Mexican food is abundant in my native parts. We started with drinks. I wasn’t feeling tequila, so I got sangria – fruity and mild. We got the ceviche of the week – rock cod, avocado, and the usual. It was tasty, but not phenomenal. I got a dish that had carne asada baked into a corn tortilla of sorts. I really enjoyed the flavors and the carne asada was super tender. I can’t remember exactly what the bf got but I remember it was also yummy. All in all there was nothing wrong with the meal, but one thing that left a sour taste in my mouth was the service. The server was very kind but no where to be found for the majority of the meal. After we were initially seated, our server didn’t come over to take our drink orders until almost 20 minutes later. And when we were waiting for the bill? Luckily I was with someone I enjoy being with otherwise I would’ve gotten up to seek her out myself. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the food, but I wouldn’t advise coming here when you’re hungry – you’ll be waiting a while.

Our first time eating a meal here as we’ve only sampled at the annual street fair. The food was delicious, no complaints here. The service was good but you’re gonna pay for it. I would expect to pay $ 40 – 50 per person for dinner. Again, we enjoyed our visit & loved the food.

Good not great Mexican food.
Service was a B to B-​, as it took 15 minutes for someone to take our drink order.
The queso fundido was average, but the tortillas were very good.
No chips and salsa is a big problem for me. I have spent over a year in MX and pretty much every restaurant in MX has chips and salsa, so why not this place?
The mole was decent, but nothing special.
My wife’s ceviche was decent.
Their margarita’s were decent, but they should put them in an old fashioned glass instead of a big glass with tons of ice that made it impossible to drink the last finger or two of my drink without dumping ice everywhere.
I guess the fact that they framed their «B» rating from the Oregonian says that they are proud to serve B food.
I should have gone to Porque No, but I was lazy and this place takes reservations.
I will not be heading back to this place, but if it was down the street I would probably give it another shot.

We had the Valentine’s Day menu– guac for app with house fresh tortillas (the black bean tortillas were great!), roasted chicken stuffed with goat cheese and beets with pickled cabbage and chipotle sauce, and fried masa with beans and mushrooms. Delicious, incredible flavors and beautiful presentation of food. Only thing I wasn’t too enthused about was the guacamole — not really anything special and seemed underseasoned. We will definitely be going back!

It seemed nice enough walking in and the service was great. They bring out three different sauces two of which have no flavor and three homemade tortillas of some sort to share amongst two people. The prices were a bit overwhelming. Nonetheless I got the most expensive thing on the menu. A $ 24 chicken Molé plate. (Don’t order that) After a while you’re just eating sloppy half a chicken.
Don’t get the flan either. Do get something involving their butternut squash soup stuff. Good luck.

My husband and I went here for brunch today and we were seated immediately. We ordered cocktails, appetizer, and two entrees. The bloody Mary’s came out in a timely manner and were pretty strong for me but my husband enjoyed them. It was just us and two other tables so when our appetizer didn’t come I started to get annoyed. When our entrees came out about 30 minutes later with no mention of our app we asked the waitress and she just looked confused and took out her order pad and muttered something and walked away. All in all the food was delicious, the sauce was wonderful, mine was a little short on meat for the price of the plate and the service was underwhelming to say the least.

I have to give those handmade bean tortillas a 5. I adored the meal overall. It did not get a 5 from me because the pastor taco had no cilantro, onion, or pineapple. I did have generous delicious spicy meat. It was great, but not what I think a pastor is. That seemed better at the very affordable Cha Cha Cha (but the rest of the meal there was sub par) My bad maybe since this may be a regional variation. I got the shrimp, which was really good. I loved the red mole on my husband’s plate and liked the green. Great salad. good margaritas, but better was the rye, tequila drink at the bottom of the menu. They lost a point with their announcement that substitutions are «politely declined». I am allergic to dairy and that just makes me feel sub-​par as a customer if I ask for cheese to be omitted. I would go again.

Unfortunate the chef here thinks his work is comparable to Michelangelo. Someone with a dairy issue, asked to put the cream sauce on the side. «No can do», he says. This guy needs to get a life. Homer

As a Mexican American, finding good legit Mexican food is hard to come by, especially out in Oregon. This place was in the middle of nowhere, but it is legit. It is overpriced, but hey, it is Portlandia aka Hipsterville. It is small, dim lighting & romantic. They played wonderful romantic music in Spanish in the background and the service was great! The salsas were spicy, the tortillas were handmade, and the food tasted fresh. I ordered the Camarones al Ajo (Garlic Shrimp) with rice and a delicious cabbage salad and it was very good! The shrimp were huge and they gave me 8. My parents ordered the tortilla soup (huge bowl), barbacoa tacos (tasty but pricey), and the king salmon with butternut squash (seafood of the day). The salmon was small and butternut squash mash is NOT Mexican. Huge drink menu & variety of Mezcal & Tequila.

Amazing meal — one of the best we’ve had in years. Beef shortribs falling off the bone, escaveche that made us not believe it was cabbage (which I normally hate), mole that’s so insanely good it makes you close your eyes, even queso fundido taken to the next level. Good wine and quiet ambiance and nice service as well.
My only small comments would be that the flan is too sweet and that the bathroom heater had it about 85 degrees in there, like a sauna.
Other than that? Perfection. Can’t wait to go back.

Food: A
Service: A
Atmosphere: B
I was debating giving this place a 4, but then realized this is the most interesting Mexican I have had in Portland so it deserves the 5. My girlfriend and I visited this place late on a Tuesday night so the restaurant was close to empty. The. Food. Was. Amazing. SUCH a unique spin on Mexican. We ordered a seafood heavy meal, and the food did not disappoint at all. Our order was (to the best of my memory):
–Seasonal Ceviche: top of the line, knock your socks off delicious. It was interesting as it had chunks of fish, a rock fish if I remember right, but it was fabulous.
–Guacamole: Chunky, salty, and amazing.
–Pulpo: Beautifully grilled, melt in your mouth delicious. I am writing this review two weeks later and still remember the way it is melting in my mouth. ORDER THE PULPO!
…something else but I am forgetting it.
Service was great, super intimate setting– great date night location.
Tons of gluten free options for you celiacs out there, chef was super accommodating.
If you want non-​traditional, with some great seafood head here!

Some friends and I decided to try this spot out for brunch. There was no wait, which was nice. Cocktails and food were delicious and certainly authentic. Chilequiles exceeded expectations and everyone was happy with their meal.
The service wasn’t exactly friendly… Our server seemed unhappy though she managed to force some pleasantries. The hostess never cracked a smile. When asked if some adjustments could be made to orders, we were told a stern «no» leaving us feeling like we had crossed some line or done something wrong. I wish the atmosphere and service matched the warmth of the food.

Great atmosphere, service and drinks. Definitely pricey. Really authentic Mexican food in my opinion. Gluten-​free! and some vegetarian options available. The inside temperature of my chili relleno was inconsistent, but the sauces were really awesome. Not totally impressed, but I’d try it again.

Stumbled upon this restaurant for Sunday Brunch and was just amazing! My husband and I are avid Mexican food lovers and this was top notch! Kudos to the staff — excellent food and service! Look forward to a return visit next time we are in Portland!

I feel bad giving only two stars because our waitress was so sweet and accommodating, but I can’t help but feel that this was one of the most overpriced and underwhelming meals I’ve had in ages. I’m very surprised to see they have a 4 star rating at this point.
I had been here once before, when they first opened, and my experience then was exceptionally bad. I had purposely avoided it for years. A few days ago a gf of mine said she’d had a delicious tortilla soup here recently, something I have been craving for weeks. That inspired me to give it another try.
My husband and were wanting to keep it on the lighter side so we ordered two appetizers, a salad, and the soup of course. The first app — a spicy shrimp with cucumber, avocado, and a pepper sauce — was sort of hilarious. The sauce tasted almost exactly like Taco Bell’s fire sauce! It was so uncanny that it distracted from everything else. The shrimp itself was cooked well and seemed of good quality, but it was completely overwhelmed by the TB sauce flavor.
The salad, which seemed to be a variation on a Caesar salad, was decent enough but it was smothered in so much dressing that the Romaine quickly went limp and wilted. After trying to eat as much of the lettuce that still had crunch left, we had to leave over half of the salad uneaten on the plate. It was a bummer. This salad could be amazing if dressed lighter. A LOT lighter.
Next came the squash and mushroom enchiladas with almond cream sauce. These also had the potential to be great but again suffered from too much dressing, although in this case it was the sauce. The sauce was very creamy and very bland. It completely overwhelmed what I’m sure we’re the delicious flavors of the butternut squash and trumpet? mushrooms. It was disappointing. Not to mention heavy enough to induce a small tummy ache.
And finally that longed for tortilla soup. The tortillas were excellent. Holding up to the broth and maintaining their crunch for quite some time. But the soup itself tasted almost just like Campbell’s tomato soup! It was very salty and very sweet. And heavy. Almost oily even. There were nice balls of Oaxacan cheese and cubes of avocado floating under the surface, but it was not enough to detract from the very Campbell soup flavor. It was a bummer.
My husband had two beers and I had tea. Our bill was $ 75. It felt brutal to pay that much for such subpar food and be leaving with a stomach ache. I am unsure what everyone else sees in this place that I am missing. But after two visits in such an extended period of time I feel compelled to add my two cents.
But we did have a great waitress and great service. That’s what earned the extra star.

The food was flavorful and interesting seasoned, but I was not particularly impressed. My wife’s meal looked nice but was not as refined as the price would suggest. My dish was very uneven, some parts stringy, some parts overdone, even pockets of salt.
The décor is nice but overall too dark. Really glad it was not overly loud so I could hold a conversation. The lady seating us and taking our order was efficient and polite. The rest of the staff seemed un-​enthused and indifferent.

Went here with a group of friends for Sunday brunch.
Small selection of food but it was decent. The service was painfully slow. And they were unwilling to make any accommodations such as «dressing on the side».
They also have a strict policy of no separate checks and only two credit cards at a table, so it’s not a good choice for groups.

I’ll start with THE GOOD: The strawberry margarita was to die for, tasted really fresh. The food is delicious, and I mean DAMN good. Be sure to order the i’xim (corn appetizer). Believe me when I tell you it is life-​changing. The guacamole comes with homemade corn tortillas, the black ones are amazing. The pulpo and garlic prawns were quite delicious.
THE BAD: Skip the queso and chorizo appetizer, it’s pretty greasy and felt like eating pizza topping, not great. Also, the service is slooooow, don’t eat here if you are in a hurry to get anywhere.
THE UGLY: The prices! Horrific! You will suffer sticker shock, trust.
All that being said, I will definitely go back. There are a few things I still want to try and the brunch looks awesome.

Had dinner here recently. The restaurant was cozy and well-​attended. We ordered off of the Portland Dining Month menu. I had the Fresh kale and queso fresco salad as the first course, the Pierna en chile negro (pork leg) for the main course, and the Helados Autentica (homemade ice cream) for desert. DH had the Orejona salad and the Barbacoa (brisket) as the main course. The flavors of the food were unique (and good!) and the meat and fish were locally sourced.
I had too muck kale to eat for the next too meals, and I’m obsessed! Kale is so good for you, and it has a nutty & crunchy fresh taste, even on the 2^nd day as a salad.
Have mentioned about this restaurant, already to several relatives & friends!
Thanks, Matt E, it was a fantastic evening!

Sorry Autentica– just wasn’t impressed. Adding to the litany of disappointing Mexican eats in PDX, Autentica is just too pricey for the food and service offered. For one, our surly server was difficult to flag down (there were 4 occupied tables in the restaurant) and she successfully managed to evade us whenever possible. With some desparate looks and arm waiving we were able to flag her down, but it was alot of effort for some margarita refills.
The margaritas were decent. Kind of watered down, but drinkable. I really liked the tortilla/​salsa offerings– tasty stuff. My pollo en mole ($ 23) was good. Basic mole, but satisfying. The biggest disappointment came in the form of my husband’s platillo mexicano ($ 19) — 2 enchilladas and a chile relleno. The seeds weren’t removed from the chile making it unbearably hot. For a person who drowns his food (mexican and otherwise) in Tapatio, to see him struggling with the chile relleno was almost laughable.
It wasn’t a bad meal by any means, but when you combine poor service with food that usually has a lower price point its hard to get excited about this place.

Damn good Mexican food here! If you’re looking for enchiladas with rice and beans, please go elsewhere. This restaurant serves Mexican food that is way better and more creative. We all enjoyed our food immensely. Service was a little surly and uneven though.
Our group tried a number of things and tasted each others meals, so we got a good sense of all the dishes we ordered. The ceviche was good; marinated rockfish. Not super spicy and could have used a little help from the salsas. The romaine salad was great; flavorful dressing and crisp greens and radish with some avocado. The Portland Dining month menu also included a kale & cotija cheese salad, which was really tasty.
Main dishes were great too. I had the vegetarian entrée (Tortitas) which came with a flavorful broth and sauteed spinach. Pretty yummy for a non-​meat dish. The barbacoa was fantastic, except for the very large hunk of fat in my husband’s serving. The roasted pork leg was also great. A bit more subtle flavoring than the barbacoa.
For dessert, we had the homemade ice cream and sorbets, which were okay but nothing amazing, and one of us had the goat’s milk custard. It was pretty tasty if you like that sort of thing.
The tortillas and salsa they served were great. The super hot salsa really was pretty hot. The other two were great and each one was very different from the others. Nice touch, and better than chips and salsa. I preferred the black bean tortillas, but they were both fresh and good.
The place is brightly colored, and very loud, We had a hard time hearing each other at our table, but there were a number of large parties in the place, adding to the noise. They were busy, and rightly so. The food is fantastic!

Right after going to Aviary for Portland Dining Month, my favorite eating partner and decided to be fatties and head over to another three course meal at Autentica. For the portion size Autentica provided, I’m surprised it didn’t put us over the top.
Ceviche — upon first bite reminded me of Peruvian ceviche flavors (lime, cilantro, red onion), and then I got a kick from the peppers very good dish but the way they cut the fish could have been a bit smaller and less gristly.
Brisket — deep flavors or charred peppers and hints of spices, delicious
Pork Leg — I got the brisket, but the flavors from the Pork leg were more in line with what I wanted, so much so that my favorite eating partner let me trade. the sweetness and richness of sauce paired well with the vinegar bite of the pickled onions and the fresh cilantro
Ice cream — i was extremely disappointed they ran out of the cajeta (caramelized goats milk) custard, so we go the ice cream option which essentially was a very delicious caramel butter pecan.
Service was attentive.

The name is Autentica, and it serves up some really authentic brunch fare. Head over to Killingworth, get away from the hustle and bustle of Alberta to find this place tucked away in a corner. Some rustic mexican food served leisurely, great place for a chilled out brunch. I got the entomatadas which is
folded tortilla stuffed with chicken or cheese, simmered in a tomato chile sauce and topped with cabbage, cotija cheese and oaxacan cream. Very authentic and very tasty. Special mention for their fruit plate, its a pleasant surprise, very flavorful with fruit sprinkeld with a hint of chilli and doused with honey, makes for an interesting side dish.