Ole Frijole

Cleverly named Ole Frijole is on the busy corner of NE Killingsworth and 42nd Ave. Charming and inviting in its simplicity, this modest little place offers all of the taqueria standards. The people are beyond friendly, making you feel truly welcome.

Carnitas Burrito

Price: $6.00

Ingredients: Carnitas, rice, pinto (or black) beans, cheese, sour cream, lettuce

Sides: Delicious array of salsas, habanero cabbage, and pickled jalepeno carrots

Size: SUPER filling

Firstly, this may be my favorite array of burrito condiments ever! The hot red salsa had a kick, but not overwhelmingly so. It had this emergent flavor that made me suck on the insides of my cheeks after each bite, in an attempt to extract every possible drop of the spicy goodness. I can still feel it in my taste buds. Do I even need to mention that the habanero cabbage was absolutely brilliant and booming? The green salsa was perfect for soothing the tongue between spicier bites.

Now, for the burrito! The ingredients were fresh and flavorful, merging seamlessly as they swirled around and around in my mouth like an eddying stream. As you can see in my pictures, ingredient dispersion was off, with too much lettuce and sour cream at the beginning. As I progressed onward, more and more flaky pink pork pieces and beany love emerged.

Chowing down on this guy was like reading a good book; foreboding (could this just be another evil lettuce burrito?), mounting pressure (it's getting better...), engaging plot twists (pork, salsa, pork, cheese!), climax (om nom nom nom), and slowly all the loose ends get tied up into a happy ending (FULL BELLY ME FEEL GOOD).

The Rating

3.8 outta 5- there's always room for more pork.

Will I be back? Yes, if I lived closer this would be on my continuous rotation of burrito joints!

Panaderia Cinco de Mayo

Way down south, a little Mexican bakery sits. They just so happen to cook up some authentic Mexican grub as well. Located at 8416 SE 32nd ave, south of Johnson Creek- welcome to Milwaukie!

Carnitas Burrito

Price: $5.50

Ingredients: Carnitas, Refried beans, Pico, Rice, Cheese

Sides: Spectacular pickled peppers and salsas galore!

Size: Medium

The atmosphere felt right, a simple Mexican grocer on the edge of nowhere, making tacos and burritos in the back. Well loved by local taco hunters, I knew it had to be good!

Once again, my preconceived notions got the best of me. This burrito was chock-full of tepid, gristly chunks of meat, many of which were so sinewy that they were damn near unchewable. In my attempt to consume this, I likened myself to a cud-chewing-cow; futilely masticating, a look of disdain on my tired face. The beans were pasty and pointless and cold. The only salvation was the tortilla and the tasty array of condiments.

I seriously hope that I just hit them on an off day, or ordered the wrong thing. I expected so much more from this place, but I've learned that "authentic" most definitely does not equal good.

The Rating:

0.5 out of 5. 

Next time I will go for the pastries.