Tacos Salazar

In a strange vortex where the suburbs mingle with the countryside, a little food cart sits like a mirage in the parking lot of a country store. At the intersection of Hwy 224 and 212, you'll find Tacos Salazar. Google says the address is: 15252 OR-224, Damascus, OR 97089

Why would you find yourself way out in these parts, you ask? Perhaps you are on your way home after some recreating along the Clackamas River, or you had to go to the DEQ. Maybe you work in horticulture or needed to pick up gravel or some sort of oil tank. Maybe you just want a tasty, unpretentious burrito.

Chile Relleno Burrito

Price: $6.50

Ingredients: Chile relleno, pinto beans, rice, cheese, creme

Size: Large

Sides: Red and green salsa

Wrapped up like Christmas came early, this hefty guy was brimming with pinto beans. As I delicately lifted half and unwrapped the paper, steam wafted up into the cool fall air and my heart was set aflutter.

The toothsome tortilla was salty and fresh, with that light toasty texture that lives in perfection between flaky and squishy. The chile relleno had a wondrously crisp outer layer, and the pepper was fleshy and cooked just right. A wee bit more cheese at its core would have put it over the top. The stem was still attached, so I got a surprising bite there at the end and had to dig it out of my mouth. Enticing, right? Ingredient dispersion couldn't have been better, and mmm... the red salsa actually had some heat to it!

The Rating

4 out of 5.

Even with the stem, this one was damn tasty.

Poblano Pepper

Poblano Pepper is located on Belmont in a little food cart pod between SE 42nd and 43rd. I couldn't
resist trying a cart of this name, and I recall a fellow burrito friend suggesting it. They offer all the standard grub, and some enticing extras.

Oh man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about writing this review. I'll be back after I have a snack...










... ok, on with the review!

The Chile Relleno Burrito

Price: $7.00

Ingredients: Chile relleno, pinto beans, rice, guacamole, pico, cotija cheese

Size: Big Papa

Sides: Green and Habanero Sauce

Of course I had to get this one! I assume they know their way around a pepper. High hopes friends, high hopes.

This guy was grilled and sealed like a fat little envelope stuffed with surprises. The tortilla was infused with garlic, adding a nice flavor without being overwhelming.

Delving inside, the shining star of the show was no doubt the chile relleno. It was so fresh, perfectly textured, and spanned the entire length of the burrito. Mmm mm mmmm! The poblano had a hearty meatiness about it, pulling apart enticingly between my teeth with each smokey bite, yummy creamy cheese through its core. The beans and rice were alright, and the guacamole and pico added that lovely cooling touch. 

My husband tried the rajas poblano burrito, which includes a pepper mixed with onion and cream, and I must say it was also quite tasty (if you like a creamier kind of burrito).

The Rating:

What what? 4.2 stars out of 5

Will I return? Why yes, I'd love to try more burritos or just get the relleno again and again until I explode.

Mi Burrito

What's better than eating burritos alone? Well, maybe nothing. However, eating burritos with people can be enjoyable too. So when a fellow burrito junkie friend invited me to try one of his favorite spots, I happily obliged.

This brings us to Mi Burrito, located at 819 N Lombard St. There's always a certain pressure when someone I know recommends a burrito... I mean, what if I hate it? How awkward would that be? I can't lie, I can't write a fake review just to appease someone. I have to critique my burritos truthfully, even if it means cutting that person out of my life- forever. Burritos are just worth so much more than civility. So, what happened here? Did I have to excommunicate Mr. Folts?

The Mi Burrito

Price: $5.25

Ingredients: Steak picado, chile relleno, refried beans, avocado sauce

Size: Gut Stuffer

Sides: Full salsa bar with 5 different sauces, fresh salsa, pickled carrots and jalapenos, grilled jalapenos...

Burrito Boys

While eating, we chatted about this latest trend among taquerias- the steak and relleno combination burrito. So many places are doing this nowadays, and most of the time it's their namesake burrito. It can oftentimes be too much for one burrito to handle, but not in this case.

The burrito came out nice and steamy hot, just how I like it! Though the tortilla was lacking that crispy grilled perfection, the wrap job was splendid. Upon first taste, I noted the saucy steak, with just the right amount of chew. It took a few rows of chomping to make my way down to the relleno, which was disappointing. But, when the tried and true egged up greasy pepper finally made it's debut, it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed tasting all the different sauces, but none of them really tugged at my heart strings. If Bob Ross was painting a picture of this burrito, he would call the refried beans "happy little mushed up beany friends." Although this was a saucy burrito, the tortilla held together perfectly and I barely had any juice on my hands at the end.

The Rating

My Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Mr. Folts' Rating: 4.2 out of 5

So, I think Mr. Folts and I can still get along. Thanks for the burrito adventure, sir!

King Burrito (update)

Well, I've been burrito blogging for so long now that I think it's appropriate to revisit some places that I haven't been to for years. Just to check in, check on the quality, ya know. My original post was from way back in 2012, and involved a lovely canoe jaunt at Smith and Bybee Lakes. Ahhh, summer time. This visit was a burrito date with some friends of mine to check out their new hood and local taqueria.

King Burrito still appears to be a neighborhood institution. I am also happy to report that prices have not changed. You can still get a burrito for $4.50! Quite a deal in today's Portland. I opted for their slightly more expensive ($5) namesake burrito this time.

The King Burrito

Price: $5.00

Ingredients: Steak picado, chile relleno, beans, guacamole

Size: Big

Sides: Red and green sauce

Again, I was impressed with the guacamole. Some places charge upwards of 2 dollars for a tiny tiny tiny addition of guac, but it came standard on this guy. Unfortunately, the ingredient dispersion was a bit sloppy, and most of the guac was gone after a couple of bites. The steak had good flavor, but I had a couple of tough bites and it started dripping grease through the bottom of the tortilla fairly quickly. The relleno had a lovely texture, with just the right amount of cheese and a subtle hint of spice. The red sauce was quite yummy! By the end, this guy was drooping and falling apart from all the grease.

The Rating

Lowering the rating slightly for this one- 3.6 out of 5 stars.  

La Morenita

La Morenita is one of the many mexican food options along Hawthorne Blvd. It's a food cart at 32nd. Almost 4 years ago, my first burrito review was from Neza, which sits just a block up the street. Who knows if that review is still accurate. 4 years... where has my life gone?  My memories are shaped by whichever beans I happened to be eating at the time, my emotions tamed by that belly-full-o-love. Anxieties melt, like cheese atop a heaping pile of sizzling beef, or pork. Some people have God or animal spirit guides, some people pop pills or run marathons... I have burritos.

The Morenita Burrito

Price: $7.00

Ingredients: Steak, chile relleno, beans, cheese, lettuce, pico, guacamole

Sides: Red and green salsa, chips, lime wedge

Size: Large

What an elegant presentation, like a green checkered angel- fallen to earth. Or perhaps a bird on the wing, soaring high above that which the human brain can fathom.

 ...ok ok, it's just a burrito, sorry.

There were cheaper options on the menu, but I can never pass up steak and chile relleno together in one being, as you may well know.

My cheeks warm as I gently inhale, chewing each bite contemplatively and wholly. I let the flavors marinate on my tongue, as steam radiates up and out into the cool January air. Seesawing between splashes of spicy red sauce and soothing green, I tease my brain with simple pleasures. The pepper is stuffed with soft creamy cheese and has a nice crisp casing. The cooling pico and lettuce add a fresh crunch. Morsels of steak are finely chopped and offer the perfect amount of meaty chewy goodness. While the textures balanced precisely midway through, I felt ingredient dispersion was a bit off- too much lettuce at first, then all meat at the end. I didn't pick up on much guacamole, and it could use a bit more beany cheesiness. Something about it felt delicate, as though a lot of thought and love went into its creation.

The Rating:

3.8 out of 5

A great option if you're walking down Hawthorne. I would choose this a million times over cha cha blah.

Super Burrito Express

I was driving in circles around the outer fringes hunting for burritos today, and I passed 3 abandoned taquerias before deciding just to go here. It's in Milwaukie, next to the Safeway at SE 42nd and King Road. Milwaukie... what can I say about this... town? It's truly weird. They don't have to try to be weird, it just flows through their veins! It's as though the entire place exists inside of an alternate universe where Walmart is the overlord.

The looks of Super Burrito Express are a turn off. It's a local joint, but the facade screams out corporate fast food hole, only grimier.

The Super Burrito

Price: $6.80

Ingredients: Steak picado (cooked with tomato, onion, cilantro), chile relleno, refried beans, avocado sauce

Sides: Red and green sauces, pickled jalapeno and carrots

Size: Big but not toooooo big

My feelings for this one are conflicted. The steak picado was rich and savory, with the tomatoey oniony peppery sauce adding a comforting allure, followed by a wave of spicy gusto. The texture, though, was a bit off. Some slices were too fatty, spawning an unappealing chewiness, while others weren't chopped small enough, making it difficult to get that perfect mouthful. Ingredient dispersion was out of balance, with the first 5 bites or so being almost all bean. The relleno's cheese was not melty enough and had a squeaky texture. There was no rice or lettuce taking up space (yay!), but that also made it very heavy in the belly. I couldn't twist at the waist after finishing up, and I kind of wobbled out to my car, uncertain about who I was or where I was or what I was. I think I sprouted an extra roll of fat above my love handle. Each day I get closer to becoming a circle person with stick arms and legs!

The Rating

2.2 outta 5 stars

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Chopollos

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This cart is located in a food cart strip on SW 4th at SW College St. There are plenty of Mexican food options on the PSU Campus. Within a 6 block radius I saw 5: Loco Locos, Taco Del Mar, Tito's Burritos, and 2 carts (there's a Chipotle close by too, I'm sure). What kind of college student wouldn't want a heavenly hangover cure that can be turned into 2 meals for 5 dollars? I choose Chopollos because it was open on a Saturday and it was new to me.

The Chopollo Burrito

I had to try their signature burrito!
Price: $5.00

Ingredients: Chile Relleno, Steak, Rice, Refried Beans, Pico, Cheese

Sides: Red and Green Salsa

Size: Large and in Charge

This puppy was bundled up nicely and had a perfectly grilled outer tortilla crust, giving it a nice hot crispy exterior and inner chewiness.

Each bite was steaming hot, perfect for eating outdoors on a crisp fall afternoon. The inner ingredients were superbly layered, allowing for an equal amount of each to be enjoyed throughout. Copious quantities of cheese oozed from the relleno, and with each bite the strings of wonder stretched from my lips, holding tight until they could reach no further and SNAP! They dangled freely, only to be sucked into my mouth like sloppy ramen noodles. Nothing is much more satisfying than slurping up cheese strings. The relleno was of a more eggy variety than I usually enjoy, but it worked on this guy. There wasn't a ton of steak, which was fine with all the relleno and cheese to be savored, and the refried beans added a comforting toasty yumminess. The menu said it had guacamole, but i didn't taste any. Cheese, cheese, and more cheeeeeeeese!

The Rating: 

4 out of 5 

Would I go here again? Yes.

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Olé Olé

Located at 2137 E Burnside, I didn't get a chance to visit this establishment, as this was a burrito delivery! Nothing's nicer than having a burrito delivered right to your big fat gut (thanks honey!).

The Ole Ole Burrito

Price: $5.50

Ingredients: Steak, Chile Relleno, Beans, Rice, Pico, Guacamole

Sides: Red and Green Salsa

Size: Filling enough...

I decided to give another one of these chile relleno + steak burritos a go.  This one delivered an almost overwhelming mesh of texture, like eating two burritos wrapped in one skin. The steak wasn't very flavorful, yet had a nice amount of chew; not too tough, not too soft- like baby bear's porridge. The amount was lacking, however. The relleno was on the tough side, and the cheddar cheese had a spongy, springy, squeaky consistency. There wasn't too much rice, and the beans were delicious... but I wasn't dazzled. Just another standard burrito to forget about.

The Rating

2 out of 5 stars

Will I go here again?

Doubtful.

Nayar Taqueria

Nayar Taqueria is on Foster, at SE 59th ave. It has replaced another taco shack that used to occupy the space. I was excited to try a new place, and was rooting for them! They offer modest decor and typical taqueria fare.

Relleno Classico Burrito

A chile relleno... and steak? Together... in a burrito? Yes please! I couldn't pass up that ridiculously delicious sounding combination!

Price: $6.50

Ingredients: Rice, Refried Beans, Chile Relleno, Steak, Guacamole, Pico

Sides: 2 giant red and green sauces

Size: Medium





My first impression was that the burrito seemed small. However, the enormous salsas may have messed with my perception. Upon taking my first bite, I noticed a strange texture. The steak was chopped into minuscule grey bits, which were intermixed and disguised within the other ingredients; forming a chewy, dare I say gristly, undertone to each bite. While the chile had been roasted, the skin hadn't been removed, giving it a fibrous, unfinished essence. The cheese in the center was greasy and rubbery. The guacamole was the diamond in the rough, pulling through with its creamy freshness, yet still lacking any substantial amount of flavor. The beans and rice were forgettable. With so many strange textures going on, and no spice; this burrito had too much, yet not enough, going on. I wanted to like it, but want often leads you astray.

The Rating:

2 out of 5 stars.

Will I go here again?

Probably not. I hope they get it together though!