It’s a food truck turned restaurant. It may not be the American dream, but it is the Portland dream. Humble beginnings gather a loyal and excited crowd and eventually, the brick and mortar Güero restaurant is born. I love it!
Güero has made its name by serving tortas, and more specifically, torta ahogada, which is a drowned torta. This is the result of a happy accident that happened years ago in Jalisco, Mexico, when the contents of the sandwich fell into a pot of red chile sauce.
Carnivores, vegetarians, and omnivores alike could all go out together and each one would find something to their liking. Carnitas, chicken, refried beans, masa with the fixings – take your pick. For me, I picked their cart bowl, because I can do without the bread. You order at the counter and they bring the food to you. I loved the blue and white decorative bowl matching the blue and white decorative tables outside.
Güero is right on Restaurant Row
The location is excellent. Who could argue with restaurant row, which is on NE 28th between Burnside and Glisan (although informally, it can extend a few blocks in any direction from that five block strip). The fact that I see crowds at Güero much of the time is a good sign as well.
But what I really want to commend them on is that they are talented with spices and use them liberally. Any restaurant that can appropriately sprinkle the spice in, while keeping the overall flavor of the dish balanced, goes on my personal gem list. For example, the tamarind tomatoes are a unique twist, being roasted in a light tamarind sauce. And I could taste the cinnamon and earthy rice flavor in the horchata, a real bonus, since most horchatas I have tried, I cannot taste anything beyond the sugar.
Güero made its official transformation from food cart to brick and mortar in February 2017. So, if you are in the Kerns hood, please get your taste buds ready give them a well-deserved whirl.
- Güero
- 200 NE 28th Ave.
- Portland, OR 97232
