¿Por Qué No? Hawthorne Location – Portland, Oregon

Portland is often deemed a food city and it’s hard to not agree wholeheartedly with that claim. I’ve thought about what makes Portland so popular with it’s food scene and why patrons (like myself) are willing to wait an upwards of an hour to eat at a restaurant. In my mind, Portland and San Francisco have this notoriety, but what makes them different than Vancouver? I’d like to think of it as a combination of many things. For example – there are a lot of greasy diners and Mexican dishes that they do so well and my best assumption is because of proximity and demographic – we have less Mexican influence in our city. What makes Pok Pok wings so difficult to replicate here – there are several restaurants who have tried and some that come close, but not quite there. Is it because we aren’t as manic about food as our southern friends? I still haven’t found my answer yet, but if anyone has an opinion, I’d love to hear it.

So back to what you’re actually here for – ¿Por Qué No?. I am a big fan of learning why people get into cooking and opening up their restaurants. And if you have a moment to check out their website and read up on their story, you should. Coles Notes: A sailing trip that introduced Bryan Steelman to the vibrant Mexican culture.

¿Por Qué No? taqueria passionately supports the local economy using local meats and using sustainable practices wherever possible.

Be prepared for a little bit of a wait here – there was one evening Brian and I came and we ended up at Apizza Scholls instead (although the wait there was over an hour as well). The second time we came was early in the afternoon on a Sunday – there was still a lineup, but it moved quickly and the turn around for patrons is pretty quick.

We started off with Mango Agua Fresca ($3) and Horchata ($3.50). Brian’s Mango Agua Fresca was so satisfying and delicious, we wanted to go back and order another round. Their horchata in comparison to the handful I’ve experienced both here in and in San Francisco is a bit more ‘spicier’. I think it was once described to me ‘like drinking Cinnamon Toast Crunch milk’…but I assure you – yes, it does kind of taste this way, but it’s really good – especially if you’re eating something super spicy. It’s also made with rice and almond milk, so it’s perfect for lactose conscious people.

We ordered the Ceviche ($9.50 with chips) – made with wild shrimp, diver scallops in seasoned lime juice and served with guacamole, cabbage, serrano salsa and sliced avocado. Here is an example of a dish that doesn’t need much and it was easily the best ceviche I’ve had in a long time (if not the best). The lime juice just brightens it up and gives it this delicious, clean zest that is making my mouth drool just trying to describe it to you right now. The ceviche is generously full of shrimp and scallops. I could’ve ate this on it’s own because it was just so great.

We also ordered guacamole and salsa with tortilla chips ($6) – but honestly we could’ve skipped it because we had ordered the ceviche with all the fixing as well. Not to say that it wasn’t good – it’s just if you order something with them, you can do without it (I think I was a little over excited and ordered too much).

And since we were at a taqueria, it only made sense to try their tacos. They are all served on a single, fresh housemade corn tortilla and range from $3-$4.75. I enjoyed tasting all of them, they were all very flavourful and had a generous portion of protein. My two favourites were the Carne Asada and Carnitas – simply because the meat was tender and juicy.

The entire restaurant is so much fun to look at, there are lots of knick knacks and signs. If you are heading down to Portland, I’d definitely recommend checking out this place!

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Check out their website and menu here: http://www.porquenotacos.com/