Casa Colima Reviews

We were looking for a new Mexican restaurant as our favored one had recently closed. We ordered the chimichanga with asada and the chicken fajitas. Both were VERY delicious and our server, Marco, did a great job for us. The chips and salsa were also VERY good! I had enough of my fajitas to have leftovers for another meal! We enjoyed the food very much and plan to return again!

Highly recommend this restaurant. The food is so good. We had carne asada burrito, and the chips came with warm bean dip and salsa.

We were coming back from visiting a friend in the hospital and decided to eat before going home. We were greeted with a smile and seated immediately even though they were very busy at 8pm on a Thursday evening. The decor is very detailed and bright beautiful paintings on the booths, and other areas around the restaurant. Music was fun. The staff were all very polite, had smiles for you and very attentive. Their salsa is REALLY good, a touch above a normal mild, but we couldn't get enough. One of the staff that brought us more chips brought us their Jabanero sauce which was tried and was very good, but as recommended just one drop, literally. We were told they have been there for about 3 months and that everything is made in house. We had the original chicken enchilada meal and the deluxe burrito and they were wonderful. We will definitely go back with family and friends we recommend you go try them!

Good, basic food and drinks. Our first visit, we honestly just came to see what this 40oz margarita was all about. I claim that there wasn't any alcohol in it. Because there basically wasn't. Our server Sergio was very nice and checked in on us to see how things were. They bring you a basket of chips (warm and good!), a bowl of refried beans (I've never seen that in any Mexican food restaurant, so that was kind of funny) and a bowl of the typical red salsa- that I like, so no complaints there. We ordered fajitas to split. We had steak and chicken and asks them to leave out the shrimp. Yum, it was plenty of food for two people. We barely finished it actually. With the margarita and a couple of baskets of chips we were set. The decorations in the place were fun and bright! They have tv's playing whatever games are on that day so there were a few other tables filled with people there to watch the game. We liked this place and it's easy to get to from our house a few minutes away. Parking is easy, there's a parking lot around it. The place is clean and the prices are right! They have different dining rooms, it's a huge place! If I had kids this would be an easy place to eat out at. We came a second time and I brought my parents, again the service was great, very friendly and accommodating. We ordered burritos- which were HUGE. I barely ate half of mine and had to save the rest for the next day. We've enjoyed both of the times that we've been there and we plan to go back and bring some friends with us!

I stopped in here while visiting home last week and I used to go here when it was another Mexican Restaurant so wanted to see what the new owners have done.. I just did drinks, but let me just say the Cadillac Margarita is worth every penny!! And the service was great!!! I look forward to going back and having dinner.

A super attention the very delicious food and a good atmosphere, when I return to Oregon I will return delicious new. Is a really nice place, great food excellent service.

Been here three times in the last six months and have to say it gets better and better. The service is great. The restaurant is clean. The tacos, chimichangas, steak burritos, quesadillas and specialty seafood dishes are delicious. The jalapeño cucumber marguerita is amazing. Can’t wait to dine here again!

Had dinner there this evening. The beer was cold...and that’s about it. We ordered the guacamole, which had zero flavor. The chips were good. We ordered chicken enchiladas and the chicken chimichanga. Honestly, the red enchilada sauce seemed like tasteless grocery store sauce. No flavor,no salt, tasteless. The rice had no salt, etc., one of the worse mexicanmeals I’ve ever eaten out. Nacho mamas was great. I will not be returning

I was so impressed when the waitress prepared the guacamole right at our table. The place is decorated with a Mexican flair and the staff is very friendly and efficient.

I've been to this place so many times over the past few years… And I am always impressed! It's just pretty authentic yummy Mexican food… The soups are fabulous,enchiladas are very nice, and last night I had chili trio which was chili Colorado - chili relleno - chili verde... DELISH! The atmosphere is nothing special, but it's very clean. The people that work there are always delightful. Super casual.

Good food, but little overpriced compared to other places. You do get decent portions, so if partially makes up for it. Good service.

The service here is always stellar, the food is delivered promptly & it’s always good. But...they have changed their menu so that you can no longer order tacos a la carte. WHY?...well, because they make more money by forcing you to include beans & rice. So instead of charging, say, $3.50, they can now charge $8.50. My boyfriend & I like this place a lot, it’s close & as I said above, food & service is good, but sometimes (most of the time), we just want a couple of tacos each. You can get a la carte tacos almost anywhere else, so we just might have to go there in the future.

We love this place. Even when it is busy, the service is great. Many excellent choices for mild or spicy palettes.

A large group of us went here after work and had a great time. We were promptly seated and the server quickly took our drink and food orders. The over-the-top Mexican decor made for a fun environment. The menu features a huge number of choices and everyone's plates (more like platters) arrived heaped with well-presented food. Everyone raved about the quality as well. As some of Portland's landmark Mexican restaurants seem to be slipping, I was happy to find this gem as a new go-to choice.

The restaurant could certainly use some upgrading. It's time for the tables and chairs to be replaced. The restaurant was spacious making it kid friendly. There were 7 adults and 6 babies in our party and we all had a lot of space. The food was pretty subpar. Great drink. Ok service. Not sure if I would go back.

Delicious food. Great service and variety. The lamb shank is a winner as are the traditional Mexican dishes.

This is a great family restaurant. It’s colorful and tropical in the inside with very friendly wait staff. The tacos al carbon is a must try! I had it with steak and loved it.

Popped in for a bite and the enchilada wasn’t bad but I hate when they use pre-packaged taco shells for hard tacos. Asked the waiter why can’t they just fry up the dam shell anyway? Told him I grew up on CA Mexican food and he said well your expectations were too high cause people around here aren’t that picky and they think Taco Bell is Mexican food. Wake up PDX and demand better Mexican food! I thought the salsa and the margi were the best so that was good! Looked at the happy hour menu and it looked good!

We just waddled out of here after a feast of epic proportions and taste! We started with the Sampler plate as an appetizer. When it arrived, I realized the folly of my ways. This platter of finger foods was large enough for four... we were only two. Then came the entrees. She got the Chicken Mole Enchiladas. The chicken was moist and the mole most tasty! I got the Chile sampler with Chile Colorado, Chile Verde and a Chile Relleno. The plate was huge! The plate was a visual delight! The plate was a culinary playground of chile delights! Yeah, I liked it. This place puts many Mexican restaurants in Austin to shame.

Very good meal and service. Nice atmosphere as well. Everyone had different items and all was good! Big margaritas!

The food was good. I did not bother checking the menu for prices on my soda. When I got the bill, the Pepsi I had was $4.85. That was a total ripoff and they should be embarrassed to charge so much for a Pepsi. Needless to say, I will be drinking water when I go back. They can fool me once, but not twice.

We ate there earlier today and let me just say, WOW! Our normal spot for Mexican is Juan Colorado but we didn't have one close so we popped in Casa Colima for change. It's beautiful inside and out! The decor is overwhelming but in a very good way. The tables and booths have personally to each. As you get the normal chips and dip you also get a small warm bowl of refried beans to dip in! Ah! I ordered the expresso burrito with shedded beef. Oh my, I honestly haven't been excited in a while! Yumm! The pictures are worth a thousand more words than I can write here. Overall satisfied with the organization of the staff. The bathrooms were also very clean, smelled good, everything stalked. The staff was poliet and welcoming. The building is HUGE , more tables and chairs to count and that doesn't include the outside patio too! I might just have my big grand birthday here! Also don't forget to get a picture with the giant Cow outside.

The food was delicious! We ordered the molcajete to share and the pollo ala crema. Both were full of flavor. The service was excellent. This is a must when visiting Portland!

Family friendly, greeted and seated and excellent staff attention! Lots of things to chose from on the menu. Excellent Salsa and wonderful food!! Glad we were directed to this location for a wonderful meal!!

We've dined at Casa Colima on several occasions. I love this place! The chips are warm and fresh and presented to table almost as soon as you are seated. They have a lovely warm bean dip, as well as a tomatoey house made salsa, that accompanies the chips. I could be satisfied with that alone. Their menu is huge, with lots of variety. The main reason we choose Casa Colima over other Mexican establishments is they provide a lot of choices for vegetarians. They even have a vegetarian section on their menu. The spinach enchiladas and spinach tamales are tasty! Can you believe it? They actually serve VEGETARIAN tamales!! You have a choice of whole black beans or re-fried pinto beans. The beans are lard-free and the rice is chicken stock-free! Yay! You don't find that very often in Mexican restaurants. The last time we visited it was freezing outside and was starting to snow. The host ushered us to a table right next to the fireplace. It was perfect. The decor is bright and lively and the staff and service are always fast and friendly. Casa Colima is perfect for families, work buddy lunches or dinners, or just the two of you enjoying a romantic meal in front of the fire. It is large and roomy and we have never had to wait for a table. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Food was mediocre ,without a taste. We sat outside because of COVID, and it was extremely hot, uncomfortable, no air flowing at all. Service was just ok, food is not worth the money. It was our first time ,we were very disappointed, I won’t recommend it 👎🏻

Our daughter isn't wild about this place but her husband loves it - so we all met here after work. The space itself seems a little dingy and in need of updating, but we all licked our plates clean! The food was scrumptious and the service was good. Glad we went.

Margeritas were great. Chips with the bean dip and other sauces were delicious. The lamb shank was amazing. Meat fell off the bone and melted in your mouth. Service was good.

The décor is kitschy Mexican which is fine. Although there is a parking lot it is shared with so many businesses it is an issue even in off hours. We were seated in a dining room to the left of the entry where there were other diners. We received chips and beans / salsa / water right away along with menus. 2 minutes later the waiter came back for our order which would have been okay if we were regulars but it was our first visit. As quick as this was, his return to the table for the order was that slow, and in the interim the sounds of children which were obvious when we arrived escalated to shrieking. Had they been visible with their parents we would have said something but it appeared the kids belonged to the establishment and were being ignored by everyone but us. They finally quieted just before the waiter returned for the order, and this happened again but thankfully stopped somewhat long enough for us to eat. The food was fine, just average. My chorizo con huevos was a lot more chorizo than huevos. The flour tortillas were delish. My friends had a enchilada combo and a mole and both were also rated average. Overall the screaming kids, whether it was happy or crabby noise, ruined the experience and I would be disinclined to return. The owners and or wait staff should have handled this before it became the annoyance it was. Even so, had the experience been more pleasant, I couldn't rate this more than average. (Btw, there were kids in the dining room who were well behaved.)

We have become disappointed in one of our favorite Mexican restaurants and decided to try this one when visiting that part of Portland one day. We have since been back twice, that is within the last 3 months!! The food was some of the best Mexican food I have ever tasted. Fresh, well-seasoned, beautifully presented. We are kind of snobs when it comes to chili relenos and theirs were amazing! I tried the Tres Amigos platter and loved every bit. Had to tale some home though. The service is outstanding and the atmosphere bright and inviting. Also I love being served chips and both salsa and bean dip, most Mexican restaurants only provider chips and salsa.

Always fresh food, well presented and tasty. Friendly service. Reasonable prices. We enjoy eating there or ordering carry out.

Casa Colima is brightly colored with a nice interior. It is a large restaurant with the TV's often on Mexico stations and if you don't speak the language and are trying to learn, it could be a good place to go to practice. I ordered the huevos rancheros which came with rice (nice) and refried beans (okay. I was offered black beans as an alternative if I wanted). For people who are adverse to spicy food and like Mexican cuisine, this place is for you. Even the sauces with the chips were quite bland. Being used to food from other parts of Mexico while living in Mexico, I missed the fire (the dishes four of us had for lunch were not spicy but others may be). Next time we visit, I will ask about different dishes and sauces.

This is a restaurant of a time and place that is slowly disappearing in Portland. It is not artisan, not gourmet and doesn't specialize in hipster. It is a throwback Tex-Mex place with old favorites if you grew up with access to americanized Mexican food. Good fun, especially if you want to watch the game (lots of TVs are around the whole place).

I've gotten take out from here for two years, usually a taco salad, which came with taco shell, meat, beans, sour cream and lettuce. This afternoon I ordered it with shredded beef and opted for guacamole and sour cream. Sour cream is no longer included - a tiny tablespoon was $.75, as was a tiny tablespoon of guac. The on-line price is $7 for the salad, but I was charged $10.00 - for what I found when I settled in at home was a taco shell, filled with lettuce, topped by ground beef (not shredded), and the added condiments. No beans. Very disappointed at this meal for the price. I felt deceived. Wrong meat, no beans, and overpriced. I will not be back.

From beginning to end a good experience. Ample parking and seating. A very welcoming atmosphere with attentive but not pushy servers. The menu offers a wide variety of dishes. The chips, salsa, and bean dip are quite tasty and fresh. The tasty large portion meals were served at a good warm temperature. For those who like hot sauce be sure to ask for it. Finally the restaurant offered a clean environment.

The margaritas were phenomenal and the selection as well as choices of tequila. The food was even better. My wife is Hispanic, hard to impress when we go out to Mexican food. This we both agreed is the best place we’ve been in the entire Portland metro. Started with the chips and salsa. Chips were warmed and salsa was chunky, a little kick on the spice and great flavor without being overly salty. The wife got chile sampler. The chile verde was clean non fatty meat with a mild flavor sauce that was perfect. The chile Colorado had a robust well rounded assortment of spices and the meat was cooked perfectly like a fine birria. The chile relleno was traditional type NOT the casserole style of so many Mexican restaurants in the states. It was a full pepper with a nice light egg batter and a red ranchero sauce that was delightful to the mouth. I had the ciello mar y Tierra. The carne was buttery, soft and well seasoned. The chicken was cooked to perfection. The flavor was a little light but still very good. The bacon wrapped shrimp was the only question mark. Something was just off in the flavoring but still very edible and it’s bacon so you can still enjoy. The beans and rice were as good as we’ve eaten at any restaurant. Surprised they didn’t do homemade tortillas but whatever brand they used were fine.

They served a big party of 12 on short notice and were very accommodating. The portions were huge, service was great, and the food delicious. The margaritas were good too, as were the churros for dessert. Besides that, had large hi def televisions throughout the restaurant to watch the nba finals.

We stopped in here on a recommendation of a friend while on a recent trip to the area. At 12:30 there very few customers. The portions received were quite big. The chicken was chewy. I did really like the bean dip that is served along with the chips and salsa.

We had combo plates, hubby enjoyed his Chimichange and tamale. I got the pork tamale and Chili Relleno. The tamales had so much pork filling them they were wonderful! We did save room for dessert, the Flan sugar topping is fired at the table so cool, the Churro's were delicious too. I It's a big place so even if the parking lot is busy there is usually plenty of seating. Cheers

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE experience!!!! Talking about incompetent management, they have it here!!! We used to eat here all the time, NEVER AGAIN!!! What happened was we were seated next to an unruly family that reminded me of the Clampets. The 3 year old child kept up kicking my seat and banging against the seat. It was absolutely horrible. I complained to our waiter and he said he would talk with them, he sort of did that. However, it did not do any good. I complained a number of times. No good. Finally when our food came to the table I was so disgusted I had lost my appetite. I asked to box it up. The waiter had horrible skills and no help. I asked to talk with the manager, the waiter had 'HE' would be by soon. We had to ask several more times, finally manager Emily came over, we were ready to leave. I turned to the table and told them they were obnoxious and the stupid husband said too bad, and he followed with a long line of profanity. Manager Emily told me to get out!!! I told her we paid full price and she said we did not deserve a break on our bill. We paid full price which was unbelievable!!! She said we could not be moved to another table because we already had our food. I did not understand that at all. Manager Emily was extremely inept in her handling of this. She had HORRIBLE skills and the only thing she did was pour gas on the fire. I asked manager Emily who I could talk to in management and she told me NO ONE!! I doubt that was true. I told her we ate there all the time and we would NOT be back, manager Emily said "Good and get out!!!!" I was flabbergasted and amazed. This could have been handled so much better. One thing is certain, it could NOT have been handled any worse!!!!

I live in France and Mexican food is one of the things I miss most about being away from North America. On a whim, we decided to stop by Casa Colima in Hillsdale for dinner on a recent visit. I wish we hadn't. Look: the service was very attentive and polite. No complaints there. The drinks were decent. Perfectly fine. But the food, oh, the food: such a disappointment. Sludgy cheese and sauce surrounding rice and tortillas. It was everything bad I remembered about Mexican restaurant food in the U.S. from the '70s and '80s with none of the good that has come about in the past decade or two. If you love that '70s or '80s kind of thing, Casa Colima is your place. But if you're looking for fresh flavors and healthier options in your Mexican cuisine, continue looking elsewhere.

I'm Mexican and decided to introduce my American boyfriend to my people's cuisine, it was great. It's by far the best Mexican restaurant in the entire Portland area.

We didn't realize it was 6 pm on a Saturday night, Fryers Tucks was hour wait, and seafood place had no parking left. But found this wonderful family Mexican restaurant. The service good, great food, and good price.

Really good, fresh Mexican Food at very reasonable prices. The portions were very good sized and the service was outstanding. i'll go back for more.

Service is always great! Food is traditional, basic Mexican food - not gourmet, but really delicious! Warm chips and fresh salsa and hot bean dip always served first, all the soups are delicious, Chillori nano is yummy… But again very traditional & lots of cheese! Margaritas are a generous size & dang DELISH! Atmosphere is old school (kind of tacky - but clean)