La Panza Cafe Reviews

Great food, like really great! And I love the hibiscus lemonade! I eat here every time I come to Portland. Ambiance is lacking and you'd never know the place was there tucked next to a Plaid Pantry but totally worth stopping in, it's far better than it looks but small, only a few tables and can get jammed up but if you can find a table or get some takeout, highly recommend.

This new hole-in-the-wall, next to a convenience store at SE 26th and Division is tiny ... and that causes some problems. Table turnover can be slow. The server (there is one) is friendly but overwhelmed at times. But the food makes up for these (hopefully) near-term shortcomings. So, if you're in a rush, go elsewhere for now. But when you have the time and the hankering for real NEW Mexican (the state, not some nouveau thing) cuisine, come here. The stuffed sopaipillas are great. My wife, not the biggest fan of this cuisine, had enchiladas and enjoyed them. Our friends had never even heard of New Mexican cuisine. they stuck to things they'd heard of (enchiladas) and were very pleasantly surprised. The plain sopaipillas were puffy, warm and not greasy ... in other words, excellent. And both the red and green chile sauces were very, very authentic. And yes, you can get it "Christmas." The prickly pear frozen margarita was also quite good -- but know going in that prickly pear fruit is more piquant than sweet. Andres, the owner/cook, is a recent Santa Fe transplant who says he does what he knows ... and he's been a cook all his life (starting in his father's Plaza Cafe on the plaza in New Mexico's capital), so that's what he'll do here in Portland. If he doesn't burn himself out, he's got a great place for ex-New Mexicans (like myself) and others who have never been there but want to experience the economical, tasty cuisine of the Land of Enchantment. Portland blows through "restaurant fad of the month" endlessly ... as the boarded up remnants of formerly "must-go" places all to easily attest.And La Panza has been getting some media buzz recently. But If it can get through its growing pains -- and here's hoping they eventually grow into a bigger space -- it will be a welcome addition to Portland's restaurant scene.

My wife is from New Mexico, and all she ever does is rave about the food. Well, we have finally found a place that has New Mexican food in Portland, OR. This place is a little cubby hole (6 tables) where the kitchen and the cook/owner, sit right out in the open. My wife swears by the taste that it is juts like eating in Sante Fe. The taste of the food is outstanding and the pricing is very nice. A great little place to eat!!

I went to this restaurant last week to check it out and I was not disappointed. It is at the intersection of Division and SE 26th Avenue. It is a very tiny space in a little strip mall like thing. About 5 or 6 tables. I was seated and studied the menu. I decided to order the Jamaican Cooler for the beverage and the Green Chile Cheeseburger with Avocado and Bacon. I had never had a Jamaican Cooler before and I must say it is wonderful and their Green Chile Burger was amazing and had the right amount of heat from the chiles and it was cooked perfectly. La Panza means "the belly" in English and this authentic New Mexican Cuisine is well suited for that. Open for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

The only other time I've ever been asked if I want Red or Green sauce is when I lived in New Mexico. This place is the real deal. The understand gluten free. I had the tacos with three different fillings. I think the chicken was the best but not by much. My husband had the enchiladas and ate every bite declaring them "perfect". The atmosphere is nothing to write home about but the food is great.

a very small (only six total tables are here) cramped and cozy restaurant serving new mexican, tex mex/southwest food.it was fast and friendly service with a smile when i was there and absolutely DELICIOUS !!! the real "thing: about coming here is this is as close to santa fe and albuquerque as you are gonna get without going there yourself. super awesome yum food, piping hot steaming sopapillas, (the good big puffy kind, the way they are supposed to be, y'know, with honey and steam coming out and fresh and hot and all that) enchiladas, huevos rancheros, tacos, chile rellenos,burritos (the way they are supposed to be) ... green and red real and authentic chile from new mexico hatch farms, they serve breakfast as well as lunch and dinner.bathroom was clean when i was there, parking lot is tight to get out of so beware when backing out of here. they have desserts, i only remember the flan though on it but there are others, the portions are "fair"not large really, but they will "do the job", you'll have to hit the jogging trail or treadmill after all the honey in your sopapillas !!!but it is worth it mmmmmmm...

No pretenses at all Good food unusual New Mexican mostly Blue corn things, fresh chicken, some beer and tequila drinks, cooked right in front of you the place is so small

Start with the fact that I have always liked New Mexican Food. We go to this place, often it is close to our house. The menu is small but thoughtful, the food is genuine and the service is good. It is the real deal to be sure. The sauces in the New Mexico style distinguish the food.

I am a native of Santa Fe and was quite pleased to learn that Andy Razatos (of Santa Fe) had opened a restaurant in Portland. The food is excellent; nothing like the flavor of New Mexico chile. This restaurant is our new place to celebrate birthdays! Margaritas were great as well!

Wanted mexican food and this popped up on Trip Advisor. Started with chips and salsa. Very good! Interesting flavors in the salsa. Had street tacos for lunch. Also very good. I agree with the previous reviews. Nice place. There will be lines when it catches on.

If you need a chile fix while in Portland, La Panza is the place to go. They have real New Mexican red and green chile. Also, their posole is excellent as are their sopapillas. However, their salsa definitely needs work as it tastes a little like barbecue sauce, and the beans (as a vegan I am a connoisseur of good beans) could have been tastier (it may be the way they are cooking the beans). All in all, it was a pleasant surprise to find it in Portland as I had been without any good chile for a couple of weeks. Also, the kids get homemade play dough while they wait.

Being from Santa Fe Andy out does himself bringing a taste of Northern NM To Portland. I am a die hard red chili fan I usually order the Red Chili Carne Asada Buro and it comes with a tasty side of Pork Posole. This is our go to spot for Santa Fe traditional dishes!

The food is wonderful. Green chile, red chile, posole, chile relleno. It is all cooked fresh. This is not a restaurant that serves you the food that they take out of their freezer and heat up in Chef Microwave like most Mexican restaurants. It is real New Mexican flavor with nice spice and heat. Seating is not always ideal. They need a better location. But that's minor. If you like real New Mexican food, that's prepared fresh and prepared well, this is the best place in Portland.

As a native Santa Fean, I have spent the past 10 years of my life in Oregon, obsessing about my next trip home or wondering when I would next my next fix of NM green chile and a decent sopapilla. Andy and his wife, Jessica have created a little Northern NM oasis here in Portland. La Panza may seem tiny, and could easily be overlooked in its odd location adjacent to a Plaid Pantry a few blocks past the trendy explosion of Division Street, but if you have NM street cred, you know that some of the best restaurants are easily missed if you don't look beyond the obvious spots. Sopapillas are temperamental. I've seen some criticism of Andy's sopapillas, and I'll admit the first time I had them they were a bit chewy. Andy spent quite a bit of time last summer working on making as good a sopapilla as you will ever find at sea level - not any greasier than necessary, light with an outer crisp and not overly doughy. Equally good with honey or to sop up the plate after your meal or stuffed with one of several options (including vegetarian calabacitas) as a main course. The chile is true and authentic. The red is as good as any you'll find in Santa Fe, and the green is definitely a contender and miles above anything you'd find outside of NM or southern CO. Green chile flavor and heat varies wildly depending on growing conditions and from year to year. Andy's chile is all true Hatch green chile (that's chile, NOT chili). In late summer, when New Mexicans are roasting their green chile by the bushel in the parking lots of grocery stores all over the state, Andy has a barrel roaster set up in the small parking lot shared with the Plaid Pantry -- just like home. As a bonus, almost every time I've gone to La Panza, we've met other NM expats and always have a fun time playing the "do you remember..." game and always come up with mutual acquaintances or shared New Mexico memories.

The owner/chef knows what e is doing. The New Mexico red chili is so real and the Hatch green is imported from the sunny fields of New Mexico. We had the enchiladas,, ceviche... And stuffed soppapillas. Lots of food, tiny place, free parking, decent prices. We are already talking about going back. If Taco Bell is your idea of good food you need to stay far far away.

Hidden next to a Plaid Pantry, has about 12 seats and you wonder where they keep the beer and fresh food but the place clears rapidly and the food is excellent and the salsa, green and red, and the sopapillas are very good. Not the usual killed wit cheese, just tasty.

We found a great little cafe, hidden on Division, near the food carts. We broke our rule of only eating in busy places, but we really wanted to try it. We were glad we did. They had freshly made corn tortillas for their tacos, and a delicious stuffed sopapilla! Their mild green salsa was spot on. They roast their own chilies. If you like New Mexican food, you'll love this place, plus it's inside, great for the winter months. They are open at 5 for dinner midweek. We will definitely be back.

I have mixed emotions about this review. If I am real honest, crowds will flock in to enjoy the great food. Personally that means future waiting lines. But, it will be worth the wait. True New Mexican food. Green and red sauces like they only make them in New Mexico. A bit of heat but mostly subtle flavors of chilis and smoke. Sadly out of the beef today but the pork was a great stand in. Good bottled beer selection and I understand they have the margarita recipe nailed. So get yourself in this place to enjoy it before the six tables fill up, it gets discovered and lines form. Finish your meal with a Sopapilia drizzled with honey, the way they were intended to be eaten. Enjoy!

Having been born in NM and living in the PNW for the past 40 years, authentic New Mexican food has been on my mind ever since leaving. I happened across La Panza and was not disappointed. Stacked enchiladas with a fried egg and Real sopapillas were so good! Will be back again soon.

I had a $25 coupon so I decided to try 2 entrees rather than their drinks which looked tempting. She recommended chicken for the enchiladas which I would do again. It was very good. I also tried for the first time anywhere for me, their Stuffed Sopaipilla with carne asada. I thought the beef while tasty was a bit dry and chewy, but I was getting full by this time. The first dish also came with a plain Sopaipilla which one puts honey on. It reminded me more of pancake that was not quite cooked completely , except it is light and puffy when you cut into it, but not so much when eating it. As far as I know this is the way these are suppose to be but wont be on my list when I return. Not crowded on a weekday at noon (empty in fact at first), but the parking was soon full, and I parked on the street when I did not see the place at first.

We visited La Panza for the first time for lunch yesterday, and were delighted. The owner is related to the family that runs the wonderful Plaza Cafe in Santa Fe, and they've brought a bit of the southwest with them to Portland. Wonderful meal, friendly staff and reasonable prices.

We are Colorado residents and visit New Mexico a couple times a year to get REAL New Mexican food..... and La Panza -NAILS IT- ! New Mexican cuisine represents a twist on Mexican food that uses authentic, fresh food.... hard to describe but delicious. Typical Americanized Mexican food is kind of a gloppy cheese and bean mish mash... New Mexican food avoids the "glop" and delivers food with distinct flavors and taste. With relatives in Portland, we will return to La Panza every chance we get..... Expand your palate and EAT HERE !

I used to live in Albuquerque so I was super excited to see a New Mexican food restaurant in Portland ! The owner was very nice and doing his best to get everything out quickly (it was busy). The food was delicious and prices were average. The only complaint I have is that the restaurant isn't bigger because we had to sit outside and I personally like to dine inside.

Went in for breakfast on the weekend excellent authentic Mexican so good could have eaten again the next day, very reasonable price, nice and clean place, hidden gem kinda tucked away hard to see. Definitely going back excellent food and service. Five stars keep up the great work!

I have seen La Panza and heard it was good. I finally tried it and it was the best chili relano I have ever had. The crispy texture of the outside was met with a creamy cheese and chili center. The sause was excellent. Really friendly staff. This part of SE Portland is like a small town within a town. It's clean and unspoiled and La Panza is a wonderful little gem in this unique part of town.

Daughters,granddaughter n I out to have early dinner at LA Panza..specialty..New Mexican cusine..we are talking the state of New Mexico USA..since I am originally from there we were interested in trying out the food...it is a small restaurant but has outside seating..the food was delicious. .very New Mexican..lots of red n green chile ...

I love the food here. Fresh and affordable. Great sauces and sopapillas. I hope they do well enough to move to larger digs. There is no privacy here because it is pretty small. (Also, more napkins should be made available).

We went to La Panza based on the reviews. It was ok, but didn't live up to the hype. It was just average, nothing to recommend or return for. We had the Christmas enchiladas and they were fine. The restaurant did a commendable job decorating so it doesn't feel too much like a mini strip mall. The restaurant was way too cold though. We had to leave our coats on. Perhaps they could hang a curtain between the back storage area and the eating area to keep the heat in and so the view would not be boxes stacked on shelves. Also the music was WAY too loud. The waitress was nice, friendly and attentive.

Absolutely the best Mexican food. I love this Cafe. My favorite is the Christmas enchiladas, red and green Chile made fresh. Frito pie is another winner.

my friends say they love this place, i saw a bunch of people waiting to get in, yet we did not think much of the tastes, kinda bland and normal to our disappointment.

My husband is from northern New Mexico and went to college in southern New Mexico and is a bit of a "NM Cuisine snob", with good reason. Outside NM it is very difficult to find the same flavors we love. FOUND in Portland! Again based on online reviews, we visited La Panza for a quick lunch on our drive from central Oregon to Seattle and had to return for breakfast on our way back home to California a week or so later. The owner is originally from Santa Fe and knows his NM flavors. This is the best NM food we've found outside the state of NM! One (slight) criticism - we ordered the green chile cheeseburger on our first stop and most of the green chile sauce drizzled off the burger. However, we were able to sop it up with the fries so it didn't go to waste!