Robo Taco
607 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214
Happy Cinco de Mayo people! Well…. that was yesterday sure but after a night of Margaritas and fun, tacos make for a fine hangover cure! And with that in mind we went to a new favorite of ours. A hole in the wall in all the best ways. Robo Taco!
Now yes we are aware that Portland has shit the door on indoor restaurant dining yet again (making life as a foodie tricky…) but where there is spirit (and taco craving), there is a way! The good people at Robo Taco have simplified things for us, with their indoor dining space closed off, they have converted into a walk up Taco Window!
With their colorful signs and a sunny day, this spot really manages to stand out on Morrison as a fun place to eat. The steady line of people outside let’s you know this is a local favorite, so we had no choice but to put in our order, pull up a picnic table and have our taco feast!
First off. For an appetizer we picked the Chico Nacho plate. ($5.50-$7.75 with protein) Now for this we were not expecting much. Just a few chips to go along with our meal, wow were we surprised!
Not only with the Monterey jack cheese beautifully gooey, we mean that stretchy nacho goodness that you see in cartoons.But the chips themselves were fried perfect crispy and with just the right amount of organic homemade Pinto Beans. What we thought was just a throwaway appetizer turn into something where we were fighting over who gets the last chip.
Next time will be getting the Robo taco super nacho to see what an upgraded version is.
Of course given the name of the place, we have to talk about the tacos. Done in the style of traditional street tacos they are nice and simple in all the best ways. Coming with your choice of meats ranging from Carne Adasa, Al Pastor, Barbacca, Grilled Chicken and Chorizo. Not to mention a variety of Vegetarian options such as Chile Rellenos, Spicy Veggie Sauage and Soy Pastor. For $3 you can get any of these fillings on a duo of Corn Tortillas with Cilantro and Onions. Topped with whichever salsa strikes your fancy.
For ourselves we went with the Lengua Taco with Salsa Verde, it was prepared perfectly. The meat charred just perfectly on the outside but juicy and tender with each bite. The only problem was that we wolfed it down too quickly and wanted another.
Good thing they also offer a Giant Soft Taco ($7.50) for us who like a bigger bite. The perfect balance between a classic street taco and a heavy hitting burrito. Served on a Flour Tortilla with your choice of protein. We went with the Barbacca style beef, nicely shredded with a rich almost smoky flavor. That topped with Romaine Lettuce, Pico de Gallo and Crema. This is a fantastic treat for those who need something they can really get their teeth into.
We also had to try at least one of the Veggie options to see how they compared, we had the Chiles Rellenos Giant Soft Taco. It was an interesting texture, with its mix of roasted Pepper and gooey Cheese, topped with an Avacado Salsa. It was good, but compared to the more carnivorous choices we were not impressed. Still good option if you want to take out your Vegetarian friends and family.
Overall Robo Taco isn’t doing anything groundbreaking here, but rather have focused on making basic foods excellently. You can find tacos and nachos many places but here you can really feel the hard work and respect for the food with every bite. This is our new go to taco spot.
We give Robo Taco 9 robots out of 10
🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖
Sibling Grubbery 