La Isla Bonita

A truly great east-​side Mexican place. We were on the East-​side and needed a MEAL for lunch given we’d had no breakfast and were anticipating a very late dinner. We found La Isla Bonita on Unilocal!,good reviews, and close, so we bounced in. Me: Camarones en Mojo De Ojo. Mi Chula: Chicken Tamales. Both: Negro Modelo. Everything: excellent. Beers were up in freezing cold mugs with ¼ of a lime. Service perfect and friendly. Delish. Try it!

Love love love the carne asada and the wonderful service I receive every single time!

This is probably one of my favorites. Their food is great, and the opening with nice warm chips is the best was to start a meal. I would eat the enchaladas here every night if I could

Meh. Large portions, but the special (at full dinner price) featured the toughest pork i have had in ages and more onions than any mortal plate should have.

The food wasn’t horrible but it really wasn’t amazing. It was mediocre at best. Bean dip they bring out with the salsa tasted like out of a can, and their chile relleno wasn’t good at all. I was very disappointed considering the reviews I read before I went in.

Top 3 Mexican restaurants in Portland. Food is authentic, drinks are great and price is fair. Service was great as well.

I know to be really skeptical when reading reviews about Mexican places in PDX. I have been to ones with lines out the door that were mediocre, at best.
I had a Doctor’s appointment and I always stop when I see a joint I have not hit. I am still on the quest for good cheap burritos in this town. So far the best has been CA average, at best.
This was a mixed bag.
The standing ovation was a side of bean dipped real salsa (not squirt bottle crap like most places around PDX) with some warm chips landed in front of me before I ordered. Chips are CHEAP. listen up other locations charging for them. Please. it is just what a good establishment should do, and it will keep people coming back.
The burrito had good beans. The red sauce was nothing to scream about. The Spanish rice was okay. What KILLED it? Onion. This town has a damn love affair with spreading raw pungent white onion on the food. It was overpowering. Destroyed the flavor. Hurt my stomach. Gross.
It was priced fine for a sit down Mexican joint, $ 7.50 for lunch. They brought more salsa that I finished up my decent chips with.
They have a good selection of Mexican Cerveza. I have been liking Modelo Especial a lot lately. But come on, $ 4.85 for a Mexican beer? A dollar fiddy, at least, too much too charge for cheap beer.
The odd thing, and I don’t know why this happened… I went to the front registrar to pay since it looked like that is what you do here. He gave me a buck fifty or 2 dollars short in change. I had every intention to leave my usual 15% or better. So he puts another 5 cents down, and I recount what I have because I want to leave $ 2 and some change… but in the end, when I dropped 2 bucks. I realized I really left over $ 3.50 for a $ 11.45 meal, because I was tired of checking the bill and recounting as he did not just give me my correct change. Just weird.
I know this has potential. Just tell them HOLD ALL THE ONION.

The service was slow the waiter disappeared after he brought the chips and salsa. The food was not too bad even though I found the rice to be a bit salty.

Nice opening with warm chips and tasty salsa. Huge menu. Had a seafood burrito and with the sides it was more than I could finish. Good flavors. A lot better than a lot of the other family Mexican spots we’ve tried.

I don’t know that I have ever been in such a mismanaged depressing Mexican Restaurant. I made a to go order but after paying for it I saw some friends and sat with them a while. The waiter came over took my chips and salsa out of the bag and poured them out on the table. Rude and embarrassing. Guess I don’t need to give this place any more money. Plus their margaritas are void of tequila. Classless

I am picky when it comes to rating mexican food but this place doesn’t disappoint. Chile verde is the bomb and portions are huge.

The food was super good! I had the small combination of two chicken enchiladas and my husband had the large combination of one enchilada, a chili relleno, and a tamale. We were very shocked at how large my husband’s plate of food was! My plate was absolutely delicious, and my husband said his was wonderful, as well. The staff was very, very friendly and never neglected us at all. They came by quite often to ask us if we needed anything. The décor is very warm and inviting and friendly. The prices were even pretty reasonable. The bean dip that came with the chips was a little spicy, but that’s my personal taste.

Looked for a place for lunch near our VW service appointment. Easy walking distance. Very nice place with good prices. I had the enchiladas mole, my favorite. They did a great job on this. Then I had the fried Ice cream. Another good job and it was big enough for 3+ people.
This is a must try spot.

One word review: Excelenté
Came here with the Girlfriend after work for dinner. Seated at our table we were greeted with warm tortilla chips, an okay watery bean dip, and the one thing I think all Mexican restaurants should give you: a carafe of salsa. We ate two baskets of chips and the entire carafe of salsa before our food came. That fact speaks more to our ravenous after-​work hunger and the tastyness of the salsa then it does to the speed of the chefs. I ordered the deluxe burrito with carne asada, and the Girlfriend ordered the enchilada and chalupa combo plate. The carne asada was delicious and really made the burrito come together. I had a bite of the cheese enchilada, and the sauce was on point, with the perfect hint of bitterness at the end. I didn’t taste the chalupa, but after taking a big bite, the Girlfriend waved her arms about and gestured inarticulately until she finished chewing and said in a very satisfied manner, «THIS is a chalupa.»
Overall, the portions were generous and tasty, the staff was friendly, and the price is just what you’d expect for a decent dinner.
Try it out.

The food is passable, but much of it lacks flavor. The restaurant seems understaffed.

I would agree with the 3 ½ star review on this place. I would say it is average at best. The food overall was a little bland.
Service was good, although we did have to ask for a high chair three times. The staff was friendly and attentive.
The salsa & chips were tasty. A plus was the bean dip that came with the chips and salsa. The salsa & bean dip had a bit of a kick which was nice.
I got the avocado tostada and beef enchilada and like I said it was slightly bland. The refried beans and rice I have had better elsewhere.
The décor was very cute and the restaurant was well maintained.
We came here with friends and would probably come back. However, I need to try another dish I think.

I love this colorful place. Bright and cheery décor make me feel good and the food makes my tummy smile. The staff here is friendly and efficient — they treat customers like special guests. Tonight we stopped by for food to go. I got the Tijuana taco salad and the hubby got a monster style burrito. My taco salad was excellent. Crispy shell, crisp lettuce, nummy beans, rice and beef, just the right hint of onion, avocado, and sour cream. I tossed a little of the tasty salsa they provided with the complimentary chips. The hubby loved his burrito too!
This is the type of restaurant we will return to again and again — bright and clean place, friendly people, and consistently fresh well-​prepared food.

Solid basic American Mexican food
We tried this the other night and it was pretty decent. My boyfriend liked the Arroz con Pollo, but he likes everything. I got a small combo and was pleased that it was small, I finished most of my plate and was satisfied but not uncomfortable. 1 taco, nothing special, and a tamale which I would probably give 2 stars – not much flavor, not much meat, sauce nothing special. This place is pretty much the same as El Indio and La Carreta.

It is with great sadness I can only give a generous 2 stars — the people are so nice but the food isn’t even good Americanized Mexican.
I went back last night after reading the reviews thinking that maybe it had gotten better. Instead I found the same uninspired dining I had last time.
Yes, the margarita was huge — this was not a good thing. Just like before I noticed a distinctly soapy flavor in my drink and the blackberry tasted kind of like blackberry pancake syrup.
The warm bean dip was probably the best part of the experience and the warm chips were passable and the salsa was not terrible — just not good.
He who will eat anything couldn’t finish his burrito and I struggled through my rice and beans heroically but had to quit halfway through. They didn’t just not taste good, the beans were off somehow and the rice was slightly firm and soggy at the same time.
These are such nice people it’s difficult to have to say — hey! You really need to update your menu and put a little caring into your food. I can overlook the décor but not the food. With such a huge parking lot, I would hope that you’d know that only 5 vehicles in the middle of the dinner hour is not a good showing.

Super good food. I had the small plate. 1 Chicken Tamale, 1 Chicken Hard Shell Taco with Mexican Slaw, Re fried Beans and Spanish Rice. You also get a complimentary basket of Corn Chips with Salsa Roja and Bean Dip. Less than $ 10.00 They were a bit slow on a Sunday afternoon but still. I was seated fast. Order taken quickly and my meal arrived in a timely fashion. I was taken care of and enjoyed my food. As usual, I made animal noises and dripped beans on my shirt. I wasn’t even that hungry, That’s how I roll!
The restaurant is decorated in pretty ceramics and paintings. Detail even flows to the seats. A good place for the family or Date Night. I noticed a Tortilla Making Station up front. It would be cool to watch it in action. I forgot to ask about it though.