La Cruda

La Cruda is located in SE Portland, near the hipster node 26th and Clinton. It does hold up the credo of the neighborhood with its tasty margaritas (not as cheap as they seem like they are) and late night menu. They serve food till midnite on Thurs-Sat (and maybe the others too). The food is pretty tasty. Good quality ingredients, marinated and grilled meats, and a salsa bar with a decent range of salsas but far too small of cups (the kind that a friggin chip doesn’t fit into) to carry it in, make this a marginal recommendation. The food is Mexican in nature, but it won’t qualm the craving of a die-hard. I find myself there infrequently for a late-night meal. I am rarely disappointed though. The portions are good sized, the prices a little high for the genre. I do far prefer La Cruda to the grease-laden Dots across the street…and I’m not one known for judging food by its health value.

So, overall, it’s a worthwhile spot that meets a variety of needs, and when those needs come together, La Cruda can be a great option. Those needs are: an empty belly turned full, margaritas, late dining, and a good spice factor.