La Bonita Explained

La Bonita
Logo Alt:Logo with a red flower and the text "La Bonita" and "food for the people" in white, over a black background
Image Alt:Photograph of building's corner exterior
Food-Type:Mexican
City:Portland
County:Multnomah
State:Oregon
Zip:-->
Country:United States
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Zoom:13

La Bonita: Food for the People, or simply La Bonita, is a small chain of Mexican restaurants in Portland, Oregon, United States. The family-owned business operates three locations in north (since 2011), northeast, and southeast Portland (since 2020), serving burritos, chilaquiles, tacos, tamales, and other traditional cuisine. The restaurant has a good reputation, and has been included on two Thrillist lists of the country's best burritos.

Description

La Bonita: Food for the People is a small chain of casual Mexican restaurants based in Portland. The family-owned business has fast counter service, serving burritos,[1] chilaquiles,[2] pozole,[3] tacos, and tamales.[4] Its menu also includes chicken enchiladas, horchata,[5] quesadillas,[6] tortas, tostadas, chimichangas, beef tongue, machaca, chile rellenos, menudo, beans, and rice.[7] [8] The breakfast menu includes a breakfast burrito, huevos a la mexicana, and huevos rancheros.[9] The restaurants' interiors have a "sunny" decor,[4] and the Alberta Street exterior has a Diego Rivera-inspired mural of a reclining woman.[10]

History

The original restaurant opened on Alberta Street in northeast Portland's Concordia neighborhood. A second restaurant opened on Killingsworth in north Portland's Overlook neighborhood in 2011.[11] The third restaurant opened on Division Street in southeast Portland's Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood in 2020, and has a seating capacity of 34.[4] All three locations operated via takeout during the COVID-19 pandemic; as of May 2020, the original restaurant also offered delivery service.[12] By April 2021, it had indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.[13]

Reception

Thrillist's Dan Gentile included La Bonita on a 2014 list of the 16 best burritos in the United States.[14] Kristin Hunt included the chain on Thrillist's 2015 list of the country's 33 best burritos.[15] La Bonita was included in The Oregonian 2008 guide to "meals without borders", which said: "The straightforward Mexican food is a magnet to locals and wayfaring strangers."[16] The newspaper's Michael C. Zusman included the restaurant's pozole in a 2009 overview of Portland's top pork dishes.[3] Michael Russell and Samantha Bakall included La Bonita on the newspaper's 2015 and 2016 lists of the city's 10 best nachos and 25 best Mexican restaurants, respectively.[2] [17] [18]

Nick Zukin included La Bonita on Willamette Week 2016 list of Portland's nine best chile relleno burritos.[19] In her 2019 Moon guidebook to Portland, Hollyanna McCollom said the food at the Alberta restaurant "is quick, inexpensive, and delicious".[20] During the pandemic, Brooke Jackson-Glidden included La Bonita on Eater Portland 2020 overview of Portland eateries with "knockout" tacos for takeout and delivery. She also included the Alberta restaurant in a 2021 overview of recommended eateries on Alberta. Nick Woo and Seiji Nanbu included La Bonita on a 2021 list of twelve "unreal" burritos in Portland, and said the restaurant "has become synonymous with quality fast-casual Mexican fare".[21] Katrina Yentch included the restaurant in Eater Portland 2022 list of eighteen "knockout spots" for affordable dining in the city.[22]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Woo . Nick . 2019-03-14 . 14 Gargantuan, Stuffed Burritos in Portland . 2023-03-08 . Eater Portland . en . October 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211029171423/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portland-burritos . live .
  2. News: Russell . Michael . Samantha . Bakall . Portland's 10 best nachos . December 24, 2021 . . . 8750-1317 . September 4, 2015 . January 17, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210117102743/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2015/09/portlands_10_best_nachos.html . live .
  3. News: Zusman . Michael C. . Hog wild: Portland's top pork dishes . December 24, 2021 . The Oregonian . October 22, 2009 . December 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211224181527/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2009/10/hog_wild.html . live .
  4. Web site: Frane. Alex. February 26, 2020. A Family-Owned Portland Mexican Chainlet Is Coming to SE Division. December 24, 2021. Eater Portland. Vox Media. en. March 14, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200314033014/https://pdx.eater.com/2020/2/26/21154641/la-bonita-new-restaurant-bar-avignon. live.
  5. News: La Bonita . December 24, 2021 . . September 19, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150919113151/http://www.pdxmonthly.com/restaurants/la-bonita . live .
  6. News: Karbo . Karen . Mission: Spring Break . The Oregonian . 09 . March 23, 2007.
  7. News: Ekman . Lisa . Keep in mind: ethnic eating/Portland . The Oregonian . June 21, 2012.
  8. News: Zusman . Michael . cheap eats feeding frenzies with pocket change La Bonita . The Oregonian . December 22, 2006 . 19.
  9. News: O'Brien . Kyle . La Bonita . The Oregonian . July 25, 2003 . 14.
  10. Web site: Hispanic & Latinx Culture. live. December 24, 2021. Travel Portland. en-US. September 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210924153625/https://www.travelportland.com/culture/hispanic-latinx-culture/.
  11. Web site: DeJesus. Erin. January 27, 2011. Alberta's La Bonita Expands, Second Location on Killingsworth. December 24, 2021. Eater Portland. en. December 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211224175501/https://pdx.eater.com/2011/1/27/6699975/albertas-la-bonita-expands-second-location-on-killingsworth. live.
  12. Web site: Jackson-Glidden. Brooke. May 5, 2020. Where to Find Knockout Tacos for Takeout and Delivery in Portland. December 24, 2021. Eater Portland. en. May 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530201632/https://pdx.eater.com/2020/5/5/21248467/taco-takeout-delivery-portland-gresham. live.
  13. Web site: Jackson-Glidden. Brooke. October 10, 2016. Where to Eat and Drink on Alberta. December 24, 2021. Eater Portland. en. November 3, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211103102942/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-alberta-restaurants-bars-portland. live.
  14. Web site: These are the 16 best burritos in America. April 10, 2014. Dan. Gentile. Thrillist. Group Nine Media. December 24, 2021. May 7, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210507143007/https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-burritos-in-america-thrillist-nation. live.
  15. Web site: The 33 Best Burritos in America. August 14, 2015. Kristin. Hunt. Thrillist. December 23, 2021. May 6, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210506130601/https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-burritos-in-america-la-taqueria-calexico-illegal-pete-s-lucha-libre. live.
  16. News: Think globally . The Oregonian . June 13, 2008 . 42 . Roger . Porter . Christina . Melander . Michael C. . Zusman . Danielle . Centoni . Shawn . Vitt . Grant . Butler.
  17. News: Bakall . Samantha . Portland's 25 best Mexican restaurants . December 24, 2021 . The Oregonian . April 29, 2016 . April 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210424002011/https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2016/04/portlands_best_mexican_food.html . live .
  18. Web site: Bamman . Mattie John . Renard? Meh. But Nachos Get Their Day in The Oregonian Sun . Eater Portland . December 24, 2021 . September 4, 2015 . June 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073139/https://pdx.eater.com/2015/9/4/9261893/week-in-reviews-renard-coquine-burrasca . live .
  19. Web site: The Nine Best Chile Relleno Burritos in Portland. December 24, 2021. Willamette Week. en. April 26, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210426043437/https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/2016/09/20/the-nine-best-chile-relleno-burritos-in-portland/. live.
  20. Book: McCollom . Hollyanna . Moon Portland . May 14, 2019 . . 94–95 . 9781640493681 . December 24, 2021 . December 24, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211224200619/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Moon_Portland/cudsDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22La+bonita%22+portland&pg=PT94&printsec=frontcover . live .
  21. Web site: Woo. Nick. March 14, 2019. 12 Unreal Burritos in Portland. December 24, 2021. Eater Portland. en. October 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029171423/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/portland-burritos. live.
  22. Web site: Yentch . Katrina . 2015-07-17 . 18 Knockout Spots for Affordable Dining in Portland . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220305134051/https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-inexpensive-meals-restaurants-portland . 2022-03-05 . 2022-08-17 . Eater Portland . en.

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