Tienda Santa Cruz

Listen! If you see kids and they’re eating without you telling them to eat, then you know this play is good!!! Burritos are huge and the flavor of the crane asada. Now I have to go try the breakfast burritos, which I heard were awesome.

Don’t be fooled by the atmosphere — this place is FANTASTIC. I was looking for a good carneceria and this one came up. They have a great little tienda with lots of meats. When I got here and realized that I hadn’t eaten anything in a while so I ordered tacos in the back too. I tried three different meats and the avocado salsa, all cooked well. It was a little on the salty side, if you are super salt sensitive maybe lay off the salsa bar.
The next day my friends and I had a taco salad party and we cooked the meats that I purchased from the carneceria part of the store, all were phenomenal (pastor, pollo enchilada, and carne for tacos) and affordable ($ 3.49/lb). Would definetly hit this place up again for DIY taco bowl meats.
Wound up in St Johns again the day after that, and HAD to go here again — so I ate meat from here three days in a row! This time I tried the tostada and a taco. Tostada was amazing, love all the cojita on it, super fresh. That and a taco for $ 4 is a cheap fulfilling meal. My boyfriend was with me and he got a burrito; while it was large, it was not the best burrito in town. I tried it as well; the wrap was a letdown and the ingredients were not anything special. I would stick with more authentic options at Tienda Santa Cruz. I’ll be back whenever I’m in St J!

The cashier is very rude and talks too loud and in an angry manner. She should really consider if she wants that job or not. I’m Hispanic and I’m sad that this is how another Hispanic woman treats customers, it isn’t right. I hope I don’t have to return here, and if I do I hope she’s not there.

I love this no frills taqueria. The burrito supreme with meat is outstanding and more then you need to eat in one meal. Tacos are cheap $ 1.25 each and simple and fresh. As stated in many other reviews the salsa Verde with avocados is delicious and free. 2 things to know are one of the chefs makes smaller burritos so don’t dismay it will probably be huge next time and they run out of free salsa Verde with avocados sometimes but never salsa. Grab a couple baked goods the churros are for real and so is the cream fresca over by the beer I’ll never buy sour cream again.

I moved from Southern California and thought the Mexican food in Portland was bad until I came here. The tacos are delicious and at $ 1.25 each you can’t beat the value. I can highly recommend the al pastor in particular. Be sure to try their guacamole salsa. The windowless restaurant is in the back of a market, so if the weather’s good you’re much better off getting them to go and eating them in Cathedral Park.
It’s 5 stars for its category but I think 5 star reviews should be reserved for those restaurants which are worth a trip. Having said that, I do eat there once a week so I’m probably taking it for granted.

I am homesick for this place. The East Coast has nothing on this little gem. The veggie burrito is my go to when I come home. I’m pretty sure they stuff a whole avo in there and it is appreciated!.

Its as if they picked up this place in puerto penasco mexico and dropped it into the heart of the lombard area. its that authentic. also the low pesos for the amount of food… will be back.ola.

Ok I have to admit I’m am Americanized when it comes to Mexican food.
I am used to Tex Mex so yes you can cover me with refried beans and cheese now.
There were some things I really liked and some things that made me uncomfortable.
This is one of the first times I’ve ever had a meal in St. John’s in the Lombard area. What a very cool and trendy area that’s full of little places to go have a meal. Try to different place first down the street but it was standing room only and we were «ha fry» and wanted to rip someone’s face off so we ducked into this place .
At first I thought we were in the wrong place because the front door lead you into a store. But I giggled because all of the potato chips, candy, cookies, dish soap were all in Spanish and I think that’s very cool. Very cool store but I don’t think it’s connected to the restaurant at all.
They also have in a case right to the left when you walk in and they have these huge and I mean huge oversized cupcakes that look like Hostess cupcakes — make sure you buy one on the way out, they are cheap and they are delicious.
At the back of the store opens up into another area that looks very dingy and a hole in the wall-​ish. That’s the restaurant itself.
It’s all family style — meaning you share tables with other people because seating is limited. It’s probably not the cleanest it could be — although I did see people rushing around wiping down tables it just seemed a little weird. I think hadn’t been a little cleaner I would’ve given it maybe a four star rating?
The menu is all in Spanish — thankfully my husband is the language guru in our family and he was able to translate for me or I would’ve been screwed. I really need to learn Spanish — I really need to learn Spanish. Imreally need to learn Spanish.
I ordered something safe for me — I ordered a quesadilla with carne asada. That was great. I also ordered a taco with pork, and some Spanish rice. The taco was dry as was the pork and the Spanish rice honestly tasted like propane.
My boys ordered tacos and they said they were delicious. The other cool thing about this place is that if you order a side of avocados you get a bunch of avocados that are just sliced with the skin on and I love that — they also offer on their bar some avocado sauce that is chock-​full of onions and cilantro that my boy said was out of this world.
Unfortunately for me, I am one of those weird people in the world that don’t eat cilantro because it taste like soap so I always miss out on the goodness of that because it doesn’t taste good to me.
The food was cheap — and the Mexican Coke was delicious the boys said, and overall it was an OK experience and I would go back again to try something different.
I can always tell if an ethnic restaurant has it going on if it’s filled with its own people and this place was full to the brim with other Hispanic people and when I spoke to one Hispanic family as I waited I asked about the tacos and they said that they were just out of this world. They were helpful in telling us what we should order and what we shouldn’t :) I loved that!

When you have to walk through a grocery store to order some food in the back, it’s either pretty sketch or pretty good… this place is definitely a pretty good place to go if you are in the St. Johns area… I’ve been going here for years and the place is still consistently good. The condiment bar that has their special guacamole mix, roasted jalapeños, pickled onions and carrots, and cucumbers are a plus. Most of the items on here are fairly inexpensive. The tacos ranges from $ 1.25 to $ 1.50.

I could honestly drown in their salsa de guacamole and die a happy man. I’d be dead, yes, but I’d be happy!
Love the flavor of the pickled onions w/​habaneros too.
If I’m raving this much about the free condiments, you best believe the food ya pay for pretty damn good as well.

BY FAR MY FAVORITE PLACE TO GET MEXICAN FOOD IN PORTLAND! BEST TACOS AND BURRITOS!
I always either get the carne asada burritos or tacos. I have taken my parents here twice already after living in Portland for 3 years now. They love it so much that it has become a place they must go to get food when they visit.
The vibe is great in there and the food comes out quite fast. For the size of the food, the price is really cheap. Great place, great food, great price.

The whole Fam-​damnly went here for lunch the other day. I didn’t take time to look through the market, but I did see that they have the requesite shiny pinatas and sugary pane.
The restaurant is located in the back left corner of the building. Nothing fancy, a fairly sterile environment with a walk-​up ordering counter. The menu is basically in Spanish which is a little challenging, but isn’t too hard to figure out.
We all had burritos and nothing really stood out except that my wife’s Chile Rellano burrito was spicier than she thought it would be and my Pastor was tamer than I thought. They were all good and big, but nothing to make you go ‘wow I need to go back’.
I wasn’t blown away by Santa Cruz, but it’s not a bad option right in downtown St Johns.

So fast, so delicious. I have been hearing rave reviews of this place since I started working in St. John’s. Finally decided to get it for lunch yesterday. Even the veggie burrito was to die for. Saturday’s are usually crazy for all businesses along Lombard, but with only 30 minutes for lunch I was able to walk there, place my order, receive my food, walk back to my work, eat it in a non-​rushed fashion, and still had time to spare. Round of applause. I can’t say enough good things. I love you guys.

Best Mexican food in Portland. Honestly the best place for tacos or burritos anywhere in Portland. When you see ethnic people eat at the restaurant then you know it the best. Taco are amazing.

This is the place you go if you want authentic and delicious tacos! I have been coming here for years and they have never failed me.

This place is ok… the line of hipsters is probably why people think it’s better than it is, but once you’ve had it, it’s decent. Nothing special, not bad, plain old Mexican food, just like Super Burrito down the street. The grocery store in front is cool, has a lot of fun stuff to check out, and those delicious fruit ice cream bars, yum.

Plenty of neighborhoods have their culinary stars but this place eclipses them all like a supernova burning in the night sky emitting a gamma ray burst that eliminates all life on the unsuspecting planets unfortunate enough to inhabit it’s «kill zone» while simultaneously imbuing distant space travelers with superhuman powers like elasticity, invisibility, immolation and orange rock.
Try the chicken burrito!

I’m fairly picky with my Mexican food. Not that I don’t love it all, but I really enjoy authentic tasting Mexican restaurants. Tienda’s is perfectly amazing! A great fix and very affordable!

Most authentic Mexican food around hands down!!! This place is a must if you’re craving amazingness. I would highly recommend getting the burrito Asada. It is heaven in a burrito. Make sure to put some guacamole sauce on it and you will be set.
This isn’t a sit down restaurant but it’s not fast food. It’s one of a kind.
Let’s put it this way… This place puts chipotle to shame…

I’m not sure words do this place justice. Don’t come with expectations, unless it’s for an awesome burrito. Help yourself to the best avocado sauce (until they run out for the day). Sit cafeteria style in the back of the market. Don’t miss this hidden gem in St. John’s. At this point the only place I eat burritos in town and I don’t live in the hood.

Honestly the best place for tacos or burritos anywhere in Portland. It has been a beloved tradition for my friends and I to grab Tienda after a day of dilfing at Pier Park in St. Johns. Usually about halfway through a round of 18 I find myself fantasizing about pastor or chicken burritos, or $ 1.25 tacos covered in avocado salsa that is incredible and served in a giant tray at the salsa bar. I’ve tried about every meat at this point, and they are all pretty great. My favorites though have to be the pastor, chicken and carnitas. Quick Tip: get a bunch of sliced cucumbers and radishes and dip them in the avocado salsa as an appetizer before your food comes out.
The place is located in the back of a Mexican grocery on Lombard, but as tucked away as it is there is generally always a bit of a line to order. The word is definitely out that this place is the best around, and I just hope that they can continue to keep it open and affordable with the way rent prices are going in St. Johns. It truly is one of Portland’s most hidden treasures. I’d probably need to take bereavement leave from work were it to ever close.

Damn! Everyone kept telling me that the best Mexican in St. Johns was «in the Mexican store» but I guess I would just walk past this place without realizing the secrets it held.
It really IS the best Mexican in St. Johns. And free guac! Well bless your heart.
Burritos are big and filling with really tasty meat.
Taco’s are cheap and quality as well.
The dining area is a little cafeteria like, and there is always a line, but it’s worth it.

Thanks to my buds for taking me to Tienda Santa Cruz. It’s the second-​best street tacos I’ve had in Oregon, behind Taqueria el Trenecito in Springfield, the clear winner imo.
I had a cabeza taco and one with carnitas. Salsas are excellent, and those «in the know» just reach behind the counter and grab new bottles from the cold case when they run out on the serving area by the register.
The roasted jalapeño peppers on the salsa/​pico bar were awesome.
Tucked in the back of a Mexican Grocery in downtown St. Johns. Worth a visit or five!

Guys — WHAT HAPPENED??!
(Please forgive the length of this post — it’s coming from a very passionate, and sad, place.)
I have lived in St. Johns for about 2.5 years, and Tienda Santa Cruz has been my family’s local go-​to for away from home deliciousness on a WAY too regular basis ever since. Yes, there are a couple other taquerias around the neighborhood, but there was absolutely no comparison. Tienda Santa Cruz is the best, hands down. I have touted TSC as the best Mexican I’ve had outside of LA, and that’s saying something.
Over the past couple months I noticed a bit of a decline in the food, but credited that too how extremely busy they’d been when I would order — maybe they just weren’t on their game, so to speak. I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, they are my favorite!
Two weeks ago, however, my husband and I ordered take out. I order the chile relleño burrito, he the pastor burrito. The first thing we noticed was that they were much larger than they’d been… ever. Score! Then we started eating. Sigh. Instead of the whole relleño wrapped in goodness that I usually get, it was like a chopped up mess mixed up with beans and rice. Hubs’ pastor was not nearly as flavorful, and was also more beans and rice than anything.
So. Sad. But I wasn’t ready to give up. Until now.
Tonight it was asada for me and chicken for him. While the meat was plentiful in quantity, the quality sucked. There was no flavor, and, again, it was all beans and rice.
THESE BURRITOS HAVE NEVE BEEN ALL FILLER! That’s what makes (made) them different. And what you get in a pastor burrito has always been different than what is in a chicken, asada, what have you. Not anymore.
They’ve clearly changed what they’re doing in the kitchen, it just simply is not the same food. Such a disappointment.
I don’t know if the change has anything to do with their new sign, or the fact that they are now serving breakfast, or what it is, but I hope they realize that changing what made them great, the food itself, was probably not the right move.

this is a popular taqueria spot which is always busy.
it is a pretty run down cafeteria with cheap mexican food.
it’s really cheap, and people really love the green sauce.
i’ve found it just ok compared to some other favorites in town.
i’m not a fan of mexican bakeries so it didn’t do that much for me. otherwise, the grocery store part of Tienda is a small Mexican convenience store.

This store is in the quaint neighborhood of St Johns. Walking in the door to your left they had a cake case that had flan and what appeared to be some kind of custard cake. If you keep walking straight past the Mexican pastries you see a restaurant in the back. It is not fancy in there, just very basic. It’s pretty simple, order at the counter, get your order number and your condiments and head for a table.
They are pretty fast too. They offered several types of fillings for the tacos. I had the asada and pastor. It was really good. It is the same quality as the taco truck, Taqueria La Fondita here in Seattle. $ 1.25 per taco. My friend also had a couple of the asada tacos as well as a fruit drink. She said the food is authentic. I love that they put a lot of the meat and cilantro and onions. We only had only tried the tacos but they offered a alot of the standard dishes you would find at a Mexican restaurant. I wanted to try the Menudo but it is available on weekends only.
I will be back for the tacos for sure. But I will heading here on the way back home since it is far from the heart of Portland.

Did you know that you will eat the BEST food from the restaurant in back? I’ve been savouring my heart out for god knows how many years from their restaurant! It is so perfect! The portion sizes are plus sized. The price? Maybe $ 8(including tip). It’s so unbelievably amazing! Oh! Want/​need some Mexican supplies? What runs you $ 3 – 8 is a fraction of it here! Yeah, for reals! If you’re in NoPo, buy your next meal and some fixings!

I’ve been to Tienda Santa Cruz quite a bit lately since I got into dilfing at Pier Park and this place just shines brighter and brighter. I’m not sure why I ever gave Tienda Santa Cruz #2 anything other than 5 stars. Maybe I was just being stuck up, thinking that a Portland taco could never be the equal of a Los Angeles taco. However, not only can it be the equal of, but after my last trip back to LA, I can say that it can be even better than several of the tacos I had there.
Since my last review I’ve discovered that they do in fact have carnitas. I have no idea why they aren’t on the menu as I’ve never been able to get an answer to my question. I must say these carnitas are quite excellent. Fried nice a crispy on the outside yet still quiet moist. As always I like to slather the amazing quac sauce they have in the salsa bar, and as always, that sauce is hot. That sauce is so good I like to buy a bag of chips from the market portion of the store and have some chips and salsa with my meal.

I know that Tienda Santa Cruz is mostly known for their taqueria, but the draw for me has been their panadaria and carniceria. All of their pastries are a mere 60 cents. A cookie as big as your head? A croissant? Filled puff pastry? Yup, 60 cents. Are they comparable to Nuvrei? Not at all, but they are great way to pacify my sweet tooth for less than a buck.
The market itself is packed with all kinds of Latin products, many of which I haven’t seen or tried before. The candy selection alone is worth perusing.
The back corner of the store houses the meat case. They have about a half dozen marinated meats ready for the grill or to prepare a quick meal. The prices are all quite reasonable and it appears fresh. We picked up several kinds, including chorizo and everyone was quite happy. Of course I’m sure it isn’t the grass fed, free range stuff you would get at New Season’s, but it is just down the block from my place.
On the weekend they sell fresh corn with lime, butter, and cotija cheese, along with freshly cut fruit cups that look great.
So when you’re getting those tacos don’t forget to glance at the other goodies available in this cute little grocery!

MMMMMmmmOH my gosh! (I’m not lyin’) This place is amazing! I love the burritos, and the carne asada– such a deal. not too long a wait for fresh food either. They are located in the back of the Hispanic market, so just keep walking through. The store is a great place to check out while waiting for food. They have a pretty nice horchata, prices are amazing, employees are super nice and hard working, always striving to perfect your order. They say there isn’t good Mexican food in Portland… guess I lucked out ;)

This place came highly recommended by a few St. John’s folks. So naturally during my tour of eating and drinking my way through this neighborhood I stopped by.
NOTE: This is not a sit down restaurant, although you can technically sit down and eat there, it’s more like a food cart. Except that it’s in a building.
The front area is a store that sells Mexican candies and some foods. It’s very scarce with products. I did notice they had a meat case with various meats. Not sure about that.
You walk to the back where the stand to order your food is at. There were a lot of people waiting for orders so I knew it was probably good and also the food would be fresh.
I got 3 Assad Tacos and 2 Pollo Tacos. They were pretty darn good. The best part was the meat. It was very, very good.
The worst; tons of cilantro and chopped onions. While I enjoy both of these things, you can over do it and hey did.
Overall I spent $ 6.25 on 5 tacos that were good and filled me up. I’d go back!

I heard nice things about eating here and thought it’d be cool to try a new place and support a small business.
When I walked in it was definitely like a grocery/​tienda like you might see in the Burbs. A little confused, I walked to the back where the cafeteria was… there was a small line. NICE. Good for them, some of their menu listed on the wall was in Spanish and handwritten. I did my best ordering. I got a burrito with Steak. I forget all the words for different meats, but the clerk got the order right. The cafeteria needed a bit more dressing, but it was functional. I liked the Women’s Boxing they featured on the tele.
$ 6 for a burrito para llavar. I ate the whole thing at home while watching the Bachelorette Finale. It was good, not great, but good. The steak pieces seemed a little overdone and maybe aged. But the portion was HUGE. I personally should not have ate the entire thing. But it was good and I will try ‘em again. It was a fun time and I like they had a line the entire time I was there. They offered sauces and such, but I didn’t take any.
For not much money they could dress the place up a bit or offer On Premise Drinking. I didn’t shop at the store, but it seemed like an average Tienda.

The food was great and the service was fast. The fella in the back was a bit hard to understand but was otherwise very friendly and fast, as were the cooks. We got pastor and the five steak taco deal. The tacos HAD SO MUCH meat, after that though it was just onions and cilantro.
We came traipsing in about a half hour before closing, which understandably can be irritating for those in the food service industry. At home, you can «just do the dishes and clean up in the morning». When it’s your job, you’re at that mercy of the patrons. Still, they helped us. Our late arrival would probably serve as an explanation as to why there was no guacamole, no salsa and no pickled veggies. I had everything I needed at home though. Tapatio.
We worked our way to the front, where there were all the candies and fried flour snacks that I remember having when I was a kid. And tucked right by the doorway to the restraint area was the case of cakes. When we were kids, we would put foil down on the cardboard, brush it with sweet milk and place the cake on it, so I got to do that again and I was tickled pink. I noticed that the tongs meant for grabbing the cake if your choice were just sort of hung on the door handle. *cringe*
On a lighter note, the pastor was not its usual drippy and soggy self. It seemed to have a dry rub for seasoning, and the beef tacos were cooked to perfection, I didn’t run into gristle or mouthfuls of fat.
See both sides of this place! Try a new candy, I recommend Lucas, or the spicy guava. Then you’ll have a chance to speak with the cute as a button clerk in the front. Her name is Nancy :)

So. So. Good.
We ordered chicken, asada and pork tacos. They were packed full of meat and we’re definitely some of the best street tacos I’ve had.
The side of rice and decried beans is huge, and is definitely plenty to share for only $ 2.
They also have a salsa bar of sorts, with free guacamole salsa that is to die for.

Now that I’ve been off the veggie wagon for about two weeks I have encountered the omnivore’s dilemma… where to get my carne fix? Today I found it wrapped between a homemade torta at tienda santa cruz. Sweet Jeebus! The hubs and I will return…5 tacos for $ 5? La palabra tu madre!
Bonus points: on the way out you can purchase some freshly baked pan dulce. Because you didn’t enough carbs for dinner.