Trigger

Booooo, tried to hit a birthday lunch and got hit with a big bill!
For the record, don’t tell someone that its bar service after they take our order at the table, bring your food and fill you drinks, at the table.
Maybe not the best idea to get pissed at a customer by snatching the bill out of my hand after they brought and rang in the wrong food.
Very expensive for what it was… I’m sad, I love Bunk and was hoping for great things for this spot so close to our lives.

I love Trigger. They had me at frozen margaritas. They kept me with fried avocado tacos, and good chips for their queso sauce.
Conveniently located under the Wonder Ballroom. Very pleasantly staffed and has an outdoor patio. No complaints here.

I’ve heard a lot of belly-​aching over the new menu and order-​at-​the-​bar policy at Trigger. Can’t say I have the same problem with ordering at the bar. Especially since the food, in my opinion, seems to have improved 1000%! I live 2 blocks away but hadn’t been to Trigger in about 8 or 9 months, mainly because the food was sometimes good, but often bland and tasting like the kitchen was run by a former employee of Chevy’s Tex-​Mex.
So, after hearing about the changes, I checked it out myself last night. I have to say, it kicked my ass! I had the deluxe burrito with a healthy portion of slutty, delicious pork belly. It may have been the best burrito I’ve had since moving to this fair city. It was so good that I was loathe to share with my table-​mates.
And the service was great! Even with a small hiccup, they totally saved it. There were three of us. Two of us got our food first. The ticket for the third dish apparently got lost, which meant my friend had to wait for her food and sample my burrito to sate her hunger. I’ve been to restaurants where the staff would just gloss over a missed order and act like it didn’t happen. But instead, the kind chap working the bar at Trigger confessed, apologized and bought her a beer for the inconvenience. And when her tacos came out a few minutes later, they were out of this world!
So, there you go, Trigger. I feel like you’ve hit your stride. Consistency has been your problem thus far. Keep this level of service (yes, even the order-​at-​the-​bar service, which should come in handy when waiting in line for a Wonder show) and great food and you will prosper, Trigger… you will prosper.

First time I visited this joint was wonderful. Great food and tasty drinks. It was a family members birthday and didn’t have high hope, but was presently surprised. I had the brisket fajitas plate and a couple margaritas. The brisket was tender, juicy and flavorful. The margarita was tasty and potent. The service was good as well. On point, helpful and there to refill drinks when low. All in all a good experience.
The second time we had friends from out of town and excited to share a new favorite place. After talking it up, we walked in and saw the «order at the bar» sign. Not thinking much of it because we were just there 2 weeks prior we sat in the back corner to wait for service. After a few minutes I realized the was no wait staff and no one else in the restaurant as well. Strike one. OK, fine, we went up to the bar, a little irritated and proceeded to order. No brisket fajitas. Strike two. The girl behind the bar looked to be having a hard time as well, because obviously I wasn’t the only person to find out the new ordering structure. She helped us to find what was close to what I had before as a meal and served us our drinks, which was as before. The food was OK but not as I remembered. Bummer. Chalk it up to a new structure pains.
The third time, the wife and I went there for our anniversary, mainly because it’s on our route home from work and easy to get into. This will be the last time I will be going to Trigger. The line took forever and there were only a couple people in front of us. Menu was even more difficult to understand and the bartender was the only one behind the bar. The music was loud and it was hard to be heard not to mention the bartender stop to talk to the guy at the bar while we were ordering. We ordered 2 margaritas, that he proceeded to pour out of what looked like watered down, melted ice pitcher. I would think for $ 8 we would at least get fresh poured drinks. No buzz or fun tonight I guess. The brisket was dry, chewy and on the meager of the portion scale. The wife’s burrito came out fully wrapped on just a plastic tray. No frills here. No more for me.
If standing in line, paying for over priced food and drinks, poor service and cafeteria style seating is your thing, you might dig it. You better hurry, because once the rain hits I think this joint will slow disappear or just become another trendy portland must have for the suburbia’s, because it once was cool.

Trigger is a very fun little spot. The place is a trendy John Wayne basement attached to the Wonder Ballroom (only con of this is that you’ll likely have a mild parking adventure if there is a show in progress). The Christmas lights really bring me back to 8^th grade make outs.
The staff is super friendly and casual (+a cute bartender). We were checked on and never had to wait for another beer or piles of napkins. Everything I’ve ordered has been perfectly delicious. Some things can be a little rich, so if you aren’t starving, go with a lighter option.
All in all, definitely check this place out the next time you are craving a Tex-​Mex goodie.

Let my start by praising the good people serving at this place! Kind, engaged, hardworking and very service-​oreinted. I would give Trigger 5 stars, if this was only about service. But unfortunately the food is nowhere near the same level as the service.
We come here two or three times a month, not for the food, but to enjoy the life music at Secret Society upstairs, and Trigger is just a convenient place to have a meal between shows. Well, you know what you get, and sometimes not even: the menu changes quite often and several of the better Texan dishes and desserts has disappeared. However, you can always get the greasy and chewy Tacos and the bland Beef Fajita — which was at one point offered as a two-​person (although we suspect they just gave us a overpriced single plate).
Last time there was a hair in the food on my wife’s plate. The headwaiter reacted extremely fast and professional and offered full compensation for the entire meal, which can only be rewarded with a handsome tip to the server, who is not responsible for the food.
Great work at front end. So-​so effort in kitchen.

Errytime I come, I cannot help but feel like the bastard child who was thrown into the basement to live. This place is too dark! the little cornor seats up front by the door kill me, twice I’ve been seated here and I feel like saying «Nobody puts baby in the corner»
Aside from the impromptu dinning in the dark that takes place most things taste well but nothing is knock out awesome.
We ordered a few different tacos– nothing too impressive :/​
The Queso Deluxe– Tasty, Salty, it is what it is, Es Lo Que Es. basic Melted cheese covered with Chorizo, Guac, and Jalapenos. heck if anything it safisfies your salt/​cheese need and makes you order more drinks, clever!
The Spoon Bread Stuffed Chilie Relleno was tasty, small in portion but who am I to say, I couldn’t see the thing…
in general the service is great, the staff are friendly, the food is so/​so but I will be back!- I have a crush on the SW/​Tex-​Mex décor

I went here after getting a deal at one of the local-​deal-​of-​the-​day sites.
I did like this restaurant but it is pretty pricey for what you get. We ordered a couple of tacos (veggie and meat), a couple of drinks, the chips and queso, a quesadilla and a side of guacamole. My date didn’t really like the veggie options on her tacos but I never tried it so I am not sure. The only thing that I disappointed in was the guac… it was a small container (maybe 3 tablespoons) and was $ 3, not worth it at all. The stand out was the chips, queso and the margaritas.
What I liked… service!!! Nice people relaxing atmosphere. Would I come back for dinner… maybe not but I would come back for a tasty margarita and the queso dip…

We really enjoyed our dinner at Trigger — it was great! Decided to try the new Bunk restaurant despite a couple mediocre initial reviews on Unilocal and we were not disappointed.
For an appetizer, we chose the individually loaded nachos with cheese, charred brisket ends, pinto beans, etc. = delish. For dinner, my husband enjoyed a couple of the tacos while I had the smoked pork shoulder quesadilla with hazelnut mole and smoked chili crema. Drinks were great as well. Ambiance definitely went along with the tex mex/​old west theme with exposed old wood beams and western movies playing in the background. Good for couples, groups, and families alike; I would recommend a visit!

Stumbled in here last week after a long wait for a table at the tapas place next door. Looks like it’s a tex-​mex kind of a joint, with a long bar and lots of patrons drinking. I was a little skeptical of the menu, since Trigger looked more like a bar than like a restaurant.
Ordered two snacks to get us through until dinner. Frito pie and a brisket taco. I was quite fond of both. Water refills were prompt and plentiful. I was pretty pleased for the most part since we were served quickly and we weren’t hassled for not ordering a lot of food or drink. It took a while to flag down someone to take our check and cash us out, but we were able to make it in time for our table next door. Hurray!

Love me some Bunk and Bunk Bar, so what could go wrong? Lots, I guess.
THE BAD:
1. They have 5 people on the floor for what, 12 tables? Our seating, drinks, order, food and bill took much too long.
2. I faced a TV 5 feet away that had snow from a down signal for 2 hours. That just sucks.
3. My house margarita was straight lime juice with no discernible tequila. I got a shot of Cointreau to sweeten it. That shot: $ 11. Oh, c’mon. A handle is $ 30. Retail.
4. My enchilada was decent. That’s it — a good taqueria enchilada plate, with ¹⁄₃ the rice and beans (that were cold). $ 12
5. There wasn’t a single experienced server in the place, on a holiday weekend. Everybody was maxed out. I’ve worked restaurants a lot of years and it just wasn’t that busy.
THE GOOD
1. Our server was crazy-​nice, dropped the shot price when I mentioned it, to $ 8 (even though he told me the bartender complained of how expensive the liqueur was — no), and tried to fix the TV.
2. It looks nice inside.
3. My friends said their tacos were tasty — they also had issues with the above, but they said their tacos were tasty and okay priced.
Last thing: It’s a new place, so I’m sure they’re working out some kinks. Maybe, maybe I’ll try again in a couple of months?

I have a guilty pleasure I like Chevy’s fajitas but don’t get there much because they are too far away. This definitely filled my fajita craving.
We went recently to Trigger with some friends and one grew up in Austin so she knows the real Tex Mex. She wasn’t happy to hear I like Chevy’s… Anyhoo she said they did a pretty good job here at Trigger of being Texas style. there were a few nits and I can’t remember them all. Something about the queso having something in it that isn’t traditional but I really liked the queso. BTW the chips are addictive. The food was flavorful. The atmosphere unique. Lots of old country music playing, not usually my thing but it was funny at times because we all knew the words to classic a Kenny Rogers song. Check it out! Oh and everyone liked the margaritas.

Stopped here a couple of weeks ago with my special lady on a cold and rainy night, hoping for something warm and comforting to help fight off the chill and the damp of Autumn in Portland, and was not disappointed.
The smoked pork shoulder quesadilla with hazelnut mole and smoked chile crema immediately stood out to me as a likely candidate for what I was craving, and it delivered in spades. It was savory, complex, and filling, as well as being an excellent value for the price.
My special lady ordered the spoonbread stuffed chile relleno with black beans and crema, which brought yet another layer of smoky, savory complexity to our meal. Never before have I been so comfortable eating spoonfuls of beans than while eating this dish — a balanced spoonful of chile, filling, and beans banished the fall chill, bite by bite.
Honorable mention also goes to the homemade tortilla chips, which were warm and salty, and equal parts soft and crispy and bubbly.
We will be back. You can count on it.

I’d go back for the chili cheese dog tacos, the cornerstone of any delicious meal!
There was a tequila drink (yum) that I may have had a few more than I needed to…
O’well.

I, for one, do not miss Wonder Lounge and gladly welcome the Trigger establishment as the replacement. For once, I can actually get decent food prior to a show at the Wonder Ballroom without the few walking distance options of going to Russell St. BBQ or waiting for 2.5 hours at Toro Bravo.
The space is no longer dark and somewhat dingy (when it was Wonder Lounge) — the ambiance is now pretty cozy, clean, and well-​lit. The queso dip is tasty addicting and is a great pre-​concert munchy. It comes with homemade chips. I ordered two tacos; the blue corn crusted rock fish taco and fried chicken taco. The rock fish was nicely crusted and the buttermilk and jalapeño slaw made for a refreshing taco combo. I prefered this taco over the fried chicken taco. The fried chicken taco was tasty too, but I wish it was little less heavy on the sauce (I think it was some sort of queso/​guac?) that came on top. It made for a pretty heavy filling taco. My husband really liked his chicken enchilada with green chili tomatillo sauce — the tortillas weren’t rolled but layered on top of each other, just the way he likes it!

I love a restaurant with great customer service. I love that a restaurant that will take critical reviews in stride. I love that a restaurant that is so upfront about working out the kinks.
A manager from Trigger took the time to respond to my critical review. He let me know that they are now using using freshly fried tortilla chips and the menu has been tweaked to improve the flavor.
I hope to get back to Trigger soon to give them another chance. It is clear that Bunk has great customer service and is serious about their food.
The kind response from management adds another star for awesome customer relations and I am hoping that my next visit will add another star or two.

I was preparing for a letdown based on the Unilocal reviews of Trigger within the first weeks of being open, but I had a great experience.
First, THE CHIPS ARE HOUSEMADE. Maybe they weren’t before, but they are now. I actually love Juanita’s and would have been fine with them (if you live in Portland and buy any other tortilla chips for home, I feel sorry for you), but these are most definitely not Juanita’s and they were fresh, hot, delicious and free. I thought the salsa seemed fresh and housemade too.
The tortillas are not that impressive, I agree with them just seeming like storebought flour & unremarkable, but perhaps they’ll start to making those in-​house too?
So the real reason this place became a top priority for me to visit was when I saw a bunch of photos of the Sidepipe, which is a frozen margarita with a corona turned upside-​down in it, but the magic of physics keep the beer inside the bottle til you’ve finished the margarita. Yo dawg you can drink your drink while you drink your drink. It’s $ 10 and the corona is a miniature bottle, but I was pleased for the novelty factor.
I tried all of the tacos — enjoyed them all but I think the fried chicken is the most remarkable. I’m not from Texas and I don’t really care if any of this stuff is «Authentic Tex Mex» but I found it all very flavorful! And they didn’t skimp on guacamole on any of them, bonus!
The service was outstanding, and I the manager walked around making sure everyone was happy and having a good time. Chips and drinks never went empty. I like the décor and there was a western playing on the one TV off to the side.
I think Trigger is just getting started and only going to get better — I will definitely return. The only thing keeping it from a 5-​star for me are those lifeless tortillas and the lack of a Happy Hour.

Ate at Trigger last night after the WinterHawks hockey game. My wife and I have lived in Texas twice, so very excited for Tex-​Mex and real frozen margs.
1^st things, 1^st. Once and for all — this food is NOT Tex-​Mex. Not even close. Queso/​guac was not fresh. Chips are thick and mostly broken. Tortillas are thick and probably purchased at Safeway. The frozen margs were served in a small lowball glass. What? To top things off, the chicken fajitas are served with fried chicken breast and thigh. No sizzling veggies. How can you call it a fajita?
Overall, major bummer. I will continue to eat at Bunk for sandwiches but definitely not come back to Trigger. Will be surprised if stays in business over a year. As an aside, what’s with the décor? Awful. :-(

I went with a friend last Thursday. As it was only the second night after they were «officially» open I had expected a few hiccups throughout the evening, but this wasn’t at all the case.
The service was friendly and prompt, the drinks delicious (I’m typically not a margarita fan, but they really offered slushy goodness) and the food was sooo good. I’ve been thinking about the lamb and goat cheese quesadilla since. I’ll be back soon to satisfy that craving again.
The only downfall was that the two of us were sat next to a loud group — but that’s not really the restaurants fault. Damn those people for having a good time.
I’d totally recommend this place. Check it out — you’ll be glad you did.

Do yourself a favor and skip it. As an avid Bunk fan and southwest native, I was excited about this place opening in my neighborhood. So the boyfriend and I went for dinner last night and were both beyond disappointed.
It started out well enough. Our service was great — we were quickly seated and our waiter was very attentive. I also liked the setting and they have Negro Modelo on draft, which is delicious. The chips and salsa were free, which is always a plus in my book.
But then you eat them, and realize they’re both awful — store-​bought chips and the salsa is watery with absolutely no spice (and tastes store-​bought, too). We had the pork and potato quesadilla, blue corn-​crusted rockfish taco, and fried avocado taco. The menu failed to mention that the quesadilla was smothered in onions, which I didn’t mind but my boyfriend did, since he hates onions. The quesadilla was also serious lacking potatoes (we didn’t see any). The tacos were completely flavorless. The fish taco was bland and the avocado taco had a good slaw on it but didn’t really impress me otherwise.
All in all, not the worst food I’ve ever had by any means, but definitely not up to what I’d expect from a Bunk joint. Needless to say, we will not be going back.