Teote Mezcaleria - Portland

I enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, especially with the outdoor fire pits. The service was quite casual, as I had to get my own water. The ambience was pleasant, and the multiple fire pits kept me warm on a rainy evening. I ordered the Teote plate with El Diablo protein, which was flavorful and spicy with a generous amount of meat. The meal also included white rice. Overall, I would rate the food a perfect 5 out of 5.

Arrived at 10:15 pm on a Friday and was stopped by a rude and unwelcoming bartender who told us they were closed. I said that I saw online they were open until 11 pm, to which he said they did last call at 10 pm… a full hour before close. I let him know we weren’t interested in drinks, just food. He winced and said begrudgingly that we could get food to go, though it was obvious he didn’t want us there at all. The restaurant had plenty of other patrons inside it still, I almost wonder if he refused us due to discrimination (my partner and I are transgender). I am saddened because I love the food here, but I will never be back. Do better, Teote.

I booked Teote for a work dinner for 15 people, and the staff were really great and helpful with our various requests. We ordered multiple cena platters which helped everyone customize their meal to their needs and preferences. The space is great, and the food even better.

I try to visit this wonderful establishment every time I roll through PDX. Living on the road with celiac disease can be difficult so when I find a gluten free restaurant... I'm down! I was told they have new ownership since last I visited and the only evidence is the addition of gluten containing beets which seems to correlate to a significant decrease of gluten free options (they only offer 1 gluten free beer option now). still a great food option.

My wife is Venezuelan and we went here because we'd read good things about their arepas. So here's the deal: the arepas are about as authentically Venezuelan as Pizza Hut is authentically Italian. But I can forgive inauthentic food if it tastes good! Unfortunately they also tasted awful. The beef was tough and flavorless. The chicken was watery and mushy (and also flavorless. Mine was literally soaking in water on the plate. The margaritas we had were very big, but also incredibly sugary and had just a whisper of tequila in them. The chips and queso weren't amazing but they were easily the best part of the meal.