Mis Tacones is a

Chicano Chicano (masculine form) or Chicana (feminine form) is an ethnic identity for Mexican Americans that emerged from the Chicano Movement. In the 1960s, ''Chicano'' was widely reclaimed among Hispanics in the building of a movement toward politic ...

and

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...

-owned

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

taquería in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

, United States.

Description

Michael Russell of ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'' has described Mis Tacones as a "

and

-owned

taco pop-up". He wrote in 2022, "The colorful new restaurant serves nourishing tacos, tortas, French fry nachos, burritos and

chimichanga A chimichanga ( , ) is a deep-fried burrito that is common in Tex-Mex and other Southwestern U.S. cuisine. The dish is typically prepared by filling a flour tortilla with various ingredients, most commonly rice, cheese, beans, and a meat, such ...

s made with house-made

seitan Seitan (, ; ) is a food made from gluten, the main protein of wheat. It is also known as miànjīn ( zh, links=no, t=麵筋), fu (), milgogi (), wheat meat, gluten meat, or simply gluten. Wheat gluten is an alternative to soybean-based foods, ...

instead of meat, plus delightfully rainbow-hued conchas from vegan bakery La Casa De Mamá. Mis Tacones remains focused on Portland's LGBTQ community, including by offering free meals to

trans Trans- is a Latin prefix meaning "across", "beyond", or "on the other side of". Used alone, trans may refer to: Sociology * Trans, a sociological term which may refer to: ** Transgender, people who identify themselves with a gender that di ...

people of color The term "person of color" (: people of color or persons of color; abbreviated POC) is used to describe any person who is not considered "white". In its current meaning, the term originated in, and is associated with, the United States. From th ...

." Owners were inspired to provide free food to trans people of color after visiting Gay4U, a vegan restaurant run by

Cellphone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This radio ...

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

. According to Waz Wu of ''Eater Portland'', Mis Tacones' tortillas are "hand-pressed to order, then filled with extra juicy

al pastor (from Spanish, "herdsman style"), ''tacos al pastor'', or ''tacos de trompo'' is a preparation of spit-grilled slices of meat, usually pork originating in the Central Mexican region of Puebla and Mexico City, where they remain most prominent; ...

, asada, and cilantro-lime-marinated house-made seitan, dressed with

chipotle A chipotle ( , ), or chilpotle, is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes. It comes in differen ...

crema and salsas". The menu also includes

empanada An empanada is a type of baked or fried turnover (food), turnover consisting of pastry and stuffing, filling, common in Culture of Spain, Spain, other Southern European countries, North African countries, South Asian countries, Latin American c ...

s and meatless asada.

History

Mis Tacones launched as a vegan pop-up restaurant in 2016. Carlos Reynoso and Polo Abram Bañuelos began making tacos in Portland after relocating from Los Angeles. Inspired by

street food Street food is food sold by a Hawker (trade), hawker or vendor on a street or at another public place, such as a market, fair, or park. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumption ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

and Los Angeles, the duo made seitan tacos and other foods at private dinner, Saturday markets, and queer dance events. The operation was halted by the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In 2021, the business operated at the gay bar

Local Lounge Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021. Description Local Lounge was a bar on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Northeast Portland, Oregon, northeast Portland's King, Portland, Oregon, King neighborhood. The ...

, which was hosting outdoor

drag show A drag show is a form of entertainment performed by drag (entertainment), drag artists impersonating men or women, typically in a bar or nightclub as a burlesque-style, adult-themed nightclub event. The modern drag show originated in the speake ...

s. In January 2022, owners announced plans to open a

brick and mortar Brick and mortar (or B&M) is an organization or business with a physical presence in a building or other structure. The term ''brick-and-mortar business'' is often used to refer to a company that possesses or leases retail shops, factory produc ...

restaurant on Killingsworth Street in

northeast Portland Northeast Portland is one of the six major divisions of Portland, Oregon. Northeast Portland contains a diverse collection of neighborhoods. For example, while Irvington and the Alameda Ridge feature some of the oldest and most expensive homes i ...

's Vernon neighborhood in February. The duo had launched a

GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the ...

campaign to raise the initial $50,000 needed to operate a larger operation.

Reception

Waz Wu included Mis Tacones in ''Eater Portland'''s 2021 overview of "tasty" vegan Tacos in the city and 2023 list of fifteen "essential" vegan and vegetarian eateries in Portland. Brenna Houck included the business in the website's 2025 overview of the city's eighteen best vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Mis Tacones was also in the website's 2025 list of Portand's best restaurants for mid-week lunches. Paolo Bicchieri included the business in ''Eater Portland'' 2025 overview of the city's best restaurants for lunch. Mis Tacones was a runner-up in the Best Mexican Restaurant and ranked second in the Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant category of ''

Willamette Week ''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture. History Early history '' ...

'' annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2024.

References

External links

Vegan taqueria Mis Tacones opens permanent location
at

KPTV KPTV (channel 12) is a television station in Portland, Oregon, United States, affiliated with the Fox network. It is owned by Gray Media alongside Vancouver, Washington–licensed MyNetworkTV affiliate KPDX (channel 49). The two stations sh ...

{{portal bar, Food, LGBTQ, Oregon 2016 establishments in Oregon LGBTQ culture in Portland, Oregon LGBTQ-owned businesses in Oregon Mexican restaurants in Portland, Oregon Queer culture Restaurants established in 2016 Restaurants in Vernon, Portland, Oregon Taco stands Vegan restaurants in Portland, Oregon

Description

History

Reception

See also

References

External links