Iron Horse Restaurant

Recommends

Pisceslady83

Joined 2 years ago

Order a special!. We've eaten at Iron Horse twice now.

1st visit: We shared the nachos, which were delicious and possessed a unique flavor, which we loved.

2nd visit: I ordered one of the specials - California Enchiladas (choice of meats or cheese filling). They use a creamy avocado sauce instead of traditional enchilada sauce for this dish. It came with your choice of beans, rice and a tiny salad served in a cup.

My boyfriend ordered the Chili Verde, which he also enjoyed.

Only complaint: The tortilla chips are noticeably not house made.

Bottom line: Pleasant experience. Fun atmosphere. Delicious food. Good prices. We will continue to eat here.

Recommends

jojo4444

Joined 3 years ago

OUTSTANDING!. There are many great things about the Iron Horse. Great cadilac ritas, great food, and great service. The staff are more like friends than just staff. The salsa is far and away the best in Portland. The Iron Horse nachos are very good as well as the carne asada burrito. Two of my faves! If you have never been to the Iron Horse do not pay any attention to the negative reviews. Check it out for yourself, forming your own opinion is always the smartest way to go. remember resturants are kind of like people, they have good days, and sometimes not so good. Even the the not so good days where good for me. Happy Dinning!

Doesn't Recommend

BrokenHalo

Joined 3 years ago

What a Let Down. I went there after my girlfriend had been talking it up for a few weeks. I went with a group of five we were seated as soon as we walked in. We all ordered margarita which were very good, strong and tasty. I split a house burrito and could not eat more then two bites of it. It looked and tasted like something that I would not even feed my dog. I would not recommend to anyone

Doesn't Recommend

Rubenesque Diva

Joined 3 years ago

Rotten salad--TWICE! Very disappointing!!. I've been to Iron Horse several times in the past year or so, and have always enjoyed the food there. But on a recent lunch visit on a Saturday with a friend, it wasn't busy and the (Asian) waitress was terrible, very disorganized, scattered, and SLOW.

I ordered the Blackened Mahi-Mahi salad, and when it came it was clear the fish was overcooked, but I started in anyway. The cook (I hesitate to use the word "chef" for this meal) used a lettuce spring-mix for the base but it contained numerous ROTTEN leaves (not cooked by the heat of the fish, rotten). I sent it back and requested the same order. How stupid of me, because that's exactly what I got--another batch of rotten salad. Bonus points, at least the fish wasn't overcooked this time. I ate the fish because I didn't want to risk any ill will, but left the rotten salad behind.

My friend and I have eaten there more than once, and he even complimented the owner on one meal we had there. I hope the owner is reading this now, because his employees are going to ruin his business. Rotten salad? Slow, forgetful service?

I was so very, very disappointed, because the Iron Horse has been a favorite of mine and I've recommended it to friends for the Yucatan pork tacos, which are delicious. But this was awful, one of the worst dining experiences I've had.

Recommends

Monte Mole

Joined 3 years ago

Fun Place, To-Die-For Specials. My friends and I go out to restaurants all over Portland. The reason why this is our favorite, is because the margaritas are strong , and worth EVERY penny, the daily food specials are unique, food you could not find anywhere else. IE: Chipotle fajita with portabella and asparagus, or Alaskan salmon salad, or cilantro-lime chicken (this is a HALF of a chicken!). If you are a foodie, these are a MUST try.

Lets not forget to mention, that a certain Blazer frequents here, and No. 12, he's my favorite! Two big screen TV's in the front for games means I'll never miss a shot. If you're NOT in the mood, the back half is TV free and quieter.

One thing I like about the people who work there is that they are friendly and down-to-earth. Servers are cool, the owners ACTUALLY work there, and the bartenders are known for pouring a mean drink!

Recommends

Food Adventurer

Joined 4 years ago

OMG This is the best place ever!!!!. Out of all of the Mexican restaurants in Oregon or other states for that matter this is the Best One I've ever had!!! I know I've only tried the mahi mahi fish taco's and the Iron horse salad but I can't stop ordering that every time I go in because it's so delicious. I remember my first visit on a warm summer night with my daughter and the place was poppin. We had so much fun. That did not slow down the friendly wait staff it made them more excited and faster in my opinion. And than I had "it", the best margarita I have ever found!!! The Cadaliac......yummmy!! It was just a wonderful time and my daughter loved it too. It's in a nice neighborhood, lively and fun. They even have big screen tv's (with volume turned down) to cover those games you do not want to miss. They even let you pick your level of salsa hot med. or mild when you sit down and need a snack. The decor is great. They have black beans too. When you are getting ready to leave you won't feel ripped off it's a lot of bang for the buck shall we say. Some day I will try something other than the fish taco's and report back~~~but in the meantime you'll find me livin it up at the Iron Horse being way too excited for my mahi fish tacos and cadaliac margarita to touch the table. Have a nice day and give this place a try you won't be disappointed.

Recommends

Pikerin

Joined 4 years ago

Great place for night outs.. Iron Horse is a very friendly resaurant. It has three kinds of salsa while some of other Mexican restaurant has only one kind and its salsa is chunky and has flavor. It has traditional Mexican food and also has non-traditional one. It has many dishes with fresh vegetables and I like that about Iron Horse.

I went there with my friends on Saturday everning and I really enjoyed eating there. Our server was very freindly and attentive. We all had a very good time.

Doesn't Recommend

dandlrobles

Joined 4 years ago

This place has gone downhill. I used to really like this place. They had a unique twist on mexican food at a good price. I'm not sure what happened, but we recently went there after not having been there for several years and found that it went really downhill. First, we got there at about 3:40. Service was really slow. At 1 minute till 4:00 the server informed us that the prices increase for dinner at 4:00 and there was nothing she could do. Strike one! Then we got our food...terrible and unsatisfying. Finally the bill- over $40.00 for 2 adults and a 3 year old child- and only one alcholic beverage. We will not return.

Recommends

cg0106

Joined 4 years ago

My fave neighborhood spot!. I admit I live within the "flight path" of the fabulous aromas coming from the Iron Horse which is how I originally found it back in 1990. I love this place and the people who run it--they're friendly, accommodating and gracious. The food is always fabulous, in far larger portions than I can (or should!) eat. I check their online specials monthly to find out when my favorite dish is on the menu (Oyster Tacos!!! YUM!) Great refritos too, and I love their new black bean refries!

It's a true Sellwood hangout with authentic Sellwood vibe. I often run into my neighbors which makes it feel even more homey to me. There is nothing pretentious about the Iron Horse and I have never had a bad meal here in almost 20 years. The specials rock even if they sometimes stray from a strictly Mexican direction. I like that they experiment a bit with other "South-of-our-border" cuisines.

Doesn't Recommend

PHUZZY

Joined 5 years ago

Iron Horse: Worse than Ever. My husband and I have come to Iron Horse for over five years on a regular basis. This despite the very poor service from most of the servers there. The young dark haired Chips and Salsa girl, as well as a couple of the servers are the best among all of them for their attentiveness and smiles.

Last night, we finally said "no more" for the very last time. The food was bland, substandard, unappetizing for flavor.

The IH has had some renovations, which have helped to brighten the interior atmosphere. If they want to stay in business, they seriously need to renovate their staff and food!

I feel that Mark needs to be present to observe and maintain the staff and food quality. He is never there, it seems. I have called him about certain unprofessional servers, and he assured me he would look into it. Nothing has changed, though.

One last thing is that very irritating and obnoxious swinging kitchen half-door. it needs to go!