Are you looking for an airy, indoor Mexican restaurant to take refuge from the smoky PDX air? What about a restaurant on Portland’s inner east side with the ability to accommodate a “walk-in party of 25”?!? Or maybe you’re just an avocado fiend who insists on trying every guacamole in town. Whatever your needs, Todo has you covered.
Located on the corner of Hawthorne and SE 20th Ave (where Vincente’s and Blackbird Pizza used to be) … Todo began a 53-week renovation in 2021 and opened this past June offering “Mexican family-style dining in a modern cantina environment.” It’s the brainchild of Marco Frattaroli (of Basta and Cibo) and Tim Edwards (Signal Station Pizza and wine industry veteran) and it is awesome. Here are the highlights from our recent visit!
The chips, salsa and guacamole. We would come here for this snack alone (paired with a marg, of course). The salsa made us do a double-take – it’s a cut way above standard table salsa. And a restaurant’s guacamole is their first impression … if the guac fails (too limey or the avocados are duds) then it’s a deal breaker. But Todo’s guac is fresh and fabulous.
The cocktails. We asked for the most-popular order – the house margarita. The mega-friendly server suggested the split salt/tajin rim. Conclusion: Perfection. A smooth balance of fresh-squeezed lime juice with Jimador Silver without being cloyingly sweet. Cocktail #2 was Jorge’s Escape with Tres Agave Reposado, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and to keep it cool? A pear-cardamom-vanilla mini paleta! Bonus: Top-shelf Tuesdays feature half-off top-shelf spirits and Wednesdays feature $7 House margaritas!
The Pescado and the Vegan Pastor. Family-style eating is the focus at Todo. You order a half-pound or pound of your protein of choice and then it comes with tortillas and fixins. The heaping half-pound of pescado boasts an expertly-fried platter of Oregon rockfish. The vegan pastor is a savory, spicy blend of soy crumbles with juicy pineapple. We look forward to coming back to try the meat-based pastor which is marinated pork shoulder slow-roasted on the trompo (a rotating vertical grill – the only one at a Mexican restaurant in all of Multnomah County!)
The Fixins. You get to pick 2 toppings for every half-pound of protein. We went with the pico, the shredded cabbage and a couple of Mexican dairy delights locally made by Don Froylan – the crema and the cotija. Everything paired so well. The cabbage and crema made the pescado the quintessential fish taco.
The Salsas. Salsa Verde, Salsa Roja, Salsa de Arbol and Aceite de Arbol (chili oil) … once we tried them all we could not choose a favorite and so every taco rapidly became drizzled with 2, 3 or 4 salsas at once. Nice variety of heat and flavor and if you’re a spice hound, don’t be afraid to go heavy. Just order another marg to cool your tongue off!
The verdict: We will be back. SOON. With a much larger party because Todo can hold toda tu familia and then some. The versatile space would be a sweet spot for holiday parties or post-soccer tacos for the whole team. And it’s quite affordable for food this fresh and expertly crafted by seasoned PDX chefs! A chip ‘n’ dip starter and whole pound of protein (ranging from $29 to $42) could feed most parties of 3-4. Full table service with real napkins, an awesome staff and the Instagrammable mural by local artist Toru Tanizawa … Todo is our new favorite spot for PDX tacos. All without waiting in an eternal PDX line. (But once the word gets out that might soon change!)
Todo is located at 1935 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard Portland, Oregon 97214
And it’s open every night! Tuesday thru Saturday from 5-10 pm and Monday & Sunday 5-9 pm.
Listed Nearby: Restored Hawthorne Craftsman Foursquare
5 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 2,799 SF | $1,095,000 | 1524 SE 35th Pl, Portland, OR 97214
Full home details here.
As always, we are happy to answer any & all Qs!
(503) 970-9866 | office@moranhomespdx.com
susieknowspdx.com 