I’m not sure what I liked about them so much, except that most were fried, which seems to be a a recurring theme in my diet. Whatever the case may be, I knew I’d eventually end up pulling up a seat at La Familia Restaurante. And what an interesting experience it was.
We arrived to find four other diners seated in the six table dining area, but we had to wait several minutes to be seated because the server was “so busy.” It was hard to be angry because the young guy was super friendly and really appeared to be hustling.
When we got our seats, the real fun began. Our served wanted to take our order almost immediately, which might work for regulars but it took me a bit to decipher the Spanish/English menu. I knew I wanted a coconut soda ($2.50), which was light and refreshing and would have been a perfect match for a shot of something, but La Familia does not serve alcohol.
When the server hustled back again we ordered the Puerto Rican empanadas stuffed with ground beef and deep fried ($7), which came with a spicy salsa. So I could get my fix, we also picked the tostones con ajo y mantequilla, otherwise known as plantain and garlic pan fried in butter ($5.95) as a second appetizer.
For meals we picked the grilled steak served with rice, black refried beans, special white cheese and homemade tortillas ($13.95) and the cubitos (chunks of steak stewed with potatoes, onions, peppers and served with kidney beans and rice). Other options include a Cuban sandwich ($9.95), rotisserie chicken ($8.95), jumbo pan fried shrimp with plantains and salad ($13.95) and Caribbean fish and chips, which they were out of on this night.
While awaiting our apps, the server asked if we’d like to partake of the free tacos.
“Huh?”
He informed us that the restaurant gives out one free taco per customer on Mondays and Tuesdays. We knew we had already order way too much food, but why not?
The crispy homemade tacos, served open-faced with spiced ground beef, onion, carrots, cabbage, tomato and sour cream, may have been the best part of the meal. And they were free!
Then the bad news. No cubitos. The meat was still “hard.” What would I like instead? Reluctantly, I went with the chicken version of the dish ($9.95).
Meanwhile, we were still awaiting our appetizers.
At the kitchen window, where the food comes out to steam momentarily under a heat lamp, a dish appeared that looked suspiciously like one of our meals. And then we heard “Oh shit!” — never something you want to hear coming from a restaurant kitchen.
Our apps order had apparently been lost in the shuffle. So, about 30 seconds after the apps arrived, the server told us our meals were ready. Would we like them now?
What was our alternative? We ended up with a buffet selection on our table and grazed until we couldn’t fit in another bite. The empanadas were crispy and not greasy and the small amount of meat inside was a little bite of Mexico. The plantains were bland, as expected, but the garlic butter dipping sauce was outstanding (but not such a good idea on a hot date). The tipiquito, which replaced the cubitos, was excellent — tender chicken in a light, tasty sauce that had hunks of stewed potato and was served with a huge pile of rice with beans. The grilled steak was tough (probably previously frozen) but had a nice flavor, and the refried beans were great.
We could have easily been upset about the service and the lack of items we hoped to try, but the food was so different and the server was trying so hard, we just laughed and kept on eating.
La Familia is located at 906 Brighton Ave. in Portland and is open noon-8 pm Mon.-Thurs., noon-10 pm Fri., 8 am-8 pm Sat. Call 761-5865.