La Bonita: Food for the People, or simply La Bonita, is a small
chain of
Mexican restaurants in
Portland, Oregon, United States. The family-owned business operates three locations in
north (since 2011),
northeast, and
southeast Portland (since 2020), serving
burritos,
chilaquiles,
tacos,
tamales, and other traditional cuisine. The restaurant has a good reputation, and has been included on two
Thrillist lists of the country's best burritos.
The original restaurant opened on Alberta Street in
northeast Portland's
Concordia neighborhood. A second restaurant opened on Killingsworth in
north Portland's
Overlook neighborhood in 2011.[11] The third restaurant opened on Division Street in
southeast Portland's
Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood in 2020, and has a seating capacity of 34.[1] All three locations operated via takeout during the
COVID-19 pandemic; as of May 2020, the original restaurant also offered delivery service.[12] By April 2021, it had indoor dining, takeout, and delivery.[13]
Reception
Thrillist's Dan Gentile included La Bonita on a 2014 list of the 16 best burritos in the United States.[14] Kristin Hunt included the chain on Thrillist's 2015 list of the country's 33 best burritos.[15] La Bonita was included in The Oregonian's 2008 guide to "meals without borders", which said: "The straightforward Mexican food is a magnet to locals and wayfaring strangers."[16] The newspaper's Michael C. Zusman included the restaurant's pozole in a 2009 overview of Portland's top pork dishes.[4] Michael Russell and Samantha Bakall included La Bonita on the newspaper's 2015 and 2016 lists of the city's 10 best nachos and 25 best Mexican restaurants, respectively.[3][17][18]
Nick Zukin included La Bonita on Willamette Week's 2016 list of Portland's nine best chile relleno burritos.[19] In her 2019
Moon guidebook to Portland, Hollyanna McCollom said the food at the Alberta restaurant "is quick, inexpensive, and delicious".[20] During the pandemic,
Brooke Jackson-Glidden included La Bonita on Eater Portland's 2020 overview of Portland eateries with "knockout" tacos for takeout and delivery.[12] She also included the Alberta restaurant in a 2021 overview of recommended eateries on Alberta.[13] Nick Woo and Seiji Nanbu included La Bonita on a 2021 list of twelve "unreal" burritos in Portland, and said the restaurant "has become synonymous with quality fast-casual Mexican fare".[21] Katrina Yentch included the restaurant in Eater Portland's 2022 list of eighteen "knockout spots" for affordable dining in the city.[22]