I’ve heard it said that some of the best Mexican restaurants are little “hole in the wall” types of places. Being from the SF Bay Area, I’ve known this to be true. There is a big difference between a dirty little place that you would never set food in, and a tiny nondescript place with amazing food. El Sancho Taco Shop in Bend Oregon fits the latter description.
El Sancho Taco Shop in Bend Oregon
Monthly girls lunch
Each month, a group of friends and I go out for “girls lunch”. We take turns paying, and whomever is paying also gets to pick the place to eat. We try a different restaurant each time and for this month’s lunch, my friend chose this little place that none of us had heard of (except for her). She heard it was really good and was anxious to try it.
The Patio
As I turned onto the street where El Sancho Taco Shop is, I saw a small, bright yellow building with the name on it. It looked like the aforementioned “hole in the wall”, and to be honest, I was a bit apprehensive. The building was on a slight uphill and as I parked, I saw the whole side of the restaurant, which was colorful and inviting. I was pleased to see a large outdoor patio with colorful umbrellas over the tables. It was really busy, so I figured it must be good. We found a large table tucked in the shade, to accommodate us all. It was perfect on that sunny summer day.
After we made our lunch choices, a couple of the ladies in our group went inside to order. All ordering is done inside, but they do bring your food to you, which is really nice.
The menu
When I browsed the simple menu, I knew right away that I would be getting the tacos. Well my decision was also made easier when I saw the couple sitting next to us eating them. They looked so good! I ordered two carnitas (pork) and one carne asada (steak).
The Food
The carnitas tacos were so, so good. The flavor was incredible and I polished the tacos off in no time. The carne asada was just okay. My daughter ordered carnitas tacos and chicken chipotle tacos and she said they were delicious. Maybe next time I’ll have to get one of those too. In addition to the meat, there were several other things inside the warm corn tortilla. There was cilantro, red and green salsa (not spicy, but full of flavor), and cotija cheese. Oh boy, I am craving them so much right now!
`
`
One of the ladies in our group ordered the Beans & Rice. This was not your average beans and rice though! In the bowl was toasted jasmine rice, which I thought was a bit unusual for a Mexican restaurant, black beans simmered with Epazote (an aromatic herb), onion, cilantro, red and green salsa and sprinkled with cotija cheese. You can choose to have a fried egg on top for an additional charge. My friend ordered it with the egg on hers. Unfortunately I didn’t get a picture of her dish, but it looked really good. I am more of a refried beans kind of girl though. Hmmm maybe I will inquire about substituting with refried beans next time I’m there.
Everyone else in our group ordered the Sancho Bowl. It was more like a large plate with everything neatly placed on it. The Sancho Bowl comes with your choice of meat, pico de gallo, guacamole, lettuce, crema, and cotija cheese.
We were all absolutely swept away with this little place. To be honest, I probably never would have taken a second look at it, if it had not been for my friend. We will DEFINITELY be going back!
It is not only the food that will bring me back, but I got a kick out of the quirky touches. If you eat outdoors, you get your own utensils, napkins, and water. If you want water, there is a huge Alhambra like water bottle that is anchored on a metal rack. To fill your glass, just tilt the big bottle sideways with your glass underneath. I felt a little silly because I couldn’t figure out how to get water out of it! Luckily my friend was right there to help.
Hola Happy Hour!
Happy hours at restaurants & bars rock, and this one is no exception. Every day from 3-5 p.m., they offer $2 tacos, $5 house margaritas and $4 microbrews.
El Sancho Taco Shop is located at 335 NE Dekalb, Bend, Oregon. Operating hours are Monday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. They also have a food truck at Crux Fermentation, and sometimes at the farmer’s market.
Make sure you connect with El Sancho Taco Shop on Facebook and Instagram!
