Boriken Restaurant

This little place was wonderful. The owners were warm and inviting. They spent time explaining any menu items with such deliberate and wonderful information. The food was affordable and the atmosphere was akin to having a home made dinner with family. It was my first time experiencing this little slice of Puerto Rico but it most certainly will not be my last. I encourage any of you that take the time to leave room for desert.

The most authentic Puerto Rican food I’ve ever had, and it was delicious. We ordered the chicken strips in plantain cups as an appetizer. Lots of earthy flavors with the plantain having a starchy and chewy texture that was perfect. My dad ordered their tripe soup which came in a very flavorful and bright tasting broth. He enjoyed every bite, it totally hit the spot. I had what can only be described as a plantain lasagne with sides of beans and yellow rice. The lasagne layered plantains, cheese, and beef, and was cut into a perfect square. It was very unique and filling. We both got malto, a soda made from carbonated beer wort, and it washed the meal down perfectly. We will definitely be coming here again.

Love how the restaurant is decorated! It’s super clean with tasty food! We’ve been at least 10 times. The service is friendly and fast, however we have never been during a busy time. I never had Puerto Rican food before this restaurant and so far everything I have tried has been great!

If your looking for something different this is your spot. Their Caribbean food is bold, fulfilling and authentic! Come hungry leave satisfied. The plantains filled pleasure is popular. The owners of this small establishment are super down to earth and knowledgeable about their menu selection. Interior was inviting and the atmosphere was positive. Don’t leave with out trying their pasteries. This place is marked on our must go back to spots.

A friend told me that there was only one Puerto Rican place around, and given that he is PR, I figured he knew what he was talking about, and he did!
This is a hole in the wall, but very nice and clean. The Mofongo was great and very filling, the pork was super tenderful and very flavorful. The service was good, one guy running his butt off good!
The only downside, they didn’t have the Can Can Pork, but big deal– they are so popular that they couldn’t keep it in stock. like that is a problem. And they are going to have a liquor licence soon, 4 – 6 months; so RUM drinks!
Ya’Man, tis good!

We’re fans of trying anything new. When I heard about this Puerto Rican joint, we were headed straight there that weekend.
The whole place had a homey and tropical feel. Everyone in there were clearly regulars. This all made it a bit more intimidating, but exciting!
We ended up getting a couple of drinks, beef empanadas, conch trifongo in garlic sauce, steak mofongo in tomato sauce, and flan.
The empanadas were crispy and tasty. Then the mofongo/​trifongo came and we realized they were monstrous. They were so good though! I got the conch because I hadn’t had it before. It’s kind of clam like in texture. Worked well with the garlic sauce. The steak was cooked well too and worked perfectly with the tomato based sauce. The mofongo part was mashed plantains. The trifongo was supposed to be a mix of other mashed ingredients. Both our mofongo and trifongo tasted the same, but they insisted they were different.
The service was a bit off that day I think. They were not super friendly and they forgot to give me my drink, but still charged for it. They were pretty rude about it at the end. It kind of clouded the really good meal. It was also a bit pricey. It came out to a little over $ 60 for the two of us.
It’s definitely more of a special occasion place, but it’s cravable because it’s so unique!

Wonderful experience. Owners are nice and the food is to die for. If you are anywhere in the PDX area and feel like authentic Caribbean food, this is the place.

Worth the wait! So this little corner of Puerto Rico has been on my must try list for a while, but their hours are hard to make work for us, so Christmas Eve lunch, why not, right?!?
We had the place to ourselves for lunch, and took advantage to ask all of our questions about the cuisine. So first is that it’s not spicy, but when done right, it is very flavorful, and this was absolutely the case. The empanadas were crisp, and we tried both the chicken and the beef. Second, we were given a bottle of vinegar which had peppers, garlic and other herbs pickling in it. Adds that sour tang to each bite — balancing out the sweet and savory. We shared our mains — yellow rice with pollo and a pork mofongo. SO GOOD!!! Plantains were perfectly fried, crisp and not oily — and you can tell they just mashed a piece and dropped it in — awesome! Yellow rice was light and had that flavor I can’t describe except to just say that when it hits your tongue, you feel like you are in the islands. Last but not least, the mofongo which is perfect for sharing and gets a high note for presentation and taste!
Service was attentive and the food came out promptly. We will be back, and hope that you will too!

Having never had Puerto Rican food before, I was excited to try this tiny, hole in the wall, family friendly place.
Now I’m sorry I didn’t try it sooner! The food was plentiful, delicious, and beautiful. The service was friendly, helpful, and fast.
I highly recommend the stuffed avocado :)
Yum!

Warning: long winded. Sorry.
So. I have not had much Puerto Rican food in my half century of living (yes I recently hit THAT birthday so this was a belated birthday lunch of sorts). I did not really know what to expect from Boriken. Reviews on Unilocal are mixed. One person I trust gave it a meh, another gives it glowing reports.
Okay. Gotta figure this dealio out.
On a mid Sunday afternoon, only one other table had patrons. As we hesitated on the threshold the very friendly man told us to sit wherever we would like, even though a sign at the door told us in red to wait to be seated. So I chose a two top in the corner because it had a pretty doily. The restaurant is clean, bright, decorated attractively, and has super nifty light fixtures of upside down tin pails with bulbs in them. Adorable. The tables have heavy backless benches for seating. I was glad my bench had a wall behind it for leaning.
What?! I told you I was old, right? My ancient back needs some support.
Dining companion and I told the nice man we would share everything and ordered two chicken empanadas, yuca with chicken stew on top, and chicken with rice. He did not ask if we wanted beverages. We were good with the stinking cute little mason jars of icy water but I think if he asked people he’d make more money. Just sayin’.
It is Sunday. My Dad always wants chicken for Sunday dinner. I guess I’m a chip off the ornery 87 year old block. Bring on the chicken. In any form really. They do have other protein options on the menu, fyi.
We didn’t wait all that long for food. Ten-​fifteen minutes.
Latin music plays in the background and a flatscreen tv runs lush landscapes/​oceanscapes footage on the far wall. I was drooling over the gorgeous beaches. That’s just mean to do that when its so freaking dreary here. (J/​k)
But I digress. What about the food?
I thought the arroz con pollo was a little bit savory and a little bit bland. I could definitely detect the sofrito. The chicken and rice were well cooked. I’m a big fan of this dish with the chicken still on the bone but this was definitely easier to share and eat. The tostones (fried plantain disks) that accompanied it were yummy but needed a bit of salt… and I rarely salt anything and actually almost always say stuff is too salty. I liked their texture though. Spot on. I think I expected the rice to be saffron tasting because of its yellow color, but the dish is yellow from anattto which is typical of Puerto Rican cooking.
I know this because we read all about it online while we ate. Rude! This is a terrible habit of mine… I apologize but remind you the place was mostly empty. Research is important. A girl has gotta be informed yo.
We also had to look up yuca to understand what it is. A starchy root also known as arrowroot or casava not to be confused with the cactus plant. I’ve had yuca before and I like it. Our yuca dish came mashed with a simple stew of chicken, peppers, onion, and tomato sauce on top. It was all cooked nicely, it was plated prettily and it was also really mild tasting.
I think I wanted heat and that’s probably just my issue. I don’t think Puerto Rican food is typically spicy like some other Carribean or Latino cultures’ food. Savory and comforting yes, loaded with chiles notsomuch. I do have a thing for starchy root vegetables and if you do too, you will like this. Good carby food for a cold day for sure. It reminded me of Creole cooking a bit.
The empanadillas were crispy and had tasty shredded chicken and I –bet– it –was –sofrito inside them. They were a touch overcooked but still crunchy and flaky. Dining companion wished there was a sauce to dunk them into. We both liked them.
We were too full for dessert. Our lunch bill was $ 26.
So to sum up, I didnt think it was meh or perfect. I did think it was tasty food served up by friendly kind people in a clean, pleasant setting. I was not bowled over, but I think Ill be back for more tostones and to try some other new dishes.
Honestly, so cool it’s on MY side of town.

This is an interesting place. My family and I (party of 5) came in on a Saturday night around 7:30. There was a live band and the place was packed wall to wall. The patrons looked to be natives and possibly friends with the owners. There are roughly 10 tables total in the restaurant and since it was so busy, we waited 30 – 45 min for a table to leave so we can sit down. The band was loud, the people were loud, dancing and singing… Which made for a fun atmosphere. The service was ok. I know this was due to how busy they were. No one left until we were leaving. Which was another hour later. So we were lucky to get that table.
The food:
Was ok. I was expecting something to blow my mind. I didn’t really like the MOFONGO. So much plantain which was dry. It needed so much more sauce and flavor. The food is also quite pricey. Everyone tried some other things, I was not completely blown away by anything in particular.
I did enjoy the place, but I don’t know if I would return because of the prices.

I came here with some colleagues for a work lunch. Based on their rave reviews, I had high expectations, but was not impressed. First of all, there was an ant crawling across my menu, which is never a good sign. We were there from around 11:40ish until 1ish and there were only a handful of other people who ate here in that time — also, not a good sign. I went with the arroz con pollo and, aside from the chicken, it just didn’t have much flavor. Same story with the fried plantains that came with it. I wanted to love this place, but just couldn’t!

Borinken restaurant bring us the first puertorrican cousine to Oregon. I absolutely love this place. I used to travel to Lakewood to get my puertorrican food fix. Now it is just few minutes away. My absolute favotite is the chuleta kan kan. Great place for lunch with the mini mofongo specials. Deserts are great too. I’m looking forward many years of great service and great food.

Very authentic Puerto Rican food, better than most places I’ve tried. Basically, as close to the island as you’ll get without actually flying there. A little pricey if you ask me but well worth it given that this is possibly the only Puerto Rican restaurant in the Pacific Northwest.
Their alcapurrias are bar none! The portions are generous and the service was polite and attentive. The asopaos (soups) are very rich in flavor and could very well be it’s own meal. The establishment was very clean and if you want to enjoy the last of the summer days, eating al fresco is a great way to cap off the evening!

Puerto Rican Food In Portland !
Not exactly what you hear too often in Portland,
butcha do now, papi.
So, I am one of the 0.3% Puerto Ricans
living in Portland.(Per 2010 census) so
I was pretty happy to see Boriken open.
Due to where I live (NE Portland) and their
hours of business (closed on Saturdays)
Update** Now Open Saturday !!
It took me a while to finally visit.
Boriken is located in Beaverton.
From the moment I walked in, I felt like
family. One of the owners walked me
through the menu and didn’t hesitate to
recommend what to eat. (Love that BTW)
Puerto Rican Food is prepared with
heart and flavor. It is not like any another
type of food, I would describe it and
say it’s not spicy/​cheesy like Mexican food
and it’s not Cuban either. It’s savory, sometimes
sweet, garlicky, fried, starchy, filling, home
cooked with LOVE and can, and should be
shared. Large portion sizes, so keep this in
mind too.
Food;
Trifongo~3 different plantains mashed together
with onion, garlic and all kinds of magical spices.
Your choice of shrimp, chicken, steak or no meat.
Get This (Feeds Two)
Rice and Pinto Beans~ The BEST I’ve had in PDX.
Get This (like moms used to make) aww
Coconut water with fresh chunks of
Coconut ! Ikr.
Tips~ This food is something you must have
in the restaurant. It doesn’t «travel» well. IMO,
as a general rule fried foods don’t
hold up and you lose the texture of the dish.
This is not «fast food» it takes a little longer
because its made to order and the prep time.
It’s totally worth it tho ;)
Go experience Puerto Rican Food !
Mic Drop with Feed Back !

MOFONGOS (sounds so interesting)!!
Perfect place to try Puerto Rican food! I think this is the only Peurto Rican joint in Portland. Thanks for opening this place for Portlanders!
Things that stood out for me was service, food presentation and MOFONGO /​TRIFONGO. Co-​owner Awilda was very friendly and suggested us options for dinner.
Let’s talk about food now. It’s said you eat first with the eyes and then comes the taste buds. ***** Stars for the presentation. It’s very appealing and it tempts you to dig in!
What I ate?
Vegetarian Trifongo with Red Sauce (suggested by the owner instead of mofongo).
Loved the way how it was served. Trifongo included 3 different plantain varieties. So it was little sweet due to plantains. I liked the dish initially but later it lacked sauces and vegetables when you dig further inside. I wish to try this with garlic sauce (with extra sauce) next time.
Yuca dish with vegetables (vegetarian version served minus the chicken). This was good though it had good amount of grease for me. The vegetables (asparagus, onions, bell peppers) with sauce tasted delicious.
Overall a good experience and you get to eat Peurto Rican food in PDX!

This is a place that I out can easily miss. Actuall I was surprised when I found it while looking for someplace different in Beaverton for lunch.
It has a casual atmosphere and the staff was very welcoming. Not being familiar with Puerto Rican food, I asked for a recommendation. I ordered the Mofongo De Carrucho.
I quite honestly can’t really explain exactly what it was except to say that it fresh, flavorsome and left me very happy. It had a mash made from plantains and was filled with a vibrant blend of a tomato based sauce with conch and topped with fresh vegetables.
This description really doesn’t do it justice. But definitely stop by. Great friendly staff. And great tasting food that you won’t find just anywhere.

I have had this place bookmarked for awhile. After a fun trip to the Dermatologist we decided to get some food to go. My husband has been to Miami many times and a good friend is Puerto Rican, so he has eaten lots of Cuban/​Puerto Rican food.
Hubby went in to pick up the order and the gal behind the counter (was obviously new), could barely string together a sentence. She was also having major trouble opening a plastic bag.
The 5 Tostones Con Mojo De Ajo, had no dipping sauce as shown in the photo. I called them and they said it had garlic butter on it and it does not come with the sauce and only get it if you ask for it at the Restaurant and they have some made. You might want to mention that or change your photo, kind of misleading. They were palatable with some salt but I want dipping sauce!
The Churrasco which is $ 21.95 and looks nothing like the photo on their website, reminds me of Fajitas, it was AOK. I have made this myself a few times and this does not measure up to my Caucasian attempt. The rice was kind of hard, perhaps undercooked or old.
Finally the 2 Empanadillas De Pollo O Carne De Res. We ordered one beef and one chicken. They were the best thing of all, very delicious!
It is not my jam so I doubt I will be back.

Come hungry, leave happy :)
I have been looking at this Puerto Rician place for a few months and was waiting for an opportunity to get to it. I liked the cosy homely ambience for the place. We were able to get a place to sit quick and based on the pics and reviews on Unilocal it was clear that we had to try the mofongo’s. I had the conch mofongo (de carrucho), with the creole sauce which was amazing. I really liked the creole sauce as it was very flavorful. I also tried the shrimp mofongo (de camarones) with the white garlic and the crab meat mofongo (de cangrejo) with the white garlic sauce as well. Both of them were very tasty and I might try the white garlic sauce next time I am there. One thing to note here is that the mofongo is a lot of food, so come with an appetite.
I know you would be wondering as to why after that opening comment I am not giving it 5 stars. The reason for that is that the mofongo has a lot of plantains as you dig deep into the cup, and as you go deep it gets a little dry. We asked for mor sauce and it was all good but that is the only reason for not giving it a resounding 5 stars. But, I will definitely go back as the food was amazing. Give it a try.

We kept driving by this place and got curious. After seeing the pictures and reviews, we decided to give this place a try as we never had Puerto Rican food before.
First off, the place is really cute. I love the décor. Very warm/“homey” feel to it.
We were greeted by the owner. She was so nice and welcoming. She took the time to explain different items of the menu as we were new to Puerto Rican food.
My boyfriend and I shared the mofongo con pollo and the yucca rellena con pollo. Both of those tasted delicious and we are more than full. I might have to go to the gym after everything I just ate… Ok after I digest some more!
There are many other items on the menu I would like to try: the Puerto Rican lasagna, the potato ball appetizer and the banana fritters!
I am definitely coming back!