Pepper Box Cafe

Came here on the last day of summer, so I actually got to sit outside. I had the primo taco 🌮 (the one with pastrami) It was fantastic, as was Alyssa (sp?) who took my order. She was so wonderful-I really enjoyed chatting with her and swapping recipes. A real Portland experience all the way around! And the price was right for one person for breakfast 🍳

This is the best kept breakfast secret in Portland. I've been coming here for years, and even when it gets busy, a line out the door would only take about 10 minutes. The food is New Mexico cuisine. Burritos and tacos smothered in green or red or Christmas chili sauce, stuff it with their house made chorizo or adovada, slow roasted pork. Add a little house made habanero hot sauce and KaPOW!! They also have a few other staples, but I found my dish and been eating the same thing 2 to 3 times a week for the last several years. If you come often enough, Alyssa will know your name, your order and you might even get your receipt folded into an origami pepper and put on the wall. Breakfast all day, open 9-2. Go get some.

I'm from Austin, gateway to the Southwest. We have breakfast tacos. Amazing ones. No, Portlanders, not breakfast burritos. Tacos. The benefit? You can have more flavors and a smaller package and try different things without committing to a burrito sized choice. This place was very Austin or New Mexico in a good way. Got 2 tacos. Chile was good. Will be back!

I spent a lot of time growing up in NM where you could get green chili cheeseburgers from the local McDonald's and a&w. Even Colorado gets down with hatch. This place is like a step back through time to some of the best spots I would frequently inhale. The perfect adobada n cheddar melted with potatoes is exactly what I miss. The potatoes could be more crunchy and the chili could be more spicy. I would say the price could be cheaper, but the tacos were huge and I've only seen this kinda food in NM and CO.. Awesome.