since moving from Colorado 3 years ago we have been really missing New Mexico style food. decided to try this place and was not disappointed. the breakfast burrito smothered in green chile is to die for! man oh man.....excellent! also had the migas and that dish was also extremely good! our new go-to breakfast spot.
Absolutely fantastic! The food is AMAZING, such incredible flavor. Everything was very reasonably priced too! We got our food not even five minutes after we ordered and found a place to sit. I noticed Zane, one of the owners, visiting every table and checking in with each patron, which was just so personal and welcoming. I will be coming back for brunch, for sure!
Best. Breakfast tacos. Ever. I want to try the whole menu but I can't resist from ordering the farmer breakfast taco with bacon every single time. 💛
Genuine New Mexico food!! Little restaurant with big flavor!! And great New Mexico prices!! Such a relief from the overpriced Portland restaurants!!
A little taste of home well almost lol �. But the service and the green chili cheese burgers are on point.
Was thrilled to find this place. Lived in New Mexico about 33 years ago. That’s a long time to wait for Hatch Green Chile and “real” sopapillas.
This place was the real deal. Had Papps Christmas with home made tortillas. Carne adovada was great! Green chili cheeseburger was just like the Owl Cafe.
Can't wait to go back.
After visiting friends in Deming NM I have been looking for anything close and this place hits the spot perfectly.
Proper. The thick tortillas hold all the peppery juicy goodness, thick bacon, perfectly browned papas, and I am not EVEN ashamed to admit I ate pastrami for breakfast! The PRIMO taco did not last long on my plate! Is it dinner time yet? Cause I'm ready for green chile mac!
Chili bowl w/red sauce & side of potatoes. Oh my gosh. So, good! Wife needs it gluten free. Winner!
Perfect breakfast tacos! On point and reminds me of home.
I was sitting here finishing up the exquisite Huevos Rancheros for the hundredth time and figured another 5-star rating couldn't hurt. Lovingly made food, served with style and top-notch service! Try the so sopapillas!
It's one of my go too's in the morning, recommend it to all my rides and friends
As good as Los Dos Molinos in Phoenix and Springerville AZ. Just enough heat.
Since moving to the Pacific Northwest several years ago, my boyfriend has missed the unique cuisine of New Mexico that he grew up with.
We were SO excited to try The Pepper Box, and as vegetarians, even more happy when we found out the red and green chile sauces and beans were free of lard, chicken broth or other animal ingredients, (UNlike many New Mexico places).
Needless to say, we tried as many things on the menu as we could, without looking completely greedy (maybe)!
The Pepper Box is legit New Mexican fare, the tastes and textures are spot on, and it far exceeded our expectations!
I have to agree with many of the other reviews here saying the green chile sauce is actually BETTER than those I had in New Mexico.
Thank you for such great food and service, and for reuniting my guy with many of his lifetime favorites.
Best New Mexican in Portland, hands down! His green chile is better than most back home even. Breakfast tacos are my favorite, but you really cant go wrong with anything on the menu.
Nom nom nom!!! Those breakfast tacos were unreal amazing!! ��
Absolutely delicious comfort food made from scratch. The Migas and sauces are amazingly delicious. Staff is very friendly.
This place sparked my green chile addiction many years ago and it’s been a mandatory Portland stop ever since. Strong black coffee and house-made habo sauce to boot, what more could you ask for?
Classic Portland hole in the wall cafe. We had breakfast burritos made with their own tortillas. Best ever. Good coffee and friendly atmosphere. Prices are nice, too.
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 🍳
Glad to see pepperbox survived the pandemic and is still putting out absolutely incredible food. Do yourself a favor and give this place a visit. Im a Texan and have had my share of amazing Mexican food. Pepperbox cheese enchiladas with the red chilli are the best enchiladas I've ever had.
What makes this place so great is they don't try to pretend to be something they're not. This restaurant is far from the Portland norm. Don't come here expecting super healthy food, or a great place to eat salads. This food is deliciously greasy, spicy, flavor packed, and will leave your stomach full on a low budget. I ordered delivery from Postmates, so i can only comment on the food itself, not the vibe or service. Their breakfast tacos remind me of some places back in Austin, with the combination of Southwest flavors. I also ordered their green Chile burger. It was packed with flavor, and the meat was cooked perfectly with a nice pink center. Their tortilla sandwiches were also amazing, they use a special kind of tortilla, not your typical run of the mill restaurant style flour tortilla. I even tried their pancakes, surprisingly some of the best I've had since my own mothers homemade pancakes. This place is a winner, I will be coming back.
I ordered 2 Farmer's Tacos and they were HUGE! AND so delicious! I couldn't finish and I have a big appetite. So yummy and affordable and very friendly service!
This place is literally the greatest place ever. Tastes like home, homemade tortillas, The burritos are NM size NOT Portland portions and for a reasonable price ($). Go get a breakfast taco from here everyday!! The pastrami and bacon Christmas is the way to go! Tacos $3.50, burritos $6.50, and stuffed sopapillas 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤
Friendly service, and huge portions! I had the papas with both salsas, and added bacon and Carne. It was a challenge for me to finish it, and I am not a small man! I enjoyed this meal on their quaint outdoor seating. Felt like I was served a meal from a Tia. Highly recommend!
I love this place, I come here almost every time I’m in Portland. The original breakfast taco might be the best breakfast taco I’ve ever had and I’m from Texas. I also like the decor, it feels very authentically New Mexico. And the drip coffee is always good!
Everyone should try this legendary Portland establishment at least once. I used to work right at cross the street in 2017 and have been coming ever since. It’s definitely unassuming from the outside but packs a big flavorful punch on the inside. Prices are very reasonable, the tacos and cheeseburger are some of my favorite in town. If I had it my way there would be a pepper box on every corner.
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.
Heuvos Rancheros with over easy eggs and the green chili sauce was amazing.
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!
Very potato heavy menu, and the chorizo options definitely carry more flavor than bacon of the same. All delicious! Amazing service and although it seemed busy we got a table almost immediately. Only paid about 25 bucks for a full breakfast for 2, excellent deal (chef's kiss).
I went to Pepper Box Cafe for the first time today. We ordered takeout as we have to right now.
I had The Standard. Two eggs, and potatoes with a side tortilla. I added the homemade chorizo. It was good. Plenty of food.
It was a nice find.
Great spot for a quick and cheap breakfast. I got the original taco with red sauce and the farmers breakfast taco. The red sauce has a good amount of heat to it, it was plenty filling without any meat but I think I would get bacon or carne next time for better textural contrast. The farmers breakfast was great too, lots of fresh veggies and cheese. For an average appetite 2 tacos were too much, I only finished about 2/3 of my food.
You order at a counter and someone brings your food, it came out within about 5 minutes. We got there right after opening but I could imagine the limited tables filling up quickly on a busy weekend morning so plan accordingly. But you could easily spend less than $5 for a very filling and flavorful breakfast here so I would recommend it to anyone.
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.
Crazy good flavor, the sauces are drinkable! The house chorizo is a must and suggest getting both sauces, "Christmas". Thanks to the staff during Covid, super helpful and kind!
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