New Mexican Restaurant Now Open in Portland, Maine’s East End

This is the second location of Mesa Grande Taqueria after the founders moved to Maine.

This all started in California, when a father-son team brought all the flavors from their favorite Mexican restaurants out to the East. They started in Auburn, New York, in 2010. They visited Maine, and as often happens, you can't help but fall in love. When a location on Fore Street at the bottom of Munjoy Hill became available, they jumped at the chance.

Fast, good food!

They make and cook all food in-house and from scratch, using fine dining cooking techniques. But it will have the feeling of another fast food Mexican place. You order your food and tell them what you want on it. But unlike that other place, this is made from scratch!

The hand-pulled meats are marinated, dry-rubbed, and slow-smoked. The salsas are made from scratch in-house. They use sour cream and cheeses from Cabot Creamery. They even make their own desserts. They will also have margaritas, but not yet. Those pesky liquor licenses can take more time than you thought.

I ordered a burrito bowl with the marinated chicken, and it was delicious. I also got chips and queso, because I was super hungry and thought there was no way a burrito bowl would fill me up. I could NOT finish the chips and queso. It was a case of "My eyes were bigger than my stomach." And I don't have a tiny stomach.

I never go to places on the first day they open. But there I was. I hit lunchtime, and they handled the crowd just fine. They will get into a rhythm, and opening day jitters should be gone by the time you try them. If you do eat there, make sure to get a frozen lemonade if it's a hot day!

Learn Spanish while you eat at Mesa Grande Taqueria in Portland, Maine

On one wall, there is a motif of different painted boxes. Some have pictures, along with the Spanish word for it! Ya gotta love learning something while you eat! I liked that a lot. It's a great addition to the area, and I know that WEX alone will keep them plenty busy. If you ever find yourself on Fore Street at the bottom of Munjoy Hill in Portland, stop by for some yummy and fast Mexican food!