Tic Tac O Has Been Feeding Portlanders an Amazing Cheap Lunch for 35 Years
How?
Tic Tac O has been a tenant at One City Center in Downtown Portland for 35 years. For all those decades tucked in one of Portland's first high-rise buildings, they've been offering incredible deals for breakfast and lunch.
There's not one item on the menu over $10. The most expensive item is a burrito plate or a large nacho salad at $9.26. Have you been to lunch in Portland? You can't get a sandwich for under $15 dollars. It's because Erica and George work hard to keep the prices low. I would expect nothing less from two of the nicest people on this planet. They are married and have been for about 10 years. But they have been together for 35 years. As they will joke with you, it took a while to figure out if it was 'the forever relationship'.
I have worked at One City Center (off and on) since Tic Tac O has been there. Erica and George are lovely, wonderful, caring people who survived Covid. Not an easy task. And their prices barely moved. Erica told me,
We work hard to keep the prices down. We shop deals and go and pick up supplies and don't have them delivered. We do all we can to keep our prices low.
I decided to write an article about this staple of Portland after I realized that I only spent nine dollars on a delicious burrito bowl with ground beef, rice, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and sour cream. And a side of George's homemade hot sauce which is one of my favorite things in life.
I challenge you to find a better deal. But the bigger challenge is to find a husband and wife team that is as sweet, funny, kind, and smart as these two. I want another burrito bowl. Lucky me, they are right downstairs from the station.