Straddling the Gresham-Portland border, Tortilleria Y Tienda De Leon isn’t exactly a secret. Amid the hanging poop emoji and Donald Trump piñatas, this market’s deli counter is the place for no-joke guisados, including stewed pork in chile verde and chicken mole. Plus, its nopales, zucchini, and lard-free beans make it one of the most vegan-friendly Mexican businesses around these parts.

This tiny, mostly drive-thru-and-takeout operation next to Supermercados Mexico has menu photos plastered on the wall, featuring curiosities like a shrimp hamburger and the usual array of tacos. Tripas — which isn’t tripe, but intestines — is the low-key standout, though: Mi Pueblo is clearly serious, with servers asking about preferred degree of doneness.

In a reverse-commuting situation, this SE Division restaurant with fast food vibes is a reincarnation of a business formerly at Hawthorne’s Cartopia. The barbacoa de borrego taco comes with a small bowl of consommé on the side; though it may seem simple on the surface, the liquid in which the lamb was stewed, fortified with rice and chickpeas, tastes powerful enough to nourish an invalid back to health. 

In a repurposed Wendy’s that still has KFC signage in the drive-thru, La Tía Juana Taqueria proves that some of the best tacos can be found in former fast food joints. The taqueria claims to serve Tijuana-style tacos, an approach characterized by mesquite-grilled meat and generous globs of guacamole that have taken LA by storm. The grill appeared to be gas-fired; still, the carne asada still has a nice char, and the tacos get bonus points for being served on hand-made tortillas. Friday through Sunday, the restaurant makes tacos de cabeza al vapor, steamed tacos filled with tender beef from a cow’s head and cheeks.

A few blocks off Rockwood’s taco-filled epicenter, El Cazador is a hybrid truck-restaurant with outdoor, covered seating on a deck. Tacos here are a bargain at just one dollar each, with lengua or tripas for a whopping $1.25. The carne asada or al pastor tacos come with grilled onions and jalapeños, a unique touch in the area.

Adjacent to the same rambling strip mall that houses Los 7 Hermanos, Amancer sets up a full weekends-only operation with a roving order-taker on the outskirts of a gravel lot. Diners lounge at the handful of picnic tables, some under awnings, sipping consommé out of paper cups — signaling this is birria territory; however, Amanecer is also slinging Michocan-style carnitas, fried pork chunks served in tacos with a nice spectrum of textures, including soft confit and crunchy skin. The cart is located at the corner of 193rd Avenue and East Burnside Street.

The generic storefront, staffed by suburban teens, doesn’t transmit immediate deliciousness. The diners who make it past the entryway into the always-bustling counter-service restaurant, however, discover it’s the real deal. Sure, anyone can get crisp-shell tacos or taco salads served in deep-fried tortillas called “flying saucers,” but there are also classic tacos filled with cabeza or carne asada, and a well-stocked salsa bar to load up on pickled jalapeños and carrots. 

Marked by a horseshoe logo in a strip mall off Main Street, La Herradura is a double-duty operation: The left-hand side of the restaurant is casual and counter-service, and the right side has table service and full menus. This is the place to be on weekends, when it does barbacoa de borrego with all of the trimmings. The braised lamb is also available in taco form, so stuffed it’s practically like two tacos in one. The corn tortillas are hand-made — a soft, pliable version fresh off the griddle.