The Alberta Street neighborhood in NE Portland is a cultural center, especially for food lovers. It is lined with blocks of amazing restaurants offering peruvian, mediterranean, vegan, gluten-free, specialty coffee, the best ice cream ever, etc. One of Alberta’s unique restaurants is a little taco and cocktail bar called Cruz Room. Their mission is based on novel cuisine concepts incorporating local ingredients and innovative beverage service. Above all, Cruz room is devoted to better than above average service and upholds their values.

If the idea of great service isn’t enough, the food definitely is. In the “Taco Lab,” a marriage of cuisines has produced unusual and different - but still delicious- concoctions. Their tacos represent the sampler of American experience by combining Mexican, Asian and American flavors in a convenient eat-with-your-hands shell.

Check this out: You can get a “Mac Taco,” which includes fried pickles, bacon, slaw and cheese. Sound gross? I promise it’s delicious. Or perhaps the “Green Acres” which features roasted pork belly and cotija. Over towards Asia, you can get the “Outsourced,” green curry shredded chicken, or just say “Phuket,” for lemongrass chicken with coconut milk and peanut slaw. Every taco creation has a clever name, amazing ingredients and comes on a corn tortilla. This is the place for an adventurous eater who doesn’t hesitate to dive into a taco with corned beef and sauerkraut. Fear not! There are vegetarian options that are still exciting and creative.

Another exciting aspect of Cruz Room is the spirits workshop. They infuse various liquors in-house to create truly unique spirited beverages. As they state on the menu, the laced, compounded and infused liquors are available for “customer’s therapeutic needs.” Their house drinks are complex, creative and delicious. Clever names and funny descriptions only add to the fun. As a tequila drinker, I loved the “Teq-kill-ya” which features Select 1800 tequila and includes grapefruit bitters, grapefruit soda, citrus and St-Germain. Classier than shots, I say. Also delicious is their “Downward Spiral,” described “44 North Idaho huckleberry vodka wakes up in the car with Oregon blueberries, lemon & sage. Lots of crushed dreams and a little orange brandy.” Super funny, super good.

Oh, and of course there is outdoor seating if you’re here during the 3 months it’s not raining... Cruz Room is definitely a Portland restaurant to experience.

For more information about the author, Bethany Huntley, please visit their profile page.