Muchas Gracias

Muchas Gracias

• Area: All over Portland/Vancouver area

• Price to fill up: Less than $5 

OK, it’s strip mall fare, it’s about like injecting cholesterol directly into a vein, but believe it or not the food at this 24-hour TexMex fast food place can be surprisingly tasty and fresh if you pick the right things. It’s a growing chain and a helluva lot better than (shudder) Taco Bell, so if you’re in need of a taco fix in Portland, especially in the burbs, there’s probably one nearby.

In my case, the right things are their carne asada tacos—two of them, a la carte, plus a bottle of water make a very filling meal for under $5. A colleague speaks especially well of the burritos. The beans-and-rice bit is pretty standard (and cholesterol on the hoof) so skip that part and go straight for the meat.