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The name Bar Siete isn’t just a nod to the new Laurelhurst neighborhood bar’s $7 small bites. Bar Siete is also longtime Portland restaurateur and champion of Mexican cuisine Oswaldo Bibiano’s seventh restaurant. But that’s not the whole story either. The name also refers to Bibiano’s birthdate, Oct. 7, 1967. And, clearly, he just likes the number seven.
Originally from the Acapulco area, Bibiano opened his first restaurant, Autentica, in 2006. In doing so, he became the first Mexican-born chef to offer the city Mexican specialties that transcended the typical tacos-enchiladas-burritos trinity. But it wasn’t just the menu that set Autentica apart. The moody, full-service room was suitable for date nights and family meals alike, and the open kitchen allowed a full view of Bibiano and his crew at work. Sadly, Autentica closed in 2019. But since then, Bibiano has opened a handful of simpler Mexican spots, most recently the popular Richmond burrito stand Smart Donkey, which is thriving.
Willamette Week was given an exclusive preview of Bar Siete, which took over the former Shaku Bar space on Northeast Sandy Boulevard and is scheduled to open in early August. Bibiano’s menu portends an exciting new Mexican food destination offering both higher-end and budget options pulling inspiration from Bibiano’s home state, Guerrero, as well as regions across Mexico, including Oaxaca and the Yucatan Peninsula.
The “Mordida de a Siete,” or $7 bites, menu seems a fun place to start any meal, whether seated at the small bar, in the cozy dining room, or on the patio that borrows seats from the La Provence bakery next door.
I was able to sample a couple of these snacks earlier this month. The “Huevo en Diablado,” a hard-boiled egg that’s been immersed in a large jar of chili sauce, is an ass kicker. Bibiano placed the heat at an “8 out of 10,” though that might be an understatement. My advice: keep a cold drink at your side. Pickled baby corn were delicious on their own, but will likely be dressed similar to esquites, with mayo and crumbled cotija.
There’s also a tight taco list, from suadero to queso frito to fried fish, among others; none is more than $7.
Elsewhere are echoes of Autentica’s halcyon days. There is a seven-strong list of larger “platos” Autentica fans and newbies alike will be thrilled to try. First on my list: Bibiano’s borrego tatemado ($38). Lamb will get a quick char over high heat (“tatemado” meaning charred or blackened) before it is slow roasted in a spicy mole masa, an elegant sauce thickened with nixtamalized corn meal and flavored with five dried chiles—negro, guajillo, mulato, pasilla and cascabel—and aromatic hoja santa leaf.
Another top choice is Chamorro ($28), long-braised pork shank in lightly blended frijoles refritos brightened with achiote. Bibiano also teases pipián quebrado ($35): seasonal fish, perhaps corvina or snapper, in a rich peanut- and pumpkin seed–enhanced mole from his native Guerrero.
Vegetarians will be well cared for at Bar Siete with a barbacoa vegetal ($27) centered on cactus paddles, cabbage, green beans and garbanzos slow-roasted in yet another sauce made with dried chiles. In a further nod to those seeking to summit the modern food pyramid, there are a couple salads on the menu. One called Viva Kale ($5; $13 with a protein added) is indeed a celebration of this polarizing, hearty green; it comes with a toasted garlic and red wine dressing.
Beyond the $7 bites and tacos is a run of starters that might open a more substantial meal. Bibiano was eager to highlight his flautas en jugo ($18 for four) in which the fried, rolled tortillas will be stuffed with juicy beef cheek. A vegetarian version swaps flor de calabaza, or squash blossom. My eye kept darting to a twist on the classic queso fundido, “Los Tres Fundidos” ($20). It is a sinful melted Oaxacan cheese dunk that includes fresh tortillas. An order comes with a choice of chorizo, pork adobado, or a mushroom-onion-jalapeño mélange.
While Bibiano is not immediately bringing back Autentica’s legendary Thursday pozole nights, he mentions we can look for the tradition to return sometime this fall.
Bibiano has now lived in Portland for 30 years and is no longer a young man, especially in restaurant years. I asked him why he decided to take another whack at sit-down dining with Portland’s restaurant economy still struggling. His response: “I love to cook. I love being creative. And I still have a passion for food.” Enough said.
EAT: Bar Siete, 3448 NE Sandy Blvd., @bars7ete. Anticipated hours: 3 pm–midnight (bar snacks only), 5–9 pm (full menu) Tuesday–Sunday.
