Loncheria Mitzil

212 Molalla Ave., Oregon City, 655-7197. Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Friday; breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday.

The masa is the star at this Oregon City institution, which straddles the line between taqueria and family Mexican restaurant. Most of the meaty platters come with excellent handmade corn tortillas, and if you bring a baby, the waitress might hand her a ball of the pliable cornmeal, which is both a toy and a snack. Everything Mitzil makes shows a deft touch—the sauces have bright, fresh flavors, and even the flavorful, fluffy white rice is of a better class than you get elsewhere. The best dish of all might be the enchiladas, which find those tortillas covered in a thick blanket of cheese and baked until they're kissed with crispness.

Check out Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

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