In a shocking turn of events, República, a renowned Mexican restaurant in Portland, has announced its impending closure, citing several factors including the political climate surrounding Trump’s potential 2024 election, a noticeable decline in customer reservations, and growing concerns for employee safety due to the aggressive actions of Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Co-owners Angel Medina and Olivia Bartruff revealed that the restaurant will serve its last meal on February 21, as stated in Medina's Substack post made on Wednesday.
Originally starting as a casual lunch counter, República evolved into one of the most ambitious dining establishments in Portland over the past five years. The restaurant garnered acclaim for its innovative "Mexico-forward" tasting menu, showcasing traditional Mexican ingredients and techniques. In a follow-up conversation with Portland Monthly, Medina elaborated on the challenges faced by the restaurant, particularly referencing the significant drop in reservations experienced last spring, which he linked to both the political atmosphere and the fear instilled by recent ICE operations, notably those in Minneapolis.
Despite the closure of República, the nearby restaurants Lilia Comedor and Comala, both part of the same hospitality group and spearheaded by former República chef Juan Gomez, will continue to operate.
Before República became a household name, it was preceded by La Perlita, a cozy café located within the Ecotrust building in the Pearl District. La Perlita became popular during the pandemic, attracting long lines for its exceptional coffee and special pop-ups featuring delicious pastries from Bartruff and collaborations with other chefs such as Lauro Romero. When a Laughing Planet location shuttered in late 2020, Medina, Bartruff, and Romero seized the opportunity to create a new lunch spot focused on visually stunning tri-colored quesadillas complemented by unique salsa macha.
By the summer of 2021, República was ready to elevate its culinary offerings, with Romero joining the team full-time to introduce an evening tasting menu. A review in December praised the restaurant for its elegant dishes, which included meticulously prepared raw fish and intricate moles, alongside rare Mexican ingredients like escamoles and huitlacoche—items not commonly found in Portland's culinary scene.
The year 2021 proved to be a milestone for República, earning accolades from various platforms. Portland Monthly honored it as the restaurant of the year, while Eater PDX recognized it as the city’s best new restaurant. Additionally, The Oregonian/OregonLive included it in their list of the top restaurants to emerge since the pandemic began. Following this recognition, Bon Appétit magazine named República "Portland’s best Mexican restaurant," solidifying its reputation in the culinary landscape.
In 2022, Chef Romero departed from República to focus on his own pop-up, Clandestino, later taking a position at the Ritz-Carlton restaurant Bellpine before his untimely passing in 2024. Since then, the kitchen has seen various chefs lead the culinary direction, including Gomez from Lilia, Jose "Lalo" Camarena from the Metlapil mariscos pop-up, and Dani Morales, formerly of De Noche, who introduced a more casual à la carte menu to the restaurant.
República will continue its operations until February 21 at 100 N.W. 10th Ave., with more information available on their website. Restaurant critic Michael Russell will keep exploring the metro area's dining scene, reviewing everything from restaurants and food carts to bakeries, sharing his insights with readers.
