Welcome back, and thanks for checking out Issue #1. Tacos were first on last week's vote list, so that's where we're starting. We ran fresh searches for Mexican restaurants, taquerias and food trucks in both towns and ranked everything with the same weighted score we use for the rest of the list.
We also re-checked every business from last week, all 314 of them, so you can see exactly what moved.
What changed this week
Not much at the top, which says something. Here's everything that did move.
Both top 5s held
Bend and Redmond's top five restaurants didn't move. Bend's ranks 1 to 15 are identical to last week.
Bend pest control shake-up
Alpine Pest Management dipped from 5.0 to 4.9. Bend Pest Control Precision (5.0 · 14) is the new top pick.
El ChangoLeon climbs to #6
Redmond, up from #7 with a perfect 5.0 · 61. First in line for the top 5.
El Imperio slips to #8
Redmond, down from #6 after its rating went from 4.9 to 4.8 (125 reviews).
Biggest review gain
Central Oregon Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical: 3,693 to 3,727. 5 Below Steakhouse (Redmond) added 12, Terminix Central Oregon added 10.
Two new hidden gems
Alebrije Crosscut in Bend (5.0 · 23) and Burger Wild in Redmond (4.8 · 53).
The standouts
Four picks worth your attention, straight from this week's numbers.
Tacos Pihuamo
A 4.9 from nearly 900 people. Its score would rank it #2 among all Bend restaurants.
Bend Pest Control Precision
Takes the pest control spot this week with a perfect score so far.
Alebrije Crosscut
Mexican on SW Mill View Way. Perfect 5.0 from its first couple dozen reviewers.
Burger Wild
Downtown burger spot on SW 5th St with a small, very happy following.
Best tacos & Mexican food
Restaurants, taquerias and trucks, ranked by the same weighted score. Good tacos come out of a window as often as a dining room.
Bend.
- 1Tacos PihuamoMexican · SE 3rd St★ 4.9872 reviews
- 2Max's taco'sMexican · Empire Ave★ 4.9135 reviews
- 3Tablas Mobile CuisineMexican · NW Greenwood Ave★ 4.9117 reviews
- 4Sol Verde Mexican Food TruckFood truck · NW Galveston Ave★ 4.8126 reviews
- 5Alebrije CrosscutMexican · SW Mill View Way★ 5.023 reviews
Also worth the drive: Alebrije Oaxaca (4.7 · 228) and El Taquero on SW Century Dr (4.7 · 190)
Tacos Pihuamo's score would rank it #2 among all Bend restaurants. It joins the full rankings next week.
Redmond.
- 1La Bonita BrunchBurrito restaurant · NW 6th St★ 5.0188 reviews
- 2El ChangoLeon Mexican foodMexican · SW 8th St★ 5.061 reviews
- 3El ImperioMexican · SW 6th St★ 4.8125 reviews
- 4Tacos El PoblanitoMexican · SW Forest Ave★ 4.7181 reviews
- 5Xalisco Latin CuisineMexican · SW 21st St★ 4.7733 reviews
Also worth the drive: Hola! (4.6 · 589) and Órale Street Tacos (4.8 · 34)
The top 5s
Same ten restaurants as last week, in the same order. Consistency wins.
Bend.
- 1Bangers & Brews (Westside)Family restaurant★ 4.91,933 reviewsHolds
- 2Tekka TigerAsian · N Hwy 97★ 5.094 reviewsHolds
- 3Da NangVietnamese · SW Simpson Ave★ 4.9214 reviewsHolds
- 4Kitchen Window Sourdough PizzaPizza★ 4.9146 reviewsHolds
- 5Funky Fauna Artisan AlesBrewery · NE 2nd St★ 4.9122 reviewsHolds
Just missed: Idle Hands Pizza Co. @ The Pantry (4.9 · 137) and Terranaut Beer (4.9 · 131)
Redmond.
- 1La Bonita BrunchBurrito restaurant · NW 6th St★ 5.0188 reviewsHolds
- 2PSALM @ 122Southeast Asian · SW 5th St★ 4.9187 reviewsHolds
- 3Jonny's JointRestaurant★ 4.9183 reviewsHolds
- 4Richard's SlidersSliders★ 4.9141 reviewsHolds
- 5Regios CafeCafe★ 4.8465 reviewsHolds
Just missed: El ChangoLeon Mexican food ▲ (5.0 · 61) and The Well Oiled Machine Drive Thru Delicatessen ▲ (4.8 · 177)
Top pros by category
The best-reviewed pick in each category. Trade ratings bunch up between 4.8 and 5.0, so review volume decides most of this list.
Bend.
| Category | Top pick | |
|---|---|---|
| Plumber | Deschutes Plumbing Company | ★ 5.0 · 799 |
| HVAC | Pyramid Heating & Cooling | ★ 5.0 · 161 |
| Handyman | Songster Handyman Services | ★ 5.0 · 130 |
| House painter | West Rivers Painting | ★ 5.0 · 85 |
| Roofing | High Ridge Roofing & Gutters | ★ 5.0 · 53 |
| Landscaping | Cool Dad Lawn and Landscape | ★ 5.0 · 42 |
| Auto repair | Zenith Automotive | ★ 5.0 · 38 |
| General contractor | Branch Brothers Construction | ★ 5.0 · 36 |
| Electrician | Elite Electric | ★ 5.0 · 25 |
| House cleaning | Tidy Village Natural Cleaning | ★ 5.0 · 21 |
| Pest control | Bend Pest Control Precision New | ★ 5.0 · 14 |
Pest control is new: Bend Pest Control Precision leads with a perfect 5.0 so far. Want a bigger crowd? Pointe Pest Control (4.9 · 2,173), Alpine Pest Management (4.9 · 737) and Terminix Central Oregon (4.9 · 665) are right behind.
Redmond.
| Category | Top pick | |
|---|---|---|
| Handyman | Rez The Builder | ★ 5.0 · 233 |
| House cleaning | A+ Cleaning & Sanitation | ★ 5.0 · 143 |
| Electrician | Amped Electric | ★ 5.0 · 124 |
| Pest control | Dan's Pest Control | ★ 5.0 · 115 |
| Plumber | Faherty's Plumbing & Construction | ★ 5.0 · 70 |
| HVAC | Three Peaks Heating and Cooling | ★ 5.0 · 69 |
| Roofing | River City Roofing Bend/Redmond | ★ 5.0 · 23 |
| General contractor | High Road Construction | ★ 5.0 · 21 |
| Landscaping | Central Oregon Landscaping | ★ 5.0 · 14 |
| House painter | Paint Pro's Central Oregon | ★ 4.9 · 101 |
| Auto repair | GN Tire & Service | ★ 4.9 · 77 |
All 11 Redmond picks held. Three Peaks and All Year Heating and Cooling (5.0 · 70) are still tied on score.
Hidden gems
Near-perfect scores, small crowds so far.
Alebrije Crosscut
A perfect 5.0 from its first couple dozen reviewers. It made the Bend taco list too.
Burger Wild
A 4.8 with a small but very happy following. Worth a lunch break.
Who should make the list?
Tell us who you swear by and we'll check their numbers for an upcoming issue.
Name the spot
The restaurant, food truck, plumber, mechanic or roofer, plus the town.
Tell us why
The best picks get featured with your first name and town, only if you say OK.
Issue #2 in 11 slides
The same issue as the Instagram and Facebook slides, in order. Tap any slide to see it full size.
Two issues in. Thanks for reading. Digging into the taco data this week turned up 34 spots that weren't on our list last week, which is exactly why I want your picks too. Keep them coming. Next week Tacos Pihuamo joins the big list. See you next Sunday.
Trent Van Dyke, Founder