When nearby La Provence was overflowing with no place to wait we took someone's suggestion and walked over to Jefe. We were pleasantly surprised. It's head and shoulders nicer than the average Mexican place. All three of us had various salads which were excellent, so I can't report on standard Mexican food like tacos and burritos. They also have some breakfast items like omelettes. The decor is sophisticated. The noise level was low so we could easily converse. Our server was great. The prices are reasonable. I can hardly believe I'm giving a Mexican restaurant four stars but it at least comes close. This is in a busy strip mall with a large parking lot which was jammed yesterday.

The homemade tortillas in the tacos are exceptional! The guacamole is delicious and the salsa is so fresh and not too spicy. The spicy margarita is fantastic, and I recommend swapping the spicy sugar rim for tajin. Great atmosphere while also being kid friendly

Modern, brightly-lit, and stocked with your basic modular table-and-booth layout, Jefe is not the least bit unattractive, but it's not the usual squeaky clean vibe I go for, either. Then again I've been here twice in the last few months, so they must be doing something right. Both times our group showed, it was for happy hour and let me just say ...we were lucky to get a table. The place does pack em in, but then, it's not that big. The square U-shaped bar is a fairly decent size though, with a bunch of stools to perch on, so that's an option. There's also a round gas-fire pit style table in back, and outdoor patio seating with heaters, but the latter setup doesn't exactly have a scenic backdrop --- you're in a strip mall, after all. But the drinks are good, if unremarkable (my house margarita was too sweet- probably came out of a gun? ) and the service is definitely up there in terms of attentiveness and speed. As you might've guessed, the menu is Mexican - er, can we say - inspired? As in, not totally authentic, but that's ok as it's still pretty flavorful nonetheless. I've always had their tacos on my visits - so far, the carne asada, the chicken tinga, the rockfish and the veggie versions - and all come on a flour tortilla with the same toppings: onion radish, avocado salsa, etc. They're not huge, but on happy hour are still a good deal, and I can highly recommend the tinga and rockfish versions. So basically, this is a solid neighborhood option for small groups or couples, but not exactly a destination spot. I live close enough so I'll probably be back.

Have been there a couple of times lately. Service always good, really fun decor and the food does not disappoint! The last time I went, I ordered the Mole Enchiladas, with Barbados and light Mole. I like mole but sometimes restaurants drown you food in it. The plate was attractive to look at and had just the right amount of Mole. With the cheese and very generous amount of meat in the enchilada, the dinner made three meals for me! The beans delicious and the greens not overcooked.

I enjoyed a recent dinner here with a group of 7. Service was a bit slow at times, but the food was really good! We also had some great cocktails. The interior was beautiful as well.

I wouldn't call Jefe authentic by any means, it's what you'd expect for a Mexican restaurant in Lake Oswego. However, its great for what it is and the happy hour is wonderful. You can't go wrong with any of their options, though do be careful with the suggestions for adding guacamole to your chips- Its pricy, very overpriced, and many of my friends have reported feeling like it was a sneaky upcharge. The flautas are delicious, as are the chips!

The restaurant is cozy, but a little ithe louder side. Nice bar and fire pit counter to drink or dine at. Staff was very pleasant. Fish taco was the best I have had in I can't remember how long. I wish I ordered 2!!! My margarita was really nice. Placed filled up around 3pm on a Saturday, so I'm going to go with they have a popular happy hour.

Don't get me wrong, Jefe is about as boujie as Mexican food comes, (and we're being pretty generous labeling this as "authentic Mexican cuisine"), but from my one experience it works. I'm pretty well versed in this camp of upscale Mexican restaurants, and most of the time, I find myself disappointed by the absorbent pricing and poor attempts at making comfort food classy food. Oftentimes, I compare those to the likes of local hole-in-the-walls and food trucks, whose portions are plenteous per price paid. Yet, Jefe worked for me against all odds and biases. Perhaps it is the fact I went against my gut of going for a traditional dish, like an enchilada, of which tends to be my barometer for Mexican cuisine. No, instead, I ordered the Cochinita, which, despite being a fairly "gentrified" take on the dish, was superb. In this dish, the sauce is boss. I've seen criticism that Jefe's solution to not seasoning and cooking the pork shoulder well is to douse it in habanero verde cream sauce, which isn't wrong per se... it just ended up working in my favor since I very much liked the sauce. The cauliflower mash resting beneath the pork shoulder is nothing too amazing on its own, but paired with the sauce, it's very good. It might be a disservice to the dish to say it's fairly one note in terms of flavor, but it is, though it is a very good single note in my eyes (and stomach). Only other thing of note would probably be the house margaritas, in that I was not particularly wowed by it. It leans more on the tequila taste than it does lime and sweetness. Jefe proved me wrong that I can really enjoy an upscale Mexican restaurant. Would I go here again? I'm sure I would. But would it become a frequent mainstay? Likely not due to the trappings of all upscale restaurants. Though, next time I do come back, I'd be curious to try a more standard traditional dish to see how it really compared.