This month’s Who’s Who on Boones Ferry Road features Casa del Pollo! It’s our final business highlight, and it’s momentous because of Casa del Pollo’s full circle journey. It’s also National Hispanic Heritage Month, so what a fantastic time to showcase this fabulous family-owned Costa Rican business, and their recent return to Boones Ferry Road!
Casa del Pollo and the Zuniga family (Jorge, Zoriada and Mario) have been through quite a whirlwind. In 2011, they opened their Costa Rican family style restaurant in the little red shack next to Naomi’s Lampshades and Lamps on Boones Ferry Road. A few years later, they discovered they would eventually need to relocate due to the expansion of the road and the project improvements. In 2018, Casa del Pollo relocated to Bangy Road. Earlier this year, they discovered there was an opening on Boones Ferry Road, next to the Lake Music Center. Owner and Manager, Jorge Zuniga knew that they needed to return back to Lake Grove. In July, the restaurant reopened at 15572 Boones Ferry Road.
Jorge is very proud that the restaurant plays such a huge part in this community. Their Costa Rican culture and authentic love of their customers has been warmly welcomed throughout the region. Jorge knows that people appreciate and support small family owned businesses in Lake Oswego. When they relocated to Bangy Road, many people stepped up to support them and offer them help. Jorge is happy that many people are discovering they are back on Boones Ferry, and he is looking forward to welcoming many more.
Costa Rican homestyle cooking is hard to find here. Casa del Pollo has been the only brick-and-mortar Costa Rican restaurant on the west coast since 2011! While their specialty is aptly chicken – Casa del Pollo translates to “House of the Chicken” – their most popular dish is Gallo Pinto, a national dish of Costa Rica. It features a mix of rice and beans, and it can be served with many different meats. They also offer a traditional Casado, great food options for kids, and family meal deals for busy, working families. And, more importantly, they have Costa Rican coffee!
If you ask Jorge to share his thoughts about the Boones Ferry Road project, surprisingly, he expresses excitement. Originally, he had no idea how big the project was or why their red shack was going to be demolished. But, after seeing the work progress, he feels the project improvements will be good for small businesses and help attract more people to the area – a win-win for everyone in the community and the region as a whole.
When you stop in to get a little taste of Costa Rica, and welcome back Casa del Pollo to Lake Grove, be sure to say Pura Vida! Pura Vida means “pure life” or all good. Casa del Pollo applies it throughout their cooking and you can find the saying throughout the restaurant, including wonderful photos and décor representative of Costa Rica!
