Pura Vida Cocina

The food here is amazing. The pork belly tacos are wonderful. Chips and guacamole, and chicken enchiladas were amazing too. Everything is really fresh and the flavors are well balanced. The attention to details is five star.

i loooved the croquetas, tinga de pollo arepas and margaritas. lovely atmosphere and always friendly service (hannah specifically). everyone visiting mac should try!

edit: they updated their menu and restaurant in the past few months. i had the cubano and it was excellent, the taquitos are also amazing

Best tacos we’ve ever had. You have to try both the pork belly and Alaska cod by ordering the combo. They make a mean margarita too and have great local art on the walls.

Recommended by Eater, and was excellent! The food was delicious and inexpensive. The vibes aren’t fancy, which is a nice change of pace for wine country. Will definitely return!

Offering a fresh take on some classic favorites, Pura Vida Cocina delights with traditional Mexican favorites with some fresh twists. The enchiladas mole had some of the best mole we've ever had (and we've been throughout Mexico on food tours) and paired exquisitely with the fresh veggies that sat atop them.
The arepas were in a similar fashion. Delightfully decadent base topped with fresh, well cooked and paired ingredients made for a jubilee of flavors that were the perfect end to our day of wine tastings. Perhaps most impressive, neither dish sat too heavily, which meant we were able both able to enjoy the deliciousness, and not fall immediately into a food coma stupor on the drive home. Very well worth the visit!

Very good Mexican food for Oregon. I last lived in San Diego close to the border. This restaurant brought back happy memories of the delicious food there. Love my meats but the vegetarian empanadas were incredible. Would recommend.

I recently visited Pura Vida and it was a great experience. The food never disappoints - it was delicious! We were in McMinnville for a girls weekend and this was a must-stop for lunch. Highly recommend this place - you won't regret it!

Stefanie
Baileymay's Boutique

Amazing experience eating here for the first time. The food was so fresh and flavorful. I especially loved the cilantro Verde salsa and the home made tortilla tacos. YUM YUM YUM! The waiter was patient and attentive. It was a 90 degree day in McMinnville and we felt cool and refreshed in the AC. Will definitely return the next time I'm in town.

Fresh and delicious. We had the 3 tacos misto. My fave was the cod and husband liked the shrimp. Beef was good too. Homemade tortilla chips and try the Pepita sauce.

Really enjoyed this place! We had the croquettas, the plantano maduro (fried plantains), and the aguacate frito which was a particularly delicious combo of flavors. For the main dish, my partner got the Cuban sandwich and I got a chicken taco -- both super yummy! Highly recommend this place!

Pura Vida may be one of the best Mexican restaurants in the state. They catered our rehearsal dinner last year and ever since, when we head down to wine country, we MUST stop in for lunch. The craft cocktails are ridiculous, the margaritas are amazing, and the food is delicious!

Staff has always been friendly, service speed sometimes vary a little, but it’s never awful. Overall a high recommendation!

Food was flavorful, fresh, and presented well. We ordered the recommended Chile relleno. Not like usual rellenos, this Chile was not bread fried with cheese, but filled with veggies and a nicely spiced sauce with veggies and beans. Their green tomatillo salsa was light and perfect with just a hint of heat. The rice and beans and croquettes were just like abuela used to make. Fresh veggies were mixed in with almost every dish. The blood orange fresco was so refreshing! We loved it all.

Thanks to some locals who introduced me to Pura Vida tonight and I’m already planning to come back! I had the Salmon over quinoa and greens and our party also enjoyed the vegan tacos. Impressively perfect grilled salmon with a caramelized crust and I’m very particular about salmon. The cocktails were generous and delicious. The menu was perfectly priced and the portions ample for a good Appetit. I give 5 stars when I don’t see much room for improvement. Truly blessed sting here is the Good Life.

This gem in McMinville, Oregon might be small, but it has big fresh flavors! The sauces were perfect additions to each dish!

First time here. I tried the fried plantain, fried avocado, and enchiladas de mole, with chicken. My 11yo tried the tacos. Everything was AMAZING. My 11yo is a notoriously picky eater, and didn't care for the plantain or avocado, BUT LOVED the tacos. He had barbacoa and chicken tacos. I forgot to get a photo of his food. He surprised me by saying he wants to come back!

Walked in today looking to try something new and found a gem! Excellent food! Try the empanadas and the plátano maduro. The hostess was very open with communication and the wait time. Our waiter was also very friendly. It has very much hole-in-the-wall type vibes. We will definitely be returning!

First visit per sister's recommendation. Quaint little restaurant in the heart of McMinnville. The service was great and food was delicious. We had the Sopes w/ Chicken and the Chiles Rellenos. Try the Guava Margarita.... tasty! Music in the background added to the relaxed atmosphere. For dessert we had churros which were warm and tender and filled with flavor. We will be back!

Delicious and unique. We had the empanadas and something I can't remember the name for but both were excellent. Fair prices and quick professional service. I will come again and try another dish. Yum!

Amazing food and service! This place was recommended by several random people on the street and it did not disappoint! I had the mix tacos and picked three different flavors. The fish and the shrimp were delicious but the Barbacoa (beef) was to die for!

Fresh Latin American cuisine with friendly service.

A gem of McMinnville, we visited on a weekend when the downtown street is closed to vehicles and open to pedestrians.

Pura Vida Cocina has tables on the street to enjoy a great outdoor setting under the red umbrellas.

Our waitress offered to customize the Spicy Margarita with Guava and my husband ordered the Guava IPA. Both were great on a warm summer day.

We tried multiple small plates to enjoy with our drinks and left stuffed to the gills.

We had the Platano Maduro, the Aguacate Frito (fried avocado with mixed greens), the Chicken Tinga Taquitos, and the Arepas.

A fantastic meal that was fresh and tasty. I highly recommend this place.