On the heels of a recent soft-launching taco party, Robo Taco has quietly and unofficially (as of Saturday night, official opening is set to be November 1) opened its doors at 607 SE Morrison, just a stone's throw from Dig A Pony and Bunk Sandwiches, in the former La Casita space. The kitchen is helmed by Jason Price, who did years of time working in Portland kitchens before moving on to start his own refrigerator repair service, and is now returning to his old culinary stomping grounds with a Mexican venture "run by one white guy from El Norte and one from not quite nearly so far north." Also, Price's otter tee-shirt:

For the moment, the menu is pretty basic and the hours late-night—on my visit we could choose taco, burrito, or torta forms of al pastor, carne asada, pollo, chorizo, or (LEAF EATERS LOOK ALIVE) a soy curl rendition of al pastor or soyrizo (we also ordered a plate of rice and beans off-menu). But when it's on for real they plan to do breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and Price can't stop talking about his chile rellenos advancements. For the time being, I tried one of each taco in the faux meat department, and while both are great—bolstered by delicious housemade tortillas—the soyrizo was, to my salt fiending little heart, the standout, and next time I'm committing to it with a burrito. The pico de gallo and variety of salsas were great, too, as were the greasy, thick tortilla chips. So if you find yourself wandering through the Dig A Pony/Star Bar/Holocene corridor this week, check to see if their light is on, and reduce chances of dashed disappointment with the Facebook page's updates on hours and menus.