El Rayo Taqueria

Name: El Rayo Taqueria
Address: 26 Free Street, Portland, ME, 04101, US
Telephone: (207) 780-8226

Mexican

Call Directions Website

Mon–Sat 11am–8pm; Sun 11am–7:30pm

26 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 780-8226
Last verified: October 2026
Report an issue with this listing

Overhead spread of tacos, elote, loaded nachos, chips, salsa and a margarita at El Rayo Taqueria in Portland, Maine

Tortillas: corn vs. flour: Corn tortillas begin with nixtamalized corn masa that is pressed and cooked on a hot surface. They have ancient roots in Mesoamerica and remain fundamental to cooking throughout much of Mexico. Flour tortillas have a long history in northern Mexico, especially Sonora and Chihuahua, and became equally important to border and Mexican-American cuisines. Hecho a mano means "made by hand" and usually indicates tortillas formed or pressed at the restaurant. On this menu as: Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Tostadas: Corn tortillas cooked or fried until crisp and used as a flat base for toppings. Beans, shredded meat, tinga, ceviche, seafood, lettuce, crema, cheese and salsa are all common possibilities. Unlike a folded taco, a tostada stays open-faced. Eat it with your hands and accept the crumbs. On this menu as: BBQ Pork Tostada.
Enchiladas: Tortillas filled, rolled or folded and served with chile sauce or another sauce. Corn tortillas are traditional, but preparation varies widely by region. Rojas use a red sauce, while verdes use a green sauce. Enmoladas replace the chile sauce with mole, and enfrijoladas use a bean sauce. Enchiladas suizas are typically topped with a creamy green sauce and melted cheese. Tex-Mex enchiladas developed their own traditions, including versions topped with cheese, chile con carne or chile gravy. On this menu as: Verde Chicken Enchiladas.
Quesadillas: A tortilla folded around a filling and cooked on a griddle or comal. Cheese is standard in many regions, but Mexico City famously complicates the definition: there, a quesadilla may need cheese specifically requested. Fillings can include squash blossom, huitlacoche, mushrooms, meat and many other ingredients. Flour-tortilla quesadillas are particularly common in northern Mexico and the United States. A mulita, associated with northern Baja and Southern California taquerías, sandwiches meat and melted cheese between tortillas. On this menu as: Cubano Quesadilla.
Burritos: A flour tortilla wrapped around a filling. Northern Mexican burritos are often relatively slender and focused on one or two fillings such as beans, machaca or a guisado. In the United States, the form developed in several directions. San Francisco's Mission burrito is large and typically includes rice, beans and numerous fillings. San Diego's California burrito famously adds french fries. A wet burrito is covered in sauce and eaten with a knife and fork. On this menu as: Buffalo Chicken Burrito.

How these dishes compare

Quesadillastypically $8.95 across 286 menus
Burritostypically $10.45 across 263 menus
Enchiladastypically $12.95 across 254 menus
Tostadastypically $9.50 across 175 menus

El Rayo Taqueria on our other sites

menuzrrestaurant menus of every cuisine

El Rayo Taqueria

Menu

Seasonal Specials

How these dishes compare

El Rayo Taqueria on our other sites