I had a couple chips and salsa while waiting for our take-out order. I walked home and got a violent stomach upset a few minutes later. I had not even touched the Chicken Tortilla soup I bought at this point. I'm not happy with whatever lack of hygiene that caused my illness. I rarely get sick
Review Source:Chapala's. What can you say? It's become a Eugene institution, big, clean, pleasant, a little boring. Good solid but unexciting American-Mexican food, big plates with too much food, lots of cheese, big menu with LOTS of choices. Everything's pretty good, nothing's very great. Kids like it. Granny likes it. Hell, I like it, for what it is. 3 1/2 stars for food maybe, a half star off for this location (go to the one in Oakway if you can, pleasant outside seating in the Oakway courtyard.) The kind of Mexican food MANY people like...
Review Source:Seriously insulting that a Mexican restaurant would charge as much as Chapala's does for sub par food. Averaging $12 a plate for something that I could purchase in the freezer section at the grocer's for about $3. The Willamette Street restaurant is hideous inside. It's filthy and needs a serious facelift. The customer service, if you can call it that, leaves an even worse taste in my mouth than the food. I really wish that people would realize that there is WAY better Mexican food out there. Hell, put some Taco Bell on a fancy plate and you'd be just fine.
Review Source:The food is on par with your average mexican food in town but the prices are sky high. $15 for a wet burrito that costs $10 elsewhere just didn't cut it for me. I started the evening with a plate of Camarones a la Diabla. I took one bite and made a face. It tasted like ketchup with hot sauce in it. I told the very nice waiter that I couldn't eat it because it didn't taste good. He said they make it with ketchup!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me?! This is my favorite dish almost everywhere I go and this one was garbage. At least the burrito was good even though it was expensive. Drinks were also VERY expensive. Save your money, go elsewhere.
Review Source:"That's a ridiculous taco." said my table-mate of my chalupa, and he was right.
At the length and width of a Nerf football, no one would pick this thing up and try to shovel it into his mouth. Â Unless he wanted to be a micro-star on YouTube with the footage of some idiot schlep chomping down on dinner as it rained down on the front of his shirt.
It's straightforward Mexican food for Americans done wrong. Â A ridiculous chalupa, a foregetable pork burrito and a cold cheese enchilada. Â Not as in it cooled in the window, but as in it was never heated to the point that the cheeses melted together. Â Ew. Â You can microwave it - I'm cool with that.
I got the big boy combination with three items so I could take some to work for lunch. Â I'm an idiot, I did take it the next day. Â So I was sick to my stomach after dinner and after lunch. Â Again: I'm a dummy.
Excellent food. I usually have lunch at the 29th & Willamette location on Sundays, at least once every couple of months. The portions are bountiful, served hot, very appetizingly arrayed on the plate, and not overpriced. Staff is friendly and attentive, and they recognize me, as I have been coming regularly since their Grand Opening day in the late 1970s. It is a converted Sizzler Steak House, and the owners have loose affiliations with the Azteca/Casa Ramos chain in Washington (perhaps operated by in-laws of the owners of that chain...?) I recommend the combination plates and the nachos, and a large mug of Widmer's Hefeweizen beer, served with a lemon. I never hesitate to recommend this place.
Review Source:Wow, I'm amazed at the average reviews for Chapala! Â I guess people like different variations of Mexican food: authentic, Arizona, Tex Mex, Californian, etc. Â I'm a native Californian and consider myself a decent connoisseur of Mexican food (I worked at Azteca in Seattle for two college summers). Â That being said, Chapala's was very good Mexican food. Â Yes, it's Americanized (what Mexican food isn't except for a handful of taqueria dives?), but it's almost a drop-in replacement for Azteca throughout the PNW, Pedro's in the Bay Area, Anita's in Oceanside, CA, El Pinto in Albuquerque, etc, however those restaurants can be defined: super fresh and tasty chips, saucy (not chunky) salsa, creamy (and likely lardy) beans, well-flavored rice, tender carne asada, excellent sauces on their pollo, etc.
Way better, for my tastes, than the favorably-reviewed Lonches To Go, and a definite step up in quality from Tio Pepe's, both out on River Road.
I moved to Eugene from Arizona many years back, and I liked Chapala. It was one of those drive by things, oh look a Mexican restaurant that doesn't look bad!
I took my other Arizona-Oregon transplant friends there, and they liked it too. Yes, they do that "hola amigos" Oregon Mexican restaurant thing ( what IS that), but not too badly compared to some other places I've been.
It's not FANCY Mexican food,or regional authentic for Mexicans Mexican food, it is definitely gringoized ( and Eugeneized, tofu carnitas, WHAT?) but it was clean, the service was pretty good, and I have admittedly liked the vegetarian options, including a veggie quesadilla with mushrooms and squash in it.
We went recently with the father in law, who is super picky and still lives in the Eugene area, and he liked it a lot. They have brown rice and black beans, and he is something of a health nut, so that made him happy.
My kid was satisfied with her food, too, which is always a good sign.
I don't know if I would classify it as a chain, it's owned by a family and there are only two locations. Maybe a local chain?
I already posted with no response but oh well. I recently came to your 29 location for dinner with my daughter. My daughter had a bone in her chicken enchiladas and i ordered a chicken chimi and was served a bean one. I know things happen but the server argued with me that it had chicken in it which clearly it didn't. I've been to your coburg location many times with excellent service and food. maybe they should give your 29st some lessons.
Review Source:Five for dinner....Tables only seat four.
Sun going down....big windows....no shades....bad experience with the sun blazing in your eyes.
Food: Â eh....the service was somewhat adequate, Daniel our server was very busy, and I had to go get my own utensils, because, as I said before...tables are only set for four....
Too noisy. Â Take your dollars somewhere else. Â In fact if you want the same food you were served here, most of it tasted as if it came out of a can.
Very disappointed today. Went to lunch with 91 year old mom and sister. I ordered chicken taquitos and I was served something that resembled a deep fried burrito cut into pieces. Definately not the taquito I am used to having at any other restaurant. I told my server and the host about my disappointment and nothing happened; no apology,no offer to exchange, nada.
I suggested that when Someone orders taquitos they need to inform them that they are DIFFERENT and do not at all resemble any taquito you have ever
eaten. Also any comments to the wait
Staff will fall on deaf ears!
Come for the margaritas, stay for the chimichangas.
The service is always great at this location, the chips are always fresh, and like I said, the margaritas are near-perfect.
It's always good to remind yourself that Chapala is a chain, so if you're expecting something different (a la "mom and pop") Chapala is not going to fit your expectations.
I've been eating at Chapala for years...ever since college.  My dad is from (extremely) southern California, so I grew up eating Mexican food - it's my favorite and I have it at least once a week (usually homemade).  While Chapala is not the best Mexican food I've had in Oregon, it's close to my house and reliable.  I typically get a small order of the Nachos Chapala, eat  1/3 or so and then take the rest home for leftovers.  The servers are always really friendly and the service is fast.  This location used to be much busier before they added the Oakway location (which is not nearly as good, in my opinion - however, it is centrally located).  The chips are delicious and plentiful, and come unsalted so you can salt to your taste.  It's not fancy or gourmet, but I like it!
Review Source:I am completely perplexed that this place is crowded night after night. We had their burritos a couple nights ago. Without exception everyone in my family felt crampy afterward. Yikes! Their ingredients lack flavor. I ordered a chili relleno burrito. It was soaked with water. I had to eat half of the burrito before I could decipher the chili's presence. Even then it was flavorless. I couldn't even taste it. And I truly don't understand adding carrots and broccoli to Mexican food. It's entirely possible I'm out of the loop on that one.
It is unfortunate that such a mediocre food establishment occupies this prime location. This isn't the only example of this phenomenon.
I would have to agree with many of the other reviewers on this one. The service was really great, our waiter was very friendly and helpful. I tried a sip of the strawberry margarita and it tasted good, nice ratio of tequila/fruit/ice/mix. Unfortunately the food was really sub-par. Noting wrong with it, just extremely bland and boring, from the meat to the cheese to the sauce. I didn't even bother taking my leftovers home with me. I will not be returning.
Review Source:I'm torn on Chapala. On the one hand, it's close, the margaritas are good and service has always been fantastic. On the other hand, I have yet to have a meal there I would consider to be 'good'. Not bad mind you, just that everything I've tried has been fairly bland. However, it doesn't offend and the kids love it, so I find myself going back on a fairly regular basis...
Review Source:I've eaten at this Chapala location several times with my family and have never had a bad experience. Â If you require cheap or authentic, you should go elsewhere, but for what it is, the food is good and consistent and never too salty, a problem I encounter in many restaurants, Mexican and otherwise. Â
The service is usually stellar, but most of the staff recognize my family and know us to be polite, reasonable people who tip well, so your mileage may vary. Â I have had mediocre service a couple of times in the afternoon when it's been slower. Â
The complimentary (often fresh and warm) chips are unsalted, and the accompanying salsa is pretty good, if you like that mostly runny style of salsa with cilantro and a few onion & tomato chunks. The food usually comes fairly quickly for a sit-down joint, but if the place is busy, the wait staff will offer free refills on the chips and salsa while you wait. Â
My glass is usually kept full of water that tastes good. Â If you order a soft drink, the staff often automatically bring you a refill when needed during your meal. Â
While it's not the best value on their menu, I confess to being a sucker for the chicken fajita burrito. Â You get a giant burrito filled with grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, rice, and beans, topped with pico de gallo, guac, and sour cream. Â I usually manage to eat half of it and then take the rest home for late-night munchies. Â
The combo plates are the best value. Â You can get two items for under $10 along with a side of beans and rice, some shredded lettuce, a tomato, and dollops of sour cream and guac. Â Half that plate usually comes home in a box. Â
My daughter has long been a fan of the kid's taco - a crunchy corn shell with a choice of meat, topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Â It comes with beans and rice on the side, all for five clams. Â Her appetite has grown this past year, so lately I've taken to ordering the Chicken en Mole plate and splitting it with her. Â We get a stack of warm corn tortillas to fill with chunks of chicken in mole (which is pretty good - rich but not too sweet) sauce, beans, rice, lettuce, and tomato. Â While we don't end up with leftovers, it's a bit cheaper and both of us go home feeling quite full. Â
Helpful hint for saucy plates: Â use a chip to scoop up the extra sauce and put it in your tortilla; for some reason, there are no spoons provided with the silverware.
I like Chapala, even though the food is pretty much just passably good. The service is generally fast and friendly. I especially like the shrimp fajita quesadilla and black bean soup. It's a step above Mexican fast food, a friendly neighborhood joint, and you can have a margarita with your dinner.
Review Source:I've had decent meals at the Oakway location...nothing great, but nothing too bad. So after some wine tasting at Wine Styles left my date and I unable to drive elsewhere, we walked on over to Chapala for dinner. Strangely enough, the restaurant was deserted on a Friday night. This made for great service, but should have been a sign...
I ordered a blended margarita, and while I like strong drinks, the tequila was just a little too strong in this one. Maybe it turned my stomach after a tequila-fueled birthday/high school reunion just one week earlier that didn't end well...but in any case, I couldn't even get halfway through the margarita. I ordered the enchiladas rancheras, and they just tasted off. The chicken was dry and crumbly. I couldn't finish it, and ended up with a sour stomach by the end of the night and the entire next day.
I won't be going out of my way to come here in the future.
This Chapala location is the lesser of two evils the Eugene Mexican chain. Â The restaurant itself is larger and rightfully so as it has slightly more spacious parking and a larger waitstaff to accommodate the bigger crowds. Â Food is about the same price and generally the same taste, however, the difference here is the solid service I've received each time. Â While delivery at the Oakway location is horrendous, the delivery here is semi-decent and is packaged well.
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