In Spanish, I would refer to El Kora as "asà asÃ".
Translation and summary: Meh, just alright. Not worth the price or the wait.
My boyfriend and I ventured to El Kora this afternoon, wanting to try something new. The place was clean and well-decorated, adorned with twinkling icicle Christmas lights dangling around the bar, a Tiki Hut style thatched roof over one table, and various theme-related items hanging from the ceiling. A soccer game played on the perfectly located large-screen television.
A for ambiance.
Despite its festive interior, the restaurant was fairly deserted. We ordered the shrimp tostada appetizer, vegetarian burrito, and pork burrito...and waited for what seemed like an excessive amount of time, considering the lack of business.
To El Kora's credit, the free chips and salsa we snacked on (um, inhaled because we were so hungry while waiting) were quite delicious.
But when our meal finally came, we were disappointed--and that's what I base my Yelp food reviews on. The food itself. I don't need to spend $9.95 on an average-sized burrito that lacks flavor and ingredients, just so I can be surrounded by fancy decorations.
Yet that was exactly what we did. While eating my vegetarian burrito, I ended up with more mouthfuls of soggy tortilla than actual ingredients. Its vegetables were small and scarce, and its spices were absent. What a waste of carbs. My boyfriend had a similar experience with his pork burrito: just tortilla, rice, pork and a little cheese on the top--but mostly tortilla. His burrito didn't even have lettuce or tomato, despite its description on the menu.
The shrimp tostada appetizer, which was served at the same time as our meal, was actually quite decent...aside from its small size, which made the $4.95 price seem excessive. $4.95 is the price I pay for a huge, delicious vegetarian burrito from Super Burrito on Willamette. Â
Slow service, and our server didn't check up once to see how we were doing. We packed up our own boxes and finally found the server, who had been busy chatting with his wife, to ring us up.
I don't understand the Yelp reviews that boast of "low prices". Lunch specials ($6.95-$7.95) and dinner combos aside, how is $15-$20 per dish inexpensive?
If you want awesome Mexican food, I'd recommend Super Taco on W 11th or Super Burrito on Willamette. These places don't have the same spiffy decorations, but they do have delicious burritos for college student budgets.
Adios y nunca mas, El Kora.
Having moved to Eugene from southwest Colorado, we were thrilled to find the yummy Mexican food and friendly service at El Kora. If it weren't for the fact that there are so many great places to eat here we would make it a more regular dining experience. We've tried most of the other Mexican restaurants in town and this is our favorite. While the location is convenient, it's tucked away off the beaten path so a lot of people haven't discovered it yet. Give it a try - you won't be disappointed!
Review Source:Love this place! Authentic Mexican food. Definitely not chain food that you find for the average gringo. If you've been to Mexico than you know that every region has their own versions and flavors based on what's available in that particular area. This group is from near the ocean and make awesome seafood. Bring your taste buds and enjoy the experience!
Review Source:My finace and I went here the other night. I ordered the Pescado Frito (fried tilapia) and he ordered the Carne Asada plate. My dish was AWESOME and I even licked the plate clean and his not so much. His carne asada was overcooked and tough, he didn't even finish it...and this is coming from a man that LOVES carne asada.
They were very attentive to us and checked on us to see if we needed anything. The margaritas there were really good, not too sweet and it tasted like they use real lime juice as opposed to the bottled crap.
Yes, we would go back but I would say if you go here just stick to their seafood menu. It definately reminded me of the Mexican Seafood meals I would get in Rosarito or Ensenada.
El Kora has the best Mexican food and friendliest management in town. Â My Wife, young daughter and I found this place by accident and come back almost every week! Â Very good authentic Mexican food including standbys as well as many excellent seafood items. Â Very family friendly, but also has a good selection of beer, Margaritas and Michelada (my favorite). Â If you haven't been you must go.
Review Source:Totally underwhelmed.
So, i'm on this mission to find semi-decent Mexican food in Eugene/Springfield. I came here after reading mostly positive reviews, and although I didn't have high expectations, i'm super disappointed.
I give em credit, they try. The service is fantastic, indeed! But the food? Not so much. Two words: SO SALTY. I wish they'd lay off of it. The chips and salsa are mediocre at best, nothing special about it at all. It's just like chips in a bag that are heated up. Oh, but the salsa is pretty good and tasty. That, I give them credit for.
So...i'm totally debating whether I should give this place another try. Hmmm.
Wow wow wow! How refreshing it was to walk into a Baja type Mexican restaurant and actually get Baja Mexican food! Prices are comparable for the area. You could just get beans and rice with chips and salsa for under $5! Fresh, clean, and homemade! The beans and rice were fresh and I had to have the fish tacos! The best I have glad in the PAC northwest! This is a nicely kept secret near Starbucks and gold's gym. We were the only people in there around 5 pm on a Friday and we were left alone to enjoy our food and our company! The chips and salsa were fresh and awesome! The salsa was flavorful and closer to medium than mild but in a totally delicious way. This is a good place to just go have some amazing seafood and not just the same old tired Mexican restaurant fare. Salmon, scallops, octopus, halibut... Did I mention octopus? ;0) try it! You will be a fan too!
Review Source:Finally, a Mexican restaurant to "write home about". I love this place. The atmosphere is very Baja California (surf) style, not that cheesy old world 1800s Mexican restaurant style. The chips and salsa are great, the salsa tastes fresh and home made. No "restaurant/food service crap here! At this point I have had most things on the menu and guess what...there is FLAVOR! Â I know right, flavor in a Mexican restaurant in Eugene! ...it's true.
The rice tastes well seasoned and I love their shredded beef. You can tell that they make their ingredients on site, the beef still has bits of potato and seasoning that the meat was stewed in. The retried beans even taste and look home made. The color is a dead give away. Canned refried beans are darker in color. Whereas these still have that fresh light color. Â The prices are reasonable for Mexican food, averaging $9.00 to around $13.00. Not bad for fresh flavorful food
I definitely recommend, and have recommended, this restaurant to others. I say support this place and give it a try.
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