Tacovore has existed in Eugene, Ore. for several years and has made its way to Corvallis. Located off of Kings, it’s trendy atmosphere contrasts the parking lot of the Timberhill Shopping Center. They are open daily for lunch and dinner and are described on their Facebook page as “Mexican street food and tequila bar.” Two of our contributors headed out to see how they liked it.

Noah’s Review:

Tacovore is a trendy little taco shop located near Winco. My first impression of this place was positive; exposed wood beams with dark metal plating gave off a modern feel. The food was served on metal trays with parchment paper, along with drinks in mason jar glasses.

I ordered two tacos, one carnitas, one tofu and a glass of horchata. The drink impressed me- it was just like my grandma used to make; sweet with a hint of cinnamon. This was actually very helpful, as the carnitas taco had a heavy amount of fresh, green jalapenos that needed some cooling down. The meat was tender and slightly sweet from the barbecue. Along with a wide range of salsas to try out on it, this was my favorite.

The tofu taco, unfortunately, didn’t hit the spot for me personally. The tofu was in one entire piece, like a very thick hot dog and was deep fried. I think if it would have been chopped into smaller pieces, this would have been a great taco. However, the size of the tofu and the style of cooking just threw me off. Other than that, the toppings of lettuce and the cashew jalapeno crema were good. Overall, I’d recommend the other vegan options they offer.

Johnny’s Review:

After making my way up to the oblong hill that overlooks the Winco parking lot, the first thing I noticed that’s been drawing me to this restaurant for months was the well-done illustration of a sugar skull that sprawls across Tacovore’s exterior. Though having a large exterior, the shop inside, which utilizes both the first and second floors presents itself with a cozy yet trendy and vintage.

Like Noah, I ordered two tacos, the Old E and the Crispy Tofu along with some chips and salsa and a bottle of Coca-Cola. Even though I myself am not vegan or vegetarian, ordering the tofu was important to see if this was somewhere I could offer up as a suggestion to possibly bring my vegan or vegetarian friends.

The chips and salsa came in small wooden bowls and were seasoned with just the right amount of salt with a variety of salsas in the small mini-fridge depending that are numbered depending on how intense of a spice you can handle.

The Old E was definitely my preferred of the two, having ground beef, cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, housemade crema and molcajete salsa in a hard shell (a personal favorite of mine). The seasoning of the meat was great and just enough to not overpower the rest of the toppings like cheese or salsa, but still be present in every bite.

While I did prefer the Old E, to me, the Crispy Tofu taco wasn’t that bad. The tofu itself is cooked to a pretty good texture and then fried, before being put into a soft-shelled taco along with lettuce, pickled vegetables and a cashew crema. I think the flavor profiles went very well together, especially with the decision to use a cashew based crema, but to me, the tofu was just a little too large for the tortilla.

If you’re looking to head to Tacovore for your Mexican food fix, you can check out their Corvallis Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/corvallistacovore/