Axel’s Taco Shop

My first visit. I had the Carne asada combo and my girl had a fish taco with a horchata, and we shared some warm crispy perfect tortilla chips y salsa. Oh, oh, oh so good. Look at the salsa bar!!! So crazy good and even has hot grilled onions. Watch out for that one orange salsa because it taste so good and I ate a lot but it had habanero and maybe some lava. And I hurt, and I will do it again next time too.

Ordered delivery and got the Monster Burrito and the 3 TT Tacos. Both were really good and flavorful. The pricing was also really good for the portions and tasty food I got. I'd recommend if looking for good tacos and burritos. I'd order again.

Very friendly staff and willing to go off menu if they have the means. I ordered Chile rellano and asked for it as spicy as they can make it. Instead of the enchilada sauce they used the spiciest salsa they had: Chile Rellano el Diablo. It was perfect. I eat spicy all the time so it really was perfect. I still wouldn't consider this the best Chile rellano but it certainly wasn't bad at all. It came covered in shredded lettuce and rice and beans (see photo). This place was clean though I didn't go into the bathroom. I'm sure it would have been clean at that time because I got there just before lunch rush. I give 5 stars because it's good for the simple neighborhood taco shop. I will be back. I'm back! 7/8/2025. Super Nachos with Chicken. I love it! Love the newer additions to the salsa bar! Keep up the good work!

This was our first time in. I ordered a chile relleno burrito and It was half grease. The greasiest burrito I think I’ve ever had…. Like more so than carne asada. They didn’t remove the seeds from the poblano either so I had a mouth full of seeds at one point. My husband ordered a chimichanga and it was mostly tortilla. The salsa bar was great. Pickled carrots were delicious and the onions/peppers were a nice surprise. Not super vegetarian friendly as beans contain lard. Probably our first and last time in. The restaurant was super clean and nice, I will give them that!

We had the breakfast burrito and is was SOOO good... we love the folks working there and they are ALL very friendly and super helpful with suggestions if you want to customize anything! The salsa bar was great and the place was super clean (I may hold back on the bleach a bit) but I appreciate a clean table, floor and windows!

New Mexican food place in the building that had a different Mexican food place. Ordered a chicken burrito and it was very good. They also had at least 6 different salsas and the pickled veggie bar! Everything was tasty and fresh. Salsas all had plenty of flavor and none were biting hot. Burrito was good sized for the price. Service was fast and friendly. Inside of the restaurant was clean and neat. Plenty of tables for dinning in.

Responding to the owner. * You can make it better by making me my tacos again, but the way I wanted them. Loved the beans not the rice I got carne asada tacos the meat was super dry and it had no taste to it I asked for cooked onions they did not add for me the lady asked what sauce I said green and she charged me for it weird sauce should come with tacos their was a good portion of meat but not tasty at all. I don't know if I want to try to eat there again.

I ordered the Green Chili and Carne Asada TT Tacos from Axel's for dinner tonight, and I have to say, it was a fantastic experience. The portions were generous, and the prices were very reasonable. The food was packed with care—plastic wrap was even used around the Green Chili plate—and everything looked just like the pictures! I'll definitely be ordering again.

Fantastic carnitas tacos. The pork is crispy at the edges, just how I like it. Now that I've had their carnitas tacos, I don't know if I'll be able to bring myself to order anything else. ;) I've also had their plain cheese quesadilla. It was standard fare: nothing remarkable about it, but nothing wrong with it either. It did hit the spot when I was craving a quesadilla. The fresh-squeezed orange juice is good too -- but beware, the "large" is VERY large. I should have gotten a medium OJ, even though I was sharing it!

A Tacos Trip! The Carnitas Tacos Let me taco 'bout the carnitas tacos--these bad boys are the real fiesta in a fresh corn tortilla! As a globe-trotting, México-born taco connoisseur, I can confirm the deliciousness of these carnitas, each bite had us saying, "¡Ay, mamacita!" They're tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor--so much so that you might start dancing around the super nice salsa bar in the restaurant with your taco plate in hand. If these tacos were any more loaded, they'd need their own passport stamps! The Environment Axel's Taco Shop is a vibrant, quirky corner of México right here in Salem, OR. The walls are adorned with colorful murals and beyond that, the staff makes it even better--think "Taco 'bout a party!"--that make the atmosphere as festive as a street carnival. Whether you're on a quick lunch run or planning a full-on taco marathon that includes buñuelos, the ambience here is as refreshing as a chilled cerveza Corona on a sunny August afternoon. Amazing Service! Now, let's address the real twist in this tale: our dear Axel--the brilliant college student who, by a hilarious twist of fate, shares his name with this taquería. Axel doesn't work here, doesn't own the place, it's just destiny that brought us together. The staff served up friendly, attentive service that made our visit as memorable as Axel's quirky college antics. Thanks to his accidental nudge, our culinary journey turned into a full-blown fiesta! In short, if you're roaming Salem or on your way to-from Corvallis and Portland, with a hankering for killer carnitas tacos and a side of laughter, Axel's Taco Shop is your destination. Grab a taco, toast with some horchata or jamaica drinks, and enjoy the ride--while giving a nod to our namesake hero, Axel, for the unforgettable referral!

Truly excellent tacos at a fair price, with long hours. Excellent, slightly-charred, rich in flavor carne asada complements fresh onions, cilantro, etc. Even the fish burrito is consistently crispy, savory, and refreshing. Axel's has become my go-to delivery order for, well, anything on their menu. If you're looking for a rich treat, I recommend the Arizona burrito. It can be a bit of a gut punch if you aren't expecting it, but if you need something hearty and flavorful, it can't be beat. The asada is great, the chicken is great, the chorizo is great, even the shrimp is great. I have not had a single item from Axel's that I regretted ordering. I have definitely had items I regretted *eating*, but only because I couldn't resist continuing after I was full because the food is so damn delicious! The biggest "problem" I have with Axel's, if you can call it that, is that they're *so* affordable it feels hard to justify making a delivery order or driving across town. I mean, I'll still do both. All the time. But I feel bad about it. Never change, Axel's.

Great service. Delicious tacos. We had Adobada Tacos. The pork was crunchy and so tasty. The tacos came with guac and pico de gallo The salsa bar was amazing!

Friendly service and great food. Open late for late night munchies. Lots of seating and parking available. Check it out if you're craving burritos!

Pros Affordable Salsa bar is great Variety Convenient location Cons Limited space Service is okay

Great disappointment after trying over (7) different items and meats when we ordered the (2) tamales and from 50 years of eating tamales at many different locations these by Axel were machine made like from Costco or Trader Joe's because the masa texture was not solid like the handmade ones. Sad because the amount of money paid. This being said we will still be patronizing the place from the items that were made well but I would not recommend their tamales.

They have some decent food, but the customer service is absolutely horrendous at times. They don't know how to run a drive-thru. I've waited at the window for 15 minutes before someone shows up and tries to give me the wrong order. They've tried to double-charge me in the past. I think everybody in the kitchen is stoned out of their minds. It's hit-or-miss, but mostly miss sadly. They really need to train their staff better and start drug testing.

The service was fine. Ambiance, fast food. Good salsa bar, but the pickled carrots were rubbery. Charred peppers and onions cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the rest was all low quality. Refried beans too salty, red sauce, too. Rice, beef taco lacked flavor. Fish taco overwhelmed by the sauce, couldn't taste the fish. Guacamole too thin and portion way too small with no onions or tomatoes or cilantro from what I could see or taste. Even the napkins were the cheapest. Chile relleno not much cheese inside, not much batter outside, too much lettuce, red sauce too salty and cotillo salty too. This place desperately needs better ingredients and a cook with more discerning taste buds. IMHO.

I tried Axel's on my way south and it was so good i made sure to stop in on the way north again =) i tried some tacos, flautas, and a side of chips and pico. The tacos were HUGE, they're easily twice as big as i'm used to. The carne asada was great, so was the lengua! The flautas ("rolled tacos" on the menu) were delicious, crispy, and served with tasty guacamole on top -- i tried beef one time and chicken the other & can't decide on a favorite, they're both very good. chips were hot & fresh, very thin and crispy, love the pico de gallo too & quite a generous portion! food was very consistent between my two visits. the only thing that disappointed was their aquas frescas, they taste like they're made from the powdered mixes, not real fruit.

Salem has many of these taquerias scattered throughout the city and surrounding area. From the outside most of them look the same and on the inside most of the are. Same menu, same offerings and price point. The trick to finding the few that excel is you have to get a good, unbiased recommendation or, even better is to actually eat at one. Axel's hits all the notes! Broad menu featuring all the standard taco-burrito-enchiladas combos but also a nice selection of authentic Mexican dishes like. Lengua, Pozole, and Torta's. The condiments bar is outstanding with multiple fresh salas, fresh, pickled, and roasted veggies and to go containers to take some home. They even provide aluminum foil to wrap your leftovers, which there will be given the generous portions. A big fountain dispensing Aguas Frescas is a sure sign Axel's is not focused on the Taco Bell clientele (not that there is anything wrong with Taco Bell, it has its place) Fast service, reasonably priced items and squeaky clean tables makes Axel's an good bet when the taco gods

ordered a beef burrito the meat was old dry and stale strings of meat. the taco was so stale it couldn't be eaten. requested new food the staff refused to make us fredh food and there was only two bites taken. they also refused a refund. basically told us to take the bad food or leave without the $35 dollars and food. we will never go back horrible food and customer service. who puts bell pepper in a beef burrito awful!!

We live nearby and love Mexican food. We were not impressed with Axel's unfortunately! The Carne asada was chewy and you could tell it had been hanging around for a few days. Definitely will not be returning!

Nice little spot. Cool that they had the salsa bar including the onions, jalapeños, and chiles toreados. We went there for the first time and got the Salem fries, torta, and some tacos. Fries were good. Torta was alright but missing a lot of classic stuff like lettuce, beans, and queso fresco. Only had pico and guac. Tacos were made with what seemed like mission tortillas, pretty much tacos I could make at home. Service was quick and good. Honestly wasn't bad but I'd consider this place a good place after a long night or after drinking. Satisfied the cravings but nothing special.

Place was small yet tidy, the staff was extremely inviting and friendly, they welcomed us in and thanked us for our business when we left. They even asked if it was OK to vacuum the floor while our 2 month old was present. The food was piping hot and most of all delicious! There wasn't anything that we ate that we didn't like. This was our first time here and it will not be our last. I highly recommend giving it a try. P.S There are no pictures because after the first bite, we demolished everything!

This is for my experience on Saturday May 24. It's unfortunate that after at least 15 visits I have to give a bad review! I order the carne Asada plate thinking th meat would be cut up. The steak was 2 thin pieces but I had difficulty cutting with plastic knife. After a couple of minutes struggling to cut it I walked to front and politely asked if they could cut the meat in back. They said once a plate leaves the kitchen it can't come back. Then she said she would ask manager. 10 minutes later no manager no response I walked up and took 2 to go boxes to take home since my wife had finished her food and I was still struggling and working trying to cut meat. The other lady who was training in front saw me and offered a bag to put my boxes in. I walked up and got the bag and told the other lady I was dissatisfied that the manager never came and talked to me. I will be back but you have list my business for at least a few months! Food is always very good but if I have to work at eating it or have to take it home it's not enjoyable. Theirs a bunch of good Mexican food restaurants in Salem. I've worked in restaurants for over 40 years and never cold a customer that I can't take food back to kitchen to fix it in any ways. I've worked at 5 stars restaurants the last 35 years and not once have we ever denied such a simple request!

Stop whatever you are doing and come here. No joke. The food is delicious. Like being in LA... but in Salem. I will drive out of my way to come here. It's that good. Their salsa, sautéed onions and peppers, extensive burrito list. Bring the tums.... You'll need it but it'll be worth it.

The food is very good but their prices are ridiculous. Overnight their prices went up two dollars for most all their items. I understand inflation but this is just too much. It's a shame, I just can't go back there anymore.

This is our go to for SoCal style Mexican food. Their Pitufo breakfast burritos are the bomb! Try the flautas! They rival the best high end restaurant. The people are friendly and accommodating. The shop is tidy and kept up nice. We drive by the other guys to get our Axel's on!

Dependable, fast, fresh & delicious! Great service and it's awesome that they have a drive-thru.

Carne asada is flavorful and tender - good portions for the price - salsa bar is well supplied

Food was great and the customer service was excellent. Many different choices of salsa and the agua frescas were great. Limited space but overall good food.

Axel's Taco shop is amazing. The food was beyond good with huge portions. I got the monster burrito and my partner got the king burrito. The tasted great. 10 out of 10 with the food. The service was quick and you can tell it is all home made. Even the sauces on the sauce bar were tasty. The place is a little small but clean and nice.

Been going to Axel's for a while now and everything is amazing and the food is great. Hate the drive thru though, but that isn't their problem.

The best Mexican food I've found so far in Salem. Great customer service. Orders are out fast.

I have been meaning to try this Taco Shop for a while now and after tonight's visit I regret not coming in sooner! The staff was very friendly and accomodating. They took the time to answer my questions about a few of yheir dishes without getting impatient the way staff at a few other restaurant's I've been to recently would. The restaurant is clean, but there are a few spots that could use some touch up paint, notably on the ceiling. Also, there was one vent that looked like it could use a wipe down. The atmosphere felt more Mexican American than traditional Mexican, at least to me. In this case it's a good thing, in that it helps them to stand out from other similar restaurants. Now for the food... I came in on a Tuesday, so of course I had to order Tacos. I ordered the Carne Asada ones and they were delicious! The lady who helped me actually let me know what options were available regarding how they could prepare them, but I went for a fairly basic order. I also ordered the Burrito A La Diabla, sin camarones, con pollo. I substituted the shrimp for chicken. I try to eat Kosher when possible, for health reasons. The burrito lives up to it's name. It was the spiciest burrito I have had recently. It was amazing!

Delicious food! fast service !! Everyone that works here is very polite , good customer service. all the salsas have a good flavor

I got the number 10 and my husband got pollo Ashdod burrito and it's delicious. We recommend it.