Nelson's Taqueria + Nelson’s in the Whit

I don’t normally leave reviews for places, but the food and service here tonight was exemplary and I felt compelled to. It was our groups first time at Nelson’s, and we couldn’t have picked a better spot for a birthday celebration. The food was DELICIOUS. It tasted fresh and flavorful - we had the birria taco specials (per our servers recommendation) and the hard taco combo plate, as well as the blood orange margarita, and virgin fizz for drinks. You can tell that they use high quality, fresh ingredients throughout their entire menu. Also, their salsa and guacamole are fantastic! This is the best Mexican/Latin food I have had in a long time! What took everything to the next level was our incredible server, Jordan. He had several other tables but still made us feel like we were the most important table there - I imagine he makes all of his tables feel this way. He explained everything thoroughly, with a joy and enthusiasm that elevated the entire experience. We’d go back there just to have him as a server again. Will definitely be coming back here the next time I’m in town!

Best Mexican food in Eugene! Awesome burritos and Margaritas with wonderful staff. You can opt to dine inside or sit in their large outdoor yet covered seating area. There is also an open-air patio with beautiful string lights for a cozy atmosphere when clear skies permit. First basket of chips y salsa are on the house. As always, make that burrito “wet”, y’all. And, thank you, Jordan!

So, we broke down and were stuck in Eugene for the night and the hotel we were at gave us a pamphlet they put together with restaurant recommendations. We were feeling for Mexican food and Nelson's was one of the 3 listed so we decided to give it a try and it was AMAZING! The atmosphere was great and the staff were all super friendly. Our server, TJ, was a 5 star server for sure! He was prompt, helpful in recommending menu items and making sure we knew all of the faves. I was looking for a good cocktail and his recommendation for the peach paradise was exactly what I was looking for. Peach infused vodka, fresh strawberries and mint. It was unique and refreshing. One had a sampler platter with taquitos, tacos and enchiladas, and 2 of us had the chile relleno plate. Chile rellenos are one of my favorite things and I have had them at dozens of restaurants so it is a big deal for me to say these were FIRE! I know, such a simple thing, right? But that is exactly why it is so hard to make a child relleno that stands out and is perfection! The uniqueness of the addition of potatoes in the filling.... And the sauce! So so good. The chef really brings the flavors of the Oaxaca region to your table and gives you something different than the typical Mexican food you get most places. We also shared an order of birria tamales and these were the highlight of the meal. We ordered them as an afterthought and were already full, but everyone enjoyed them so much they wished they had ordered them as their meal. I literally drank the rest of the broth like a cup of soup after the tamales were gone. There was this flavor, none of us could place it, but it pushed the flavor of the broth over the top. Everything down to the chips, salsa and guac was perfect, and there was so much food we had to get our flan to go. I live out of state, but every time I travel through Eugene I will go out of my way to stop in for a bite and a drink at Nelson's . 5 stars all the way around!

Could just be our favorite New Mexican restaurant. Went early for happy hour. Staff met us as the door. Jordan our waiter was very kind and helpful. The food was Amazing! Not your typical Mexican food. Much more flavorful and still very generous portions. Other staff helped with service and the bartender ran to open the door to send us off. These folks understand how to care for their clients and provide top-notch food and a first class experience!

(Kenzie, 10 urs old) - The food is so good and the people are so nice I loved this place so much, The sopes are loaded with lettuce,cheese,chicken,beens tomatoes, and sour cream( it's a your choice of protein) over all, they where amazing 5/5 stars. (Me 😁) the atmosphere is great with music playing in the background. Our waiter and bartender for those "Daddy drinks" were amazing. I had the Monster burrito and it was phenomenal 🙌 one of the top 5 best burritos I've had in my lifetime!! The chips and salsa are delicious and the margaritas tasted fresh and delicious. I was constantly catered to by staff and never felt like I needed anything as the staff was on point!! Thank you all for a memorable experience!

Had the best spicy margarita last night, expertly crafted by Andy the bartender. The perfect balance of heat and flavor! The staff was incredibly welcoming, and the entire experience was nothing short of delightful. Highly recommend!

A smothered carne asada burrito will cost $20+ dollars and the flavor falls very flat. Edible but not great. Can't taste the pico, can't taste the seasoning on the asada. Watery enchilada sauce.

Food: Basic, on par with Taco Bell. Flavors were as if they purchase run of the mill ingredients. I bet they have talented chefs back in the kitchen who could do amazing things given the proper ingredients. Everything tasted exactly the same, no distinction between one thing or the other. Service: Inattentive and training needs to be done in being cordial and timely. Wasn't sure who my server was, and I had to ask for basic things like napkins. Atmosphere: Excellent. Warm, inviting, and homey. Price: For the quality of the food, it's hard to substantiate the high price...$4.99 for regular Iced Tea? First impressions: VERY Welcoming, hospital, and friendly. Overall: Great Atmosphere, C- service, and food did not live up to price. Sample platter was $27.99 and everything on it tasted exactly the same, no distinction. Plus, $4.99 for Iceed tea and if you want to add rice & beans to your entree, they'll be $4.99! It's definitely a pass.

Today was my first time ever visiting and it will not be the last! Everything was so fantastic and authentic and everyone was so great, service was fast and super friendly. Our server kept our waters full and our tummy's full!! Was a fantastic experience and I will be going again!! Jordan was the server and they were fantastic!! Thank you Jordon!

Love love love to visit whenever we're in the area. Fresh, tasty, authentic. Would recommend if you like breakfast burritos. Amazingly quick service as well. Can't say enough about the place. Just a great spot.

Let's start with the good news - service is great, location and ambiance are good and prices are mostly fair. Unfortunately, the food here is below average especially as Mexican food. The chips (free!) are tasty but over-salted. The guacamole seems fresh and is tasty but with too much lime. We had the mixed fajitas (beef, chicken and shrimp) on a sizzling cast iron platter. The biggest issue was the complete lack of flavor - it is as if nothing was added to the meat as marinade or during cooking. Quite bland. The sizzling hot platter burned most of the tiny shrimp charred black - not appealing. We had a side of rice and it was totally dry and bland - no chicken stock flavor whatsoever. Nelson's seems to be a "Eugenized" blanded-down version of Mexican food for the lowest common denominator in the area, unfortunately. Can't say we would return.

Food was fast and they had outdoor patio and indoor seating. Food come out fairly quick and servers were nice and friendly. Supreme burrito was good although the food was spread unevenly through the burrito. The sauces were very nice. Green was mild and red and spicy, which was described by the waiter. The chips and salsa was good, the salsa might be a tad bit more spicy than what people are used to. The tacos were very good and had a good portion of meat inside them. Personally, the grilled pork was the best out of all the taco meats.

Food is excellent, portions are large and hot food comes out of the Cocina pretty quick!

live yelping currently chips are quite nice *chewing noises* mhm yep salsa is ALSO quite nice *slurping noises* blessings water pour was quite satisfactory flavors of the whitaker boy are splended and let me just say wet that thang up you will not regret it each ooey gooey bit gets better eachtime #yumgasmic

FANTASTIC food and drinks, service was phenomenal and responsive. It was also beautiful in the inside!

i had Nelson's delivered today. The food was horrible! the enchiladas had zero sauce. The corn tortillas were raw and the chicken was weird cubed and dry. The rice was hard and the beans seemed undercooked.

Ordered online they lost my order waited patiently after saying it would be 5 minutes meanwhile after waiting over 45 minutes some address me stating they hadn't started the order. Kindly I ask well is there anyway you could compensate me the manager said " hey we're busy it's cinco de mayo" want a water! I became very upset asking for a refund and they kicked my out. Terrible service will never go there again! Service and management is terrible

Jordan was nothing short of amazing!! My friends and I came to this place after other restaurants were closed and honestly it was a blessing in disguise. We will be back!! We love Jordan

Like a lot of people in Whiteaker, we've been visiting Nelson's cart for years and loving it. So we're thrilled to see him open a full restaurant just steps from where his cart was. The food is delicious. You really need to try the fish burrito with green sauce. I just keep ordering it and ordering it. It's that yummy. Plus, Nelson is a delight. He has a positivity and smile that are delightful.

Great service and food. The margaritas (especially the spicy ones) are always solid and I LOVE the birria tacos served on Tuesdays and Fridays!

I had delivery. I'm sure my experience would be better if I ate in house. I'm hoping I'll be able to eat there

This is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Eugene and also one of the best restaurants in the area. I have been going to Nelson's for almost two years and it's always a delight and always consistent. The atmosphere is incredible and the service is always impeccable. The food is the true treasure though. I highly recommend the Sampler and Whiteaker Burrito. The food has never let me down in quality, taste and presentation. Do yourself a favor, make sure to stop here and make it a regular haunt. It's important to support local businesses, especially the ones that are invested in their neighborhood and customers.

For Eugene, this is pretty great Mexican food! And for the price and quantity, I would definitely come back here again. Try the wet burritos! Very tasty!

The food was deeelicious! So good! Our drinks were perfect. The ambiance of the new place is wonderful. Everyone was friendly, attentive and all had smiles and made one feel very welcomed.

Delicious food and cocktails. Excellent service! I love Nelsons! Live music and great outdoor seating.

Everything was perfect. Madi was amazing! She made me a wonderful mojito and was very sweet. Had she not told me she was training, I'd have thought she had been there for a while! Enchiladas were to die for. Great Monday specials!

There's a reason that Nelson's is a Whiteaker Neighborhood favorite. More than any business in my lifetime, and I am a senior, they excel in kindness and inclusion. That makes their delicious food taste even yummier.

If they have the tamales (almost as good as Jordan's mother's), by all means order them. They ARE superior! But so was my wife's taco salad. So maybe you should order that. We are eager to go back and let Jordan suggest some other items on the menu. Jordan was our waiter though waiter seems like such a weak term...more our brother, our friend welcoming us into his home. He will be our reason for returning as much as the food will be. Sounds corny doesn't it? But allow yourselves to be transported, and you'll have one of the most delightful dining experiences Eugene has to offer.

This is a difficult review for me because the food was meh, Nelson was so genuine and caring and the staff was everything I thought it shouldn't be. Long story short, I want to support Nelson, but I'll go to a more authentic Mexican restaurant as Eugene has so many. I don't want to discourage anyone from trying their food. In fact, I say give it a try. Then I'd love to hear what you think.

The food is authentic. The service is amazing we always feel like we are VIP. Dining inside or outside, Nelson's is family friendly. They host themed events and are 100% lgbtqia+ friendly! If you haven't, you must give them a try!

Went here last night and was very pleasantly surprised! My friend and I sat at the bar and enjoyed having nice conversations with the various bartenders and servers. Everyone was SUPER nice and the service was great! They have a very nice drinks menu. My friend and I ordered the jalapeno margarita. It was the perfect amount of spice (not blow your socks off but just enough to let you know there's some kick). All of their drinks looked good though, and they're well priced between $8-$12. Ok. The food. Very good food, large portions, affordable. We shared the Monster Burrito that comes with chicken, steak, AND carnitas. It was amazing. Because I'm fat, I had to try their tacos, too. We got an order of the Al Carbon (delicious!) and the street tacos with carne asada (also good). 3 tacos for $10 I feel is a good deal, and there was no skimping on the filling (and they come with the REQUIRED two tortillas). If you haven't been here, please give this place a try!

A popular lunch choice, there was a little bit of a line around 12:30 on a weekday. The truck had a decent-sized menu, and lots of things that sounded appealing to me. They had many standard Mexican food items, like tacos and quesadillas. They also had more unique soups and tortas. The man taking the orders was Nelson himself I believe, based on how many people he knew by name and how friendly and personal his chats with customers around me was. He was friendly seemed genuinely interested in providing a great experience. The tacos themselves (birria) were fantastic. Piping hot and gooey cheese with a delicious dip/au jus in a to-go cup to dunk them in. The lime added a nice kick of flavor, and the hot sauce he recommended (red) paired perfectly. For a quick, friendly, and under $10 meal in the 'hip' food district, you can't beat this.

Nice people, open early for breakfast. I'd try anything on the menu. Tasty, fun neighborhood spot, I wish they served coffee but I walked across street and got some while they made my food, all good.

I wanted to try this place out as a quick grab and go lunch during my workday. I was definitely very disappointed in the al Pastor tacos that I ordered. Usually they have a sweetness to it from the pineapple, but the flavor was mostly just charred from the grill. It lacked what I was craving for your typical hit the spot street taco. The hot sauce that they claimed to be their spiciest lacked flavor the whole meal with missing acid and sweetness. The beans and rice were okay and it was nice to sit outside. But overall this was a miss.

Food was super good and our server Louis was super fast and friendly! Best Mexican food in Eugene don't waist your time going anywhere else definitely come for the birria tacos only on Tuesdays and Friday hella fire!

Came in for drinks and Louis was my bartender, he suggested a blackberry margarita and made it beautifully. Wish I took a picture but I drank it too fast I'll definitely be back for more and to enjoy their outdoor patio more!

Fantastic food, we both had the burritos. We will be going back soon! Hope for a bit of covered seating so we could stay and eat in the rain.

First time for breakfast here and it's awesome. Roll up and there is a regular flow of regulars all seemingly getting their usual meal. Delicious burritos! Nelson's is an awesome way to start the day!

Service was outstanding. Seated in the outdoor patio and our server never forgot us. We each had burritos which were large, packed with quality ingredients, no fat on the meats or stringy chunks...so tasty! Wish we had room for dessert. We will be returning as this Is a fav place for Mexican food. You have to try this place!!

No salsa? Terrible service. The food is decent, but overall pathetic. I won't come again.

I seriously love Nelson's taqueria. Great staff! So friendly!! The prices are good too! They have a cute sitting area. Occasionally the pork tacos can be a little dry, but the beef is always spot on and juicy! Another foodie told me to get the beans...so glad I did. They are really some of the best beans I've had in town. Not the biggest fan of their tortilla chips, but I do love their salsa. A nice medium heat. Their habanero hot sauce is on point and I really also enjoy their green sauce if you like low heat!

Had the Nelson burrito and it was amazing! Staff was extremely friendly and very fun to talk to. The burrito was super good, the tortilla was amazing. Overall would definitely recommend and I will be coming back

Overpriced street tacos made by college kids. I'm not saying the food was bad, but it was "just ok" and not worth it for the price. Definitely going to a legit taqueria next time.

Delicious! and not only great service but incredibly sweet humans! I try to get by the taqueria or restaurant when I'm in Eugene!

Hands down the yummiest and best priced street tacos in Eugene. The service is unbeatable too!

OK so I been hesitant on certain places tacos since I moved here from LA 8years ago and finally went to Nelson's today and hands down... some of the best carne asada tacos I've had in Eugene/Springfield... I have high expectations and they hit the mark and their salsa is amazing too! Just the right amount of heat and the habanero is the fire on top! Takes a lot for me to knock this down in 15 mins but couldn't stop once I started ‍

Nelson Nelson Nelson a day one always got fire tacos very good and enjoyed very much recommend to check them out

Terrible food ""If your gonna use a Microwave I suggest you master it" .I will not come back here for multiple reasons and I have lived in the neighborhood for going on 12 years! Food burnt in a microwave"OMG" and when I called to communicate the issue the other half treated me like an idiot questioning me like I have motive that ridiculous! As for you for selling out to a building and producing a sub-par food now , I'll go to Super Tacos or Dos Banderas from now on to fulfill my authentic cravings.

This place is 10/10 when it comes to food and service! A eugene staple that many depend on. So grateful they've opened up Nelson's in the whit too!

Nelson's food truck is amazing! Excellent food and service with a smile. The wait times are short too! Highly recommend!

I've lived in the neighborhood where this Taqueria is located. Nelson and his crew have consistently been so great and reliable for delicious Mexican cuisine. And to mention food cart life is hard work.. Their menu is amazing and so affordable. I personally like to order a chile relleno wrapped in a burrito, it is the best with a side of their habanero salsa! Visit Nelson soon and you'll find out what I mean! He is so kind.

Haven't had a bad meal here yet. Fish tacos are delicious, the adobada is good, the chicken is amazing.!great prices, great food, big portions, good hot sauce. Can't wait to try the burrito, torta, and a breakfast item eventually. But we've had the tacos and a chicken quesadilla several times now and it's always consistent, and consistently good. Plus Nelson is really nice, and I'm always happy to support that! They are also happy to make changes to items to suit dietary needs, which is appreciated. If they had a place that sold cold beer/cider right there, I'd be here way more often. An ice cold La Familia Jamaica/hibiscus cider and a chicken quesadilla would be perfection. But even without an adult beverage, it's still tasty and I'd highly recommend it!

This is the best mexican food ever tied with nelsons in the whit!!! Its awesome for when you want nelsons but its lunchtime!!!

I love the food! The ambience and the owners! This is the place to go for good Mexican food. Did I mention drinks? Oh my!! Love it here. Having lived near Mexico and been to Mexico more times than I can count.. this is the place to go for the real stuff! THANK YOU for bringing Mexico to Eugene! God bless you guys!!!

Love Nelson's but their night staff is horrible. Messed up my takeout orders multiple times. I've ordered a monster burrito and instead gotten a small vegan burrito. Definitely lost me as a customer

Tasty taqueria! Stopped here with my sister for lunch today. There were about 8 people waiting for food around noon--always a good sign! My sister got an order of birria tacos and I got an al pastor torta. The wait was short, the service was friendly, and the food was delish. I think this place has the best birria tacos I've tried in town. This was my first visit and it surely won't be my last. Next time, I'm looking forward to trying a burrito!

Outstanding food and the best Mexican menu in town! Great breakfast burritos fresh and the owner will sing love songs while you eat