Xicha Brewing - West Salem

This place is kind of hidden away behind some warehouses. It was very busy on Saturday afternoon, but our food came out fast and it was probably some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. The empanadas were saucy with flaky crispy pastry. The seasoning was exceptional. The croquet were also crispy, but so soft inside. They came with two sauces and both were good. The shrimp nachos were my favorite. These were probably the best nachos I’ve ever had in my life. The chips stay crispy all the way to the bottom. They weren’t covered in cheese, more like a cheese flavored white sauce. You definitely wanna order this! The pickled onions on top were not sweet, which was a bonus. They were salty and briny. The shrimp was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The prices were in my opinion very reasonable for this high-quality food. I will probably go back to try everything on the menu. This is simple food with complex flavors.

Service was a little slow but the food was worth the wait. Big open garage doors bring in the summer air and make it easy for kids and dogs to have some freedom. The food is top notch and the beer is terrific. Margaritas were full of flavor!

Been pending to visit the restaurant for a long time, and finally got around to it. Food is really good and flavorful, staff is nice, and the drinks are good. If you love nachos like I do, highly recommend their Nachos Xicha as they did not disappoint, and are very filling. Wife got the tacos which she loved, and the only regret was not ordering more.

Our initial visit was so terrific we returned the next day & brought others along for the experience. The local crowd is fortunate to have this spot & at 2 locations too! We'll definitely be returning again when visiting Salem. Tried a variety of menu items & each one was delicious. I love Latin food & this place offers a mix of foods & flavors. Chips & Salsa: housemade chips, salsa & dips. Beware the orange dip is spicy! Patatas bravas (fried potatoes) drizzled with brava sauce (not spicy or distinctive) but garlic aioli was tasty. Tacos Mixto (3 tacos of choice) - tried vegetable, cod & shrimp (highly recommended as it was seasoned complimentary to toppings & stood out from the other tacos tried). The rice & beans taste like dirty rice. They were not overseasoned but matched the flavorful tacos they accompanied. The tacos themselves are handmade individually & on-site (amazing!). Customer service - friendly & served by 2 different staff members with ready smiles. They answered all our questions about ingredients & various menu items. We hope to return for Happy Hour (Mon-Fri) from 3-6pm) to try more food/drinks. Thanks for the great experience!

We finally got out to try Xicha. We went for dinner on a Saturday, early enough it was not very busy yet. The two of us shared empanadas, veggie nachos, and patatas bravas. Each dish was delicious! There were enough vegetarian choices that we were happy and well fed. Then there was the beer. I heard about Chela and it lived up to the hype. We each tried two different beers and they were great, too! I don't know that I could pick a favorite, but I would love to try more. The cashier / host at the counter was very friendly and helpful! The patio was comfortable and it was a beautiful day to eat outside. This was a very nice experience! Thank you.

Great spot! The beers they brew are adventurous and deliver a distinctive flavor that fill a void in the city. The cocktails are great and the margaritas distinguish themselves as the most delicious and bold that this Texan couple can attest to in Oregon. The food is a wonderful authentic mix of Yucatán, inner Mexico, Central American cuisine that we’ve found so far in the capital region. I give it a 4 out of 5 stars for atmosphere only because the clientele seem to be mostly upper middle to upper class. Being that its location is on west side of town, it is to be expected. It’s just that I prefer a blue collar type of space. The fact that it’s dog friendly is a huge plus.

To be honest this place wasn’t bad but it definitely wasn’t a place I’d visit again. I had the barbacoa tacos & my mom had the shrimp ones. My tacos weren’t that bad but it did have some weird sauce on top that honestly wasn’t needed. I also got beans & rice thinking it was going to be plated together on the plate but the rice & beans are actually cooked together. As a mexican, I don’t recommend to any mexicans whom are looking for familiar food. My first hint it isn’t an “authentic” place was the clientel. Not a hispanic face there but the workers. Not to mention they only sell their alcohol so if you like craft beer this is the he placw for you. To sum it up, I don’t recommend this place.

Fantastic food, great service and good beer. My husband ordered the ceviche and I ordered the vegetable empanadas. We also got some chips and salsa. Top notch all around. My husband says this is the best latin food experience he's had.

Such a good find of different Latin American foods with a modern twist. Folks, it's not, I repeat, NOT Mexican. What makes this place extra 'especial' is that everything is made fresh with quality ingredients. We ordered the barbacoa tacos with gallo pinto. The shredded beef was delicious. Its more ropa vieja style than what you'd initially think of. Its not mexican style barbacoa. And the gallo pinto was a very traditional Nicaraguan style rice and beans dish. The tacos were perfectly balanced with the (cabbage slaw) curtido, queso fresco and creamy sauce and pickled onions. Be sure to check out the mini fridge in the corner with the homemade hot sauces. They're totally worth hunting down! We also got the yuca fries that were listed on the specials. Crispy yuca with crispy chicharon. But it's the good chicharon made from pork belly so it has some meat, not just pork rind. Topped with curtido so it's somewhat reminiscent of Nicaraguan bigoron. Really wanted to try the Pupusas (El Savadorian dish) that were on the specials too but that would have been gluttonous of us. The table next to us ordered it and it looked good! And then there's a menu for the beers. Tried the Guallava (guava). It was crisp and tart, liked it And we also ordered the Huitlacoche Stout. Very interesting and different! Loved the experience of it all!

4.5 stars!! this place was recommended by our neighbor. First and foremost it is a brewery that happens to serve good food! We're not big drinkers but we went here for the tacos! That day they were also serving one of my favorites, papusas! The food is worth the trip alone, even if you don't imbibe. Hands down the chicken tacos were the most notable! Great flavor! (so much so that hubs has been begging for a return visit since we went!) We sat ourselves in the back room which was a bit loud and we seemed to be somewhat left alone when it came to service - but i'm not entirely sure this is the type of place to have bigger expectations. Definitely 6 taco dripping thumbs up!! (my mom was also there, in case you're wondering where the two extra thumbs came from!)

Order at counter. Find a seat and they will bring your food out. You will need to pick up your drinks at the bar. We started off with the chips and queso. The queso was very runny with a mild flavor. The chips were crispy. It also came with a mild green salsa and a spicier red salsa. I ordered the tacos. The order came with three tacos of my choosing. I chose the shrimp, the fish and the veggie taco. The veggie taco was by far the best one. Full of flavor. The corn tortillas were definitely homemade. I did have a margarita and didn't like it. For me, it didn't have the typical margarita taste. They have inside and outside seating. They also have bar seating. Parking is on site and free.

This place has been on our list to visit for a long time. I'm glad we finally visited. Overall, I would come again but order something different. My kids are picky eaters and didn't like the tortilla used for the quesadillas. The empanadas were great! My husband and so got an order to try. I would order this as my own meal next time. My husband had the Cubano and said he was underwhelmed. He wouldn't get it again. I had the chicken tacos. They were okay, nothing special. I was hoping for a more Peruvian type of Aji de gallina taco. It didn't satisfy that craving. I wouldn't order this again. The rice had no flavor. The peanut sauce was great!! I loved it.

I introduced a friend who hadn't been here and was excited for him to try it. Unfortunately we were left underwhelmed. The patio table seating that was there in the past was gone. The QR code for the menu didn't work (remove the sign!) and the Cubano I ordered was disgusting. Black beans and pulled pork do not belong on this sandwich. There was no sign of Swiss cheese or mustard and it was on a soggy bun - NOT traditional Cubano bread or pressed in a panini. Call it something else because that's just false advertising! He ordered the barbacoa tacos and enjoyed them but the rice and beans served with it were dry. Meh.

We shared combo tacos of crispy pork belly, pork and shrimp. Service and delivery was fast. Enjoyed good beer too. We stayed inside to avoid heat. Fur babies are welcome outside.

Flies everywhere, service felt like I was interrupting their day. Sorry - this place used to be awesome!

The food was amazing! Definitely a different type of Mexican/ Latino cuisine. The kids chicken quesadillas, tacos are amazing along with their empanadas. The service was excellent! The bartenders/ servers were great and very informative with the menu. The ambiance is great! I do wish they had more non alcoholic drink selections, but other than that great place and recommend it!

We were so desperately hungry the other day passing through Salem when I found Xicha here on Yelp. We decided to give it a whirl and it was great! We got a few tacos and a chimichanga and each item was super delicious. We were there at a weird time so it was kind of slow, but it had an interesting layout that I imagine would get very busy in the evenings. Super cute aesthetics and good food. If I'm ever back in Salem I'd definitely awing by!

Food, location, and service were all outstanding, but it is costly for this type of experience. It is deceiving because it reminds you of a great little taco spot, but they are doing higher end, higher-quality food. Well worth it if you have the dough.

I must have missed the memo on this place because I didn't love it like everyone seems to. I'm going to have to give it another try at a later date. I went in after tripping up the step (there's a lip on the doorway) not a great way to start out but I persevered. As we entered over very loud music the guy behind the bar said here's some menus come up to the counter when you are ready to order. We went up and ordered. Neither of us wanted much but he let us order a quesadilla off the kids menu as there was not one for adults. We were originally sitting across from the bar but moved to the corner to get away from the music. I finally went up and asked him to please turn it down (which he said, huh?) so yeah it was too loud. He was kind and turned it down for us. When you can't hear the other party at the same table it's too loud. This is 11:30 AM on a weekday so we weren't there for a party. He set up the drinks on the counter for us and we sat down a bit later he brought the quesadillas. They were pretty good. I was looking for something like a taco salad but didn't see anything on the menu. I'll ask next time because I'm trying to incorporate more veggie's in my diet. There was a lot of foot traffic at the noon hour so this is clearly a popular place. It just didn't strike me as my scene.

The food was very flavorful and the service was very nice! The recommendations from the cashier were spot on. We also ordered drinks and they did not disappoint!

Best I've had in a very long time. We were looking for a place to eat after picking up a FB marketplace item in Salem from Portland. I don't know Salem at all. Yelped tacos and BOOM! The Bomb! I now plan to visit my brother more in Eugene just so I can make a pit stop. So, thanks Xicha you created a better family bond and a happy girl tummy

Xichas is such a fun, relaxing place to go for any occasion. The drinks and food are always fresh, and you are greeted with a smile. Hidden west salem gem.

Here on vacation and found this place through Yelp. We wanted a family friendly place where we could have a good drink and food, since we had our baby with us. This place delivered! Great service, great drinks (the margarita and chela) and great food (tacos, croquetas and pupusas). Also some good music playing in the background. What more could you ask for?

The food could use some love, but the staff was about their business. The outdoor seating is a nice touch, 3/5.

Good food, short wait, great people. Cubano was one of the better in our pursuit of the best in our travels. Fish taco also great, truly made from scratch.

ALWAYS amazing. The food is just so, so good. I'd be there just about every other night if I could afford to eat out that often.

Wonderful little restaurant with delicious food! You place your order at three counter and then they bring the food to you. Fast service. It's a little hard to find , but worth it!

Bar none best nachos I ever had! This place is a gem. Found it on the way back from Eugene heading to Portland in Salem area. Located off the main road a bit in an industrial area but we'll worth it to find. Got there for lunch and it's obvious others know how good this place is too because the lunch crowd was consistently flowing. Many people coming in for dine in and saw people picking up called in take out orders as well. Walk up and order. Get a number to place on your table. Select your seating option table, outside, or on the counter. Food made to order and served hot and delicious! Hint: Heard they just opened in Eugene and will be expanding to other locations. Family owned business. Fair is fair check out this place and order some food and maybe some beverages too. Hint: sauces are located in the refrigerator self serve. They also have merchandise to buy from attire to keychains with a very cool logo.

First time visiting and we were excited to try this place based on good reviews. When you arrive guests must order at the counter and pay tip before any service is provided. That felt strange, but I felt obligated to tip, assuming what kind of service would be provided. The only available indoor seating was in a dark back room with dripping sinks, storage, lockers and a Gatorade water cooler. If they seat people in that room, they should make effort to separate the junk from the seating areas. The tables are uneven so when my daughter tried to slide a water cup over to me, it caught an edge and spilled all over the table and me. Might want to level out the eating surface. Everyone in our party got their food except one of us. The server did not address this at all. Everyone waited about 10 minutes to see if the final meal arrived, but it did not so the proceeded to eat before their meals got cold. Taquitos were good. Kids taco was sparse (meat, tortilla, rice). Chimichanga was good. Everyone was nearly done, then a separate waiter came over and said they were out of veggies pupusas and asked for another choice for the missing meal. He did not note that everyone else at the table was nearly done. Updates order was given and we waited another 10 minutes to get the final meal. At no point did they acknowledge this issue or offer something to remedy it. Service not good at all. But again, I had pre-tipped when I ordered so there is no way to let our tip reflect the level of service. Overall, I really wanted to love this place but it was disappointing. Their food is decent but atmosphere and service is lacking enough that I don't think we will be back. Suggestions for improvement: don't pre-tip, ensure servers have awareness of customer experience, if a meal is delayed then offer something free (chips or churros) to make the customer believe you care about their wait.

Two words: spicy margarita. So so so so good, especially with the chamoy rim. I walk here from my house and sit on the patio with my pups, nice casual spot.

Good beer and friendly atmosphere. Plus they have a Happy Hour starting at 3:00 and I recommend the Cervesa Fresca, half beer half margarita. Excellent! Having lower alcohol beers on tap is a good thing.

Love this place! Best to meet up with a few. Wonderful Central Latin, tacos & fresh made Salas and flights, hibiscus tea! Friendly and busy! Happy we found this gem!

FOLKS! STOP! READ THIS REVIEW! WORTH IT! OK, I'm not from the PNW. I'm a newbie here. Total PNW rookie. I don't know what is good, what is bad... heck, since moving here a few weeks ago, I don't know my head from my butt. No joke. However, the ONE sure thing I can tell you about the PNW... if you are ANYWHERE near Salem, OR... ...YOU. MUST. EAT. HERE. Listen, I have hundreds of reviews. Read an enjoy. I love trying new places. I have no problem expressing my excitement, but with as much travel as we do, it takes a lot to impress me any more. Well, Xicha Brewing Company did just that today. I don't know where to begin or even what to say. Their menu is endlessly good and packed full of options for all kinds and walks of life. EVERYONE on this planet could find something they could eat here. Served piping hot and in an absolute jiff. The flavors won't disappoint! Prices, on point. Location, on point. Décor / Ambiance, on point. Staff, ON POINT... which bring me to my next ramble... If you are here, and you're lucky enough to be served by Christian or Mario, you are absolutely a lucky son of a gun. These two guys are kind, friendly, personable, all the while maintaining the utmost professionalism. These two awesome dudes really pulled out the guns for me today. I was in a BAD pinch for time and they not only met my request for carry-out in 1/2 the time they quoted me... those two dudes BEAT IT. Honestly, I feel guilty for not tipping +30%. These are my dudes. You can't go wrong with Xicha. Do it. Stop questioning it. Send me a thank you card when you recover from your food coma. Best of luck to Christian, Mario, and Xicha... may the future be nothing but positive and bright! Oh, one last thing... if Mario and Christian aren't managers... to their manager... GIVE THESE GUYS A RAISE! They made you look DARN GOOD today my friend!

Located in the 45th Parallel Building in North Salem is Xicha Brewing's newest location. I love the high, piped ceilings and open space. The food came out fast and was delicious! Some of the best nachos in Salem, OR. I tried the maragrita flight, and they were all amazing.

Delicious food!! Best chimichanga you could have, crunchy outside, tender flavorful barbacoa inside, birria style dip, Wonderful tacos, homemade tortilla, shrimp and fish were so flavorful. Add the salad for the side, bright and refreshing. The Paloma and margaritas we had were well made. The staff was very helpful and informative. We truly enjoyed it!!

This is the first Mexican brewery Salem has to offer! And they do not disappoint. The location is kind of hidden and easy to miss. But once you find it, it's worth it. The aesthetic here is truly Latino with lots of loud bright colors. The staff here are friendly and helpful. Every meal I've ordered here looks picture. Perfect and taste just as great. I highly recommend their margarita flight. It's a great opportunity to try a little bit of each other amazing drinks. This is especially great place for the summer. They have a giant patio, which is dog friendly.

The black IPA was good and hoppy light. Cubano was only okay. It had all the stuff but I expected something more flavorful. Ok, I also ordered two orders of Drumsticks. You see, I was mountain biking in the state park and hunted for a local place to eat. Xicha sounded like a good place to go. It's Super Bowl Sunday and I can bring home Drumsticks to feed the kids and I. When I ordered I specifically asked if they are drumsticks legs. I got a yes. The two Togo orders came to 22 bucks. What was handed over in the takeout bag was seven wing drumettes in each order. Total of 14 little parts of a wing for 22 dollars. No Drumsticks! Drumettes! From wings. That's $1.57 per wing drumette. Ok they advertise the wrong part. Go to the store and ask for chicken drumsticks, what do you get? Chicken Leg Drumsticks. Not part of a wing. When I confronted the server to ask about this he said they are smaller than usual. And he'll check with the back. When he came back he handed me a refund receipt for the wing parts. It was a communication error. But the menu says Drumsticks where it should say Wing Drumettes. You know, at first I was excited to visit this brewery with a Hispanic flare. Nice facility, lots of outdoor space, interesting location, service is very, very good. Food was blah and disappointing. The beer, well I only had the dark IPA so I need to try more.

Drinks were good, the food was alright. I wouldn't return for the food. We got the margarita flights and beer flights and they were yummy and so was the Paloma!

Food was old and just nasty, bathroom is falling apart. Beer is mid at best. People low key rude. Worst way to spend money

Margaritas are SO good. Great ambiance, good service! We will be back to try the food sometime soon :)

West-side Xicha is my favorite restaurant in Salem. I moved here from NM a few years ago and the margaritas remind me of home. The tacos are amazing and all the different sauces are flavorful without being overpowering. I bring everyone who visits to Xicha to experience the incredible food and highly recommend it to anyone in the area!

Great vibe, friendly and casual. Quality beer and tasty food. I have visited twice and had consistently good experiences. Can't wait to visit in summer.

It was OK the food is decent and the service is OK but nothing spectacular so we have not returned since we went once

To Xicha you must go!!!!! I was craving a margarita and friends of ours invited us to Xicha for dinner. I ordered the margarita flight and holy moly was it yummy!!! They gave be a cute rounded tray with four mini margaritas on it. My favorite was their house signature margarita...so good I had to order a full size one to enjoy. All the food was fresh and absolutely delicious!!!!

Food was amazing! We got the barbacoa tacos and nachos and both were *chefs kiss* delicious. The pickled onions on top made them even better. Food doesn't seem like a huge portion, it was a good amount but once you start eating it is quite filing. They offer flights for their drinks and we loved being able to sample a few! Their set up is also quite convenient, they have a section where their salsa is self serve and another for self serve water as well. There is a patio and indoor dining, for those with kiddos that comes in handy. 10/10 loved this place!

Great service and amazing food! We tried their tacos and empanadas and both were great. Their veggie taco and shrimp tacos are my favorite. The tortillas are also delicious. They also have a really good drink selection

The food here is good, flavorful, and interesting interpretations of modern Latin cuisine. FYI, we asked if they had guacamole here and was told they do. News flash: they do not. Their version of guacamole is a blended avocado sauce, served in small sauce containers. Not guacamole in a bowl for eating with chips. The service is atrocious. We came at a very slow time, Sunday just before 5pm. When we walked in, there were several employees at the counter. Two were in conversation, they looked over at us, then resumed their conversation. There was no "hi, we will be with you in a minute" or even a smile and acknowledgment. They just looked over at us, then turned back talking for another 5 minutes. When they did finally walk over to take our order, the person acted like we were bothering them by ordering. Seriously?!! Who ever wants to dine in a place that makes them feel like a nuisance simply by being there and ordering food??? Overall, 3 stars because the food was good and had great flavors. The service was so bad, I would never come back here again. If you act like we're bothering you by giving you business, then we will take the business somewhere else.

Very good food, service and the restaurant is great. The beer and Margaritas are very good.

So glad I found this place. It's my dream come true consisting of Latino food and great beer. I grew up in Miami and this place makes me feel like home. I wish they would expand to Lake oswego or Portland. The tacos and the chocolate stout are to die for. This place is a hidden gem! My only complaint is the seating system is the worst I've encountered in my life. We waited in a long line to order, only to get to the front of the line to be told that we couldn't order until we had a table. We then had to put our name on a list and start all over again. It was extremely irritating and I can think of 1000 ways they could better manage this system. If they fix that this place would be five stars every day

Had a great stop at Xicha while driving through Salem. First, I'm a sucker for a good Latino vibe, and this place hit the spot! The guy at the counter answered all our questions and we ended up getting a flight with all the beers and the food he suggested: the nachos and chicken wings. The nachos were incredible- probably the best I've ever had. The wings were also good. They also had a good variety of beer and cocktails! I would recommend stopping here if near Salem!

We stopped in for dinner on our way home to Eugene and are a glad we did. I've seen their beers in stores around Eugene and was excited to see that they had a restaurant. It's a bit hard to find since it's tucked back behind some warehouses, so just be sure to keep left of the CrossFit gym that's right in front of it and you'll then be able to see the restaurant and the parking lot, which has plenty of spaces. The atmosphere is really cool. If you're familiar with Por Que No or Tacovore, the vibe is similar but honestly a bit more authentic in my opinion. You order at the counter inside for both food and drink and then they give you a table number that you can place on any of their outdoor seats. Part of their outdoor seating area is covered which is great for when it's raining. Thankfully it was sunny when we came and we really enjoyed the outdoor patio. We ordered two taco plates with salad, one barbacoa and one crispy pork belly, and enjoyed both. The tortillas are thick and handmade and may be some of the best I've had in Oregon. Service was quick and friendly and the beers were unique. We also got a chance to try their house margarita which has fresh orange and lime juice in it, reminded me a bit of a chili-lime mango and was really reasonably priced. Overall, highly recommend coming in!

The best Mexican food in Salem. Period. This is good, authentic Mexico City style food. Real street tacos. Complex flavors, fresh ingredients. Counter service and cafe seating. Very casual.

Great food and beer. Friendly service . Will come here again when in the area . The pork belly tacos were especially yummy .

Barbacoa Tacos are incredible and so is the Ximi De Birria. Reality is there isn't a bad thing on this menu that myself or my wife have tried so far. Happy to see this West Salem staple making its way across Salem and more

First time trying Xicha Brewing and now wishing we lived closer so we could be regulars! The food and beer are amazing!

The only issue I had was locating them. Nestled in an industrial/business park took me two drive-bys before I saw the restaurant in the back. Had chips with salsa and black beans. Then went with a 3-taco "mix" consisting of shrimp, chicken and beef with homemade corn taco shells. The rice & beans that came was not what I expected. A seasoned rice with black beans - wow. Not typical Americanized Mexican food and definitely a step up. A must-come-back for me.

Sadly I had to drop a couple of stars due to my most recent experience at Xicha. Went in on a Saturday which was not as busy as it usually is considering we were able to get seated right away. The bartender forgot to make my drink so I had to remind her about 10 minutes after I ordered it. The food took 40 minutes to arrive and the chicken on the tacos was dry. By the time I got my food I was almost done with my beer (which was now warm). Nobody came over to check up on us either, I made the mistake of tipping before I received my order. Lesson learned.