Ordered a taco salad, got 60% meat to 40%vege and filling. I did shredded beef and OMG, what flavor! Meal was very reasonable priced for what I got. They even have sautéed onions and jalapeños by the full salsa bar! Who does this? Axles does this! Go get you some! read more

Don't even bother with their rolled tacos. They're like 2 cm in diameter. Have the tiniest amount of filling possible. Tasteless, dry, unpalatable. Almost like they were out of a box of frozen taquitos. I threw it out after the first rolled taco. They had a half way decent quesadilla that I ordered ages ago. Really disappointed with the quality of food. read more

I typically love this place but something have gone downhill, well I would not recommend a crispy taco 5 bucks for a 3.5 mini taco , no thanks, the carnitas is the star of the show but lately been super fatty so not sue whats going on. read more

We were excited when we had a Mexican place open up within walking distance to our house. I had decent experience with them in the beginning, but holy cow. My wife and I went for an early lunch. She asked for the number 3 (cheese and onion enchiladas), I asked for the number 6 (chicken taco, and burrito). The total with tip was ~$40. My number 6 was completely flavorless. I ate half a taco. The beans were terrible. I tried the burrito, but it was the same. I threw the whole thing away. My wife's enchiladas were weird. The cheese, both inside and out was not melted. Same issue with flavorless rice and beans. Axle, figure your stuff out or you won't last. Easily the worst Mexican meal of my life. Do better! read more

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! read more

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Good location good salsa bar, fast friendly service and good tasting food. Huge menu Clean dining area and good hours. I go there often and so do a lot of people I know read more

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. read more

I went there this afternoon. Had a Carne Asada burrito. It was fantastic. It was burrito was full of meat. No grizzle super fresh. Super hot. Definitely recommend the place. Keep up the good work. read more

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! read more

A great taco shop among many in the Salem area. However, Axel's has two things that set it apart. First, the street tacos have guacamole and pico de gallo instead of just onions and cilantro. Second, while they (sadly) don't have quesabirria tacos, they have crispy tacos. Crispy tacos are what would happen if a street taco had a beautiful baby with a tortilla chip. Delicious! The variety of sauces is also a nice touch. Would recommend and will be back. read more

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! read more

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! read more

Stopped by because its the only Mexican place in Salem thats open for breakfast burritos at 10am, but one burrito was not made correctly and the horchata does not taste good at all. Just straight cinnamon so we didnt drink it. read more

Amazing!!! Best burritos and salsa ! Customer service very good . They are also open late which is great .

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

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. read more

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 read more

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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. read more

i've stopped by a few more times and the food has been consistently fresh and delicious!

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. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

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

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. read more

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. read more

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

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! read more

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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!! read more

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! read more

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. read more

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

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

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