It was good. I expected some really inauthentic tex-mex, and this was much better than that. The salsa was indeed quite good, the carne asada was delicious, the beans and rice acceptable but typical. Ask for a side of sour cream and they fill an ice cream dish! They were also very cordial even though we stuck around chatting up until close. Twice as good as that Jalisco place out west 11th anyway... read more

I was really disappointed with Chapala's. Having recently moved into the fantastic South Eugene neighborhood, this was a real bummer since it's located so close. My food was over-cooked (scalded actually), extremely bland and served with what appeared to be cheapish beans and rice, and then to top it all off, my soda was flat. In my waiters defense, he was busy, but he basically did forgot about us and never offered to refill my flat soda, or bring me to-go boxes. Overall, the food was pretty darn poor and both my daughter and I experienced stomach aches shortly afterwards. I never slander and try to be as honest as I can, but this was just not very good in the slightest and one of the worst meals I've had in Eugene in recent memory. Much work and attention to detail is needed here. read more

Always always delicious. It's a nice little place next to my house that I love to go to with my family, very family friendly by the way, with wonderful salsa. read more

What a treat...my boss asked me to get a fajita bar delivered to our office to celebrate an associates anniversary with our company. I called Gabbie and she worked her magic with quality service and food. Everything from the chips and salsa to the fresh meat, onions and peppers. All was enjoyed and delivered promptly and efficiently. We will definitely have Chapala's again. read more

Chapala's. What can you say? It's become a Eugene institution, big, clean, pleasant, a little boring. Good solid but unexciting American-Mexican food, big plates with too much food, lots of cheese, big menu with LOTS of choices. Everything's pretty good, nothing's very great. Kids like it. Granny likes it. Hell, I like it, for what it is. 3 1/2 stars for food maybe, a half star off for this location (go to the one in Oakway if you can, pleasant outside seating in the Oakway courtyard.) The kind of Mexican food MANY people like... read more

It's ok. Nothing special, but good. A bit on the spendy side for what you get. Also I asked for a side of sour cream. Usually this is free in most places but they charged me $2.50 for a teeny little bowl and didn't even mention that it cost extra. Not a big deal, just inconsiderate. read more

Seen this place a hundred times and finaly tried it. Id go into detail what was ate but it was all very bland. Prices were as expected, service was okay. Just so many options in this town for $12 plates of family mexican food to waste it here on such bland food. read more

This place is great for American Mexican. I really liked the queso. The fajitas were decent and so were the enchiladas. The chips and salsa never went dry. The service was good. It was not bad, but not great... But better than average. read more

I ate lunch at "Chapala Mexican Restaurant" on 8/15/2012. It was my first time there. My friend Fred and his wife Donna (who live in Eugene) took me there. The food was very good but what amazed me was the portions. The portions were huge especially for the price. read more

Great mole sauce, which is really how I judge a good Mexican restaurant. If they can do mole right, then they can do quite a bit else as well. I had the picadillo enchiladas with mole. Very nice. read more

The service was awful and the music was so loud I could hardly hear my family talking. The waiter wrote down my order wrong and when I told him that I got the wrong food he made me feel as if it was my fault. I felt bad for even mentioning it. We never got refills on our water or was checked on while the huge group behind us had all the water and service they could need. I think the waiter was just unhappy with us because I said something about my food. But despite all of that the food was good. I used to love this place but I will never be back again :( read more

Chapalas is a Eugene staple, and rightly so. Anyone who knows good Mexican food knows that you can find it at Chapalas. The salsa is out of this world, the service is fantastic, and you couldn't ask for better tortillas. My personal favorite dish is "Arroz con pollo." I have traveled to Mexico many times and still rank Chapalas' Arroz Con Pollo as my Number 1. The fun atmosphere is just another great reason to go there, and the fun family vibes make it perfect for a birthday party or dinner party type of thing....I had my birthday lunch there last week and they sang to me! Do yourself a favor and go to Chapalas, you won't regret it! read more

Wow, I'm amazed at the average reviews for Chapala! I guess people like different variations of Mexican food: authentic, Arizona, Tex Mex, Californian, etc. I'm a native Californian and consider myself a decent connoisseur of Mexican food (I worked at Azteca in Seattle for two college summers). That being said, Chapala's was very good Mexican food. Yes, it's Americanized (what Mexican food isn't except for a handful of taqueria dives?), but it's almost a drop-in replacement for Azteca throughout the PNW, Pedro's in the Bay Area, Anita's in Oceanside, CA, El Pinto in Albuquerque, etc, however those restaurants can be defined: super fresh and tasty chips, saucy (not chunky) salsa, creamy (and likely lardy) beans, well-flavored rice, tender carne asada, excellent sauces on their pollo, etc. Way better, for my tastes, than the favorably-reviewed Lonches To Go, and a definite step up in quality from Tio Pepe's, both out on River Road. read more

Hands down the worst Mexican food I've ever had. It is overpriced and beyond bad. I tried it years ago and recently thought I'd give it another chance. It was exactly the same, terrible. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. read more

I'm torn on Chapala. On the one hand, it's close, the margaritas are good and service has always been fantastic. On the other hand, I have yet to have a meal there I would consider to be 'good'. Not bad mind you, just that everything I've tried has been fairly bland. However, it doesn't offend and the kids love it, so I find myself going back on a fairly regular basis... read more

Not a bad meal, and the portion sizes were good. Clean place, good service and prices were reasonable. The only issue I had with it were the sopapillas I ordered. On the menu they were listed as fried tortillas with cinnamon, sugar and honey. They came out with only chocolate syrup and whipped cream. Had I known I wouldn't have ordered them. read more

I like Chapala, even though the food is pretty much just passably good. The service is generally fast and friendly. I especially like the shrimp fajita quesadilla and black bean soup. It's a step above Mexican fast food, a friendly neighborhood joint, and you can have a margarita with your dinner. read more

I had a couple chips and salsa while waiting for our take-out order. I walked home and got a violent stomach upset a few minutes later. I had not even touched the Chicken Tortilla soup I bought at this point. I'm not happy with whatever lack of hygiene that caused my illness. I rarely get sick read more

I've eaten at this Chapala location several times with my family and have never had a bad experience. If you require cheap or authentic, you should go elsewhere, but for what it is, the food is good and consistent and never too salty, a problem I encounter in many restaurants, Mexican and otherwise. The service is usually stellar, but most of the staff recognize my family and know us to be polite, reasonable people who tip well, so your mileage may vary. I have had mediocre service a couple of times in the afternoon when it's been slower. The complimentary (often fresh and warm) chips are unsalted, and the accompanying salsa is pretty good, if you like that mostly runny style of salsa with cilantro and a few onion & tomato chunks. The food usually comes fairly quickly for a sit-down joint, but if the place is busy, the wait staff will offer free refills on the chips and salsa while you wait. My glass is usually kept full of water that tastes good. If you order a soft drink, the staff often automatically bring you a refill when needed during your meal. While it's not the best value on their menu, I confess to being a sucker for the chicken fajita burrito. You get a giant burrito filled with grilled chicken, onions, green peppers, rice, and beans, topped with pico de gallo, guac, and sour cream. I usually manage to eat half of it and then take the rest home for late-night munchies. The combo plates are the best value. You can get two items for under $10 along with a side of beans and rice, some shredded lettuce, a tomato, and dollops of sour cream and guac. Half that plate usually comes home in a box. My daughter has long been a fan of the kid's taco - a crunchy corn shell with a choice of meat, topped with cheese, lettuce, and tomato. It comes with beans and rice on the side, all for five clams. Her appetite has grown this past year, so lately I've taken to ordering the Chicken en Mole plate and splitting it with her. We get a stack of warm corn tortillas to fill with chunks of chicken in mole (which is pretty good - rich but not too sweet) sauce, beans, rice, lettuce, and tomato. While we don't end up with leftovers, it's a bit cheaper and both of us go home feeling quite full. Helpful hint for saucy plates: use a chip to scoop up the extra sauce and put it in your tortilla; for some reason, there are no spoons provided with the silverware. read more

Haven't been here in years and forgot why until I started eating my dinner..... I tried something on a new menu called "Pollo Fundido". It sounded good on the description, but when it came to my table, I was very disappointed. They appeared to be square shaped semi crispy objects with sliced, processed american cheese on top. They might not have been that bad had they not put slices of processed cheese on top. Beans and rice were great, as always. But definately not a $14 meal. I also got a mixed drink that was all of 6 oz., the drink was $7, which I feel was over priced for what it was. Staff was very friendly and attentive, but I just wasn't too impressed with my food, my husbands dinner or the $45 bill! read more

The food is really great. And the service is exceptional. The special always seems to be a hit. Great location close to both u of o and downtown. I can't stop recommending this place to my friends read more

The food was good, service very quick and polite. My only complaint is price. Luckily for us, we had a Groupon coupon, so the price ended up being closer to what it should have been. I think we'll stick to El Kiosco for our regular Mexican dining. Nothing wrong with Chalapa that cutting the menu prices by 20% wouldn't cure. read more

Have been eating here for over 10 years. Great salsa, food has always been good. Sometimes hard to understand the waiters but always good service. read more

The quality of the food, the customer service, and the clean and comfortable atmosphere are only 3 of the reasons why I love Chapalas. My favorite dish, Arroz con Pollo, is my go-to for lunch, dinner, or even leftovers (since the portions are big!). The salsa is unbeatable, and the prices are great. read more

I've seen lots of mixed reviews for this place, but I went with three other people and we all really enjoyed our food. I got a burrito that had bacon in it (never would have thought of that) and it was freaking delicious! My boyfriend had the fajitas that come in the flaming skillet, and he loved them too. And everyone's a fan of their giant Cadillac margaritas. The waitstaff we had during our meal were all perfectly friendly, although the way they tried to work '"amigos" into every sentence (I assume for some kind of "authentic Mexican experience") started to remind me of the meow scene in Super Troopers. That certainly wasn't an issue, though. I didn't see much of the restaurant--we were in a booth tucked into a corner of it--but what I did see looked fine to me. I didn't notice any peeling paint like the previous review mentioned; I actually thought it looked like a semi-nice place. It isn't a super cheap restaurant--I think my big burrito was like $12-14--but I thought it was worth it. Next time I want to explore the bar! read more

Had the Fajita salad. Lots and lots of lettuce in a shell, one full slice of tomato, one steak slice of beef and 2 wedges of avocado. Nice outdoor patio. read more

Overpriced garbage. I order in from Hungry Ducks. I've tried Chapala three times now and tonight was my last. My spouse ordered two tamales with brown rice and black beans. She got one tamale with refried. I ordered the 1/2 chicken American style that said it came with a dinner salad (I can't eat spicy stuff). The 1/2 chicken was two very thin slices of breast meat - very thin - swimming in a red hot sauce. AH, what's American about that? I had to wash it under the faucet to eat it. The "dinner salad" consisted of what I'm used to as garnish, chopped lettuce with chopped tomatoes and a tiny bit of shredded cheddar cheese in one corner. It was also accompanied by limp french fries that I tossed out. And they think they are entitled to $16.25 for this slop and another $10.50 for a plate missing half the food? They don't understand American or Mexican food and seem to feel it's OK to charge whatever they need to pay the rent. Never again. At least the Hungry Ducks service was excellent. read more

For basic and creative Mexican food, this is a great choice. Personable service, clean, comfortable, and conveniently located in an area that serves local people rather than just the UOregon campus. read more

I would have to agree with many of the other reviewers on this one. The service was really great, our waiter was very friendly and helpful. I tried a sip of the strawberry margarita and it tasted good, nice ratio of tequila/fruit/ice/mix. Unfortunately the food was really sub-par. Noting wrong with it, just extremely bland and boring, from the meat to the cheese to the sauce. I didn't even bother taking my leftovers home with me. I will not be returning. read more

This place used to be really good with a service is really gone downhill. We ask for chips and salsa and they never came. Then we have to waitress for the chips and salsa again and she didn't even remember we after the first time. Its about 5 minutes later and we're still waiting for the chips and salsa. Also the deco is getting pretty ragged in here the seats are kind of falling apart. We'll see how the food goes. read more

Amazing drinks and great/friendly staff. Friendlier than most of the staff in Eugene, which is always refreshing, considering how a lot of the customer service is here. The food is mediocre, it isn't anything to write home about, but its not bad by any means. read more

Bland, boring, cheese smothered mexican food. The last time I ate here (granted, it was a while ago) one entree came still frozen and the other filled with rubbery, completely unflavored chicken meat. I haven't been back. read more

I've been eating at Chapala for years...ever since college. My dad is from (extremely) southern California, so I grew up eating Mexican food - it's my favorite and I have it at least once a week (usually homemade). While Chapala is not the best Mexican food I've had in Oregon, it's close to my house and reliable. I typically get a small order of the Nachos Chapala, eat 1/3 or so and then take the rest home for leftovers. The servers are always really friendly and the service is fast. This location used to be much busier before they added the Oakway location (which is not nearly as good, in my opinion - however, it is centrally located). The chips are delicious and plentiful, and come unsalted so you can salt to your taste. It's not fancy or gourmet, but I like it! read more

I had absolutely the worst chili relleno I've ever had. Absolutely disgusting. How they kept a straight face when they put it in front of me I'll never know. It was pretty much a small thin omelette with a dab of cheese and two small pieces of canned chile. It doesn't even really rate one star, but this app won't let me give it less. read more

Pretty bland the first time we went but I wanted to give another menu item a try. Even worse the second time. The shrimp on the dinner wasn't even chewable! Hard as rock! Will not go back. read more

Chips warm and salsa was tasty. Really good polla ala crema. Minimal attention from staff -1 star. Bathroom floor wet toilet leaks. However I would go back food was that good. read more

Honestly, I am rating our visit here as 3 stars for the great wait staff, and the delicious jalapeño queso dip. The rest was less than inspiring and gives us no reason to need to return. We were seated and given drinks, chips and salsa within a period of 5 minutes. We ordered queso dip for our chips, which was absolutely delicious. I ordered a mucho combo to include a chalupa, enchilada, and a chimichanga. My wife ordered the combo to include a Chile relleno, a tamale, and a chimichanga. What we received was my platter as ordered and the same platter was given to my wife. We pointed out the error and the waiter was willing to take it back, but we were very hungry and didn't wish to wait. The real disappointment occurred with the food. The items were very plain in flavor. I dumped the remaining salsa and queso on my plate just to give them some extra ummph. The chimichanga was built heavy with beans and again simply lacked flavor. The chalupa was the worst of the items. The shell tasted horrid as if it was fried in very dirty oil. I took one bite and immediately gave up on mine. My wife dug out the product but thought that it just wasn't worth eating after she was done. We left taking nothing home with us. Super friendly people, but food quality and taste really needs work. read more

I think this is the first one-star review I've written, and it pains me to do so. We really wanted to like this place. We were a large party of 11 who came here off of another family member's recommendation. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon, and they weren't too busy. Right from the start the host/our waiter seemed annoyed with our presence. We were seated, and he took a few of our drink orders. We weren't able to finish ordering as he simply walked away while we were talking to him. When my sister-in-law added her drink order when he was done taking her food order, he actually sighed loudly with annoyance. (We even volunteered to do one check to make things easier, plus I knew I was treating the group) Our food came, and it was mediocre at best. Very bland, no spice, no flavor. The only delicious things I ate was the salsa that accompanies the chips and the guacamole. We eat A LOT of Mexican food and this was by far the worst. The waiter couldn't have been more rude. In fact, he dropped the check on the table and that was the last we saw of him. Ugh. read more

While ordering we were informed they were out of carnitas, then our appetizer of poppers was delivered with no pepper jelly sauce. We were informed they were out with the excuse of having a busy mothers day. We did not get a discount or coupon, nothing for 1/2 out item missing. Between this and the heartburn from the greasy meat, I will not be back. read more

Living nearby for 20 years, Chapala on 29th has been my go-to Mexican restaurant for many years. However, after my recent experience I'm done. The service was absolutely terrible; there were few people in the restaurant so it wasn't that our waiter was too busy. Never came to check on us, was curt when taking the order and serving, plus I actually had to track him down in another part of the restaurant in order to get our bill after a lengthy wait post-meal. When I finally did approach him, he said, "what do you want?" instead of something a bit more polite. Because of this treatment after many years of patronage, I will not be back. read more