I work around the corner and have been coming here for the burrito bowl for a bit now. Every time it checks out 100%. The pickled onions are so great. And his sauces are on point as well. Definitely recommend the bowl, lunch burritos OR Chili Colorado. Excellent service my friends! And a great location. read more

Mr. Picky & I needed a quick snack. Nothing heavy while on the road driving so stopped and ordered a burrito for him an a street taco for me. They made them custom which I appreciate. The horchata was The Best I have ever had. Definitely will stop in again. (They are connected via the gas station convenience store that is attached to them is very ... no prices on 80% of the store and a small bag of snacks was $7. No Thank you!) read more

I was disappointed but probably could've ordered better and gotten a better result. I ordered a breakfast burrito, which turned out to be mostly rice, a small amount of beans and an even smaller amount of chorizo scrambled with eggs. I'm not saying don't go here. But I am saying if you go here, maybe skip the breakfast burrito. read more

I like tacos. That's an understatement. I have a few favorite spots, but El Cruzero wasn't even on my radar. A few days ago, or last week - I don't remember, a friend told me I should check it out. I was going through Philomath today to hike Marys Peak, so I planned to grab a taco on the way up. Sadly, they don't open until 11:00, so I was out of luck. I went across the street to La Rockita which was good as usual, although they didn't have carnitas yet so I got al pastor. I digress. This is not a review for La Rockita. Normally I'd take a different route home to skip the afternoon traffic east of Philomath, but I decided it was worth it to try El Cruzero. I am so glad I did. Oh yum. I ordered one carnitas and one Cochinita Pibil taco. I sat down to wait for my food, but took it outside to eat as the a/c was a little too cool for me inside. I had some of the green and some of the red salsa. Both were really good. The tacos? Well, let's just say I'm a new fan. It's just too bad I have to go all the way to Philomath to get one. I can see some bike rides in my future. It's in a gas station. So what? Some of the best taco shops I've been to in California were in gas stations. I'm looking forward to trying more of their menu because the tacos were really good. REALLY good. The tortillas were nothing to write home about, but the tacos were just plain delish. read more

El Cruzero - Cochinita pibil and Carnitas tacos. Mmmmmmm - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

I have been coming to El Cruzero for years. Their food is very authentic and good. I usually take it home, but the ambience is not bad for a restaurant in a gas station. It is very clean. I enjoy the family that runs it. Thanks for the good food! read more

Amazing food and excellent service. This is a very family friendly atmosphere. I loved it.

The panuchos with roasted Turkey were the best I've had outside of southern Mexico. Gracias!

I love El Cruzero! The owners are very kind and they have delicious, refreshing, reinvigorating food. Their green sauce is so amazing. I never have a bad experience here. Everything on the menu is good! I introduced their food to my partner today and he said the carnitas burrito he had was magnificent and fulfilling and 100% worth the price. I got the panuchos combo, one of my favorites! You should definitely support this sweet family business. Their food is so good, I eat here quite often. read more

El Cruzero - Panuchos combo - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

This is the best most legit Mexican food I've had here so far. Everything had great flavor and the tacos felt fresh. The asada, fish and carnitas tacos were delish and the green sauce chicken burrito was very good. This is definitely my go to when I want Mexican. All the regular Mexican restaurants I've been to are overpriced for mediocre food. This is so much better with reasonable prices. It's a no brainer. read more

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We stumbled into this little gem while stopping for gas and have eaten here every day that we've stayed in town. Absolutely authentic, clean food and delicious. Great prices, delicious varieties and satisfying portions. read more

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What a hidden gem! The Street tacos were amazing and the food prep areas are spotless. The ladies here run a great business! read more

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Top-notch hole in the wall Mexican joint. Easily top 3 in its category in the Corvallis area.

The best and most authentic Mexican food in the area. The owners are very nice and take pride in what they produce.

Not recommended. The food was poorly made. Although the owners of the restaurant acknowledged that tons of people had been bringing in coupons they refused them anyhow. Owners had been rude and this experience was very LOW class. The ambience is gas station fast food sleazy. Food was like something you could make quickly and cheaply at home. read more

Really delicious! Authentic folks and amazing food :) It's a little hole in the wall type spot-- will be back!

Hands down the best Mexican cuisine I've had on either coast or anywhere in between. The owners do real, flavorful, delicious cooking. No skimping on ingredients. No cheap garnishes. Poc Chuc and the fish tacos are my favorites so far. If I could give ten stars I would. read more

Best Mexican food in town, the guacamole and quesadillas are a definite favorite 10/10

Incredible food in an unassuming location. Absolutely worth a visit. My favorite is the pumpkin seed mole!

Finally! A Mexican restaurant that DOES NOT SERVE GRINGO FOOD! Don't let the outside fool you, the food is to die for. I had the green chicken enchilada with the tastiest rice and black beans (which don't normal appeal to me) I've ever had in a restaurant. We live some 30 miles from El Cruzero, but we will willingly drive there for the food. Over and over and over again.... read more

We had been meaning to come here for quite a while, I'd heard from friends how good it is. But it was only last month that we finally made it, and, now, we've been back about 5 times. Everything we've had here has been excellent, and we've been trying different dishes on every visit. First of all, don't let the ambience fool you. Yes, it is attached to a gas station mini-mart, and, yes, it still looks pretty much like the Subway it once was. But this tiny kitchen kicks out some of the best Mexican food I've had in Oregon! The chef is from Yucatan, so the cuisine is somewhat different from the usual for this area. Also, I think he's just a fantastic cook, you can tell he makes an effort, his plates always look as attractive as they taste. Cochinita Pibil is one of their specialty dishes, it's pork simmered in achiote and citrus, and you can have it in tacos, sopes, burritos, or just on a plate with rice, beans and tortillas. However you get it, it's fantastic! Tonight, I had his Carnitas plate. I've eaten a lot of Carnitas over the years, and I swear this is among the best I've had, tender, and tasty from the slow-cooking, then made crispy by frying it just before serving. We also had Empanadas, and they were great, spicy chicken filling in a crisp and flaky crust. Even the rice and beans have a depth of flavor that you wouldn't expect for such basic dishes. A couple other standout dishes are the Green Chile Enchiladas, and the Chicken Burrito with Pumpkin Seed Sauce. The green chile sauce has a bit of a citrus flavor, and is unlike any Chile Verde I've had previously. The pumpkin seed sauce is golden-colored, and so good, it has a wonderfully complex flavor. Another thing is that the dishes are not overly spicy. If you need more heat, a few drops of the fiery red sauce that accompanies every plate will definitely do it! On one of our visits, they had a special of Chirmole, a black bean soup with turkey and slices of a meat loaf with hard-boiled eggs in the center. It was amazing, and, again, unlike anything I've had elsewhere in the area. Their prices are very reasonable, tacos are $2-$3, Sopes $3.25 (and highly recommended, their home-made masa base is perfect), and most dinner plates are $8-$12. Portions are very generous. I could go on, but I think you get the point. This place makes some really terrific food, and I can't wait to go back! read more

El Cruzero - Cochinita Pibil taco, a Sope, and Chicken Burrito with Pumpkin Seed Sauce. - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

Amazing Mexican/Yucatán food in Philomath, say whaaaat? To good to be true? Oh dear friend, no! It's for real! Ok. So the set up is a little weird. It's attached to a gas station and the menus are a little hard to follow, but I PROMISE it's worth it. Everyone I've ordered with have been friendly and patient with my wildly vacillating decision making process. I'm (mostly) vegetarian and my favorite meal is the grilled veggie burrito. Keep a healthy respect for the hot sauce until you know what you're doing. I love me some spicy food but the friendly looking orange sauce just about killed me because I underestimated it. Who knew that the mango looking salsa was actually napalm cut with bear spray? But it was tasty and totally worth it. I haven't had a bad meal yet from here, so order it all, you'll thank me later. read more

Delicious REAL Mexican food. Tacos were on point! Good value, friendly staff, clean, menu option includes tortas, tacos, burritos, etc. give it a try! read more

The food was just OK. Expensive for what it is. Probably would not return and that's too bad because we've been desperately searching for good Mexican food in the area and this still isn't it. read more

Good little spot! Customer service is top notch and my lost favorite part of the visit. The food was reasonable and delicious. I had the fried burrito with red sauce. The sauce given was on the side and was the perfect amount. I chose the shredded beef inside. It was seasoned well and tasted great. I asked for a side of beans and rice and the rice was good and traditional but the beans seemed a little tasteless. I loved the burrito so much that I ate it all. After a long day of hiking, it truly hit the spot. I would come again as the service was so good and the food fairly tasty. read more

El Cruzero - Fried burrito with red sauce - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

Yes! Real, real real Mexican food. Amazing. Wonderful. Can I use more adjectives?? I haven't had food this good since I travelled the Yucatan and southern Mexican states years ago. Don't be fooled by the humble location inside a gas station... This place is top notch. Undoubtedly the best Mexican food in Corvallis/Philomath... And I would venture to say that I haven't had Mexican food tjis good anywhere in Oregon. Go. Eat. Be happy you found this place and that these lovely people exist. read more

El Cruzero - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

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Easy to miss. Around the corner at a gas station/convenience store. They offer drive thru service as well. We ordered some traditional Mexican food, the carnitas burrito, al pastor taco and cheese quesadilla. The prices were reasonable. Two sauces, one red sauce that had a nice kick and one green sauce, very mild. The taco was of street taco size, a couple bites. It was fine, but wouldn't order again. The carnitas burrito was great, chalk full of pork, rice, beans, cheese, cabbage, onions and a good size tortilla to hold it all together. The cheese quesadilla was perfectly grilled and loaded with cheese. Next time we'll venture into the Yucatán portion of the menu. read more

Best Mexican food in the valley. We eat here at least once a week. The street tacos are to die for. We get the asada and the cochinita.

After an 11 hour day, I don't like messing around with my food options but after being recommended by a UPS driver couple weeks ago to stop here, I finally caved in. Ordered the Burrito with Asada, side guacamole and sour cream, with spicy verde. Also ordered two chicken tacos. I now highly recommend this gem of a spot! read more

One might scoff at a resteraunt connected to a gas station. That is perfect because that means there will be more excellent food for me! The items are unique and regional. varying from wet burritos covered in pumpkin seed sauce, turkey soup and panucho tacos. The business is family ran and very nice. The prices are truly modest and more than reasonable. This spot is worth the drive. Give it a shot and enjoy! read more

El Cruzero - Turkey panuchos with Turkey broth. - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

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High quality ingredients, family business, cute atmosphere. We love the shrimp Diablo and the cochino pilbil highly recommend.

Wow what a welcome discovery! Unique Yucatan cuisine. Attached to the Shell gas station, so the ambiance is about a 2 out of 10, but several clean booths, fine for a casual lunch or take out. This is not typical Mexican food as such, no overload of beans and rice smothered in molten cheese. The chicken burrito in pumpkin seed sauce was interesting, presentation was pretty and it was mildly seasoned. Accompanied with a fresh cole slaw like cabbage salad, a small portion of black beans and rice, for $6.99. Photos of other entrees looked equally interesting. I will be returning! I've been back since my first review. Again i am blown away by this little gem. Posting more photos of our meals. read more

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El Cruzero is a fabulous Mexican cafe, specializing in Yucatán cuisine. We're very fortunate to live in Philomath as it's only a five minute drive from home, but I would drive from much further to eat here. I've tried several items on the menu and have never been disappointed. The food truly is fabulous and very authentic. I like spicy food, so I add the red sauce to mine, in moderation. If you're not used to spicy, that's fine too. Use the green sauce or eat as is. Enjoy! read more

What a hidden gem of a place! Lived in Philomath for 2 years and finally found our way in. Tried the cochinita pibil - outstanding. I don't know much about Yucatán cuisine, but if it's all like this, I'm here for it. Everything from the meat to the garnishes and salsas tasted fresh and homemade. Great service too. 5 stars for sure, I'll be back soon. read more

Super good deal for some amazing and authentic food! The staff is very friendly, we love stopping here!

Great little place with excellent Fish Tacos and other Yucatán style food items. Located at a gas station, which has been updated and is very clean. Great service, and cost is appropriately priced! read more

Amazing, flavorful food! This is definitely a hidden gem, don't let the fact it's in a gas station fool you. This is homemade, authentic, delicious food. My only suggestion would be to have high chairs for little kids. read more

This place has inspired me to come out of Yelp hibernation. We have a ton of local Mexican food options but this place has some unique items on the menu for adventurous eaters. I had the buche tacos (pork stomach). First time and I loved them. The food is Yucatán style and you can smell and taste the different marinade and spice. Tips: I'm pretty sure the man and woman staffing the place are the owners. The man was happy to chat with us and tell us about the menu items we didn't know about. I liked him. Go ahead and ask. Open the metal container to the left of the counter and check it out. That is were the salsas and extra fixings are. I helped myself. There is a habanero sauce that was good and had some heat. There is seating. It ain't fancy but you can seat the family in a very casual setting. You can ask for take out too if you prefer. They have a breakfast menu! read more

We stop here on our way to Newport quite often! All the menu items we have tried have been delicious.

If you're wondering if you should give this place a try, please do! I was so pleasantly surprised by this gem in a wall. Usually restaurants in gas stations can be hit or miss but omg. This was so good! Friendly service and amazing food! I wish I was local so I could come eat here more often. Thank you for the amazing meal and service! read more

This is by far the best and most authentic Mexican food in Corvallis. Beyond that, it's just damn good, and I'm a Californian, aka Mexican food snob Everything I have had there- al pastor, carnitas, fish tacos, cochinita pork, poc chuc (Yucatan style pork steak) has been delicious, flavorful, and authentic. read more

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