OK.....so always in search for a good mesican restaurante Being from San Antonio this fella is spoiled by good carne, freehole A's & salsa. This place is as good as it gets. The Amigo that cooked my food had no problem with my special order & that there muchacha workin that counter was as sweet as pig meat in the fire read more

The absolute best taqueria in the Willamette valley. Central american, not mexican. Amazing tamales, turkey soup everything is excellent. It's in a gas station and perhaps doesn't look like it would be all that great, but it is all great. read more

This hidden, unassuming restaurant has wonderful food, completely different cuisine than what you'll find at other mid-valley Mexican restaurants. They have a wonderful variety of offerings on their menu including cochinita pibil (think: Yucatecan mole), empanadas, menudo, pavo (turkey) in a couple of different preparations (including escabeche--pickled), whole fish, soups, etc. The owners are really nice folks too. I can't wait to go back. Note: they seem to close pretty early in the evenings, so don't plan on having a late dinner here. read more

A hidden treasure! Knock my socks off with the poc chuc citrus and the Cochinita pibil! Also, tacos were in handmade tortillas that had beans cooked into them...works of art. I make every effort to eat here when I'm anywhere nearby, the quality and presentation are far beyond what you'd expect from a gas station restaurant. The owners are super. Can't recommend highly enough. read more

Food was plentiful, tasty, and they were very accommodating. They happily gave us vegetarian options with no fuss. Way more than I anticipated for the local. read more

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Five star food! Just fresh clean homemade food like I got in Mexico when I lived down there. So excited they are so close to home. Had it last week and going back already. Couldn't stop thinking about those chicken empanadas. read more

El Cruzero - The huevos rancheros are the best I have had! Our family had those the breakfast burrito and empanadas. All great! - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

Good mexican, they don't speak much english here, a little surprising in this tiny town in Oregon. The food took a little while to be served. Also, my torta was smaller than I had expected, but still, really good quality, not too greasy. read more

BEST Mexican food in Corvallis and Philomath! My vegetarian sister awards El Crucero the prize for best Veggie Burrito in town. I had the asada burrito- which was marinated in a delightful spicy sauce. I can't wait to try sopes, tamales, tacos and the pumpkin mole. Flavors are spot-on and I'm addicted to the tart green salsa that comes on the side. They make the Tamarindo, Horchata and Jamaiaca from scratch - not mixes. This is home cooking! The location in a gas-station convenience store, is a little weird, but don't let it scare you off because the food is not to be missed. read more

You wouldn't think a random Mexican restaurant connected to a gas station would be this fantastic but IT IS! Very helpful staff that serve up probably the best tacos I've had. They specialize in food from the Yucatán and it is absolutely awesome. I had pollo and al pastor tacos and they both were delicious. Usually I find everything in Mexican restaurants is seasoned similarly but not here. The chef really knows what he's doing and seasons everything perfectly. I will definitely be back. read more

Delicious!!!! Unexpected location for amazing Yucatán style food found inside a gas station. We stop here every time on our way home from the beach!! The tacos are out of this world, and the hot sauce is so super spicy!! Stop here.... you will not be disappointed read more

Best Yucatán style food in the valley. Seriously, their dinner plates look and taste better than $25 plates at high end restaurant. Friendly and great service. Best horchata also!! LOVE this place read more

Authentic! Wonderful! Delicious! Do yourself a favor and EAT HERE!! Fast, friendly service, very clean!

My friends had been singing the praise of El Cruzero (according to their sign, but c and z are effectively the same letter to Mexicans before i or e) for quite some time, so we decided to try it out. Here's the thing: it's very short on ambience, being attached to a convenience store. And it's also easy to miss even though it's located on a busy corner. But the food (for the time being) is a cut above. I did the chicken fajitas and my companion just did a little taco, which she reported as excellent. They didn't plate my food like in the pictures of the other reviews nor did I get salad or lime, but I gotta say the fajitas were very good on two levels--going down, and in the afterlife. Mexican food sometimes produces ghosts which haunt you. My fajitas did not come back on me, not at all. I've never seen such finely shredded strips of chicken, but don't worry, there was plenty of it, and less cheap filler such as rice/beans. I had both the red and green salsa and they were both tasty. The place should be packed but it wasn't for us, and according to my friends it hasn't been for them either. They need better signage and curb appeal. I just don't think people know about it, or spot it when they get the hungries in Philomath. It is on the SW corner of the big intersection of Main with 19th in the same building as the gas station/convenience store. Give it a try next time you are in Philomath, and toss these fine hardworking folks some business! read more

Great food at a good price. Best breakfast burritos we have ever had. Stop by and give them a try.

Despite the high ratings that I've read in the Yelp reviews, the food at this small restaurant is so-so. It's a step above fast food, but only a small one. read more

Based on positive Yelp reviews, decided to give this place a try. Yelp showed the restaurant would open at 3:30pm on a Sunday so we drove over from Corvallis. First off...the sign over the door was El Cruzero....with a "Z" not a "C." It was definitely not open and even stranger -- the restaurant was the back portion of a gas station mini mart. I was looking for a nice place to dine at for my birthday. This was definitely not it. read more

The chorizo breakfast burrito was both excellent and enormous. I'll definitely be going back for another!

Great food from the Yucatan. Fresh, flavorful, and cooked with skill. My wife and I have eaten here several times and every dish has been very, very good. Irwin, the chef, does magical things with Turkey, and the pork and chicken dishes we've had have been equally delicious. Good food, good service, and a casual atmosphere make for a wonderful meal. We highly recommend El Crucero. read more

Excellent, authentic, reasonably-priced Mexican food. A real find! A little tough to locate, as it is housed within the mini-mart of a gas station. Definitely worth finding. Food was freshly prepared and the service was friendly. The al-pastor burrito was tasty and was a large portion for the price. The verde hot sauce actually made the meal. Don't miss this place!! read more

Great, authentic Yucatán Mexican fare adjoined to the Mobil station. Best 'gas station food' I've ever had.

What a wonderful find! I had the veggie burrito- it was filled with unusual veggies for a burrito including cauliflower and carrots. It was spiced differently than other veggie burritos I've had. And it was absolutely delicious. The salsa was a-mazing. I live in Eugene, but I will go out of my way to return to this restaurant because I was so impressed! read more

The first time I walked in was over 2 years ago. All the menu choices with names I knew nothing about caused a little confusion at first. Now I have learned that Irvin is an absolute magician in the kitchen. You can get nachos and tacos and burritos at a lot of places. Trust me when I say that the further you steer out of your comfort zone, the more you will appreciate his culinary genius. read more

This is a newer restaurant in Philomath that took over the spot the where the Blimpie used to be near the Shell gas station. This really is a fantastic hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Do not let the location or decor dissuade you from trying it. I often feel that Oregon, or at least the Willamette Valley, is seriously lacking in authentic Mexican food. This restaurant is not only authentic (from the Yucatan area of Mexico), but DELICIOUS. The owner/chef is a well-established chef having worked at several distinguished restaurants in the local area and it definitely shows in the food. I tried the tacos the last time I was in and they were so yummy! Loaded with shredded chicken, lettuce, avocado, and cucumber on top of a homemade tortilla (that was cooked at the time I ordered it). The meal also came with chicken soup made in a homemade broth and freshly made tortilla strips that you throw into the soup. It was warm and incredibly satisfying on a cold, windy day. The prices are extremely reasonable, especially for the quality of the food. My fiance and I got the same thing as well as two guava Jarritos and altogether is was under $18. If you love authentic, Mexican comfort food, you should definitely check out this place! read more

El Cruzero - Mexican Near Me - Philomath, Oregon

Set in the Shell gas station, this is definitely the best Mexican food in the Philomath/Corvallis area. Wonderful service and real authentic dishes. read more

Delicious and truly authentic Mexican food. The owners are sweet and often have fresh flowers on the table. You get ice water in a real glass! read more

Fantastic, authentic, and inexpensive. Who could ask for more? I've been trying to find a good Mexican restaurant in the Corvallis area for many years now, and this is the first one to which I'd gladly give five stars! Can't wait to go back. read more

Wow. Everything we get here is DELICIOUS. I've had several different burritos and tacos. I've heard the tamales are great but haven't tried them yet. So far the chicken chile verde burrito has been the best. Food is always fresh and tasty. Prices are really great. Burritos are one of my fave foods. Have tried them all over town. This new gem beats them all. The burritos aren't grotesquely huge and greasy. They're sized just right and full of quality ingredients. Everything tastes fresh and home-cooked. They blow the nearby La Rockita in Philomath away. As an extra bonus, it seems like they are always open, they have long hours (La Rockita closes pretty early). YUM. So glad to have an extremely tasty, very reasonably priced restaurant in Philomath. Get it to go or eat in one of their booths. It's probably 2-3 minutes from the Safeway on 53rd in SW Corvallis, so it's close if you live pretty much anywhere in Corvallis or Philomath! read more

El Crucero's food is wonderful, and features flavors from the Yucatan. Tonight we shared a plate of chicken empanadas, a chile relleno plate, and carnitas. All were prepared with obvious great skill and understated flair. Our food came with delicious fresh salads, black beans, and rice. After thoroughly enjoying our meal, I asked the chef how they made the empanada crust so flaky and light. He said that his wife specializes in making the dough (also for sopes and tortillas). The empanadas (dumplings) are so perfectly made: hot, crisp, flavorful, filled with exciting flavors, with a special salsa and sour cream on the side-- another thing I need to order again soon. Everything we have had at El Crucero has been great. I have eaten here many times since we discovered this little jewel a few weeks ago . We're kicking ourselves for not going sooner. Don't let it's modest looking exterior fool you: the food here is extraordinary, especially for how good it is. El Crucero is attached to the Mobil station at Main St. and Reservoir Road in Philomath, a 10 minute drive from downtown Corvallis. Best Mexican food in the area, I swear. read more