I had a really disturbing experience at this restaurant. While eating my meal, I unfortunately found roaches in my food. It was absolutely disgusting and completely ruined my appetite. No customer should ever have to deal with something like that. I immediately brought it to the staff's attention, and the response didn't make the situation any better. There didn't seem to be much concern about the seriousness of the issue, which was very disappointing. Cleanliness and food safety should be the most basic standards for any restaurant. Because of this experience, I definitely won't be coming back. I hope the management takes this seriously and addresses their sanitation problems so no one else has to go through what I did. read more

Everything is always very good t h e service is w wonderful I beem.comming here over 20 years

I give them a 5 just for their menudo. It is rich, hearty and loaded with high-grade tripas. Sat6urday and Sunday only, until it is gone. I got some today a little after 3 PM. They must make a lot of it. The other menu items are good too. Mas autentico! It is heavily weighted to a Latino/a clientele, but staff also understand and speak English, and are cool with Anglos who can act respectable. This is not fast food, so give yourself plenty of time. I eat there when I am in Salem - my band plays the State Fair every year and Grullense is real close/easy bicycle ride from the fairgrounds. read more

We've been going here for many years and it's always been great but the last two times we got our food to go and were very disappointed both times. I ordered 6 tacos and one chile relleno to go so I would have 2 tacos, rice and beans and a chile relleno for dinner and the other four for the following two nights, something I regularly do. They were out of the chile rellenos so I ordered a Ceviche instead which turned out to be the best part of the meal and the rice and beans were great as usual. Unfortunately, this time and last time the meat was very dried out and even adding extra tomatillo sauce didn't help. There were three of us and the other two had ordered then street tacos but I don't remember what else they ordered nutbthe order was $60.00 including a generous tip. I've been coming here for around 25 years and the only complaints I've ever had were the last two times and both times it was the same thing, the carnitas street tacos were very dry. Everyone's beans and rice were great as well as my ceviche. It was just the carnitas tacos that were not good. m. Thank you, Suzanne Castillo Devlin read more

Came here to eat a pollo asado with papas! 10/10 Service was a 8/10 porque la señora andava de malas pienso. read more

This place used to be the shit back when I was a kid, then they sold and it's been bad ever since. They used make these quesadillas that were so good, they were big too, you'd eat half and take the rest home. All you locals that remember it, know the line was long AF. I don't recommend this place anymore. read more

I ordered the birria tacos and they gave me something completely different (cow cheeks meat with bone and extra fat in it) thinking I wouldn't notice and it was inedible. The carne asada was good, beans and rice were decent, the tortillas and salsa were the highlight of my meal. I would only go back to this place if their service was better. The ladies working ignored me for 20 minutes after then had me come inside because they couldn't hear me in the drive thru. read more

I have definitely seen improvement in the quality of food and customer service. Their outside board looks nice and updated and the woman at the window seemed smug but easily made to smile after a couple minutes of me being kind. I appreciated her confirming my order with me before I paid and throwing in some extra beans. Was very sweet. Food was not dry this time and veggies seemed fresh. Beans were excellent. Price is still a bit much I paid 42 dollars for 15 tacos and a side of beans. Overall I would say this resteraunt is making efforts to improve and that's refreshing . read more

I used to go here when I lived in Salem and even back then, the quality wasn't the best, but it was cheap. Things haven't changed, although the inside has been remodeled, but seems like they have the same old benches. The service seems to have declined as well. Not sure if it's normal to only have one person cooking (there was 1 person making tortillas) but the cook was making orders for the drive thru and for the dine-in customers. The two ladies behind the counter were hyper focused on the drive thru so I stood there for several minutes before anyone even acknowledged my presence. One lady started taking my order, but then halfway through, someone else took over and I had to repeat myself. They really seem disorganized and the staff were very frazzled because they were trying to juggle the drive thru and dine-in. The floors were VERY slippery. Not sure what they cleaned the floor with, but it felt like there was some sort of oil or grease all over the floor. My 88yo dad almost fell because it was hard for him to get up from the table. About 20 mins went by and we heard them calling numbers that were higher than ours, so it sounded like the people who ordered after us had gotten their food already. After standing by the window to see if they had called our number, and maybe we just missed it, but I heard the woman tell the cook that the big order was waiting. It was 3 items and 2 orders of tortillas, so not really a "big order". The cook had not even started on our order yet until after I came up to check on the order. The food that was delivered was too salty for my dad to eat, the quesabirria didn't come with consomé (which it traditionally does at other places), and the cheese in my daughter's burrito wasn't even melted. The "carne asada" was a very low quality cut of meat that was just chopped up and cooked to a crispy. No minced onions, cilantro, or lime were available to accompany my order. The food was overpriced for what we got and the service was definitely lacking. Definitely not the best fast food Mexican restaurant in Salem. The only reason I gave one star was because of the fact that their tortillas are made to order. read more

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was extremely rude. Got my order wrong did not want me to eat in. I had to go back to the front and tell them what I wanted again it took over an hour for me to get my food. I would highly not recommend ruined my night. read more

I love this place and have brought many friends and family here and they've all left with good experiences. I've been attended by two different women who have been so kind and helpful along with patient. I would recommend their tacos and their asada burrito along with their jamiaca. I can't speak for any of these other reviews but I love this place. Thank you for the wonderful food and service. read more

Really rude service and you can't even hear what they say when you order! They need to fix their drive through as well as they customer service, they're really rude as so stingy with their sauce!!! Food is hardly ever fresh and gotta wait so long. read more

I was dying of hunger when I found this place. They took my order and gave me my food pretty fast. However, my tacos where dripping. It was some time of oil or lard. Their horchata water was super sweet and the bathroom was not clean :/ read more

Si pudiera dar 0 estrellas lo isiera antes me gustaba mucho este lugar pero una ves que fui al drive thru la señora que me ayudo mo me escucho que le dije que queria mi comida plain y me la iso con todo y se molesto mucho y me contesto muy grocera cuando le dije que era plain y me quiso cobrar dos veses diciendome que era mi culpa y cuando le dije que no me cierra la ventana fuerte sin mi comida. Muy mal servicio al cliente nunca regrese despues de este incidente. read more

Bruhhhh what's better than a breakfast burrito's grease glistening in the morning's light and blessings!!!??? Don't with me! This spot is truly hidden in plain sight on this Portland Rd. deceiving me all this time! Freaking delicious! Definitely have to come back to try something else! read more

El Grullense - Breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Salem, Oregon

Son bien Malas. The girl workers get mad at every shit you ask they for ice they get pissed and they take so fucking long when u order and they think they are the shit and I believe the workers Are dumb asf and also the there is a lot of tweakers read more

Awesome restaurant! This place has been a staple for me for the last 15 years! Always consistent. Hard to beat the staff and the food! El Grullense for life! read more

They have really yummy food! Love the nachos!

Best taco place! HANDS DOWN! I have not been able in the whole 24 years of my existence able to find a good taco place like this!!! Omg the meat has perfect flavor!!! And everything just goes together so nicely! And the tortilla is MOIST, yes I said it So perfect. The people are nice and cute, the place is always clean. I love that out of all the years I came here and I mean YEARS they are the same!!!! The sauce is JESUS!!! Cept it's a little spicier now hehe but hay I can dig it. I really could go on all day about this wonderful place but y'all gotta see for yourself! I could literally eat ten of these tacos and I do LOL OOPS. At one point I think they remembered me and my friend and our orders The magic is in the tortilla!!! read more

The only place we could find in Salem that was -ACTUALLY- open at 6am on a Sunday. Two sausage breakfast burritos not only satisfied our morning cravings, but were also incredibly delicious and enormous. When the next breakfast burrito craving hits - we know where we're going from now on! read more

Really good and authentic Mexican. Amazing cabeza, chicken, and birria tacos. Cheese enchilada was some of the best I've had despite it not being hot. I'm a fan of street tacos in Mexico and might find myself driving down here from Pdx for a fix. Come prepared to use your Spanish language skills! read more

Horrible we ordered two burritos and four tacos well the meat they gave us in our food smelled really bad and tasted bad! We believe they have us old asada meat we called and told them we will never eat there again read more

I ordered four tacos (two chicken and two carnitas), a side of chips, and an horchata. The fact that the person at the counter spoke no English and had trouble taking my order only added to the charm. (They figured it out, so no worries.) Everything was tasty and quite authentic, and I left stuffed and quite happy. I'll definitely hit this joint again! read more

You have to be kidding me.. this place opens at 6 am and serves breakfast. But they don't have chorizo?!? WTF

This place is getting worst and worst every time, they used to give radishes, and now they only give carrots the tacos are really expensive, $3 dollar a taco and the salsa is the worst in town, to be worst the lady who gets the orders are so bad mouth, and in a bad mood, we ask for containers to go and she said that they ware not free, my husband was about to pay for them and than she said she was joking. That makes my husband feel really uncomfortable. I don't think We are coming back to this place. read more

Did the quick drive through - so am giving five stars based on the food alone. Got two al pastor tacos - and they were far and above any I have had anywhere in the pacific NW. Superb handmade tortillas with a perfect blend of meat, onions and cilantro. The place was PACKED at 11am on a Saturday morning - so you know the locals have this one pegged as a real "find!!" read more

Excellent al pastor, OK asada, and boring quesadilla. The salsa is delicious, though, as well as the beans. The menu is short, but that's OK. My only complaint is that its difficult to read as it's up high and the pictures and descriptions are faded and askew. The tacos are well priced but the quesadilla was a bit much at $5.99 (served plain). I would come again just for the pastor. read more

Haven't been here in at least 6-8 months. Stopped going because the food felt like it was slowly going downhill, to the point were my nachos tasted microwaved and stale. Came back today for a late night craving to see how it was, this place brought so many memories and the food tasted perfect! If not better, I am so glad to be back. I believe the cook was either a son of the owner or just someone really experienced. Come check it out guys! Eating nachos right now. read more

El Grullense - Nachos and torta (Asada) - Mexican Near Me - Salem, Oregon

I've been eating here for almost 2 decades and it and Salvador's Bakery on Silverton Rd. off of Lancaster next to the barber shop are my two favorite places for authentic Mexican food in Salem. The thing I love about Salvador's is that they have a salsa cart with about 10 different salsas, shredded cabbage, cilantro, etc. etc. and...drum roll.....guacamole. One is served the tacos on fresh corn tortillas made in house with just the meat then you go to the salsa cart. You start off with a generous amount of meat but by the time you get done, your tacos are piled high and are absolutely delicious. El Grullense's tacos are delicious too but of course, more plain. And that's okay. They are that good then even if you don't pile on "stuff", they make me drool. Yup, they're that good. I think they are around $1.50 each. Both places have pork, chicken and beef tacos. I lean toward pork (carnitas) but everything is delicious that I've had at both places though I tend to stick to tacos. Tortas at El Grullenese are also delicious as is the pollo (chicken) dinner. Salem has a tons of outstanding authentic Mexican restaurants but I tend to stay away from the bigger ones. And if I don't see Mexicans eating there, I steer clear because who knows authentic Mexican food better then Latinos? El Grullense also has excellent ceviche. It's so good that I've bought it to serve at casual dinners or grill outs and parties with Juanita's chips before dinner. I put a tablespoon of cerviche on each chip as serve on a tray as hors d'oeuvres . Don't want any fool double dipping, after all! Both have really good frijoles. Salavador's sells their freshly made tortillas to go. They charge per tortilla. They are reasonably priced but I don't remember the exact price. Salud! read more

I''ve been going to this place for years. In a town full of sub par flavorless Mexican food, these guys really stand out. Staff are always friendly, and the quality is amazing. Viva El Grullense! read more

Greasy, nasty food. Dirty tables and floor. There are plenty of clean Mexican restaurants with food that tastes good within 1 mile of this place. There is NO reason to go back. read more

I sat in the drive thru for 20 minutes ,pulled up to the window and they didn't even start my order. They were surprised why I was irritated. read more

Customer beware. The owner provides poor training for his employees. The girl who took our order charged me twice the amount for a handmade quesilla and took it personal when addressed about the discrepancy. Her demeanor was not the best so it went from bad to worst. Keep in mind that the same quesdilla will be charged anywhere from $3 to $4. You read that correctly. Prices vary according dysfunction. The people who work here for the most part are very kind, but there are exceptions. read more

Food was good. Order was given to a Hispanic family ahead of us, no surprise. Not surprised to read reviews about employees being rude, felt unwanted and service was plain terrible. Don't recommend going unless you mind being treated like shit. Skip this on cinco de meyo and try literally ANYWHERE ELSE IN SALEM! read more

Today after ordering $50 of food There was a dead fly inside our to go bag with our food still inside Gross!! I was soo disgusted I wont be going here anymore even though it used to be one of our favorite food places but not anymore after this. read more

After visiting this restaurant twice last week, I actually understand why some give it 5 stars and others only 1. It was truly a mixed bag experience for me. Since this was the only lunch place within walking distance of where I was working, I ate their two days in a row. The food was actually very good, though the Taco Plate totally beat the Taco Salad by a mile. In particular, the rice and beans were as good as the best I've ever had. Very much comfort food. Tacos were also delicious. However, the atmosphere is only tolerable. It is not very temperature controlled. We've had some cold weather and I was pretty chilly sitting near the door on my first visit. The second day I sat closer to the middle and it was much better. It also doesn't feel the cleanest, but I did manage to find a clean table and they do have some pretty good old 80's arcade games. One of the employees (a young lady) was friendly and eventually helped me figure things out, but the other employees were mostly difficult to interact with. I don't speak Spanish and didn't know what I wanted at first which put me at a severe disadvantage. I felt like they could barely understand me and they started helping others when I didn't respond quickly. There was a lot of yelling between employees and very little in the way of customer service. The order takers attention was very distracted and they seemed way too busy for how many people were there. When I finally figured out what I wanted, they tried to charge me more than the price on the menu. Fortunately, the younger lady (Manager ?) came by and fixed things for me, so I was glad for that. In conclusion, this place needs alot of work to be really good for the average person. It is definitely not a destination restaurant unless you don't mind putting up with these negatives for some pretty decent Mexican food. read more

Great place to grab authentic Mexican fare. If your looking for more americanized Mexican foods like muchas or taco bell, try elsewhere. Many of the items are great and service is quick. If your looking to try what true Mexican cuisine is, El grullense is a great introduction. read more

Eh, not so impressed Laney. Muchas Gracias easily outshines this place. For your own piece of mind stick with the drive through.

OMG!! Their Carne Esada Burrito is orgasmic!!! Then we had little tacos for like $1.50...they were also delicious. I ordered a Chicken Fajita and compared to what I normally have this stuff was on FIRE!!!! My husband enjoyed it though...I can't handle the heat...lol We will definitely be going back!! read more

The food was good but the service was less than stellar. Their card machine wasn't working and I felt like they thought I was a liar but the next customer couldn't use it either. It was probably a communication issue. But on top of all that, I ordered sausage breakfast burritos and we got bacon. But I had been there waiting for about 25 minutes so I wasn't about to go back. read more