The flavors were well-balanced, and you could tell the ingredients were fresh. Service was attentive without being overbearing, which I always appreciate. It made the whole experience feel relaxed rather than rushed. If you're looking for a place that delivers both quality food and a good atmosphere, this one is worth checking out. read more

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Bland and expensive. Service was pretty much non-existent. Honestly wish I hadn't spent that much money. Drinks were good though I guess

Small little Seafood inspired Mexican restaurant over in North Eugene. Inside is pretty nice, the prices seem a little high compared to some Mexican restaurants in town but look at the pictures. The food was amazing... except the refried beans literally the worst I've ever had lol everything else including service was fantastic. read more

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Food is delicious. Staff is friendly and helpful. We were glad to find a Mexican restaurant that has several fish dishes since we don't eat meat. read more

Drink are good but food is subpar. Our group got oysters, ceviche, camarones a la crema and fajitas. Oysters tasted gamey and a couple were crumbly. Shrimp was way over cooked (see picture). Fajitas over cooked, veggies soggy, meat dry. Service was really good though. They were welcoming and attentative. Just need some more skill in the kitchen and potentially a new source for their food supplies. read more

El Kora - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

The staff is very friendly ! The flight was tasty ! The tostada was little over dressed making it soggy - enchilada was basic but good. We had two parties served before us even tho we ordered way before them. Not sure why. This is definitely one of the better Mex spots in eugene - I'm glad it exists ! It's got a great little vibe ! read more

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Parking was adequate. Interior was clean. Seating was simple. Service was marginal; no water was provided. Menu was moderately sized. Food was zesty. An iced mug was provided with my beer. read more

We're new to the area (just moved up from Austin) and we've been dying for some Mexican food. We asked the server what the most popular dish is and she said carne asada. So that's what I got. It was really bad. We also got queso for the table. It wasn't like any queso I've ever had, grainy and tasted like cheddar. My husband ordered nachos and he didn't eat any. My mother in law ordered an enchilada and a taco and didn't eat hers either. Everything was just a little off. The rice didn't taste like Mexican rice. As a Texan who loves both texmex and Mexican, I was super disappointed. I hope our experience was just a fluke!! read more

Just don't order the ceviche. Service was kind. Clean atmosphere. Ceviche was a big let down. Other dishes were fine. read more

Food was delicious... Paola was an amazing server Definitely recommend the octopus ceviche Wouldn't change a thing, everything was perfect. Will be coming back soon! read more

El Kora - Best food and wife ever - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

El Kora is authentic Mexican food with an all of the regular Mexican favorites, but they also have a huge emphasis on seafood! The owners are extremely nice and the staff is great too. You always feel like you are welcome and part of the family here. The inside feels like you are at the beach in Mexico, with a grass umbrella above one table and a big swordfish on the wall. This place is great and you are missing out if you haven't tried it! read more

Mediocre food, and the drinks I ordered were so sweet. I was hoping for a delicious margarita flight but I could barely drink them. There was also a group of very loud individual's being so obnoxious we ended up having to leave. The service was good. read more

El Kora - Margarita Flight - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Menu looks very good but the prices are on the high side. My food today tasted like the cook had dumped a box of salt in it. This food is NOT something I would recommend to anyone, especially older people with heart problems. read more

Service was poor, cooks were very slow, food didn't come out together with others, my food was cold and about 20 minutes later Than others at my table, food was boring. Employees did not seem to care. I would never go back and certainly would not recommend anyone bothering to go there. I saw at least 4 employees, so that was not an issue with such a small place. read more

My husband was craving Mexican food after a tiring trip to Home Depot and this was the closest place! We went for lunch and tried out their lunch specials. My husband had the quesadilla and I had the enchilada/taco special. Lunch specials come with refried beans and rice. We got complimentary chips and salsa when we arrived, but it tasted store-bought. Our food arrived relatively quickly after we ordered, I was hoping to be impressed with the food but that didn't happen. My enchilada was okay, but I bit into my taco and tasted literally no flavor at all. If I had closed my eyes and taken a bite, I wouldn't have even recognized it was Mexican food. The meat (ground beef) had no flavor and I was sorely disappointed. I did notice that this was mentioned in other Yelp reviews as well. My husband seemed to think the quesadilla was acceptable and ate the majority of his food, but did comment that he thought we shouldn't return because of the food quality. Table service was prompt, there was one waitress available at lunchtime but she was quick to check on all the tables. You check out at the cash register to pay. It was about $20 for two including tip. Overall, I wouldn't return because of the lack of flavor in the food here. Sad to say, since it sounds like this is a family owned business and I love to support that. read more

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Really "meh". I got nachos and it tasted like the ones you get at 7-Eleven. The portions are small, and it's overpriced in my opinion. Would not recommend. Go to the Mexican joint down the street! read more

El Kora - Nachos with shredded beef - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Love the Salsa! Love the food! Love the chicken fajita taco salad! We've been in Eugene for about 18 months and we are so happy to have finally found our happy spot! Can't wait to keep trying new things! Thanks El Kora! read more

This is my new favorite Mexican place in town! Seriously! It's smaller and kind of in a hidden location, but their food was just wow. They are a little on the pricey side, even their lunch menu, but it was worth it. The burrito I got included refried beans and rice in it (as did all the entrees) and it had this delicious sauce on top (pictured) The chicken quality was just amazing, much higher quality than I've had elsewhere. The server was very nice and told us their fish and shrimp tacos are their best sellers. A friend of mine got those and loved it too. My husband is vegetarian and they had good options for him as well. We will he going back! read more

El Kora - Chicken Fajita Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

This small restaurant fills a serious gap in Eugene's Mexican scene: serious dedication to seafood. While there are plenty of places to visit for serviceable burritos or enchiladas (and those are here, too), El Kora offers an entire menu of Northern Mexican cuisine with a tight focus on the ocean. Try the squid-and-shrimp stuffed (truly stuffed) Kora Enchiladas or the half-pineapple filled with seafood stew as good examples. Tamer, land-loving palates will be fine here, with generous combo platters of all the usual suspects, from nachos to tostada to huevos rancheros. Really, though, if no one in your party has a fish on their plate (or an oyster or a shrimp), you're doing El Kora wrong. There's indoor seating enough for a few parties and outdoor offers another half-dozen tables up against the parking lot. Inside, you'll see neon yellow booths, a bit of surf decor, and a TV somehow always showing soccer. But are you here for the atmosphere? No! You're here to order the whole fish! Focus! read more

Ordered the #21 combo- enchilada, relleno and taco. Got home and opened the box, the portions were so small you couldnt even tell the relleno and enchillada were in the same box! Chili Relleno was the size of my finger and tasted more like a pickled sweet pepper - Tangy like it'd been sitting in vinegar. NOT A POBLANO PEPPER! A HUGE let down. Taco was completely missing, but we drove to far to go back for a taco when the rest of the food wasnt any good. We also got a 3 enchilada combo- that came with 3 enchiladas in one box and rice and beans in another. Beans were decent, rice was bland and overcooked. read more

The food was not what I expected. I order for my kids tacos and burritos with no veggies, the plates come out and they have veggies; when I told the lady no veggies again she says the come prepackaged that way so we had to get shredded beef as it was the only thing that didn't have veggies in it. So their stuff isn't made from scratch it is prepackaged and for their prices it should be made fresh. The only one who liked the food was my husband who ordered talapia. They are expensive the food isn't good and it is not fresh and it looks like something from Hawaii instead of a Mexican restaurant the decor is dated and not appealing. read more

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I'm really surprised by some of the reviews on this place. My husband and I have been in Oregon for two days and we've already eaten here twice. We're originally from Southern California and we know good Mexican food. We now live in Texas and everything is Tex-Mex which we don't care for. The food here is authentic Mexican food, very tasty. I would recommend the enchiladas and hard shell tacos. read more

Hmmmm... El Kora.... Try the fish and the shimp tacos... I love the seafood cocktails... Great enchiladas... Amazing 7 mares... I think their food is more directed to the Latino community. It's quiet a bit more authentic then other restaurants around the area. Try it! read more

We when in the hostess was on her phone playing a game. We seated our selves after asking do we seat ourselves. She was polite we paid for our meal and left .I will not go back sorry. You list my business read more

Fantastic food! Laid back family run restaurant with personalized service. Don't be in a rush, sometimes they're super busy, but it's always worth the wait. Great seafood options, and the best fish taco anywhere. We love this place! read more

Great service!! Really good food (shrimp tacos) my choice. Awesome margaritas!! Prices seem reasonable to all other Mexican restaurants. read more

This place is a hidden jewel! Excellent food and very clean. I had ceviche & partner had mussels. Great margaritas. Flan and cafe con leche for dessert. read more

Yuck. Tasteless and bland. Our plates looked alike and tasted alike. The margaritas were tasty.

The place looks clean and nice.... for first impressions - at the surface level only - looks great. Sit down for lunch. You can immediately see they are under-staffed. Ask for more salsa now while you can? She wont bring it. It was almost as if she just didnt care, or wanted us to eat less by controlling the chips and salsa...? what the...? When I eat Mexican I want mass quantities of chips and salsa ! the salsa is decent - chips unsalted but thats it... at least from a taco salad point of view... dont even go there... a bad decision on my part. The salad consisted of Pulled beef that was overcooked and flavorless... it had no seasoning at all... and an American taco bowl (yuck)... it literally tasted like unflavored salad and shredded beef - the meal had no care put into it... bland - chewy If you own a restaurant I want to taste your unique spin of Mexican flavors and don't want to beg for service. As a consumer if this is what you want...? then consider taking a pass on this place. Its food is flavorless-lifeless and the service is so slow (and possibly deliberately slow) ... I have only one thing to say: Why? Why go there? To the owner: you only have one chance for a good impression. Lo siento - read more

El Kora - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Food is not even close to okay. Drinks didn't taste good. We spent $100+ for very mediocre food. Definitely will not come back. Service was also awful but the servers were nice. read more

Not sure why there are so many bad reviews of this place. This was the best sit down Mexican restaurants in Eugene. Salsas were good and spicy. Asada was very good. Shrimps and seafood were amazing. Highly recommend. read more

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In Spanish, I would refer to El Kora as "así así". Translation and summary: Meh, just alright. Not worth the price or the wait. My boyfriend and I ventured to El Kora this afternoon, wanting to try something new. The place was clean and well-decorated, adorned with twinkling icicle Christmas lights dangling around the bar, a Tiki Hut style thatched roof over one table, and various theme-related items hanging from the ceiling. A soccer game played on the perfectly located large-screen television. A for ambiance. Despite its festive interior, the restaurant was fairly deserted. We ordered the shrimp tostada appetizer, vegetarian burrito, and pork burrito...and waited for what seemed like an excessive amount of time, considering the lack of business. To El Kora's credit, the free chips and salsa we snacked on (um, inhaled because we were so hungry while waiting) were quite delicious. But when our meal finally came, we were disappointed--and that's what I base my Yelp food reviews on. The food itself. I don't need to spend $9.95 on an average-sized burrito that lacks flavor and ingredients, just so I can be surrounded by fancy decorations. Yet that was exactly what we did. While eating my vegetarian burrito, I ended up with more mouthfuls of soggy tortilla than actual ingredients. Its vegetables were small and scarce, and its spices were absent. What a waste of carbs. My boyfriend had a similar experience with his pork burrito: just tortilla, rice, pork and a little cheese on the top--but mostly tortilla. His burrito didn't even have lettuce or tomato, despite its description on the menu. The shrimp tostada appetizer, which was served at the same time as our meal, was actually quite decent...aside from its small size, which made the $4.95 price seem excessive. $4.95 is the price I pay for a huge, delicious vegetarian burrito from Super Burrito on Willamette. Slow service, and our server didn't check up once to see how we were doing. We packed up our own boxes and finally found the server, who had been busy chatting with his wife, to ring us up. I don't understand the Yelp reviews that boast of "low prices". Lunch specials ($6.95-$7.95) and dinner combos aside, how is $15-$20 per dish inexpensive? If you want awesome Mexican food, I'd recommend Super Taco on W 11th or Super Burrito on Willamette. These places don't have the same spiffy decorations, but they do have delicious burritos for college student budgets. Adios y nunca mas, El Kora. read more

I ordered the fish soup. There were 4 tiny bites of fish+ 2 pieces of broccoli+ 2 pieces of cauliflower in the big bowl for $13.99. Not worth the money. Also, the soup was bland and flavorless until I doctored it with some hot sauce. Service was good. The waiter was polite and attentive but did not know much english read more

El Kora - Fish soup - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Usual texmex bean/rice/cheese slop that is served as a muted smear on your hot plate. People seem to be into that. Salsa was good and they do have specials. Do not recommend the shrimp. Its not deveined so its all gritty and definitely tastes frozen. Pretty bland. Well besides the inherit poop flavor. It is decorated kinda cutesy with the tiki hut and er'thing but the food needs help. Did get extra limes and that made me happy. Service was kinda inattentive even though there was only one other table occupied. I ordered a Jamaica water but never got it. read more

El Kora - Shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Went here in the evening for margaritas and nachos. The four of us ordered at the register and then sat outside. We had to ask three times for chips and salsa before we got some. Our nachos came out before we got our margaritas or even water. We finished the nachos and still no drinks at all. Annoyed we got our money back for the drinks and left. Not a good experience. Won't be back and don't recommend. Update: Against my better judgement and several years later I was convinced to try again. Guess what? El Kora still sucks! Disorganized and stupid. If I order a side of quac and sour cream and it doesn't arrive with my meal I don't think we need to bicker over whether or not I paid for it (especially after leaving a decent tip for services I didn't even receive). I just want to eat my dinner. Seriously I can't emphasize enough how ridiculous this place is. Stay away! I definitely plan to. read more

Standard tex mex that will be a solid, safe meal but won't be anything spectacular. Area is decorated tiki style and is somewhat deceiving. Tacos are solid, but very forgettable. Beans amd rice are decent. Just a forgettable experience. read more

Decided to try this. No flavor. Definitely needed a lot more seasoning. Won't be back. The salsa however was the best part very tasty.

Cute place w Mariachi music playing. Ordered the Queso fundido w chorizo; took 20 minutes to arrive however, it was excellent. Also the shrimp fajitas. Perfectly cooked, very tasty. Prices were medium. Dislikes: wait for food and no beer on draft. Will definitely go there again read more

El Kora - Shrimp Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Eugene, Oregon

Good food excellent drinks service was lacking and didn't meet the standards ( friendliness and thoughtfulness) of most Mexican restaurants. Had to ask for napkins and utensils after food arrived... food came in stages not all at once. Only had two staff to handle a full restaurant ... We forgot our take home boxes .. returned and in less than 5 minutes they had thrown the food and boxes away. Less than 5 minutes. They said they were sorry but it's not difficult to hold on to a box on the counter for a while just in case the customer returns. -and it's just thoughtful to wait .and see ..$30 worth of food plus the ecological waste of the boxes. Again food was very good just will Think twice before I choose to return. read more

A favorite 'go-to' for good Mexican food provided by nice people in a well-kept restaurant