Thursday, February 16, 2012

Koyotes Tacos

Koyotes Tacos is a Mexican food restaurant located on Monmouth Ave. N in Monmouth, Oregon. It is the same building that M Street Diner once occupied (apparently, M Street Diner closed late last year). Koyotes is about a half-block away from Western Oregon University, so it can be a fairly good location.

Likely during their first few weeks of business
(Pictures taken in early February)


I attempted to walk in on a Tuesday around 10:30 in the morning.

(Has trouble with door)

Hmm. Maybe I used all my strength up in the gym this morning. (tries again, to no avail)

The woman at the front counter saw me and let me in. "Yes, we're open." Never woulda guessed! Your signs say "OPEN," and the hours posted on the door said you're open from 8 in the morning on weekdays! Not much eye contact or smiling from her throughout my short visit.


Having read Chuck B.'s review on Yelp, I also went with the Koyote Burrito ($6). Steak, potatoes, salsa, cheese, egg, bacon, and sour cream. A hefty lineup of ingredients for my grumbling stomach. I 86'd the sour cream, as usual. I did get two small containers of sauce, one hot and one mild.

In-house menu board
(February 2012)

Koyote Burrito
(Koyotes Tacos)
Cross-section
The flavors are good. I mean, there's diced bacon in this burrito, so that should be an auto win. This pork product was largely soft jerky-like in texture, with perhaps a bit of the remaining bacon fat offering some lubrication. The eggs were minimal in my burrito, but fine for what it was. The diced steak was fairly average, a majority if it on the overcooked side. If you didn't tell me there was salsa in the burrito, I wouldn't have noticed. Just heavy item after heavy item canvassed my mouth.

The potatoes were seasoned well, with a browned exterior and soft interior. Perhaps the best thing in the burrito.

I didn't find the hot sauce spicy. I added the mild sauce anyway because it was there -- and perhaps I was a desperate panda. A good life lesson can be applied here: "Never settle, Aaron. Never settle."

For six bucks, it could still sorta be deemed on the reasonable end. Other burritos are around $4.50 or less and may be more worth my buck. Combo plates (with rice and beans) are anywhere from $6.50 to $7.25. Overall, the prices are very affordable.

It seems they have only been in business for a few weeks, so I'll still consider returning. It would be a bit a more positive experience if the front-of-the-house staff smiled more and promoted some top menu items. Err on the side of too much smiling and friendly promotion, instead of silently standing there like a robot waiting for the order to come in. 5/10

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