Looking for cheap tacos? Here's a roundup of Taco Tuesday and other deals around Salem

Em Chan, Salem Statesman Journal
Updated ·4 min read

Corrections & clarifications: This story has been updated to correctly identify The Night Deposit Whiskey Library's Jorden Richmond and her biographical information.

Looking for cheap tacos?

Hold out for Taco Tuesday specials or swing by some of these spots which offer tacos deals regularly.

Here's a roundup of options around the Salem-area. See bottom of story for glossary of meat names in Spanish and English.

Don Chuy's Tacos

Birria tacos are offered at Don Chuy's Tacos in Salem, Ore.
Birria tacos are offered at Don Chuy's Tacos in Salem, Ore.

The south Salem food truck offers $1.50 tacos all day, which include asada, pastor, carnitas and chorizo and birria. These street tacos are served with two tortillas. Lengua, tripe and quesabirria tacos are not part of the deal. I recommend the pastor, birria and the extra expense for the quesabirria tacos. 2440 McGilchrist St. SE.

El Ranchero Market

Al Pastor, chicken and ground beef tacos are served at El Ranchero Market in Salem, Ore.
Al Pastor, chicken and ground beef tacos are served at El Ranchero Market in Salem, Ore.

The combination market and restaurant offers one of the best taco deals in Salem: dine-in, all-you-can eat tacos for $12. The special runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The meat options include chorizo, carne molida, asada, al pastor, carnitas and chicken. For an additional 50 cents per taco, you can order beef tripe, lengua and cabeza. The $12 deal is per person, with no sharing allowed. For folks who opt to take leftover tacos to go, $1.25 will be charged per taco. The al pastor, carnitas and chicken tacos are recommended with a $5 margarita, another Tuesday special. 2615 Lancaster Drive NE.

Taqueria Marco's Place

The downtown restaurant with a drive-thru offers daily cheap tacos, from $1.50 to $2. For $1.50 you can order chorizo or veggie tacos and pastor or asada tacos for $2. Another popular deal is three quesabirria tacos with consome for $10.99. The pastor tacos with one of the aguas frescas is a good deal that's not exclusive to Tuesdays. 615 High St. NE.

Night Deposit Whiskey Library

A fry bread taco topped with pork, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream is served at the Night Deposit Whiskey Library in Salem, Ore.
A fry bread taco topped with pork, refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream is served at the Night Deposit Whiskey Library in Salem, Ore.

The downtown bar's taco specials are served up by Jorden Richmond and Kyle Nelson. Nelson said the two have been offering this menu for the last year and a half. The taco specials include $1.50 for ground beef tacos, $2 for pork or chicken, $3 for fish, shrimp or carne asada and $8 for a fry bread taco. The fry bread taco is large and loaded with cheese, beans, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions and sour cream on top. It comes with choice of protein, but costs an additional $2 for asada. The special was created by Richmond and comes from her Native American heritage. 195 Commercial St. NE.

Taqueria El Jacalito

The south Salem taqueria's Taco Tuesday all day special is $1.99. The street tacos are served in housemade tortillas, typically priced at $2.99, with choice of asada, chicken or lengua. Fish tacos, usually $3.99, come in a two with rice and beans deal for $10. I recommend the asada and lengua tacos with an aguas frescas for a complete meal. 990 12th St. SE.

Half Court Sports Bar

Fish tacos are served at Half Court Sports Bar in Salem, Ore.
Fish tacos are served at Half Court Sports Bar in Salem, Ore.

The sports bar offers Taco Tuesday dine-in specials from 5 to 9 p.m., plus other Mexican dishes and drink specials. The street tacos for $1 include carnitas, pastor or chicken. Carne asada tacos are $1.50 each and two for $4 fish tacos. The fried fish tacos come topped with a heavy cabbage slaw and a smokey, chipotle mayo that builds in heat. I would recommend the fish tacos with a Mexican beer ($3 special) or margarita ($5 special) for those who cannot handle spicy food. 3960 Center St. NE.

Perro Taquero

Perro Taquero serves cabeza, chorizo and other tacos for $1 all day on Tuesdays in the lot of The Country Corner Gift Shop in Turner, Ore.
Perro Taquero serves cabeza, chorizo and other tacos for $1 all day on Tuesdays in the lot of The Country Corner Gift Shop in Turner, Ore.

Located in the lot of The Country Corner Gift Shop, Perro Taquero offers $1 street tacos all day Tuesdays in Turner. The meat options available for the deal include chorizo, cabeza (beef head), pastor, birria, asada and carnitas. The cabeza and lengua (beef tongue) are sourced from local Turner farms. Each taco comes with red or green salsa, pickled carrots, jalapenos and cucumbers. The other proteins are available at the regular price of $3 and include fish, lengua and gringa. I recommend the lengua, cabeza and asada. A new special for the food truck is a $10 plate, slated to have three tacos, rice, beans and a canned drink. 7575 3rd St SE, Turner

Meat name glossary

  • Birria: stewed meat or soup made from goat or beef (all birria tacos mentioned are made from beef)

  • Cabeza: roasted cow head

  • (Carne) asada: grilled sliced beef

  • Carnitas: braised pork

  • Chorizo: spiced pork sausage

  • Gringa: type of taco with cheese, al pastor and pineapple

  • Lengua: beef tongue

  • (Al) pastor: roasted pork

  • Pescado: fried fish

  • Pollo: chicken

Em Chan covers food and dining at the Statesman Journal. You can reach her at echan@gannett.com and follow her on X @catchuptoemily.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Taco Tuesday deals around Salem, Oregon