Sometimes good food isn’t categorized by where it comes from, but by the work a person puts into it. It can come from sacrifice and ambition, or bringing people together in unconventional ways. A mix that can welcome a dish as well as the community that surrounds it. Good food is what makes restaurants last, an evergreen idea that is sought after by restaurant owners with hard work and determination. 

At Nelson’s Taqueria, you can see and taste these ideals of someone cooking food not just with passion but with a purpose in their community. The taqueria brings out a style of food from a wide range of Mexican regions, showing Eugene what these dishes represent.  

“La comida no se caracteriza en un solo estilo, pero como una diversidad, un mix para la comida (Food isn’t characterized in a single style, but with diversity, a mix in food),” Nelson López Contreras, owner and cook at Nelson’s Taqueria, said about his food and the years he’s been at Whitaker. Nelson’s Taqueria has been open for seven years now, operating in a food truck right off of Blair Boulevard feeding the Whitaker community from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday. He works in a food truck with a staff of three cooks and hostesses, welcoming those itching for some authentic Mexican dishes.

Dishes the taqueria offers include tortas, a sandwich disguised with everything a taco has; wet burritos, a phantasmagoric classic topped with sauces and ingredients both inside and out (bring napkins); and my personal favorite, birria tacos, which you dip in a stew made of peppers, onions, cilantro, adobo and other goodies. 

Contreras said he likes to add a mix of Mexican cultures to his plates. Mexico is a country with 32 states and has a wide range of traditional dishes that combine a variety of ingredients. He says he welcomes those from everyone’s region in Mexico and Oregon. “Ha sido un bebé para mí (It’s been my baby),” Contreras said of his restaurant. “Fue mi principio, mi prioridad (It was my beginning, my priority).”

Almost everyone who comes across Contreraswill see the generous and zealous personality he brings to his work. “Everybody loves Nelson,” Nick Sousley, a long-time friend of Contreras’s, said. “He greets everyone with ‘hello beautiful, hello handsome,’ he doesn’t discriminate on who he says it to.” 

Sousley is a Oregon native and grew up both in Springfield and Eugene. He had troubled youth, but always tried to manage where he was going in life. Sousley met Contreras in 2019. During that time, Sousley was having trouble with drug addiction and was going through a 12-step program with a group called the Jesco Club. He noticed Contreras unloading his car one day and offered to help him. For six months after that, he assisted Nelson in unloading his car, while Contreras would cook for him as thanks for helping out.

“He helps out so many people, it’s crazy,” Sousley said. Ever since then, he’s helped Contreras with his restaurant, working for him on some carpentry projects and electrical issues at his new spot. 

Earlier this year, Nelson’s Taqueria expanded its location and hours. Right in the parking lot of where his food truck is, there’s a house that he’s transformed into an indoor restaurant open after his food truck hours are done. It offers a wide variety of drinks, including margaritas and beers, with the same delicious menu as his truck. The place is open from 4:30-10:00 p.m. Another event he’s started to offer is a drag show every first Friday of the month, where they play music and offer a good show for those looking for delicious food and a fun time. 

Nelson’s Taqueria is only beginning to show what good food can do for a tight-knit community. Good food is about the work you put into it, whether it’s the dish itself or the community that surrounds it –– no matter where it’s from. So if you get a chance to swing by the Whitaker area, dine on some unique food and get to know those around you at Nelson’s Taqueria and Nelson himself.