At a local house show, you’ll find crowds dancing along to some of Eugene’s best student-run bands, friends laughing and singing along, and the delicious smell of Taco Joe’s wafting in the background. Since spring of 2023, Joey Vierra and his roommates have been cooking up delicious and affordable Mexican cuisine for hungry concert-goers.

Cooking has been a prominent influence in Vierra’s life since childhood. He recalls getting his initial love for cooking from his mom while she worked as a chef during the summers. Vierra had always aspired to live up to her cooking skills.

Vierra honed in on his cooking skills during the summer of 2022 when he and his roommate, Jesse Brodrick, went backpacking in Chile. While backpacking, they had to cook for themselves using a small camping stove and limited ingredients. Along the trails, they encountered other backpackers who would share ingredients with them in exchange for a meal. 

“We were sharing all the time- that community aspect is a big part of why we wanted to do this,” Vierra said.

It was on this backpacking trip that the idea for Taco Joe’s was born. Vierra and Broderick loved cooking and sharing their food with fellow backpackers. They wanted to use food to create a sense of community back in Eugene. “We can make food for people and it can be fun for everyone, and it can bring people together,” Vierra said.

Upon returning to Eugene, Vierra and Broderick and their other roommates began selling tacos out of their house. Though it was at times chaotic, Taco Joe’s was a success. After selling tacos out of his house for a couple of weeks, Vierra and his roommates decided to take their business to one of the most popular student events of the year – the Spring Game.

On the morning of the heavily anticipated Spring Game, the Taco Joe’s crew set up a canopy tent along the popular walking path to Autzen Stadium. They sold water alongside their beloved tacos. Vierra and his roommates established themselves with the University of Oregon student community and made enough money to upgrade their two-burner camping stove to an elite Blackstone griddle.

After their success at the Spring Game, Taco Joe’s began cooking at local house shows every week throughout the spring term. Although the logistics can get jumbled, Vierra says it’s the chaos that makes the experience exciting and memorable.

“I really appreciate the community aspect of it… I enjoy giving people good food. It’s just an added bonus being able to bring people together,” Vierra said.

“It’s a team effort with the housemates and it never gets done the same way,” Vierra said. In the future, Vierra and his Taco Joe’s crew look forward to continuing to provide delicious tacos and community for students at house shows.

Stay up to date with Taco Joe’s by following their Instagram @tacojoesofficial.