After recently moving from Yucatan, Mexico, to Eugene to live with extended family, 19-year-old Beto Solis and his family members went out to lunch at El Torito Meat & Grocery Store. He ordered a burrito — his favorite dish — and a horchata, and started to feel at home. The decorations and layout in El Torito reminded him of the supermarkets he grew up with in Mexico.
“It is laid out exactly as it would be in Mexico,” Solis said. “It is very authentic.”
El Torito Meat & Grocery Store is more than a corner market of dulce de leche and tamarind candies — it is a “carnicería,” which means butcher shop in Spanish, with multicultural meat preparations, a “quesería,” a cheese shop and a “taqueria” — a restaurant that serves tacos accompanied by agua frescas and salsas.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the smell of grilling chicken on the outdoor stoves greets people as they arrive at the store with their grocery lists. The store’s walls have colorful banners and streamers and an array of “pan dulces,” Mexican sweet breads, at the front entrance. Employees offer assistance to those who are curious about the diverse Central American, South American and Middle Eastern food options available.
El Torito is a chain based in the Willamette Valley. El Torito owners Alfredo Mendez and Liliana Perez opened their Eugene location in 2019. They also have locations in Salem, Woodburn and Lincoln City, Oregon.
Rosita Rivera, the store manager of two years, said the grocery store is important for the Eugene community because it offers a “lot of various products from regions other than Mexico,” such as Peru and the Middle East. The food options range from fresh plantains, empanada dough and regional candies. Rivera enjoys listening to customers when they want to make a food request on a product not found in a store.
“We always want to hear from the customers on what product they are looking for so we can bring it in,” Rivera said.
Ivan Mariscal, a butcher in the carnicería for over a year, said he purchases meat from the store to make “carnitas tacos or beef stew” at home. Mariscal recommends that customers check out the carnicería because of its high-quality products. He is in charge of creating different beef, pork and fish cuts for the display case.
“I like to work at the butcher shop because of the customer service and making different kinds of cuts of meat,” Mariscal said.
“I enjoy this store because the food is versatile,” Jewels Metzner, a local customer, said. Metzner and her husband visited the store to stock up on tamale husks and dried chilies for salsas before their Christmas road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. Metzner likes to make all her foods from scratch during the holidays.
“I don’t necessarily come here a lot, but it usually has what we need for Mexican meals,” Metzner said. “I am originally from Arizona. You can’t go to Albertsons here and get the tortillas or husks you need.”
Rivera’s business succeeded despite the pandemic’s effects on the economy. The store was able to meet its growing demands by increasing the menus in the carnicería and adding more diverse products. Rivera also credits the store’s success to the employees’ hospitality.
“It is a very friendly and helpful atmosphere,” Rivera said. “The employees always answer a lot of questions. We try our best to answer the best way we can, and if we can’t, we will try to find an answer for you.”
El Torito is a local destination for the expert traveler or the Instagram foodie who do not want to go far to eat their favorite dishes. The staff serve a big part in sharing Latin American cuisine with the local community and dedicate themselves through laborious food preparations. El Torito takes customers out of Eugene, Oregon, and places them into a typical marketplace one would find in Latin America.
El Torito is located at West 7th Avenue and Polk Street. It is open all week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Business promotions and updates can be found on their Facebook page.
Beto Solis, left, and his family order food at the taqueria at the front of El Torito Market in Eugene, Ore. on December 13, 2021. El Torito Market serves Eugene with traditional Mexican food but also food from Peruvian, Middle Eastern and many other regions (Isaac Wasserman/ Emerald).
