Everything you need to know about Taco Crawl Salem 2019

Thursday, May 16 is Salem's fifth annual Taco Crawl, a chance to taste as many tacos as you can manage from beloved downtown eateries new and old.

This year participating restaurants include Bentley’s Grill, Birdies Bistro, W. Wallace, Archive Coffee + Bar, Brown’s Town Restaurant & Lounge, Victory Club, Bari, Dehn Bar, Chira's, The Night Deposit Whiskey Library, Taproot Lounge & Café and Kraftworks.

Halftime Bar is participating for the first time as is brand new food truck Sancho's Tacos, which launched on May 4, and will be posting up at 1859 Cider.

For the first time, this year's crawl is also a benefit supporting Family Building Blocks. Taco Crawl eateries are each kicking in $100 towards the organization. Donate $10 and you'll get to reserve an official Taco Crawl t-shirt for pick-up at the 4 p.m. event kick-off on the carousel side of Riverfront Park.

From there, Taco Crawl organizer Freddy Ruiz is recommending two itineraries with seven stops each, but crawl participants are welcome to design an itinerary of their own as well, stopping by restaurants within the event window of 4:30 and 11:30 p.m. Some restaurants are offering their Taco Crawl specials beyond the day of the event itself.  

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Here's the full listing of taco crawl options at each participating place and when you can enjoy them. 

Archive Coffee & Bar

102 Liberty Street NE Suite 120 

Available: Thursday, May 16 4 p.m. to midnight

Price: $2 per taco, $10 for six

• Phởco Taco (Gluten-Free)- Beef brisket braised in house made pho broth with onion, cliantro, jalapeño and sriracha crema
• Plantain Taco (Vegan, Gluten-Free)- twice fried plantains with pico de gallo and radish, topped with mojo avocado sauce
• Chicken Confit Taco (Gluten-Free) with pickled onion, pepitas and poblano cream

• Cauliflower Taco (Vegan, Gluten-Free) -seasoned cauliflower, pico de gallo and red pepper sauce.

Bari Restaurant

136 High Street SE (503) 991-5386 

Available: Monday, May 13 to Saturday, May 18 

Price: 4 tacos for $9

• Lengua (Lamb Tongue) Taco - Anderson Farm lamb tongue with romesco sauce, cabbage salsa and queso fresco
• Duck Confit Taco- apple coleslaw and Alabama white BBQ sauce

Bentley's Grill

291 Liberty Street SE 503-779-1660

Available: Thursday, May 16 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Price: $3 each

• Bacon Mac and Cheese Taco
• Apple Mango Raspberry Taco 

Birdies Bistro

380 High St. NE 503-393-2087

Available: Thursday, May 16 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, and Monday, May 13 to Sunday, May 19 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Price: $3 each

• The Carmine Taco - Fried pasta dough “shell”, meatballs, ricotta and spicy red sauce 
• The Gretchen - Breakfast taco with scrambled egg, bacon, shaved asparagus, tomato and hollandaise 
• The Dora- Vanilla ice cream, banana, raspberry sauce and shaved coconut with a cinnamon sugar tortilla 

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Brown's Towne Lounge

145 Liberty St NE Suite #101 503-391-9977

• Island Taco - Crispy fried Filipino Lumpia (ground sausage spring roll) topped with tangy sweet bean sprout salad
• Nutty Seta Vegetarian taco - Spiced sauteed mushrooms, toasted walnuts and beans topped with peppered slaw

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Chira's Restaurant

189 Liberty Street NE, Salem. 503-851-8956

Available: Monday, May 13 to Sunday, May 19 

Price: $3.50 each, or 3 for $10

• Barbecue Brisket Taco - with cowboy caviar (corn, black beans and pico de gallo), crispy onions, barbecue sauce
• Yellowfin Tuna Taco - with ginger and wakame seaweed salad and wasabi aioli
• Teriyaki Pork Belly Taco with crispy carrot chips
• Deep Fried Avocado Taco - with cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, chipotle aioli and slaw
• Spicy Southwest Steak Taco with cilantro, onions, and salsa 

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Dehn Bar

157 Commercial Street (503) 339-7644

Available: Thursday, May 16 11 a.m. until sold out

• Fried Avocado Taco (Gluten-Free) - with tomato, garlic, and cilantro
• Tequila Lime Chicken Taco 
• Slow-cooked Shredded Pork Taco - with radish pico de gallo and pineapple slaw

Halftime Bar & Grill

850 High Street NE (503) 371-2046

Available: Thursday, May 16th 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Price: $1.50 each

• Street Tacos - Choice of chicken, steak or al pastor on corn tortillas with onions, cilantro and smoked tomatillo salsa verde
• Fish Tacos - on corn tortillas with onions, tomatoes, coleslaw and cheese

Kraftworks Taphouse

241 Liberty Street NE (503) 339-7757 

Available: Thursday, May 16 3 p.m. until sold out

Price:$1.50 each minimum order of 3

• Skrrrt Steak Taco- steak marinated in dark rum, mango, pineapple and habanerowith pickled carrot and red pepper cilantro crema
• The Truth - "insanely hot" carne asada marinated with Carolina Reaper, Ghost, Piri Piri, Habanero and Jalapeño peppers, garlic and onions. 
• Carne asada, carnitas and chipotle chicken street tacos 

On Any Sundae

3987 Commercial St SE  (503) 588-6605 

Available: Daily 

Price: $5 to $6 

• Original Choco Taco - Belgian waffle tortilla stuffed with caramel, chocolate sauce, vanilla bean ice cream, and chocolate shell.
• Double Choco Taco - Belgian waffle tortilla stuffed with chocolate sauce, udderly chocolate ice cream, and chocolate shell. 
• Birthday Cake Choco Taco - Belgian waffle tortilla stuffed with chocolate sauce, birthday cake ice cream, and rainbow shell.  
• PB & J Choco Taco - Belgian waffle tortilla stuffed with chocolate peanut butter ice cream and strawberry preserves.
• Filbert Choco Taco - Belgian waffle tortilla stuffed with caramel, hazelnut salted caramel ice cream, and Nutella.  

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Sancho's Tacos at 1859 Cider

249 Liberty Street NE, Ste. 140 (in the alley) (503) 584-1306

Available: Thursday, May 16th 2 to 11 p.m.

Price: Street Tacos $2 to 3, Specialty Tacos $4 or 4 for $15

• Birria Dorado Taco  - slow simmered beef and cheese taco, served with beef consomme
• Smoked Brisket Taco
• Street Tacos - your choice of carne asada, al pastor, pollo, lengua and cabesa. Topped to your liking with onions, cilantro, radishes, jalapeños and carrots, and three kinds of salsa. 

Taproot Lounge & Cafe

356 State Street 503-363-7668

Available: Thursday, May 16th to Saturday, May 18

Price: $3 per taco

• Carne Asada Tacos - avocado jalapeño cream topped with onions and cilantro served on blue corn Tortillas
• Seasoned Jack Fruit Tacos - Adobo seasoned Jackfruit topped with a golden beet Salsa
• Kalbi Tacos - Kalbi seasoned pork or chicken, topped with pickled carrot slaw and sesame seeds served in a fried wonton shell

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The Night Deposit 

195 Commercial Street NE (503) 375-2333

Available: Monday, May 13 to Thursday, May 16

Price: Pork $1, Haibut $2

• Pulled Pork Taco - grilled pineapple, homemade pico and avocado crema
• Crispy Halibut Taco - chipotle aioli, cabbage, cilantro, onions and cotija cheese

Victory Club

155 Liberty Street NE 971-304-0004

Available: Thursday, May 16 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Price: 3 for $10

• Beer Battered Clam Strip Taco with pineapple cucumber pico de gallo 
• Thai-style Pork Taco with pickled vegetables 

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W. Wallace

383 State Street 503-400-6440

Available: Sunday, May 12 to Saturday, May 18

Price: 2 for $6

• Jackfruit Salpicon Taco - with radish, habanero, tomato and avocado crema
• Chicken Taco - with pickled red onion, pickled jalapeño and avocado crema
• Black Bean Hummus Taco - with avocado, charred jalapeño, radish, and cotija cheese. 

If you go

When: 4:30 to 11:30 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2019 

Where: Meet at 4:00 p.m. on the carousel side of Riverfront Park

Information: www.tacocrawlsalem.com

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Emily Teel is the Food & Drink Editor at the Statesman Journal. Contact her at eteel@statesmanjournal.com, Facebook, or Twitter. See what she's cooking and where she's eating this week on Instagram: @emily_teel