In the late 1990s, Francisco Ochoa and his father Froylan would pile into the family car and head from their home in Grants Pass to the Willamette Valley—where they’d go door-to-door, selling homemade Mexican cheeses to the region’s booming Latino community. For Francisco, it was a reflection of his upbringing in Mexico, where such door-to-door sales—whether for cheese, tamales, or other goods—were fairly common.

Froylan passed away in 2000, but Francisco—then 18—carried on the nascent family business. He opened the company’s first cheese factory in Eugene with his brother in 2002, moved into a larger factory in Albany in 2009, and—in November 2020—opened the first Don Froylan Creamery restaurant and factory along Portland Road Northeast in Salem.

Less than a year after opening, Francisco (now the owner and founder) says that some of his regular customers remember him and his father from those earliest door-to-door days—when they’d sell cheese around the same neighborhood Don Froylan is based in today. “We were really excited about the support we were getting from the community, and we were thrilled to make something that people liked,” he says.

Today, Don Froylan Creamery is one of several Latino-owned-and-operated businesses in the Mid-Willamette Valley that reflect Hispanic culture and tradition. Read on for more great spots:

El Mercadito ist vielleicht nicht so bekannt wie einige der anderen Lokale in der Innenstadt von Woodburn. Doch was ihm an Bekanntheitsgrad fehlt, macht der Markt durch seine schiere Vielfalt wieder wett.

Klar, bei El Mercadito gibt es Tacos und Ähnliches. Aber du findest dort auch jede Menge Snacks, Straßenküche, süße Leckereien und vieles mehr. Die vielfältige Speisekarte umfasst Elote (gegrillter Mais, der in Mexiko sehr beliebt ist), Eis, frische Mangonadas (gefrorene Mangogetränke mit verschiedenen Gewürzen und Aromen), Raspados (fruchtige, manchmal süße Desserts aus geraspeltem Eis), Pupusas und vieles mehr.

Whatever your sweet tooth may be craving, chances are good you’ll find plenty to love at the Don Bigote Churreria along Portland Road Northeast in Salem.

Don Bigote macht das Beste aus dieser teigigen Köstlichkeit und serviert sie als Eis-Sandwiches (bei denen die „Panade“ aus Keksen oder Waffeln durch Churros ersetzt wird), als Bananensplits (mit Churros garniert) und in Form weiterer köstlicher Desserts. Insgesamt serviert Don Bigote Churros auf 11 verschiedene Arten.

Die Gäste können sich aber auch auf süße Crêpes (unter anderem mit Tiramisu-Kuchen und Vanilleeis), herzhafte Crêpes (darunter eine mit Käse, Ananas und gegrilltem Schweinefleisch), Milchshakes (garniert mit Churro-„Strohhalmen“), ein Dutzend Eissorten und traditionelle Getränke (wie die süße, aber leicht säuerliche Mangonada) freuen.

If you find yourself undecided while standing in line at Azuls Taco House, don’t feel bad: The taqueria’s taco selection runs nearly two dozen deep (with Thai- and Korean-inspired tacos, as well as more traditional offerings), and that’s to say nothing of the wraps, enchiladas, burritos, salads, and tostadas rounding out the menu at Azuls.

Azuls is owned and operated by Tino Land and Augustin “J” Razo, Jr., who have run several food trucks around the Salem area for several years. The duo opened its first Azuls outpost in West Salem (home to a cozy outdoor patio space) and have since expanded into downtown (sharing a space with La Familia Cider—more on that later) and nearby Dallas.

The mid-Willamette Valley is home to numerous outstanding hard cider makers—but only one has built its business around paying homage to aguas frescas.

La Familia Cider Company was founded in 2017 by a family of first-generation Mexican immigrants—and, in the years since, has crafted several recipes inspired by the fresh fruit drinks that are popular in Mexico and Central America. La Familia's popular offerings include a Jamaica hibiscus cider (featuring a floral, slightly tart flavor profile) and a tropical, citrus-tinged guava cider.

You can find La Familia’s pink and green cans at grocery stores and bottle shops throughout the Pacific Northwest, but the company’s taphouse in downtown Salem spotlights the cider maker’s fun flavors on draft—along with ciders from producers throughout the Pacific Northwest. The taphouse also shares space with Azuls Taco House, known for a menu stuffed with creative tacos and fresh, non-alcoholic aguas frescas.

Not far from Interstate 5, at the heart of Portland Road Northeast—ground zero for Latino businesses in Salem—Don Froylan Creamery offers an immersive experience in the world of cheese-making.

For starters, visitors can peer into the Don Froylan factory, through massive windows, to see cheese being made in real-time. “It really interests people a lot, so I wanted to make sure that we had the ability to show people how we make the cheese in our new place,” Francisco says of the decision to show off the operation.

Once it’s processed and packaged, the cheese can be enjoyed in a variety of ways—both on the road and at the on-site restaurant. Visitors can purchase a variety of cheeses to-go, try a quesadilla flight (in which diners can sample four miniature quesadillas featuring different Don Froylan cheeses), order full-sized quesadillas with custom fillings, and even nosh on a plate of filling nachos.

If you're looking for quality Mexican baked goods around Salem, your search just might begin and end with Daisy's Mexican Bakery. The celebrated bakery offers cakes to order (such as filling tres leches cake), pan dulce (a kind of sweet bread), fruit-filled empanadas, a variety of breads, and other sweet treats.

The family-owned Sierra Mexican Restaurant sits along Oregon Route 22 in the community of Gates—and makes a worthy stop, whether you're hiking around the area's forests, spending time on nearby Detroit Lake, or heading further into the Cascades. Tucked into the Santiam Canyon, it's long been a favorite pit stop for locals and travelers alike, serving up generous portions of classic Mexican fare in a casual, family-friendly dining room.

Enjoy popular dishes including chips with fresh, house-made salsa; thoughtfully crafted margaritas; sizzling fajitas piled high with peppers and onions; filling burritos stuffed with your choice of meat, beans, and rice; and other comfort-food favorites like enchiladas, tacos, and combination plates. Whether you're refueling after a morning on the trail or wrapping up a scenic drive along the North Santiam River, it's a satisfying place to pull over and dig in.

Looking for a taste of authentic Mexican culture that goes beyond what’s on your plate? You’ll find it at the Lancaster Flea Market—open on weekends in northeast Salem.

Given the nature of the flea market, vendor offerings change all the time—so return trips can be quite rewarding. On any given visit, you might find clothing, artwork, toys, crafts, and other items. (Of course, you’ll still find plenty of good eats at the flea market. Aguas frescas, fruit dishes, tacos, and ice cream are just some of what’s served each weekend.)

Before you go, a friendly heads-up: The market is technically open on Fridays, but most vendor booths open only on Saturdays and Sundays.

Xicha Brewing is the only Latino-owned brewery, not just in Oregon—but the entire Pacific Northwest. And since opening in West Salem in 2017, the brewery has worked tirelessly to honor Latin American traditions while sharing those cultural touchstones with visitors from all over.

For starters, Xicha eschews the notion of traditional pub fare for dishes inspired by Mexican and Central American flavors—with tortas, cubano sandwiches, tacos, empanadas, and patatas bravas representing just some of the brewery's mouthwatering entrées. The Xicha beer selection is similarly eclectic; the brewery’s golden ale is crafted with guava for a slightly sweet finish, for instance, while the Mexican-style lager is a sessionable, yet full-flavored beer with biscuity notes.

Xicha also hosts occasional games of lotería—a traditional Mexican game that's similar to Bingo, only with picture cards, instead of just letters and numbers. The brewery usually pairs food and drink specials with the games, as well.

Es ist unmöglich, lateinamerikanische Unternehmen im Willamette Valley vorzustellen, ohne „Luis’s Taqueria“zu erwähnen – also lassen wir den Versuch gar erst.

Die Taqueria in Woodburn wurde von Luis und Luisa Quintero gegründet, einem Ehepaar mexikanischer Einwanderer, das 1989 nach Oregon zog. „Luis’s“ wurde 1993 eröffnet und serviert seitdem Gerichte nach Michoacán-Art, von denen viele mit hausgemachten Maistortillas zubereitet werden. Zu den beliebten Gerichten zählen Ceviche-Tostadas und Birria-Tacos – doch der eigentliche Star hier könnte Barack Obama sein, der 2008 während seines Präsidentschaftswahlkampfs bei „Luis’s“ zu Mittag aß (und dessen Foto zusammen mit Zeitungsausschnitten über diesen Besuch an der Wand hängt).

Luis’s liegt zudem inmitten zahlreicher lateinamerikanischer Geschäfte in der Innenstadt von Woodburn – kombinieren Sie Ihren Besuch also doch mit einem Abstecher zu La Morenita Tortillas (wo frische, hausgemachte Mais- und Weizentortillas verkauft werden), Trapala Brewpub & Rotisseria (bekannt für seine reichhaltige Mole-Soße und herzhaften Tortas) und Paletería y Nevería El Paisanito (wo Obstbecher, Paletas und andere lateinamerikanische Desserts serviert werden). „Santana’s Mexican Food“, gleich die Straße hinunter, ist eine weitere beliebte Taquería in Woodburn; das traditionsreiche Restaurant bietet Burritos und Tacos mit handgemachten Tortillas, Sopes und eine Vielzahl weiterer herzhafter Gerichte an.