TRUCK
DREAMS
Authentic Mexican Food at
Dos Banderas BY MARSHA BOUTELLE
T
he aroma of smoky mesquite lures your
nostrils around the corner of West Broadway
onto Olive Street, to Dos Banderas, the little
food truck that could — and does — deliver
the most authentic-recipe tacos, giant burritos,
quesadillas and more for those craving that rarest of things
in Eugene: Mexican food that is truly outstanding.
Tucked into an alley between The Davis and Luckey’s
Club, this family-run food truck attracts not only locals and
students, but even out-of-towners who’ve been tipped off
to tasting the freshly made, lime-juice-infused guacamole,
the to-die-for mozzarella-and-jack-cheese quesadillas (that
can also be had with mesquite-grilled chicken or steak) or
the enormous taco salad loaded with pinto beans, cheese,
veggies, smoked meat if you choose, tomatoes, avocado,
romaine lettuce and a base of fresh-tasting tortilla chips.
Other choices include Mexican and American breakfast
offerings, like breakfast burritos, or bacon and eggs with
hash browns. Also, since Dos Banderas is open until 3
am on Thursday through Saturday nights, the place has
become a favorite for late-night denizens leaving the bar
scene hungry for something delicious.
Six years ago, José Ojeda says he decided to turn his
passion for good food learned in his mother’s kitchen in
Zacatecas, Mexico, into a business of his own. Over the years,
he’d worked as a cook in chain-restaurant kitchens, where he
honed his chops but never got to make his kind of food.
“I hadn’t seen restaurants in Eugene that made authentic
Mexican food,” Ojeda says. “There was nothing that was
really good.”
So Ojeda bought a food truck, and with the help of his
wife and adult children, embarked on his dream of crafting
food his way.
As word got around, his business began to thrive:
“Business is good,” Ojeda says. “Every year has been
different. Bars and businesses have opened up around the
areas that have brought people in. And every year when
school starts, students keep finding us, too.”
Wife Minerva Ojeda, daughter Daisy and son José Jr.,
along with Daisy’s boyfriend, Andres Lara, work long
hours feeding, what are sometimes hordes of hungry
people at lunchtime and late at night.
Every dish is made from scratch.
“We try our best to be authentic,” Ojeda says. “We just
wanted to bring that authentic Mexican style of cooking to
Eugene.”
Dos Banderas is open 10:30 am - 6 pm Monday - Wednesday, and 10:30 am - 3
am, Friday and Saturday, at 94 W. Broadway, in Eugene.
MINERVA OJEDA
PHOTOS BY TODD COOPER
EUGENEWEEKLY.COM/CHOW
CHOW WINTER 2017
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