Rivas Taco Shop Monroe Ave. — Restaurant in Corvallis

If there were more establishments in the world like Lupe's, the world would be a better place.

(I'm not kidding.)

Why?

5-star service 5-star food 5-star drinks 5-star welcoming committee, including smiles and gratitude from every single employee, including Lupe, himself.

My wife and son and I had heard about Lupe's, and so we went this past Saturday night.

I'm not sure I can express the level of attention that was paid to us (and to other patrons near us). We were thanked for coming....and by people other than our server: the bartender, the chef, the bussers. We felt appreciated, and that is priceless these days. Smiles, gratitude, yes...but also knowledge of the menus, the food, the preparation, etc. Top to bottom, it's Ritz Carlton-level service.

Ok, but service aside, what's the food like?

Well, in a word (or several) - astounding, delicious, creative, impeccably-prepared, true to form. The menu is varied and creative, but not in a contrived way. They are not trying to be arty - they are serving authentic dishes that deliver flavor in a way that is accessible, not fake...and boy do they deliver.

The food is so well-prepared - the ingredients are noticeably fresh to the palate and well-arranged. The flavors are considered both individually and collectively when a dish is being plated and conceived. Everything goes together and flows together, and is deliberate.

Gosh, we simply cannot say enough good things about Lupe's. We felt like we were a part of the family when we were there, and we left completely satisfied and with delicious flavors still ringing on our palates.

Easily a top restaurant experience - when you feel comfortable in a restaurant setting, when you know all of the staff want to say YES to you, when you are thanked for your patronage, and when the food and drink aren't missing a beat, and deliver a flavor explosion, what else is there to say besides "thank you?"

And so, we say "thank you" to Lupe and the establishment he has...

Lupe's is truly an incredible find! We wanted to check out some unique cuisine and we were not disappointed. The evening began with our waiter bringing a tasting, sliced bread and their signature creamy ixcatic salsa and everyone in our party knew after that bite the meal was going to be delicious. Our waiter was very kind and welcoming, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, feeling like everyone working at Lupe's really enjoyed what they did. We ordered drinks (Mezcal Mule was great) and four different tapas for our table (all of them were delicious).

We all ordered something different for our main (not by design) and everyone was thrilled with the flavors. I ordered the Poc Chuc, tender, smoky, citrusy pork to fold a corn tortilla around, delicious. Black beans and rice were both very flavorful and unique in their own right. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal, the food was exciting and unique. I will definitely be going back, need to go during their Lunch menu and try out more of the...

Our waiter yelled at us after we had waited 10min and had a reservation, he was upset that we asked flavors for margaritas that he recommended. He told us “I have a lot of other people to help so are you going to tell me what you want or not.” We made a reservation and waited patiently as we knew there was a small rush.

We never complained, we always said thank you, we were trying to celebrate our friend’s birthday and he could not have been less professional or more rude.

The owners seemed to notice and took over and were extremely sweet. But there’s no excuse for treating people who are being kind and patient like the waiter did. We never got an apology, or a “hey I’m sorry for snapping it’s been really stressful”.

Food was amazing, but I won’t be back if I see that the younger male waiter is there, and it won’t last on Monroe if they treat...