Gourmet

By Cheryl Rade

Imagine yourself enjoying a plate of delicious Mexican cuisine, along with a salty mango margarita, while surrounded by a breathtaking vista of Eugene’s marvelous skyline. You can have all that at Carlita’s, a rooftop restaurant located in the Gordon Hotel in downtown Eugene. Sleek, vibrant, and exquisitely stylish, this spacious 7th floor venue features an incredible menu of Mexican dishes, as well as one of the finest views in the city.

“This is a great place to work,” says general manager David Palmer-May. “I’ve never seen more rainbows than I’ve seen working here.”

Palmer-May, who’s been with Carlita’s for more than a year, describes the restaurant’s gastronomical creations as elevated Mexican street food with a Northwest flair, specializing in over-the-top tacos and tapas. The tacos are filled with everything from blackened salmon and pork belly to black kale and spinach.

A customer favorite, Palmer-Day says, is Carlita’s Skillet, a chorizo chili queso topped with short ribs, black beans, cilantro, cotija cheese, and chipotle crema. Other crowd-pleasers include Pacific Ahi Tuna Ceviche, Carne Asada Tacos, Mole Chicken Nachos, and the ever-popular Elote, a street dish of corn on the cob prepared with house aioli, cotija, and tajin-chili salt.

For salad lovers, there’s a Poblano Chicken Salad that includes fresh vegetables and a chipotle vinaigrette, as well as a Seared Ahi Tuna Salad, served with black beans and a chili lime vinaigrette.

“We offer six salsas and one pico,” Palmer-May says, adding that Carlita’s menu is a bit on the spicy side. “We also make a ghost pepper crema, which doesn’t taste that hot at first, but after a few bites, you can feel the heat.”

Palmer-May praised Carlita’s three chefs, Nick Hoefs, Nick Arenas, and Auden Flinn, for their culinary talents, noting that they create every dish in-house. “They’re all good cooks,” he says. “We have a pretty small kitchen, but they get the job done.”

Along with its many eclectic food choices, Carlita’s offers an extensive list of about 70 tequilas, most of them additive-free. “We focus a lot on tequila here, and I would argue that we have the best tequilas in the state,” Palmer-May says. Margaritas are the most popular mixed drinks and come in many flavors, including mango, blackberry, strawberry, and passion fruit, he adds. “They’re traditional and we make them fresh daily.”

The libations menu also includes an array of house cocktails such as Agua de Perro, made with vodka, lemon, and lavender; Speedball, with tequila, Kahlua, cold-brew coffee, and coconut milk; Romper, featuring bourbon, Benedictine, mint, and lemon; and Bourbon Renewal, a mixture of bourbon, cassis, and lemon.

Carlita’s procures its food from a mix of sources, but most of it is locally acquired to ensure quality and variety, Palmer-May says. The restaurant can accommodate almost 200 guests, including indoor and outdoor seating. There’s also a special events room that folks can rent for private gatherings. “This place is a lot of fun, and it’s different,” he says. “It has a great atmosphere, and we have the best views. Even when you’re inside, you feel like you’re outside, and no matter where you’re sitting, you have great views of the city.”

Carlita’s is owned by the Urban Restaurant Group, founded by Mark Byrum, who was born and raised in Springfield. The longtime entrepreneur and CEO also owns the Gordon Tavern on the ground floor of the Gordon Hotel, as well as another Carlita’s in Portland and numerous other restaurants for both casual and fine dining.

Located on the rooftop of the Gordon Hotel at 550 Oak Street, Carlita’s is open seven days a week from 4 pm to 10 pm. Happy hour is from 4 pm to 6 pm and 9 pm to close (excluding happy hour cocktails on Friday and Saturday, 9 pm to close). Reservations are not necessary unless you have a party of six or more.