12 restaurants opening in the Salem area in 2020 to get excited about

Emily Teel | Salem Statesman Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption The top food and drink trends for 2020 The top food and drink trends for 2020 mainly focus on healthier options. Buzz60’s Sean Dowling has more.

Big changes happened in the Salem dining scene in 2019. While several longstanding restaurants closed, the city and region also welcomed vibrant new food businesses poised to become the city’s new favorites. The new year will usher in even more, including two area restaurants set to open on the second of January. Listed alphabetically, here are 12 restaurants coming to the Salem area in 2020.

Azuls Taco House Downtown

The first location of Azuls Taco House, on Edgewater Street in West Salem, has been open for less than a year, but owners Tino Land and Augustine "J" Razo, Jr are bringing their taco shop concept, one differentiated by its mile-long menu, downtown. In early 2020 they’re opening a new location, this one with a full liquor license, to the 245 Court Street space adjacent to La Familia Cider’s new taphouse.

Read More: Azuls Taco House to open second location downtown adjacent to forthcoming La Familia Cider

Chronic Tacos Salem

Couple Angel Scott and Kristoffer Scott have signed a lease at 268 Liberty St NE, and plan to open Chronic Tacos Salem, Oregon's first outpost of Southern California-based fast casual chain Chronic Tacos Mexican Grill. They ran into major delays, but have finally commenced construction on the space and are projecting opening by May.

Read More: Oregon's first Chronic Tacos location to open in Salem

Donatello’s Independence

Downtown Independence is getting a pizza place. Window signage indicates that a new location of Donatello's Pizza is heading for the former Three-Legged Dog location at 250 South Main Street. The posted menu appears to be identical to that at 3981 Commercial Street in Salem. Mike Pfohl confirmed he hopes to open the first week in January.

Support local journalism: Stay informed with all of the latest food and drink news. Become a Statesman Journal subscriber and get unlimited digital access to stories that matter. And through Jan. 2, a one-year digital subscription is just $29.

Fork Forty Food Hall

There will be pizza, there will be satay, there will be gluten-free waffle sandwiches, smoothies and soft-serve ice cream; when Fork Forty Food Hall finally opens it will be home to six independently-owned food businesses under one roof.

Read More: Four more vendors confirmed for Fork Forty Food Hall: smoothies, pizza, Thai and ice cream

Kkoki Korean Barbecue

The former The Rock Wood Fired Pizza space is slated to become a new location of Korean barbecue restaurant Kkoki BBQ, a regional brand with locations in Beaverton, Portland and Eugene. The owners paused development of the Salem location to focus on opening in Eugene, which opened in mid-November, and Salem is next.

Read More: The Rock Wood Fired Pizza is closed, space to become Kkoki Korean Barbecue

La Familia Ciderhouse

La Familia, the Salem cidery that makes hard ciders inspired by Mexican aguas frescas, is opening their first taproom at 235 Court Street NE. Projected to open in early 2020, it will have between 20 and 30 taps, pouring mostly cider, their own and others, as well as beer from Salem area breweries, and non-alcoholic options as well.

Read More: La Familia Hard Cider to open taproom in downtown Salem

Las Gorditas Ricas

Armando and Eva Ornelas are opening a new restaurant called Las Gorditas Ricas in the former Roxy Dawgs location at 324 Church Street NE. Renovations of the Church Street space are underway to add new flooring, lighting fixtures, fresh paint and design elements. Armando said they’re hoping to offer a fresh take on Mexican flavors in a format friendly to city workers with limited time for lunch. The restaurant will officially open on January 2.

Read More: Two couples to bring Las Gorditas Ricas, a new Mexican restaurant, to Church Street

Marco Ristorante Italiano

Chef Marco Balderi, an experienced Italian chef and restaurateur, plans to open a new restaurant in the stately space flanking Salem's Historic Grand Theatre at 195 High Street NE. Baldieri said he plans to make minimal changes to the interior of the High Street space, and the menu is a work in progress. He plans to open Marco Ristorante Italiano early in 2020.

Read More: New Italian restaurant from experienced chef heading for the former Paradiso at The Grand

T4 Tea House

Just across Keizer Station Boulevard from In-N-Out Burger, Michelle Wong and Dicky Chan are opening a Taiwanese-style bubble tea house and snack shop at 6395 Keizer Station Boulevard #104. T4 is a bubble tea franchise founded in Taiwan in 2004. Now the brand has more than a dozen franchise locations in California and is expanding globally. Wong and Chan's Clackamas location represents the second in Oregon and Keizer will be the third.

Read More: Basil popcorn chicken and honey peach bubble tea at new cafe coming to Keizer

Taste of Hawaii

Taste of Hawaii, a new restaurant, will soon replace the Santiam Grill at the Santiam Golf Club outside of Stayton. Norman and Francine Williams previously owned Maui Grill, first in Stayton (in the space at 1005 First Avenue most recently vacated by Squatchy's BBQ) and later at 25th Street SE and McGilchrist in Salem. Taste of Hawaii is projected to open on Friday, January 3.

Read More: Taste of Hawaii, a new restaurant with tropical flair, planned for Santiam Golf Club

The River from Gilgamesh Brewing

Next spring, Gilgamesh Brewing will open The River, a third location, at 370 South Main Street in Independence. The venue will include an indoor pub space, an outdoor stage for hosting entertainment and, eventually, a distillery.

Read More: Gilgamesh Brewing to open The River, a pub plus music venue, in Independence

Wicked Sweet Bakery

Le Cordon Bleu baking grad Katie Peters and husband Michael closed their business, Stayton's The Doughnut Shop back in May. They've recently announced plans to open a sweet new spot in Keizer's former Fortaleza Bakery at 3852 River Road North.

Read More: Wicked Sweet Bakery, from former Stayton doughnut shop owners, opening soon in Keizer

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