
Twenty-eight-year-old Moises Mendoza has a message about the new taproom he opened on June 1 .
“This is Keizer’s new spot,” he said.
Named Mesa Del Rincón, meaning “the corner table,” Mendoza’s taproom is located at 5137 River Rd. N., in the old location of Growler Movement.
Mendoza opened after a four-month restoration period.
“I couldn’t have done it without my friends and family,” Mendoza said.
The son of blueberry farm workers, Mendoza grew up in north Salem, attending North Salem High School and in 2021, graduated from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix Ariz., earning a master’s degree in secondary education.
Mendoza’s first teaching job came when he found a place at Claggett Creek Elementary, where he worked from 2018-2023 as a Migrant Specialist for two years and then an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher as well as a PE teacher.
Mendoza currently serves as one of the varsity soccer coaches for north Salem High School.
“I knew that I wanted to pursue an education but also, like the students that I taught and players that I coach, I was thinking there’s more I have to give,” Mendoza said.
He opened in Keizer because, after his years working at Claggett, the city had grown close to his heart.
Mendoza moved past his time at Claggett taking a marketing job with a local senior living company, which was what helped push him to open a taproom.
The result is a more enjoyable and relaxed environment from his original plan to open a bar. He quickly grew disillusioned with the scene associated with bars such as drinking shots of liquor.
“I don’t want the typical bar where you go and gamble or take shots. I want a place where folks can sit down and converse with somebody you haven’t connected with,” he said.
The difference between a bar and a taproom is the ambiance as well as what is served, according to Mendoza.
“The biggest difference would be the variety of beers and the intention behind it. In the tap room, people try different IPAs that aren’t as accessible,” Mendoza said.
“At a bar you get your hard liquor drinks, you’ll have lottery machines. It’s just a different environment,” he said.
With 18 different beers and ciders on tap, Mesa del Rincón meets Mendoza’s vision of having as many beers on tap as possible.
Both traditional Mexican beers like Estrella and Modelo are offered as well as classic Oregon craft beers such as Fort George and Gilgamesh.
Mendoza also carries all of Salem cider brews, La Familia’s hard ciders.
Remaining consumer-focused, Mendoza picks new drinks based on the feedback of patrons.
He personally prefers beer over other types of alcohol, but his reasoning for focusing only on serving beer goes beyond that.
“It’s a social drink,” Mendoza said. “It’s not just the concept of drinking the beer, but who you’re drinking the beer with and where you’re drinking the beer.”
He also plans on having on tap beers that are both adventurous and cautious.
“Most tap rooms will only cater to IPA drinkers or people with a lot of beer knowledge. Here at Mesa we have a balance for folks that know what they like and those that don’t,” Mendoza stated.
By having a set list of craft beer, Mexican beer and cider as well as a rotating selection, Mesa Del Rincón attempts to cater to those wanting to experiment and those wanting a familiar sip.
“That’s what a lot of the tap houses are missing,” Mendoza said.
The name for the bar comes from Mendoza waxing nostalgic for warm, lazy Sunday mornings, cool beer and good tunes, particularly that of Los Tigres Del Norte, a regional Mexican music band.
In their song, La Mesa Del Rincón, lead singer Jorge Hernandez, sings the line: “Me vine a refugiar ah en la mesa del rincón,” which means, “I came to take refuge there at the corner table.”
“The vision was: I’m going to pour some cold beers and listen to the old school music I grew up listening to. It just so happened that our spot is in the corner,” Mendoza said.
While no food is served at Mesa Del Rincón, Mendoza can get a personal pizza from Odd Moe’s, a pizza business nearby in Keizer.
Customers need to ask for a coupon, earning them a $5 personal pizza.
“I thank Keizer and all its people for everything that they’ve done to allow us to get here and bring another small business to Keizer,” he said.
Contact Quinn Stoddard
[email protected] or 503-390-1051
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