Stopped in for dinner on a Monday night. The place was pretty full (it's a small place) and we only…read morehad to wait a few minutes. We started with a couple of their local draft beers, the chilaquiles(special) and the elote. The chilaquiles were delicious! Very flavorful but all the chips were quite soggy and a little thick. We also got a hot sauce on the side which was divine! It was spicy and had a great taste as well! The elote was sweet, juicy and the spices it was covered in were delicious! For our meals we got the steak and chorizo tacos, cauliflower tacos, Baja cod tacos and the pork carnitas tacos. All of the tacos were delicious! Again, the tortilla was a little thick, which was nice but it was falling apart a little. The cauliflower tacos already had a nice amount of spice to them. These were a great veg option for our vegetarian. The steak and chorizo tacos were interesting as it seems they were blended into a crispy pan fried patty and the sauce it came with was incredible. The cod tacos were my favorite! The fish was well seasoned, super crispy and very light! The sauce it was served with was rich abs tasty as well. I wasn't a fan of the pomegranate but that was my fault--should have ordered without it. They did not have any dessert. The service was also so great! The staff is very friendly and efficient. Would definitely recommend!

My friend and I came here on whim while walking through Edinburgh. When we arrived, we were the…read moreonly customers in the restaurant. They have good specials and we ordered their two taco special. The beef in the tacos was on the tough side and definitely could have been more tender. The service was slow despite us being the only people in the shop at the time and the waitress we had was not very friendly. The margarita was weak and watery. Overall this was a disappointing stop and I likely wouldn't come again.

Paella in Edinburgh? YES PLEASE - the dishes are good and the staff was very attentive (kind of an…read moreodd for European ways, but I always welcome kind and friendliness). The salsa lacked tomatoes so it was okay, but the guac was yummy! Fajitas and Paella were delicious.

Margarita was better than food but expensive. Nothing was right. It seemed like they didnt know…read morewhat Mexican food was supposed to be. Ordered Queso and it was some orange mystery stuff totally wrong. I ordered chili relleno which is a pepper stuffed with cheese ... not here. Husband commented seemed like a Turkish guy trying to do Mexican food but no idea what he's doing. Didnt bring salsa or chips. Would never come back. Do not recommend.

Went here a few years ago and had an incredible meal! Went yesterday, had a very sad excuse for a…read moremeal. Can't say one good thing about the food anymore. Poor food quality, enchiladas tortilla fell apart like it was super old and dried out, the enchiladas were cheese only but had a very sharp aged white English cheddar in them. Not edible. Beef tacos had no cheese at all and were so greasy they also fell apart. Rice was ok, beans were old and bland. Nachos were ok. A half carafe of plain margarita was like £28!!!! It was only 2.5 drinks in there! Plus it was frozen for some reason (did not indicate that style anywhere on the menu) and were difficult to drink. Brain freeze! Unfortunately, the staff/owners probably don't care because the place is packed anyway. Eat here at your own risk.

My family and I went here to visit my sister and were really craving some good Mexican food…read more Originally we went and they put us in the basement and there was not many people and no music so the ambiance was a bit awkward. After a little while more people came and they put on some music which made it a pretty good vibe. The service was really good and we ordered the nachos, burritos, and chimichangas with vegan hagis and they were all really delicious. The tortilla soup was a little too spicy for my comrade but still delicious nonetheless. They crammed us in to one table with 5 people but it turned out to be fine so I'd give a review of 4.3/5.0.

On the long, never-ending quest to find good Mexican in Edinburgh. The quest continues, but Taquito…read moreis a worthy contender. As a west-coast American my standards are high and my taste buds are picky. We have had a few decent meals here and there in this city, but nothing nails it. While Taquito might not put up much of challenge on the U.S. market, compared to the rest of the UK, it is pretty strong. First, this place is just recently opened so it is still getting its bearings. The hours seem to be a bit hit and miss, as we have passed by several times, but only found them open this one instance. Hopefully that changes. The atmosphere is a bit sobering, definitely more of a take-away or quick bite, not a place for ambiance or romance. The staff (i.e. the one man who works there) was very friendly and the menu offerings are simple: burrito, burrito bowl (all fixings minus the tortilla), tacos, nachos. Meat options are simple as well: chicken, bbq pulled pork, beef barbacoa and vegetarian. Simple really: pick your meat, pick your style, and done. There are a few areas where this place shines. First, the tortillas seem fresh and perhaps homemade. If not homemade, they are definitely not of the bready, dry variety often found in UK Mexican joints. Second, they flat-grill the burrito after it is made, which served to give it some texture, give it added flavor, and hold it together. Next, they fill it up with all the extras unless your request otherwise. Also, they give you the option for SUPER spicy heat. We can take some killer heat, but pile on pico de gallo, green salsa, jalepenos, and habanero sauce and we were crying. No worries, they were happy tears. Finally, somewhere that can pack in the heat. If you dont like heat they can do it completely mild as well. All this for bargain prices (just over 3 quid per burrito) makes Taquito a super option in the otherwise dreary Tollcross. If you have a Mexican craving and are up for a quick, cheap bite this place is worth a try.

Definitely not the "Mexican" style food that I'm used to, but as far as getting a quick lunch for a…read moregood price - it's not bad! I've found that Mexican food in the UK is sweeter and almost never spicy. My husband got one of the burritos, and I got a small serving of nachos with no meat. The staff is pretty friendly, the space is relatively clean, and once you get used to the lack of hot & spicy, the food is actually pretty good! Even the small serving of nachos were quite a lot of food, and while I really enjoyed them, I couldn't eat the whole thing. Good, casual, inexpensive lunch spot.

Popped in for some vegan fish tacos. Ordered two as soon as I walked in and didn't realize 2 came…read morewith each order. I've always said a good taco starts at the tortilla, and let me tell you, the fresh corn tortillas were *chefs kiss. The atmosphere was lively and the staff was attentive. Make sure you bring cash because they only take cash payments. There's an ATM at the nearby grocery market as a helpful hint. I overheard quite a bit customers in the restaurant say their food was delicious. Give this place a go!

I had heard about this place through Reddit! Also came up during a conversation with someone else I…read moreknow in Edinburgh that was checking out Mexican restaurants in the area. I had passed by a few times but never stopped in since being on exchange, however with the end of my program approaching I decided to give it a go. The restaurant had three green flags to me: cash only, Spanish music playing, and the cooks were speaking in Spanish. I decided to order the vegetarian Chile relleno with a Coca Cola. While waiting I looked around and admired the decor inside, it's luchador themed! My food arrived promptly and I immediately dug in. The peppers from the Chile relleno had a touch of heat but wasn't really spicy. The flavors and textures were perfect. Washed down with the coke made a perfect meal. Honestly my experience was everything I wanted in the moment. I definitely regret not swinging by sooner when I was craving good Mexican food. Was definitely really great! Would recommend to anyone wanting Mexican food or simply good food :)

OK, we're all geeks here, right? Right. We've all seen Guardians of the Galaxy?…read more The scene in the prison where all hell breaks loose, and Rocket and Groot are fighting bad guys, and the bad guys are all like "PEW! PEW! PEW!" and Rocket doesn't have a gun, and then Drax arrives and is like "BAM! BAM! BAM!" and kicks people and throws Rocket a gun, and Rocket says "Oh.... yeah!" in an almost religious way? That "Oh... yeah!" was how I felt when I took my first bite out of a Jack's burrito for the first time in a long time this evening. I donated to the Jackstarter to help Illegal Jack's return from the dead, so I popped in today for the first time since the reopening to see how things had gone (and pick up my swag bag, priorities, people!) and I didn't plan to stay and eat due to lack of time... Then I saw a couple of burritos being built in front of me. And I smelled the pulled pork... and I caved, people. I folded quicker than a paper tent in a hurricane. I watched the staff look after the woman ordering two burritos to takeaway, wrapping the first one and leaving it where steam and heat would stop it going cold while the second was assembled. I love attention to detail like that. Also, using the lid of whatever filling you choose to catch any spillage so the fillings aren't cross contaminated. Little things make a difference, people. It came to be my turn. I opted for carnitas (that's what the pulled pork smell wafted out of) with a mild salsa, sour cream, pinto beans, seasoned rice and cheese. I watched in awe as the burrito was rolled. I really need to learn how to do this myself some day, I took my cup, filled it up with Coke and sat down. One bite later, I was back in Tex-Mex heaven. I'd missed Jack's, I really had. Other places may have more branches, but quantity isn't quality. Jack's is quality. The new premises are still a work in progress as Mr. Jack (nice bloke!) explained to me, but are still clean, bright, comfortable and welcoming, and even the music being played ticked all the boxes for me. Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd? Perfect Tex-Mex music. Honestly, I can't fault it. I will be back, I will eat too much every time I go, and I wil swear that I'll never do it again. But it's a lie. It's all a pretty little lie... Oh, and if you're in over the next week or so? Ask about the cranberry salsa - it's astonishing! Welcome back, Jack. You were missed..

BURRITOS! WHO DOESN'T LOVE EM??…read more Last night after a long and rainy day at work I coerced two coworkers of mine to join me for a bite out. My bus routes being what they are, I'd not only seen the remnants of the old Illegal Jack's on Lothian Road (though never got to try it), but now had spotted the new location along St. Patrick's Square nestled in the corner. Because we were looking for a budget meal that we could still sit down to, we decided to give Illegal Jack's a go. The first thing that became apparent to us is that Illegal Jack's has actually employed friendly staff. Wha... what? Where even am I? Walking in the door to being greeted with smiles and genuine friendliness is such a novelty when so many places give you the ambivalent "I'm being nice because I have to" luke-warm treatment at best, or downright snubbing at worst. And yet when we walked into Illegal Jack's the two gals at the counter of wonder were chatty and all smiles, and we had a short conversation about how good the music they were playing was. (Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack anyone?) Next comes prices. I got a small veggie haggis burrito (score!) that was somewhere around 6 pounds. Normally I'd be greedy and add chips or sides, but even this burrito being small, it's actually massive (I was impressed the gal at the till managed to perfectly roll it, and even smush it all around so the proportions were evenly mixed--MY HERO). So I topped it off with a nice wheat ale from Stewart's and left with my bill around 11 pounds. Not bad at all for a solid beer and a solid burrito. Next came seating. Illegal Jack's isn't quite up to restaurant standards of atmosphere for obvious reasons, but the seats feel a lot cozier and less standardized than your typical Pinto's or burger chain. We sat down next to a gentleman mysterious staff member who was doing some laptop work--he very nicely jumped to shift some of his things to the side for us so we could sit. Again, as I was remarking loudly that the music was lovely he thanked me for noticing as he must've been the man in charge of the playlist (come on, Grateful Dead was playing, my hippie heart rejoiced!). But enough about my music tastes. How was the burrito, you may ask? Delicious, of course! That was a really damn solid burrito. My coworker even did a happy dance (twice) whilst she ate it, which I think is a good sign for any burrito. Even more than that, when the gentleman staff sitting next to us noticed my bottle of Louisiana hot sauce on the table he disappeared into the back and plopped down a bottle of Scotch Bonnet + Mango hot sauce from his personal supply in the back for us to try. Damned if it wasn't delicious, but whoo it had some great heat! Overall I left this place feeling 1) chuffed as all get out 2) with super duper happy tummies 3) pleased at how NICE everyone was and 4) STOKED that I have found an amazing burrito place that I can easily get to (lamenting the fact that Los Cardos is all the way on the other end of town in Leith!). So if you're fancyin' a fairly-priced burrito in a joint that feels just a little bit closer to home, give Illegal Jack's a scope. I know for certain I'll be back!

This is a hole in wall taco place and so good…read more It was a rainy day so I don't think think the employee anticipated how many pick up orders were coming through as well as a few parties coming in. He explained the situation, apologized, and said he reached out to a co-worker to come help. Poor guy was hustling. With that, when he made my tacos, they were a bit sloppy but since he was rushed - he loaded them! I got the hard tacos with barbocoa beef. Very tasty!! I couldn't finish al 3 since they were so loaded. They had so many condiments to choose from at a counter away from the food order spot. We food a couple of bar stool seats on a ledge facing the window. I'm glad we stopped in here and surprised how well Scotland can do Mexican!

Can't believe I'm writing this review for a Mexican joint in Europe - goes against everything I…read moreknow to eat Mexican food while I'm abroad but I was starving and had a craving and decided to chance it on the amazing reviews from everyone else. This place is GOOD. It's as close to Mexican food from home as I've ever had while I've been abroad AND it's reasonably priced -- don't miss this one!

We were staying at the Virgin Hotel right up the street. This place was chosen out of pure…read moreconvenience. We were seated immediately. We ordered chips and salsa to start. The chips were served with a chipotle style salsa and another salsa that I would describe as "Pace Picante" supermarket salsa. I ordered the steak tacos and my husband ordered the steak burritos. The steak tasted like it sat in a crockpot in a sauce of some kind. What's it terrible? No. Was it great? No. We were pretty hungry, it was pouring rain and we got a meal out of convenience. Would we go back? No.

The steak taco good, the tequila good, the chicken enchilada ? Avoid. Very little meat and over…read moresauced with sweet taste. If expecting good MEXICAN food, not quite it. Some margaritas and tacos maybe the best option.

Mexican food in Scotland? So we were going to go to a nearby famous brewery. The vibes there were…read moreoff. It was empty, smelled weird, and we just couldn't stay for lunch. A couple doors down we saw Mexican and thought why not!?! As an American I had very low expectations, as I just couldn't fathom good Mexican in Scotland. But guess what, I was proven wrong!!! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and spicy! The queso wasn't the best but I'll give them a pass because my desert was maybe one of the best things I have eaten in my life! My dessert was horchata ice cream (that tasted like dulce de leche) and cinnamon sugar flour tortilla chips. We had a spa appt and couldn't stay, but I would have finished it all!!! Highly recommend if you are in Edinburgh and want something different.

I call this fancy gourmet gringo Mexican food. Doesn't mean it isn't good, just not authentic and…read moreI would not expect authentic Mexican in Scotland anyway. The service is ok. The ambiance is upbeat and good Spanish music. Fairly extensive menu of street tacos, enchiladas, burritos, tostadas, starters. Good variety of tequilas and margaritas. We shared between three of us: grilled prawn tostadas, roasted cauliflower street tacos, charred corn and refried bean quesadillas, chipotle roast vegetables quesadillas. Husband also ordered shredded honey pork tacos. Everything was very flavorful. Nothing spicy though. The Union Mezcal old fashioned margarita was good with mezcal tequila although a bit too sweet. The Tommy margaritas were even sweeter. Overall a very good dinner and I would recommend.