Say what you want about the condition of the building or restaurant. This place has and always tastes delicious! Great portions. Tasty seasoned food! And when I went the staff was very friendly and welcoming. Yes the restaurant looks old, but there were people inside dining and watching tv and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. This place is legendary! read more

The burrito was decent, not the best and not the worst. I asked for a cabeza burrito and the meat tasted like carne asada. The carne asada taco was okay, it was not flavorful and smoky. The texture was also dry as if it's been reheated multiple times. read more

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Have only been to the SF location but the SJ location will still satisfy. Great value here with super burrito and super quesadilla at $8.50 each. I got the carnitas super burrito and it comes stuffed. Came out hot and loaded with meat, cheese, rice, beans, and sauce. Meat had good flavor and wasn't tough but on the saltier side. The quesadilla also came out hot and stuffed with carne asada and cheese. Both had pieces of guac that were creamy. Comparing SJ to SF locations, I think the SF location tastes better and has better meat flavor and freshness. SJ location is not a bad choice if you don't want to drive to SF. This place takes card and Apple Pay. read more

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I spent 40 on my super burritos and a crunchy taco I was so mad when I ate it it was DRY AS HELL I ordered two carne asada tacos and they were dry the meat is dry asf the service was coo but I will never eat there again I bought a homeless person a quesadilla because the woman taking orders wouldn't take his 20 bill smh the service was dry ambiance dry smh I used to eat here back in 2015 it was good but now no hell no ! Me and my man will not be eating here anymore read more

This bean and cheese burrito was serious. Huge portion for $4.75. The bean to cheese ratio was awesome. 4 stars because I think that the burrito could have been wrapped better and the salsa was just OK. They didn't have a spicy sauce. read more

El Farolito - Bean and cheese burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

I didn't know we had an El Farolito in San Jose! Pros: Glad i don't need to head North to eat at this Local Legend... Cons: I can see why their ratings are not the greatest. There is no tables side service... There is hardly any service at all, actually. This location ehos a hole in the wall vibe: The tables are dirty, you have to clean them yourselves on top of not enough seating. The venue is not very inviting or all that clean in general. The parking lot is small and shares spaces with surrounding businesses. #LocalLegend: ~ Super Shrimp & Meat Burrito - 3.5/5 While the Burrito was very good, I thought they forgot to put meat in it... so essentially it was just a Shrimp Burrito. I'm certain I didn't get any "meat" in it. At least it was tasty. ~ Super Quesadilla - 4/5 This was just a good solid Quesadilla. No complaints. I'll probably stop by and get food to go from now on if I'm ever carving El Farolito... read more

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The location is a bit dodgy and the interior of the taqueria feels dated like an 80s movie. The host may not speak fluent English but as an SJ resident that is a given. They will cook your food to order and give you generous portions. I ordered the taquitos and super burrito after a long day and man did they change my mood. You don't come here for a fine dining experience. You're here because you're lazy to cook at home and was craving greasy goodness read more

El Farolito - taquitos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

BEST BEST BEST BEST carne asada burrito EVER. Did I already say burrito ever? Ive tried so many mexican places, I've lost count. In California, we are lucky to have such huge influences in great and vast mexican food and that's definitely more true in San Jose. I dont know how el farolito marinades their beef and how they grill it but it tastes so authentic and tender. At $8.50 and super stuffed after, it's such a great deal. read more

Super stoked to learn my favorite taqueria in SF has now branched out with a location 20 minutes from us! I strayed from my usual carne asada super quesadilla suiza and tried the carne asada super burrito. The fiancé got the chili verde super burrito. Both contained a generous amount of juicy, flavorful meat, fresh creamy avocado, sour cream, rice, beans and melty cheese. A steal at $8.50 each. No salsa bar, but when we asked for salsa they gave us one green and one red each. They happily obliged my lime request too. The inside could have been cleaner. read more

El Farolito - Carne asada super burrito ($8.50) - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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I stopped by late-ish Saturday afternoon and they were fairly busy. My super carne asada burrito came out relatively quick. The shop is a small hole-in-the wall that serves up affordable Mexican food. I noticed most prices were between $10-$15+. My burrito was sturdy and decently portioned. All the ingredients were well balanced and there wasn't a flab of tortilla at the end. The burrito was almost nostalgic and reminded me of the burritos I had as a kid. Interior is pretty dated and I recommended just grabbing to-go. read more

Stopped by a couple more times. Got my usual super carne asada burrito. It's kind of inconsistent. At times there's a ton of gristle and others the meat is too finely chopped that it's more like braised beef then asada. Still a ton of meat though and a bang for the buck. read more

To the owner, please do something about the employee Sara (she has a long braid and wears eyeliner). We are regular customers who frequent this restaurant and spend a lot of money here, but due to this experience, we will not be returning. For the first time, I sent my kids to order 4 burritos and she had messed up the order in multiple ways. Firstly, she had charged them for super burritos when in reality they had asked for regular, and on top of that she had charged my son for 5 burritos when they only ordered 4. When my kids went back to point out the mistake, they were immediately disrespected by her. Instead of admitting/fixing the mistake that was completely of her doing, she had a nasty attitude and started yelling at my kids, saying that they don't understand nor speak "good Spanish" (when she could've spoken English from the start if that really was the problem). She then claimed that the burritos were a different price than what was shown on the menu in order to not fix the mistake, then switched up the story saying that super burritos were ordered, then kept telling my kids to "order it right and speak better Spanish" next time. I had to show up to the restaurant as my kids felt completely disrespected. When I showed up, we were met with yet another explanation and more made up prices that didn't match up with what she claimed was ordered. (We had literally gone 5 days prior and had receipts of everything, and had the menu in front of our faces with no indication that prices were changed). She was so rude and was belittling/yelling at minors, which is absolutely unacceptable behavior. Spanish is my first language and my kids speak fluent Spanish & can understand Spanish perfectly. Since she was complaining about bad Spanish and ordering things "right", I spoke to her in English and she refused to speak in back in English. All her yelling and the attitude towards my children was completely unnecessary. They will make you feel bad if you order in English or in Spanish. read more

El Farolito - charged $10.30 for a regular burrito then accused of ordering a super burrito w/chile relleno - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

They have great customer service and delicious menudo and caldo de res. 100 percent recommended plus barbacoa every Sunday!

Great food, excellent prices!! A definite go-to place! From appearances it might look eh, but you have to give it a try

Went here with my staff after work last week. Food was 5 stars good. The burritos, tacos, and steak plate were all great. No complaints from anyone. The prices were amazing and very affordable. The spot has a little parking. The vibe there is nice. They had the tvs on watching the soccer game. read more

Phenomenal place ot get authentic Mexican food. Very reasonable price for food and the flavor and texture was excellent. Ordered the Chili Verde burrito and had to come back the next day to try a different cut of meat. The cabeza was ok but would definitely come back for the carnitas or chili verde. Highly recommended. read more

I purchased a burrito from them it was delicious juicy. Then I bit into it for the second time when I heard this cracking and I spit the food out I realized it was rocks? I was very puzzled and not sure what happened but my grandmother told me it was basically dirt in the rocks I was eating dirt that is disgusting very upset read more

Food was amazing best mexican food in san jose hands down and service was amazingly fast and the cashier was very nice I will be back again soon. read more

Love this place! Hands down the best asada quesadilla in town for the price. The food is delicious, and the service is quick. One small tip -- I'd recommend asking for the pico de gallo on the side, as it can make the quesadilla a bit soggy. Other than that, it's always a great experience. read more

El Farolito in Oakland used to be my favorite years ago. Saw this one and decided to try it. Saturday night and it was a little busy. Small cozy dining room with 2 TVs playing a soccer game. Only to a couple minutes to have our order taken. I got the steak super burrito it was as good as I remembered. My husband got the super nachos. They were really good too. Both the red and green salsas were good. I would definitely eat here again. read more

El Farolito - Super Nachos - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Huge portions for a great price! Will be returning. I got the carnitas burrito, and my partner got the carne asada. Both were great, but I'd recommend the carne asada. read more

Muy mala atención por la cajera su nombre( Ceci) me imagino su nombre Cecilia .. fue muy grocera con sus compañeros de trabajo al frente de los clientes y se lo ose saber y demostró q no tiene profesionalismo mucho menos educación.. Comida muy bien read more

El Farolito is my old faithful. whenever I have sub par Mexican food elsewhere, I need to hit back here to wash always those sins. El Farolito is my standard for what decent Mexican food should be. read more

So I went to try out the Fish Tacos and they were delish. They do bread the fish before they put it on the grill. It's the OG kind of way for us Latinos. I prefer mine grilled without the breading. I gave it the 5 because it was made ON DEMAND. Fresh, not just sitting there in some pan over some heating lamp. I had to wait a few minutes and worth it. You could taste the fresh fish in the tortilla with the lettuce and special habanero sauce. Horchata was pretty good too. The orange hot sauce was perfect on the tacos. Nice and spicy and added that kick to the plate. They make a fat shrimp burrito with plenty of shrimp in it. Tried it. yum yum!! Very satisfied that they offer Mexican seafood on their menus. The local San Jose competitors Tequila Taqueria and Los Pericos have some serious competition. El Farolito was muy bueno. read more

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El Farolito is my favorite taqueria in SF. Finally decided to try out their SJ location...even though I knew better than messing with a good thing. Ordered the same thing I always get in SF - super quesadilla with chicken. Admittedly sometimes I waver between pollo and asada. But this outpost's version of the pollo left me baffled - the quesadilla was swimming in a pool of ....what I can only describe as chicken juice?? Which since there's no such thing I can only presume is grease? Leaving a very soggy and messy quesadilla. Can't the meat be drained before putting it in the quesadilla? Idk somehow SF has figured out how to get around this. I won't be back to this spot. read more

This is my go to spot whenever I'm hungry and don't want to spend a lot of money. The food is good, portion sizes are good and the cost is low, perfect eats in this economy! read more

Good consistent food that is priced right and convenient for quick meals. Friendly staff and service is pleasant. read more

Decided to come here after trying the San Francisco Mission Street branch (which blew my mind). Came here for a weekend lunch and by 11, the store was already packed. - Super Burrito with Carne Asada - To be honest, I liked the San Francisco branch burritos a lot more because of how flavorful the rice was but this burrito is still WAY better than anything you get from Chipotle. - Super Burrito with Al Pastor - I was a little disappointed in this one, the pork was a bit too fatty for my taste. - Quesadilla with Carnitas - The amount of cheese there is in here is AMAZING! There were also so much meat and the flavor was amazing, I didn't need any sauce to go with it. Overall, fantastic experience. Also $25 for three things? Yes please, you really cannot find a place with prices and food like this anywhere else in the Bay. read more

El Farolito - Carna Asada - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Im beyond disappointed. Ive been coming here for 15 years and this is by far the worst burrito ive had here. Tortilla is burnt, its not even completely rolled and i got the old burnt parts of the meat. Sad i paid for this!!! Cant see myself ever coming back to this one. Guess ill stick with the one in San Francisco read more

El Farolito - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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It was ok the steak/asada was finely chopped. Every think is cooked to order. I prefer the oakland location read more

El Farolito - Menu very affordable!!! - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

this place lowkey hidden spot. their pastor tacos always so juicy and flavorful and loaded and service is always pretty quick. their super quesadillas r also always super loaded and awesome read more

I understand when a restaurant is busy. But I still found my experience to be unpleasant. I called around 11am to place an order, just to be asked "wait just a minute I will be with you soon". 1 minute turned into 15 minutes, I had decided to make the drive and place my order in person instead, all while still waiting on the phone hearing everyone laugh. I love there's joy in a workplace, but if you're a costumer who's waiting unknowingly you start to feel mocked. Next time just don't answer the phone, or say order in person only so that I don't waste my time waiting for you to stop doing your other tasks. I will avoid this place in the future. read more

Food was good, but watchout for one of the cashiers that will overcharge and also double charge you for chips. That was a turnoff. It's not much but it's the principle. Also wish they had a full salsa bar. read more

Compared to the SF mission location, this one just doesn't hit the spot as much. It doesn't seem like the super suiza that is combined all together, but rather a layer of each thing stacked on top. The quesadilla suiza comes with your choice of meat, sour cream, cheese, avocado, and salsa. You can omit things as you please. Usually the flavors are so rich and salsa + avo mixes in well to give it a freshness and creaminess but this time I had it here, it was a little more dry and felt less "combined" together. The avocado slices were literally avocado sliced up in random chunks but the SF location makes it more of a creamy guac. It was still yummy but just compared to the other locations, it's not THE super suiza quesadilla that I'm used to eating where it naturally sets itself apart from all other Mexican food places. read more

El Farolito - Carne Asada Quesadilla Suiza - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Vegans: the Regular Veggie Burrito comes with beans, rice, lettuce, salsa, and avocado. That's it. No need to ask for no cheese or no sour cream. Easy-peasy and delicious! They also have two salsas to top it off with and kick up the spice: green and red. So many vegetarian burritos rely on cheese and sour cream to boost the flavor, but when you remove those, you're just left with beans and rice! I like the freshness of the lettuce and tomato (salsa), and the bulk of the avocado. This is a little shop on Senter near Capitol. The parking is tight and few spaces, but if you drive around the corner towards the Burger King and gas station, you might find a couple open spots. Or go before usual dinner hours. You could also park at BK and walk a couple min. Wish they had a couple more vegetarian/vegan options, but I get this burrito a couple times a month and am satisfied. read more

El Farolito - Veggie Burrito Regular: beans, rice, salsa, lettuce, & avocado. No need to remove sour cream & cheese. Delicious and satisfying! - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

It's cheap, I'll give them that. Not particularly good and the salsa provided both lacked spiciness and salt, which is honestly a first among all Mexican places I've ever had in my life. I know this place is popular is SF so I hope this place just has the same name and nothing else as it's dragging that name through the mud. I had a burrito and Torta, both edible but at all satisfying. read more

The food is delicious, large portions and reasonably priced, practically a steal. The ceviche tostada, caldo de res, carne asada nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas verdes de pollo and other items I've tried have always been on point. Of course its outdated appearance doesn't appeal to many people, but the food and the employees are wonderful. read more

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Like, like, and like! Sometimes I wonder how long it will take to try every restaurant in the Bay Area. I'm glad I found this place! My friend and I got a regular and a super burrito! These burritos are huge! I was only able to finish half, and even came home and gave half to my sister! I really liked my burrito with all their sauces and spicy carrots, onions and green peppers! Some other places I've been to charge for the pickled spices, so it's super nice of them to have this out. We did need to buy a bag of chips, but this was merely dollars. I guess each restaurant decides what will be complimentary. Now that I think about other restaurants usually have chips as the complimentary item. On a completely different note, it's funny though because when you walk in, I swear it feels like a Taco Bell. I wonder if this place was a Taco Bell before. Enough with my ranting! I recommend this restaurant! read more

El Farolito - Yummy sauces~ - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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This is the same El Farolito that is hyped up and has thousands of reviews in San Francisco. For those who are saying the SF location "Taste" better are reaching. In SJ this is one of the best if not the best casual Mexican spots around SJ. Immediately revoke ANYONE'S credibility if they say La Vic's is good. They are just blinded by the sauce and plugged into the Matrix. But that argument is another story. My go to item here is the super quesadilla suiza with asada or the super nachos with asada. Huge portions for the price, tons of meat, and yet retaining high flavor profile and quality throughout. I've been going to this place for years. My original review was in 2008, and been in their building when it was still Taco Bell and started eating here right when they opened. Throughout those years I kept hearing abut Farolito in SF thinking it was different. I tried it a few years back with a lot of hype and commented it was very familiar and similar. I was of course buzzed after some drinking but then realized it was exactly the same. Portions, quality, menu, logo, etc. For those claiming the SF one taste better may have been blinded like I was. The atmosphere of just being in SF, maybe after a night out of drinks and a buzz all culminate to thinking it is better. Just like people who claim malasadas in Hawaii is all of a sudden so much better amongst other things. Because in comparison the SJ location is no where fancy. So again, there is an El Farolito right here in San Jose. Just as good as the SF one because well it's the same. If there are difference it might be due to the cook/food prep, meat source at the time. read more

This spot is the hidden gem if you want some old school bomb ass mex food at a player price at that. There chile verde super burrito with extra cheese and tell them to grill the outside so the cheese melts inside then the magic begins.you cant go wrong here everythings on hit guaranteed it will last you 2 meals at a affordable price my go to 4 nachos and super burritos... read more