El Forastero

I just got done dropping off the rental SUV my crew and me used for the last 2 weeks in Sacramento…read moreand now I'm have some time off. I decided to drive up to the Tahoe area for some down time and was passing through Placerville on my way up the 50. In N Out seemed like good stop for some lunch. This Placerville location is super easy on and off the freeway. Just take the Forni Road exit, keep right and it's right there. Easy back on the freeway too. I pull in and it's thankfully not too crowded. I go inside cause I don't wanna eat in my car. Inside looks just like every other In N Out, neat and clean. I get to the order taker all smiley, I decide to go for a 3 X 3 Animal style extra grilled onions. That's 3 patties of meat and 3 pieces of cheese. I'll skip the fries this time and have just water to drink. I wait a bit, I guess they're busy with the drive thru orders. My order is up! Wow, they really melted the cheese all over those 3 patties! I gotta open wide to fit that fat burger in my mouth. Yes, that meaty goodness fills my senses and I get this all happy feeling coming down all over me! Yes, that's what In N Out is all about!

I have eaten at different locations and still I have the same feeling about the food…read more It is just ok A bit over hyped for me . I don't know if it's because at the time of writing this I am in a vehicle driven by a person who has no real taste in music or the fact last time eating at a different location it was crowded with teenagers. Service at all the locations which is about six now is fast and the people are friendly. the burgers do seem a little taster with out cheese to me the fry are on the same level as any other fast food fry So the end result is not bad and outstanding Just right in the middle.

3 X 3 Animal Style with Cheese French Fries shaken in ketchup up! Yummmm

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Shoestring

4.3(216 reviews)

2.8 mi

Shoestring in Placerville is a solid stop on the way home. The burgers and hot dogs hit the spot,…read moreespecially after a long day out, and the whole place has that easy, no-frills roadside charm. It's not trying to be anything fancy, which honestly works in its favor. Great spot to refuel before heading back down the hill.

Been coming here since I was a kid. 28 now. Came in with my grandma today. I was recommended to…read moreorder the special by the chef. It was a jalapeño burger and I got it with a chocolate shake. 10/10 I havent been back in a while but its the best service and food I've seen this place. And Ive always loved coming here

Small covered patio

Double cheeseburger with pastrami

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Menu 5/25/2024

Tom’s Burger & Frosty

Great burger and ice cream place. Service is friendly. Ambiance is ok. But the last few times my…read moreburger bun was completely flattened and the burger was way overcooked. Hit and miss sometimes.

I was craving a burger, I don't eat them often and stumbled upon this place on DoorDash. The burger…read morewas delicious. I got the American burger and a chocolate banana shake. Soooo good. Tasted like a real burger off the grill and perfectly toasted bun. Like a mom and Pop shop Burger, which are the best! I will definitely be back!

New Menu

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Chili cheese fries

Carl's Jr

2.0(55 reviews)

0.2 mi

We eat here at least once a week, and the food is always HOT and fresh! Tony is usually at the…read moredrive-thru window, and he is always friendly and upbeat. Even when he's not there, everyone else is just as nice. Great food and great customer service every time! Get some onion rings well done!

Date: Tuesday, November 12th, 2024 Party of: 2…read moreMeal: Lunch Time Ordered: around 1:45pm Picked Up: about 10 mins later How Ordered: via Carl's Jr App *Single Western Bacon Cheeseburger ($7.99) *Jalapeño Double Cheeseburger ($4.79): Lettuce Wrap *3 Piece - Hand-Breaded Chicken Tenders ($6.49): Buffalo Sauce *Waffle Fries ($4.79) *6 piece - Jalapeno POPPERS Bites ($4.99) *20% Off Order (-$5.81) The hubby and I were heading back to SJ from Tahoe. I was hungry, so suggested stopping by Carl's Jr on the way back. I used their app to place the order and we picked it up inside. Luckily they had a 20% off deal that day on the app. Pickup was pretty easy. They had everything ready when I got here. Tho I wanted more sauces after checking our order. It took a while to flag someone down as there was no one behind the counter. I wanted a lettuce wrap burger which is why I picked Carl's Jr. We ate in the car while driving and everything was wrapped nicely for doing so. The hubs western bacon cheeseburger was as expected. I don't know if I've tried the jalapeno burger before, but it was sooo salty! It needed something like onions to cut into it. The chicken tenders were nicely fried as were the poppers. I didn't try the crisscut fries, but they seemed fine. Convenient if traveling to or from Tahoe as it's only an hour away. REVIEW #3623

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McDonalds

1.8(148 reviews)

2.4 mi

This mcdonalds cant make a latte to save their life for whatever reason. I go in the morning one…read moreday and ask them for an iced caramel latte. On their drive through menu it reads that i rang up an iced coffee. I tell the worker "latte, not a coffee" and she said "oh, its the same thing". No its not, but i assumed she just entered it that way on the menu for whatever reason. I get to the window and she says "here's your latte" as she hands me a REGULAR ICED COFFEE. Idk if they're just stupid or they were too lazy to make an actual latte during morning rush. Either way dont make me waste my money on something i didnt order or ask for. On a 2nd occcassion i gave them another chance and tried ordering through the app so theyd actually get my order right and they gave me a latte that wasnt mixed at all and tasted weird, tasted half like a regular coffee and half like latte syrup. Anyways these guys just cant get it together. You'll have much better luck at the one in diamond springs area. Only plus is that service is usually fast and good when im ordering a food item, but dont go here for coffee lol

If I could rate this McDonald's 0 stars I would. While stopping to charge my car i decided to walk…read morein to grab my son a quick bite.. his order was 3 plain cheeseburgers. Not only did our order take over 30 minutes his burgers were made wrong TWICE! The woman's restaurant was also out of soap and the cashier who was handling cash did not wash her hands before goin back to food handling. This place is horrible all around! Beware

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Hog Wild Bar-B-Que

4.5(1.2k reviews)

1.3 mi

The baby ribs was delicious ! The only things has a unusual taste it was potato salad which was…read moresavor. I do not know the mayo got bad or they made it this way. but everything else was great. I wish they open for dinner or early dinner in week day.

Was fortunate enough to come around opening time, so I was able to try several different meat…read moreoptions. The brisket was smoky, tender, and flavorful. The baby back ribs were fall of the bone, and the pulled pork was juicy. Paired with the bbq sauce, all of the meat was elevated from good to GREAT. Sides were also solid and freshly made. You can definitely taste the difference. The staff were all super friendly, checking up on us to see how we were doing a few times throughout the meal, even though we were sitting out in the patio. A very pleasant experience and definitely would come back.

Been awhile since I have been here!

Angry Pit Master Sandwich - With 2 Sides

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Outdoor patio. Order inside at the counter.

Timmy's Brown Bag

4.6(537 reviews)

1.8 mi

Stupid good. I got the brie and apple sandwich, she got the tomato soup and four cheese, both were…read moreinventive, and tasty. We got them to go (there's like three tables outside with seating for maybe ten people, max, combined) and then drove an hour and change before eating them...they would've been spectacular had we eaten them right away, if you're buying them to go, order a sando that sounds like it can sit without degrading. Apple and brie held up, hers not as much. Still good but not as good as they probably were when they were wrapped and bagged.

This place is in a small town and you order and pickup food at a counter with limited outdoor…read moreseating. The sandwiches were a little underwhelming based on the reviews and the price point. I tried the char siu and meat lovers sandwiches which were both on nicely grilled Texas toast. The flavor of the char siu sandwich reminded me of cake noodle and beef broccoli because of the ramen noodles and the overall flavor of the sauce. I didn't get any of the bamboo shoots in the sandwich or maybe they were chopped really small? The char siu was decent, not super tender and not the typical char siu flavor but it wasn't bad. The meat lovers sandwich had a noticeable sweet flavor I'm assuming from the spaghetti sauce but it really lacked depth. It honestly reminded me of canned spaghetti and a sloppy joe. It also seemed like there was no ranch dressing even though it's part of the sandwiches name. I appreciate the creativity and whimsy they've put into their menu. I just don't think the execution and flavor profiles are where they should be.

Inside

Honey Walnut Prawn

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Main Street Melters

4.3(350 reviews)

2.0 mi

Definitely the place to stop in town. I'd be a regular here if I was a local. Lots of veggie…read moreoptions of course and nice cold beer. The pastrami sando was oh so tasty to my lunch date.

Food was amazing Service was great…read more Ambiance was perfect We will definitely come back!

The log interior stays true to the old towne name!

Now that's a half pound of meat to make a sandwich that's well over a pound

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Soft white roll, London broil roast beef, bacon, pepper jack, pepperoncini, red onion, tomato, hot red pepper sauce, and mayo

Panda Express

1.7(201 reviews)

1.0 mi

The chow-mein lacked taste, it is dry, and it has more cabbage than noodles. The portions were…read moresmaller than usual. Love Kung Pao but today it lacked taste. I must say the service was great.

I went through the drive thru at prime feeding time on 6pm on a weekday. The line went fairly…read morequick. Not going to say that is the norm, but in my case it was. My order was packed nicely, not sloppily. I ordered a three item combo plate, cream cheese rangoons, and egg rolls. I even got fortune cookies, utensil packets and soy sauce packets. I ordered orange chicken, beef n broccoli, and honey sesame chicken breast. All of it was tasty. But the orange chicken was particular tasty. It had a slight sweetness and mild pop of spice in flavor and not hot spiciness, tender cuts. The brocilli was perfectly cooked so it was not mushy nor crispy raw. The beef n brocilli and honey sesame chicken were classic. They cook without using MSG! Luv that.

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Santa Maria Taqueria

4.6(196 reviews)

0.5 mi

These tacos and burritos and some of the best around! The tacos are very tastefully created, with…read moregrilled onions and jalapeños. The burritos are very filling and tasty. It's also family owned and has a wonderful meat counter with Green Chorizo and more available for purchase. The green chorizo is great with eggs and cheese. This is a must try spot and some of the best tacos and burritos in California.

Santa Maria Taqueria was one of the best markets I have experienced in years. It's a small modest…read moremarket with hot food prepared while you wait from Ruben and his team. I it a Chili Relleno, chips and salsa. Delicious and while I was there I stocked up on queso blanco, Oaxaca cheese, and different salsas made by the Market. The kind service provided by everyone there and especially Ruben was amazing. I look forward to shopping there on a regular basis. Thank you Ruben!!

Meat counter

Tacos. Many different meats to choose from.

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Meat options for taqueria menu

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4 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Joe M.

2 years ago

Forni rd NO GO the one attached to AM/PM! Not until they get rid of the kid with glasses! The Kid is a punk that will bring this type of business down. He has a bad attitude and pissess paying customers off. Must be a relative or something? The one by Jim boys on broadway is the place to go. Just my 2 cents read more

Brandon F.

7 years ago

Pretty disappointed in this place! Service is terrible rude with no personality! We waited in the drive through for 20 minutes and we were the only people there. read more

Ian C.

2 years ago

God i love this place more than life itself. It's my dream when i sleep it's my nightmare when i'm away

Dee B.

7 years ago

Food not to good and the waiting time in drive thru is ridiculous! Wont be back again.

El Forastero - mexican - Updated October 2026

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El Forastero

3.2

(64 reviews)

My favorite fast food Mexican place in Placerville. Favorites are the street tacos. You can get…read morecarnitas, carne asada and chicken. Their Birria is also excellent. I wish they would bring back their rolled taco special. Another favorite is their chile relleno. If you're on the go you can get a chile relleno burrito! They keep the restaurant clean. I notice them also keeping their salsa bar very clean after each use. The staff is friendly and very efficient. They have a wide variety of different salsas, even some I've never had before. When you dine inside you can serve yourself warm tortilla chips. Overall this place is our go-to when it comes to Mexican food here in Placerville. I recommend you give it a try.

Came on Taco Tuesday! Each taco was $1.99…read moreAnd we were so surprised with the flavor of each taco! Adobada was really tasty! Carnitas had very good flavor as well as soft meat. Asada was good also! We had 3 tacos each + 2 more because we really liked it! Plus they have salsa Bar with many salsas including non spicy to spicy and really spicy. Service was good we got our tacos very quick & very well served. We'll be coming back very soon! (Next Tuesday )

Taqueria Ay Jalisco

4.2

(69 reviews)

The Bierra beef tacosedeas are huge and so tasty. Someday I'll try something else on the menu, but…read morenot anytime soon. The guys working there take pride in their food and it shows.

Absolute garbage. Beans and rice have the same non existent flavor. Watery and bland. I ordered a…read moretaco and it was just a tiny bit of dry meat on a cold tortilla. The place is not exactly friendly and it reminds me of a gas station. The enchilada had cold cheese in it and the "red" sauce was cold and like straight from a can. You're better off going to Taco Bell. Seriously. Don't waste your time.

Del Oro Taqueria

4.5

(6 reviews)

We love this truck. Every dish we've had there has been better than the last. It's a little bit of…read morea wait, because each time we've been there other people are there too.

This local taco truck is serving up delicious tacos! I ordered chicken, al pastor, and quesabirria…read more The food came out quickly, and they have a little area under a tent to sit down and eat if you don't want to take it to go. I really enjoyed all the meats, especially the al pastor. The consome for the birria was flavorful and not too greasy. The people working were nice. I love that they give you grilled onions and jalapenos without having to ask. They have a birria ramen on the menu that I want to go back and try. Overall a tasty experience!

Freshmex Express

3.1

(8 reviews)

I don't know how to express how delicious their burritos are! I swear these are straight heaven,…read moreI'm addicted, amazing!

Honestly, they used to be really good but they have gone downhill. My husband and I ate there…read moreyesterday and were both so disappointed. He got a burrito and a Jarritos. The burrito was all rice and beans with very little meat. I ordered a quesadilla and it was paper thin. I also ordered extra salsa (which I paid extra for) and they didn't give it to me. That and a can of Diet Coke cost almost $40 before tip! Won't be going back.

Pacos Taqueria

4.4

(65 reviews)

Chicken fajitas were delicious. Big portions. Beans were great…read more Relatively quick friendly service. Great pit stop!

Didnt think of giving review at start so didn't take photos of food, however, the service was very…read moregood. The waitress makes you feel welcome and is very kind. Also, there are many Mexican artifacts on the walls and it's very cool. Ps: horchata is super good

Soriano’s Restaurant

4.7

(101 reviews)

What a gem! This small location packs a punch of flavor in a way that feels like a home cook meal…read moreif your grandma knows how to how to cook! The stars were the pupusas and the combination. It really feels like a delicious home cooked meal. Like they take their time to build up flavors in a way that isn't flashy like viral food trends so popular today.but something you realize you've been missing when dining out. Service was great. My wife go nachos which were good maybe even great, however compared to the other dishes it was ok. Least favorite dish was the taquito. It was fine but as a wasn't anything special.

Great wxper and even greater food. I ordered the tacos el carbon which were beyond delicious. I…read morealso tried a bite of their super burrito which was so good that I plan on making this place my new favorite restaurant. The service was quick and very nice. they have a large range of different Salvadoran and Mexican dishes.

Tijuana Taqueria

4.3

(251 reviews)

Amazing!! The best! A little hole in the wall and a well kept secret! The beans and rice flavors…read moreset the pace. I can't wait to go back! Our must stop on the way to Tahoe

I was incredibly hungry after adventuring in the mountains and needed food to-go but really didn't…read morewant fast food. I would be hitting Placerville around 7:30pm on a weekday and options were limited. This place had decent Yelp reviews, so I gave it a try... and it was a fantastic end to a really terrific day. Things to note: -This is probably the only restaurant I've been to post-covid that didn't ask me for a tip when I put my credit card in. I didn't have much cash with me, but dropped a few bills in the tip jar. Next time I come back, I will be sure to leave more! -It was at the end of the day, but service was prompt. -This is also one of the few taqerias I've been too lately lately that still has a free chip and salsa bar. I was really hungry and appreciated freshly made chips! -The first bite ofmy chili relleno burrito pure joy! It was loaded with guacamole with just the right amount of jalapeño and cilantro. There was zero skimping in this thing! I kept expecting to get to a place in the burrito where there would be no guacamole, and that never happened. I should've only eaten half the burrito, but I devoured the entire thing. This is definitely a place I will return to next time I'm passing through Placerville!

Max's Tacos & Cheeseburgers

4.8

(11 reviews)

Really good burger would definitely return during apple hill season. Look this place up on yelp…read moreand would recommend it

I love them as a sandwich joint so wanted to try them out for dinners…read more I really enjoyed the burger. Asked for sauce on the side and sauce came on it so BD couldn't have a bite which was fine because I didn't want to share. No chicken wings that night which was a bummer as I really wanted to try it. Pork Chile verde was tender with big chunks. BD said he wished there was more sauce or maybe more sauce taste because if It was saucier it would be sloppy. He enjoyed the chicken mole but I didn't care for it. Wished there was more toppings on the tacos? It was just meat and tortilla. They did give us sour cream and pico on the side. I want the cheese and onion and cilantro and lettuce. But all in all glad we tried it! Wait was a little long as it's made to order and maybe we had a big order before us? While dude (was it Max?) was really polite to us and chick was super helpful too, their interaction was a little weird. It almost seemed like he was a little aggressive with her. Like maybe she was moving too slow? He would tell her in this exasperated way to do something (flip the chicken, get the water et) like he had told her 20 times already but I only heard him ask her once. Then he would turn to us and be super formal. Then turn back to her and rush her to do something else. Then give us our receipt in a quiet and calm manner. So much back and forth I was cool with just waiting outside. I'd come back for the burgers. Would def come back for the sandwich.

SM Bites

3.9

(18 reviews)

Okay, so this is my second time ordering from SM crunch. I didn't think it could be any better…read morethan the first time, but wow!! They truly are, in my opinion, the best Mexican for miles. We ordered the elote, 3 taco combo plate, crunchy tacos and some side sauces which are all incredibly flavorful!! I DON'T do reviews often, but they truly deserve the praise.

Amazing food and amazing customer service. The owner really takes pride in his recipes and cooking…read more He got me excited just to eat here while ordering! Burrito was PHENOMENAL. All of their sauces were superb! Restaurant may not be the "fanciest place" but that's what makes this hole in the wall so special!

Taqueria El Dorado

3.7

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