Unsuspecting taco joint and Mexican grocery store hidden in a strip mall. Super sweet people working here. Aside from the al pastor, tacos were honestly a little unremarkable given how tasty they looked. Carne asada was on the drier side, chorizo too salty, and I've definitely had more flavorful and tender lengua elsewhere. The star of the show was by far the quesabirria tho. Super cheesy and flavorful without being too oily. Actually so delicious. Cheap, casual spot definitely worth checking out. Favorite dishes: Quesabirria read more

El Jarocho - Quesabirria - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

See all

Every food item I've had from here has been AMAZING, and I can't say that about many restaurants. Below are some of my favorites! I usually order on the phone and pick it up so I can't talk much about the ambiance. However, the staff seem friendly and efficient. It can be hard to try new things because I love my go-to orders below but I definitely want to try their birria quesadillas and tacos in the future! - Chorizo Huevos Breakfast Burrito - Carne Asada Torta - Huevos Mexicanos Breakfast Burrito with Serrano peppers added in read more

El Jarocho is exactly what you hope for when you want real, unfussy street tacos done right. We ordered pretty much all the street tacos to get a full sense of the menu, and it turned out to be a great way to do it. Everything came out fast, hot, and generously portioned, with the classic setup: warm corn tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, lime, and a lineup of salsas to round things up. The birria tacos were the clear standout. Deeply savory, rich without being greasy, and packed with tender meat that tastes like it was cooked with real care. Don't forget the consomé to level these up even further. These were easily our favorite -- the kind you keep thinking about after your meal is over. The other meats were solid across the board, and it was fun to compare them side by side. Nothing felt like filler, and the tortillas held up well even as we worked through a full tray. Portions are generous and the prices feel fair, especially considering how satisfying the tacos are. This is the place you come when you want legit tacos. Don't skip the birria. We'll definitely be back. read more

El Jarocho - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

See all

I still find it crazy that arguably the best tacos in Missouri are here in Twin Oaks, Missouri. Well, I will take it. Spoke with the owner who shared her story behind the restaurant and the food. There are some great people behind this restaurant. Today, I had the Campechano, Birria, Al Pastor, and the Alambre tacos. All of them hit and I would have a difficult time ranking them. Red salsa is tasty and spicy. Of course I will be back. read more

See all

El Toluco on Manchester closed recently, and I was looking for a place to buy a few supplies. I found El Jarocho reasonably close by and went at lunch time to try some tacos. I ordered one saudero and one lengua. Lengua is my go-to at these places. I also asked for frijoles on the side. I really wanted to like the tacos, better than I did. They were OK, and I will certainly give them another chance or two, but the meats were a little disappointing. First, the saudero; This meat was not saudero by any definition that I have ever seen. It was so light in color that I was not even sure it was beef. It did not have much flavor at all. It did not really taste like beef or pork. The meat was in firm chunks that were on the dry side. It is not something I would order again. The lengua also did not have the rich flavor that I expect. In fact, it tasted just a tiny bit off, like it was on the edge of spoiling. You know that sour, yeasty taste? It had a little bit of that. The mystery for me is what happened to the tongue flavor. The tacos were served on good, doubled corn tortillas. I topped them with cilantro (no raw onion for me, sorry) and their very good salsa verde. My black beans were totally seasoned, meaning no salt. When I return (and I will) I will continue to try lengua just to see if I hit them on a bad day. I will also try some of the other meats. There are plenty on offer. Their prices are reasonable, mostly under $4.50. For now, I can't go better than three stars. I really wish I could award more, but that was my experience. read more

El Jarocho - Left, Saudero; right Lengua - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

Can't say enough good things!! Tacos: Delicious. Staff: friendly and laughing while cooking food (the BEST sign of a good place imo). Store: Clean and stocked. So lucky we stumbled into this place after visiting Lone Elk Park. We have to come back soon!! Also, the avocado salsa is DIVINE read more

El Jarocho - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

See all

Small international grocery store with authentic Mexican food available. The staff were welcoming and quick to take our order at the counter. You pay for your meal and any grocery store goods at the end. read more

See all

I can't believe such an amazing, authentic Mexican food is in West County! Order when you get in, eat then pay on your way out! There are lots of tables and chairs for dining in but I do see many people carrying out for lunch. I got the carne asada tortas and didnt expect it to be so big... my husband got a couple of tacos and fried jalapeños. Let me tell you... I love spicy food but these were too spicy haha. The tortas was great! The carne asada holds lots of flavor! The tacos were great too! Definitely a great place to check out if you love Mexican food! read more

See all

So delish and affordable. The al pastor is some of the best I've ever had and I love an all-day breakfast burrito option! Great, fresh salsas too. read more

Really good birria tacos! Service was friendly and efficient. I like that there's a little market and a small amount of outdoor seating. It's definitely not fancy, but is authentic. Recommended if you're in the area! read more

El Jarocho - Birria, carne asada, and al pastor tacos. - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

Place your order at the counter when you walk in. We had carne asada tacos, tacos cameron, and a shredded beef taco. Portions were generous and very fresh. A side of rice and a side of beans were both flavorful and sized to share. The fried jalapeños - whew! They were spicy! And delicious with a little lime squeezed inside. The agua fresca was mango and yum!!!! Overall, everything was fresh, delicious and we will be back! read more

El Jarocho - Fried jalapeños - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

See all

The birria tacos are all you need. Taste buds singing from the first bite - you won't be disappointed.

Went here yesterday for the first time and ordered a burrito and the Quesabirria. Everything was excellent. You can definitely tell the authenticity with the taste of the food. We will be back here! read more

The best street tacos I've had in St. Louis! El Jarocho is a quaint Mexican market serving up some delicious street tacos, tortas, breakfast burritos and more. An added bonus, they serve Mexican beers to wash down your food and calm the heat from the salsas available. This is not a full service restaurant. You order at the front register and seat yourself. What I was impressed by was that we didn't have to pay right away but were able to keep the tab open in the event we needed another beverage or taco. The workers at the front were very friendly and offered suggestions. There is plenty of seating with your choice of a booth or stand alone table. There is even a "bar" at the back of the store where you could eat or just sit and have a drink while waiting for your carry out order. Let's talk about the street tacos!! My favorite was the chorizo taco and the Al pastor taco. Both were delicious on their own but the avocado salsa gave it that extra kick. Do not underestimate the heat in the salsas!! The avocado salsa was labeled as mild but it does sneak up on you and brings a nice heat. I wasn't a huge fan of the carne asada taco. It was missing something and pretty dull on its own. I've tried street tacos elsewhere in St. Louis County but they were messy and the tortillas disintegrated from too much meat juice. Yes, I did say meat juice. Anyway, El Jarocho's tacos did not lose their structure and were not dripping; nicely flavored meats without the gravy. I will definitely come back and am looking forward to trying a breakfast burrito or one of the tortas. read more

See all

This is the place in STL for authentic street tacos and burritos! Super super tender carne asada - Some of the best asada I've had. Our burrito Nuevo was SO good. The fries also came with a side of queso blanco which was so delicious. We will be back here again for sure and order more street tacos! read more

El Jarocho - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

See all

It's my first time here. It's located inside a grocery store. You basically order at the front register, and pick up your order at the food counter when they call your number. I got the lengua, tripe, Al pastor, carnitas, and carne asada tacos. They were all delicious!!! Also loved the avocado salsa. I asked for grilled onion, and they happily made it for me read more

See all

Ordered a nopal, shrimp, chorizo and al pastor. Delicious, and I loved the habañero salsa and red salsa too. Grabbed a paleta as well, all amazing and ready super quick. read more

El Jarocho - Tacos ; nopal, shrimp, chorizo and al pastor - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

Actually THE worst meal I have ever paid US Dollars for. I got two al pastor, which the cashier told me were supposed to be amazing, and one campechano. Not only did we wait FOREVER for our food, but my tacos came out cold. And they forgot my salsa order so I had to go back and wait for attention to get some. My partner's food was nice and fresh, but everything down to my tortillas literally seemed like they just came out of the fridge. Tortillas have softness and a corn taste when they've been on the grill. These did not have either. One taco had so little meat on it, I was shocked they let it leave the kitchen considering a plate of three tacos and very bland rice and beans is like $15-16.99 or something. Truly one of the worst meals I have ever had. The kitchen moved with no sense of urgency in the kitchen either. I will say the cashier was super kind about it and comped my meal, which I appreciated. read more

I was having a terrible day so I admit I put all my eggs in one basket hoping this place would make up for the rest, but it didn't and I know that's not fair so I will come back. The place was dead when we got there around 6pm. We ordered 2 pollo and 2 carne asada tacos, carne asada fries, and 2 horchatas coming out to around $43. I read a review comparing the carne asada fries to san diego's so I had to try since it's not the first time I had heard SD fry raves. I had lived in AZ where they were to die for so the bar was already set pretty high. The potatoes itself already gave me an OH YEAH feeling, not too heavy with the onion or cilantro, but felt it was missing something. I should've had cheese. I did get guacamole salsa- too spicy to enjoy the guacamole portion for my liking, but it might be good for some! The horchata just needed some more mixing as there was a lot of cinnamon in our servings. (This is probably the 78th serving of horchata i've had in my life, I promise I know what good horchata is for me.) Service was good! The man who checked us out was nice. The guy in the back called my name and pronounced it in a way I had never heard before. I will never forget it lol I'll need to come back and try their paletas and elotes! read more

El Jarocho - carne asada fries - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

The absolutely best street tacos I've had in St. Louis. In addition the service was excellent with a sincere bright smile. Clean and welcoming. They've got me as a regular customer whether they like it or not read more

Food: 4 Stars Service: 5 Stars If you love El Nopal in Valley Park, you have to hit up @eljarochovalleypark, which sits within the same strip mall. A couple of years ago, owners of El Nopal opened up El Jarocho, which is a small grocery store that also serves some amazing street tacos, tortas, quesadillas, and other fantastic dishes. Prices are reasonable, and portions are filling. J loved the Al Pastor street taco, which had pork marinating in pineapple. I really enjoyed their tender birria and barbacoa tacos topped with their in-house avocado salsa. Listed in Yelp's 100 Places to Visit in the Midwest, you'll want to make sure to add this to your list of places to try! read more

See all

Excellent street tacos! Authentic, fresh and cheap! Don't sleep on the California burritos!

Fantastic meal once again! I branched out and tried the quesabirria and absolutely loved it! Highly recommend this and everything else on the menu! read more

El Jarocho - Quessabirra with limes and consume - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

What an amazing find! After a hike at the Castlewood Park, we were on a search for something to keep us alive during our 30+ minute ride back home when we came across a Mexican restaurant/grocery store with 4.9 star rating on both Yelp and Google. Let me tell you why the near perfect rating is well deserved. From the first second we walked in, we were welcomed by the owner who made sure we had everything we needed to make the right choice (which is to order everything off the menu), by handing us the menu, asking us if it was our first time there, choosing the right salsa based on our spice tolerance, and letting us know about their drinks of the day. She was kind throughout the whole time we were there and made our experience at this counter service restaurant better than some fine dining places we've been to. BUT what makes this place amazing is their food. How often do you see tripe and tongue tacos when you're not out on the West Coast? If you're not as adventurous as me, try out their suadero (skirt steak) and carnitas (pork). You are a pescaterian? No worries, they have delicious lightly breaded fish tacos. Pretty much all 7 different tacos we got were amazing. Their tortas (and suprising enough, the fries) were one of the best I've ever had as well. If that's not enough to draw you into this surprisingly delightful little shop in a random shopping center in the West County, come check out their groceries section. You want delicious Mexican ice cream? They have it. Do you want some hominy to make a delicious bowl of posole? They have that too. Do you need some dried peppers with that hominy? Check out their selection of peppers. Sadly due to the long drive, we will not be back for taco Tuesdays every week, but we will definitely be back soon for more delicious Mexican food! PS. Always order a horchata if it's available. That is my advice of the day. read more

El Jarocho - 7 different tacos (lengua, tripa, carnitas, pescado, campechanos, suadero, carne asada) and one torta - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

Awesome Mexican food. Everything is good but I really like the lengua tacos. The quesabirrria is delicious and huge.

Authentic tacos, good lunch specials. I go often! The person ordering is almost always bilingual and prepared to answer questions, which everyone appreciates. read more

It's my favorite laid back down to earth flavorful taco and general store . Friendly service and they correct themselves despite missteps . Casual ambience read more

If there was a 6th star I would give it. The food at this place was amazing. Just a tiny back story for context, we recently moved here from NYC. We lived in East Harlem, also know as "Spanish Harlem". So there were countless Spanish, Mexican and various Latino establishments in our neighborhood. That being said, the food we ate at this restaurant was better than most of the places we ate at in NYC. The Quesabarria was phenomenal , the consommé was delicious. My boyfriend had one Barria Taco and one Al Pastor taco. Al Pastor are in general his favorite tacos, and he said this definitley top 3 ever. The loaded Carne Asada fries were a dream come true lol. I didn't love the Mexican street corn, but my boyfriend very much did. The store was cute and had an authentic flare. There were a few isles of snacks and condiments. The guy working the counter was very friendly and said he would pass along our praise to the cooks. Even my Mom who is a picky eater enjoyed herself. We can't wait to go back. read more

What a charming little bodega! We were greeted immediately and offered menus by the young lady working behind the counter. I ordered 2 birria tacos with the avocado salsa and my husband ordered a birria taco and a carnitas pork taco with verde salsa. We both had their pineapple waters to drink. The birria tacos were great. They were loaded with so much meat it was a challenge to fold the sides up. The pork taco was fabulous, especially after adding the verse salsa. The avocado salsa was good and had a nice kick to it, the verde salsa was a bit spicy for my taste but it complimented the pork very well. And that pineapple water... if you're not familiar with it, it's like orange juice with lots of pulp, but pineapple instead. Very good and refreshing. We will definitely visit this place again. read more

El Jarocho - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

You'll walk in and think you're in the wrong place. Trust me, it's the right place! Tacos are amazing, out of this world. The weirder you go, the tastier they are. Tripe? Don't google it, just order it. Tongue? Mais oui! And buy a charmingly bizarre soda to wash it down. Five stars, no question. read more

If you are looking for a quick bite this is the place! We came here for lunch. It is a store + restaurant. You can find knick knacks, snacks, drinks inside, most from Mexico. It is also a Mexican street food restaurant. Service was fast. Eat then pay before leaving. We got pork, beef and barbacoa tacos. They were all came with guac and green salsa. So tasty! Even mild choice is spicy so pick your poison wisely! This place is at a strip mall so there is plenty of parking. Nice neighborhood and good food! read more

See all

Torta alert, Torta alert, Torta alert! Anyone who enjoys a good Torta now has a legit place to go. Located in Balley Park, MO just a short drive southwest of STL, El Jarocho is a hidden gem everyone needs to try. I've tried several restaurants and by far El Jarocho is the spot. I didn't even get a chance to try tacos because of everyone ordering Tortas. Several traditional versions of the Tortas the coke with fries and delicious salas. Don't worry El Jarocho has several salsas that can fit any heat range, so don't be shy. El Jarocho has plenty of seating but I do recommend calling ahead if you have a large group. Tables were serviced quickly and was very clean. The music was also very good mixing classic and contemporary Latin music. Again El Jarocho is legit for Tortas, now we're heading back for tacos and will update the review! read more

See all

My husband was laughing today because at check out, they always ask him how the meal was. We're here almost every weekend so the meal is fantastic! They have a new carne asada plate with the most incredible fried onions that I've eaten. Have had it the last half dozen visits and still can't get enough. The elote is also so good. And we alway get a paleta at the end! read more

Great food, great service, and great atmosphere!! Love the authentic of this place. Will definitely be back!

I had carne asada tacos al pastor tacos and fish tacos. I was not disappointed i can't say any one is my favorite i enjoyed all of them. The service was prompt and she was very attentive. The place is busy, i tried waiting for it to clear out so i could pay but people kept walking in. The pineapple water is a must try read more

This place is amazing!! The tacos are so good they make you dance in your seat. The cow's tongue taco was a show stopper!! Plus, the people who work here are SO nice and sweet and helpful. The whole place is small and cute and delightful. I highly recommend!! So delicious!! read more

I was craving some birria tacos, so I sent my husband to grab me a couple for lunch. Oh, my goodness! I'm mad that I haven't come here sooner. I can't describe how good they were. You just have to try it. The meat was seasoned well and tender. The avocado sauce was just the right amount of spice. I'm going back soon for sure. read more

El Jarocho - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

This place is amazing !!! Everything was full of flavor and super fresh. Casual atmosphere with fun music. The staff was friendly too! read more

El Jarocho - fish taco, carne asada taco, carnitas taco, fried jalapeños (SPICY), burrito Nuevo, and sides of rice - International Grocery Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

I wasn't a fan of the Birria quesadilla it had a sweet taste and my husband got a steak burrito it only had steak and nothing else.

Tacos are solid. I had the tacos de nopales and grilled onions. I've been here twice. I'll be back for the elote soon. Can't wait!