very good food.. 100% authentic.. i am 100% mexicano this place is cash only. doesnt have many tables.. we ate standing up ( which is how most places in mexico are) real mexican food doesnt come from a fancy restaurant.. in fact if its a fancy place and you want real mexican food.. get out of there.. this place was great.. we got pastor and carne asada.. el pastor was better.. but both were good.... im from out of town.. but i would go back in an instant.. good job!! read more

Yes, cash only, and to whoever said they don't have tables, well, they do. I love the tortillas because they taste fresh and aren't salty like those at Golden Pride, Frontier, and Garcia's. The chile relleno burritos are delicious, as are the lengua, barbacoa, and carne asada tacos. Didn't try the drinks, but the water was icy cold. All the tables needed a good wipe down, but they put out paper towels and that was easy enough to take care of. The music was really loud, so we sat indoors. Recommend the food. I'd order takeaway next time. read more

El Paisa - Cash only. Order and pick up windows. - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

***CASH ONLY*** ****HOLE IN THE WALL*** Who on Yelp doesn't love a good "cash only/hole in the wall" restaurant? Had high hopes for this place and was disappointed. Ordered the "Horchata"sweet rice drink. It had too much sugar and not enough cinnamon. Ordered tacos al pastor and they really could have used some pieces of pineapple in them. Tacos carne asada was the better option. However they only come with a single tortilla and easily fall apart. I realize we are in NEW MEXICO and they are big on their red and green chilies but HABANERO sauce would have been perfect. Speaking of SALSA, be sure to bring your SCISSORS when you come here!!! The salsa comes in these little "dime bags" and you have to bite off a corner with your teeth to get the salsa out! Order st the window, they give you a ticket with a number, and plan on WAITING 20 minutes for your food. Will keep searching for q better taco spot! read more

See all

I just found out you, April 2026, you can get a pound of your favorite protein, 12 tortillas, onions, cilantro and lime for $22. Great price for a family meal. This deal is not on the menu. read more

El Paisa is the best taqueria in Albuquerque! I highly recommend it over any other authentic Mexican food anywhere in the area.

We read about this place somewhere on the internet, where it was described as one of the best inexpensive restaurants in the country. And we had been driving past it five times a week, 10 times if you count both directions. So we thought we would stop in for lunch. It's plain, the decor is nothing special, but you won't care. The food is amazing! Very Mexican, not at all New Mexican. My wife had the avocado torta, and the bread was amazing. I had a carnitas burrito, which was the best burrito I've had in a long, long time. We will be back. read more

See all

I stopped in and ordered two tacos, a mole burrito, and an horchata. Sadly, nothing stood out in fact, it was a letdown. The al pastor taco was flavorless and didn't resemble any authentic pastor I've had before. The carne asada taco also lacked seasoning and had a strange aftertaste I couldn't place. Both tacos came with only one tortilla (which I found odd, but surprisingly didn't miss). I asked to try all their salsas, since salsa can make or break a taco but they only gave me two and mentioned there was a charge for more. The avocado salsa was bland, and I couldn't even taste avocado. The red salsa lacked any depth or spice. The mole burrito was literally just chicken and mole inside a tortilla no rice, no toppings, nothing. I expected a bit more balance or creativity. Service was average not rude, but not particularly welcoming either. The space itself was neutral and didn't add much ambiance to the meal. Overall, there's potential here, but they need to step up their flavor game, improve hospitality, and refine their menu to match expectations. read more

El Paisa - Crane Asada & alpastor taco - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

TERRIBLE SERVICIO!!!!, se equivocaron con mi orden. No le pusieron la carne alas tortas que ordene. Cuando llame, lo unico que me dijeron, esque pueden hacer la orden de nuevo. Tube Que regresar desde mi casa, para recojer la orden correcta. Nunca mas comprare aqui. Y el dueño cuando se le comunico lo sucedido, solo dijo que se me hiciera la orden de Nuevo y ya! read more

Their gorditas are absolutely to die for! Specifically our favorites are their Desherbada en Rojo (red chile , potatoes, shredded beef) and their Frijol con Queso. The ambience is what you'd expect from a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant but the food but it does certainly highlight the community and history of the South Valley read more

El Paisa - Top : Desherbada en Rojo Bottom: Frijol con Queso - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I don't know where to start!!! This is the best Mexican restaurant I have ever been. We got burrito, tacos and Gordita! Nothing had disappointed at all. The con was only cash but hey just go to the ATM and get some $$$. read more

El Paisa - Gordita and taco asada - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

We ordered for eight and had an assortment of delicious tacos.. The pastor tacos were outstanding and the Carne Asada tacos were very good as well. All the salsas were homemade and they were terrific. They're not shy on adding a little spice to a meal. We loved the rice and refried beans too. Great value!! Highly recommend!! read more

The food was excellent. My daughter got 2 barbacoa tacos with the hot salsa. I got the ham & cheese torta (lettuce, tomato, and avocado) with the medium salsa. OMG! It was very tasty. The three items, plus 2 bottles of Arrowhead water (23.7 oz) was $16.00. I highly recommended this place. Parking is either in front right off the street, or behind the restaurant. read more

Some of the best tacos in the city. Especially the pastor. Great hole in the wall. Can't beat this spot.

The tacos are amazing!!!! It's cash only, so make sure you have some cash with you to enjoy the great food. The price is very cheap tho, $2.5 for a taco. Their lengua is very tender and juicy, the buche is absolutely flavorful!! The sauce was also very good. They have a large indoor seating area and the wait is short on Saturday evening. read more

El Paisa - Lengua - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

The seating is outside in a patio area and the ordering is at the window in the patio. As off this writing the parking and entrance is from the back because the street in front is being completely redone. Look for large signs down the side street pointing to the restaurant. Truly traditional Mexican food. Mexican coke, menudo, shrimp cocktail and real gorditas. You order in Spanish or English and the food is delicious. Our food came out quickly and just what we ordered. The Gordita with ground beef was perfect. Too often they are doughy. This was cooked completely and then the beef was added, all I had to do was enjoy! We also had carne asada soft tacos. They tasted great, with onion and cilantro. This isn't a sit down inside restaurant. It is more like an outdoor market you might see in another country. But you can experience it right here in Albuquerque. Lucky you. I hope to see you there on my next visit. read more

True Mexican culinary heaven! I am thrilled to stumble across El Paisa. This is truly a hole-in-the-wall that takes care of every detail in preparing Mexican food. I had a bit of trouble ordering food. Thankfully, one of the staffs was able to help with translation. I was recommended to try their shrimp soup, as their menudo (i.e. tripe soup) was out. That didn't disappoint! The soup has delicious shrimp flavors, with plenty of shrimps, carrots and celery. It comes with delicious crispy bread. The ambience is casual. Most of its customers are Mexicans. It really speaks to the authenticity of their food. I can't wait to come back to try other items on the menu when I am in the area! read more

El Paisa - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

The food is very good the service is excellent and the portions are satisfying thank you I give my five stares all the time

Cash only! Hands down the best meal we had in New Mexico. It is the definition of a hole in the wall, but the food was amazing. They have a variety of burritos, gorditas, tacos and menudo only on Saturday and Sunday. We ordered five different tacos and they were all good. The menudo was so amazing and filled with lots of organs I couldn't name. The horchata was good too and comes in a giant cup. I suggest ordering more than you think you'll eat. It's so cheap! I would have ordered more, but didn't want to wait another 15 min for food. El Paisa has a steady line of customers and it takes a while to get your order. Definately appeals to the working class, but everyone needs to look past the ambiance nd come here. read more

El Paisa - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

It's a nice little restaurant. The customer service is excellent, my experience was very warm and welcoming. I got the carne asada tacos, supposedly some of the best tacos and Albuquerque. I've had better, I guess we've all had better in our minds when we have previous experiences to reflect on. The taco was rather basic, the horchata was delicious I love that stuff, especially if it's heavy in the cinnamon, which this one was not. The chili was decent, I believe the salsa was made out of chili Arbol. Willl I return, yeah I'd like to try the gorditas and the quesadillas. read more

Yesssss love this hole in the wall!! Burritos are reasonably priced with the burritos being about $8 and a very good size portion. Red chile sauce is ok, green is tastier and spicier. The sauces come in plastic bags tied in a knot. They were fairly difficult to open and pour out onto the burrito without being messy. I got the chile relleno and the Deshebreda en Verde burritos. I don't know which was which but with the green chile, they were both very good and very spicy! The horchata is SOOOO GOOD. I went back a second time just for the horchata. $3 for a huge cup! My fam liked their bean and cheese burittos. Would definitely come back for more! read more

Really Great Food & Prices!! The menu is extensive & you can tell by the vibes inside that authentic quality food comes out of that kitchen.

On our way home to LA from tour and stopped here to get some fuel for the long drive home and everyone working was so nice and the food was so good. Highly recommend it. Love the vibes in there as well. 10/10! read more

Horrible service!! The worst we've ever experience here despite being regulars for almost 15 years. We did a call in about 15-20 minutes before arriving. Upon arrival and waiting in the pick up line which was another almost 10 minutes to only be told that my order has not been started yet and if I still wanted it... Not to mention while I was waiting in the pick up as a regular she still didn't put my order in and kept taking walk ups for that almost 10 minutes. After waiting I asked how long to only be told another 10-15. read more

You never know where I'm going to show up! This time, I'm on the chase for horchatas ;-). But... if you know me, I'm one for all things non-traditional! This one was at #elpaisataqueria in ABQ and definitely will have to come back here and try their burritos! It's essentially a walk-up window with picnic table benches to sit at. I chose banana... and it was absolutely delicious! Best part? It's only $3 for a large ;-) talk about a nice way to get in the potassium ... #gourmetrecovery #horchata #potassiumbomb read more

This Missouri boy found a GEM!. The carne asada burrito weighed a pound and was fantastic. Sauce choices are good as well. read more

El Paisa - Best Burrito ever! - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

On the road looking for breakfast and found this hole-in-the-wall. Lots of construction in the area so it's a little difficult, but not impossible to get to. Small parking lot available. Ordered a taco & menudo(served sat/sun only) but sold out. Let's do the Carne Asada Burrito with a soda & Mole Burrito and Horchata for the better half. Cash only - but we were prepared. A brief wait and the order was ready. Looks good, salsa delivered in baggies so we had to get that opened. Burritos were huge, lots of carne asada & a little bit of beans. Delicious & tender beef. The Mole Burrito was made with shredded beef - different because we're used to chicken. Regardless, all mole nothing else. Tender, flavorful and plenty. My wife wasn't a fan of the horchata. It was a texture thing, she didn't like the rice pulp. Prices are reasonable especially for the amount of food served - $20 for both of us. This one is high up on our return visit list. If you want great Mexican food, brave to construction and give these guys a shot. read more

See all

My family and I are passing through ABQ. I found this place on Yelp so we decided to stop by this local gem and it did not disappoint!! We currently live in San Diego and always hear about how they have the best Mexican food and tacos, El Paisa is putting every Mexican/Taco joint there to shame!! Hands down the BEST carne tacos and rice & beans I've ever had! My husband had the carnitas tacos and shared a carne quesadilla with our daughter! They both cleaned their plates. The homemade salsas where chefs kiss! Perfect size portions esp for the price! The service was amazing and the restaurant was clean and had a nice mom and pop vibe!! If you're a local and haven't ate here, what are you waiting on? If you're visiting ABQ believe the hype and let your tastebuds live a little!! Food was so good we didn't even get to take pics lol I told my husband I'd move here just to be able to eat here regularly read more

Not sure what the other reviews are all about here. This place, to me, was average. Had 3 tacos: carne asada, chicken and al pastor and a carne asada sopes. It was all painfully average, all 3 meats were dry and lacked any real depth of flavor. Rice and beans were okay and the chips were just meh. The place is affordable and the service was good. I'm just visiting for work, would I go back? No probably not there are better places in ABQ for Mexican food. read more

CASH ONLY!!! This place is quietly tucked away from the main city but once you find out about it, this has to end up on your list of frequent flyer miles destination. You walk in, make your selection and collect a ticket number (like a raffle ticket) that will be announced loud and clear in English and Spanish from the window. All of their tacos are super tasty, it's a self serve style place, but foot traffic moves quickly. The salsas are also made very fresh and have the range from mild to spicy for all taste profiles. The best is their price point, really hard to beat value for money... excellent! Remember CASH ONLY..!!! read more

See all

This little hole in the wall is absolutely delicious!! I love albondigas, one of my favorite soups - the meatballs were tender and flavorful, the sliced potatoes and carrots al dente and a added surprise, chipotle peppers were in the soup. The Carnitas taco was very tender and tasty. The shredded beef potato refried bean burrito was spicy and delicious. Fast friendly service. read more

See all

Great barbacoa and al pastor. Come here with cash! 5/5 no drama... would come again. Staff was friendly and food was tasty.

El Paisa is a no-frills Mexican restaurant that serves up legit Mexican food at cheap prices. The interior features lots of tables however there's no AC. It's bearable but on an extremely hot day I'd recommend taking your food to go. They wrap your tacos in tin foil and give you a plastic bag to carry it in-- it's legit I'm telling you. Note that it's cash only. All the tacos are $1.75! My favorite was the Buche taco. TLDR: Pull through if you're looking for a no-frills place to get good tacos. read more

El Paisa - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

See all

The street is under construction in front of the restaurant making parking very difficult. The steak in our burrito was very well done and crunchy. Good taste but hard to eat. We were there at around 8 pm so maybe the meat had been sitting out too long. It wasn't as busy as usual making the wait for food far less than usual. Don't think we will return to this restaurant that we once loved. read more

Overall: El Paisa serves up good Mexican food for a low price. Cash only. Food: 4.5 Carne Asada Quesadilla (Single): This large quesadilla came with guacamole and refried beans. The carne asada had a delicious crispy smokey char. It isn't super cheesy but that's how I like it. The guacamole was a little too acidic for my taste though. Service: 5 Order at the counter and wait for your number to be called. It does take about 10 minutes to get your food. Ambiance: 3 El Paisa looks exactly like the taco shops in Mexico. It's clean though but does not seem to have AC. read more

i thoroughly enjoyed my barbacoa burrito the woman at the register was cool the people there seemed like they all come there and i would come back for sure read more

El Paisa - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Yumm... I am so happy that I randomly found this place! First of all everyone in here was so friendly and helpful! It really felt like you were eating at someone's home. Everything tasted great! I got their tacos and they were so flavorful and good! I really liked their drinks. Also, the prices of everything was so affordable. I would go back if I am in this area! read more

Hate that it's cash only BUT these were the top tacos that I had throughout my Roadtrip. On 4th of July I decided to go get some tacos from here and go see the fireworks at the top of the mountain. I got 3 carne asadas and a jugo natural de limón *chefs kiss*. Highly recommend checking this place out read more

El Paisa - Carne asada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

$1.50 street tacos? Yes. Please. We popped in around 3PM and were surprised by how packed the place was. They have the line moving constantly, so it wasn't too much of a wait to order. It was a little frustrating that it took us three tries to figure out what taco meats they still had as they had run out of quite a few of them. However, the carne asada street tacos have got to be some of the best steak tacos I've ever had. The steak was beautifully marinated and cooked, pairing absolutely amazingly with the cilantro, onions, limes and green salsa. The carnitas were equally delicious, so I was very satisfied with I ended up ordering. They were out of the barbacoa and lengua, so I'm planning on coming back earlier to try those! There was about a 20 minute wait for tacos, which wasn't awful, but be warned their indoor dining area has no AC, so it did get pretty warm in there. Also, don't forget the cash! read more

If you want authentic tacos, this place does it right. Not only were they very good but also very affordable. The service is very fast and they have cooks constantly making sure everything is fresh. Tacos- Beef head cheeks, marinated pork, tongue, chicken, steak, pork stomach and pulled pork. All these tacos were very good and filling. The only thing I wish I did was added sauce but I wanted to taste the flavor of these different types of meats by themselves. I would definitely come here again if I was in the area. Parking might be hard since it's on a busy street and this place is pretty popular. A great place to grab some authentic Mexican cuisine. Food- 9/10 Cleanliness- 6/10 Staff- 9/10 read more

El Paisa - Tacos- Beef head cheeks, marinated pork, tongue, chicken, steak, pork stomach and pulled pork - Mexican Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Do not misinterpret the 5 stars as a high end, expensive place. This is a local Mexican joint where locals eat. Get your food to go unless you want to sit and eat at a picnic table. The food is plentiful and authentic. And really reasonable. Order at the window, pay and wait for your number. This place knows what they are doing with food. read more