I drove the 20 minutes here to try the food after reading a number of glowing reviews - 4.6 Yelp rating over 77 reviews! It is a small place with less than a dozens tables, and a fairly broad menu. It has been operating for about 10 years now. I was particularly interested in the California Burrito with Steak and the tacos with shredded beef, the Birria tacos, the Guadalajara Dog, and the street corn. We tried them all! The California Burrito is an interesting version - filled with pickled jalapeños, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, onion, avocado, Mexican cheese, sour cream, your choice of protein, and topped with Chili Con Queso once filled. The menu description does not mention FFs which is very much traditional. In fact, the replacement of rice and beans with crispy FFs was what made the California Burrito unique! This is a large burrito, shorter and thicker than the vast majority you'll see. The filling I chose was carne asada and the burrito was topped with what the menu termed "chili con queso". The result was a different looking burrito, but an excellent burrito - and no, I couldn't finish it. The Birria Tacos are only available of Fridays. You get four tacos, sliced radish, Lime wedges, and the house red and green hot sauces. These tacos were well filled with meat and cheese, but there was no consommé, which is very traditional, also no chopped white onion or cilantro - disappointing, would not order again! The street tacos with shredded beef were good, not great - well filled, and well topped with chopped white onion and cilantro. I went all the way which added lettuce, tomato, and Mexican white crumbling cheese, either cotija or queso fresco. Frankly I did not find that the all the way approach worked for me! 3 tacos were $8.99, and all the way added $1.99. These are a bit pricey, most Tex-Mex spots in Winston serve up 4 for just under $13! I wanted to try the Guadalajara Dog more out of curiosity than anything else - I have been in Guadalajara a number of times and experienced some interesting food items, such as Birria (the stew), Pozole, Carne En Su Jugo, BBQ Young Goat, and the Guadalajara Hot Dog ( a wildly popular street food)! The weiner is wrapped in bacon and then deep fried, causing the skin to develop rips. Once in the bun, it is sauced and topped with fresh avocado, chopped onion, ancestry you can add more. This was a good version, but not an item I order often. The street corn consisted of corn kernels, cheese, hot sauce, lime, and a Mayo based sauce. This is a busy item, and I found I prefer the simpler, customary corn on the cob with crumpled cheese. This is an interesting place, one that has a different take on Tax-Mex dishes. Those takes and moves away from tradition are not something for me. read more

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We hadn't been here in a while and my wife had a craving for a Guadalajara dog. Stopped in and stepped up to the counter. I ordered a California burrito. It took about 10 minutes for our food to be ready. Staff member brought our food to our table and it did not disappoint. Hot dog was wrapped in bacon and adorned with various topping including a chipotle crema. My burrito was ginormous! Covered in cheese sauce and stuffed with shredded chickens, veggies and beans. The food was excellent as always. El Taco Shop is unassuming from the outside but don't let that fool. They offer seriously good eats on the inside. read more

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Here's a polished version of your review: **Visited from Raleigh and discovered El Taco Shop--what a find!** I had the tiny taco plate, and everything was delicious. The owner even made me a special queso fresco empanada that was absolutely amazing. read more

This place isn't beautiful, but the food is authentic and delicious. We usually get our food to go, but there is a small dining area. We went on Friday and got the birria quesadilla. This was enough food for both of us. Keep in mind it's not open on Saturday and Sunday. read more

El Taco Shop - Birria Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Food and service are great. Burritos are huge and made with fresh ingredients. Lots of vegetarian options. It says a lot that the parking lot was full of nice cars. These folks could eat anywhere but came here. There were also several Hispanic families here enjoying the place. My only critique is the flimsy plastic utensils. The burrito I was served was covered in a sauce that meant I couldn't hold it to eat. The plastic knife bent like rubber and made cutting through the flour tortilla a challenge. read more

El Taco Shop - California burrito with mushroom filling. - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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Best authentic Mexican food anywhere. I love this place. Gluten free options are available and everything is flavorful and the ladies here are sweet. read more

El Taco Shop - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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Amazing food tasty & hot ( physically) & great customer service!!! Also a smile & eye contact ! Generous portions & fresh food! I'd like to see fresh jalapeños slice extra thin on their Nachos deluxe - I think the fresh jalapeños would raise the dish to the next level read more

I have never in my life experienced such great quality food and customer service!!! Every other Mexican restaurant I have been to has been too Americanized and could never come close to being as amazing as El Taco Shop. Thank you all for such a perfect experience. I also would like to apologize for all the moaning and groaning while I was eating. It was just soooo good lol. God bless you all and keep up the AMAZING work. read more

El Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

I've tried their birria (which is EXCELLENT but only served on Fridays), Mexican street corn, Taco salad, and today, their gorditas and everything has been awesome! They always give a choice of sauces with their authentic menu. It's always fresh, with great prices, and great service! I can't recommend this restaurant enough! read more

El Taco Shop - Mexican Street Corn - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Pretty pleased with my first experience at El Taco Shop. For a reasonable cost I got a filling plate of huevos con chorizo. The accompanying salad was a little disappointing, but everything else was great. It didn't take long for staff to prepare my order either, especially important during lunch. There's not a ton of seating available, and as I witnessed there's a reasonable amount of business done here, so it might not be a bad idea to claim a table quickly. The food and the value doesn't quite match up with Pancho Villa's in Winston-Salem and their stellar lunch specials, but if you're in Mocksville and in the mood for uncomplicated Mexican food this place is worth your attention. read more

Everything at El Taco Shop is delicious, overflowing, and priced right.. The street tacos are amazing, though everything is great. Try the horchata. Yum. Cute little place! Run by the sweetest family. See you there! read more

Awesome corn tortilla tacos and the burrito bowl is wonderful since I can't have gluten. read more

El Taco Shop - New items on the bottom of the menu. - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Excellent local restaurant with unique and authentic Mexican food and very basic decor. Service was very friendly and prompt food delivery to our table. Excellent selection of tacos - favorite was their el pastor and carnitas. Homemade tortillas and homemade salsas are excellent. The guacamole was also well done. Loved their fresh limeade - sweet enough but not too sweet. Great place - well worth the visit. read more

Very good food. Love their tacos. We've been repeat customers for years. Aguas frescas are very good as well.

This place kicks out some serious Mexican food. They also have some menu items not found at other restaurants. Today we had the Torta Chilanga which was hefty, but the telera roll was light and fluffy. A great sandwich. We also had the Guadalajara Dog, a bacon-wrapped hot dog that is deep fried, topped with fresh avocado and pico de gallo. So good!!! read more

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Damn good Mexican street food. They use to have a taco truck in Mocksville a few years ago and have since transitioned to a restaurant. No waiters so go to the counter, order, pay, then they call your name when your food is ready. Hell of a menu from tacos, burritos, tortas, rellenos, enchiladas, and more. I haven't had anything that sucked or was meh. Highly recommend the tortas (Mexican sandwich), tacos, tostadas, and elite en vaso (cup of corn). This is not the norm for standard Mexican places. If you are looking for something different then I highly recommend. No alcohol but they do have some unique Mexican drinks. read more

El Taco Shop - Menu pic 1 - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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This place is AMAZING and authentic!!! The tacos are fantastic, Burritos are delicious and the nachos are out of this world!! Great food, people, atmosphere and prices!! We are regulars!! read more

Great tacos!!! Al pastor all the way!!! Get you some!!! Always a stop when I'm in the area.

New to the area so we decided to stop by and try them!!! I got the carne asada fries and my husband got the little taco plate with carnitas as the meat!!! The food was delicious and the waitstaff was so friendly! While we were ordering, they brought out to a customer a burrito that was huge!!!! We will be going back!!!! read more

El Taco Shop - Carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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Monte Del Rey is closed on Mondays, so we opted to take a chance with something new. Most of the restaurants in Mocksville are kinda underwhelming, so I was apprehensive. This place was amazing. I phoned in the order and the lady understood me correctly and explained a few things. The food was delightful. We got 2 chicken California burritos, 2 nachos, and 1 deluxe nachos. We were all happy. And the California burritos are massive -- enough for two people. So, great value. read more

A friend recommended this taqueria in Mocksville so my husband and I decided to drive out on a rainy afternoon to give it a try. The restaurant has a bright and colorful decor inside. You order and pay at the counter and they bring your food to your table. The menu was full of great options. One that caught my eye was a Mexican style hot dog! Yep, you read that right, a hot dog. Well, I just had to try THAT! We also got an order of 3 tacos, a side of Elote(Mexican style corn)and an empanada. They have a nice selection of fresh made Aguas Frescas as well but we just opted for bottled drinks on our visit. The tacos were your standard taqueria tacos served traditionally with onions and cilantro(you can get them 'all the way' instead if you like) served in a corn tortilla. The meats were flavorful and topped with their green hot sauce and and a squeeze of lime, they hit the spot. We tried the Pastor(yummy), carnitas(yummy) and chorizo (good but not my favorite). Let's talk about the hot dog. It's deep fried so it's ripped open(love) and served in a bun drizzled with two sauces, avocado and diced onion. It was love at first bite! I would definitely order it again. The empanada was big! The dough was flaky and light and our asada and cheese filling was delicious! The corn was served with tons of mayo and cheese(traditional) and we opted for the smoky sauce to be on the side. A little drizzle was all it needed. Yum! This is a nice little taco place in Mocksville and I'd definitely visit it again if I'm in the area. read more

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Local staple, a hidden gem. Their tacos are absolutely amazing and I'm obsessed with the horchata.

Quick stop on the way to Ashville and this place was only doing to-go orders but they were quick. Good food and nice amount. Everything taste good we ordered. read more

El Taco Shop - Chicken quesadillas - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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Good food stays quite busy at times. Courteous staff and helpful. I ate in instead of take out so my tortilla chips wouldn't get soggy.

Lunch for 7 I was not expecting this sweet surprise in a small town like Mocksville. It is quite a gem in the area. I got three tacos (Al Pastor, Carnitas and Asada). All meats were very good but the carnitas were the best! I also ordered churros (you get 2) and it came with a small cup of hot chocolate. I gotta say, these were probably the BEST churros I've ever had and I've had plenty. They were freshly fried, thick light crispy outside and soft chewy inside. AND they did not skimp on the cinnamon sugar coating. We planned on coming back the next day, but they are closed on Sundays and we were flying back home the next day. I really wanted to try more food. I've never felt full and wanting more food before until this joint. Definitely a must try. Keep doing what you guys do El Taco Shop! read more

El Taco Shop - 3 tacos. 3 meats. Delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Grew up in México eating real Mexican food. Just moved from Texas so I'm very happy to have discovered an authentic, affordable Mexican restaurant in the area. Two visits so far with better than expected experiences. Service is friendly and the place is clean and tastefully decorated. My only complain is that the two soups on the menu were not available because they were "out of season", what? My wife explains that that is a NC thing. read more

Great food and nice folks run it! The best pretty-much "real" Mexican food around. Love El Taco Shop!

Authentic freshly prepared Mexican snacks, lunch tacos and dinner . The tacos are out of this world fresh and homemade. Small but friendly and the service is outstanding. They care for you from order to delivery at your table. The only negative is plastic eating utensils. read more

I'll never forget the first time I had El Taco Shop. My boyfriend took me, and it changed my life forever. We went back the next day. We have been going at least once a month, driving an hour each time, but it is always worth it. We always get the carne asada tacos traditional with Mexican Cokes, elotes, and churros. While we can't eat inside due to Covid-19, the restaurant is still always clean and the employees are always friendly, they even know our order. El Taco Shop is almost therapeutic. Whenever I am having a bad day, my boyfriend can suggest going to El Taco Shop, and my mood will automatically improve. There is no other spot like El Taco Shop!!!! Edit: I downloaded Yelp for the sole reason of leaving this review. If you get the chance, you HAVE to eat here. read more

This is not just good food. This is "where have you been all my life?" food. I had the huarache de alambre, a pile of various succulent meats, grilled onions and peppers on a grilled corn dough, like an arepa. It was fantastic and filling and at under $7 and ready in less than 5 minutes - was a perfect lunch. read more

El Taco Shop - Huarache de Alambre - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Authentic and amazing. Small location but they do everything to accommodate the experience!!

Literally traveled to San Francisco to eat al pastor tacos from the so called "taco king" however I was sorely disappointed as his tacos could never match up to what El Taco Shop makes. These tacos cannot be beat. Before you die, you have to eat here, it's the only way to ensure your entrance to heaven. read more

Amazing food!! We asked them to rush our order and they did without comprising the quality of the food. One of the best Mexican spots I've eaten at! Would highly recommend the taco salad, nacho supreme and carne asada fries! read more

This was our favorite place until tonight. We ordered a mix fajita and it was the worst ever. The beef you could not eat was very tough. The chicken was dry and cut real thin. It will be our last. read more

Just delicious. I had a quesadilla with nopales and chorizo. The carne asada fries are delicious as well.

So yummy! I spent $10 and had MORE then enough food. I couldn't finish my plate. The staff was sweet & brings your food to the table. I would recommend! I ordered the Monterey quesadilla..pictured below:) read more

El Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

Pretty small taco shop, but we had a very nice meal there today. My wife and I both had 4 tacos each. I had steak, chicken, beef tongue, and pork, and all of them were on point. Well cooked and tasty! I'd never had tongue before and it was a delight! We had the queso dip, nothing special but edible. They also had glass bottles of Coke, the bottled in Mexico type, made with real sugar, a rare treat! Pricewise, the whole meal was about $30, in line with what I'd expect. Thanks! read more

Yet another good meal in Mocksville. The Nachos Deluxe were delicious. The place has good atmosphere and friendly staff. read more

El Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina

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Great atmosphere for a taqueria. Delicious, made to order food. My Sopes were huge! The carne asada fries made me feel like I was back home in LA. Great place to stop on a road trip. read more

What a gem in mocksville! Will certainly stop again when I'm in the area. The made to order empanada with your choice of meat was really good and also had the sope! read more

El Taco Shop - Empanada! - Mexican Near Me - Mocksville, North Carolina