Been eating there for twenty plus years. One of my daughters worked there! Very socially conscious owner - and the food is SUPERB.

Great food and service with big variety of food with flavor Good value Hidden gem for me , and really cool books read more

Food is delicious and they will make changes or substitutions. However the coffees are the BEST anywhere.

El Taller is now one of my fav places in the greater Lowell/Lawrence area. Being from Lowell, I always am looking for solid local businesses to support, and El Taller is no exception. Located in downtown Lawrence, the space itself is open and welcoming--you can stop in for a drink, bite to eat, hang w/friends, or get some work done. There were people doing all of the above when I was there. Next, the food and drink--both very good. I had the chilaquiles which were extremely good--the salsa to chip ratio was spot on, the scrambled eggs and black beans--oh man, I'm thinking about it all over again, hahaha. (I will be back!). I also had a honey cinnamon latte, which was very delicious. Really enjoyed the local vibe, the staff was on point, and I am truly looking forward to coming back. read more

El Taller - Lovely space - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

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I used to love this place and the food is great but, I don't know what has happened with the customer service. Especially if you order to go. They messed up my order and when I called to let them know they gave me an attitude. Also, dont show to order to go at 8:30 because they treat you like garbage as if it were a sin to order to at 8:30 when the restaurant closes at 9 am. My husband went to have lunch some weeks ago with an business associate and they messed up his order too (was not to go) and, again, the same bad attitude because he asked them to correct it. I am so sad because I really like the food and I had been going since its original location, and my friends and I love to have dinner there on the weekends but at this point, I think I will find another place to eat. read more

I love the vibe of this place. The food is always fresh and cooked to order. I'm not sure if the chef is the owner or if it's in the family but they expanded the menu a while back when café azteca in Lawrence closed. This place has amazing Mexican food. Their mole is amazing. Please eat lunch here everyday!! read more

Got a really good 4 hours of work done on a Saturday. Highly recommend it for their work environment plus the food and the coffee were great as well! read more

Service, atmosphere & food are delicious at this place! I am gluten free, vegan & dairy free. There are not many places that offer GF Mexican food without cross contamination. My husband & I were craving some delicious food & we came across this gem. The food is perfect salt ratio, plenty of options & accommodating. It's located in an adorable bookstore & every dish that went by looked really delicious (next table ordered a mole sauce that looked to die for). The black beans was my favorite part of the dish I ordered with lots of flavor! read more

The food is fantastic but some of the servers and the people who work behind the counter are just rude. My husband stopped going there because of that. It's sad because the manager I met when I went t to dinner some months ago was very nice, I don't think she knows how rude some of the employees are. Hence the 3 stars. read more

I have been ordering takeout from this restaurant since they combined with Cafe Azteca. Although I miss the ambience of Café Azteca, the food is fantastic. They make the best Molé poblano and will deliver with a 5 mile radius. Their food has always been authentic and I have never had, a bad meal I was a juror on a case in Lynn Superior Court and a bailiff recommended it to me 15 years ago and I've been a faithful customer ever since. Highly recommend read more

I came here for the first time and I had a great experience. The service was really good, server was very attentive, made great suggestions and I even got to meet the owner which was a plus. The food was very good and flavorful. Great portions. I left very satisfied! I will definitely be back. Also for those who are writers they offer a weekly writing club on the upper level as well. read more

El Taller - Tostones Salad Buddah Bowl Breakfast Torta - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Amazing food as always and the price is very reasonable! My favorite is the honey habanero torta with tostones on the side!

Perfect place to go for authentic homestyle, Mexican food excellent cocktails with a café vibe. If it's a coffee you want and a snack with perhaps a little light reading this is the place to go. It's got that cool New York bookstore come kafe vibe, but as excellent food and drink. read more

Good service, friendly place. Great stop for lunch. Addition of Cafe Azteca menu has made it even better! I walk from office so not sure how parking is? read more

Super cute little cafe and bookstore with fun artwork on the walls and very delicious banana oatmeal cookies! The regular menu items look amazing too - can't wait to come back for lunch! read more

This place is amazing!!! I love the coffees. Especially afogado, great vibes, books and authentic homemade fresh food

What a gem in Lawrence! Went here for the first time with friends the other day after a personal recommendation. Walked in and was pleasantly surprised by the spacious and trendy feel. The most obvious feature is the book shelf selling all sorts of very quality books. I couldn't help but stop and skim through a few! Some people were working on a laptop, giving it a fun coffee shop vibe. (I even saw some amazing looking milkshakes which I will have to try next time) BUT then you sit and get a glimpse at the menu and you realize this is not only a cute place to stop and get work done, they also have an AH MAY ZING selection of food, which I could only describe as latin with an American infusion. My friends and I took 4ever to decide because of all the amazing options. (The poor waitress checked on us 3 times before we were ready!) We finally settled on cheese molettes (beans and cheese on bread), mozzarella sticks, backwards nachos (basket of chips with a large plate of beans and chicken surrounded by salsa to dip in) and chicken tenders with sweet chilli sauce on it. WOW we were absolutely stuffed and didn't even finish it all. Would highly recommend this place and I will definitely be back to try more! read more

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I like that despite being a "hip" downtown coffee shop in Lawrence, El Taller seems to be an inclusive meeting spot for the whole city. On a weekday morning, I relished the mollettes, which were simply constructed but flavourful. I washed those down with an appropriately foamy cafe con leche. read more

El Taller - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Great food just had a delicious salmon dish the other day new one the menu and it was to die for. No late hours and it's more like for a younger business crowd read more

My favorite spot in the area. Great owners, great staff and excellent food. Awesome book selection and they host many community events.

My favorite drop in when I'm visiting. Kind faces, great ambience/aesthetic and the menu hits! Tostones are a must. Great lattes and warm beverages as well. You can go healthy or really eat a lot of fried foods if you'd like. This cafe also hosts a lot of great community events as well. There is street parking available which is a dollar an hour or park on the next parallel block over for free. This place is a true treat and a gem in the city of Lawrence. Always a patron. read more

El Taller - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Amazing! Don't pass by this gem. Food is tasty and menu has so many choices! Love it here! Support local!! read more

We stopped here on the road from Maine to CT. We used yelp to find it. This was WAAAAAAAAAAAY better than anything we would have gotten at a rest stop So this we had the tostones. I had a chicken with bacon and cheese. Sooooo outstanding. This could become a regular pit stop on our journeys. If you live in the area. This is a must visit. This is an authentic Latino flavors restaurant read more

El Taller - David y Pedro - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Like I said In my previous review when I found this GEM 3 years ago this place is the BEST ***HANDS DOWN MY PERSONAL FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT IN ALL OF LAWRENCE/METHUEN AREA*** The vibe here is always soooo laid back and chill no worries no judgement just a great time every time Value:5 Taste:5 Presentation:5 Service:5 Overall:5 Value: $8 for a hunk of grilled steak on a fresh Tripoli roll that is easily shared between 2 adults with fresh lettuce tomatoes avocado cheese jalapeño and it comes with a side ? I always get tostones or their battered fries and dip it in their awesome aioli and this goes far beyond my go to order that I'm using as an example here Taste: the taste of this thing is extraordinarily deliciously amazing no really it's great The fresh Tripoli bread is nicely buttered and crispy from the black top grill then the perfectly melted cheese the seasoned grilled to perfection juicy steak the freshness from the lettuce tomatoes avocado and onions the slight kick from the jalapeño it all compliments the torta as a whole and the aioli spread is like no other PERFECTION The tostones are always fresh thick but still thin crispy but still soft center seasoned too and dip it in the aioli for Pete's sake oh my goodness is there anything better? Presentation: comes in a basket with wax paper liner torta halfed ready for sharing or selfishly consuming while on lookers drool to their demise the tostones beautifully cut and flattened by hand will go right next to them like a beautiful work of art Service: whether ur sitting down enjoying the beautiful art taking in the good positive vibes and the ambiance or taking out these guys here have it down pat. They are young and know what they are doing they have a great team here I always have a great experience and nothing less read more

El Taller - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

El Taller is in a building held by Jerome's Bootery. Now it a place you can have lunch and relax. It's taking the place of Cafe Aztec till Cafe Aztec finds a new spot in Lawrence. Service is always good and the food is delicious. Especially the chicken soup. read more

Great atmosphere. We had Buddha bowl and yoga bowl. An IPA on tap and a coconut margarita. Deliciosos. Maravillosos. read more

El Taller - The food was pretty too. - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Great food and great price. Awesome take out service and can be a great place to sit and just hand out

Great atmosphere, flavorful food, good prices. Clean bathrooms, street parking, check it out. read more

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El Taller has a different type of ambiance than just your regular cafe. It is Latino culture based mostly Mexican but being in an area dominated by Caribbean Latin culture is a mix. You should go just to see their library of cultural books with many from local Lawrence writers! I found the food fair but if I had more familiarity, I am sure I could have found something to my satisfaction. Just go and explore and bring your laptop. It is a great place to get some work done. This Wifi is excellent! read more

This is by far the best Mexican food around!! We have been going there for over 30 years!! Affiliated with Cafe Azteca!! Not only is the food made to order but it is family owned and has the best Mom and Dad and sons and the best waitress Maraya!! We love you guys Tracey and Amarildo read more

I don't know what happened to this place but it was one of our favorite once in a while spots because we always enjoyed the food and ambiance. Unfortunately service has gone down hill since this new merge and the food was not the same as usual. We always enjoyed the food because it was mostly consistent. This last visit was mediocre at best. First the waiter didnt understand what I was asking for and then didnt want to change my plate or remove the mistake from my bill. I had asked for a dish I had always had but since the menu looked different I asked for the wrong dish, however I mention to the waiter that I only wanted the steak and tostones you would think he would catch it and either explain the difference or recommend the steak plate which was what I always ordered before. Anyways it was a miscommunication on both sides but the waiter was basically like tough luck so I had to ask for a manager. That was the icing on the cake, she proceeded to complain about the steak prices being so expensive eventhough the steak plate I was paying for and wanted had more steak then the fried rice plate I was served with 2 small pieces. Anyways she ended up taking it off our bill but I left the $18 cost of the plate in the tip so she wouldn't complain about her steak being wasted. On top of everything else that was horrible, they burned my steak...Needless to say they've lost a loyal customer all over the huge lack of customer service. Last note, it wasn't a ribeye, or filet, it was flank steak. ;) read more

El Taller - a plate of food on a table - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Would definitely be a regular here if I lived in the area! El Taller has an unassuming exterior but on the inside is spacious, well decorated, with plenty of seating. I stopped in to take advantage of the nice space and free WiFi to do some work for a few hours. A lot of people were working or chatting with friends. It looks like they have special events and live music as well, with notices posted in front and a stage in the back. They serve food, coffee, tea, and alcohol. I unfortunately only got to drink coffee this time, but I hope to come back and try their other offerings. El Taller serves all the traditional espresso drinks with an assortment of flavors: Spanish latte, cinnamon honey latte, the "beesting" or espresso with honey, and more! The Spanish latte is a deliciously creamy, rich drink of espresso and steamed condensed milk (whaaat, right?!). Yum! Would love to try more of their drinks. FYI the sizes are huge--small is normal, medium is a huge tall mug, and large is...I don't even know. My main complaint is parking! Street parking is $2 per hour but only up until 6pm. Try to walk, bike, or take public transit if you can. read more

El Taller - Small Spanish latte - espresso with steamed condensed milk. Yum! A little under $5. - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

Tostones!!! If you come to El Taller, then you HAVE to get one for the table -- or yourself, no judgement from me. The tostones are fried, smashed plantains. They are so crispy and crunchy; the ultimate guilty pleasure. We got one for the table, but I was definitely tempted to order a plate just for me. El Taller pays homage to the history of Lawrence's industrial past. If you didn't know, Lawrence was one of the cities of the Industrial Revolution and was a textile center. The decor and atmosphere of El Taller reflects that with its thread spool barstools and laquered tool displays on the benches. There's also tons of exposed wood and metal. So I came by with some coworkers on Friday night and the place was fairly packed. We were seated immediately, though, and placed our orders. I had the Steak and Potatoes and a hot chai latte. The steak was so tender and the marinade the marinade they used was perfect. The portion size was big, but it was so good that I finished the entire thing. My coworkers had the Backwards Nachos and the Pollo y Papas, and they enjoyed those as well. When we left, more people arrived for some sort of event, so I guess they might have open mic nights or live music too. TIP: Our server was great, but she was the only one I saw working. If you're ready to go, but can't flag her down to get the check, you can just go to the counter. read more

Can you please open a location in Boston city? I'm already having withdrawals from this place and it's only been a day. I would definitely recommend coming here for a good breakfast or lunch. They have a wide variety of drinks like smoothies and coffees. They do a twist on Dominican coffee which incorporates condensed milk into the drinks. I actually went with my waitress's recommendation for the banana coconut chocolate coffee. It was soooooo good guys. Also their drinks are massive. They large but you get xxl. And no one complains. Also the ambience is beautiful!! It's so quirky and edgy. They also do open mic nights in Thursday's read more

I had heard about this place from a friend well over a year ago but it's not usually on the path of my regular travels. A friend and I were actually going to try a new Cafe on South Union street but upon arrival there a bit before 2 p on a Saturday, that Cafe was closed though they advertised they offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Then I remembered my friend raving about this place so we headed over. We were greeted by a very warm smile by a young lady behind the counter that faces the door and she offered us menus. We took the cue to seat ourselves and began to peruse the expansive menu. I needed to eat a smaller portion given the late afternoon time and knowing I had dinner plans at 5p so my friend and I decided on a large mocha latte with almond milk as beverages and to share a bowl of chili and the breakfast tacos with chorizo potatoes. The Cafe was a little more than half full with equal numbers of adults and kids. It took a bit longer than expected for our lattes to arrive. It wasn't until after we placed our latte order that we realized there was a drink menu on our table to which my friend said she would have tried the honey cinnamon latte instead of us both ordering the same mocha lattes...so study the drink menu at the table before you order. When our lattes did arrive, they were hot and I liked mine alot but my friend commented that hers was not as sweet as she would have liked it, but she did ask for less syrup. It took another 10 or so minutes for our breakfast tacos to arrive. They were hot and very flavorful, served with salsa on the side. Then another 5 or so minutes for our chili to arrive. The chili was hot, perfectly seasoned and had a nice ratio of meat to beans along with a reasonable amount of tortilla strips on top. During our time there, we had four different servers and all of them were very pleasant and attentive. Our total tab was around $25 without tip and we would definitely return. Food, drinks and service were 4.5 stars. The only con is that the service is not fast but that could be a welcomed change if you're there to chill out. We didn't look around for parking options and just parked on Essex so the time limit is 1 hour until 6 or 8 p (?) so even if we wanted to chill, we would have had to move our car to avoid a possible ticket. read more

El Taller - Bowl of chili with tortilla chips and grilled Tripoli's bread slices - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

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Today El Taller came through for lunch in a big way, with this hot sticky icky icky again weather, I wanted a serious mean save my soulfood.. The Philly Torta: steak sliced not to thin but stacked perfectly, red onion, green pepper, jalapeños which wasnt spicy but gave the steak a great taste, nice slices of avocado, and topped with queso dip, The bread bun was grilled and buttery wow I was so happy, to make it even better it came with a choice of fries, sweet potato or tostones I choose the fried plantain (tostones) each pc was sliced perfectly and evenly also came with a dipping sauce, which tasted like mayo, and ketchup but with a little tang to it, great touch El Taller.. The place was so busy it seemed everyone ate lunch late so I took mine to go.. The wait wasnt long and my meal was a big hit.. read more

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Awesome fun place. I enjoy breakfast or lunch there and even donned sometimes. Great good and drinks.

So I was in Lawrence for Jury duty, but lo and behold, I was cancelled (not that they called). Not that I mind being called for Jury duty. So, already having the day off from work, paying for parking, and having to be in Lawrence on a drizzly grey day, I took the opportunity to seek out a fine establishment in downtown Lawrence. I was not disappointed. I grabbed a Breakfast Mollettes plate with a cup of coffee. The sandwich was not fingerfood, I needed my fork and knife to eat it! Very filling and tasty. Over easy egg on refried beans and montery cheese with salsa and sliced tomatoes on the side. The coffee was very good as well. Food and coffee was piping hot! What I loved about this restaurant, is it is also a bookshop. There are unique books here, both in English and Spanish. Books of poetry, social issues in the Hispanic and black communities. I actually bought two, "Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings" by Margarita Engle, and "Out of the House of Bondage" by Thavolia Glymph. The book of poetry was a nice, easy read. The other is more of a social treatise on the changing relationship of white women and black women before and after the Civil War. It's a little dry, but making my way through it. Staff were pleasant here, laid back and this feels more like a friemds home than a restaurant. This is a nice gem in the heart of Lawrence. read more

A nice cafe with great vibes that is an integral part of the community. Their coffee and food are okay, but the atmosphere, board games, and the live music at night more than makes up for it. read more

This place is so great that I'm writing this review as I finish up my meal! First of all, the backwards nachos were AH-MAZING!! It was so refreshingly different. And they have the perfect amount of chips. My boyfriend and I were surprised at the ratio. It was extremely filling and I'm glad we added carnitas to it. I ordered the molletes with steak and it was so yummy. The bread was nicely and evenly toasted with melted cheese (heaven). I only ate a quarter of it because I was so full from the nachos, but that means leftovers for later tonight!! Along with my meal I ordered the mango lemonade and it was so delicious and sweet. Only thing I have to say is that it took quite some time for our final meal to come out, but that's okay because we were so full from the backwards nacho and sandwich (which I only ate 1/4 of) that we ended up cancelling it! tldr; genderless bathrooms, great lemonade, amazing and cheap food ($10ish and under). Backwards nachos were my favorite! Will definitely be coming back. read more

El Taller - Backwards nachos with carnitas (additional $3.50). Asked for the cheese and sour cream on the side. My favorite! And so filling - Bookstores Near Me - Lawrence, Massachusetts

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