We found this little gem while driving down Nolensville Road, actually looking for a different restaurant. We always love trying the authentic Mexican restaurants along the road, so we figured it was a safe adventure. The thing I love about restaurants of this nature is how creative their menus can be compared to the more Americanized Mexican restaurants. Nothing wrong at all with a good neighborhood Mexican restaurant that we all know and love, but some of these flavors and experiences you simply don't get in the more homogenous Mexicanrestaurants. I had the whole fried fish, which was absolutely delicious. Be careful of the little bones, but other than that absolute delight. I also got a couple tacos just to try as my wife got the burrito. The burrito was well-made and flavorful, but would caution that it had a lot of rice in it something that she was not expecting. (she's not a big rice fan) Absolutely go back as I can't wait to try something else on the menu One little nuance/oddity about this place: they do not serve queso. All they have is melted mozzarella. Not sure why that is just what they choose to serve. read more

El Tapatio #2 - The fish - delicious!! Served w fresh tortillas - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Authentic Mexican in Nashville Mood: real Mexican This place is my GO TO now. Further out the way and really authentically the best. There was a mariachi band playing and you can't beat that. Amazingly delicious food and service to match. Place was clean, bright, and full of culture. Food: Carna Asada tacos Carnitas tacos Rice & Beans All 10/10: the flavor of the tacos was u matched in a while looking for great Mexican food. I will go again and again while in Nashville. read more

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Perfect tacos and fantastic char-broiled chicken. Good service. Cozy, friendly. Excellent salsas.

El Tapatio is one of my favorite taco places that is very authentic, cheap, and flavorful! The street tacos are very simple with meat, onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, but they are so good. The tortillas are thin and light so it makes the taco even better. Carne Asada: The steak tacos are the best in my opinion. Very meaty and loaded with flavors. Al Pastor: Marinated pork tacos are my second top choice of tacos as it is very well-seasoned. Chorizo: another flavorful and marinated meat option, but I liked the marination of the Al pastor type better Shrimp: I wasn't too impressed by the shrimp as it was a little plain. My friends and I love their tacos so much that we catered a bunch of these tacos for a party. read more

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Finally some decent Mexican food in Nashville. Right off the bat, the main difference is how the meat is prepared. All of the proteins; chicken, steak, and pork are cooked on a grill outside in the parking lot. This gives everything a smokey flavor. We ordered the "Mexican burrito" yup that's the name on menu, a chicken quesadilla, and a carne asada burrito. The Mexican burrito was loaded with a ton of pork, rice, beans, and salsa. This burrito is huge and a little greasy, but that's what makes pork burritos taste sooo good! I tried both the red and green salsa, and the green was by far the best. Citrus and spice flavors all in one, rain on me! The chicken quesadilla was good, but not my fave. It needed more flavor and maybe some salt? This is a great option for a kid or a picky eater. By the way, it comes with rice and beans. Another huge portion! From what it looked like, they are taking full precautions here. All servers and cooks were wearing masks, gloves and seats in the waiting area spaced apart. There are accepting dine in patrons, but we ordered our food to go just to be on the safe side. I would definitely try this place again if I'm in the area! read more

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Great food & service! Expansive menu: So many options to choose from! The chicken burrito and chorizo quesadillas were delicious. The portions are very large & it's so reasonably priced. Very clean, too! I will return soon; I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Quite frankly, this places serves the BEST tacos in Nashville!!! No second guessing. They have two locations and I have been to both. One of the great things about this place is they are open until 3am- perfect snack after a night out on weekends! Secondly, they are all reasonably priced. I ate 4 tacos and it was like $5 altogether. You can't find so many places where you can get full with $5. I highly recommend steak tacos and taco el pastor they are equally great. So flavorful, I suggest you eat them with "everything" on it meaning cilantro and onions. This place probably could do better in the cleanliness department and do some updates in the building but their food is so great that those things don't even matter !!! read more

El Tapatio #2 - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I love how they always bring you all the bottle sauce options and amazing fast service .its a pretty calm place every time I go it's empty they just tell you to sit where you will like . Must recommend the agua de piña read more

El Tapatio #2 - Carne asada gordita - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I always like Tapatio #2. Their tacos are excellent; they have three different salsas that are very good (two varieties of green and one red); the huevos a la Mexicans are also great. The staff are friendly and the food comes quickly. Prices are very reasonable too. Great place for authentic, tasty and inexpensive Mexican comida. read more

El Tapatio #2 (or El Tap, as we lovingly call it) is the number one Nashville taco spot in our hearts and minds--authentic or otherwise. By the power of Los Altos, even when the chicken is dry, it's good. A little "yellow sauce" seals the deal. If you order to go, make sure to ask for it--and don't be too proud to beg. I've never had to beg though, so don't worry. Did you eat a meal at Bartaco 12 South last weekend and are now suddenly in danger of having your car repossessed? Four tacos is a solid serving of food for the most tapped of tíos, so bring your cheap uncle and make him pay. You must order at least one asada, one al pastor, and one chicken taco (don't come for me if it's dry--reach for your yellow sauce). Arrive with your tappetite and a few bucks, and you can't go wrong. You won't even need to look at a menu. As soon as you walk in, a nice woman will gaze warmly at you as she reaches into your soul and scans it for your coveted cravings without speaking a word. Well, sort of. ...Thanks to me, you won't even need to look at a menu. If you're too embarrassed to speak Spanish to the server, no te preocupes! She knows what you want, even if you aren't using hand gestures to order. Silly gringo. If you're really hungry or if you just prefer burritos, try a burrito. And eat the pickled carrots that come on the side. Even my vinegar-detesting boyfriend doesn't hate them. At El Tapatio #2, they've got you covered (and smothered, sort of). Because I dunno about the first one, but second is best. And third is the one with the hairy chest? Open late! read more

ago We liked this restaurant. Authentic food, great service. All the tacos were excellent, and there was no line waiting for table or food. We ordered the grilled chicken and that was a bit under cooked on the dark meat pieces. The rest was good. Dinner for 4 with avocado side was 36$. So very affordable too. Highly recommended. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Their pineapple juice is freshly made and affordable for a huge foam cup! Which translates to: Ah-wah deh-Pey-nha Agua de piña Thank me later read more

OMG where do I start. This place is AMAZING !!! Let start with the Birria Tacos. They are made to perfection, meat to cheese ratio is just *chefs kiss* The consomé has a slight spicy kick but not to the point where it winds you if you have a low tolerance like me. Their carne asap and Alpastor is just WOW WOW WOW. If you're craving real street Mexican food, this is the place to go read more

I had been eying El Tapatio #2 since I drove by eat on the way to the zoo. The restaurant had two important visuals from the outside. A big black smoker in action near the road and full parking lot. It was difficult to choose what to order as everything looked pretty awesome. I went with the Mojarra Frita. The food was great. You also get chips with 3 types of salsas. El Tapatio holds its ground with the other best authentic Mexican on Nolensville. It definitely ranks in the top 3. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Mojarra Frita - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I go out of my way to stop here. The food has great flavor, portions are large, and the price is right. My happiness starts with the fresh lime slice in my water, and continues as I watch the cooks make everything fresh - chopping limes, slicing meat, frying chips... I dream of this good - the guacamole, salsas, warm tortillas, flavorful rice & beans (I usually pass on those), flavorful meats and veggies... They say the sign of a good ethnic restaurant is people of that nationality eating there. You will most definitely find that here. And don't panic if you end up with a menu on Spanish. Just ask for (or use hand signals to request) an English version read more

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Usually this place is really good but I just waited like 15 mins for a combo pollo and my chicken is cold and scarce. Looks dried out and like it was from someone else's plate. And I always tip. Wtf gives? read more

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Great food. Waitress didn't really understand English but she was very sweet and we made it work. Would go again. True authentic Mexican. We got the chicken tacos. read more

El Tapatio #2 - a man sitting at a table with two bottles of beer - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I was in Woodbine and was feeling hungry. It was past 21h and La Hacienda was closed. So I checked yelp and El Tapatio was open. It was great. Nelsey greeted me with a wonderful smile and it seems like I had personal service. I decided on Carne Asada tacos and ceviche. The ceviche had mayonnaise, which was different. If I could do it over again, I'd opt for no mayo. I really loved their green salsa. Just what the doctor ordered. Tacos 'with everything' onion, cilantro. It was so welcoming. Nelsey spoke to me en Español. Great little place. read more

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Absolutely the best tacos in town, I drive out of my way and past other taco trucks just to get my dinner here. Delicious and affordable.

Ordered on Uber Eats & honestly just disappointed. There is no flavor to the food. Just bland. Not sure they know how to use seasonings. Even some salt would've helped. Price is decent but that's about it, wouldn't waste the money again. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Steak... looks like dog food - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Though located off the beaten path, this place is fantastic!! The food is delicious, authentic and inexpensive! Does it get any better than that? I even got a chance to practice my Spanish to communicate with our server! And for those without too much Spanish knowledge... no worries.. pointing on the menu will work just fine! My husband and I ordered the tacos. We tried several different meats. Our favorite was probably the spicy pork. YUM!!! I loved how simple but tasty the tacos were, much like we saw in California. The tacos basically consisted of meat, cilantro, and some chopped onions on a fresh corn tortilla! The sauces that came with the meal = delicious! We did get a little lost trying to locate this place, because as others have said it's a bit of a hole in the wall. Plus, it's on the side of town I rarely go. But I would say it was definitely worth the trip! read more

The 3611 Nolesnville location is closer to Antioch Pike & McCall by the zoo, it's not further south as the below reviewer has mentioned. This location is inside of an actual building and not a taco stand. First suggestion, go with someone that can read Spanish because you will not find English on the menu. The servers, however, do speak English and I'm sure wouldn't mind helping. Tacos are $1.25 here and are served with lots of cilantro and onions. You'll find the usual suspects, asada, pastor, carnitas, and some of the more adventurous cuts like tongue, tripe, and head. The carnitas really shine here, super tender and flavorful. On the table are two bottles of sauces; one is a green chile sauce, and the other a red chile sauce. Both are outstanding with the green being slightly spicier. $3 Corona's and they take cash & cards. read more

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This place came recommended by a coworker & I'm so glad I tried it. Service was fast. Food was tasty. Prices are affordable. Parking became crowded during lunch time but otherwise there's plenty of spaces. I used the menu that was posted by another yelpler & called the order in for pick up. The lady on the phone was very nice & thorough in taking my order. She stated the order would be ready in 5 minutes!! That's super fast for any sit down restaurant. It was about a 10min drive from my work and the food was ready to go! Item ordered: Chargrilled half chicken with rice, pico de gallo, beans, & 5 tortillas (corn or flour) for a little over $8!!! Chicken was perfectly chargrilled, lightly seasoned, and super moist. Rice was topped with dilled veggies & pico de gallo. Melted queso covered the lightly seasoned beans. Everything was fresh, authentic, perfectly seasoned (not too salty), and delicious!! Huge portion leftover too. Will definintly return! read more

El Tapatio #2 - Chargrilled half chicken with rice, pico de gallo, beans, and 5 tortillas (corn or flour) all for $7.50 + tax - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I got the spicy pork + pineapple taco, steak taco, and chicken taco. I got it to-go, so I'm not sure how it's like to dine-in. Anyway, they were a bit frugal on the lime. I like at least 1/4 lime per taco minimum. Unfortunately, I had to use that one slice of lime for four tacos (I ordered one steak, one chicken, and two spicy pork - which I'm glad I did because it was the only one that was worth raving about.) Prices are decent. I asked for the pickled radishes & carrots. But they were raw cuts or not fully pickled. Really bummed me out. The salsas included were okay. I'll go back for the spicy pork tacos. They were flavorful. It's Nashville, you don't really have that much options. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

El Tapatio #2 is a local authentic Mexican restaurant located on Nolensville Pike. They serve authentic Mexican cuisine and even "Mexican" Cokes. I ordered 3 tripe tacos and 3 Al Pastor tacos ($1.50 each). Each was lightly sprinkled with a pinch of fresh cilantro, diced onions, roughly chopped carrots and a slice of lime. Unfortunately, the Al Pastor taco was lacking in flavor. The upside is that the edges of the sliced pork have that yummy burnt crunch. However, beyond the exaggerated salt, onion juice bursts, and minty cilantro, there wasn't much flavor. The Al Pastor taco didn't have the spiced pork accent that I expected. It was just a bunch of salty pork served on top of two warm tortillas. I ordered three crunchy tripe tacos they were delectable. Although it's not as crunchy as a fried chicken wing, it still rings that crunchy "pleasure bell" in your brain. This concoction of textures and flavors in the tripe tacos easily makes it on my favorite list at El Tapatio #2. If you're looking for authentic Mexican tacos then I would recommend this place. There's no wait time and your food is ready quickly. Tacos here are affordable ($1.50 each) and you can easily get full with five tacos. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Portions are huge food is great, The sopes are must try, located on Nolensville pike just before Thompson Lane. Our new lunch place! read more

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Native Mexican food. A definite contender for best in Nashville. My daughter knows I want to avoid chains and she searched for something new to try, a great find. The grilled chicken is fabulous and the sides are authentic, made in house. Try the pickled vegetables. Great price, friendly servers, and abundant food. This is a total hit! read more

I love Saturday road trips, even if they are just down to Nolensville. We packed ourselves into the car and headed towards the land of Essex and tacos. We attempted to hit up Don Juan's but they were closed for the day. With a wrench thrown into the plan we drove and stopped at El Tapatio since it was close to Essex. The place was inviting and we were the only non-Spanish speakers inside of the establishment. Once inside we were promptly seated. I choose to go with a spicy pork street taco and a carnitas combo plate. The spicy pork wasn't spicy but it was spiced well. The carnitas pork was okay, kind of bland actually but that was okay, I added some homemade salsa. Beer was surprisingly pricey. $3.50 for a Sol but it did come with a lime that had spices on it. I've never seen it before but it smelled yummy. The food came relatively fast and I wished I had ordered the spicy pork on my combo plate. Overall the place was good, not great. I would probably come back for a taco but only after I try the other Mexican restaurants/trucks on Nolensville. read more

My fiance and I are so excited to have bought a house so close to Nolensville! Having so many good, authentic Mexican restaurants and food trucks makes me feel like I'm back home in Texas! We went to El Tapatio for a late breakfast/early lunch. I had Huevos a la Mexicana - eggs scrambled with tomatoes, jalapeno, and onion. It came with a side of rice, beans, and guacamole, sour cream, and lettuce. And FOUR tortillas (choice of corn or flour, not made in house). The food was pretty good, but not as good as some other places on Nolensville, so I don't think we'll head to El Tapatio too often. The coffee was instant (yuck), but the service was great. All in all, it was an okay, but not great Mexican spot on Nolensville, but it has so much competition! read more

El Tapatio #2 - Huevos a la Mexicana - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Shot threw the window, but they're to blame // Lack of guacamole prevents a perfect grade. So much LOVE for this place! Super cheap street style tacos and excellent guacamole... when available. Sadly, I don't think they make their guac in house. For several visits I was told they were sold out of guac, but yet my meal still contained large slices of avocado. They serve their beer with a lime slice dipped in spice. Sounds weird, but it so GOOD. Food flavor varies depending on daily cook and ingredient selection. My pork tacos usually include avocado, cilantro and onion, but on good days they toss in pineapple. Not knowing exactly what you're going to get makes the experience that much more enjoyable. You can always count on Spanish soap operas playing on their TVs. Don't forget to check out the bullet hole in the window. Gives the atmosphere just little something extra. Overall: good, authentic tacos at a great price. read more

El Tapatio #2 - Taquitos under an awesome pile of lettuce, avocados and carrots. - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Never come to this place as you are better of going to the taco stand across the street. This place is inconsistent and when you complain the owner tells the customer to stop buying chicken from them. Not even worth 1 star. Never come here. read more

Fast and friendly service. Fresh and tasty food. Very reasonable price. A gem on Nolensville Pike!

If you want some food that seems very much like what I've had in Mexico, save yourself a plane ticket and give this place a try. The tacos on corn tortillas are fantastic and the chicken has a wonderful "off the grill flavor". When you order chips they make them - right then. And if you want something to go with your chips the freshly made pico is great as is the guacamole. Now serving 3 house made salsas at the table (as well as Valentina) in big squeeze bottles - each one is fabulous but the chipotle is my favorite. Beans and rice are very good and the lime for your beer comes dipped in Tajin powder. They have menus in Spanish and English so be sure to get the version you find easier to read. They aren't open the same hours as Waffle House, but it's close. To sum it all up "authentic" might be the best word! read more

I was ravenous one day and was craving some Mexican food on the way back from somewhere. Checking out my [almost] always reliable Yelp, this restaurant was close by and people were just raving about the food. Needless to say, I was very excited and was imagining ordering a plethora of foods to endlessly gorge on. The place looks a tiny bit like a hole in the wall but it is situated right beside a busy road so there is visibility there. The place is not terribly big but it's not minuscule either. The layout and the decor was fairly reminiscent of a Mexican diner - which was promising because diners usually have good, whole, and hearty foods. We ordered the vegetarian quesadillas, nachos, and shrimp tacos. The nachos were almost soup like - the beans were like runny refried beans variety. Combine that with the cheese made the nachos VERY soggy. Nachos can get soggy but this was just breaking apart. In terms of the taste - it tasted a bit off and I quickly found out why. After a while of digging through the nachos, I accidentally ate some ground beef. Urgh. The downfalls of not eating meat for a long time is, when you do actually end up eating meat, your body doesn't know how to react which results in you getting sick. So, I got nauseous and sick the next day. Strangely enough, I really don't blame them. It seemed like a genuine accident. I didn't taste my husband's vegetarian quesadillas but he seemed rather underwhelmed by them. Out of the three dishes, I think my shrimp tacos were the best - still not as amazing as I was expecting. By the end of the meal, I was chastising myself for setting high expectations when I learned many times not to! It looked like for meat lovers, it might be a better establishment. The service was nice - the waitress we had didn't speak much English so communication was a bit of a problem but we all managed. The restaurant looked clean and the people work hard there - always with smiles on their faces. The whole bill was so cheap - I believe it was under $20. What a deal. In terms of coming back here - well the jury is still out on that decision. read more

this is not your average mexican restaurant clone. you know what i am talking about... where the menus are all exactly the same and even worse the food always tastes the same, like it just rolled off the sysco truck. meh. before you even walk into the building you'll be greeted by the wonderful scent of charred meat emanating from the shabby unkempt rust bucket smoker which resides in the parking lot. sometimes i like to linger in the turn lane in front of this place with the windows down way longer than i should just to bathe in that intoxicating aroma. the servers are incredible friendly, always smiling, and while they speak english, their accent is a little thick. i've never had a hard time communicating. when in doubt i do the tried and true menu point and grunt. if asked a question, just point and grunt again, on a third query, just shake your head yes. whatever, it works for me. the first time i ordered guacamole here, i was a little confused because the guac came out immediately with no chips. i waited a while... no chips. i thought maybe i missed something. perhaps my point, grunt, point, grunt, head shake yes failed me. little did i know that my man behind the grill was back their frying my chips on the spot. talk about fresh... scorching hot when i received them. the guac itself? probably my favorite in nashville. it seems to be an incredibly simple recipe but i believe the edge here is that they add lots of jalapeno peppers. i'm not really trying to figure it out, i just know i can't come here without ordering it. another favorite thing about this place is the hot pepper they serve with limes for your beer. there is something immensely satisfying about the hot burn of the pepper mixed with the ice cold beer. i am not even lime beer drinker but i never pass up the opportunity here. don't have time to sit down, or need a late night mexican feast? head a little further south and visit their second location which is open into the wee hours of the night where a plate of 4 tacos will cost you about $5. skip the clones, come here and get real about your mexican food. read more

El Tapatio #2 - #2 torta - Seafood Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I really enjoyed my lunch, although my three tacos and horchata somehow ended up being close to $10. (I have a suspicion that my chips and guacamole were not actually free...which is OK because they were still delicious, fresh and warm with a really interesting spicy guac mix.) Like everyone else has said, this is straightforward honest food. I sampled the spicy pork, the chicken and the tongue. Surprisingly, the tongue was probably my favorite, especially the bits that fell off the taco and that I ate with a fork which allowed me to savor their tender flavor. The salsas were delicious - spicy, smoky and homemade-tasting - and the bucket-sized glass of cinnamony horchata will keep my suger nicely elevated into next week. (Tiny pet peeve - Why serve a HUGE glass with a normal-sized straw? The straw practicall sinks below the surface of the drink like a diving submarine's periscope.... I may bring my own xtra-long straw next time.) Service was friendly and prompt (although I came late for lunch when the restaurant was relatively empty). The waitress humored me as I tried out my pathetic Spanish. And I got to evesdrop on a passionate argument in the Spanish telenovela playing on multiple screens. Yeah, it was a good lunch. read more

One of my favorite taco stops, right here in Woodbine. Ofcourse, they also offer many other options to eat other than tacos. Food is prepared promptly and never read more

This place was great! I was cravvvvviiiinnnngggg some Mexican food late one night and the "regular" Mexican spots were all closed...I stopped by El Tapatio and got a chicken burrito with a side of rice and beans and OMG! I crushed my cravings with the quickness! It is family owned and all staff were so nice...the burrito could supply a meal for two...not to mention the prices are affordable!! I will definitely frequent his place when I need my authentic Mexican fix... read more

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Sorry to be so impressed, but this has been my best yelp experience in 2 years. Went at 11pm on a weekday. Everything is Spanish, menu, tv, etc. Tacos are small, but at $1.25 each - Amazing. Red salsa is spicy with a hint of bean flavor. Can't believe I almost went to applebees tonight. read more

I hate to say this, but I disagree with the majority of reviews here. The food here is dry and not very flavorful. Although the chicken did have some open-flame grill flavor, it was simply too dry. The spicy pork isn't as flavorful as a few food trucks I've been raving about. And the carne asada was average at best. Is it better than Americanized Mexican food found throughout Nashville? Sure, but by a small margin. What I do like is the fact that it's open late. Otherwise I would never find myself coming back here again. Maybe it's because I've been spoiled by Mexican food in other states. =T read more