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    El Tapatio

    3.5 (262 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed Closed

    El Tapatio Photos

    Business Info

    EL TAPATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Tapatio

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    enchilada combo plate
    Ian M.

    hmmm how to say this... uhhh, great food. like look at the pics. you'll know in a pic or two if this is the place you're looking for. killer rice and beans. enchilada sauce was on the sweet side, but not enough to bother me. huge portions, tons of options, great service, welcoming environment. the kind of place I'd bring my parents to.

    Dean M.

    El Tapatío is a Porterville institution. if you have not been and are in the area, they are certainly worth the visit. Expect giant portions and delicious fresh tostadas to go with their house salsa. Even after eating a large lunch I had enough leftovers to share between my wife and I for dinner. They were very busy at lunch, so was a little bit slow, but that can be forgiven because the value is there.

    Dry chicken without any sauce or flavor

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    6 months ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Good food smaller portions now. A bit pricey clean friendly family eat there a lot. You can have parties there

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

    Excellent food! Excellent variety of choices! Something for everyone. Excellent portions! Option to dine in or take out.

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    3 months ago

    Food is good, but does seem to have lost some of its specialness over the years. Also with staff, especially the young girls are very rude.

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

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    La Cocina De Doña Maggie

    La Cocina De Doña Maggie

    4.3
    (82 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    I LOVE La Cocina de Doña Maggie! My friend and I were heading south back down from a trip to the…read moreSequoias and were hungry for breakfast. We're SO glad we came across Doña Maggie's! There is ample parking in their lot once you arrive. The entrance and decor is BEAUTIFUL--so many lovely cultural pieces. The place is filled with the sounds of wonderful Mexican music playing in the background. The service is FANTASTIC. Our waitress was kind, quick, and very friendly. You get chips and salsa as soon as you're seated. My friend and I ordered breakfast burritos, which came with bacon, ham, cheese, egg, and potatoes. FIRE burrito! Also, they come with two salsas--one is delicious and one is SPICYYYY. Beware! Their agua fresca de pepino y limón was refreshing, their restrooms are clean, and you can even purchase other wares from their store. Overall, a GREAT choice to stop at if you're in Porterville or passing through. :)

    Stopped by La Cocina de Doña Maggie and decided to go with 3 tacos gobernador. The tacos were…read morejuicy, not dry like you sometimes get elsewhere. You could tell they were made fresh, and whomever is the cook, knows how to season well. Service was on point and super attentive. They checked on me at least 4 times to make sure everything was good, which honestly made the whole experience even better. It's rare to see that kind of consistency in small local spots. The only thing I felt was missing was a more savory salsa to match those tacos. The one they gave me seemed like a salsa de chile de árbol -- spicy with good flavor, but I wished I had an extra salsa option that leaned more on the smoky or tangy side to balance out the richness of the gobernador. The place was quiet, comfortable, and relaxed -- no loud music or chaos, just a good spot to sit back and enjoy your food. Definitely worth a visit again. Next time, I might ask if they have any different salsas to try with those tacos.

    Photos
    Decor
    Decor
    Albondigas
    Albondigas
    Tacos gobernador

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    Tacos gobernador
    El Maguey

    El Maguey

    4.1
    (68 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $

    First time dining at El Maguey and will definitely be back. Small and quaint space with very…read morefriendly staff. Had heard great things about this restaurant and finally decided to give it a try. The menu was composed of fairly common dishes found at most Mexican restaurants. I'll review the dishes we tried. First, we had some carne asada tacos. The meat was seasoned and cooked well, topped on fresh made corn tortillas. Garnished with onion, cilantro and fresh salsas. Would have again. Their fish was freshly fried and seasoned well. Nice crisp skin and super moist flesh. The garlic butter I requested added an additional layer of flavor. The refried beans were delicious and well as the rice. The side salad was complimentary to the fish as it was refreshing and citrusy. I enjoyed my meal to say the least. I definitely will visit again.

    Named after the mezcal agave this little Mexican restaurant is small but mighty! Off a main road,…read moreOlive Ave. you may drive right by it. The customer service is on point as soon as you enter you are greeted like you're the only customer! The decor is authentic as well as the food. It's a small space with a shared parking lot but come before or after lunch and you'll have no trouble. Plenty of food items to please your palate. The food and aguas are flavorful. Cold beer as well Mexican beer on tap. There is also a beautiful dessert case with flans. Like their sign says they are a small business but their seasoning is big. Pop in, say hi and enjoy some delicious food as well as a lovely atmosphere with great customer service!

    Photos
    El Maguey
    Molcajete Mariscos!
    Molcajete Mariscos!
    El Maguey

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    Mariscos El 30

    Mariscos El 30

    4.3
    (78 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    The service was friendly but that was the only redeemable aspect…read more Note there was a surcharge for using credit card. I placed a take out order and it took 10 minutes to prep my food. Considering I saw the tostadas being removed from a grocery bag, I'm assuming they weren't made in house. My order came with forks, tostadas, hot sauce, ketchup, and saltine crackers. *Aguachile: the portion was very small and there was barely any flavor. The shrimp had the slightest bit of acidity but I'm shocked by the lack of lemon juice and green Enchilosa sauce. There was a singular slice of avocado on top. Most of the container was composed of red onions and cucumbers. The red onions were dry, hence I refuse to believe that this dish had any proper preparation. *Ceviche Especial: wow was this so dry. The octopus and shrimp were way overcooked. Instead of shrimp ceviche, I received a strange clump of shredded imitation crab. This was similarly topped with a single slice of avocado. There was no aspect of seasoning or citrus in this entire meal. The lack of freshness and flavor was astounding. A positive was that I didn't get food poisoning from this meal. However, I wasn't able to finish either dish because they were both poor examples of Mexican seafood.

    I always tend to get a 1st impression on a new place by the chips/salsa, appetizers or drinks and…read morethis was just dissatisfying to start. Complimentary ceviche was just utterly dry/bland. The Modelo Negra michelada I ordered was just a total fail. Tasted more Clamato than anything.. I didn't even bother to finish it. The Paloma my gf ordered was a 3/10 as she stated. There was another couple sitting next to us seemingly left after their drinks as well. It was enough for me to just decide to skip this spot.

    Photos
    Unassuming outside but welcoming inside.
    Unassuming outside but welcoming inside.
    Check please.
    Check please.
    Shrimp Michelada!

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    Shrimp Michelada!
    Los Amigos Restaurant

    Los Amigos Restaurant

    4.8
    (41 reviews)
    7.1 mi

    Loved this place so much we stopped on our way to and from Sequoia. Small shop, but good food and…read moreeven better service. Our server was so kind and took the time to get to know us. The food was full of flavor. My first time I ordered the eggs and chorizo. Simple yet delicious, with some of the best handmade tortillas that I've had. My second time I ordered the tacos gobernador. They were full of flavor and had a good kick of spicy in them. Excelente restaurante. La comida estaba llena de sabor. Disfruté mucho los chips con salsa, que si estuvo picosita El servicio fue excelente. Nuestra mesera tomó el tiempo para conocernos y fue muy amable.

    What did we just run into??? This place is absolutely incredible. We live in LA and thought we had…read morethe best Mexican food. I can tell you whole heartedly that these were the absolute best nachos I've had in my life. Fresh runny beans, homemade hot fried chips, fresh melted cheese, carne asada, pico de gallo, green salsa, crema, pickled onions, avocado and oregano. The service was so nice and such a nice family vibe. We happened to come in when she was making FRESH PISTACHIO MILK/ water. Next door is a pistachio plant and luckily she has found a way to make those little nuts even better! This drink is insane. We will be coming here everytime we pass, up to springville, porterville or the sequoias. She even gifted us a bag of fresh pistachios because we were soooo hyped about her place! They definitely love what they do and show their love through food!

    Photos
    Tamales
    Tamales
    Wet Cabeza burrito. Absolutely delicious!
    Wet Cabeza burrito. Absolutely delicious!
    Fresh pistachios and pistachio milk/ water mmm

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    Fresh pistachios and pistachio milk/ water mmm

    El Tapatio - mexican - Updated August 2026

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