Sweet Jesus. How have I lived so close to El Taquito for so long and yet failed to darken its door? Who cares, because I'm a new regular here. This place blew me away. The Barbacoa taco is right up there among the best tacos I've ever had. Furthermore, the Al Pastor and Pollo were nothing to sneeze at. Started with those three con todo, piled 'em high with amazing, fresh pico de gallo and jalapeno slices, then snagged all three kinds of salsa to try. The salsa verde was my favorite; delicious, with just the right amount of heat. The two other salsas - an orange one (morenita? I'm not certain) with a lot of spice and a chunky one which was the mildest of the three - were also excellent. I inhaled those three tacos. (In less than five minutes.) So I decided to get two more to go, not because I was still hungry but because I just wanted to continue eating amazing authentic Mexican food. I picked the Bistec, which was nothing short of miraculous, topped with avocado, onions and cilantro, and the Gringa with barbacoa meat, a cheesy delight. And did I mention the horchata? It was perfect. Perfect. Run, don't walk. read more

This is a rare find in my opinion! Fantastic food! All my favorite tacos..so good I felt the need to write a review. High quality tacos for a perfect price. The building is tucked away, so it's easy to miss. But definitely worth coming to. read more

Just an FYI they are not open till 3am as the hours state. We pulled in at 1:16am and they were closed. So not sure how the food is.

All you need to know is El Taquito makes the best fucking barbacoa tacos in Austin. So good, in fact, that I would annoy all my game night friends by asking if we could go here every week. Seriously. It got to the point where people would start to trick me. If I didn't show up to game night one week, they'd all tell me they went to El Taquito and then I would cry crocodile tears because how could they go without me? Except one week they actually did go without me. And now I don't talk to any of them, because any friend who goes to El Taquito without me is dead to me.* Pro tip: go here really late at night to see the most interesting characters. (I've actually never eaten here in day light.) *No friendships were actually lost due to the incident in question. read more

It's 11pm and I'm brand new in town. I'm hungry and looking. Where, for what? I don't know. So I consult my 'Fearless Critic' to help me on my hunt. 5,000 years ago they were yelping in chalk on the walls of caves. Today, we read and review, then make a decision. Tonight it's El Taquito. Man up...to that window white boy. Do I order in English or my broken Spanish, thus reveling myself. " Si, por favor, dos tacos de pollo y un al carbon, grassy-ass. -Orale- I'm in. I'm one of the Way's. I have a big shiny belt buckle and cowboy boots on topped with a bleached white wife beater. Four dollars and ten minutes later I'm in the safety of my apartment, taco in one hand, the remote in the other. I did it. I heard they have a stand up building now...It will never be the same. Another taco stand done good. God bless the American dream. read more

Amazing horchata and tacos! My friend and I wanted some late night food so we stopped by this place. We got the steak (bistek los famosos cheese and avocado) tacos and al pastor. The horchata was the best I've ever had and you get a free refill! I will definitely be back again soon. read more

yes, i'm reviewing *another* taco place, but i had to: these little baby tacos remind me so much of the kind that are readily available at many taquerias in the rio grande valley (taqueria el zarape, ahem ahem). i love, love, love their fajita tacos, which come topped with chopped onion, cilantro, queso fresco, and avocado slices, the charro beans are bursting with yummy beany and porky flavor, and the salsas at the salsa bar are damn good, too. their tomatillo and tamarindo salsas were especially noteworthy. i don't usually even like nopales, but even their nopales salad was good. i couldn't stop eating the stuff while waiting for my order to arrive. i'd give this place five stars hands-down, but a) they're a little slow to make your order (it's still worth the wait), b) no booze (what?!), and c) the interior leaves a little to be desired. it's slightly past the "no-frills" descriptor, but i don't even care. this is my new favorite taco place! read more

El Taquito - un orden de fajita mmm - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

The place could have received a much better review had I not waited for 35 minutes with only 5 people in front of me. Also their bistek tasted like freezer burn. The service is friendly and the food is ok, but I do recommend calling in your order. As a first-time customer to experience such a long wait when it didn't seem like they were that busy makes me question if I'll return for that one reason. If the food is absolutely delicious which it was not I would understand the wait but it was just ok. read more

Legit as it gets. I've been here a couple times and all my Mexican friends from Monterrey tell me its as close to home as they've ever had. I love the original Al Pastor, steak, any of the breakfast tacos. The non-breakfast tacos are filled with your choice of meat, white onions, cilantro and queso fresco I believe. Not that rubbery orange/yellow cheddar that has been incorporated into the Tex-Mex cuisine. What I really love about this place is the freshness of the ingredients and cooked to order approach. I love picking up my tacos and feeling the heat from the tortilla because it has just been freshly toasted. There's a nice salsa bar accompanied with a few unique sauces that I can't put my finger on whats in it but it's GOOD. I've tried the corn and flour tortillas both pretty awesome, although I lean toward the flour because they are so freshly made and soft. I had this thing called a Gringa, its like the same as a normal taco except they have an extra flour tortilla, put a ton of cheese down. Melt it, and then add a taco between that. It's freaking amazing, not good for your arteries but freaking good. My friend ordered the queso one time, this is not the queso us silly American think of it. It's a small bowl filled with cheese, but thick cheese that you feel your tortilla with. It's hard to describe without seeing it but its not the type of "queso" that we dip our chips into it. Definitely tasty though! They have nice fresh juices for you to drink such as Cantalope Juice or Mango Juice. It made me feel like I was in a tropical setting, very comforting feelings. Definitely worth a try if you love looking for kick-ass tacos read more

Oh man, am I ever happy to have found this place! When I went in for lunch, I was tempted to get the lunch special of enchiladas + aqua fresca, but due to the fact that the wall-less kitchen is completely visible from the cash register, I could plainly see that these ladies were in the business of making tacos. The tacos are inexpensive (around $1.60), they're fast, and they're deliciously tasty without being greasy or over-onioned. Even my horchata was the best I've ever had -- not cloyingly sweet like I've had other places, and featured an attractive flotilla of strawberry slices. Next time I go, I'll take the risk of leaving over-stuffed and go ahead and get three tacos instead of just two. read more

I knew it was going to be good the moment I walked in the door. Why? It was sin gringos - solamente Mexicanos. 'Ceptin this South Texas gringo boy with a bad hankering for some great tacos. Pastor, Carnitas, and a Gringa. Little orange sauce off the bar, along with some indeterminable pepper rajas. It is hard to describe how wonderful every bite was - made even better by the gulps of icy cold horchata. This is the place Torchy's wishes it was. Better, cheaper. You don't need to go anywhere else. read more

Ok I hate to ruin the 4 and 5 star review chain but this place really is NOT that good. My partner and I went here because of the raving reviews... we are totally disappointed. 1 - we waited about 10 minutes in line just to place our order, not because the line was long, there was one party in front of us. 2- we waited about 15 minutes to get our food, and they were out of chips so the chips with our queso were basically bottom of the barrel crumbs. 3. The carnitas was dry and lacking flavor and the barbacoa had way too much fat and grease to enjoy. 4. Beans and rice were not even good and I didn't know you could mess those up. The only think I would go back there for was 1 out of the 5 salsas and the bottled coca cola. read more

One of my must-eat, favorite places when I re-visit Austin. The hours are awesome; I can't tell you how many times my friends and I went for spontaneous El Taquito runs in college at 1 am to satisfy our taco cravings. Parking/crowds gets crazy after 1:30/2 am on weekends (post-6th street), but the tacos are worth it. There isn't much to add that everybody else has already said, except that I feel compelled to share my secret to El Taquito Nirvana. (Seriously, it is the ish and countless friends have agreed that this is the way to go): 1.) Order the La Gringa taco (has fresh cheese grilled onto the tortilla, kind of making it a quesadilla/taco hybrid) with Barbacoa meat (the best meat there is at El Taquito) on a flour tortilla with everything (onions and cilantro toppings). 2.) Order a La Fresca drink (fresh fruit beverage; preferably in Melon) or Horchata (cinnamon rice milk; it's like Cinnamon Toast Crunch in yummy liquid form). 3.) Go to the salsa bar and get a cup of the most orange colored sauce there is (smooth, orange salsa with some flecks of red and black-- roasted peppers, probably?), along with a lime wedge. 4.) Top the taco generously with a douse of orange salsa and a spray of lime juice. 5.) Take a bite. Wash it down with the La Fresca or Horchata. El Taquito Nirvana achieved. read more

Without a doubt, the best Mexican border style tacos in town. I've been coming to this place for a long time and have always had great meals here, assuming we're on the same page and you also consider eating tacos from a paper plate while sitting on a curb drunk a "meal". Great date place, right? This place used to be nothing more than a taco truck in an empty lot, but they either won the lotto or have been saving their earnings as they now have a full fledged restaurant here as well. I avoid the restaurant whenever the taco truck, which is still parked out front, is open. Call me sentimental, but the tacos inside just don't taste as good as the ones from the truck. Bust out the Rosetta Stone Spanish before coming here, as they don't speak any English, at all. You might also consider avoiding this place if you're with scantily clad ladies or if you are scared of the East side, especially after 2AM. This place gets really packed after 2AM when all of the Riverside bars close. The crowd looks rough, but I've never had a problem here. Just use common sense and be nice to everyone and you should be fine. They have a security guard, but I'm pretty sure that my one armed grandmother could kick his butt. Order at the window of the truck. I highly recommend going with the especial de bistek (5 or 6 mini tacos on corn tortillas with thinly sliced seasoned steak, onion, cilantro, avocado and lime). Make sure to squeeze a generous portion of their green or red salsa on the taco as well. It really doesn't get any better than this. I also really enjoy the gringa con bistek, which is basically like a greasy quesadilla with bistek and gooey cheese inside. They have a decent variety of additional tacos, incuding pastor. Everything here is good. Ask for a jarisco drink or have a mexican coke. Fantastic and reasonably priced too. If it's cold or you don't like the idea of eating on a curb, they also have a small patio outside or you can go inside the nicely done restaurant and grab a table. They have a small salsa bar in there too. read more

The tacos here are yummy and cheap! About $2 per taco. I ordered the Pastor and also tried the Barbacoa and Carnitas. LOVED the Barbacoa and Carnitas--wish I had ordered them instead! Tender, flavorful, soooo moist. Also appreciate that they have a small area with salsas, pico, limes, and other condiments to put on your tacos. The area (East Riverside) is a little creepy and sketchy looking at night, so try to go there before dark. Once you're inside, there is plenty of seating inside the restaurant and it was cleaner than what I expected for a taco shop on Riverside. Good for groups, lots of tables that you can push together. Would definitely take another trip down there if I'm craving some good breakfast tacos! Now if only I could find a good tamale place... read more

Worst food since I moved to Austin!! Service was bad and confusing! it took forever to get the food when the place was practically empty. They did have like 7 people working in the back and I still had to ask for my drink after 10 minutes of waiting. I have never seen such greasy food in my life. It poured out of everything i got. The queso fundito was broken cheese with greasy mushrooms and 4 greasy tortillas. The taquitos were strange, dry, unsalted and greasy once again. One of the beef tacos were overcooked, dry, tasteless and greasy. The Pork taco was way oversalted, dry and greasy. There was absolutely no consistancy. They even managed to make the rice super greasy. I love authentic mexican food but this was a disgrace... I guess everybody loves this place because it stays open untill 3 a.m. I don't get it. read more

Delicious margaritas! Nice atmosphere and staff. I have yet to try their food but maybe next time.

Best taco in Austin, hands down! I especially enjoy the Al Pastor & Carnita - gringa style with all the yummy fixings.

If you need to take a quick trip to Mexico but don't have your passport, walk right in to El Taquito. for $9 & change, I can roll in here and get 3 tacos al pastor & 2 barbacoa w/avacado slices and a mexican Coke. Most tacos I believe are $1.50/each which is amazing these days. We usually hit up El Taquito after going out downtown, and seem to always be entertained in some way or another. But I think I can officially say that I've become a regular at this place, because the guy workin the register and one of the ladies in the back recognize me, always ask how I've been doing, or most times remember what I order. And that itself is part of why I come back, in addition to the great food at great prices. The only downside to El Taquito (at least during the late night hours), is how slow they can be. I understand there are only a couple people workin in the back, but there have been times where wait times push nearly half an hour. Between midnight-2Am, things are ok, as the crowd hasn't hit yet. But after 2am, be ready to wait a bit. read more

This used to one of my favorite places, always took a long time from order to getting the food. And most the time it was hot and tasty. Not sitting around. So I got my normal to go. Queso fundido with Rajas and corn tortillas. That was good. Not hot just warm. Chips and salsa. Received large bag of fresh crispy chips, and a one ounce container of salsa!!!!! Seriously one ounce. ONE OUNCE. Not the normal salsa they give at the table but what I call Chile molcajete. And we ordered tapiquena with green cheese enchilada. That's a traditional combo of a cheese quesadilla, skirt steak, enchilada, guacamole, beans and rice. First off the refried beans were runny like salsa. Steak was just plain nasty. Meat tasted sour and not fresh. So bad my dog wouldn't eat it. They gave me a chicken enchilada. Had ordered cheese. Chicken was good but received the enchilada with no sauce on or in it. They put it separate. Why would you do that? These have to be made with the sauce at the same time so the flavors blend as it's cooking. Sauce was bland. Guacamole was AWOL. DIDNT GET IT. But did get a separate container of lettuce and a piece of tomato. It was swimming in about 1/3 cup of water! I first thought it was salad dressing, but after tasting it was just plain water. Very obvious they lost their main cook. You need to get them back REALLY FAST. LIKE TODAY. I have family coming into town and they have a list of places to go eat. I just took EL TAQUITO off the list read more

This is one of the places I should be going to more often. My parents like coming here when they visit me. It's one of those places that seemed to be tucked away on E. Riverside and it's easy to miss if you are not paying attention as it's located on a slight incline. It's a small, clean restaurant and you order at the counter. Usually it takes awhile for your food to come but it's fresh. Nothing pre-made or frozen. This place is popular so be prepared for a wait. I like getting the nachos and the pollo asado plate. For drinks, I usually get the horchata or Mexican coke. read more

Still on the hunt for a place for authentic hole-in-the-wall Tex Mex in the 78704 and sadly, this isn't it. I ordered 8 tacos for pickup for lunch for my brother dad and I, I was excited that they were only $2-3 each but, these were really small and the meat was severely under seasoned. I think I will give this place another try to dine-in but I was supremely underwhelmed. Taco trucks get you better tacos than this by a million. And the hunt continues! read more

With the last name "Garcia", I am ever grateful to my ancestors for me having inherited a passion for tacos. That being said, when I have that craving El Taquito is where you'll find me. A little about the history of this joint: It started as a humble taco stand, and they pay homage to their modest beginnings by keeping the original trailer parked in front which they still sell tacos out of at peak hours. Now they must have sold a hell of a lot of tacos (or something else perhaps, it is riverside after all) since they were able to afford building a permanent restaurant with a fancy new kitchen, flat screen televisions, and a covered deck outside... I don't ask questions, I just eat tacos. On to the food: I've never been disappointed with any tacos I've ordered here. My favs are the al pastor and beef fajita served up in traditional Mexican style with chopped onion, cilantro, queso fresco, and lime wedge. I suggest ordering the "especial" which means you get six mini tacos, you won't be disappointed. They also have super tasty aguas frescas, try the pina if you really want to tickle your taste buds. Helpful tip: Just know that this is the kind of place where you may have to practice su espanol, however they are nice enough to work with you if you can muster up some version of Spanglish. Oooh and although one of the big pluses is that they stay open late, beware of rowdy Mexicanos after 2am! Good times... read more

The food is amazing, every time!! Salsas are always good, the place is usually looking clean, the service is horrible. I placed a Togo order and stood in line for over 20 mins, 3 people in front of me, my food just sat there and got cold , only 1 person running around confused doing 20 diff things... 5people in the kitchen, 1 person doing everything else. This isn't my first time seeing it like this . I had to lower my rating this time tho. read more

El Taquito IS Mexican food. If you have been going to Cantina Laredo, or El Arroyo and have been paying 30 bucks a plate for what is basically "Tex-Mex", I assure you, you need to pay attention. El taquito is pretty much what you would see in a lot of Mexico if one were to go visit. First, it's self serve, rarely do you get the whole waiter style service in Mexico. You go up to the counter, order, and get your food. You get one bottled soda, and that's it, none of this soda fountain syrupy crap. Or you can opt for the aguas frescas, which are delicious. The food is exactly like I remember it, You got your Al Pastor, Bistek, Gringas (tacos with melted/burnt cheese on it *drooool*), fajita, and much much more. They do have dinner style plates, which I haven't really tried, because I'm still so hung up on their tacos. They have some of the best Barbacoa in town (it seems that Austin can't seem to get Barbacoa right), It is one of the few places that has Al Pastor and Bistek, and their breakfast tacos are amazing. PS. Their hours are outstanding as well, I tend to leave work at around 11pm or 12am sometimes, and having an option other than McDonalds is awesome. PPS. Take it from me, if I'm feeling homesick, I go here. read more

Excellent Tacos and the standard by which I judge other taquerias in town. This place has two secret weapons - the meats and the salsas / toppings. Whether it's the bistec, pollo, etc. all of the meats are very tasty and well prepared. Second, the small toppings bar has a limited, but very tasty selection. They're missing onions and cilantro.. however the salsas and sauces they have are all very tasty, and the pico is great. Some other places in town can approach or equal them on the taste/quality of the meats (i've yet to find a place that clearly tops them in this area) in the taco, and may have a more varied selection of toppings (e.g. Taco Cabana does, as does Taco Palenque in the RGV for example), but I havent found anyone that combines quality in both at the same time in Austin like this place. And really those are the two things that form the core of what you taste when you eat a taco. And simply put the Especial, 6 tacos with up to two varieties within, at $6 is the best deal for a quality half dozen tacos anywhere in the city. Cons: Yes the speed is an issue. If you hit this place at a rush hour, say either lunch or post-drinking (after 2:15) then youre in for a wait. They are not able to handle volume with speed. If you can deal with a 20 minute wait for your food after 2AM then you'll be rewarded with the best tacos available in Austin at that hour. I dare say the speed at busy hours will always be the main issue here. The kitchen area is small and this place ALWAYS has more business than they can handle - this has been true since they were a taco truck. I have also watched this place grow over the years from practically nothing. Honestly within the community, yelp will neither make nor break this place - its success has largely been due to killer word of mouth and faithful repeat business within the Mexican community, and people continue to steamroll the place despite the wait - because of the food. It has cred with Mexicans and continues to maintain it because of the food. Con #2 - limited menu. Hasnt hurt them one bit, but it's true - basically you have tacos and quesos with a decent flavored drink selection. Con #3 - without pulling any punches, many white folks are intimidated by the place. And you might be, if you are uncomfortable being in an environment where not much english is spoken. Or the eeastside still scares you for some reason. Other times like post-bar-hours, the environment can get pretty mixed. So it varies. But if the things that are "too rough" about El Taquito in terms of neighborhood, clientele, etc are sore points for you, then buddy you are honestly probably not going to go the majority of authentic places anyway in this town by the same standard. Just a relative comparison. I've been to far worse joints. My next comment might not sit well with some folks but it's the truth. White folks (of which I can claim some amount of membership) : this is not a tex mex joint. The menu reflects that. If you are wondering aloud why they don't serve chips and queso to dip them in, then you are barking up the wrong tree. You're at an authentic taqueria. With real tacos. That the community considers real. Don't confuse Mexican with Tex-Mex. Summary: Some of the best tacos and stuff to top it with in Austin. Arguably the best combination of both you're going to find late night, bar none. And for $6 the best 6 tacos for the price in the city. If they could expand again and set up a kitchen geared to really crank out some volume - they would go from doing packed business, to a truly insane volume of business. They have more business than they can handle - this has been true since they were a truck. This will continue to be their main weakness in my opinion because it's the source of the wait. If you haven't been, definitely go. I agree with others who say that if you miss decent tacos from the RGV or elsewhere that's competitive, check out El Taquito. read more

Excellent Tacos Al Pastor. Very good salsas. Open really late - and it seems to be the only place open late in my new neighborhood. Concerns: - limited menu (pretty much seems like tacos and quesos) - no ice tea available on my visit (my spanish isn't good enough to figure out if they don't ever have it, or they were just out that night) - food took awhile to come out. Not crazy long, but it didn't seem like they were that busy. I'll stop in again when I need a late night taco fix, but I'm gonna investigate my other East side taqueria options. read more

I love tacos. And queso. This place is muy sabrosa! My favorite tacos in order: Al Pastor, Carnitas, Barbacoa, and Bistec. The chile relleno taco was also tasty- full of spicy cheeseness. The queso is to die for, literally. Your own little cast iron skillet bubbling with melted goodness for your soul. It gets pretty crowded and can take a while, but it's definitely worth the wait. I have thought about these tacos at least a few times a day, every day since first eating them last week. Go now!! read more

This place is a legit Mexican food place! Tacos with only onions and cilantro, no lettuce or sour cream here, thank god. The Al Pastor is amazing along with the barbacoa and chicken and steal fajitas. In all honesty all the meats here are to die for and are all full of flavor. I would always suggest the gringa taco, the cheese melted as a layer in between the tortilla and meat is amazing. My friends have gotten the enchiladas and said they are also a must have. There is not anything on the menu that I would say stay away from. They also have a salsa bar and all the salsas are tasty and none appear to be too hot for average pallet. A key tip is that chips are free you just have to ask for them. Another shining star on the menu is the Aqua Feescas and horchata. The Aquas rotate in flavor and come with a free refill. I would suggest mixing them to create some epic flavors. The a ladies behind the counter are always nice and don't be afraid to ask any questions about the menu! Enjoy!! read more

I'd been craving "real" tacos, a.k.a. street tacos for about a week. It was getting kind of late and we were super hungry...or at least I was. Random trip down to East Riverside (we were up north) was worth it to quash my taco craving and get some good eats. We got 2 of their $6 - 6 taquitos plates. The girl was nice and said we could do each plate half/half so we ended up with a mix of al pastor, beef fajita, chicken fajita, and bistec. Yum! I think my favorite of the four ended up being the beef fajita. Most likely will have to update this review once I get a chance to go back and try more items off the menu! Also awesome that they have aguas frescas - difficult to find the real stuff in Austin except at Fiesta off 38th St. Oops, forgot one small but significant (to me) thing. It was chilly and somewhat rainy out that night, but for some reason inside the restaurant it was just as cold if not colder. I know it can be tough to find that perfect temperature to keep the staff (who are constantly moving around) and the patrons (who are sitting and eating) comfortable, but it was definitely a tad on the cold side. read more

"2 Bisteck y 1 barbacoa tacos on flour with everything y agua de melon!" (1 free refill for agua fresca but the glass is pretty huge.) I usually order ahead since it takes me about 20 min to drive over here. This place can get pretty packed also even around midnight but during the day it's fine. Real deal tacos for about 1 something a piece (almost 2). Bisteck tacos are my fav. Super juicy with proof of some of the juice dripping down as you take a bite. Barbacoa tacos are delish as well with a slice of avocado within. I've never gotten anything else and I don't think I need to. Always happy with my order. Always. I lied. I ordered like a pound of their bisteck meat before for funsies. Lol. Pseudo El Taquito tacos at home? Yes please. Tis yummy. read more

One of my all time favorite place to go at any hour of the day- late night it's kind of scary since all the drunk people from the clubs on Riverside eat here...La la la rumbaaaa.. I love going for the breakfast but I suppose you can't really mess breakfast tacos up (ends at 11 AM supposedly but I've gotten it later..must be because I'm so trill). I always get the gringa (whether it be breakfast or lunch) because the cheese they use is sooo tasty. I also ALWAYS get the specialty taco : pastor and chorizo . Holy shit this is a must must must have. Sounds like an odd combination but you will be shocked at how yummy it is. I also recommend the 'los famosos'. The avocado on top adds a nice touch with the succulent tips. I like their sauce bar as well- you can put endless amounts on your plate along with limes and pico de gallo. Nom. If it's a younger man working the register....praise the walls if you don't have to reorder something he forgot to ring in. If you get any of the women working the register you will be dandy. Don't forget to order one of their sweet but gratifying drinks right by the register! read more

I love this place! The food and aguas frescas are delicious. Now listen, if you are one of those people that despise grease, this is definitely NOT the place for you. read more

I came here for early lunch on a weekday. It wasn't too packed but still took surprisingly long to receive food. I got a fajita, bistec, and al pastor taco. The first 2 tacos tasted identical to me but were good. The al pastor made me wish I was at Taco Joint so I could get some chipotle sauce. I also got queso fundido (on par with other fundidos I've had) and my fellow diner got enchiladas verdes con pollo. She said she wouldn't go here for enchiladas but that they were ok. That's how I feel about the tacos, too. The best thing here is probably that it's really clean inside and the tacos are pretty cheap ($2 or less, you'll want 3-4 of them). The cons are the wait time. The food was pretty good but it won't be a place I regularly visit. read more

oh.my.god. Austin, you do not let down. from out of town (California) and have to admit these tacos were soooo good! do yourself a favor and get the al pastor. also, the strawberry margarita was perfect! lots of love to Austin! read more

Good/OK food, bad new POS system. Basic function to cancel/refund because they didn't have the drinks purchased is not available. The waiter had to refund us from the tip jar. Lame. read more

So yesterday morning I received an email from Yelp! recommending El Taquito. I glanced over the reviews & noticed there were tons of good food/crappy service reviews but I decided to give it a try anyway. I texted the ol' gang & we decided we'd stopped by for a dinner. I was especially excited because a high school classmate was in town so I wanted to show him around & catch up over tacos & a margarita. We arrived later that we planned maybe 10pm on a Friday night. Parking was ridiculous but fine lets just hope the food is good, right? We get inside the line is long, the place is way too crowded with people but mostly chairs & strangely placed table. I hope the line is just a good sign. I order the tacos especial with bistek & a margarita preparada chamoy. The woman taking my order was unfriendly to say the least. You couldn't pay her to smile. We all finished ordering our food & shuffled in the overly crowded dining area practically leaping to a table as a family who had finished eating stood up. My friend from out of town sits next to me margarita (mostly sugar) in tow, I grab chips & salsa (which either were nothing to brag about). We get comfortable & chat for a few minutes then our order numbers are being called out. I grab my plate of tacos & my friends order, too. I sit & prepare my tacos on this crowded table. My friend from out of town accidentally drops his order of tacos all over the floor & his lap! He was so embarrassed & disappointed he didn't even get to take a single bite. I felt really crappy for the guy, the bus boy comes over & I kindly explain to him what has happened. He says he's going to ask the 2 women with evil step-sisters looks on their faces if they can remake him a order free of charge. Because hey, this is Austin & good customer service can make or break you in this city. The 2 women literally chuckle. The bus boy comes back & says "All I do is clean up after you leave!" With 0 pride or ownership for his job or even the least concern. Oh & when i told the bus boy I was only there because of Yelps recommendation & That I KNOW the owner is active on the page he shrugged his shoulders & laughed. My friend is blushing by this point & unwilling to wait in line for another 15 mins. I explain to my friend that most Austin restaurants would be more than willing to help out & not to let this experience taint his view of Austin. We all split our tacos amongst each other in an awkward silence & vow to never return to El Taquito. The tacos were okay. Spend your time & money at Al Pastor down the street. They have a food trailer & a restaurant too. They're super friendly & the best tacos I've had in town. Sorry El Taquito but you really let me down. read more

EL Taquito has changed my life. I LOVE this place! My friend and I went here on a recommendation from another friend. We had queso with chorizo and the barbacoa. I have to say, it was heaven in my mouth. I could not get enough of the cheesy goodness and the tender meat in the barbacoa that I came 3 times in the same week and dragged all my friends here to show them the best tacos I have ever eaten in my life. Not to mention the delicious horchata that I had to wash it all down with. Absolutely delicious, great price, amazing food, what more can a girl ask for? read more

Absolutely amazing REAL tacos. The Especial is significantly smaller than I expected, especially after splitting it between two people and totally left me jonesin' for 2 regular sized tacos. They also present them flat and it makes it really messy to eat. The Verde salsa works with just about anything. Foodwise-- Spot on! Ambient- Expect to get at least somewhat eyed/glared at in the later hours of the night, not in a creepy way exactly but enough to make you feel a bit out of place at times. read more

Had high expectations based on Yelp! reviewers[who rarely let me down]. Can only give two stars based on cleanliness and friendliness. Came in at lunch time on a Sunday and ordered a mix of trompo, chicken fajita, and barbacoa tacos. The order of seven tacos took nearly an half hour to prepare apparently and upon first bite I felt I'd been had. The trompo tacos were dry and flavorless, and my mother wondered if she had indeed received chicken tacos and not turkey Spam. The barbacoa tacos were not terrible but damn sure weren't anything to write home about, and certainly weren't worth the long wait. The salsa and condiment bar is great and the ladies taking my order were friendly, but the food was a huge let down based on previous reviews and experiences. Would not recommend. read more