New to Visalia, my wife and I were looking for a place to have lunch. El Tarasco came highly recommended by my wife's friend for the drinks. Service: We were greeted immediately after entering the restaurant. The greeter was super polite. She ended being our waitress. We were seated immediately and had a menu, water, and chips and salsa almost as fast as we sat down. Drinks: Their drinks were awesome and delicious! Definitely an A+ for taste and presentation. So many alcohol options to choose from. Food: The food was very good. Chips and salsa are always a great addition to any Mexican restaurant visit. I give them a B on presentation though. Although the food was delicious, my plate looked like it was just thrown together. We hear this restaurant has a second location so my wife and I are excited about trying the other location soon. I recommend this place as it has been one of the better restaurants we've visited. Thank you El Tarasco for the wonderful service. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Hers: I Love You Berry Much-tini (left) His: The Lover Boy Paloma (right) - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

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So I have lived in Visalia for 16+ yrs never ever have I went to El tarasco on Mooney until this Sunday for mothers day ....I told my wife let's try something different let me tell you it sure was different.. this place is a scam food was not that great i got and alambre it has more ham then chicken or meat and the few slices of meat were burnt... second they ask if we wanted chips i said yes and I ask for salsa on the side since the food had no flavor my wife got some mix drinks 20$ ea kids got horchata no refills Let me tell you when I got my bill everything was charged extra chips $4 small salsas 2.50 ea X2 smaller then a ranch portion if you wanted extra tortillas extra charge it's like they almost even charged for breathing in there or having the AC on I didn't even want to ask to go to the bathroom that's probably was extra to also the waiter accidentally supposably her hit the tip button herself like ok lady ..she seemed a bit rude when I asked for anything extra seems more like a scam I'll never go here again overpriced no flavor food for 200$ thumbs down I don't know how people like this place read more

Decent spot. However, food is literally hit or miss and we've been plenty of times to justify that. However, now it's about only going to the one on Main St since it's been more miss on the food. Service is always on point. read more

El Tarasco Descarado! 1-Star Review I came here with my family while on vacation after seeing the 4-star rating online, but the service and experience were awful. We were sat down with menus, given chips, salsa, and water, and told to place our menus at the edge of the table when ready. The server came by several times while we were still deciding, and when we finally told her we planned to split a burrito, she gave us an odd look and commented that it "might be a reasonable size to share." Shortly after, she returned to inform us that we had been given the wrong menus and that every item was actually $2.99 more than what we had been reviewing--something completely unprofessional and misleading. To make matters worse, when I asked about happy hour, she flat-out said they didn't have one, yet I later found multiple reviews online mentioning happy hour specials. That means she either didn't know or wasn't being honest. Between the dismissive service, the sudden price change, and the lack of transparency, we decided to walk out. This was a frustrating and disappointing experience, and I would strongly advise others to avoid this restaurant. read more

Stopped by to have lunch with my wife along with a large party of 7+. First off the ambiance and presentation of the food was great. The restaurant had a great vibe and was very welcoming. I wish I would've known the 18% gratuity for large parties thoe, I went ahead and left a tip while checking out only to realize afterwards they already included one for me. The food looked great but what lacked was flavor- my wife thought the same thing, for paying 20+ dollars a plate I'd imagine the flavor would be there, but for me it wasn't. Cocktails were very good but those too seemed priced as if we were at the Vegas strip. Over all 3/5 stars. read more

Traveled from Clovis to Visalia for a day of shopping. We were referred to El Tarasco by the Antique Mall next door. Looking for a light lunch, we each chose a two item combo. Bottom line, two tacos and taco enchilada combo with two iced teas, we ended up dropping $53.97. OUCH!!! Food was fair, nothing special. My wife requested a to go cup for her remaining iced tea. After we got back to the car, I reviewed the receipt only to notice a 75 cent charge for the to go cup. The HUGE check amount and then an insult of the charge for a simple plastic cup. Thanks, but no thanks... we will never be back. From looking at the dining area, 3 couples including ourselves at 12:15 pm, kind of leaves me to believe we aren't the only ones disappointed in this place. read more

Party of 10; no refills everyone's drinks stayed emptied and a forced 18% gratuity. My nephew got up 5 times to get the waiter. Asked for our check twice and no one came back to help. So I started to walk out and saw my server just standing there with his hands behind his back looking around. The food had minimal flavor. Server made $60 in gratuity and didn't even serve us. We wont be back. read more

Just had one of my worse dine in experiences in visalia! First off in a regular at El Tarasco on main st and figured these locations were owned by the same owners which I'm going to take a guess and say NO because they operate completely different. I orders the alambre combo (steak and chicken) see picture and tell me if you can spot any steak?? It wasn't the strip steak like main it was more of a ground beef I think and they charged me extra for it. Ordered salsa of my food and they charged me $2.50 for salsa??? Didn't even ask for chip and salsa they just came and I ate them and there was a $1.99 charge for that lol I just wanted to get out of there and it took 30mins to get my check (it was busy). I placed my card in the folder and waited another 10 mins only to discover you have to walk up to the cashier to pay bill. NEVER AGAIN!! read more

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Good service and good food. The bar area has a great selection of liquor. The service was fast and good read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Sope of asada with a crunchy taco of chicken. Rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

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I've been going to this restaurant for years now. Today was such a bad experience. I called in an order for two Shrimp cocktails with "No Jalapeños, No Onions, and Nothing Spicy"!! I was SO DISAPPOINTED in my order and to make things worse, the person who took my order thought just because she eats spicy foods that it would be okay to put a little of jalapeños and onions in my order. How do I know this, when we called back to inform them that the order was extremely spicy and that not everyone can eat spicy foods, they inform us that the person who took the order did in Fact Put Jalapeños and Onions in our order because she eats her Shrimp Cocktail like that..... What makes a person think or assume that everyone eats or likes spicy foods... FYI, always double check your orders before picking up and leaving the restaurant. I really hope they don't do this to anyone else. read more

Esta es nuestras segunda ves aquí venimos desde lejos casi 200 millas de distancia . Esta ves si nos decepcionó el restaurante y el servicio . Nos atendió Jaime un mesero que le falta mucha experiencia y atención . Y como es eso que solo dan 2 tortillas para unas fajitas. Mínimo 4 tortillas . Y pedimos poquitos chips y nos dijo solo hay una misma porción. Pedimos poquitos para no desperdiciarlos y pienso que no le Costaba nada ponernos solo la Mitad de chips de la básquet . Bueno pienso que es la última ves que venimos a este lugar . Espero mejoren sobretodo en estos momentos donde la comida y la Atención es muy importante para que regreses a comer al Mismo lugar . read more

Fabulous food and service! Great sauces and seafood and salsa... The margaritas are amazing and made with fresh fruits... read more

We came here tonight and the inside was full. A short wait and service was top notch. We shared a fajitas combination and it was plenty of food. Great flavors and we may stop back again tomorrow read more

Poor service. Put us in the corner by the bar. Never waited on us? Left. Told a waiter, he didn't care? read more

Had breakfast there and the eggs were good. Problem was there was a piece of metal in my food that I almost swallowed. I was actually gonna let it go because I was hungry. I told the waiter about it and after some investigation, it was the metal from the scrub pad they use to clean the dishes. My question is how in the **** did it end up in the food? They comped my plate, but not my drinks. Never going back. read more

My mother went here for her birthday and ended up getting food poisoning as long as well as two other people she went with and it ended up ruining their plans because they were severely sick throwing up everywhere so I do not suggest this place! even without the food poisoning, i still don't suggest this sorry excuse for a restaurant because every time I attempt to go here there's always a ridiculously huge line. It's always super busy and it's honestly overhyped. The food isn't even that good. If I could rate this negative stars I would. I'm so upset that my mother & her friends got severe* food poisoning especially on her birthday. read more

came in with a gift certificate that we received from the owners family friend and they gave us a hassle claiming it's fake. They were asking us questions like we were stealing from them. Eventually, they realized it wasn't so we were allowed to eat but food was pretty subpar. The initial experience just made everything awkward. read more

We went to eat at El Tarasco on Mooney in Visalia. My daughter asked if I could have a to go cup because my mom has tremors, have, the waitress said no only if you're ordering to go. So as we ordered I asked if I could see a kids menu since I had surgery she said no our policy does not allow grown ups to have kids plates, but she gave me a kids cup of water. So I asked to speak to the manager, she said he is busy in his office so once again I asked her she said no he is in his office. So my daughter ordered for her and I. I watched a waitress as she stood by the big tub of tortilla chips and I watched at least 4 flies on them. She placed some on a platter and served it to another customer. The food was not good, the enchilada was flat and hardly had sauce on it. I had this problem with the El Tarasco on Main Street in Visalia. Now if a place of business has flies on the chips and a roach crawling on the floor that tell me I will never NEVER NEVER EAT AT THAT DIRTY PLACE again. Btw if you do have a gastric bypass you're better off going to COLIMAS on Main Street, now they know how to treat their customers and trust me the food is 200% better than this dirty place. As the waiters came to give us the the food receipt my daughter paid it and then the waitress said would you like me to ask the manager to come talk now, really this place is the RUDE & DIRTY. Dang I've never seen a roach at Colimas. Shame on this place they call El Tarasco. I should have eaten at Denny's .US Veteran read more

My family and I have been going here for YEARS!!! The food never disappoints, the taste never changes and the customer service is the best Visalia has to offer. Always greeted with a hug and a smile. So, if you're looking for some awesome Mexican cuisine, this would be the place to go. read more

So I can understand why this place could probably get 3.2 stars out of 5. There service is sometimes lackluster, but their quality of food is usually pretty consistent. I don't come here too often, but when I do I come to this location only because the food always has a better taste the the downtown location. Service isn't always consistent, but hey they always tend to be really busy so its understandable. Just keep the drinks flowing along with the smiles and I'll wait for the great food with a huge smile myself. I will still be your customer. read more

I have family in Visalia, and we eat here quite often. In fact, it's my go-to because I know how fast and prompt the service is here. They had a remodel a while back, and the interior is not as you'd expect by looking at the building. The food, however, remains unchanged throughout the years. They serve classic Californian Mexican fare or what I've been told is Sonoran style. Pretty much no frills but what separates El Tarasco from the many other places in town is the intensity of the flavors here. I feel they don't skimp on the seasonings, and everything comes out just as it would from a relative's house. The crispy hard shell tacos are my mom's go-to especially with the shredded beef. Their carne asada is great as well. And I tend to get the taco salad with that. The best thing about this place is their consistency throughout the years: Despite new Mexican establishments popping every so often, El Tarasco is a reliable option when you just want a good and quick Mexican food fix. read more

Do not go, especially if you have or attending with a big party. The hostess was completely rude. The employees were speaking Spanish thinking that we didn't know Spanish making it clear that they did not want to deal with such a big party. The service overall was horrible. They maybe had two employees that were helpful. On top of that, they can only do two checks for per party 18% gratuity, which is normally understandable but when no one ever asked to pour your drinks And the food isn't the best, It's really hard to pay any extra. Not gonna say the food was horrible. It just was not worth dealing with the employees or the price. read more

The food was amazing until the end when we received our check. They had at first put our whole party of 11 on one check. My sister and her husband asked to split the check but paid the 18% for the whole family. On their menus it says "part of 8 will be charged 18% service". When we got our new checks everyone was stilled charged 18% extra for part size. We told the manager and the server about it. At the register where you pay behind them was a big red sign that said "All parties of 12 or more people will be charged 18%". I asked the supervisor Rafael, when did that terminate. He grabbed the menu very rough and to show me the one that said 8 people. I told him no, i am talking about the one behind you. He turned around, ripped off the paper and said "RIGHT NOW". Very very rude people. I asked a simple question since there was two different statements and since that's the first thing everyone sees when they walk in, that is false advertisement and then still trying to charge everyone 18% after it was paid is fraud. Be very careful on your receipts and make sure to over look everything. If Rafael is working, prepare for horrible service. read more

Best cucumber margarita! Enchilada suizas are delish! Good customer service, everyone is very friendly. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Cucumber Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

Stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. Service was friendly but a bit lackluster. The restaurant has a nice clean dining room area. The food was a tad mediocre. The crunchy tacos are made with flour tortillas which I am not a fan of. Lunch was not that great, but not horrible. I will probably give them another try and hope to improve the star rating. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

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Food was very meh..bland, and barely warm. I'll just stick to the buffet. Service was amazing though! read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Shredded beef enchilada..meh - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

Happy customer here! One of the best dine in experiences by far. From the moment we walked in to when it was time to go we couldn't have asked for anything better. We had a party of 15 dine in for a birthday dinner, everyone was so happy with the service, food, drinks, music and ambiance. They offered to store our store bought cake in their refrigerator. After we all finished eating our amazing waiter asked if we were ready for cake and she brought it out with lite candles. The food was authentic style Mexican food!! Soo so good. The alcohol drinks were perfect Great music Clean and welcoming environment Very attentive service throughout the whole visit Definitely recommend and will be coming back for more great food, drinks, music and service. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Our amazing server bringing out the birthday cake with a lite candle - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

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The burrito I got was ok. The rice and beans on it were really good. The carne asada had a good flavor but the meat was really greasy

Food was ok Service ok too downfall is I ordered a drink for a grandson and I (soda) asked for 2 go cup ( no big deal) and then got bill noticed a charge for 1.50 that was for the the smallest styrofoam cup! Come on really! Not the point of the money but the principle! Won't be back !!! read more

Had a Horrible breakfast this morning service was good but, Apparently the cooks don't know how to cook Huevos Rancheros. Eggs look like they were deep fried. Our sever was very apologetic, I asked for the manager he had no idea what was going on. he definitely needs training. Decided to leave paid for my coffee. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Unsatisfactory! Huevos Rancheros. - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

Order off the secret menu. The molcajete is great. Also the drunken shrimp models is a must. read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

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This place is very good, don't get me wrong. I come here specifically for the Al Pastor because it's not always an option at all Mexican restaurants. It's so good. What's weird about this place is charging for refills. It's not like their prices are super cheap and they have to make up for it in order ways... one free (small) basket of chips and salsa and then they charge for refills? I understand people shouldn't get all you can eat chips and salsa for free but one small basket only? That's frugal AF. And then, only ONE free refill on sodas?! What!? For a $4 soda!? Anyone who's ever worked in the food industry knows it costs literal CENTS for the soda syrup per cup. Be serious. This isn't about cost it's just about trying to squeeze extra money. $4 for a soda should get me several refills included. It's not like they're big cups either, they are average pint glasses. The food is great but it really irks me how they charge for these things that almost every other Mexican restaurant in town doesn't. It's off putting. read more

Whenever I'm in town I stop here, but tonight was just one clusterfuk after another. Certain menu items not available. Wait staff & register cashier clueless. Is she new? I normally have a margarita while I'm waiting for my food, but they said I couldn't do that. Then they said I could if I got it to go? Huh? What? Wtf girlie, make up your mind. Oh now I can have it w/ chips & salsa...fine. Outside tables only, but no tables. Then why offer a table? Fuk this place. Oh now we got a table but no utensils or napkins for chips & salsa. Last time this place will get my money. Clueless staff. No tip for you! read more

Had lunch here with my wife and our business partner. Wow! It was great! So much food we had to take some home. The shrimp was so good and fresh. The salsa was great. We will definitely be back! read more

Outstanding in every way. Great service. Excellent food. Reasonable prices. We ordered molcajete and it was fabulous. More than enough for the two of us. Pretty hard to find anything other than good things to say about this establishment. Friendly. Fast. Tasty. What more can I say? Very highly recommend! read more

Wasted $42.00, if your going to charge more for a plate at least put some sauce on th he enchiladas! Dryest enchiladas ever! Also, let me decide if I want sour cream in the tacos! Didn't care though, still charged full price even though we had just a couple of bites. Do yourself a favor, don't order the enchiladas or better yet, go somewhere else! read more

I'll have to still give it three stars because of food is outstanding. Having dinner there on Sunday and the service was terrible. They got an order wrong and they took forever to replace it. Maybe because we sat in the bar we will never do that again read more

El Tarasco Restaurant Mooney - Mexican Near Me - Visalia, California

Have ate at a lot of Mexican restaurants by far this is the place for authentic Mexican food in Visalia. Have never been disappointed. Service is awesome very pleasant and attentive. Great place for dinner. read more

Used to be our favorite lunch spot until management felt it necessary to play the music so loud you can't have a conversation. Sad when you have to repeat your order multiple times because the waitress can't hear you! read more

FOOD: Beans and rice - COLD Tacos - mushy fish with dry cracked taco shells Salsa was loaded with RAW garlic to the point that my mouth burned from the garlic and not chile SERVICE: Minimal; waitress did not check with me after food was delivered AMBIENCE: feels more like a bar read more