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El Trigo

4.4 (612 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican
Closed 8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

El Trigo Photos

Business Info

EL TRIGO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - El Trigo

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Reviews With Photos

Pastor, pollo and chicharron tacos, bomb!
Keri C.

I am so sad that I have slept on this place for so long! I've lived in the area for 7+yrs but my go to has been Habaneros, (which I still highly recommend) but we finally decided to give El Trigo a try and holy crap was it delicious! Between my husband and I we got the pollo, chicharron, pastor,l and chorizo tacos. All were delicious but the chicharron was SO good we both ordered more to go A big plus as well was the price, eating out can really hurt the wallet these days but we got 10 tacos for $30, for as delicious as they were that made us very happy! Can't wait to go back, maybe to try breakfast next!

Pepe C.

Hole in the wall shop with delicious soup. I try to come here once a month now just for their soups. Order their corn tortillas not their flour tortillas as they make the corn tortillas in house!

Menudo
Brandt M.

We went to Riverside for a night, woke up wanting menudo and we found this place. The menudo was next level idk how they make the broth but it was delicious, it was fn good.

Alley entrance to El Trigo

In Riverside for a short weekend trip. Woke up wanting menudo on a Sunday. This place has the best eating nearby the downtown area. We were not disappointed. We dined in and although the restaurant is fairly old, it was clean, and very welcoming. The person who took our order explained everything about the menudo. Self seating has enough room for my mom's walker. Waitress was very kind and checked on us often. There was a steady flow of customers in and out with to go orders. Menudo was excellent and portions were huge! Served with sides of cilantro, chiles de Arbol, onions and oregano. Beautiful mural on outside wall with remnants of an old pay phone for you nostalgic ones.

Shrimp and octopus cocktail and carnitas tacos.
Cristina B.

Today we celebrated my fathers 91st birthday. It was our first time visiting EL Trigo. We came because of the handmade tortillas that my father loves because they remind him of his childhood. The food was delicious and the staff were so kind. They even got my dad a birthday concha and played las mańanitas for him. We will definitely be re-visiting. The food and the staff were awesome.

Deliciousness buche, chicharrón, language tacos
Tina G.

IE hands down yall have a gem! Ms. Leticia thank you for the amazing hospitality & service - the food is what comes straight out from your abuelas cocina. Prices are very reasonable, better portions as well than what you would get from a non-traditional Mexican restaurant in Orange County. Mexican beers & Coke, television, small sitting area maybe 8 fourtops, clean, and do not underestimate the simplicity of El Trigo. Now on to the food; tacos de buche, lengua, and chicharrón, Chili Verde burrito, and pozole. Taco meats we clean and free from excessive oils. Chili Verde burrito was not spicy, BUT full of flavor and the pork was large portions y tender. Now the BEST was my pozole.......lips a little sticky and flavorful. Added a chili de arbor and it was epic. El Trigo is a must we will be back! Gracias Leticia & the recommendation to hit up Chelas Bakery - what a day. As soon as you walk into the panaderia it smells like heaven and the champurrado to die for.

Full Menu
Dr. Groovy O.

Randomly picked this place for lunch. If you're Mexican and step into this place... you'll know it's going to taste good and authentic... and it was. I was a bit overwhelmed by the choices so I got pretty basic dishes. I order us some chicken enchiladas, asada plate, and a torta de milanesa. For drinks a Jamaica, and Horchata. Everything was really good. The service was great. I didn't wait too long for our to go order. The woman at the register was kind and patient with me. Prices were what you'd expect. I don't think I spent over $50 for 3 of us. We'll be back.

Pambazo
Rachel E.

This restaurant is a 50/50 I would say. Tacos were very tasty, meat perfectly cooked and fresh corn tortillas, HOWEVER, they didn't have green sauce, imagine going to a Mexican restaurant with no Salsa Verde which should be a staple. Pambazo was decent, not the best I've had but it was good, could've been better with green sauce for sure... Gordita de chicharrón, definitely my least favorite item, chicharron (pork skin) got me sick, it was too dry and hard to chew, again, no salsa verde and just not tasty at all. Staff was very friendly and welcoming, easy parking and no waiting time.

Carnitas torta
Monica J.

Extremely disappointed.... For the exception of the rice, beans and salsa, everything else tasted old, reheated or had no flavor. The al pastor meat in my tacos was crunchy. Definitely a sign of old reheated meat. Carne asada was okay. Carnitas torta had a smear of avocado, I could barely taste it, let alone see it. We also gave the fish tacos a try, not good at all. Table service needs improvement. We were greeted upon walking in, but were directed to look at the menu on the wall, choose any available table and sit and let the waitress know what we wanted. No menu available to order from when you sit. The young girl, forgot our check. We waited about 5 minutes and reminded her again. She was the only person managing nine tables, taking orders, delivering the food and cleaning tables. Complimentary chips and salsa were given, but the chips were stale. Salsa had great flavor though. No complimentary refills as well. Don't remember if there was music, but there was a huge screen TV, but nothing was on. This restaurant is located in a residential area. Really hard to find parking. Maybe it was a bad day to visit, but I am definitely not coming back.

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Ask the Community - El Trigo

Are their beans vegetarian?

Sorry, I am not sure. They were super yummy and creamy which leads me to believe they are refried/cooked with some lard. Despite there being no meat in them, it depends on how you feel about lard. I have vegetarian friends who will eat beans like… Read more

Has this restaurant closed?

It's still open and family owned and ran

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Anchos Southwest Grill & Bar - Mesquite grilled plump skirt steak fajitas

Anchos Southwest Grill & Bar

(2k reviews)

$$

Ancho's is one of those places I honestly don't know if it's considered a hidden gem or not, but…read moreafter living in Riverside for the past 3-4 years, I can't believe I've never been here until now. I found out about it through my cousin, who's a UCR alum, and I'm really glad I finally got to try it. The staff were super nice and attentive, constantly coming by our table to check if we needed more water, tortillas, or anything else we might want. Even with how busy it was, they still made sure everyone was taken care of, which I really appreciated. The restaurant was packed, and it actually surprised me because I don't usually see that many people at restaurants in Riverside. The energy inside felt lively but still comfortable. One of my favorite parts was the fresh tortillas. They come out hot and fresh from the oven, and you can literally watch them being made right in front of you, which made it even better. And the best part is they're free. We ordered the carne fajitas and chile relleno. The fajitas were incredible, the meat was juicy, tender, and packed with flavor, with that perfect smoky sear that comes from being cooked fresh on a hot skillet. Everything came out sizzling and stayed flavorful with every bite. The chile relleno was also really good, with a nice balance of savory and slightly creamy filling that paired well with the sauce. It was actually my first time trying fajitas, and I can confidently say I'll be ordering them again the next time I come back. I definitely plan on returning while I'm still at UCR to make up for all the years I didn't know this place existed.

I was brought here by a friend & colleague of mine whose whole family loves Anchos as it was his…read morefather's favorite restaurant. My first thought upon seeing the exterior and entering was, "OK, definitely old school", and I was right... Anchos has been around for an amazing 37 years and counting! The large open space is nice 'n brightly lit, yet somehow not too much so. As our hostess walked us to our table, we passed an enclosed tortilla-making machine where the freshest of the fresh tortillas seemed to be popping off the whirling dervish like Mexican hot cakes (which... yeah, duh). After ordering, we were quickly served a huge container of them-- so fresh, one could barely hold these 1000 degree piping hot discs. It was demonstrated to me that the classic way to enjoy the tortillas was to spread a little butter which melts almost instantaneously due to the sun-like hotness of the vessel, a quick dash of salt, and a dollop of their super freshly made mesquite-roasted tomato salsa makes for a yummy appetizer. While that was delicious, for me, the true test of a tortilla is to try it plain first. And boy, did it deliver! The style is slightly more risen than traditional, but tasty none-the-less, and I would soon find out why its actually the perfect tortilla for our main entrées-- the CARNE mesquite grilled plump skirt steak fajitas! Now I am always dubious when a restaurant calls out that one of their items is "FAMOUS" and actually prints it right on the menu, but in this case I truly get it. These thick juicy slices of mesquite grilled skirt steak are mind-glowingly muy delicioso, and YES, they are plump indeed. We ordered medium-rare, and they came out to perfection! Years ago, I wrote the steak fajitas at the Rio Grande restaurant in Boulder, CO had "the absolutely unequivocal best steak fajitas I have ever tasted in my life!", and I tell you, these really put that statement to the test. If I'm being honest, the steak itself at Anchos is truly on another level. It's not that it's the best "fajita steak" I've ever had, it's possibly the best "steak steak" I've ever had. OK, that's probably an overstatement, but it's not too far off. While I still think the accoutrements of the Rio Grande fajitas (mainly their phenomenal grilled peppers & onions) are standouts, the carne asada here at Anchos is nothing short of amazing! And those tortillas... yup, the slightly extra thickness holds up well when you fill it with with the extra thick cut carne asada, and their tasty arroz con frijoles, onions & peppers. Mi plato was WAY too much food, and I happily ate every single bite :-) All-in-all, Anchos still delivers after almost 4 decades of serving the Riverside community, and I hope it's around for decades to come because as I looked around, not only were my friends enjoying Anchos, but everyone in the restaurant seemed to be beaming with the excitement of the great food & service from this wonderful family gem.

El Patrón Downtown Riverside - Chicken flautas

El Patrón Downtown Riverside

(1k reviews)

$$

We celebrated my grandma's 80th bday here. My uncle rented out the outdoors patio & small room…read moreadjacent to it from 1pm-4:30pm for an affordable price with deposit paid in advance to reserve. The owner, Santiago, allowed us to come a half hour beforehand to decorate & we came in, not knowing what to expect. Upon our arrival, the birthday cake was promptly whisked away to the kitchen, we found Santiago PERSONALLY on his hands & knees fixing the electrical cords for us, our servers introduced themselves & graciously helped us rearrange the set-up to accommodate the band we brought in. Then helped us rearrange the layout yet again once we realized the band needed to be next to the electrical outlets. I was embarrassed to even ask so I started doing it myself but they jumped right in without being asked. If I'm being honest, usually I'm not a fan of buffet meals, so I wasn't expecting much. But everything served was SO delicious! The fajitas were my favorite dish, not only flavorful but also nice & moist. Not only that, but they refilled the food for us as it ran out. They brought out to-go boxes for the leftovers, & best believe my family took home every last bite! The lime margarita tower was SO yummy but also hella dangerous because it was strong!! Other restaurants will give you watered down drinks but El Patron doesn't play. We were only planning on one but it was so good, we couldn't resist getting another. From start to finish, the servers (Leslie and Cecilia) were on POINT. Their service went above & beyond expectations-- continuously checking on us, refilling drinks/food, taking photos, etc. Not only that, but also, when my young autistic nephew unfortunately got sick, they were so incredibly compassionate about it & helped clean up the mess right away. I was absolutely blown away by the attention to detail & quality of care. As my grandma is getting older, we are especially cherishing these final years with her. We spent thousands overall (venue, music, photographer, special mass, etc) but every last cent was worth seeing her happy with all of her loved ones. After many months of planning, I was super nervous about something going wrong but I can honestly say that core memories were made. Thank you to Santiago, Leslie & Cecilia for your hospitality, good food & work ethic-- it truly meant so much for our family unit.

The food was delicious, the service amazing, and the place is really nice. They make you feel…read morewelcomed. We went for my mom's birthday and they went out of their way to make her feel special. Fernando made sure we had everything we needed, he was amazing. Definitely have to go back!

Tio's Tacos - I'm not sure how to convey on how bad the food is.  This is Enchiladas !!!!!

Tio's Tacos

(1.7k reviews)

$$

I've read up on reviews saying some of the food is bad, etc SO I did my research on what multiple…read morereviews say tasted GREAT! Their Mojarra for one, is amazing with some corn tortillas, beans and rice, and lettuce. The lime garlicky sauce on that one, is what I've been dreaming of. It was THE star of the show. And we also got their wet supreme burrito mojado, with the mole sauce all over it Also tried their agua fresca, loved the cucumber and lime flavor! Great size for two to share, and we had a blast just eating and enjoying the sights laid out to see. Their pickled onions got a spicy kick to it! I loved the added crunch instead of just having the typical hot salsa. Service was great, with the waiters and waitresses checking in on us every now and then, and I liked that we pay first then eat, so we just leave after we're done! Excellent experience as the weather was perfect too, the outdoor seating has some mosquitoes but be sure to go when it's not molting hot outside! After food we got to go on a photo spree and it was wonderful.

I got the vegan tacos with potatoes and even though there were only two it was loaded with toppings…read moreand salsa. Really good and a decent price. I do wish there was a vegan protein thrown in like black beans or soyrizo or something to make it more filling but I'm glad there was a vegan option on the menu. There is a salsa bar that can help add to your meal like spicy pickled carrots, cucumbers, salsa and pickled onions. My favorite part of this place is the art decor. They're all made from materials that were bound to go in the trash, most notably cans that they open for cooking. So you'll see lids and the other material from cans beautifully molded into these structures. It may seem random but I found lots of humor and play thrown into the craftsmanship of it all. Some pieces are like playing I Spy. It was funner to see than a lot of museums I've gone to actually. It's truly just packed with art. I even got to meet one of the artists as he was working on something. He was really friendly. There's a few of them who work on them together and I learned they've been doing this since the 90's! How cool. It's so nice to see all the things they've come up with to create. Go check it out! Definitely a date worthy spot too. My bf and I had a lot of fun walking around seeing what they created.

El Trigo - mexican - Updated May 2026

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