Had a combo plate with 2 floutas tonight, with rice and beans, they where delicious and some Quesatostadas de birria never had them before but they where so tasty and they hit the spot and washed it all down with a Mexican soda Jarritos de tamarindo. Ordered 2 combos for me and wife. Juan the chef, always very friend and welcoming, awesome little restaurant! We eat there once or twice a week. Beback in the morning for breakfast! Yummy! read more

They have delicious food and fast customer service. I pick up all orders so I cant comment on the sit in service but take out is great. Food is tasty and flavorful! They made delicious food with good portions. read more

Random pit spot and glad we found this gem! The tacos are packed with flavor and filled to the max.

Came with my BF - Groupon in hand. Normally, I do not like Groupon, but I guess SOMETIMES they do have good deals. Most of the time their deals are for CRAP like Trader Vic's which is godawful - anyway... El Vaquero is not bad at all. It's an ugly little restaurant in an ugly little strip mall. There really isn't that much parking available but we managed to get a spot in their small lot. They serve good tortas ahogadas but not good enough for puritsts because they are not spicy enough. Tortas ahogadas are supposed to be painfully spicy. I don't care about this because I don't do spicy so I enjoyed them. The bread was kind of tough. Didn't really like it. However, since the tortas are totally covered with tomato sauce the toughness of the bread kept them together longer.The quality of the carnitas in the tortas was pretty good.The tomato sauce was pretty good too. We also ordered some taquitos. They were not bad at all. Instead of rolling them up like flutes though they just fold them in half, which might bother purists. Their sopes are also good. Would I come back? No, it's too far, but if I lived in the area I would come back. Amazing, Groupon finally delivered! read more

We came I. For our first time and we both tried the torta ahogada!! It was really good it took us back to Jalisco and reminded us of the flavors from back home. They definitely do it right!! I will go back for sure! read more

Wow,...and Ouch! This IS the spiciest sandwich I have ever eaten--poor lil ole me. They have a carnitas torta(roast pork sandwich for the uninitiated) that is "drowned"(ahogado) in its own juices AND with a heavy dose of some of the hottest red chile sauce you'll ever have. I had a small cold going in and this sauce kicked its a$$, well for the time I was eating it. The carnitas was relatively tender and flavorful. What I really liked was that the bun was a little dense and well-toasted, so it retained a crunch when I used it to scoop up the sauces. Be warned: the pores of your scalp will leak H2O and your lips will be numbed. Drink milk, not water. I passed by this place a bizillion times and sometimes wondered how they manage to survive in this itty-bitty strip mall. Well, now I know--it's their specialty, the carnitas torta ahogada! read more

So bad. The worst Chilaquiles we've ever had. So so soggy they didn't make them crispy at all and also incredibly spicy where it was almost inedible. Terrible. read more

I am Mexican born and raised. Proud of my heritage and culture I can well enjoy the typical Mexican comfort food called "fritanga" like in this case the flautas which were twice as big as normal and very tasty......to my surprise they were crispy but easy to bite, my kind of flautas. I strongly dislike hard hard flautas and specially skinny, I like them with meat in them....well these are just great and even the cotija cheese they use is delicious! Their specialty is Tortas Ahogadas, Drowned sandwich! Basically it is a Carnitas sandwich (pork cooked in pork lard) with beans and drowned in tomato sauce and spicy sauces and topped with onion making this type of baguette sandwich perfect for a terrible hangover, hahaha... because it can make you sweat! This type of sandwich is original from Guadalajara Jalisco Mexico....well I went to college in Guadalajara so I know that flavor authentic of Tortas Ahogadas and let me tell you these Tortas are amazing!!! I would only suggest the chefs to put more aromatic herbs or hierbas de olor! Delicious and 100% Authentic! Note: it's a tiny place with only a few tables. The employees are very friendly and are willing to listen to detail of your entire order. Gotta give it a try if you are in the area but call first to check operations hours... This is an Update of my first review to this local hole in the wall! The food is good and all was fine till I get the wrong food and I call to let them know......but to my amazement the owner her self hang up the phone on me!!!!!!! Yes! The owner named "Irma" hang up on me!!! Good way of doing business!!! My order was to go, as usual, and I ordered 2 Chicken Flautas, 2 Pork Flautas and 1 beef Sope........when I go in to pick my food up I ask one of the ladies if my food had cheese? She replied: Yes! Ok, perfect.....I never checked and took off. I get home hungry ready to eat and when I open the containers and I see ZERO cheese! Reason why I called but apparently you can not complain about the food you paid for!!! And on top of that rudely the owner hangs up on you!!!!! Unbelievable and Unacceptable !!!!! Absolutely not, I am NOT coming back to this place! I call back to talk to a manager because at that point I still ignored who had hung up on me was the owner her self......it was on the second phone call after I asked to talk to the manager it's when the owner rudely says: I AM the Owner!!! No, I could not be heard and could not fixed anything! Still mad? Of course! Do I go back? Never! Or what would you guys do? read more

Very dissapointed We walked in and nobody greeted us, the server and cook were too busy watching t.v an talking with their friends/family. sat down and order the torta ahogada, sope plate, tacos dorados and horchata. first, the carnitas in the torta ahogada were stale as was the carne asada in the sopes, the horchata had a weird after taste, the best but still mediocre thing was the tacos dorados. Service was poor, the cook and cashier were more interested in watching tv and talking to their friends. I do not recommend this place to anyone. the only reason I went was cause I had a groupon $12 for $25 and even with this discount, I still feel like it was a waste of money, time and gas. read more

Awesome beef burritos and tacos.. big portions with great prices. I was lucky to find this place.. will come back tomorrow to buy more for the road! read more

Lord, these guys know service. A clear memory is hard to have of El Vaquero because as I entered the restaurant, a little kid pops out of the salon next door to yell "baka! BAKA!" then darts back inside. Confusing because rarely do I have a child try to be simultaneously culturally sensitive and insulting. El Vaquero has these plates for $5.40 after tax--I ordered two carnita tacos that come with a side of beans, rice and chips. The rice was anemic, undercooked; the beans were the equivalent of what you get when you desperately scrape the bottom of the can. BUT THROUGH THE POWER OF CARNITAS, THEY WERE DELICIOUS. Perfect even. That's how good the pork is at Vaquero. It's juicy, tender but falls apart on the grain. They're balanced perfectly across two small, perfectly warm and soft corn tortillas. The crappiness of the side items was necessary to my enjoyment of meat so delicious. And because I ate in, I got chips from a guy who looked like he went to Mark Keppel with me. He had CNN on and constantly offered me water and limes for some reason. Woe is me for not bringing tequila and shot glasses. read more

CASH ONLY I came here for lunch with the guys Ed, JR, and Dre to try out their famed torta ahogada con carnitas. Just think of a torta(Mexican Sandwich) that has been stuffed with carnitas then drenched in a spiced red sauce. The meal is served with knife and fork because it would be a mess to eat it with just your hands. I do like how the red sauce is a bit of delayed kind of hot. You can eat up to half your meal when the sweats and sniffles from your nose starts to come. What can I say I like surprises! Would I be back? I can see myself checking place again. read more

Service was great but food was okay. Friendly staff, made suggestions to us since it was our first time there. The food is nothing extraordinary but if you live in the neighborhood and crave easily accessible mexican food, this is it. We ordered the carnitas tacos and their signature wet torta dish which came with chicken, onions, and sauce. The meat was a bit dry and not too flavored. Only thing I really liked was their super hot sauce and the wet sauce that the wet torta dish comes in. Probably because it made the regular flavorless bread taste a little bit better. Okay flavor, crunchy bread...overall, not bad, not great. read more

Had the carnitas torta ahogada. It's a bagget with some refried beans, carnitas, then drenched in a chili sauce, with some pickled onions on top. The onions are crisp and the pickling takes away the onion bite. I would preferred that the onion were pickled longer, but that's just me. The bread is chewy and the sauce only permeates half way through the bread. There is enough sauce to soak up all the bread if that's your thing, it's my thing. The carnitas are good, not the most tender or most flavorful I've had, but it works in the sandwich. You can get half the sandwich drenched or all of it. It takes a few bites for the heat to kick in. The first few bites will be ok, by the last few bites, you will be sniffling. That' the right amount of spice. Be aware, it's cash only. They do have a ATM on site that has a $1.50 service charge.The parking is big enough for 6 cars, 3 of which seem to always be taken. Next door s a liquor store that sells a Bud light tall boy for $2, +/- there. read more

El Vaquerito Restaurant - Carnitas torta ahogada - Mexican Near Me - Alhambra, California

After passing by this place tons of times, my hubby and I decided to give this place a try. We came at around 7pm. Parked in their lot walked in and chose a table to sit at. We ordered our drinks with the waitresses, Jamaica and a Coca de botella. Then we ordered our food items: torta ahogada and a torta de jamon. Yes, I ordered a torta de jamon. I wasn't in the mood for anything else. It was pleasantly good. Reminded me of the tortas I used to eat in my mom's town in Jalisco at night. Warm ham in a pressed bolillo with sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and jalapeños. Hubby's torta ahogada was good too. He quickly scarfed it down. We're glad we found a good Mexican spot in Alhambra. Although we'll always prefer Mexican good in our native East LA. By the way, this place is very clean and it's cash only. read more

Small, little restaurant right next door to a liquor shop, you'd probably miss it if you weren't looking for it. Cheap eats, good quality. Probably not the best mexican I've ever had, but for the price and its convenience (I lived a few blocks away) I went pretty often. Burritos are good but I went there for their tortas. read more

My co worker and I were here last Sunday. I ordered the chillaquiles and he got a Carne asada burrito. We took our order to go but sat down as our food was being cooked. My only complaint is that every table was dirty. They were pretty busy for 10am on a Sunday. About 4 tables were available and all dirty. The food itself was delightful. The eggs were cooked to perfection and the salsa they use on the chillaquiles was really good. It had a nice kick to it but not too spicy. My co worker who had the burrito said it was also delicious, they are not stingy with the amount of meat they put in the burrito. The Carne asada was full of flavor, and the burrito was big!! I took a menu back to work so I could show all my coworkers. I can't wait to go again and try the tacos tostados!! read more

This is my first time visit. It is a great little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. I love the potato tacos! The food is great and the price is right I will be back! read more

It has the best food I went in there and tried the food and the food tasted like heaven it's the best Mexican food ever

Okay, so officially have to upgrade this place to five stars. I had the most delicious thing ever.. The carnitas torta ahogada from this place is AWESOME. The density in the ahogada roll is perfect and they smear it with just the right consistency of beans and put in some perfectly moist and crispy carnitas. It was like magically so good, The broth, au jus, or ahogada sauce that comes with it to dip it in taste just like my moms. We always take things to go from here so you can always ask for the hot sauce and ahogada juice on the side so you can fix it at home. read more

This little place is right next to my work... We rarely ever come here. We use to come all the time when the prices were reasonable. I think the tacos r 1.50 and flautas r 2 dollars each.... We came here for lunch friday. It's good but they need to lower down their prices. Also they need to start taking debit cards. I don't know about it being clean and friendly looking like the other people are saying. Anyway, we only come here sometimes. read more

The food is authentic and flavors on point! The salsas seems bomb. We ordered the flautas and torta ahogada. The flautas were fresh and crispy. Will definitely return!! read more

Let's cut to the point: this little spot is delicious. My daughter and I came for taco Tuesday, and we found this spot on yelp. I was hesitant because it's LA county and there's a Mexican spot on every block. The hospitality is what won me over to try their food. Being Mexican myself, having that family vibe is what separates authentic from Americanized food. The lady who works here (I'm assuming the owner) was super friendly and was able to customize my food with no extra cost. The food itself was so damn tasty. I ordered the Chile rellenó; everyone has their version but this tasted the way my tias make them. I won't go on a tangent. Stop by and try their food :) read more

Unfortunately, not that great. The famous wet torta is just average.. Large but boring. They use great high quality baguette bread which tastes great, but the all-important sauce is bland and not very tasty. Very sad. read more

Yeah. Small hole n the wall. Sitting is nice n cramped. Food is really good. You want spicy, they have spicy.

This little place is awesome authentic Guadalajara style. The carnitas torta is a must be careful I asked for the hot salsa they put over the torta damn was it hot and I eat alot of hot chile. The tacos of barbacoa are bomb. read more

My caldo de res was delicious. Veggies cooked just right. Not over cooked. Good customer service and friendly service

I've been here a couple times many years ago, been wanting to bring my mom to taste the famous tortas ahogadas. she was not disappointed, never tried it herself and loved it. I had the wet burrito, different than what I'm used to. most places pour red sauce and top of with cheese, but this place pours their own sauce (similar to the torta ahogada) topped with onions....DELICIOUS. no pictures, finished the meal before I realized it. will be coming more frequently for sure, especially because they accept cards now read more

Great and fast service. Place is clean. Cheap to eat here with $10 you get a home made meal. One of the best tortas ahogadas.. read more

El Vaquerito Restaurant - This torta ahogada is delicous place is so clean and fast and good service.. - Mexican Near Me - Alhambra, California

tortas ahogadas are from Guadalajara Jal Mexico and the biggest restaurant chain that governs the exquisite plate is Tortas Ahogadas El Rica with over 100 locations. Vaquero's food is the best, and can easily say that is the best Mexican restaurant in CA! . the real deal Mexican food is only good when cooked at home by the moms and grandmas but they are awesome read more

The first time I tried a torta ahogada (drowned in chile and salsa) was from here and it was awesome. Never even know they existed before that. If you can handle it being spicy and don't mind a wet sandwich then it's a must. The carnitas I think go best with it. I'm perfectly happy with the tortas but they're also known for tacos dorados (I think they're called) which are also really tasty. Sure, you can get the typical burritos or enchiladas but you can get them anywhere so might as well get their specialties. As others have said, it's a hole in the wall and I've passed by the place a billion times without ever noticing it until someone took me there, but it's well worth it. read more

Real good place to pick up an authentic torta ahogada! dishes look and taste just the way Mexicans mom cook them!

Went in on a Sunday at 2:55 because hours say they closed that day at 8 , we walked in they told us they were closed we asked what time and they said 3. We went another time finally ordered a torta ahogada with mild sauce, I couldn't even eat it to spicy. Won't be going there again !! read more

Tasty Carne Asada burrito, meat was a little rubbery though. service was good...

Tacos de barbacoa dorados and torta ahogada de carnitas were both very flavorful. Staff is friendly and attentive. Parking is limited.

Love this place. It has the best tortas ahogadas and tacos dorados de barbacoa. Service is friendly. Alhambra location is small but cozy. El sereno location is much bigger and has very nice decor. read more

Super friendly people. Love their carne asada burritos. I don't live in the area, so if I'm nearby, I try to make a point to stop in. read more

El Vaquerito Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Alhambra, California

This is a very clean and friendly spot for some really good Mexican food. On Wednesdays the house special is "cosido" (beef soup). Stop by and have a nice warm bowl or anything else from the menu. They also have a location in El Sereno off of Huntington Dr. read more

hole in the wall, family owned mexican place. looked sorta ghetto, but thats where most authentic and tasty food are! torta ahogada was so so. chunks of tender pork in between bread soaked in pork sauce. tacos dorados were delish! i would totally come back for that. barbacoa meat in crispy tortillas. soup was tasty as well and loaded with veges and meat! ladies in the kitchen were super nice and friendly! read more

Was driving in the area and found this small little spot , great authentic Tortas Ahogadas and they make the chilaquiles from scratch which is really bomb. I will be back and will try there pozole too! Friendly service too! read more