I ordered one barbacoa taco and one campechano taco, which was a really interesting recommendation: it's a mixed meat taco, so I was excited to try it. Both were super flavorful! The barbacoa really stood out, it was so tender and packed with seasoning. The toppings were generous, and their sauces (especially the green one) were so good. The service took a bit of time, but honestly, with a packed house, it came out pretty quickly. I loved the atmosphere, there's a great outdoor patio that really lets everyone connect and enjoy themselves. This was one of the first taco places I tried on Cherokee Street, and it did not disappoint. Plus, the tacos are super affordable! I'll definitely be back. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - aqua fresca - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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We've been searching for a great place to get street tacos. This is it. The lengua was outstanding read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Langua tacos x4 - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Recently came here after I was in the St. Louis area with a colleague looking for a little spot to eat at. We went to this small little place which was kind of hidden. Staff was friendly. We ordered a few tacos to go which were fairly priced and the staff accommodated the taco with plenty of toppings which justified the price. The hot sauce was pretty good too. I would love to see more menu items than a few items. Overall, great walk up fast taco establishment. read more

Review is solely based on food as takeout -- I tried the barbacoa, carne asada, and al pastor tacos. They're authentic tacos and I was pleasantly surprised! The meats all had solid flavor, the essential condiments were all there (onion, cilantro, salsa), the salsa actually had a kick to it, and I thought that the cucumbers were a really nice touch. I can't even remember which one was my favorite, because they were all good; although, I found the carne asada to be a reliably safe choice. They were all decently sized (I was just full on two and three had me bloated), and they're reasonably priced. Ordering from here has increasingly become a guilty pleasure, and I'm excited to eventually try it in store when it's hot off of the grill! read more

Hectorito Restaurante - two tacos in a styrofoam container - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Amazing service, very quick, and a nice spot to grab tacos on Cherokee. Grill is outside as well as all fresh ingredients on ice. Toppings include lime wedges, cilantro, radish slices, diced cucumber, 2 different salsas and more. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - carnitas tacos and steak asada burrito - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Great outdoor patio situation. Came with a few friends on a Monday night to once again combat the Monday mood. Although parking was tricky, and there was no service to pay for parking, so I subsequently got a parking ticket, the parking enforcement lady was very nice and got rid of the ticket for me. We rejoice Anyways, back to the tacos. Line up in a line and then order at the counter, and then there is self seating. There were probably 4 to 6 tables, so I can imagine it gets pretty busy on the weekends. I got a pollo taco and an Al pastor taco for $6. Chefs kiss. Friendly people. Great food. No more Monday moods. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Pollo and Al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Really good burrito. It seemed closer to what you'd get on the streets of Mexico City

Pretty great taco stand style good. I got 3 tacos (Al pastor, chicken, and carne asada) they were super super yummy. The hot sauces were they offered were super spicy but still had a great flavor. The service was pleasant and the food was made to order. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Chicken, Al pastor, and Asada Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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The cashier was very friendly and made recommendations that I might like. He also explained what each type of taco was since I wasn't familiar with all of them. The flavor was phenomenal - the only reason I took off a star was because my meat had a lot of fat on it. I loved the authenticity of the place. It was small and cozy with a legit street taco aesthetic - hard to explain until you walk inside. I also love that they had Jarritos and other good drink options. It got pretty crowded by the time I was leaving around 12pm. I imagine it's a popular lunch spot, thanks to the casual atmosphere and delicious tacos! read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Tacos and jarritos - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Delicious and fresh food plus pretty decent margarita all at good prices. My husband and I came here on a Sunday afternoon, around 5:30pm. There was no one inside the restaurant but us. However, in the front area there is also a taco truck affiliated with the restaurant and many people came and went with tacos from here while we are eating. A kind waitress greeted us quickly. She brought out some chips and salsa. The chips were warm (always love this!) and the salsa was spicy (yum!). As my husband is not a big fan of spicy we decided to order some guacamole and it did not disappoint! The guac tasted super fresh and came with some pico de gallo on the side. We also got a jumbo margarita (oh my gosh they aren't kidding with the jumbo) to share. The margarita was lime, on the rocks; this seems to be the default margarita as I did not specify anything. I appreciated that the margarita was not too sweet. For tacos, we got al pastor, barbacoa, asada, and cameron (shrimp). The al pastor was the best followed by the asada and barbacoa. I did not prefer the cameron, very few shrimps were in it. We each ordered 3 tacos and my husband later ordered a 4th, another al pastor. For some reasons this taco was different than our first al pastor tacos, it did not have as much meat and a somewhat different flavor, not sure what the deal was. I was super full after the chips and guac, 3 tacos and the huge margarita. Would return. read more

Fantastic authentic, yummy tacos! It's also fast! Must try: Al Pastor (incredibly flavorful and the right amount of sweet and savory), Campechanos (all the yummy meats in one, cooked to the right level of crispiness and complementing each other). The rest will also blow your mind: Carnitas, Barbacoa. Just a mouthful of happiness and Yums! read more

My husband and I ordered four tacos in, feels like 111°, heat, Just the outside was open for lunch but neither of us minded. Service was good because you order, pay, grab your iced beverage and wait a few while your order is put together and step up when your name is announced. I took a bite of my taco was not disappointed. The man making them smiled when I acknowledged my delight. Ingredients were fresh and I chose not share my taco with husband. He was equally pleased with his chicken tacos and did not share either. The place was sticky but the weather is a new kind of hot and we're going back. Hope you do too, just not when I'm there. read more

I realized that it was time to update my review of Taqueria El Torito after my most recent visit. I still like this place, but they could do so much better. The tortas are still good and the tacos rival the others on Cherokee, but service, cleanliness and quality have gone downhill. When visiting a few days ago, it was a struggle to find a clean table in the nearly empty restaurant and the lady working the tables had no concern about it. I don't think she speaks English, which is a bonus as far as I'm concerned, and shouldn't be a problem for anyone who can read off the menu. I did however get the feeling that this abuelita was going to throw her chankla at me if I misbehaved, let alone ask for more salsa or napkins. The salsa and chips were good and the tacos were decent, but the plate of beans and rice had clearly been microwaved. Perhaps it's better to visit on a weekend when the kitchen is busy with a higher turnover of food. I'll continue to come here on occasion, but it saddens me to see this place decline. Some basic cleanliness and good customer service could help. Hand soap in the bathroom (located in the grocery store section) would also be nice. read more

So dang tasty. Spicy!! Chicken was my favorite. Fun to eat on their patio on Cherokee st.

First off, the food here is EXCELLENT! It's all outdoor seating on a very small patio, not the best ambiance in the world, and the guy who takes orders is kind of surly, but it's worth it for the food. Definitely go here, but not for a first date. read more

Best quality tacos ever! Went to enjoy lunch and they have just what you want. Great ingredients. Loved the Barbacoa taco

"¿Habla usted español?", the server asked us. "No," we replied. Yep, this was the beginning of our experience. Our server was a tiny little Mexican lady who didn't know a lick of English. This was going to prove to be interesting considering everyone else in the place, you know, the whole other 3 patrons aside from ourselves, were Hispanic. Mi amigo Nick and myself had not taken Spanish since high school. He was able to be a little bit more comprehended to her than myself, which made ordering a lot easier. The menus were in English. They had the number for the food listed right next to the menu items. Saying "numero uno or numero dos" didn't take much effort. When ordering my margarita (on the rocks, salted), that took a bit of extra work. I explained it to her the best I could. Nick, told her to "put it over ice' -- that clicked! She brought me the best margarita I have ever had north of the border of Mexico. With its cute little umbrella, and lime, that added just to the quench. The tequila was top shelf without the top shelf pricing. It was made very strong too. I have had margaritas in Mexico, and with every sip I tasted, I drank the authenticity as if I were back in the border town of Nuevo Larado or from my cruise to Cozumel. Only this time, it was in the middle of the United States! Dinner... I ordered a burrito and enchilada which comes with fried beans and rice. It's one of the many combinations you can have for $7.99. There really isn't anything to elaborate about my ordering other than it didn't seem like it was Americanized. It was certainly well put together and had a little kick to it with the spices added in the beef. They put some sort of sweet sour cream on top to complete the order over the top of the enchilada and burrito. Nick ordered some of their tacos. Once again, not Americanized. He said they had the exact consistency and make as if were getting it down South. He liked them so much that after his first order, he ordered more once we were even done with our meal. Everything total was $35 or so. For drinks, our meals, and little extras. Replay - food is authentic, drinks make you feel like you're on the beach over looking the ocean, and you've got the people. The people make it all the better. Enjoy your fiesta! read more

Wow tacos here are so yummy. We got it from the guy with the cart just outside the restaurant proper though. Our party of 4 just grabbed 10 tacos ($20) and were super content! I personally had 2 and was satisfied, but if you want to be stuffed, maybe 3-4. I think I could've eaten another one easily but I didn't want that full feeling, just the satisfied feeling haha. The veggies are so fresh, crisp and adds major extra zing to the already flavorful tacos. I would say just get a bunch of tacos and the horchata (sp?) - rice milk with cinnamon. I watered the rice milk down and it was heavenly! The horchata is from the restaurant itself. You can take the tacos from outside cart into el torito! There's also sometimes a guy who will play and sing to you (he does so on cash tips) but it adds a nice touch. My little 2 year old nephew LOVED him - he followed him around to the other tables and watched him with SUCH focus!! Bathroom is located in the grocery store part, and it's decently clean! Another St. Louie great find :) read more

With the fanfare of the Cinco de Mayo street celebration going on, I decided to visit Taqueria El Torito. Today there were mariachis inside and it definitely wasn't as empty as I've seen in the past. I ordered a platter for two that included shrimp, chicken, beef, and nopales in a large simmering bowl. It came with tortillas and rice & beans. It definitely was a spectacle of a dish. It was huge. I could hear others ask their servers what we ordered. The shrimp and cactus were good, the beef and chicken were just average. But the true benefit was in the value. 4 people could have easily shared this... and it only cost $27. The lunch hit the spot, although I could have used a bit more flavor. Our server was new, and it didn't seem that he had waited tables before. Ironically for this area, his Spanish wasn't all that good. Their red salsa tasted like marinara. I asked for cholula and my waiter said they didn't have any (I took that as he didn't know)... obviously they have some brand of hot sauce... they're attached to a grocery store. read more

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I have a tip for all you Yelpers. If Mark P reviewed a place and recommended something, just get it, even if you are eying something else, just get what he wrote about and you will not be sorry. The tacos here are amazing, hands down the best place on Cherokee Street, no debate. I had the Barbacoa, and the El Pastor. Huge portions served on a double corn tortilla with onions and cilantro. Probably the best tacos I have ever had. The meat was so flavorful, I could rave for days and want to go back tonight. The margaritas were wonderful, the service was wonderful, and I will never eat Mexican anywhere else on Cherokee Street again. read more

I met a buddy for lunch Friday. Chips and two kinds of salsa were served right away. I thought the green one was avocado, so got a big bunch of it on a chip. Holy crap in a handbag . . . it was not avocado. It was the HOT stuff. Glad a big glass of water was at the ready. We both ordered tacos. They're $1.99 each. She got an al pastor and an asada -- with no cilantro. And they delivered it perfectly. I got an asada and a barbacoa, both very meat-filled with onions. Lots of cilantro sprinkled on top of both. I stuck with water. She got a watermelon juice, which she said was divine. The tacos were A-OK. Service was very attentive. $4 for lunch is terrific. The outdoor patio is beautiful and covered. read more

Molcajete is really really delicious. It's probably enough food for 4 people, as my very hungry husband and very hungry self split this meal and come home with enough for two lunches. Several different proteins, all cooked nicely, accompanied by huge pieces of cheese and nopales. Our pitcher of margs was the sort of chemical-y kind that comes straight out of a machine, but they were strong and inexpensive. Service was fast and extremely courteous. I can't wait to go back. read more

After 3 days of bland expensive food, I was happy to find this spot in ST. LOUIS. Hole in the wall type of joint but food is delicious and cheap! The Al Pastor tacos are so yummy and a must if you stop here, but order from the taco cart outside in the front of restaurant. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Tacos al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

For my money, this place has the best tacos in St. Louis --better than La Vallesana, better than Taqueria El Bronco. Their approach is as it should be: simple. No BS. Just a hot griddle, a large quantity of well-marinated meat, a condiment bar, and a cooler full of Mexican beers. This is one of the few places in St. Louis that doesn't put chunks of pineapple in their tacos al pastor. This is important. Pork for tacos al pastor should be marinated at length in a pineapple-and-chili-pepper marinade. If a place has to stick pineapple chunks in your taco, it means the meat didn't marinate long enough. Taqueria El Torito does it right, without the pineapple chunks. Their tacos are best enjoyed in the outside seating area with a cold Victoria lager. read more

Updating my original review because much has changed at Taqueria El Torito. They've updated the exterior and interior to include a covered patio and festive decor and furniture. They have also added 2 large projector screens where they occasionally show international soccer games. The prices have gone up a bit, but still a great value for authentic Mexican cuisine. Great authentic style tacos and shrimp tostadas. They serve menudo on the weekends. There is still a language barrier, but not too bad. Definitely worth a try. read more

Hectorito Restaurante - Mexican Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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I hate to be this negative this close to the holidays, but Holy Frijoles! This place needs work! Original destination of Tower Taco was closed (what's the deal with their hours???) so we decided to try a new place. We chose El Torito and as we approached there were some folk leaving with a "to go" styrofoam so I asked "How was it" and they were both "oh dude, it was real good". Shoulda known better than to ask a Mennonite couple about Mexican food. Anyway, I digress... Menu is sparse. There are some combos and some entres that range from dirt cheap (1.89 taco) to expensive ($22.99 steak??). I was looking for the standard Chimichanga and had to settle for a not too meaty "Steak Burrito" that left me seriously wanting and the bland beans and tasteless peas and rice didn't get more than a sample. Mama had 3 "carne asada" tacos that were only saved by adding the lesser evil of the two "salsas" that came with the free chips. Speaking of which...one salsa is green and slightly oily and the hotter of the two but not really in a good way. However, the red concoction looked like it was poured right straight out of a ketchup bottle with no visible ingredients other than pureed red something. It tasted like battery acid (I'd accidentally licked after a bad Ray-O-Vac D-cell leaked inside one of my toy rocket ships back in the early 70s, so I know...). Aside from the mediocre food, in the midst of our meal the jukebox randomly came to life and played seriously loud mariachi and alternate Mexican disco music at odd intervals. Total bill for 3 weak tacos and an extremely weak burrito + 2 diet Cokes --$16.57 Service was excellent so she got a $5 tip. Wasn't her fault. This Gringo won't be going back for a re-do. 'Nuff's nuff! read more

This is the only taqueria in St. Louis that offers authentic al pastor tacos. What I mean by that is that they serve true pineapple juice and chili-marinated pork. They don't cut corners by dicing up pineapples into the pork. It's the real deal. Anywhere else you go--be it El Bronco, Mi Ranchito, etc. Expect to find pineapple chunks mixed in with your pork. Also, this is the best tacqueria in St. Louis. El Bronco does carne asada a little bit better, but El Torito wins hands-down in every other category. If you're avoiding meat (which these days, I do), there isn't even a contest. El Bronco can't hang with El Torito. IMPORTANT NOTE: They close very early. On weekend nights they open up the patio, though, and I highly recommend it. Grab three al pastor tacos with onions and cilantro and a Victoria beer. There's nothing better. If they're closed, El Bronco will suffice. But be warned: El Bronco's side dishes are generally second-rate if not downright bad. read more

I wanted to try a new place on Cherokee, so here we go... I sat myself with my lunch mates at a booth. The place is typical, loud Spanish music, ESPN on the tv's, staff works in English and Spanish. I ordered as soon as I sat down, and said it was a quick lunch, in Spanish. It took 20 minutes. Service was ho-hum. I know, I'm not there for service. Guacamole was standard, with good chips. Tacos al pastor were on the dry side but portion was decent. Rice and beans were decent. Glad I went so I can stick to my other Cherokee standards. Couple of side notes, it's attached to the Mexican grocery store. Also you can order tacos from the front a la carte. read more

I dine out coast to coast and this is the worst ! Bad service mediocre food. Dinner with four friends. Only one who had $1.99 taco was happy. Way to many great Mexican choices in STL to ever go back here. read more

Great tacos right on the street. We got lengua, tripa, and carnitas. Very tasty and well priced.

We went here hoping to get some great food, but at 3pm I guess it's lunch time. We sat at the bar for about ten minutes, five of which we were looking for a better place to go to. Never got service so I can't say anything else read more

Absolutely divine! Came here for lunch with Patt C. yesterday. I got the watermelon fresh fruit juice & 2 tacos (al pastor & asada). The juice was very fresh & delish! A couple of ice cubes made it taste cool. The al pastor taco was spicy, but not incredibly spicy. The asada taco was delish & not very spicy. For $1.99 per taco, this fits perfectly for my budget. Service was impeccable, & the ambiance was awesome. Warning, they put a separate entrance to the restaurant from the supermarket. A bit confusing though. read more

Torito is everything you can ask for in a taqueria. This is a place where the locals go, and that's when you know the food is going to be amazing. The set up is just like what I was used to back in the Hispanic neighborhood where I lived in Chicago. I came in on this day to order the perfect hangover soup, Menudo. And I'm not talking about the band damnit! I'm referring to the traditional cow tongue soup (crowd goes EWW). The soup was unreal, it literally blew my mind how perfect the portions were and the fact they gave you a side of onions/cilantro and limes to put in there. It's like the Mexican version of the PHO! It's moments like these that make me love that I live in St Louis, MO. The fact that I can find a place like this to bring me the real authentic stuff. It's more reason why Benton Park West is my favorite neighborhood hands down. LOVE IT here! read more

Good food , definitely could be cleaner ,waitstaff seems friendly , manager Luis is not very friendly could use some lessons maybe from his waitstaff !! You don't treat your customers rude so much for being a regular customer!! read more

I will never go to another Americanized Mexican restaurant again. I've seen the light. This place is amazing. They give you two salsas-both incredibly hot-one a red and the other a salsa verde. Chips were thicker and crunchy. We also ordered the guacomole-it's average but topped with pico de gallo. We ordered four types of tacos-barbacoa, carnitas, carne, and the big winner-Al Pastor. They were so tender, the pork melted in your mouth. Each taco, priced at 1.99, was topped with a hefty amount of onion and cilantro. Service was friendly, if not a little aloof. read more

Never thought I'd say this about a Mexican restaurant, but my experience here today was TERRIBLE. Mainly due to service, or lack there of. The place was nearly empty, me a couple and a single man...it took 30 minutes to get my food. The Camarones Diabla were super salty and I was charged $8 bucks for a michelada! I don't plan on returning, there are much better restaurants on Cherokee, with much better service, where I enjoy spending my money. read more

Typically I go to La Vallesana when I'm on Cherokee, but I had a Restaurant.com voucher for here, so my sister, niece and I headed on in. The first issue was that they sat us at a table accomodating 10 people. This was way too large, so we asked to be moved. Our waitress seemed really new or just inexperienced. She forgot to even write down our order of guac, so we had to ask for it again. When it came, it was not good. Very salty and it seemed like maybe it had sour cream in it?? I ordered chorizo tacos, and these were very good, and the only reason I give them 2 stars. I love chorizo and theirs was delicious. My niece ordered a cheese and chicken enchilada but ended up with two chicken instead. My sister's order was correct. The worst part of this experience was when we got our check. I gave the girl my phone for the voucher and she came back and insisted that it was an invalid voucher. I assured her it was good. She went back and this time it worked. We had around a $10 balance to pay and my sister gave them a $50. They didn't have change for it and the owner (I assume it was the owner, anyway) acted all put out that he had to go next door to the grocery store to break it. Overall verdict: not impressed and will resume my trips to La Vallesana or other Cherokee restaurants. read more

Amazing chilaquiles!! Great service. Great food. Authentic atmosphere. Love it! Highly recommend this place if you are looking for great food near downtown. The breakfast is top notch! read more

This place was just meh. We were a party of four and one of us didn't get her food until the rest of us were done eating. The food was nothing to write home about although the guac was good. Couldn't eat outside because they serve only tacos outside. read more

This is some of the best Mexican food in the stl metropolitan area. Nice selection of imported beers and tequilas. very friendly hospitality. And excellent shrimp cocktails read more