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Machaca

4.2 (68 reviews)
Open • 4:30 pm - 11:00 PM

MACHACA · YELP ASSISTANT

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MACHACA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Machaca

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Espresso Martini and Old Elk Bourbon. Delish!!

Stopped in for some cocktails and tacos. Excellent Al Pastor!!! Very nice staff, Miha is a fabulous bartender!!! Very friendly place!!

Kim D.

Family operated & the service reflects they are truly happy that you came by. Traveling from California, we've been sampling all the local Cuisine but definitely started craving Mexican food. This was an awesome option! Filled with locals, everybody was having a great time. Started with guacamole and shredded chicken queso dip. Then tried a variety of entrees. Loved the Chipotle Caesar, Atun tacos (grilled tuna), shrimp tacos and bean and cheese burrito. Splurged on a dessert which was delicious! Their beers were cold and the Margaritas were creative. This is a wonderful find whether your local or traveling. Highly recommend!

I couldn't wait to take a bite...before I took the picture.  That good!! Carnitas Tacos...oh yeah!
Debra T.

I can't believe it took a trip to Gloucester, MA to find the best Mexican food I have found on the entire east coast!!! Handmade corn tortillas, tender flavor filled carnitas, delicious black beans and rice... salsa?? Shut the front door! Yummmy yum salsa and chips. Delicious ceviche! Great ambiance, perfect sized menu and we had the best server ever. Ask for Joe. Great personality, and knows this food. I know next time we are anywhere near it....we will be back!! Yeeehaw!

Chips n salsa. August 2018.
Katherine O.

Let me start by saying that I lived in Texas for a year, where original Mexican recipes are utilized, so I would say that I know a thing or two about this type of cuisine. While different than Tex-Mex or authentic Mexican food down south, Machaca has managed to create a delectable experience, indeed. I'd like to start my review by talking about the service. A crucial part of any dining experience, the wait staff can make or break your evening. I am happy to report that I had excellent service. I wish I remember our waitress' name. She was super friendly, fast and knowledgeable. The expediters were also attentive and efficient. Machaca provides free chips and salsa at the table, and I tend to rate a Mexican establishment by them. The chips were not homemade, but they were fresh. The salsa was unlike any I've ever tried, both chunky and juicy too. The tomatoes were very sweet and there were ample onions and fresh cilantro. I do wish it was a little spicier, but overall, it was unique and tasty. Now, most importantly, the menu items: the menu boasts of various antojitos (appetizers) and a chowder/ salad menu for starters. For the entrees, Machaca had the clever idea of creating a menu primarily made of different styled tacos, which can also be turned into a chimichanga, burrito or burrito bowl. We first ordered drinks (I got the El Jimador/ Anejo margarita and hubby got a Lagunitas). Then we ordered the queso. Again, down south, good queso is the marks of a good restaurant, and Machaca got it REAL right. It had the perfect amount of "kick" and tender shredded pieces of chicken and even some bits of corn were deeply embedded. For dinner I ordered the Barbacoa burrito bowl and my husband got the brisket chimichanga. My barbacoa meat was scrumptious and tender, and was served over a bed of rice and lettuce with black beans and pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes and onions). However, I felt like it was missing something. Though the table provides a bottle of spicy avocado sauce, I wanted a cool texture, like a dressing, so I asked for a chipotle ranch or a lime avocado. Unfortunately, they didn't have any, so I opted for the sour cream instead. It was a great accompaniment that enriched the dish for me. My other critique would be the proportions. There was a lot of brisket, but just a little bit of rice and lettuce. I prefer to have my burrito bowls more equally balanced. My husband's brisket chimichanga was served with black beans and rice. The brisket meat was also tender. However, the chimichanga, which is supposed to have a crispy fried outer crust, was a bit soggy/ doughy/ under cooked. Though I am unable to score with half marks, I would truly give Machaca a 4.5 if I could. The soggy chimichanga, disproportional burrito bowl and embarrassing spelling mistakes on the menu took the star rating down a few points for me. But it wasn't enough to drop their score completely to a 4. If you love Mexican food, and are looking for good service, and a new, cool, trendy, funky place to enjoy it in the heart of downtown Gloucester, I would recommend Machaca for sure.

a plate of mexican food

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7 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

The food is authentic, and the drinks are good too. Great Service, and atmosphere. Live music too!

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

Fabulous tequila bar. Lots of delicious margaritas, best salsa in MA, great bartenders, and low-key, fun crowd

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6 years ago

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7 years ago

What a hidden gem! Fantastic service and food. I will definitely return on my next trip to Gloucester.

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Ask the Community - Machaca

Review Highlights - Machaca

“They have the best queso I've ever had and their caldo soup (which you can get with or without spice) is amazing.”

Mentioned in 10 reviews

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4.4(175 reviews)
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Okay, so this is one of those places that IS as cool as it seems on social media!…read more Lots of seating options, but we chose to sit at the bar overlooking Main St. It's a narrow counter top and there's nowhere to put your bag, so just a heads-up there if you like a little more space. The staff was fantastic! So patient, great recommendations (I doubted something she suggested, and what she suggested ended up being way better then what I wanted), was available to us when we needed and also did a great job just leaving us alone to chat. Really couldn't have asked for better service! The vibes are fun! It's somehow both family friendly and trendy? The drinks are great! I had a specialty banana rum punch and the Pink Dragon (mezcal, lime, dragon fruit, agave, black salt). I'm not a tequila girlie, but the person next to us had one and it was such an attractive beverage. My only regret? I didn't have two! The food was amazing! Bless these restaurants that are out here serving up quality vegan food. We had the specialty guacamole (it was topped with mango and chile lime seasoning, I believe) and it was a SOLID portion for the price point. I also got: 1) the BBQ jackfruit taco (with coco pineapple BBQ sauce, slaw, picked onions) and while it was filling, it was pretty underwhelming. When I look back at my pics, I'm wondering if they forgot to add the sauce? 2) the Impossible Taco (pico de gallo, vegan chipotle crema, cabbage) was stupid good. GET THIS. I wish I had gotten two of these. It was savory, and satisfying, and dangerously crushable (I'm convinced I could eat four). 3) the Treehouse Slaw (broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, brussels with an avocado crema), which I could eat every single day. Crunchy, perfectly dressed, a contrasting and complimentary side to the Impossible Taco. This. Is. A. Must. Visit.

I feel very basic saying that my favorite thing about this place was the bartender. He was…read moreexceptionally friendly! Considering he's a bartender in a tourist town... I was impressed. The restaurant has a very funky and chill vibe. It's got good energy and just the right amount of noisiness. We had the short rib tacos and they were absolutely delicious. We also really enjoyed the coleslaw. My drink was the raspberry margarita. It was very good. Before warned: they do not take reservations. They do have a very well organized text alert system so you can go shop around Ogunquit while you're waiting for your table.

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Plazita Mexico Tacos

4.4(96 reviews)
21.8 mi

This place lives up to the hype - the corn tortillas are tasty and a bit fluffy, but structured…read moreenough to hold up to all the taco toppings and not fall apart. A lot of places double up on the tortillas for this reason, but no need here. We ordered the birria, carnitas, and cabeza tacos, chicken sopes, beans, rice, sweet plantains, sweet rice pudding and horchata. Standouts were the carnitas and cabeza for me - very delicious in their simplicity, the meat is seasoned and cooked to perfection. Birria was also very good but overhyped IMO (novelty factor). The chicken sopes were way bigger than expected, could easily be a meal on its own and the masa tart was pretty good. Our table liked the green sauce to add zip to the food. It was very sunny when we went, so it was blinding and hot to be sitting inside, hope they install a shade at some point. They seem to only serve in takeout containers, so eating at a table requires getting a bit creative for a "plate" etc. There's a small lot behind the building and street parking is pretty easy. I will definitely be returning to try the lengua and more things next time!

If I could leave a zero I would. We have clearly given many chances... too many in my opinion but…read morewe like to give the benefit of the doubt. And I'm also only writing this because I emailed them and never received a response. June 6 they were very busy. My husband waited 45 minutes past the time of the mobile order. When we got home, he found a staple in his dish. Okay fine they were busy it was right on top. Clearly an accident. We gave them another chance. then on July 6 I bite into a torta, there was ROCK in the sandwich. Whether it was from the lettuce/ produce or not, I'm not sure. But I chomped down on it. I'm very lucky I didn't break my tooth. I swore them off that day. Never again. Now October 22, my husband really wanted some tacos. I placed an online order for him. He went and picked it up. He gets home and is eating, he bites into a piece of pointy plastic in the tacos. Never. Never again will we eat here. It's inexcusable. 3 times is 3 times too many. Hope no one else ever has to deal with this here!

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Spitfire Tacos - Tacos and street corn - delicious !!

Spitfire Tacos

4.2(99 reviews)
13.3 mi

Excellent tacos! It gets busy, so don't arrive impatient-…read moreworth the wait Limited seating, easy access Gluten free possible

I'm honestly surprised by all the good reviews, do y'all not have tastebuds?…read more I love tacos. Love is an understatement. This was so off putting I refused to finish a taco out of my 3 taco meal. Played it safe, got the ground beef. The taco was greasy despite having the double tortilla layer which it had soaked through. The taco meat was very bland and there was a funky sweet taste to it, maybe because of the chipotle aioli? No cheese. No hot sauce. Between the texture and the taste, there was no way I was able to get past a couple bites. I thought the chips and salsa would be my saving grace, however there was zero salt on the chips and the salsa was just their pico de gallo. The pico was super watery and tasted like bland tomato water. No salt or flavor in there either. In addition, you can get a pretty good idea about a place's cleanliness based off what you can see going on in the kitchen. The cook was wearing gloves while scrolling on his/a phone and didn't change those gloves to make our food. Additionally, he went to the restroom with the gloves on and while he wasn't wearing by them when he came out, but it wasn't long enough thoroughly wash your hands. The staff were sitting on the stainless steel counters where meal prep is done. Just not a place I feel comfortable eating.

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Machaca - tacos - Updated November 2026

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