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    Tacowala

    4.2 (74 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Order Tacowala Takeout or Delivery

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    TACOWALA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Tacowala

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    Sneha W.

    It's a vegan and vegeterian taqueria - certified gluten free. The food tastes really good and have great innovative food options on the menu. Paneer Mulitas was very good. Also black magic quesadilla was a great pick from the menu. The place is very well done and beautifully decorated adding up to make a great ambiance. They do catering all around Nj.

    Anumeha T.

    The ambiance and decor is actually really cute - touch of both the worlds (India and Mexico) and super colorful! The service was pretty quick too. We went on a Saturday evening and it was quiet. We ordered the trio combo and a single taco. But honestly it didn't live up to the hype. Most of the taco had too much of spice/masala and this is coming from a person who loves spicy food. In one the taco, it was too much of garam masala and it gave a bad hit instantly. The pineapple topping they use also doesn't tastes fresh. Seems like they use canned pineapple topping make it. We came from too far of a distance and were super excited but nope it didn't impress us.

    Taco trio - Masala Chorizo, Paneer Diablo, Mushroom Carnitas
    Alina M.

    When it comes to dietary restrictions, Tacowala checks all the boxes: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free which makes it an easy spot to visit for anyone with those restrictions. The idea of an Indian/Mexican fusion taco spot is intriguing and they've done a great job with the unique choices on the menu. I have gotten takeout once in the past but this was my first time dining in. I really like the vibe here, it's casual while still being trendy and welcoming. I came in for a Saturday lunch with two friends and we each ordered the Tacowala Trio where you can choose three tacos and comes with a side of rice and beans plus the option for guac and chips for a bit extra. I had gotten the Masala Chorizo, Paneer Diablo, and Mushroom Carnitas and I can definitely say that they all are super flavorful and unique. The only thing that I didn't love is that they were all very oily. I know that often with the soy proteins, there are a lot of oils built-in but I think it would be good to drain it before putting on the taco. The service is very quick and you can definitely either have a fast lunch or a leisurely meal here depending on your preferences.

    Nicole F.

    If you're seeking a taste sensation, this casual fusion spot is for you! Everything was made fresh and served promptly. The staff was very friendly. We dined in, (which I recommend so the tacos are hot and before the tortilla gets too soggy). I opted for the taco trio (black magic, masala chorizo, and papa picante) which came with a side of rice and beans. Always appreciate when a side is included. Each taco was generously packed and bursting with flavor. The spice on the papa picante and the paneer Diablo that my husband ordered was no joke. Offering vegan options was a plus for a member of our group. I would recommend and return!

    Black Magic Quesadilla
    Anna D.

    Still good! Wasn't looking for too much spice this time so we tried the black magic quesadilla (super good but very greasy), garlic street corn (excellent!), and a few tacos but my favorite was the paneer one. Friendly and super fast service and so charming inside

    Twisted Garlic Esquites
    Latha P.

    I had an eye on this cozy spot for a while and made an impromptu decision one afternoon to have lunch here . There is only street parking as it's in the by lanes of Somerville. But we got a spot close by . Walked in to a rather eclectic cozy restaurant and we were the only customer at that time. That gave us ample time to talk to the owner host and chef who gave us a lot of time and answered our questions . He suggested the popular Black magic taco which was the best of everything we tried. Few other menu items we tried were Twisted Garlic Esquites which was quite unique . Creamy tangy and very addictive Mushroom Tikka Tinga- good blend of spices but not spicy in any way . Paneer Al Pastor Taco- was was quite ok nothing special Mushroom Carnitas Taco - was the next best to Black Magic The owner is very knowledgeable and spent time sharing details about the menu food and his travel experiences ! Visit this local spot and enjoy a new world of veggie tacos

    Taj T.

    You'll find the owner and head chef managing the counter. He might tell you about his travels through Mexico, curating the spices and learning from the locals that informed his fusion craft. Ironically, an Indian guy has succeeded in making Mexican dishes that are beyond what's available most anywhere else in the US that I've eaten, while his more Indian flavors are the least interesting on the menu. That said, every single item on the menu is a win. This is quite unlike anything I've ever eaten before and I will 10000% be coming back over and over. The fact that it's vegetarian and vegan never once registered for me, I was never missing the meat because the flavors are so phenomenal. The flagship "Black Magic" is a standout, as is the "Paneer Al Pastor" and "Paneer Del Diablo". Do yourself a favor though, and get a couple combo meals to share with a friend so you can try everything on the menu. Kick back and relax in the open, well lit, and white walled cantina. There might not be a beach here, but the vibes are straight out of Cancun and - in all honesty - the food is way better.

    Catering Menu
    Varsha T.

    i ordered from this spot for an event and i absolutely loved it. the flavors are an incredible blend of indian and mexican, and i really appreciated being able to adjust the spice level in the paneer. the catering came with a ton of options, and we got to make our own tacos, which was fun. there was plenty of food for at least eight people. i've been in person many times too. just a heads up--it's usually pretty busy, so it might take a bit to get your order, even though there's plenty of seating inside. overall, it's an amazing spot and i would definitely order from here again.

    Taco trio of yucca with curry, Black Magic Taco and Mushroom Carnitas
    Jennifer Z.

    The food is remarkably tasty and inventive. Mexican style with Indian inflected seasonings. The owner is friendly and generous with suggestions. We bought a jar of the Black Magic salsa for home and are thoroughly enjoying it.

    Mushroom quesadillas
    Amelia C.

    4/5 for taste. 3/5 for price. Loved the flavors and spices cooked into the mushroom and cheese. But I found it a bit pricey for 3 mini taco sized quesadillas. About two bites a quesadilla. $15 for 3 mini quesadillas which is a bit pricey to me since there's no meat in it. Order with the cashier and you seat yourself. Food came out pretty quick.

    Painted walls
    Pam M.

    Have been trying to come here since they opened. Went on a Monday, closed Mondays. Stopped in one afternoon, short staffed, and the owner wasn't able to serve that day. Another time, sign on the door; closed due to staffing issues. However, finally went on Friday for lunch, just as they had opened. Was greeted by the owner, who was lovely, very friendly. Explained how I have tried to come a few times, he said they had worked out their kinks. I think I had basically memorized their menu at this point . As I waited for my girlfriend, I snapped a few pictures & chatted with the owner. I could see take out orders spit out from their machine as patrons came in to place lunch orders. I did ask what happened to their great VW Bus that had been parked on the grass next to the building, they had it painted so cool! Township didn't like it being parked there!?? Anyways, friend showed up, love the idea of Indian-Mexican fusion since they both use some of the same spices. All vegetarian options. Some vegan, some gluten free. We had the flamin hot esquites (Mexican corn) and we both decided on the quesadilla's, the Mushroom Tikka Tinga's We both loved them, 3 quesadillas, filled with oyster mushrooms, in a Tikka sauce, served with a Queso sauce & an avocado verde sauce! The Mexican corn had a kick to it, served in a cup, with a wedge of lime. Mix it up with the creama Mexicana, one of the best Mexican corn that I've eaten! Will definitely return! I've been sending everyone I know there who's vegetarian or who's been looking to try something different! Definitely try this place out! They have kids menu too! It's decorated bright & fun, kids & adults will like this fun atmosphere & good food!

    Masala mushroom carnitas, Paneer Al Pastor, Papas De Tamarindo
    Jo L.

    Interesting flavors combos Paneer Al pastor with adobo sauce and pineapple was my favorite. The pineapple really complimented the flavors. Masala mushroom carnitas: mushroom was flavorful but the black stuff on top was over powering. Papas de tamarinsoc: not a huge fan of the tamarind chili on the potatoes. Would still give this another shot because I like potatoes.

    Nora S.

    So freaking delicious! We ordered all of the tacos and loved them all! The place inside is super clean ams colorful! The people the own the place are super friendly and nice. We mainly were talking to Rodney, super nice and helpful! We drove 1 hr to just come here and will becoming back soon!

    Twisted Garlic Esquites

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food was really good. Black magic was the best. Can't wait to try that in quesadillas. Owner was wonderful.

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    3 years ago

    Had a great assortment of Tacos, Mexican street corn and guacamole tonight. My mouth is a little bit on fire, but in a good way!

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    4 years ago

    I had seen a lot of reviews and wanted to try it out. Good vegetarian options but it is too pricey. Will wait for a while before I go back.

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    3 years ago

    Delicious, flavorful, and inventive...you won't miss the meat. Perfect marriage of two cuisines!

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    4 years ago

    Cool veggies taco choices! Black beans were ok but worth trying. I would get the paneer and soy chorizo tacos again

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Tacowala

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    Surf Turf and Earth is one of my go-to weekly spots when I want something healthy, quick, and…read moreconsistently good. I usually get the California Honey and it never disappoints. It's super crispy, not greasy at all, and the homemade honey mustard sauce is amazing. It's perfect on the sesame bun and honestly one of my favorite meals to grab during the week. My boyfriend always goes for the build-your-own bowls, which he loves because he can customize exactly what he wants every time. They're always really good and a great option if you're in the mood for something tailored to you. I also went for breakfast for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised. I tried the Fruity Pebbles matcha, which was pretty good, though I think I would've liked it even more with 2% milk, which they didn't seem to have. I also had the So Extra sandwich and it was so good. The hash brown was still perfectly crispy inside the sandwich, the eggs were fried just right, I loved the touch of spinach, and whatever sauce was on it really tied everything together. I'd honestly come back just for that sandwich alone. Also it's super cute inside, perfect to bring a friend or date looking for a healthier option in downtown Somerville, NJ!

    This was my first time coming back to Turf, Surf and Earth since their new menu change. I walked in…read moreat 11am and went up to the kiosk, and realized that only breakfast items were available. I wanted to try something from the lunch menu, after asking an employee, I was told that lunch starts at 11:30am. So I came back around that time to order. I've been seeing their Big Mack Smash on social media for some time now, and it looks delicious. So I decided to I order their single patty Big Mack Smash, with angus meat and American cheese, on a plant based white bun. I don't care for sesame seeds on buns, and there was no option for a regular burger bun (without sesame seeds), so I chose the non sesame seed vegan bun. I also ordered a side of fries with garlic aioli. The plant based white bun was a little dry and the burger patty was also dry and did not have much flavor. Maybe I should have done a double patty for the burger, since it is a smashed patty and a little too thin for my liking. I felt like I was eating a dry burger bun with mostly lettuce, an occasional pickle and the Mack sauce. I probably will not order the garlic aioli again, it had a sweeter and nutty flavor to it, and I prefer more of a savory aioli. I used to order their Blackened salmon with a side of greens and Spanish rice in their BBQ Ranch flavor style, from their old menu. I do miss that meal, it was so flavorful with the crispy onions to top everything off. But I understand that they made the change to better suit the business and cut back on waste. I probably would not order the big Mack burger again. But I will definitely be back to try something else from the new menu. I've been a customer for over 6 years, and have introduced some of my family members and friends to this restaurant, and we've enjoyed our meals here for that time. I love that there are many vegan and vegetarian options here. Although I am neither, it's a great place for those who have dietary restrictions/preferences. Hopefully I find my new go to menu item soon, but in the meantime I will be ordering and trying many of the other new menu items. This is definitely the place to come if you don't want a typical vegan meal. You'd be like a kid in a candy store, with the amount of options that are here. They also have many non vegan options. Turf, Surf and Earth serves EVERYONE and that is their biggest positive!

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    Turf Surf and Earth - They have tables and booths and many beautiful plants.

    They have tables and booths and many beautiful plants.

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    Restaurant interior

    Saffron

    Saffron

    4.6(10 reviews)
    9.9 mi

    We're allium-free vegetarians and had been meaning to try more Indian restaurants but the sheer…read moreamount of "pure veg" Indian restaurants within the same square mile was both awesome and daunting. We're still looking around for our go-to Indian restaurant in the area as our kids love saag/palak paneer and we used to go at least once a month where we moved from. But we finally made it! We came here on a Monday that also fell on a holiday so they had a steady amount of customers. We were the only non-Indian customers, which appears to be normal. They're located in a small strip along with 2 or 3 other businesses. Shared parking is behind the building so most people entered through the back door. It was about half full when we got there so I can see it filling up fast during crowded times. Walk through because no one is at the back but there is a small clothing rack to hang coats; the counter is at the front by the front door. We made ourselves known and were promptly seated. They serve vegetarian food and many are Swaminarayan-friendly (allium-free, which appears to be their default mode), certain can be made Jain as well! They do use alliums but overall, they seem to be able to make most of the dishes without alliums. We ordered the following, Swaminarayan-style and mild because one of my kids can do but mild food: DAHI PURI: I usually get pani puri but decided to try it out since it's been a while since I had this. It came out first as the appetizer, was a thing of beauty, and there are A LOT of flavors in there. The sweet-leaning yogurt, sev with its textural differences, the freshness of the cilantro, the spiced potatoes, the tart pomegranate seeds... My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it. PALAK PANEER: This was ordered for my kids. Green gravy with tender paneer. They liked it! The curry got a little too spicy but it didn't hit them until later. My kid with the food allergies ate all the paneer when the gravy grew too spicy for him. MALAI KOFTA: This is different from the malai kofta I've had before but not in a bad way. I definitely think they use cashew "cream" in this. It's lightly sweet in a way that reminds me of cashews. The kofta are soft and I'm pretty sure are paneer based. This is probably the most mild curry we ordered, both in terms of spice and spices. This was my pick because I usually can't order malai kofta at Indian restaurants so I was pleased I could hear. MATAR METHI MALAI: I love how Indian curries are so straightforward when it comes to names. I'm not sure what to expect with this but my husband didn't know what to get so I nudged him towards this. He wanted MATAR PANEER but it's not on the menu. This is essentially fenugreek pea curry in a milky gravy. It has very interesting spices and flavor. A little more bland than the others, yet not at the same time. Must be that fenugreek! For some odd reason, it reminded me of coconut chutney I've had before. We also got ROTI for one of my kids who prefers bread over rice. All curries come with white basmati. For drinks, we got MANGO LASSI, SPRITE, and CHAAS (buttermilk). The buttermilk was different! Much more spiced than I expected. I also swear at one point I tasted a raw onion bit but it only happened once so who knows if it was mistaken blended in or it was all in my head. I do remember it was STRONG though. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised at the sheer amount of choices we had. Our bill totaled to around $90 (curries are around $20, Dahi puri was $12) and we brought home some leftovers. They seem to be family run and are fairly nice and helpful. We would likely go back again to try more things, but the palak paneer isn't completely up our kids' alley to become their favorite. If you have food allergies, let them know. My youngest has multiple food allergies including to nuts and wheat. Most of their curries contains nuts EXCEPT for the palak paneer and their bhindi (okra) dish. Luckily for my kid. Despite how nuts are a common ingredient in the kitchen, my kid was completely fine during and after eating. Note: their menu says they charge gratuity for parties of 4 people or more. My husband says he didn't see it on the bill when it was time to pay. Not sure if that statement is now outdated or it only counts if there are 4+ ADULTS.

    Came with my manager for lunch. Food lacked taste. Lot of veg fusion items alright but taste was…read moremissing. Nice interiors and little challenging to park.

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    Saffron - Palak Paneer

    Palak Paneer

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    Mauka Indian Cuisine - Buffet items

    Mauka Indian Cuisine

    4.1(40 reviews)
    3.7 mi
    Free parking
    Private events

    My family and I recently held an event here after previously visiting for the buffet. Because of…read morethat, I have a lot to say both good and bad. Starting with the event food: it felt noticeably cheaper and lower quality, which was very disappointing. Prior to the event, we had all genuinely enjoyed the buffet food, so expectations were high. Unfortunately, the naan tasted frozen, like something from a bulk pack at Costco. It was thin, poorly made, and as someone who truly loves naan, I couldn't even finish a single piece. The meat and chicken dishes also did not taste nearly as good as they do during the buffet. The flavors were okay, but as someone familiar with South Asian cuisine, it was very underwhelming. Since this is the only Indian restaurant option in the area, that made the disappointment even greater. The staff overall was very kind and polite. The staff is truly amazing, very aware and ready to help which is wonderful!! They did an amazing job, 5/5 for the staff, no complaints there. However, my experience with the manager was not positive. He provided inconsistent and constantly changing information regarding the minimum number of people required to reserve the private room. For me, he told my partner and I that 45 people were required minimum. But later told my sister that it was 40 then 35 or 30 and it just kept changing. One change is not okay, maybe a mistake. But this? Not a mistake, definitely intentional. And if you don't know the correct answer, the right thing to do is find out before relaying any information. I found the inconsistency among the required number of guests and information extremely unprofessional, and it came across as money-driven, which was a major turn-off--especially when paired with the noticeably lower-quality food being served for a special event - aka a Wedding. Now, outside of the event, the buffet itself was excellent. The naan was fluffy and warm, and the chicken and meat dishes were flavorful and well prepared. Based on the buffet alone, I would have given this restaurant a 5 out of 5. The buffet is one I would recommend. However, due to how the event was handled, the inconsistencies, and the poor quality of food provided for what was supposed to be a wedding event, I have to rate this experience a 3 out of 5. Providing customers with inaccurate and inconsistent information, especially from a manager, is not professional and is simply not okay. ESPECIALLY because it was a private party as well in which they are making more money and taking images to promote the area.

    Tried food here on multiple occasions and it has not disappointed me. I have come here for a buffet…read moretwice (once on a weekend and once on a regular day), and enjoyed it so much that we picked this place to host my sister's intimate wedding party. Service is the best I have seen around this area. All of the staff we have met were friendly, and the same with the store manager. Ambiance is lovely. You can go here for dates, family brunch, lunch with friends, and even book their private room for parties and decorate it the way you want. Buffet price is great for what you get! I believe you normally get to make your own chaats as appetizers and there are 6 additional dishes. Once, there was even a live pani puri station (delicious)! Also the Naan is fresh and comes hot. We had Dhannu(?) as one of our servers, and he was awesome - very kind and friendly. All the servers were nice but we talked to him the most. If you reserve the room for a private party, you get to make it buffet style with 2 veg app, 2 non veg app, 2 veg entrees, 2 non Veg, rice/naan, choice of 2 desserts, and soda. You can add more for additional price. I added pictures of the items we had selected. The guests also enjoyed the food. Only change we would have done would be replacing the Falooda for a diff dessert. The Falooda was lacking the vermicelli noodles. Also, the butter chicken was lacking chicken. Other than that, all else was great.

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    Mauka Indian Cuisine - Decorated the private room

    Decorated the private room

    Mauka Indian Cuisine
    Mauka Indian Cuisine - The Buffet Section

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    The Buffet Section

    Tacowala - mexican - Updated May 2026

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