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    Valerie's Taqueria

    4.7 (29 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    VALERIE'S TAQUERIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Tacos!!!
    Shawn H.

    We got chorizo, Barbacoa and carne asada tacos,, the Barbacoa was not bad, but the chorizo was the best! Only reason we gave it 4 was because we have tasted better tacos but highly recommend!

    Jonathan T.

    Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start. Remember Contra on NES, where you frantically -yet carefully- mashed these buttons at the title screen in order to get 30 lives? (Yes?) Well, today, I wish I entered some sort of life code, so I could've eaten more of Valerie Taqueria's tacos. The space is small, painted with some bright colors, and has a a simple (yet robust) menu hanging to the left chillin' next to a large statue of Mother Mary. No tables exist, so if you're not taking your food to go, you'll have to put your rump at the counter seating by the windows. Okay, that's nice. What about the food? For my late lunch, I ordered four tacos total (two al pastor and two carnitas) and a horchata: Al pastor: Slightly overcooked (and not as juicy) than other places that make great al pastor; however, it's still delicious, and it's packed with a lot of chili powder. (Just how I like it.) Carnitas: Unlike other places that slow cook and pull apart the pork shoulder, Valerie's lightly grills it. Even though it's a bit chewier, it has a tasty slight char and still plenty succulent. *Note: They'll ask if you want green or red sauce with your meal. I haven't had the red, but the green provides that extra kick for those that like their food spicy. (I'm looking at you, BK. J.) Horchata: Sweet, cold, and refreshing - pretty standard. And that's a good thing. Price: More affordable than other taquerias without compromising taste. Service: Although very nice, it was incredibly slow. Even though I was the third customer there, I didn't get my food for about fifteen or twenty minutes later. One person that came after me even got his food before mine. I didn't put in a huge order, so I don't think that's acceptable. Nonetheless, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and not count it against them. Overall, I would definitely return. Great food for a great price.

    Valerie's Taqueria storefront on 32nd just East of Nicollet.  Taken 8/21/13

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    2 months ago

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    12 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    Great food amazing people will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu. Thanks

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Always great asada street tacos! Service is also great every time. Have been going there for over 8 years consistently!

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    4 years ago

    Yes. Authentic Mexica. As a former LA-resident it really hard to find this outside of LA. This is the best i've had in Minneapoli.

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    12 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Awesome authentic tacos. The sauces are crazy good and the staff are super friendly! Definitely coming back!

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    13 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

    Clean small family run place. Excellent al pastor. Open for lunch. Tacos far better than Ocampo. Go for it!

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    11 years ago

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    Maya Cuisine

    Maya Cuisine

    4.2
    (470 reviews)
    4.6 mi
    $$

    The best Mexican food I have ever had in my life, It was truly so good. Phone did not eat first…read more Food and Drink - We started with the chips and guac and the guacamole was outstanding. The onions and tomato that were chopped up in it were so satifyingly chopped I really enjoyed, it was nice and cold too. I got the quesabirria tacos for my meal and they were out of this world, I seriously think I inhaled them and have been thinking about them ever since. We were drinking Pina Coloadas and it made me feel like I was on the beaches of Mexico. Service - There was one server working on a busy Friday night and she killed it; she was attentive and remembered everything whilst also being the bartender too!!! Ambience - it is colorful and bright in there and just almost nostalgic. There is a chipotle style line at the front if you want to just grab something quick and full service in the back of the building, cannot wait to go back.

    This place is a gem in Northeast. I finally got a chance to try this out and loved it. I've always…read moreheard great things about it. They offer a lot of daily specials, but the one that caught my eye most was the BOGO burritos on Wednesdays. Everything that we tried was delicious and fairly priced. You can choose to eat in the self seating dining area, or if you'd like service they have the full bar and restaurant in the back. I was blown away with how it tasted and I felt like I was back in Mexico enjoying their cuisine. I wish I would've went here a lot sooner, but I plan to be back in the future. The staff were friendly.

    Photos
    Maya Cuisine
    Burritos with chicken
    Burritos with chicken
    Maya Cuisine

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    Orale Mexican Eats

    Orale Mexican Eats

    4.5
    (204 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    I haven't updated this since the last time I lived in Minnesota!…read more When we moved back, Orale was one of the first places we went back to. I love this place, and the food is on par with a lot of Mexican food in California. Most recently, we went to celebrate a birthday. We go here because they are veggie friendly. We ordered the veggie enchiladas and I got a veggie wet burrito. Everything was delicious. My only complaint would be that things could be a bit saucier...but that's a preference thing and we get salsa on the side for it. We also got chips and guac -- delicious as well! I will say that the portions, especially the burrito are VERY generous. I think I should have shared it! It was pretty buzzy, which was great to see given the depths of winter we were in. Go here!!

    The food is pretty decent. I lived in Querétaro, Mexico, and spent 8 years in Phoenix, so I know…read morethe difference between authentic and Americanized Mexican food; this is firmly the latter. It's a bit whitewashed and leans more Cal-Mex than anything you'd find in Mexico, but I'm not complaining. I love a good California burrito and asada fries, so this style has its place (especially in Minnesota). Service can be slow. It took us about an hour to get two burritos yesterday and the restaurant didn't look busy. Maybe they were just short staffed. My main issue is the salsa. They limit you to one packet per person, and it's not the slightest bit spicy. And where are the limes? This place desperately needs a salsa bar with real options and some heat. Bump up the salsa selection and stop rationing it, and this would be a solid spot. For now, I'll keep getting this to go and buying my own salsa and limes.

    Photos
    Bar at far end.
    Bar at far end.
    Choriqueso, carne asada fries, and a margarita.
    Choriqueso, carne asada fries, and a margarita.
    Orale Mexican Eats

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    El Sazon Cocina & Tragos

    El Sazon Cocina & Tragos

    4.6
    (77 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    El Sazon is amazing and a gem in the community…read more This is everything you want in a small business in your local community, a feeling like you're going over a relatives home. Exceptional, personal service, passionate cooking, warm and inviting atmosphere. The owners Chef Cristian and wife Karen are absolutely amazing and the sweetest. I'd been previously for various events, but this was the first trip just for a casual pop in and dinner. Went for nachos as a table, I snagged a birria burrito bowl, and we had a churro cheesecake for dessert. Chefs, absolute, kiss. You can taste the passion. There's a lot in the back for parking, and pricing is more than fair if not, a killer value in my opinion. Definitely check them out!

    The patio is a fun place to sit, especially during the summer, and the menu has a lot more variety…read morethan your typical Mexican restaurant. They are not serving alcohol anymore which is unfortunate to not be able to enjoy a margarita but they had a large mocktail list. We tried three different tacos (chicken, carne asada, and carnitas) and I loved being able to mix and match. The carne asada was probably my favorite but they all were swimming in oil. The skirt steak enchiladas were a standout and easily my favorite dish of the meal. The steak was tender, the portions were generous, and everything came together really well. The queso was rich and creamy, and the fresh guacamole was a great starter while we waited for our food. Service was friendly and attentive throughout our meal, and the overall atmosphere made it a really enjoyable place to spend the evening.

    Photos
    Design on their wall
    Design on their wall
    Birria croquette
    Birria croquette
    Store front

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    Store front
    Hola Arepa

    Hola Arepa

    4.3
    (1.2k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    If you're looking for a fun spot with great food and drinks, Hola Arepa delivers. The Prickly…read morePaloma (Tequila, Aperol, Prickly Pear, Grapefruit, Lime) is phenomenal and at just $8 during happy hour, it's an absolute steal. For anyone with celiac disease, this place is great, the entire menu is gluten free, so you can order with complete peace of mind. The slow roasted pork arepa was a standout. The pork was incredibly tender with excellent flavor. One minor note: the yuca fries were a little light on portion size. That said, we left pleasantly full and very satisfied overall. The restaurant also has a small parking lot which in Minneapolis is amazing.

    We were excited to eat here for dinner as we are a family of several vegetarian and latin fusion…read morefood lovers. I wanted to really love this place but unfortunately the flavors just weren't there. The restaurant is fun decor and service is friendly and efficient; they do an excellent job. Our granddaughters ordered mango, passionfruit, citrus, rhubarb drinks, soda. The drinks were thick and overwhelmingly sweet. Adding some sparkling water to it did help. As far as food; The food came promptly, but the flavors were not there. The Brussel sprouts came with a caramelized onion jam which was way too sweet and overpowered all the other flavors. Very disappointing. The shrimp aguachile was extremely soupy with overpowered spice, making it unable to taste the shrimp. The plantain chips were thick and hard, rather tasteless. The arepas were a little more flavorful but really wouldn't recommend any particular one that we tried. The only hit was the black bean empanadas, extremely great flavor, just a hint of spice served with pickle cabbage. Yum. We should just have had four orders of those.

    Photos
    Hola Arepa
    Slow Roasted Pork Arepa
    Slow Roasted Pork Arepa
    Fizzy festives cocktail

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    Fizzy festives cocktail
    Colita

    Colita

    4.4
    (615 reviews)
    3.2 mi
    $$$

    Fantastic food! Best tacos I've had in MN…read more We got a total of 5 food items and it was enough for the two of us. (We also got the octopus but forgot to take a photo) My favorite was the beef lengua tacos! Our server was nice. The vibes were nice inside and patio also seemed cute. Note - they have a small parking lot. I think they also have another small lot across the street.

    Colita was delicious and had such a great atmosphere! It's a smaller restaurant, which gives it a…read morecozy, intimate feel, and the menu is made up of shareable small plates that are perfect for splitting with a group. I started with their signature cocktail, the Naked Dani. It comes topped with a salty foam and a little rubber duck, which makes it a fun and memorable drink. For food, we ordered a variety of dishes to share. We started with the Crispy Masa Chips, and honestly, I would probably skip those next time. The portion was pretty small, they were a little awkward to eat, and they just didn't stand out flavor-wise. The Cucumber Watermelon Salad, on the other hand, was amazing. It was light and refreshing, making it the perfect addition to the meal. The roasted sweet potatoes were another favorite--they had so much flavor and were cooked perfectly. We also ordered the Corn Elote Chipotle, which was absolutely delicious. I could have easily eaten the whole bowl myself. For tacos, we tried the Pork Carnitas, and they were fantastic. If you're dining with a larger group, you can even order a larger portion so everyone gets one. Our favorite dish of the night, though, was the Zubuton Asada. It only comes with one skewer and is definitely one of the pricier menu items, but it was worth it. The steak was cooked perfectly, incredibly flavorful, and easily the standout of the meal. We also tried the Chicken Thigh Pincho. It had a nice flavor but was spicier than I expected, so it's probably the one dish I would pass on during my next visit. Overall, we had such a fun dining experience. It's definitely more of a special occasion spot than somewhere I'd visit regularly because of the price, but everything from the atmosphere to most of the food made it feel well worth the splurge.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Beef Tartare - roasted fresno, honey yogurt burnt onion, pickled mustard seed (8/10)
    Beef Tartare - roasted fresno, honey yogurt burnt onion, pickled mustard seed (8/10)
    Fun cocktail and delicious mocktail!

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    Fun cocktail and delicious mocktail!

    Valerie's Taqueria - mexican - Updated August 2026

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