Taqueria Gonzalez

Tacos/​tostada so good/​good sauces/​I will be back/

Great tacos, sopes, burritos, and hot red salsa. Authentic flavor. Fantastic prices.

The tamales!!!

If you want authentic, then this is the place. Remember, that it’s cash only and located inside of a Mexican supermarket. If you speak any Spanish it will be a huge help when ordering. Otherwise, you’ll have to look and point. Homemade tortillas are great and the refried beans are perfection. My only real complaint is that they don’t offer tortilla chips… but there is a salsa bar. Very reasonably priced.

I kinda doubt the guy who said it was $ 26 for a meal. I ordered two tacos, a tamale, frijoles (refried beans), and arroz (rice) and had two drinks from the refrigerator and it was $ 8.50.
Taquieria Gonzaez caters to the Latino population but they welcome gringos too. The young lady who took my order spoke English, as did the young man who was the cashier.
You order your food and then get a drink from the grocery store refrigerator. When you’re finished with your meal, take your ticket and the beverage container to the cashier counter to pay (unless you speak Spanish, in which case you can just tell the cashier what you had to drink).
The tacos carnitas (braised pork) I had were excellent. If you order tacos, there’s pico de gallo or cilantro and onions, as well as salsa, to garnish them. The red salsa is pretty spicy; the green is more medium range.
The tamale I ordered was also very good, as were the rice and beans.
This is authentic Mexican food at very reasonable prices. It does help if you know something about various Mexican food items (the menu is in Spanish) and speaking Spanish is a plus, although not mandatory.

the best in Asheville. and I am counting all of the Mexican available in this town. no comparison. ask for the tacos al pastor. and the tamales. and refried beans. incredible prices and DELICIOUS.
debra reece simons, South Asheville

This gets five stars for my being transported to a mercado fonda in Mexico. Moved here from Tucson. Was missing real mexican strreet tacos… And holy tamales… It’s here. Caldos, sopes, tacos de pollo; carnitas and pastor. Hidden in a tienda on the funky Haywood street of west Asheville. Ingles is minimal. I tried with my broken Spanish, the women serving forgave my errors with smiles. And even my mistaking chicken sope for chicken soup. I’ve been in twice and have yet to see a second gringo. A shame. This food is amazing. The obviously hardworking men lining the place was proof. If you don’t know Spanish just say taco al pastor por favor y sope pollo… por favor, a little effort, and a smile got me full, happy, and ready to try more… All for 6 dollars with a jarritos agua mineral!

Maybe I had an off night but I don’t think so …
The english is not an issue, the lack of any pricing is an issue. No beer, no chips, no cards, no ATM. The tacos were good, the tortillas were fresh, rice and beans not so much. I expected my meal to come to about $ 15 and when it came to $ 26 I was a bit put off. The lack of any pricing breeds suspicion.
There are better places in town — by far

The quality of this place seemed to dip during the gas crisis (when inflation was out of control) but it has come back up. The homemade tortillas are wonderful (not like the cardboard tasting things you get in the supermarket).
Most of the people here don’t speak English so I guess that could be a problem for some folks, so bring your friend who got a «B» in high school Spanish… or point, say «taco» and hold up one or two fingers. It’s not unlike being in a foreign country… smiling never hurts.
The «go-​to» thing to order is the «Carnitas» (braised and fried pork shoulder… not spicy at all.) If you are starving get the plate which comes with beans, rice and a big stack of tortillas (think this is around $ 6.50). Tacos are also good ($ 1.25-$ 1.50 each). They make some of the best Tomales wrapped in a corn husk (which I believe are also around $ 1.50… often a bit spicy). They have Mexican soft drinks and Agua Frescas for $ 1.50. Yes! All the salsas are spicy… some days more than others! The fresh tomato salsa and the one with the avocado are the best.
This place is the best, and if you are truly lucky you can go there, not hear a word of English spoken, and be alone with your thoughts and wonderful food!

Check your english at the door. I think about this place late late in the evening: it is quite genuine, good atmosphere, the food rocks. You’ll like yourself more after eating here.
Enough said. Alright a couple more details:
The «sides» (tortilla, salsas, pickled veggie, sauces) are a highlight: don’t hesitate sampling many. Keep them separate on your dish — the individual flavors are good. The soups served at lunch are what you will see many eating — for very good reason. For dishes and plates do not be afraid to point and something outrageously good will somehow come together, and the price will be fair and almost needless to say, really low (think $ 3 – 5 dollars out the door for a round lunch or dinner).
Best in Asheville? (That means it would need to best Salsas). Honestly the answer is that this is better, fresher, just a nicer experience. Go by yourself or with amigos and you’re guaranteed a successful Unilocaled experience!