El Taquito Cafe

Yup, that’s right. 5 stars. It’s a hole in the wall, they only accept cash, and the language barrier can be daunting for English-​mostly gringos (such as myself)…but sweet mother-​of-​pearl, the Wednesday specials! I recommend the Mexican Dinner — enchiladas, rice and beans, plus a crispy beef taco. It’s a ton of food, and super affordable. If you’re looking for the latest fusion of Thai and Tex-​Mex, or some watered-​down El Chico/​El Fenix/​El Bleccho type restaurant, go elsewhere. If you want consistently tasty taqueria fare, some of the hottest salsa served anywhere this side of Matamoros, friendly service, and a place that will let you bring your own beer, then El Taquito is the spot for you. Just don’t forget your dinero!

I live close to this restaurant, so it’s conveniently located for me. The food is ok, but definitely not amazing. The breakfast is decent, but could use improvement. I would probably give it a 3.5 star if that were possible, since some of the dishes are above average. I will definitely return, since it’s so close to my home, but I would not go out of my way to come here.

Revising my rating to 4 stars based on the fact that they may have the best chicken enchilada verdes in DFW. This is one of my favorites, I keep coming back time and time again.
I’m a big fan!

I love this place! Very authentic mexican breakfast My favorite!!! Reminds me of My Mom’s cooking !

I have been coming to this restaurant ever since I was a little kid. My family would come after church on Sunday’s and eat caldo and talk with the managers and other guests, it was one of my favorite childhood memories. Fast forward to the present day and I’m bringing my son here to eat the same amazing food. This little hole in the wall restaurant is one of the best I have ever been to!
Side note: You need to bring cash as they don’t accept anything else.

Very good food, habanera salsa, cash only, Mexican Coke. The real deal

Disappointed not sure if different cooks or they were overwhelmed. Most of the time it’s good but this time not good.

Hi folks — there is an ATM right across the street at the 7-​Eleven. And the ATM is free for Allpoint cards! :)

Try the Caldo DE Res. WOW. Best broth ever.
I had the El Taquito Sampler, also delicious.

Best lunch deals are on Wednesdays, generally. CASH ONLY. So go to the ATM and come here for some great Mexican food. Oh, and the salsa they serve with the chips is spicy, so be warned. It’s legit.

My family has been coming here for over 25 years! This is a very special restaurant to my family and it’s always a great lunch option! I love their food, but I hate that they don’t have fountain drinks :(Overall great place to check out!

Here we are, 2015 and this place remains CA$H ONLY.
Eat your chorizo, huevo and papa flour tortilla tacos any time of the day. That’s my favorite here.

What can I say, this place is great and ive been coming here since I was 9 so about 26 years now and I’ve never had anything bad. The fajitas are the best I’ve ever had, quesadillas are huge and just as good. I always order ranchero sauce as salsa. I’ve spoken to several different people of whom some have said they’ve travelled Mexico and still el taquitos was the best and then one person said the preferred panchos, didn’t understand that one. Anyways this place is great and you should eat her all the time. Thank you

This is a solid, unspectacular Mexican restaurant. I suspect its sweet spot if the $ 5 – 6 lunch specials, earning points for quality and value.
We ordered two of the pricier dinner menu options, carne asada and chile relleno. The relleno was well executed, solid and conventional. I enjoyed the refritos more than the rather bland rice. The carne asada was disappointing for a $ 14 dish here, using a heavily pounded, thin, unidentifiable piece of red meat, bland and undressed/​unseasoned.
Our server was patient with our sketchy command of Spanish, graciously meeting us in the middle.
The place itself is ragged inside, and marginal at best outside, in this particular block. If I were a female, I would not walk on this block solo.
Maybe I’ll come back and try the value menu lunch, maybe not. One last swing to try the enchiladas for fajitas is possible, if I’m ever in the ‘hood and hungry at lunch time.

I can’t put into words how much I love this spot! Hottest salsa in Dallas! Everything is MONEY here! If you don’t like this place then i don’t think you know what good, casual mexican food is all about. CASH ONLY should tell you what a real deal kinda place this is!!!

When I use to live in Dallas I made many a trip to this little hole in the wall. I have always enjoyed it. If you eat enough of the yellow hot sauce you will see and hear Elvis sing Blue Suede Shoes.

Very good hot sauce. Not your traditional red sauce but green. If you like spicy. You will like this. The enchiladas verde was excellent and tasty. The sour cream was good as well. The rice and beans are Mexican authentic like my abuela used to make. Remember to bring cash.

Everything I said the first time, plus: The sour cream enchiladas are bueno, the beef are fine, and the cheese are meh. The cheese enchiladas are covered in a sauce that is so pedestrian, it might be «right off the shelf.»
Excellent waitresses.
For you folks who worry about the «sketchy» location, yeh, it is, but it’s on a main drag and about half the cops in East Dallas eat here.

El Taquito. I can’t believe I’ve neglected to transcribe your pleasures but I will try to make amends. A warning to the readers out there, with ET I am a specialist. As much as so much of the menu entices me I resist the siren songs of its offerings, and sirenic songs they are, as I can see diner upon diner at table after table immobilized in the joy of the meal before them.
I drop in year after year. It would be month after month or week after week but I live 30 minutes driving time away. Dallas is not easy going east-​west. I redact the menu to two items: caldo de res and menudo. Pretending to be healthy, wanting to eat light, a weekday? I am stripped of free will and go for the caldo de res. On weekends it is a true coin’s toss between the caldo and the menudo.
The caldo was vertical food art before there was such a thing. A sublime beef broth – beef, not chiles, or tomatoes, or whatever, just a clear flavorful broth – filled and stacked with Mexican squash, one large piece of peeled potato, a chunk of corn on the cob, a peeled carrot, and a foundation of cabbage. It may be the healthiest soup on the continent; it is one of the top ten best tasting soups in Dallas.
The menudo is a chef’s menudo. Tender multi-​tripes, meaning big, little, honeycombed, hell I don’t know how to classify them, I mean I’m a city food eater and a cow had 4 stomachs. But the broth is on the clear side, not greasy and it is certainly delicious.
I do stray a little from menudo/​caldo. I order refried beans to schmear my corn tortillas when I make tacos with the the beef/​tripe and mexican rice, a trick I learned at Laredo Taqueria. Then there is an occasional barbacoa taco. These are not affectations because the ET has the best hot sauce in Dallas in terms of heat and flavor and this sauce demands a taco. Beware its heat and rejoice in it.
I may be moving east. If I I am with the east I will explore the rest of the menu ‘s constellations. But for now I am with the west, and my guiding stars are caldo de res and menudo.
Oh, the fine print: cash only. No debits, traveler checks, gift cards plastic paypals or Krugerrands. US currency only, still good for all debts public and private and food from El Taquito. Unilocal asked about booze. They serve none. It uses to be byob (⁷⁄₁₁ a block away), but I heard rumors they don’t let beer in. Call ahead.

I love this place… Although, it’s off the beaten path for me being that I live way up North near Farmers Branch area. This place sure is a Awesome place to eat at… There are 2 downsides to eating here though;
1.) They do not accept Credit Cards here (are you kidding me) what Century do we live in???
2.) They do not have a Soda Fountain Machine so it can be costly with each can of pop or bottled soda you drink. I do not care for the selection of sodas they carry here and makes me wanna bring my own…(wait I think I’ma Smuggle in my own cans of Big Red or Mug Root Beer with me next time)!!
The décor is so outdated and makes you feel like your visiting a child’s bedroom rather than a Mexican food joint, it could really use a fresh coat of paint and maybe a great dusting off of all those Childish knick knacks on the Shelves. You guys could really become abit more upscale in the sense of decorating and adding all the Bells & Whistles that this place lacks as in adding a: Credit card Machine (given the area I am in I really do hate bringing cash with me to this neck of the woods. And also adding in a Carbonated Soda Machine… sure would be nice to get free refills with our delicious meals you guys serve here!