Oscar’s Taco Shop

Totally unexpected surprise! It’s like SoCal in TN! I ordered the Carnitas burrito, and it was shockingly good. The pork was perfectly cooked and not greasy. The guacamole and pico were fresh and flavorful. The tortilla was soft, warm, and chewy. My burrito was served with two sauces, one hot and one sweet. Both were delicious accompaniments to my burrito. The price of my burrito was only $ 6.00, which is a bargain since it could be split between two people.
I cannot believe I found a burrito this good while visiting Knoxville. If you have not been here, I recommend stopping by.

I am from Los Angeles County, Long Beach to be exact and coming to a place where they claim to be SoCal is nice and refreshing to rep. Their food is quite enjoyable and tasty, but the portion size is «eh».
If you have been to Los Angeles and understand the quality of the numerous so-​called authenic Mexican food then you will understand that Oscars Tacos are average at a California standard but for being in Tennessee, they are great! I can tell you that they are way better than the Alberta chain restuarants (Albertas, Alberts, Albertos) but just a notch below real authentic homemade Mexican food (which I make in my kitchen daily). I believe this is based off of two things, lack of quality fresh ingredients and the style in which it is made.
My critique is a bit topsy-​turvy but I have to admit, I am a regular because Oscars stays open late night and the tacos and quesadillas con asada are really good.

For anybody aching for the ‘real deal,’ some good ol’ classic Southern California Mexican food with good portions, delicious spices, and affordable prices, this place is for you! They’ve got Horchata, too, which is hard to find anywhere else in town.
It’s always surprising what you can find if you just look hard enough. Oscar’s Taco Shop is a wonderful diamond-​in-​the-​rough on the Strip.

IF YOU WANT VEGGIES WITH THAT MEAL, KEEP MOVING!
We ended up at this little taco shop while we were actually looking for Mexican food. I had a feeling that it would be rather simple and not quite what I was looking for because it is in the college section of the city. I mean it is called the Taco Shop. Nevertheless, we decided to check it out. It is very small and has a simple menu and although it serves a large college population, I expected them to have some vegetable options on the menu.
They do have vegetarian burritos and enchiladas on the menu but these items do not contain vegetables just rice and beans. The veggie tacos have no veggies and would be better described as meatless. When I spoke with the employee regarding the possibility of getting some vegetables she mentioned that they have lettuce and pico de gallo. Understanding what I’m dealing with I just say no thanks and have a seat as I search my phone for other options. I encourage my husband to go ahead and order something but he does not want to eat unless I am ordering as well.
We eventually decide to just go ahead and order a couple of tacos. I order a soft veggie taco and my husband orders the chicken taco. My taco was really over dressed, I removed the cheese and sour cream and it was good, especially the authentic tasting corn shells. I order another one but without the cheese and sour cream and this is definitely the way to go.
My husband orders a beef platter with a couple of taquitos, a taco, beans and some other item but much of it was deep fried to death and did not look or taste very appetizing. I suggest you stay away from the fried items and stick with the simple chicken or meatless options. When it comes to Mexican dishes, I find that simple is best.

Great carne asada burrito and shrimp quesadilla! Also liked the chips and guac. Fast friendly service. Men

Fantastic little dive with great tacos. Everything is fresh and the service was great. Prices are reasonable, as are the portions.

There is something to be said for small, hole in the wall restaurants that manage to crank out inexpensive, tasty food and successfully compete against the encroaching hordes of generic chains of bastardized versions of Mexican food. You don’t come here for the service (the staff is friendly, but you order and get your food, that is about it) or ambiance (unless you have a certain nostalgia of places like this, which I do). You do come here because of a void in your stomach that can only be filled with inexpensive tacos that claim to be nothing more.
Look, the food isn’t 5 stars and never will be. However, I doubt your taste buds or your wallet will be sad that you came here. Just grab some friends and order a bunch of tacos, you will be happy.

This is the best place to go to satisfy a sudden taco craving. It’s cheap, fresh, fast, and delicious – what’s not to love? My boyfriend and I both ordered shrimp tacos and received them hot and fresh just minutes after leaving the checkout line. My only regret was not making my order a meal – just a few cents more for chips and guac! I highly recommend.

Love the breakfast burritos and churros! You guys should just get on your coffee game so it can be a one stop shop. Great prices/​value and the tacos are good too.

The carne asada taco was just like the ones I had growing up in So-​Cal. Very authentic. The rice tastes just like my grandma used to make. Great place to eat and a MUST when in Knoxville!!! Restrooms were a little strange beware.

Went there today, didn’t think much of the outside, but the food is the real deal. Tasted like southern california and the prices were great. I got two tacos for the price of 5 dollars and they were of decent size. I strongly recommend going!

This place has the best hard tacos. The beef is really good and you can tell it is really good quality beef. The hardshell taco is absolutely amazing I have not tasted anything like it before. I tried the quesadilla also, but I will say I don’t think it was as good as the tacos. This is definitely a place to try!

What a great «Hole-​in-​the-​wall»!
So-​Cal Mexican.
I had the chicken AND fish AND shrimp tacos ($ 2.21 apiece).
Fresh ingredients, nice sauces, good corn tortillas.
A «Must» on Cumberland Ave (UTenn strip) for fans of Fresco.

Oscar’s is great, if you know what to order. My recommendation is to go for the fish taco. It’s fried fish, and I tend to prefer it grilled, but on this particular taco, that perfect panko crunch is delightful.
I have tried the shrimp taco, and the shrimp is ALWAYS overcooked. I have also had the carnitas taco, and the pork is a bit lacking. Instead of being braised to tenderness, it’s cooked on the flat top to the point of crunchiness. My boyfriend actually really enjoys it though, so this must be a personal preference thing.
I really enjoy the guacamole here. It seems pretty fresh, and they’re liberal with the lime juice, which I appreciate… especially from a fast food Mexican joint.
We typically order carryout here. The interior is very small and usually kind of deserted. There is no ambience to speak of. That said, I hope the deserted booths aren’t an indication of the patronage they receive. I would hate for Oscar’s to become yet another failed restaurant on the Strip.

They are awesome!!! I love their food so much I sometimes drive into Knoxville just to eat there. The fajitas, the carne asada nachos and the quesadillas are fantastic.
I tried the California style burrito, but it sucked. Nothing like a burrito you would get in Cali.
The staff is always friendly. Unless they are slammed they are really fast with the food.

We’ve all answered the question, ‘If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your life, what would you eat?’. When faced with such an important question, there’s no question in my mind. Tacos. The most perfect food. I am always on a quest to find delicious tacos. So the name ‘Oscar’s Taco Shop’ begged me to try this place. And I obliged. Unilocalers gave it lots of supreme high ratings, but I had my doubts. I’m always leering of restaurants on campus. They tend to miss the mark… a lot.
My Oscar’s adventure came on an evening during Winter Break. Oscar’s was one of the only restaurants on the strip that was filled with customers. This was a good sign. The place is small, with only 6 – 10 tables. We walked to the back of the shop and were greeted by a super friendly cashier. Being at least a decade older than everyone in the place, she patiently walked us through the menu and specials without a single sigh or eye roll as I asked a million questions.
Our number was first called for our chips and guacamole. The cashier suggested that we try some of their mild and medium salsa too. The chips were crunchy and warm. They were warm and light without being too greasy. The guacamole, though small, was fresh and had a nice kick to it. Alternating guac and salsa, we tried both the mild and medium and enjoyed them. The medium packed a little more heat and the mild was more tomato based. Finally, our food was ready. I ordered 3 tacos: Veggie, chicken, and carnitas. I ate them in that order. I was pleasantly surprised at their size. For the price, they were filled to the brim. My veggie taco was pretty good. I added quite a bit of salsa to add flavor. The chicken taco was really good. This was the most flavorful and my favorite. With a squeeze of fresh lime, the freshly grilled chicken was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The last was the carnitas. Luckily, I left this one for last and was getting full already. The carnitas was obviously not a choice ordered frequently that night. It was very dry… like crunchy dry, with bits of fat sprinkled in. It was a sad taco and that made me sad.
Initially, I was baffled by the super high ratings from other Unilocalers. Then I put things into perspective. This was indeed fast food. And our meal for 2 was only around $ 15. For what Oscar’s is supposed to be, it’s good. Don’t expect to be blown away by culinary greatness. Tamper your expectations and you won’t be disappointed.

I always have to stop by Oscars when I’m in Tennessee. I love this place. They have good quality tacos and are inexpensive. How can you beat that combo?

Well I got really excited when I saw this and I was a little bit let down once I got there and dug in. I ordered a carnitas taco and a chicken taco with a side of rice and beans. My first bite was the Carnitas taco and this is where it started to go wrong. It was fatty and tasted-​day-​old. I immediately went to my chicken taco and was a little bit happier with that. Note: I added a shit ton of hot sauce from both the bottles they supply that seemed to help the situation. I liked the rice, the beans tasted straight out of the can.
Overall for seven bucks I would do it again but I certainly wouldn’t drive out of my way to get there. And I would avoid the pork. Perhaps I just came on and off day. Being born and raised in Southern California I always have high expectations for Mexican food and one day I hope to find the Mecca of Mexican food in my area but so far it just hasn’t happened.

Great, cheap, authentic Mexican food. Go for the Chicken Quesadilla and the Guac and Chips. Also very good churros.
The owner moved to Tennessee from Southern California and this Knoxville location is one of many around the state.

Uh, did I just get dropped off an airplane and land in the motherland of SoCal? I think so.
I was very devasted when I left SoCal because TN doesn’t have a Rubios anywhere. I thought it was really over for shrimp burritos and Carne Asada Fries… until I met Oscar.
Oscar delivered. Need I say more? I will because I’m sure that’s not enough for you critical Unilocalers. It’ s a small fastfood restaurant with about eight tables, more or less. The environment is very casual; you can bum around in your sweat pants and questionably sexy-​looking jeggings in this spot and scarf down Mexican food delights. The service is alright. I would welcome in some sort of enthusiasm from their clerks; what? Who isnt excited about Oscars?!
The parking may be a pain. Womens’ bathroom door knob sucks. You need a key to enter the bathroom facility. It’s OK, just remember to use the restroom before you arrive at Oscars before you go to war with their bathroom doorknob: the key always gets stuck and you have to decrypt this mysterious code with the key and keyhole of the knob to actually get it out. They always win.
I’ve only been here twice and it won’t stop there. I sugeest you try their Shrimp burrito and taco (since they include a special sauce), California burrito and their Chicken Fries. At first their Chicken fries looked blah, but boy was i moded. It was like an explosion of dancing taste buds partying in my mouth… and this was Chciken. I can’t imagine how the Carene asada fries would taste like.
All of this is a pure understatement of what I am trying to say: Go to Oscars, indulge and write more reviews on them. They surely deserve the attention.