Jacalito Taqueria Mexicana

Food here is delicious I would recommend anyone here great environment and nice waitress the place is kind of small which is the only problem but besides that it’s a great place to eat and cheap by the way!

This place definitely exceeded my expectations. From the moment I drove onto the parking lot I could smell the authentic aroma of fresh cooked dishes. Portions were generous and food was very favorable. I would recommend. However if there was anything I would caution you about is its small seating area.

So this place is delicious, the salsa is hot with good flavor, and the carne asada burrito had excellent flavor. But they are losing a star because for $ 7.50 I expect to get a decent size burrito. If you order it with beans and cheese only like I did, it was a little bigger than a 7 eleven burrito. So 5 stars on taste, a strike off for cutting on costs.
Side note, love the Mexican Coke.

Authentic quality Mexican food. Small place with a lot to offer. Clean and crisp… outdoor seating are is nice. I highly recommend this place.

The food here is very good and portions are quite sizable. It is also vegetarian friendly. We got chicken tacos (3 for $ 6), vegetarian (indias) quesadilla and vegetarian enchiladas, both came with retried beans and rice.
The restaurant itself is small in size but also has an outdoor seating area. It is also small from the outside so it is easy to pass it if this is your first time visiting. Be sure to look out for the small orange building. Chips and salsa is provided (very spicy salsa but we loved it)

This place is great and exactly what I was looking for! Unfortunately, I just happened to be in the area and it’s pretty far from where I live, otherwise I’d go more often. The prices are reasonable and the food is authentic, tastes great, quick service, and both times I’ve gone all the waitresses have been super friendly. They also have free parking. I got the al pastor tacos with pineapple (no onions), rice, and beans. Salsa is also really good and pretty spicy.

First off let me just say that driving in a torrential downpour to go and pickup the food we ordered was so worth it!
We ordered 1 Alambre and 1 Burrito especial and it was enough to fully feed three people for only $ 24.
The food was fresh, savory, comforting and delicious, if I didn’t live in Cleveland I would be here all the time.
The staff Was super nice as well.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to hit up. The portions of the tacos are perfect with a small guacamole (enough for two to share), the spicy salsa and chips, add some beers and its a good time. The prices are very affordable and they have been adding tables to their outside which is a nice change of pace. Although they are located next to a busy road the wall of plants they put up is sufficient.
I suggest to try this spot out and see for yourself!

Cozy spot, good food, the wet burrito is awesome. Michelada also good. Nothing extraordinary, at least not my plate, but small town feel and good service made overall pleasant experience.

This place can’t go wrong! Food is always consistently delicious and quick (not to mention super cheap). They expanded the outside seating area which is right off Flagler so not the best view but nice to not be forced to sit at high tops outside. Love this place

I’ve passed this place for months and haven’t ventured in until last week. I was sitting at the nail salon and the ladies highly recommended this place.
Service was extremely quick, the food was on our table before I can blink! The only restaurant that I’ve been to that sitting down, ordering and eating took less than 10 minutes.
The only negative was that they served me stale chips… But they redeemed themselves with serving me the BEST guacamole ever! Tacos were also filling and flavorful.
ample parking right next to the building.

Wish I had a half star. I would give it to them. We asked for the ceviche but it was not available today. It is only available Fri, Sat & Sun that is if they don’t run out. Honestly, I rather not get a dish then to get a dish that is not fresh. The chips were average not exceptionally crispy and the salsa was spicier then the average salsa. I liked that it was different but I also like my salsa chunkier. I ordered the mixed fajitas and received a very generous portion of shrimp, chicken and beef. The flavor was on point and the grilled onions and peppers were bountiful. It was served with the standard Mexican rice and beans that were sprinkled with queso fresco, pico de gallo, guacamole and corn tortillas. The service was friendly. We were not offered dessert; too bad as this can be lost sales for the business but overall the food and service was good and for a small business they seem to be trying to follow the state mandate on food safety signage. This may not be a five star place but definitely a place I would revisit.

Don’t let the curbside appeal fool you, this place is amazing. My friend suggested the Tostada De Ceviche and we added crema because you know as the saying goes when in Little Havana you go big and go home. It was fantastic, the flavors were intensifying that I actually crave eating here again – that’s how you know a place is damn good.
This is a great place to chat with a good friend or take someone for a laid back dinner. The people here are kind and very hospitable and you won’t run into any item n the menu tasting manufactured. We then ordered a fajita to share and the tortilla was very soft and well made. Will definitely return. :)

I stopped in before flying home. It’s small and parking can be tough but its very comfortable and inviting.
The tortilla chips are fantastic with a good thickness and crunch. The salsa that comes wirh them is nice and spicy.
I had the enchiladas verde with chicken. They were outstanding! Among the best I’ve ever had. The rice was good but the refried beans were exceptional.
This was a great stop! Amazing food, great service and reasonable prices. I’ll be back!

Definitely a gem. I have this good friend from Mexico, as is normal he was craving some real home cooked meals, and Unilocal came to the rescue and we found this place. We decided to give it a chance and fell in love as soon as we walked in.
Even though the place is T I N Y !, when the service and the food are that great you totally forget about that!
Second time we went there we tried the famous Pollo a la Basura, but I think I would stick to the tacos, it was too much for me.
The rice and beans I must say are to die for.
If you’re in the mood for some yummy authentic Mexican food, head to Jacalito, you won’t regret it.

Me encanta este lugar yo siempre voy aqui lo recomiendo superrr para comerce lo k kieran todo esta super bien elavorado

Great service, great food. I tried the pollo, res and Mexiscan sausage. I liked the first two but wasn’t a fan of the third, in all fairness though I’m not a huge fan but I went with that because they had run out of al pastor (my fave) and adobada. Definitely gonna come back just to try those.

3 tacos for $ 6!!! And authentic at that!!!
First off, as the other reviews have mentioned. Yes, this is a TINY little hole in the wall (my favorite places to discover when I move somewhere new). I believe I counted a grand total of 8 tables (with a few more outside). Also, parking is tight and limited. But that being said, the food is so so good.
This place has all of the usual suspects and downright awesome prices. El Hub went with a combination taco platter including the Chorizo, shredded beef, and chicken tacos, while I ordered three tacos Al Pastor. They were small (as they should be) and really just a couple of bites. But I found that it was the perfect lunchtime size as you did not feel like someone had to roll you out of the restaurant.
English-​only speakers may need to practice their Spanish to make ordering a bit easier. But that will be the least of my worries next time I head over there for some scrumptious eats!

I really want to give this place 3 stars but i can’t bring myself to do it. I have a feeling that when i come back and try something else, it will totally redeem itself.
Lets start off with the bad — the dining area is about the size of my tool shed. Even though i like my shed, i really don’t want to feel like i’m eating in it. If it werent for my GPS i probably wouldn’t have found this place because it’s so small. Once YOU find this place i suggest you drive by and look for metered /​street parking, if you like your car. Although there are over 10 spaces in the parking lot (which were actually full and double parked), the real drawback is the blind exit. In this neighborhood it is very likely to have to viejito rip your front bumper off as you creep out. I had noticed a few other review mention that the complimentary chips were stale — which was the case on my visit. I believe they prep a bunch of these to have them ready and they just happen to stay out longer than they should.
On the upside — they make good use of the space on their dining area. The waitresses are really attentive… all of them… all 3 checked up on me. This could be because i forgot to turn the flash off of my camera though [oops, «el Unilocaleh» alert]. Food presentation is actaully nicer than most of the more expensive places i’ve eaten. They also had some really nice tasty cocktails.
I went with the chicken flautas which come with mexican frijoles, guacamole and pico de gallo. They nest the taquito missiles on top of some shredded lettuce, which i mixed with the frijoles and pico for a frijole salad. The taquitos were a bit overdone but they were still good — doesn’t seem to be anything special in these (like a sweet secret sauce). I liked the frijoles a lot more than the flautas.
It’s an OK place with decent mex food. I wouldn’t go out of the way for it but if you’re in the area during lunch hours then it’s worth checking out.

Muy rica y auténtica comida mexicana! Recomiendo los platos combinados: de todo un poco.

Good authentic Mexican! Salsa is spicy! Chips are corn chips. When you order nachos they come with Great fresh fried flour tortilla chips that are amazing. We got the combo 1 which is a lot of food for $ 12. Taco, enchilada, gordita, sope, nachos… All very good.
The queso fundidto is served with chorizo or beans. We chose chorizo. It was good cheese and served with warm corn tortillas (6).
Overall, the service was good, great prices. And very clean restroom! There is a parking lot but it was full so we paid meter on side street. Staff was friendly. There was a TV playing soccer. There are about 6 tables inside and many outside. No bar area.
I would return!

Jacalito is the type of place that poses a great problem to foodies, food lovers, gourmands, and people who like good food in general. Jacalito’s food is so good, you don’t need to look elsewhere, and that is a problem, because with so many new restaurants, chefs, trucks, and cuisines opening up every week in the Magic City, you are stuck eating at Jacalito. And you don’t want to go anywhere else!
One of my greatest frustrations, gastronomically, is that I have never been to Mexico. Actually, I have never even been to a state that borders Mexico. I don’t know exactly what is «authentic» Mexican food, homestyle Mexican food, street taco culture, etc., and I can only rely on what people call Mexican food as my point of reference. But, here comes the but, I have been to almost every restaurant, hole on the wall, and truck, that deems itself worthy of calling their food «Mexican food».
So, with that in mind, I can simply say that Jacalito is my favorites, if not one of my favorites.
The difference here is that the ingredients are better than at the other restaurants. The steaks are better, they are still not NY strip or grass fed, but they are the best quality of the bunch. For sure. The same applies to the chicken, guacamole, salsa, sauces, etc., everything here is freshly made, the vegetables are cooked al dente, the ingredients are not murdered under the heat. In summary, they know how to cook.
Two items are my favorites here: the Tampiqueña and the chuletas a la Mexicana. The Tampiqueña is a steak served with an enchilada, like for people who are hungry. It’s a straightforward steak, and a straightforward enchilada, served with rice and beans. The chuletas a la Mexicana are pork chops that are topped with green peppers, onion and jalapeño, and they are served with rice, beans and tortillas. It is also a lot of food.
Like I said before, everything here is very fresh. I sometimes order guacamole and salsa as an appetizer, and it always disappears. They also make queso, which is really good, specially the one that has chorizo on top.
As far as the tacos go, this place is called a taqueria, and I have seen Mexican people come from other towns to eat them here. I don’t know what they find in them, to me they are just good tacos, but I don’t have that esteem for tacos like Mexicans do. I actually like fish tacos and shrimp tacos, but I won’t say that at Jacalito, they may think I am a hippie, or worse, a hipster.
Finally, there are dessert on the menu. They are good, but not the best. They also sell a margarita that is pretty good and made in-​house, although I don’t know how crafty it is. If you have had margaritas made with tequila reposado, these may not cut it for you, but they are still worth a try. Overall, if you stick to the specialties, the tacos, the apps and the quesadillas, you are going to love this place. I don’t have a saying about the tortas, and like I said, the drinks are good and the desserts are OK.
Jacalito sits on Flagler Street, and it is a very small establishment. Maybe eight tables inside and three outside, this place is quaint. Service is good always, there are hiccups here and there but those are rare and are followed by a million apologies. Again, this is not a gourmet destination, this is not homestyle Mexican food from «la nana», it is kind of middle of the road, but… it is extremely good food.
By the way, if you like spicy hot sauce, you have to ask for it.