Taco Taco Cafe

I’m not quite sure how this place was made a big hit due to being starred on a guy fite food network show!!! We ordered these so called awesome puffy tacos and well the meat was tasteless and the taco had totally fallen apart and was just very hard to eat, before the tacos we received chips and salsa and WOW! The salsa was horrid! It actually made me choke and cough as I tried to swallow the bite I took it was like opening a jar of garlic salt and just pouring it onto the chip and eating it. Also don’t order the lemonade which tasted like dirty water.

I really, really, REALLY wanted to like this place as it has been featured on DDD. It really was just less than average. I mean I was expecting explosive flavor but it was very close to bland.

I had been wanting to go for a long type to see what all of the hype was about. I was left wondering why this place is so talked about. My wife ordered a carne asada taco. As you all know these are thin strips of beef that do not need much cooking time. She had several pieces of meat in her taco that were RAW. Are you kidding me? Besides the fact that the carne asada was pork and not beef how could you serve that. I also ordered a carne asada with avocado. Of course I opened my taco to check the meat and was quite disappointed with my ½ teaspoon of brown avocado. Please tell me why this place was crowded? With Panchitos being down the street, why would anyone eat here? If you are new to San Antonio or a visitor do your self a favor and skip this place. If you are a resident you’re crazy if you eat here more than once.

We were in the area and wanted to try this place out because I saw it on tv. My boyfriend and I waited a while before making our order. Service here is pretty slow; so expect a wait. It’s pretty small inside, but they have tables outside too. The décor is really simple and it looks old inside.
LARGE QUESADILLA– two homemade toasted tortillas with melted cheese and chicken
This dish wasn’t too bad. The quesadilla was crispy and light and the chicken was moist and flavorful. There were nice simple flavors.
BACON AND EGG TACO
This taco was dry and bland. I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular for something so simple, but I did expect it to taste like a regular taco and have some seasoning. The bacon wasn’t even crunchy or crispy. The eggs were overcooked as well. Just plain gross.
BEEF ENCHILADAS– three cheese enchiladas with chili con carne sauce and cheese, served with rice and refried beans
These enchiladas were flavorful, but my favorite part of this dish was the rice. It was so flavorful and moist. The enchiladas were tasty and meaty. I really liked that the whole dish was saucy. The refried beans were a bit dry and tasteless, but other than that this dish was good.
The dishes here aren’t that amazing. I was expecting better or at least decent. Maybe it was overhyped or maybe I didn’t order the right things, but I just didn’t enjoy my experience here. I probably won’t be coming back.

Big serving, Love their Tortillas, and their Tacos are just awesome
I like going there. People are nice

The salsa for the chips was so bland. Tasted pretty much like boiled and smashed tomatoes with one squeeze of lime. I expected more because of food network as well as it being a taco place. Puffy taco shell was a great idea but the meat was bland! I would give it a one star but our waitress was nice.

I was very disappointed. Service nice but very slow. She missed my food. And food was not quite tasty as I expected to be.

Meh. Ok if you are a big triple D fan. Tortillas are fresh made that makes it unique.
I would go out for of my way.

I went to eat here last week and I wanted to walk out before I even sat down. The place is very dirty. The severs had dirty clothes and hands while serving which killed my appetite. The floor was filthy and the kitchen was also filthy. This may have been a good place to et in the past but they are forgetting to clean this filthy place. Big downfall.

I really wish I could give this place more stars… I’m from South Texas and I find it crazy that good or even passable «Mexican» food is so hard to find here in San Antonio but this is the first place I’ve been where their flour tortilla is on point! I ordered a carne guisada taco. The carne guisada was a little bland and needed flavor but it was still good what really got me was the four pieces of meat they put inside of it! This is a sauce taco. Glad I didn’t spend more than 3.00 on it. Came here because of all the recognition from guy fieri, Rachel Ray, etc… But didn’t meet up to expectations … Maybe next time I’ll order something else… Not sure if it’s worth another try.

The breakfast tacos here are tasty. Salsa is a lil watery, but generous portions and hits the spot. Since it’s a small place, perhaps take out is the way to go…

The current average of 2.5 stars seems about right. I stopped in here recently while in the area killing time. For years I’ve seen the sign advertising «As seen on Food Network» and named greatest tacos on the planet or something like that.
Based on my initial experience, all this is hype. The place is a small diner, with slow service and decent tacos. The older woman behind the register was in a tizzy over someone not showing up to work as she took my order. Had the speed of service been faster, 10 minutes for 3 bean and cheese tacos, I wouldn’t have had as much time to notice the grimy surroundings. The seating area and AC vents could use a deep cleaning. It was so noticeable I made sure to check the contents of my tacos.
As I said previously, the tacos were decent; large in size but small in flavor.
Overall, I was not impressed with this place and am in no rush to return. Mr. Guy Fieri and Mr. Alton Brown may want to recall their photos on display.

Attended undergrad at Trinity and Taco Taco was one of our favorite places to go. I have been back twice since 2012 while in town for business. Went by yesterday and I just don’t get the negative reviews.
I had a new waitress serving me and she was very friendly and prompt with service. I came in around 1 p.m. and not many of the tables were occupied. Ordered the El Norteno (only thing I order) and tortillas to bring back to Austin. Their tortillas are heavenly. The food was great as always. Highly recommend.

I used to come here weekly when I worked close by BEFORE all the national recognition. I have not been there in over a decade+ but remember the really good food and service. We went in waited 15 – 20 mins to be seated not bad. We ordered from the paper menu with food stuck to it then at about two glasses of water and two refills on chips and 50 mins later we noticed all the tables that came after us had their meals.
We asked the waitress what is going on she went to check came back 10 – 12 mins later to tell us nonchalantly that they were out of barbacoa and lengua and for us to order something else. We left right out of there.
I cannot believe they could not have told us way earlier that they were out of items so we could select something else. Waitstaff should have a list food items from the cooks that are out of stock so they would know. I hate to say I will not be back to one of my favorite places.

Deserves half a star, honestly. This place is just awful! The food tastes fine but ridiculous wait times, rude staff/​owner and lack of service was so appalling. I brought a group of friends in from out of town because of praise on TV — but I’ve never had a worse restaurant experience in my life. It makes me sad because I live just a stone’s throw from the restaurant. Two of us had hair in our food and when I approached the owner about it (refused to pay for that portion of my bill) and turned to leave she proceeded to say in front of my friends that it was MY HAIR! (It was long, black– I have blonde hair, and under my quesadilla which I waited an hour for)
I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone! Why is it so hard to find good Mexican food, and clean/​happy service in this damn city?

If you’re looking for crappy service, long waiting times and mediocre food THIS PLACE IS IT!
The restaurant prides itself in making its patron wait about 20 minutes. Patrons wait outside of the building in front of a sign that reminds them that no photography or camera are allowed inside. The waiting experience includes looking through the glass door to see that half the restaurant is empty.
Once inside prepare those tooshies! The chairs are not kind as food will take about an hour to arrive. There is a methodological charm in the staggered order the food arrives: First half of your party receives their food, the forgotten waters are served, then the chips and queso appetizer rolls in and the three remaining people are left to stare for awhile before their lukewarm /​kind of cold tacos arrive.
At this point the probability will be something like this: ²⁄₆ people will find hair in their food. ¹⁄₆ people will never have their water served. ⁶⁄₆ people will find the food really isn’t that fun. ⁶⁄₆ people will simply be neglected by the staff.
Upon returning the food with hair to the silent waiter, what took about an hour for that same dish to arrive before will take about five minutes for a new replacement to come back out.
You will also find breakfast items that include eggs with an added 50 cents because of an «egg shortage,» despite that egg shortage having long passed already. Frescas are advertised on the menu, but don’t exist in the Taco Taco Café reality.
This is truly «America’s best.» (as advertised)

Horrible service!
My boyfriend and I were looking to try a new place for nachos so we thought we’d call in an order for take-​out. First, I had to call 3 times before I got someone to answer. When they did, I was put on hold for over 5 mins when my boyfriend tried calling on his phone. Someone answered and then hung up when he said he’d like to place an order. He called back and asked if the super nachos were enough for 2 people. The lady said «I don’t know. Why don’t you pick something else.» He told her no thanks and hung up. I will never attempt to try this place ever!

This restaurant boasts the «best tacos in America.» I wouldn’t know.
After almost an hour waiting outside in 90+ degree heat with no communication from the staff on why there were 3 – 5 clean tables without guests seated at them, I had to let myself inside to ask for a glass of water.
As I stood just inside the door and observed the dining room, the atmosphere felt frustrated as many that were seated continued to wait an unusually long amount of time for their food.
People come to a restaurant for the food, and come back for the hospitality. I experienced NO hospitality. I will not be back.

Just stopped in for lunch after seeing that guy and his triple d show was here. All I can say is that I was very disappointed. (No idea when guy was here)
The staff was very nice but, the food… average. Nothing special to write home about. And yes, I had the puffy taco.
Nothing worse than having a blah meal.

So I’m totally biased because I lived in one of the houses directly behind this place the year they filmed Diners, Drive-​Ins & Dives and ate here at least three times a week at the time. The family that owns this place is incredibly sweet and if you’re a regular, will treat you like royalty! The service can sometimes be slow when it’s super busy, but just take a look at how tiny the kitchen is!
My faves have always been the huevos rancheros (scrambled, flour tortillas, add a side of cheese, because why not?!) and the Norteno (beef or chicken, equally perfect!). The salsa on the tables is smokey and spicy — not your average salsa. One tip — if you’re a chip fiend like me, be mindful of when you’re going. They only serve chips after 11!
I came here once a few years ago (2012 maybe?) and was a little disappointed by the portion difference on the Norteno from when I used to come, but they certainly re-​upped their game on my last visit (August 2015). Just the Taco Taco I remembered.
LONG LIVE TACO TACO!