Imperio Taqueria

I’ve been to MANY taquerias and I have to say this is by far my FAVORITE. Not only are the tacos BOMB (I had carne asade, pastor, and pollo), but they cost less than two bucks a pop.
This is just a few blocks away from the SAP center inside Delmas Market. Must have just opened because it is quiet Friday at lunchtime.
Only thing I wish they had are chips. Anyone who swings through downtown San Jose MUST try this one. It is well worth it!

Plain and simple: its a legit taco place
nothing fancy, nothing exotic, just your legit taqueria.
its ridiculously clean. the guy running it seriously washes his hands often. The rice, beans, salsa, meats are all delish. It doesnt taste oily like some other places i’ve been to.
my order was a carne asada taco and an al pastor super burrito. total was $ 9.xx good price if you ask me.
its located on the corner of Delmas Ave and San Fernando. Right across the light rail station. You can argue the neighborhood can be a bit questionable; but really its not bad.
Bring cash! they dont accept cards. There’s an ATM machine inside the mini-​mart though if you need.

I usually stop at this little taqueria for carne asada or chicken tacos or burritos whenever I am in Delmas Market or near the Delmas neighborhood. The food is inexpensive and REALLY good.

Since I’ve moved in the area, I frequent the Delmas Market and was always skeptical of liquor store taquerias. I have my reservations about those taquerias because I got really bad food poisoning at one before. However, Imperio keeps their kitchen exceptionally clean and always wash their hands after taking orders and handling the cash.
As for the food they definitely know how to do amazing and high quality Mexican food. The items they carry are tortas, tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Though they have a limited selection of dishes, they have an extensive choice of meats. Their meats include: carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, chicken, brisket, cabeza, lengua, goat, and a couple of other selections as well. Their ingredients are such high quality and super fresh. The rice is nice and fluffy and their beans are always cooking on the stove. Although they only have one type of red sauce, it is quite spicy, so if you don’t like the heat then skip it. This food is so flavorful that it doesn’t really need salsa. Overall, if you’re at the SAP Center or in the Delmas neighborhood area then definitely take advantage of this little known taqueria.

Love this place. First, its right on my way home and just across from the light rail. Super convenient. The food is fresh and delicious. Kitchen is kept clean and the guy behind the counter washes up before making my order every time. I always get a carnitas burrito and its very good and the portions are huge.
Complaints are few but deserve to be mentioned. First, the neighborhood can be shady so keep your wits about you. Second, the salsa selection is lacking, I dont need 25 varieties but how about a salsa verde option?
All in all, really good. Good enough that I stop there once a week or so.

Always heard about Imperio Taqueria when I lived on the EastSide. (Original: Imperio Liquors & Taqueria @ the corner of King and San Antonio) So many people through my time in San Jose would be like «Have you been to Imperio?» like a weird amount .so I feel like it is a staple of the ES.
But now they got a new location inside of the Delmas Market. Close for me now that its down the street from where I work. Tacos were bomb. dude hooked it up fat. and it was surprisingly nice/​clean inside. Diff from that little window they serve you from over on King!