Tarahumara

Made the trek yesterday (²⁄₂₈) down to Cherokee street to specifically eat at Tarahumara. Wasn’t open at 1:00, yet advertised hours say it should have been. Will revise the rating once I have a chance to eat there… :(

Not sure what all the 5 star reviews are about, I was not impressed at all. The salsa was good and that’s about it.
I had a poblano gordita and a chicken gordita, both were cooked fresh but flavorless. My husband got beef gorditas and they were too spicy to eat.

This restaurant was a bit out of our way, but I’m glad we tried it. Food was delicious and the authentic atmosphere was charming and the old buildings in the neighborhood were really cool! I had a burrito made with marinated pork. And a margarita. Perfect.

Wow! We have tried most of the Mexican restaurants on Cherokee St and this one is BY FAR the best! My fiancé and I were greeted by a warm smile and the best salsa we have ever had. A nice gentleman took our order and told us his wife was preparing more fresh salsa in the back. We ordered a couple of tacos and gorditas and they were incredible. The flour tortillas are made fresh daily and the flavors were flawless.
After our meal, I wanted to order dessert as well, but they were out of cheesecake… a couple of minutes later another kind woman came out from the back and informed us she had prepared a special Mexican dessert since they were out of what I wanted. I don’t know what it was called but it was delicious! We were pleasantly surprised by this very generous and thoughtful gesture. We had a uniquely pleasant experience at Tarahumara and now that we have discovered this gem, we will definitely be back! Come support this wonderful, family owned establishment! You will not be disappointed!

Don’t let the simple restaurant front and menu deceive you … This place is AMAZING! Best Mexican food I’ve ever had. So fresh and unbelievably delicious.

I felt like I was invited into my neighbor’s home for dinner. These people are the real deal! That salsa is out of this world good. We even bought an order to take home.
We ordered just about everything on the menu and it was all incredible. Our food came out as it was ready. Everything is completely homemade, from the chips to the refried beans. The female owner came out from the kitchen to say hi and make sure we enjoyed our food. She and her husband were so sweet. This was our first time, but we will be regular customers from now on.

We live in Benton Park and have tried all of the Mexican places on Cherokee. Tarahumara is our favorite. The menu is small but very unique but the must try items are the gorditas. They make their own thick flour tortillas in the back and stuff them with your pick of meat or veggie options. The shredded poblano or the chicken ones are our favorites.
While you wait they chop up the ingredients for the complimentary salsa. It’s a mix of pineapple, avocado, tomato, onion, and spices. It’s a showstopper.

The hidden gem of Cherokee street! The ladies here are killing it. Salsa is the freshest you’ll ever have, gorditas are made of handmade tortillas, and chilaquiles is big enough to share! Go here now! Stop wasting your time with other places trying to be authentic, this is the real deal!

This place is the hidden gem on Cherokee street. Truly authentic to the tarahumara region on MX they offer gorditas, tortes, and other region specific items on their menu. They cook everything fresh to order– def will be back.

This place is really, really good.
This is the only restaurant my Mexican boyfriend will eat at on Cherokee. Coming from San Antonio, I just refused to eat Mexican for a year after I got here. But Tarahumara is as real as it gets. As others have said, the menu is small but delicious. The salsa is awesome and the chips are hot. Everything is good and very home-​style, the horchata is tasty, the gorditas are great. Ask for the sopaipillas, I’m not sure if they’re on the menu but they ARE AMAZING — hot and crunchy and drizzled with dulce de leche.

This place was delicious! The salsa that came with the modest basket of chips (I appreciate the half full basket – I would eat too many) was fresh – pineapple, cilantro, avocado – and had enough heat to be satisfying.
We both got gorditas and all of them were fantastic. My favorite by was the one with poblano peppers and chihuahua cheese and crema. Yum. I got one with in a corn tortilla pocket and one in a wheat tortilla pocket. The corn one was a little more fragile, but both were tasty.
We picked up two extras for our son on the way out (we thought he would be jealous). The whole bill came to 18.75. We will definitely return. I saw the chilequiles come out and they looked fantastic. A mound of food.
Service was leisurely, so I’m not sure I would go if I was in a hurry, but definitely adding to my Cherokee Street favorites.

Okay this place has turned over several times but go ASAP before it changes!!! these ladies are killing it with the amazing ingredients! Not much of décor but these folks are just starting out!!! Go now the tacos and the cream chicken pocket we’re amazing!!!

This place has the most amazing salsa! Two types, a spicy smooth one, and a chunky mild salsa homemade with fresh ingredients.
Small, limited menu. They make only a few things, and they make them well. The menu doesn’t necessarily tell you which dishes are spicy, and which ones aren’t, so it might be a good idea to ask.
Having recently moved from southern California, the hub of Mexican food in the USA, I never thought that my favorite Mexican restaurant would end up being this little place, right here in St Louis.
The prices are low, and the food is good. What more can one ask?

Authentic would be the most accurate adjective if the food wasn’t also so delicious. No alcohol, but the food is worth it. The menu is very limited, but it feels like you’re welcomed into the owner’s home and they’re making you dinner.

We had chillaquiles and gorditas and they were delicious. Not your typical Mexican restaurant. The ambience is non-​existent, but the food is excellent, authentic, and inexpensive.

This place is a must try! If you want authentic, cheap, and delicious food, give this place a try. The pico de gallo is filled with incredible flavor (and pineapple) and it may entice you to put it on everything you order. The gorditas are fresh, stuffed with meat, and a must try. This restaurant has an incredibly welcoming environment with great people and great food!

Great change of pace from my usual Mexican spot on Cherokee. Salsa and torta were both excellent. Will definitely be coming back here.

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant outside of California at the moment but I dare say they are giving those places a run for their money. I got stuck on the torta and get it every time I go because it’s so freaking delicious. The salsa is killer, the owners are amazing, oh and the Jamaica (hibiscus tea) is the best I’ve had.
Everybody should eat here.

Tarahumara replaced my favorite Cherokee Mexican restaurant, Siete Luminarias, so they had big shoes to fill.
The menu is small but excellent. The gorditas de harina are outstanding, the chillequiles rock, the salsa is house made and amazing. We haven’t made our way through the menu yet, but everything so far has been great.
This is now our new favorite Cherokee Mexican restaurant. A great addition to the street.

This place just opened up recently and so I had to try it. The salsa was some of the best salsa I’ve ever had (it had fresh avocados, cilantro, and pineapple). The menu is not very big, however there are some unique dishes that you typically don’t see at your average Mexican restaurant.
I got the Flautas and they were very crispy and had lots of beef in them. The sides were refried beans and rice but they were actually full of flavor (our waiter told us that the refried beans are homemade and the rice was very fluffy and not overly salty). That being said, the thing that really makes this place stand out for me is the freshness of everything and the friendly service. It tastes like real food that’s has flavor and is not processed.
I’m looking forward to going back and trying something else on the menu.