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    California Taco Shop

    3.3 (55 reviews)
    InexpensiveTacos
    Open 11:30 am - 9:30 pm

    Order California Taco Shop Takeout or Delivery

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    CALIFORNIA TACO SHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Nacho appetizer
    Jan R.

    Very good tacos and an extensive menu. Cute little taco shop that I never even noticed not far away. The is no parking except for a couple of spots in the front of the shop. We took time to order as there were so many choices. We finally decided to start with some chips with salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo. Good size portion. I had a fish taco on a soft shell which was light and delicious. I also had a steak taco on a hard shell, tasty and fresh. They weren't large tacos but just right. My partner had a taco combination plate which had plenty of food and add very good. They have a cooler full of boutique sodas to choose from and the service was friendly and quick.

    Benjamin F.

    So I read the previous reviews... I was a bit worried while at the shop. I usually stop in on Elmwood as well, so I had my concerns. This Cranston location, while it did not set the bar, met my expectations! All of these locations are out of my way, so when I decide to go for Cali Taco, I demand excellence. There were some complaints about the taco shells. The crunchy taco shells, while different, stand alone and add a unique flavor to the experience. The al pastor soft tacos with cilantro and onions are where it's at. Fresh lime provided is all they require! The chimichanga is by far my favorite, I ordered one but had filled up on tacos so I'm saving it for later. I thought this might be the case so I ordered the toppings on the side; generally speaking with takeout, I would advise this for the purpose of the reheat. While parking was my biggest concern at this location, it would not stop me from enjoying my food and therefore I cannot take points away this time and would not do so any other time. The price is what really makes this franchise shine. If you know me, you know that I'm a sucker for the Bell, California Taco offers an authenticity you cannot get at TB. The chimi brings me back to San Diego, I hope it does the same for you! Enjoy!

    2 taco combo (1soft 1hard) w/ no beans(substituted w/double rice)
    David M V.

    This was our first time in this location. It is small and quaint inside. We were greeted with a smile by a young lady as we entered. I ordered the burrito combo (steak) and my wife ordered the 2 taco combo (steak). The steak was not over salted or over cooked like some other places. We also got a tostada w/shrimp and the shrimp was done perfectly! The price is right and the food hit the spot. Definitely a spot to come back to.

    the entrance to the restaurant
    Kenneth C.

    I have eaten at the California Taco Shop on Elmwood Avenue in Warwick, and it was very good. So when I saw there was one on Reservoir Avenue in Cranston, near my new job, I looked forward to trying it for lunch one day. That day was today. The exterior of the restaurant is very colorful and eye-catching, but aside from that, the other thing I discovered about this restaurant, as I drove my work truck down Reservoir Avenue, was that it has no parking lot! Seriously!? Like, there is room for two or maybe three cars to park in front of the restaurant, on Reservoir Avenue. Next, I drove down a side street at the corner of the restaurant, but it was a residential street, with no room to park either. Bummer. Finally, I decided to drive my work truck across Reservoir Avenue, park in the CVS parking lot and walk across four lanes of Friday lunch hour traffic, feeling very much like road kill waiting to happen. A sign on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant advertised five hard tacos for $3.99. I like a good deal, so that's what I ordered when I walked inside the rather small restaurant, which has five tables and two stools. I was the only customer in the restaurant at noon on a Friday, which I found odd, but whatever. I could hear, but not see, the cook singing along to the Spanish music playing in the restaurant. My tacos were ready fairly quickly, and I ran back across Reservoir Avenue to eat in my work truck. In a nutshell, I was not impressed with the tacos. Now, I've never lived in, or even visited California, so I don't know if these tacos are a good representation of "California tacos," but, I think Taco Bell makes better tacos than the ones I had this afternoon. The worst thing about these tacos was the puddle of grease they left in the bottom of the to-go container. My coworker, who brought a lunch from home, joked that maybe "California tacos" means, "lots of grease." Taco Bell tacos are nowhere near as greasy as these were. I did like the taco shells, but the lettuce and cheese looked and tasted inferior to Taco Bell. I received two small containers of taco sauce, but it was watery, not thick, and didn't add much to the experience. Later, when I got back to the shop, I went to show one of my coworkers the grease in the container, but by then, the grease had congealed to a solid state. My arteries cringed .... Well, I guess I can now cross this place off my list for lunch options. If the food was really good, I might be able to overlook the lack of parking and having to walk across four lanes of busy traffic for the occasional visit, but ... the food I got was in no way worth risking a car-versus-pedestrian accident ... especially when I'm the pedestrian.

    Three small tacos
    Dezeree H.

    Haven't had good Mexican food in Rhode Island since I moved here from Kansas. This is a great place for a quick, cheap, and tasty bite to eat. I wouldn't bother with any of the americanized tacos. Just go straight to the small tacos with no fixings. Order them as is and you won't be disappointed. My favorite was the pork taco. Ingredients were so fresh. Add a squeeze of lime and you are in heaven.

    Beef taco
    Kattie G.

    This is my #1 go to Taco spot. I've had the tacos from a few of their locations and Reservoir is the BEST The staff is always nice, and the food is always consistent and delicious. I'm a sucker for a classic taco, but I've tried their hard shell tacos, nachos, chicken tenders, and my son always gets the beef quesadilla and everything has always been delicious. DEFINITELY try the salsa verde 10/10 Highly Recommend!

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    7 years ago

    BOMB tacos!!!!!! Super cheap and delicious. You can literally get 5 tacos for under $10. How is this even real life? So good. Love it.

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    9 years ago

    They kicked me out 20 min before close telling me I can't eat my tacos there because they have to lock the door now!

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    6 years ago

    Im a fan of the tacos, I've tried other things and I felt like they missed the mark but overall I really like this place

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    Taco Barn

    Taco Barn

    4.2
    (24 reviews)
    6.7 mi

    We had been patiently awaiting the opening of Taco Barn since Dr. Duff's closed...and it was well…read moreworth the wait! We went on opening and have been 5 or 6 times since. I feel so lucky to live down the street from here. Best of all, they are SO affordable. I don't feel quietly eating out when we go here. So far, the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos are a must-try. They're my favorite and I get them every single time I go. Their iconic Birria Tacos with consume are a must-have with any order. Their House Nachos are a huge shareable starter and well worth it , especially for a bigger party. Really, everything is good. The service is always great! Every server we've had has been so friendly and attentive. My ONLY "critique" is the benches aren't finished, so the wood is just a taaad rough, but that should not deter anyone from going here. Just a small detail I hope they consider improving in the future. Nonetheless, they are a HUGE improvement from the stools they had when it was Dr. Duff's. Otherwise, Taco Barn has such a unique, youthful, and chill ambiance with the wooden features all over and gorgeous Edison string lighting along the ceiling. Go here!!

    Shockingly Surprised, then disappointed…read more 2 visits with different outcomes. 1st was enjoyable, tacos were decent, margs were well made, and the prices were reasonable. Fell for the consum"ay" with the burria tacos 2nd visit, tacos were a sloppy greasy mess. Burria tacos tasted old and reheated, fried avocado tacos were gross, The drinks, we were not forewarned that a double means you pay double the price for a drink. Bill went from affordable to overpriced. To be honest, this place doesn't serve authentic tacos. It's one of those taco places that invents greasy messy (mac and cheese topped everything pun) tacos and I think they should serve a basic good fresh street taco that isn't dependent on some greasy add ons to try to be clever. Probably won't be back. Thanks

    Photos
    Birria Taco being cooked
    Birria Taco being cooked
    3 Taco Combo Meal
    3 Taco Combo Meal
    New Shrimp Taco!

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    New Shrimp Taco!
    Lake Taco

    Lake Taco

    3.3
    (125 reviews)
    8.5 mi

    Ok , the good , the bad , the ugly. Atmosphere was great, we sat out on the patio near the water…read more Bring your fish food cause there are some large carp swimming by. We ordered the mango guacamole and it was good. We also had the brisket quesadilla, messy but delicious. So that's the good. They ran out of liquor for the drink I ordered actually 2 drinks . They had none of the items with pork cause they ran out. We sat some time before someone came over and ask for our drink order. They should have atleast offers water when we sat down , I think we were sitting for over 10min before we ordered drinks and then it was awhile after that before we got them. Who ever is managing this place really needs to figure out how to order inventory properly so they are not running out of things all the time. And you have to work on you seat to drink times. Over all Id go again cause the wait staff was wonderful and when we finally got or orders of what they actually had available it was good. So don't be in a hurry.

    really wanted to give this place a fair shot, but after three separate visits, I'm officially done…read more * The Food: The biggest letdown was the Tacos Al Pastor. Al pastor should be juicy and tender, but here the meat was incredibly dried out and lacked any depth of flavor. To make matters worse, the tacos were served cold every single time. For a place named after their tacos, this is a major failure. * The Atmosphere: The noise level is completely out of control. It isn't just "busy"--it's so loud that it's actually uncomfortable to sit through a meal. * The Service: The service matches the food quality: poor and inattentive. After three chances, it's clear these aren't just "off nights"; it's the standard. I won't be back. There are plenty of other spots where you can get hot, fresh tacos in a much better environment. Since you've had a rough run with the local taco scene lately, are you looking for a different style of food for your next night out, or do you want a recommendation for a more reliable spot nearby? Like Taco Bell

    Photos
    Lake Taco
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    Ham Taco!
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    Ghost pepper blood orange marg (can't remember the name)

    California Taco Shop - tacos - Updated June 2026

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