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    California Taco Shop

    3.4 (154 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican, Delis
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order California Taco Shop Takeout or Delivery

    California Taco Shop Photos

    Business Info

    CALIFORNIA TACO SHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - California Taco Shop

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    Rolled tacos with chicken
    Zanna H.

    This place was an amazing find. The food was very fresh and tasted great. Staff were super friendly and I really could not ask for more for a quick lunch spot. I will definitely hit this place again when I am back in town.

    The infamous birra taco
    Christian M.

    Good fast service. Fresh ingredients. Always well prepared. Haven't been disappointed since I began coming here in April 2023. It's a fam favorite

    a bag of taco sitting on a chair
    Joanne S.

    Amazingly every time! Always accommodating when ordering and answer all questions! Great staff

    Surprisingly good steak tacos
    Martina S.

    A couple of friends ordered tacos, guacamole and chips. I really didn't have high hopes for this place, but was pleasantly surprised. I see many reviews talk about the steak tacos not being that good or not having much filling; I did not experience either of these issues. In fact, I didn't feel the need to douse my soft taco with sauce to amp of the flavors. I really appreciated more traditional tacos like these. No cheese or anything fancy. Two flour tortillas, meat, cilantro and a squeeze of lime! Chips were really, really good. Thin, fresh and homemade, without the oiliness. Delivery was quick and a breeze. Would order again, should I find myself in RI.

    Bistec encebollado - Steak, onions, beans, rice, guac and comes with a side of warm corn tortillas
    Angy M.

    Not bad! Stopped by and sat down. There were complimentary chips and salsas while we waited for our food to be ready. I ordered an horchata and it tasted homemade (as opposed to the liquid mix some places use)!! We got a steak with onions, beans, rice and guac. The guac was definitely premade elsewhere because the color was too green and the texture was like that of a paste....it was off. However the steak was great and the portion was large for $13. We also ordered tacos al pastor and with chorizo. They were alright! I've had a lot of amazing tacos in my lifetime so they certainly weren't what I would consider in my top five lol. HOWEVER, they were alright. Price for each was also fair. Anyway, I might come back here if I'm in the area...service was friendly and quick!

    Taco combo plate
    Kristen S.

    The food is delicious and you'll find perfectly seasoned traditional Mexican food items here - it's definitely more than just tacos! Portions are on the large side and the prices are fair. They also are very accommodating of dietary needs and preferences. The service is polite and friendly and they staff are eager to answer your questions and make suggestions to make sure that you enjoy your food. While we've enjoyed take out from here, the dine in experience is better because they offer you complementary house made chips and salsa - yum! Pro Tip: Be sure to try their "fountain" agua fresca drinks in flavors like mango, jamaica, or horchata - they are a real treat and a different option from the familiar canned soda that's in the case.

    Fajita plate
    Robert S.

    Part of the California Taco Shop chain, this store in Pawtucket is a bit more of a sit down place than the others. We got the Fajita plate and it was good, but nothing spectacular. I believe I paid with credit card and they up-charged me for this convenience vs paying cash. No problem, but next time be really clean and open about it, not obscure about it. Like others, they do charge for many extras, which makes it feel more like a business hungry for profits than a business wanting to delight their customers.

    Taco combo and steak street taco
    Wendy S.

    Came here for lunch with a friend. Small place so if there is a large group you may have to wait a bit. Big takeout place I had the taco platter with 2 steak tacos and rice and beans. The tacos were good, not great I thought the steak needed a bit more seasoning. The rice was good, better than most places and the refried beans were OK. If you get the rice and beans separately, they are expensive as other Yelpers have pointed out. But with the taco special it didn't seem to be so bad. I also tried a street taco with just steak and chopped onion and cilantro. I really enjoyed that! Friend had chicken burrito and loved it! She tried the stewed chicken rather than grilled chicken as that is the actual chicken in Mexican food - not grilled. Service was very friendly and we really enjoyed it. Prices were good and we will definitely be back to try other things or try take out. There are many locations so it's easy to find one in the state. Yay!

    2 taco combo - rice and beans were so good!!
    Mary K.

    3 1/2 Stars....came here for lunch last week with the work crew. I was excited, hadn't had Mexican in a while - yea it doesn't take much, lol. There were 6 of us so it took a bit, maybe a little longer than we were all expecting to wait. Next time if we come in a group, I'd pre-order to cut the wait time. I ended up getting the 2 soft taco combo - one chicken and one chorizo, came with a side of refried beans and rice. We also got a side of chips/guac/salsa to share. I liked my rice and beans and the chips - yum. They're the nice thick cut chips, not dinky little ones that break with more than a spoonful of salsa on them. Beware - they were addictive! On to the tacos - they were just ok for me. I felt the meat was a bit under seasoned - i put hot sauce and salsa on it and made it a bit better. Def a nice lunch spot and I would return. Everyone in our party seemed to enjoy their meals. Someone got the taco salad bowl - def on my list of items to get the next time around along with more nachossssss!!!

    8 tacos... 1 small lime wedge....
    Christina L.

    The food overall is good for its price. I ordered online for 6pm pick up. Didn't get the food until 615. Got home and discovered for 8 tacos, only received one small lime wedge.

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    1 month ago

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    1 year ago

    This place is amazing food is great workers are very kind the place is clean I don't see how anyone could have anything negative to say

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    8 years ago

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    1 year ago

    all the prices for the food have skyrocketed the food is decent when they can make your order right but 4$ for one taco,cmon now

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    3 years ago

    Place has roaches beware! Went to pickup an order and saw a roach scatter underneath a table.

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Fast service, but the food wasn't semi-warm. I enjoyed everything, I just wish it was hot when it arrived.

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 4

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    Maven's Delicatessen

    Maven's Delicatessen

    3.9
    (404 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $$

    Who knew a great Jewish deli in Pawtucket!…read more Came in and had 2 apps, and then I had the Pastrami on sourdough. Apps where great and my sandwich was great. Super cool old school diner inside. Our server really explained the menu well, and you get pickles & cole slaw instead of bread! Very cool!!

    I really wanted to like Maven's. With all the hype surrounding this place, I expected something…read morespecial. After several visits, though, I'd describe it with one word: meh. To be clear, the food isn't bad. It's perfectly edible. The problem is that it's also remarkably average, especially considering the prices they're charging. Nothing I've ordered has made me think, "I can't wait to come back for that." It's just...fine. We actually visited during opening weekend, and it was a bit of a mess. They ran out of pastrami, which is a pretty big problem for a deli that was generating so much excitement. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because opening weekends can be chaotic. Since then, we've been back several times hoping things would improve, but the experience has been largely the same. The biggest issue, aside from the food being average, is the service. It's consistently slow. I can understand waiting when a restaurant is packed, but we've experienced long waits even when there were very few customers inside. It feels like everything moves at half speed, and that's been true on multiple visits. I also think they're trying a little too hard to be Katz's Delicatessen. That's an incredibly high bar, and instead of trying to recreate that experience, I'd rather see them focus on becoming the best version of themselves. Right now, it feels like the ambition exceeds the execution. The one thing I will gladly compliment is the bagels. They've been excellent every time we've ordered them, and honestly, they're probably the strongest item on the menu. I do think there's plenty of room for improvement, which is why I'm giving two stars instead of one. There's clearly potential here, and I genuinely hope they find their footing because I'd love to have another great deli in the area. We'll probably give them another chance down the road, and I hope I can come back and update this review with a much more positive experience.

    Photos
    Maven's Delicatessen
    Bagel and Lox, Nice and Fresh
    Bagel and Lox, Nice and Fresh
    Half & half bagel, lox & veggie schmear

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    Half & half bagel, lox & veggie schmear
    Pauly Pentas Gourmet Italian Deli

    Pauly Pentas Gourmet Italian Deli

    4.0
    (127 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    Got a few different items for dinner including some pretty good chicken noodle soup…read more I ordered a small amount of pasta salad with peas and red onions which was delicious. The only item that wasn't great was a big slice of vegetable pizza. The dough was so chewy and soft from all the wet ingredients on top - impossible to get any kind of crisp on the bottom.

    We recently used Pauly Penta's to cater a celebration of life service, and I cannot say enough…read morewonderful things about our experience. From the moment we placed the order, everyone we worked with was professional, helpful, accommodating, and friendly. During a difficult time, their kindness and attention to detail made everything so much easier. Our order was delivered right on time and they helped set everything up quickly and efficiently. The food was absolutely outstanding. We ordered a variety of dishes, including gluten-free pasta, and every single item was delicious. One of the biggest hits was the grilled lemon chicken with artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes--it was incredible. The grilled vegetables were perfectly prepared, and the sausage, potatoes, and peppers were excellent. Their marinara sauce was rich and flavorful, and they were incredibly generous with extra sauce and grated cheese, which everyone appreciated. The true measure of how much people enjoyed the food was that guests kept going back for seconds and even thirds. By the end of the event, there was virtually nothing left. Every dish was enjoyed from start to finish. Pauli Penta's exceeded our expectations in every way. The food was exceptional, the portions were generous, and the service was outstanding. We are so grateful for their help and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for catering for a family gathering, celebration, or special event. Five stars all the way.

    Photos
    Pauly Pentas Gourmet Italian Deli
    Eggplant Parmigiano Sandwich
    Eggplant Parmigiano Sandwich
    Front of Restaurant

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    Front of Restaurant
    Miller's Famous Sandwiches

    Miller's Famous Sandwiches

    4.4
    (200 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $

    Restaurant is very clean, food comes out fast, hot, and fresh. Order at the counter and they call…read moreyour name for the order. The French dip is very good, loaded with roast beef, slight hint of horseradish sauce and cooked red onion. The au jus was the perfect amount for dipping the whole sandwich with every bite. Very good option. All sliders were good and the roast beef was great. My favorite was the bbq. Millers is by far the best roast beef I've had in Rhode Island, but if you're from Massachusetts you probably would be disappointed. I would say it's like their little brother's roast beef.

    I was out and about for an appointment nearby, and my fiancé mentioned going here when they were a…read morelittle younger. I figured I'd go pick up an order and take it home. The parking lot can be hard to get out of at prime time for traffic, but there is a decent amount of parking as it seems most people were just picking up and leaving. There is some seating inside though! The staff at the counter were SO friendly! It's refreshing to recieve good customer service these days. We got the family meal deal which comes with 4 fully customizable roast beef sandwiches and 2 large fries or onion rings (onion rings have a $2 up charge) for 29.99 which for the size of the sandwiches and fries it is definitely worth it. We also got two sides of pickles, and a bottle of their BBQ sauce to try. The pickles are your average deli style pickle slices. The BBQ sauce is the best mix of sweet and tangy, with a little bit of spice. Everything even after a half hour drive was hot and fresh tasting. We will definitely be back for more!

    Photos
    Miller's Famous Sandwiches
    Standard Roast Beef with mayonnaise
    Standard Roast Beef with mayonnaise
    Menu

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    Menu
    The Pantry

    The Pantry

    4.2
    (49 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$$

    The first time I ate from the pantry, my coworkers had suggested it to order in on a Friday. I had…read morethe turkey panini, and I was hooked! The sandwich had turkey, cheese, bacon ( I picked off), greens, and a delicious aioli sauce. I suggested that my husband and I go in and try it a couple months later. It is located in the same plaza as Avenue N in Rumford. The storefront is made up of a glass "garage door" so it is pretty cool and unique inside. Service was prompt and friendly. Hubby tried the Cuban, he loved it, and I, creature of habit, stuck to my turkey panini. Once we ordered, the sandwiches came up faster than I expected. I had to use the bathroom and had to go next door to Avenue N. The owner or manager held the door for me, and was very friendly. Everyone that we have met there is friendly. If you want a good sandwich you won't be disappointed!

    I wish I loved the pantry as much as 4 years ago me loved it. I went today and got their special…read moresandwich, bbq. Just a sandwich in regular size bread pressed as a panini, and it was $12!!! I had no idea until I had to sign for it! The special board didn't have a price and all the other sandwiches were around $8 so I thought it would be the same. Even worse, one bite in and I was disgusted. The chicken was not cooked well and had that rubbery texture where you have to really pull with your teeth to break it. I threw it away after 2 bites and I'm gagging thinking of it. This could be a one off, but I'm really bummed about wasting $12 on my one spend day of the week! I have some other little gripes that honestly bring down my old rating too. We bought some stuff from the shop, which is still really cute and offers a lot of local (though very upcharged) stuff. And when we checked out, there's a line for tip! Everyone feels weird leaving a tip line blank, so why is it there! Just to make us feel awkward?!? All they offer to drink is hot coffee or cold brew, everything else is a deli or store or serve yourself food so why even tipping! Just made me and my friend awkward leaving that line blank, made us feel rude but why would we tip for only buying grocery items.

    Photos
    The Pantry
    The Pantry
    Such an awesome place!

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    Such an awesome place!

    California Taco Shop - mexican - Updated June 2026

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