This is one of the nicer of the California Taco locations with a large and pleasant seating area and a parking lot. It's clean and has brightly colored decorations. The menu is large and there are several types of meat, as well as a few different types of tacos. Tacos are always a good choice here - they aren't the best around, but they are pretty good! I usually get asada tacos with beans and rice, and both of those sides are pretty good as well. Service is quick and I'd recommend this location. read more

California Taco Shop - Seating and decor - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

I was disappointed with my experience. I ordered a fajita plate and the chorizo came out completely burned -- almost like chicharrón. I understand mistakes happen, so I asked for a replacement and waited for them to correct it. Unfortunately, the replacement they brought out was also burned, dry, and not enjoyable. I appreciate restaurants that try to fix mistakes, but sending out the same issue twice was disappointing. I hope they take this feedback and improve their quality control. read more

California Taco Shop - Chorizo came completely burned. I asked for a replacement, but the second order was also burned and dry. - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Second year of stopping in for RI Food Fights Taco Mania! The Carnitas Tacos were great! Fast friendly service. We took the order to go, but would be comfortable to eat in the cute little dining room. read more

California Taco Shop - Carnitas Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

Ordered the quesabirria. It was cold and soggy when brought to the table. The Birria meat itself was cold which made me nervous to consume. First time customer and will not be back. So disappointing, not worth the $16 price tag read more

See all

Ok.. I still like this place... and, let's face it - it's mainly Mexican food (which we've had many times over and really like.) But when I saw they had fish & chips on the menu - and the menu photo looked pretty yummy - figured I'd go for it (I mean - the pics are SUPPOSED to depict the product, no?) Anyhoo... what I thought ordered (per menu/photo depiction) and what I actually received had NO resemblance. The menu pic has several nicely sized, battered portions. What I found in the take-out box when I got home (along with the refried beans that I'd asked to be substituted over the fries) were two ridiculously thin, quarter-inch slivers of heavily bread-crumbed, overdone fried fish. Basically inedible - so, sadly, they got tossed. Guess I'll just have to stick with what they're good at. read more

California Taco Shop - What I actually got - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

I love me some birria so you know I had to try it. It was pretty good. It was 10.99 for two tacos no sides which is about average. You could add sides but tacos are fattening and I'm trying to lose 8 lbs of summer fun so I passed on rice, chips and salsa. No desserts at this location which was a little disappointing but again trying to lose a few so it was fate. It was a bit of a wait for food compared to other locations. Food came out hot and delicious. I would return to this location. read more

See all

A Cali taco shop in RI.. ok, I'll bite. It was OK... certainly not the best tacos I've ever had but a decent place to stop for a quick meal. Don't be fooled or put off -- from the parking lot the place looks closed - as the windows are covered up with a film that doesn't allow you to see inside. But they were def. open. Once inside the interior is fun... super simple booths but very very colorful with decorations on the walls. Bonus points for the dope playlist that was on while we were there. Service was also great. The guy behind the counter answered all of my questions before ordering and then came to check on us during the meal... which you don't always get at a fast-food type spot. Unfortunately, for us, the food lacked. We started w/ an order of chips/salsa and guac. CTS's version of guac is more of a pureed guac sitch' rather than a chunky guac. It's not that it felt unauthentic or tasted bad... it was just sortof... ok. I guess I'm partial to the slightly chunky salsa with pico/red onion. Tacos were overstuffed ... but overstuffed with lettuce and tomato which made tasting the proteins a little difficult. Sadly I don't think the chicken was memorable.. and I added a bit of salsa to each taco. Salsa's were good! I also ordered an al pastor... but this version was not the al pastor I'm used to w/ pineapple -- this one had a different spice and no pineapple to be found, which is ok. But again the lettuce and tomato sortof overpowered the meat. read more

See all

My 2 free tacos Q from RI Food Fights finally got me to stop into this location near my neighborhood. I could order from 3 individual taco categories on the menu, all protein choices were available. I chose the soft corn tacos w/carnitas, cilanto and onion. Small but Delicious! Appreciated Garnishes were lime wedges and both spicy and cooler green hot sauces. The interior is colorful with seating options for groups and singles. Not a place to hang out but comfortable for a quick seated meal vs takeout. Service was friendly and quick. I will be back, with friends. read more

This is still the best "fast food" Mexican around. You are in and out in 45 minutes and the food is pretty good. I usually get the steak tacos with refried beans and Mexican rice. The lettuce is always fresh and the pico de gallo is fresh and good. . 2 TACO COMBO- $14.99- ALL ORDERS COME WITH RICE, BEANS, LETTUCE WITH PICO DE GALLO ON TOP. Fillings are AL PASTOR * CHORIZO * STEAK * CARNITAS * GROUND BEEF * HOMEMADE CHICKEN FLAT GRILLED CHICKEN * SHRIMP * FISH * VEGGIE The steak tacos are good, but can have too much cilantro. The refried beans are a bit runny and last time I went they had black refried beans, not pinto beans which I did not care for at all. The rice is just rice with tomato in it, but very bland and not very good. Maybe ask for 2 orders of beans? I keep meaning to try other dishes, but I don't go that often, so always end up getting the steak tacos. Each location is just a bit different, and I like the one in Johnston the best. The fried Oreos are awesome, but good once every year as they are so sweet. read more

See all

I'm from California and this is the only place I have found in New England that even compares to California taco shop Mexican food. I love coming here. The inside even has that taco shop feel. The only issue I've had is consistency. I notice, Wednesday midday for example, the food is amazing! But, on other days, the quality fails. I also see that sometimes they use pinto bean for their refried beans and then other days, they use black beans. Same for the cheese they use. It can be disappointing. It's definitely made me order less often now. It would be nice to see them come up with a consistent menu and have the cooks due the exact same recipes. read more

Nice family shop. Good food at good prices. I enjoyed Burrito Monday. Enough for leftovers.

Stopped here as part of the RI Food Fights TacoMania. This counter service, fast-food, neon graffiti decorated spot was not the type of place I'd usually stop. But, I'm glad the Food Fight brought us here! Food was fast, fresh & tasty ad brought me right back to similar taco shacks I love in southern California! I look forward to returning to try more. read more

California Taco Shop - A delicious crunchy taco - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I had the soft taco supreme with chorizo and Al pastor meat with jarritos and tostada. The tortilla was very fresh and the taco was filled with fresh cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and sour cream. The Tostada was steak served with beans, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream. I really enjoyed how crunchy the tostada shell was and it didn't crumble when you bite into it. Everything was flavorful. There is a parking lot in front, with a few spots, so it could get crowded. There are full tables and stools inside, so you can choose where to sit. Service was nice. Great variety choices on the menu. This place is very authentic Mexican food. read more

See all

Have been to a bunch of California Taco Shops and they have all been consistent. This one was very good as I had never had the shrimp tacos before and they were delicious. Service was quick and friendly. Visited due to Taco Mania from RI Food Fights, but will be returning when in the area. read more

California Taco Shop - Shrimp Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I will say a few years back California taco was one of my favorite places, but I don't know what have happened with time. They are not the same. There's food is not the same. The service is not the same. I don't know if they got lazy or I don't know, but no longer like it And will no longer will order with them read more

I used to love it here. Ordered a few tacos last night and honestly, they were HALF the size of what they used to be. Lettuce wasn't even really diced up, meat (ground beef) was tasteless & the cheese was thick and wet in some places. They were supposed to be supreme but there was zero sour cream on them. It is $3.50 for a taco and for what I got, should've been one dollar. The quality has gone downhill and I'm so disappointed. And to top it off, I asked for hot sauce & was given some type of green sauce. With Baja's, chipotle, and taco bell down the street, I'll spend my money elsewhere. read more

Figured we would venture off to someplace different for a taco today! Pretty good find! The restaurant itself was very clean, staff was very pleasant and the tacos were really good! I went with a Shrimp Taco Supreme and one of their Homemade Chicken Taco Supremes! Both were equally yummy!!! While we waited they had a complimentary Chips and Salsa station that had several salsa's and peppers to choose from. It was a very clean and well kept station! Will definitely come back again!! read more

See all

Like many of us, I am a lover of tacos. It's sad that I have trouble finding a good one at most Mexican restaurants in the area. I really didn't expect to find delicious tacos today either. Thankfully I did! Before looking at the menu I was fully expecting this to be another Chipotle-like chain. Once I saw the menu, I realized this sounded more like a legit restaurant, and it certainly is! Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, tortas, all with made to order options. I decided to try three different tacos (grilled chicken, homemade chicken, and ground beef), as well as an order of their refried beans. They have an awesome chip and salsa bar, which is a must as well! I see nothing saying how much is made in house, but I would have to say that it all is! The tortillas and chips seemed very much homemade (based on the unique style that I have enjoyed back home) and the beans were delicious as well. My favorite of the three tacos that I tried was the homemade chicken. This place is really quite impressive! I wish that there was one near Newport, I would be there daily for lunch! read more

See all

Solid tacos, can't go wrong with the food here. Stopped in for #BestTacosRI for RI Food Fights. read more

California Taco Shop - Birria Tacos, Steak Taco, Carnitas Taco, Chicken Wings, and French Fries. - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants, but I love California taco. The ladies behind the counter are awesome and the kids love reading the walls inside. We've tried just about the entire menu and I do have to say I'm in love with the taco salad in the taco bowl. The kids are picky and love coming here so it's a win for the family. read more

Terrible. The salsa tastes like pasta sauce. The guacamole was bland, super processed, probably commercially prepared and sold to the restaurant in tubs. The $20 quesadilla was lacking the queso, so I guess what I received was just a dilla. read more

California Taco Shop - $20 quesadilla with no queso - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

No more military discount and the prices increased Still good food just don't understand why they'd get rid of the Military discount.

The tacos here are good but they don't taste as authentic as other places I've been to. The meat could use a little more seasoning and there was not much of it. The price is also advertised as $1.50 each but I was charged $2.50 each. I enjoyed the steak over the chorizo. read more

California Taco Shop - Soft steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

I usually go to the central falls location but I was in Warwick so we went to their Warwick location. They have a cool outdoor seating section. It was Friday night so it was pretty busy. It looked like they only had two girls working that night and I saw a ton of tickets hanging so I'm sure they were overwhelmed. The girl who took our order was nice. I ordered the steak quesadillas which I always order and wife got Birria tacos. It took a while because it was so busy but everything came out looking good. My wife said her tacos were good my steak quesadillas were good but I noticed a difference between these ones and the ones I get at the Central Falls location their wasn't as much steak in these ones and they were falling apart they don't do that at the other location. It was an up charge for chips and salsa the other location gives them for free. Like most Mexican restaurants. I do love California taco I just like my usual location better. The other location offers dessert's none at this location. read more

See all

They've made some recent changes which are disappointing. Their birria tacos used to be the best in the city, but now they don't even fry the outsides. They've dramatically increased the price to add one taco and some side coleslaw and it's just not as good. Return to the original fried outsides, please! read more

The food was decent. I had the shrimp taco and an order of rice. Rice wasn't bad I added some salad dressing to my leftovers to give it some taste. In and out access is kind of a pain in the butt since you have to drive through a neighborhood depending on which way you are coming from post. The woman at the counter was nice, got our order in and served it right out. I ended up leaving and not dining in, but there is plenty of seats in the dining room. read more

I always get the small soft shell tacos with Steak. Always have good flavor and hot when they come out. Good sauce and chips.

We ordered a steak burrito, 3 tacos (ground beef, steak, and al pastor) steak enchiladas, chips and guacamole. Super good for munchies. I'll start off with the enchiladas, they were super ooey and cheesy! Loaded with sour cream. Only complaints, 1. The steak was super tough. I definitely wish the steak was more tender 2. The sauce tasted like it was straight from a can, could've used a little more freshness and seasoning. Next the tacos, we ordered ground beef, steak, and al pastor. They all lacked seasonings. Slightly dry and tough, but still edible with extra hot sauce. Toppings were standard lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese. Soft corn taco shell was my favorite part because they crisped the tortillas just right. The steak burrito was okay. Definitely on the dry side. Needed more sour cream, maybe some sort of hot sauce. The steak was tough and slightly dry. The rice and beans (refried) were pretty good. But once we loaded up on the hot sauce, ended up tasting pretty good. Chips were pretty good, a little on the thicker side or tortilla chips, but in a good way. Guacamole was under seasoned, it tasted like just straight mushed avocado maybe some salt and lime juice. We love avocado so we didn't mind and inhaled it. The prices were pretty cheap so I wasn't expecting much. But I wasn't disappointed either. I'd probably be back, just ask for extra sauce and sour cream and maybe for the steak to be cooked less. read more

California Taco Shop - Steak Enchiladas Ground beef Taco Steak taco Al pastor taco Chips and Guacamole Steak Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

Ordered two monster burritos and in the middle of it was this huge piece plastic wrap!!! I pulled it out with my teeth....Disgusting, pretty much threw up right there and then. How can this happen? Are we cooking the meat in plastic bags? Putting the meat in plastic bags after cooking? Cooking with plastic and dont even notice? No matter the explanation there is no excuse. I will not be coming back to this place. read more

California Taco Shop - Large piece of plastic in the of my Monster burrito. Disgusting! - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

The decor is colorful and fun and there's lots of seating inside. The counter staff is friendly and helpful with making recommendations or suggestions. The menu is massive and there are so many items to choose from (they even have three different categories of tacos; $1 tacos, regular, or supreme) and feature mash ups of some of your favorites, like an enchilada burrito and something called a quesadilla pizza, which the customer behind me ordered. That sounded awesome, and I meant to ask about it, but I didn't see it come out of the kitchen because I was too busy stuffing my face with tacos and beans and rice. You order at the counter while you wait for your food to be made, and they deliver it to your table when it is ready. While you wait, they have a complementary chip and salsa station for you to help yourself to a snack and try a variety of sauces. There are many California Taco Shop locations in RI and I've been to a few. The food is consistently good throughout, but this one was the largest and nicest one that I have been to. The location is a bit tricky to get to, since you can't drive through the intersection at Elmwood Ave and Post Road. But there's plenty of parking in the plaza if you want to park in the first available spot and walk around to enter the restaurant. read more

See all

A lunchtime staple, since I only work right down the road. With the exception of difficult parking lot access, California Taco in Warwick is an excellent place for a cheap and fresh lunch for under $10. Their burritos are plentiful (definitely over a pound) and depending on your appetite could last you two meals. The interior is no frills; a varying color palate, colorful menus and some televisions. The seating is very cafeteria style, and the floor is a dark red. Nothing sticks out, but it doesn't have to, because the food speaks for itself. Burritos are $5.99 on Mondays, and they have an everyday $1 taco deal (hard shell, meat, cheese, lettuce). If you're in a serious rush, the $1 taco is the way to go. Even on their busiest day, the wait for food is never longer than ten minutes. Their staff is a well oiled machine, and their food is incredibly consistent. read more

See all

After visiting California this past fall we have been on a search for tacos we didn't know existed. We came here with friends on a Sunday afternoon. While it certainly isn't what we were looking for in a taco it did prove to be a yummy tex mex place. The special part about this particular location is that if you dine in there is a chips and salsa bar that is unlimited. Nice appetizer while waiting for lunch. My husband got a burrito but was a little disappointed it didn't come with a few more typical burrito fillings. He knows to ask next time for them! My tacos were tasty. Overall staff was nice and the wait wasn't too long. read more

It's like being back home in San Diego!!! The chips are unbelievable. The salsa bar, fresh and tasty. Hot carrots... OMG perfect. And... the rolled tacos (chicken filled and topped with tons of shredded lettuce, avocado sauce, pico, and cheese). They make me miss home. read more

California Taco Shop - Salsa from the salsa bar, and out-of-this-world chips. - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

It's the best. The sample platter is amazing can feed up to 4 people . We really enjoyed it.

I've been coming here on a regular basis, and totally forgot to leave a review. California Taco is exactly what the name implies. Even the look of the menu is reminiscent of the Southern California Taco Shop with names like "Roberto's" or "Ortiz'" A big fan of the original tacos (cilantro, onions, lime), when ordering here it's call "Small Soft Taco." Great choices of proteins; ranging from ground beef to things like Chorizo, Carnitas and Al Pastor. Even the humble chicken is kicked up a notch here. Unlike, California taco shops in California, you won't find thing like lengua or weekend barbacoa or menudo on the menu. The "California steak" is indeed Carne Asada. I would like to see some more authentic additions to menu, but not necessary. They have several locations throughout the state, but my favorite is their Warwick Location. read more

Colorful interiors, came here for the taco fest while I was running an errand nearby. Good selection of different items. They have super tacos or the small ones. Imho, the small ones taste much better and are cheaper than the super tacos which are way too Americanized (you end up tasting way too much sour cream than the meat itself). For 1.50$ the small tacos are pretty good. Service was Aok, could be better as they somewhat messed up my order. Decent experience overall. read more

Food was really good and not too expensive. I ordered the Nachos and they were really good.

This little taco shop definitely reminds me of San Diego! Carne asada fries and California burrito available in RI!? What!!!! The food is great and the atmosphere is awesome. Upon entering you feel like you're in a taqueria. Bright colors everywhere. A salsa bar with chips and pickled jalapeños and carrots are a win win on my book. The menu has so many varieties of yummy Mexican food that I'll need to come back a couple of times before I try everything! Military discount is available as well! Definitely driving from Newport to Warwick for delicious tacos and burritos!! read more

California Taco Shop - Salsa bar - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

See all

Came here for R.I. food fights Taco edition and was quite impressed with this small place! We got the chicken supreme tacos!! Man were they yummy! My husband thinks the shrimp tacos were better but I disagree!! We grabbed a can of soda to accompany the meal! Seemed like they had a tortilla chip bar going on which is pretty awesome! Service was perfect, the girls were super friendly and we can't wait to come back for a burrito night!! read more

California Taco Shop - Mexican Near Me - Warwick, Rhode Island

The staff here is always so friendly which is a positive. I lobe the fried Oreos! Portion sizes are big. But I haven't loved some of the food. I got tacos and the lettuce wilted and have an odd taste. Then I just gave nachos a try today they were nice thick chips however and they were stale. So stale they literally hurt my jaw trying to eat them. I may try something else as their chicken is good but I'm going to skip the nachos and regular tacos. read more