Great casual spot in fair oaks! I've been here a couple of times and finally getting around to reviewing it. For lunch it's a walk up and order type of service and the food comes out incredibly quick! For dinner, if I remember correctly it's more of a sit down and they'll come to you service. Either way it's always great service. I got their two crunchy taco plate which is plenty of food and really yummy! They have a self service chip and salsa bar which is always my favorite. I recommend coming by and trying this place out! read more

El Balcon Taqueria - 7. Two Hard Shell Tacos Combo Plate - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

I am no stranger to "El Balcon Taqueria" as I have been consistently eating at their original location (at Madison Ave/Manzanita Ave) dating back to 2019. However, this is my first time trying out their Fair Oaks location. Coincidentally, this restaurant is also on Madison Ave but roughly 4 miles east and adjacent to Fair Oaks Blvd. Located in a small strip-mall, this place neighbors other family owned-and-operated businesses that include "Fabian's Italian Bistro" and "Moth Hole Consignment Boutique". And to those of you locals that remember, this is actually where "El Gallo Mexican Restaurant" once stood from 2018-2024. I came here with my lady during the evening of Tuesday 6/24/2025 at around 6:00pm. The parking lot was packed with cars which I am assuming was a blend of El Balcon and Fabian's customers among others. One thing that really caught my attention was the generous outdoor patio as their Manzanita location does not offer. However, the big picture is on the inside of this place. First of all, it is way more spacious and secondly, they offer a full bar with some amazing top-shelf tequilas. The dining area itself has a main room but also an additional dining room with a ton of seating. Menu options are quite similar to their other location and I've got to say, they offer a huge variety of everything; tacos, burritos, enchiladas, seafood, and much more. They even offer a standard non-Mexican breakfast entree menu served daily from 9am-2pm. During our visit, we took full advantage of their "Happy Hour" special. And since it was a Tuesday, what better way to make the week better than tacos? I ordered two "Carnitas" tacos and one "Pollo" taco. Best of all, these were only $1.75/ea (as of summer 2025). The salsa bar is also very impressive with a huge variety of mid/hot salsas, jalapeños, radishes, limes, and fresh tortilla chips. Once placing our orders, our food arrives in a quick 5 minutes. And as you can see from the photo, they did not disappoint. Surprisingly, the real winner here was their red salsa as it offered the perfect balance of tangy and spicy. Both tacos were cooked to perfection as the seasoning on both the carnitas and pollo tacos tasted amazingly delicious. Even the owner/manager came over to our table to make sure we were enjoying our food. He was also full of enthusiasm and positive energy which showed how much he genuinely cared for his business and its customers. All in all, the Fair Oaks "El Balcon Taqueria" earns a unanimous five-star rating in my book. The amazingly affordable prices, top-notch customer service, convenient location, and delicious Mexican food earn all high notes from me. Best of all, they are open seven days a week from 9am-9pm. Come hungry and if you wish to partake in a cerveza or well drink, they will have you covered! read more

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We checked out El Balcon Taqueria for lunch on Saturday for the first time while in the area. The inside was pretty big with a nice large bar as the focal point of the whole place. We ordered the Chorizo Breakfast Burrito and Chicken Super Nachos. My nachos were nothing special, but I'd still want to come back and try some other items and give them another chance. My husband really liked his burrito - he raved about the chorizo. They offered a salsa bar and chips. They also offered a pretty big menu as well as a separate breakfast menu with more Americanized items like pancakes and waffles. Staff were friendly, but they did forgot to bring my daughter's orange juice, no big deal though - it happens! We'll stop by again next time we're in the area! Check them out! read more

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The service was good , the place is cool , the food was ok , a bit bland for Mexican food. Would I eat here again? Maybe .... read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

Went to have dinner with my roomie and the menu had a lot of options. When you walk in at the front you make your order and pay then they bring you the food and drinks. We got our food in less than 5 minutes! We were both very impressed. While we were there they had karaoke night set up! There were a lot of Mexican songs and I couldn't understand but they were great and I was even brave enough to do pink pony club! #thankspublicspeaking101 I would go here again! read more

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Homemade tortillas! Their Molcajete was huge! I think it was solid. Not too flavorful but still okay. The sausage was hard and flavorless and the sauce was inadequate. However, the food came out almost instantly which was surprising! I enjoyed the leftovers more! Staff is friendly and their salsa choices are satisfactory. read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

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Good mexican food if you're in the area with lots of menu options! We got carnitas & asada reg tacos, which were really good! the meat is very flavorful and not dry also got a tostada, which was decent, it needed more meat on it and less sour cream (which will ask for next time). but it was still tasty! Love how they have a chip & salsa bar! different options of salsa and other toppings. service was nice as well. pretty decent sized place and lots of parking available in the lot. read more

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Oh my goodness. What a wonderful experience! The restaurant is clean and spacious. The salsa bar is amazing. The workers are wonderful. The beer is freezing cold, the margarita was yummy! The food is delicious and tastes fresh!! We ordered two fish tacos, carne asada taco, shrimp taco and fries. Omgoodness. I cannot express how delicious this place was and how great the servers are. I can't wait to go back! read more

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We went to the second location of El Balcon. This a fast casual restaurant. You walk inside and order at the counter, then sit down with your number. The tables are nothing fancy but comfortable. At around Friday at 7 a guitarist began to stroll around. Our food arrived timely and all together. The chips were light and salsa bar had many choices. The combo plates are so big! I ordered a chile relleno and flauta combo plate, I only could eat half. The relleno was large and cheesy. The beans were creamy and rice flavorful. The camarones were flavorful. We are excited to have a good Mexican restaurant near us. We will return! read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Large inside dining room. - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

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So I have been here before but the name has changed they used to be called El Gallo. There was a change in ownership. Now on to the good stuff. The service is still just as excellent everyone is very friendly. They did add a chip bar that wasn't there previously. And i LOVE ME SOME CHIPS AND SALSA! I love the thick chips and man their salsa is on point flavor wise!!! For those that don't like a lot of spice this is perfect but for people like me I asked for something more spicy and they did not disappoint!! My server came out with a habanero lime salsa that I added to the red salsa and it was perfect!!! They also had a chipotle sauce that normally goes in their pozole and I added it to their mild salsa and again perfection!!! I ordered a strawberry margarita which tastes amazing a little on the sweet side but very refreshing. They have an extensive bar with dang near every alcohol you can think of as well as a nice selection of beers. Unfortunately I wasn't hungry enough to order an actual meal but I will definitely be back cuz ima need to try everything on the menu!!! read more

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Twelve of us had dinners here last night. We had loved El Gallo and were sad to see it go. We wanted to try El Balcon. I had called the day before for reservations for us. We arrived at 5:30 and they set up a table for us in a side room. We were the only ones in that room so it was. Lupita was wonderful, she took our orders rather than having all of us go up and order from the menu board. We were served baskets of chips and four contains for dipping ( 2 salsas, a creamy white sauce, and some kind of slaw). There were so many food choices and every thing we tried was delicious , everyone commented on how good theirs was and the portions are large. I had a super burrito, cut it in half and had the rest for lunch today. Drinks were surprisingly inexpensive. My husband had a large (looked more like a small pitcher - 32 oz maybe) of Modelo Especial on tap and it was only $6.00!!! Margaritas got rave reviews too. We will definitely be back and have been telling our friends! read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Fish taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

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Yesterday I took my kids here because this place was recommended to me by a friend. I ordered my daughter the ham and cheese omelet, my son got the strawberry pancakes with bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs. I got a combo plate which consisted of a chicken enchilada, shredded beef taco, rice and beans. They brought me my food first, and about 5 minutes later they brought my son his food, but nothing for my daughter. They told me that they forgot to cook her order. When I asked how long it would take and told my daughter, she was upset and said that she didnt want to wait, and that she would just eat some of our food. My son seemed to like his food, except for the scrambled eggs. He said that they were yucky. When my daughter tried them, she said the same thing. So, I made her a plate with some of my food. But is wasn't long until she tried a bite of everything on my plate and said that it was disgusting. That's pretty bad when my daughter who is 7, and LOVES Mexican food doesn't like it. I had to agree with her though. My food SUCKED!! The meat in both items was completely dry and flavorless. The so called enchilada sauce looked and tasted like it came out of a can. It was absolutely disgusting. The rice was dry, hard and flavorless. The beans was pretty much the same way, like it came out of a can. The guacamole was off colored and tasted like puke. To say that I was disappointed is a complete understatement, and absolutely the WORST Mexican food that I have ever put in my mouth. This place does a disservice to the hispanic culture. I can't believe that I paid almost $50 for absolute GARBAGE! If I were you, I would steer clear of this disgusting place! read more

The kids quesadilla add carnitas is my absolute favorite simple meal for when I don't know what to eat. The staff here is absolutely amazing and treats us like family. It's always super clean and I've never had any cleanliness concerns at all (and I have contamination OCD like crazy)! It's my dad's favorite lunch place and he goes almost every day. Please give it a try and support some amazing people :) read more

Berenice is amazing! She's very friendly and offers great service. Food is good too! Taco Tuesdays

Having moved to SacTown just 2.5 years ago from SoCal we are looking to find our new, GO-TO Mexican food restaurant. We had a great one down there that we ate at for more than 30 years - the food was THAT GOOD! Unfortunately, we have not been lucky here so far. We enjoy eating (and drinking) at KORK - The restaurant right next store to this restaurant. We walked by one day and saw the food on plates and thought, "Wow - food looks good, let's give this place a try." So one day we did. We came in and it just so happened to be Happy Hour. You can't ask for much more than that. The beer was very cold. The service was great. We walked in and were greeted by a nice gentleman by the name of EVER. He took our drink order and told us to help ourselves to chips and salsa and he'd be back with our beers. So the chips and salsa are good. We ordered our food and coincidentally had basically the same thing. Two Crispy Tacos. Wifey had them a la Carte and I had the "Plato" with rice and beans. The tacos came with sour cream and I saw that but just did not ask to remove it. The tacos were essentially covered in sour cream. It was a mess. And the shells were so crispy they crumbled and fell apart while I ate them. My hands and fingers were covered. So The flavor was okay - but not Mexican seasoning - just kind of bland - which is how we have found it at most of the Mexican restaurants we've tried. The menu for happy hour seems to have more American Food than Mexican food. The Breakfast menu follows the same format. The ambiance is nice. There's an energetic atmosphere and the staff is very nice and helpful. There were plenty of patrons in the place, so obviously they're doing something right and that's great. Service and Ambiance are great. But this is not our GO-TO place. read more

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Everything is phenomenal, no other words need to be uttered. Food, service, atmosphere all wonderful.

Recently opened Easter 2024!! Beautifully appointed interior and spacious, comfortable dining seating in and outside! El Balcon serves breakfast all day, has an extensive menu and Happy Hour M-Friday from 3-7 pm. Joycee, our cashier, server and hostess was so personable and welcoming! There is a well stocked, attractive bar as well as two separate dining areas for more intimate dining choice.The self serve unlimited fresh salsa bar was well stocked and our entrees were hot, delicious and generous with 4 tortillas . We will be back!! read more

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Wow one of the WORST Mexican food meals I've had in a while. Chipotle is better. First, the girl at the register got our order wrong twice and didn't charge us happy hour prices for our drinks. Then my order came out before our drinks were even delivered. Plus the margaritas were blah. Finally the food was just awful! My enchiladas were bland and barren. The guacamole was runny and bland. The rice and beans were actually awful too! I can't remember such a bad meal at a local restaurant. Not even counting a sterile atmosphere, we all ate what we could stomach and bailed out as quickly as possible. Definitely avoid this place, there are many better restaurants in the area to spend your money. read more

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a Mexican meal this much. The vibe was really good, but the bar does get boisterous! There is another wing for quieter dining. I asked the server to choose the three best tacos, and the chicken, al pastor, and carnitas were equally delicious. The chips and salsa bar are excellent, and they have a lot of food options. Already made plans to go back for pozole and aguachiles in the future, plus some taco Tuesdays or Thursdays! Margaritas were solid too. We finished by getting serenaded by two lovely mariachi fellows. I honestly can't recall a better night out for Mexican food. read more

Stopped here for dinner after visiting Black Miners Bar today (it's Tuesday) and they had chicken and carnitas tacos for $1.75! I got 7 tacos and it came out to $17. One was a fish taco. Could not believe it. Tipped 25% just because the guy was so cool, telling me all the specials. Will definitely be coming back :) read more

Stopped by for first time, had a drink, shrimp taco and some chips. Everything was good. I wish the bar was bigger. It was fine, but i feel like something is missing ?? I cant explain it. It is not a bad place Food, drinks, bartender all good. I was looking for someplace to hang out. I will try again. read more

Maybe he's the host or maybe he's one of the owners but the guy who greets you at the door in the afternoon and early evening is super cool. Very friendly great conversationalist adds to the dining experience. We had two gentlemen come in playing guitars and for a few dollars they serenaded my wife and I which was actually really nice. They have lots of tequila lots of beer to choose from. I've been here several times to meet my friends for a couple buckets of beer. I recommend it for sure read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

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We really enjoyed this place. The salsa bar is legit. They've got limes, salsa, taco sauces, jalapeño sour cream, pickled onions/jalapenos, avocado salsa, and a very yummy jalapeño coleslaw! Legit. The corn tortillas for the fish and shrimp tacos have such good flavor. This tortilla is different than the regular taco. It's way bigger and different color. It almost looks like a flour tortilla but it tastes like corn. The servers are so friendly and make the experience feel like you're welcomed there. The tacos were full of flavor and I had no complaints. I will definitely be coming back here. The place is huge, and the tables are very well spaced a part. There are also like 5 table and chair sets outside, which will be so nice in the fall type of weather. They also have a FULL BAR. So they serve legit margaritas with tequila, and not your typical wine margarita. Legit. read more

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Do not, I repeat do not go inthe door. Turn around and go over to Dell's pizza in the same parking lot. It's incredible food and a great vibe. I was so excited to eat here as the old restaurant was absolutely incredible. Trust me nothing is the same . I ordered Margarita on the rocks and received it blended With no alcohol. If you like margaritas, you know how they are fairly consistent. This was so horrible. The beans and rice were tasteless while my tamales were pure masa with maybe a tablespoon of meat. I asked for no sour cream and I got sour cream. We had to repeatedly remind her server for refills on water and iced tea. so bad. My husband's plate was OK but like mine everything was tasteless. Do people not understand the word spice anymore? If you order a regular taco CAUTION it is a micro street taco with meat and salsa. I guess there are some places you can never go back. read more

El Balcon Taqueria - 2 Tamale plate with added regular taco - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

Prices were standard. Loved that there was plenty of seating. Horchata was delicious. Service was pretty quick. Food was pretty bland and the salsas were not spicy at all. Burritos did not come with salsa, probably because of the salsa bar. However the salsas from the salsa bar did not add much flavor to the burrito. Also the burrito supremes were supposed to come with guac and cheese but we did not taste that at all. Overall we were not satisfied by the food but it was very filling. read more

Love the margarine tacos. Soo good! The atmosphere is super fun and the waiter and waitress are nice and friendly.

instantly a great vibe. i came in to check it out and ended up eating and drinking at the bar. Maya was perfect. Felt like she was my friend. I got steak tacos and they were really good. i will be back and bring the family next time. read more

Best carne asada burrito and best margarita around! Mario, the manager/bartender, always makes me feel right at home and he also developed their new house margarita using only fresh ingredients and no fake BS. Highly recommend!! read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Super burrito & enchilada plate + amazing salsa bar! (Margarita forthcoming). - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

Wife & I tried this place on a Sunday for an esrly dinner. The bar was busy...the dining area only had one couple eating. We ordered at tge counter...one combo taco/enchilada plate $18+ & one super burrito..$10+.. they charge 3% for using a card. chips and salsa complimentary...good salsa! The food came out promptly...burrito was small, but my wife said it was good. The taco was a small street taco..it was good. Beans & rice were very good... the cheese enchilada was really quite awful. Not only was it extremely small & thin...it as lukewarm & hard as a rock. Definately not fresh...tasted like a micowave warmed up leftover...did I mention it was small? Overall...the place was nice but too expensive for what you get...& the enchilafa was terrible. Time to try somewhere else.. read more

Went out to eat and found this place. All the food was delicious and the staff was very friendly. My wife had a awesome michellada. Everything hit the spot. The live music was a very nice surprise. read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Birria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

We're big fans! Mario is our favorite and you can't beat the Taco Tuesday or Happy Hour specials!

Very good food! I liked their salsa bar and homemade chips. You can tell salsa was homemade too! I ordered a taco and enchilada plate. Very tasty! The manager Mario was very friendly and helpful. I will definitely go again! read more

Upon arrival we decided to sit at the bar, have drinks and dinner. The bartender was kind and attentive. Ordered our food, carne asada plate and a enchilada/flauta combo plate. When the asada plate came out I'm not joking when I say the meat looked like flash seared pieces of paper. Shocking, nondescript unseasoned pieces of "meat". Not anticipating a cut of prime steak but holy hell this was bizarre they would send this "meat" out. The enchilada on the other plate ordered was delicious, but the flautas were small taquitos that left more to be desired. Flauta, fried flour tortilla filled with meat, we received a fried corn tortilla with sparse meat.... Taquito. Would come back for a drink or two at the bar to catch a game on the TVs, but will forgo ordering food. read more

Food here is always flavorful and very tasty! Service is always excellent and I love the casual dining ambiance. Tried their piña colada and a melon margarita tonight with a chamoy rim. A must have! Can't wait to come back for another round!!! read more

El Balcon Taqueria - Melon margarita with a chamoy rim - Mexican Near Me - Fair Oaks, California

Stopped in a for quick breakfast burrito a while ago, instantly knew we had to come back and try other menu options. Second time in tonight exceeded expectations. Taco Tuesday prices amazing, happy hour food and drinks till 7pm. Gentleman running cashier made for a wonderful, fun experience and environment. Wife loved the fish tacos. Definitely coming back read more

Went there on a Friday night with my daughter - Food was great and the prices were ok. Waitress were friendly and kept checking on us. All in all not a bad experience at all. My only gripe was there was no ice for water. read more

My family and I come here frequently. I haven't had a bad thing here. We love the chile relleno burritos and the plates come with generous portions of rice and beans. read more

Tried a burrito earlier in the week & came back for breakfast & a mimosa this morning. The salsa bar is great, the habanero salsa they have in the back is great. Service has been wonderful. We shall be back again for sure. read more

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The first time I went to Balcon at the Fair Oaks location, I expected it to be similar to the restaurant that was there before...El Gallo. After I got over those expectations, and realized it's a taqueria...with a fast food type organization to it. It's nice that it has less expensive items on the menu but still has a full bar. There isn't your restaurant type table service and you pay for your food in advance at a counter and your drinks at the bar. The food is pretty good for fast food. If you're looking for Mexican food with a comfortable place to sit and alcohol, give it a try. read more

Very disappointed! Atmosphere and lighting was bad. No waitress taking your order, we had to order at a counter near the entrance. Maybe it was a language thing, but placing the order was challenging. We inquired about some drinks and the lady couldn't tell us about the ingredients. Are the garlic shrimp spicy? She had to ask someone else. We thought we ordered two shrimp dishes, but they only put down one. No extra cutlery, just dumped the food on our table. Food arrived (too) quick. Refried beans were super greasy and just plain awful. Husband's enchiladas were bland. Salsa, guacamole were bland and watery. We arrived before 7pm and should have been charged Happy Hour prices for margarita and beer - but those prices were not honored. Requested 16 oz beer and received 24oz. Margarita (only one flavor and on the rocks, not blended) was really small and blah. All in all: Service, ambience, drinks and food subpar- we will definitely not be back! read more