I love me some good ol' El Forastero. I feel because hook to their food about 15 yrs ago even I would go to their Folsom blvd location since it's 24 hrs. I'm happy that they have a Location in Carmichael less than 2 miles from me when I get the craving. My favorite food to get here are the cheese enchiladas, queso Birria tacos, Shrimp tostadas and the menudo. I've never been inside I've always order from the drive thru. The service is fast and the staff is very polite. You can dine in and they have a salsa bar inside as well. The food is always on point and they also have daily specials. read more

El Forastero - Menudo - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

Today I ordered crispy chicken tacos, and a torta ... The crispy chicken tacos were perfect as usual crispy and filled with flavorful chicken meat and all of the salsa to go with them... The tortoise was filled with meat Carnitas had fresh lettuce mayo and cheese.... The only thing that could've made the tortoise better was if the bread was toasted, everything was flavorful and hot. This taco place I never am disappointed and it seems like everybody is friendly and helpful and the service is fast. I would take a picture but I've ate all my tacos! Pricing for four crispy chicken tacos and a tortoise and a large Jamaica was $34.... Thank you for the amazing food! read more

Not a bad place to catch a bite. The place was clean and empty, and this was during lunchtime. Food came out fast and the server was nice. Again, it wasn't bad, but I can't say it was the best I've ever had. 4 carne asada tacos, a side of beans and a Jamaica was $25, so the price was okay. read more

El Forastero - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

Here is my two cents on the food and a little bit of chatter I've got a chile relleno platter plus a side of chile relleno., Adobada ( marinated pork ) Super burrito Plus, a pork torta. I thought the chili relleno was outstanding, a large chile rice, beans, lettuce with what I believe was some sour cream.. compared to other restaurants, the chili was large. The super burrito. was impressive it being very large as seen & measured in the photograph... Oh, but the biggest and only disappointment was with the pork torta. If you look at the photograph, you can see that they had actually burnt the button on the charger. I was too lazy to actually walk back to ask for a replacement, but I had eatit later of the day and it held up by being toasted too much. Overall, I find this so far to be the best Mexican fast food place. I hope they keep up the work. read more

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El Forestero, my go-to for a hefty Bean & Cheese Burrito. I add sour cream and get plenty of their green salsa. So good!! read more

El Forastero - Bean & Cheese Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

Poor service from the drive through staff. The girl in the drive through has a rude tone, short with questions, overall bad attitude.

We used to love their #24 breakfast burritos but the last 3 times we've ordered from them, we've noticed their portions continuously get smaller and smaller. They are basically becoming all tortilla and for $16 each? In this economy? They can't even honor a request for 6 green salsas only? Spent $32 for two too small burritos and 4 salsas. Sad to say they've lost me as a customer and I will not make be making this mistake again or ordering from them again. read more

El Forastero - 24. Bacon, Potatoes, Eggs & Cheese Breakfast Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

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This is a pleasant little suburban taquiera in the heart of the Carmichael that features Tex-Mex standards. You'll see the instantly familiar painted adobe brick exterior and front street facing arched windows and long for the 90's and half expect to see a bright red Toyota MR2 pulling in the drive, and inside the hard plastic booths and gray with pastel piping table tops will have you thinking maybe you should peg your jeans. Am I at Taco Bell?? But that's where nostalgia stops and El Forastero begins; the food is good, somewhat large, and damn, this is one clean restaurant, well above what I normally see among their peers. The free chips are excellent, thick and crunchy, and the salsas are fresh and flavorful, the salsa bar always clean and well stocked. The pico de gallo, while it doesn't have peppers in it (as most places don't), is elite; ripe tomatoes, crisp diced white onions, and tons of cilantro add a punch of brightness to the heavy Tex-Mex, important to know for both cilantro lovers and haters. The fountain drinks are run-of-the-mill, but I appreciate there is always ice bc the machine is clean, not sticky, and the floor isn't sticky either. The carne asada tacos have quite a bit of meat and the corn tortillas hold together to the last bite, and there's enough guacamole on the tacos to share or dip your chips in. The bean burrito is good, sized right, and the cheese melts through, which is nice. The asada is slightly underseasoned, so if you like salt, grab a packet. The star for me on this visit, though, was the beef tostada. It featured a nice thick layer of beans and the perfect amount of lettuce, meat, and cheese to be there, but bot not be a mess. (If you love tostadas, you know ). The fried tortilla held its shape, stayed crisp, and never cracked. They provide a backup tostada shell too, fantastic if you're ordering takeout and need to slide it underneath when you get home. Room for improvement: --The staff is efficient and competent but not warm and outgoing, but your needs will be met just fine. --The chairs at the tables desperately need new leg floor protectors/slides. The sound of metal screeching against the tile floor is really horrible and loud enough to stop conversations. Pro tips: --If you have a tender tongue or tummy, the salsas are very hot. Stick to the green, it's the mildest and the most flavorful. --If you're not looking to cool down the spiciness of your food with sour cream, don't pay extra for it, use the free Salsa Blanca. --They tend to close the salsa bar to the dining room a bit early, well before close, so if chips and salsas are your kink, know they shut that station down early, often by 9pm, though they will get the items for you as needed. This is a good, clean little place to get your budget Mexican food craving satisfied, a fair value for the dollar, and everything Adalberto's down the street used to be! read more

El Forastero - Beef Tostada that I added some pico and Salsa Blanca to...sooo good! - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

Don't add guacamole to your order because they will charge you for it and then not put it in your food. This happens to me about 50% of the time I go there. read more

Food is great. Budget friendly. Their customer service is amazing. Instead of drive in, if you go in person, you get free salsa and chips, which is worth it. Calm atmosphere inside. It's a good place to catch yourself a break and enjoy the meal here. read more

Both stars are because my husband likes their tacos and I like their hot sauce/salsa. However, I got a veggie burrito here for $10.78 and it was only rice, pinto beans, and pico de gallo. For $10.78.... No guacamole, no sour cream, no cheese. Ridiculous. Just go down the street to Adalbertos if you want a decent veggie burrito. read more

The food is always hot and fresh! I never have to wait long and the staff....omg the staff is what keeps me coming back! They are always accurate!!! The ladies at the counter are sweet and accommodating. Making sure to ask about extra salsa, napkins and ice for my drink! ( I like lots of cold ice). Thank You everyone who works here read more

This place is amazing! I always get their mini tacos with Lengua...yum! It has a drive thru which is the best part. They have red and green salsa (red hot and green mild) and it's a must for all of the items. So good! The customer service could be better. The employees aren't the friendliest read more

Had my spouse pick up a steak and egg burrito this morning, it was very tasty and I Was almost finished when I found a shiny silvery strand inside. Looks like a strand from a scouring pad. I have been a client of this location for many years without any issues, this is a first. read more

El Forastero - Steak and egg burrito, with a diver strand of inedible material. Looks like part of a scouring pad. - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

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I ordered a quesadilla for 15 dollars. No sour cream. Drove 15 minutes back to restaurant to grab some sour cream. Employee was very rude and claimed "that's how they do it". I have NEVER had a quesadilla without a side of sour cream in Northern California. Do not recommend. read more

Food was good and so was service. I'm homeless in the area so they always give me free water and free utensils so I also think that's pretty cool of them. The store is overall a good place to eat and sit down to enjoy food. read more

Hire nicer people. The short lady that was working the counter was extremely rude. Ordered food and received it in a bag. Asked if I could eat it here and she rudely said "No! That's why it's in a to go bag!" I asked if they were closing and she said yeah! It's in a bag. I have been coming here for many years and it never closed at 9:30, ever. Go to Baldos down Walnut! They're not as rude and open 24 hours. read more

service is always fast and helpful. associates are always willing to answer any questions I have about their products. I always get their carne asada fries, and they always come out amazing. definitely suggest the red salsa with that. perfect for a craving fix. read more

This evening for dinner my mother and I ordered from their 24-hour drive-through. I ordered a California Burrito, if you haven't had one before well then you're missing out! Authentic or not, this San-Diego staple is packed full with french fries, steak, cheese and Pico de gallo and incredibly delicious! The steak could be more flavorful, but nonetheless it was still a good solid burrito overall. Pour a generous spread of their hot sauce and don't look back, so good! To drink I had a Horchata, I personally love this Mexican Rice Milk drink and you could really taste the cinnamon and pure sweet vanilla in each sip! I would recommend this location, my mom mentioned the staff were both friendly and helpful and our food was both hot and fresh! I'll be back to try more from their menu, TGIF, have a great weekend! read more

El Forastero - Horchata~ I personally love this Mexican Rice Milk Drink & you could really taste the cinnamon and pure sweet vanilla in each sip!! - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

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Order: 4 mini tacos 1 mexi bowl no beans 1 carne asada fries 3 rolled tacos 1 chile relleno $54.00 Long time customer unfortunately no more. Picked up dinner after work. Went home changed came out to eat my food with the family and was missing my daughter's carne asada fries. My mexibowl (I thought at the time was ok and would reheat fine) but the other food would not reheat very well. I had hoped they would understand that when you order food you'd like it to be a good temperature and eat with the people you bought for. I returned back and let them know I was missing my carne asada fries and showed my receipt. I asked that they remake my other items ( minus the mexibowl) since that wouldn't reheat well. Maria the person who originally packed my order told me she could make me the carne asada fries ,I agreed and asked to have my other items remade so they could be fresh. Maria said she couldn't do that because nothing was wrong with the food. I said well it's cold now and won't reheat well. She disagreed. She said we only messed up on the fries and everything else was given to me hot. But who wants to eat cold/reheated food by themselves ? Let alone have to drive back to fix the mistake they caused? I didn't cause this to happen!they did by messing up my order. I paid to have all my food at a decent temperature to eat and that was no longer possible because of Maria's mistake not doing her job and correctly packing the order. We went back and forth and I was respectful only trying to ask her to understand why I was asking for it to be remade but she wanted to be right no matter what even if wrong. I've had Items have been missed before and never asked for my order to be remade. I've been going here for years, my kids grew up on their food. I get pozole on weekends during sports season, burritos for lunch on my way to work, taco Tuesday and Sundays and not just the specials In Addition to miscellaneous other days. I could understand if I was not a regular and possible scammer but she even acknowledged that I was a long time customer. Maybe I'm wrong but would've thought with my long time reputation would've have been worth the fix for a mistake they made. It wasn't. Told me everything I need to know. They don't care about their customers who have supported them, recommend them, drive out of their way passed other options to give them my business. I won't return and I will go out of my way to not recommend them and give others restaurants business. And the mexi bowl I ordered with no beans was wrong it had beans. I had to go back again and asked for my money back since Maria said nothing wrong now she could give me my money back since it was incorrect. Maybe I'm wrong but I didn't think it was much to ask. Still had to go back home and reheat all my food ,this is after going to another taqueria and getting a mexibowl the right way and carne asada fries ,actually given to me. They really ruined my night and I'm disappointed the way I was treated. I'd recommend any corner taco street vendor over them. They would appreciate their customers more. Good job Maria and El forastero you really know how to treat good customers. read more

Not all locations are equal. This location is awful. I keep giving this location the benefit of the doubt due to its proximity from my work to home. They somehow misunderstand my order over 50% of the time. It's usually the same thing, adding dairy for a non dairy item. No big deal. This time it was a completely different item from what I've ordered. This was the last straw for me to end up writing a review on yelp that I don't normally do. I wanted to raise hell but seeing the luxury vehicles that the workers park in the lot makes me think, I'll end up waking up with a horses head next to me. No thank you! The positive (if you call it that) is that they offered up a refund right away. Yes, thank you as I don't trust you to do a simple task. I'd give it a zero but Yelp asks for a star read more

Service is good and professional. Great menu selection with decent prices. Drive thru is clean.

Great food and even better service. I live two blocks away and when I order online, and immediately drive over to pick it up, it's ready every time. read more

We love their pastor super nachos, and the fact that they have a drive through. We try to patronize local, small businesses, which I assume this is. read more

I decided to try this place a couple times since I live close by. The first time I ordered carne asada super nachos at the drive through. The price was higher then Adalberto's and when I was handed my food it felt really light. When I got it home I was really disappointed. Usually an order of super nachos is enough for my husband and me to share and be satisfied but these nachos barely had any toppings and the chips were very stale. I decided to try them a few months later and ordered the veggie burrito. Again the price was higher and the burrito wasn't what I expected. It didn't even have any lettuce in it. I will just keep going to Adalberto's on Fair Oaks and Manzanita. They load their plates, their food tastes better, and it's slightly cheaper. read more

Food is good, the problem is they never update their website so when you get there the prices are totally different. Plus they don't tell you that they charge for using a debit card until after you pay and ask them about the charge. Like I said, food is OK but they need to be more upfront about their prices. A difference of 3 to 4 dollars per item is ridiculous. read more

Service is terrible, the lady was super rude. Rushing my order. Not only that food was terrible and I asked/PAYED for extra sour cream on all burritos and tacos. They only added some to the tacos not the burritos. Spent 97$ purchased 3 California burritos, Carne asada fries and 1order of 5 rolled tacos. read more

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I like el foresto, I eat here often and it's usually a good choice for Mexican food especially late night. Tonight I came here and no one was wearing gloves and they were all handling money and then touching the food, drinks and the salsa. It seemed like no one cared. The lady in the front was counting small bills with no gloves, as well as taking handling food orders. The man who handed us our order went straight from the cash register and cash to grabbing our food and salsa. I'm not looking to nitpick but it's common sense that money is filthy and unsanitary. Laboratory Studies have shown money contains traces of drugs and even bio hazardous fecal material and don't forget Covid-19. Something to consider if you're considering this establishment. No gloves at all or consideration. read more

THIS SUCKS!!! But they are mixing cheap beef with the LENGUA, AKA BEEF TONGUE! SO BE AWARE THAT IF YOU ASK FOR LENGUA ANYTHING, you aren't getting what you paid for it I understand the inflation and that beef tongue is super expensive now But don't try to lie to us That's not right. read more

Birria burrito!!! I crave this thing - food is great, staff is friendly. Haven't been disappointed yet! Cute little establishment and love the long hours - thank you to your staff and cooks. Great value for the money read more

This is a great place, real authentic Mexican food, very big fan! Great pozole, friendly service, good prices. Highly recommend! read more

Their shredded chicken burrito bowls are really good. Carne asada burrito is decent/good if you are in the mood. Their bean and cheese burrito can be good but sometimes the cheese isn't fully melted and it's just ok. Workers are friendly and no issue getting food at any hour. read more

We love their food. Their breakfast burrito with the chorizo is very good and we also get the breakfast burrito with the steak and with the green sauce on the side. The restaurant is very very good and the food is excellent so give them a try I give them a five stars. read more

Great place, so close and love that it has a stop light. Have enjoyed many a take out dinner from El Forastero especially during covid. The drive thru is excellent. Fast and friendly. I have however taken a liking to their been and cheese burrito with green sauce as a breakfast treat and I am so happy! Hits the spot. I was missing the breakfast food trucks in LA and this place filled the bill! read more

There food is garbage ! Ordered carne asada fries. DISGUSTING !! They don't even add sour cream to this order. And the cashier can't even understand the difference between a half order from a full order. Go to Alberto's off In Dewey they'll serve you better and give you an actual carne asada fries order. read more

El Forastero - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

No gloves, handling money and my food. The lady was mad rude. Would cut me off and close the window on me when I had asked for anything. The food was amazing though lol. Got the birria tacos. read more

My wife who is Hispanic was giving this place a second chance and was highly disappointed in these fries they tasted like they where fried in day old oil smh read more

El Forastero - Carne asada fries - Mexican Near Me - Carmichael, California

Great little Mexican food chain. Great deal on tacos on Sundays. Standard choices, good-to-fair prices. Agua frescas and horchata. Fast drive-through. Not sure if they have beer. Yelper tip: A standard carnitas burrito comes with about a pound of meat on it. You can split it or save half for later. read more

Three times I have gone in to order the Pollo asado burrito with guacamole and pico de gallo. All three times I have gotten something completely different than what I've ordered. This place used to be awesome but not so much anymore I think the third time was the last time I will be there. read more

Food is consistently good that's why I am a repeat customer unlike other Mexican restaurants or Taqueria Quality is not the same when I go back read more