My wife and I spent a couple of nights in Petaluma last weekend for a memorial service and spending time with family. We drove from south Orange County early, so we arrived at our hotel very tired and a bit hungry. We decided Mexican food would be a good fit, and El Gallo was a short walk across the parking lot from the hotel. Walking in, we found a very small, hole-in-the-wall room with a few tables on the left and an open kitchen on the right. It smelled wonderful, and the man behind the counter (who also cooked our meal), asked if it was sit-down or to-go as we entered. He handed us menus and told us to sit anywhere. We both sat and faced their TV since team USA was about to begin their World Cup opener in about a half an hour, and they already had it up on the TV. The only other worker at the time was a woman who came and took our order. (Another cook came in as we were finishing the meal, but the two of them ran the place most of the time we were there.) During the course of the evening we learned that she and the cook were married. She was from Guatemala, and he was from Guadalajara, México. They were both very engaging when they had time to chat with us, and made us feel like family. My wife ordered a quesadilla, and I ordered the chicken fajitas. We also saw they had papusas on the menu, which is not a typical Mexican dish (this is why we asked where they were from). The woman from Guatemala brought the recipe with her, and she makes them by hand, one at a time. We shared an order and found them to be fantastic. They were very authentic. Good luck finding any better outside of Central America! The fajitas were so good... The chicken was tender and the veggies were grilled perfectly. They do not serve alcohol, so do not expect beer or margaritas. However, if you want a fantastic meal made to order with 100% fresh ingredients, this place is a definite stop for you. Quick side note... As the World Cup match was about to begin, the husband, the chef, originally from Guadalajara, México, stopped what he was doing and put his hand over his heart and stood at attention as they played the Star-Spangled Banner. It showed a deep contrast to the anti-immigration rhetoric we are inundated with daily. This is a hard-working family making a living out of the dream of opportunity in their new life here in America. Please give them a try. read more

Never coming here again! When we got there It was fine and the chips were good. The serves was terrible and dishes were not clean. I ordered a burger and only had one left so my brother couldn't get one. Food took so long and there was hair in my food I told them and they gave me a new plate so I can eat some of my brothers burrito and they gave me a really dirty plate. the burrito tasted like a school burrito. They took off mine and my brother's meal and my moms and grandmas meal was still on the bill and was still 33$! NEVER COME HERE!! read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the area. Prices are reasonable for the amount of food you get. All the food is delicious. Their sauce is so tasty and the best refried beans I've ever had. The owners are very friendly and accommodating to any special requests. I typically go and order take out but the restaurant is very clean and on occasions eaten inside. Don't forget to order the pupusas! read more

Just had 3 tacos and each was excellent! Owner said the use only fresh meat and for egg dishes, all the eggs are locally raised. Also, if you pay with cash, there is a cash discount! I'll be back! read more

The food was amazing the Guacamole was sooo good sad I didn't take any to go but most definitely going there again. My Husband and I really enjoys the Agua DE Sandia is was really sweet and honestly perfect tasting. The food was delicious and such great service as well. The place its very well kept and clean great areas as well. read more

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This unassuming little space serves delicious food with grace and kindness! I believe it's the owner who usually takes my order at the counter - she's lovely. The rich, gooey, and cheesy pupusas, when I can get them, are a special favorite. And the heavenly, moist, fluffy chicken tamales are the stuff of happy dreams. It's all good! read more

Got a 20 dollar "super" burrito. It was the size of a regular burrito, nothing super about it, it was also incredibly bland and over priced. I will definitely not be returning read more

El Gallo Taqueria - Receipt - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Fresh food, great service, love this place. Pupusas, shrimp and fish tacos. Sauces are fresh and have excellent flavor. I highly recommend this place. El Salvadoran style. read more

I'm not from the area so I was a bit hesitant to try Mexican food outside of SoCal. I'm glad I did tho. I had Carnitas and Adobada (pork) tacos. Flavor was good and salsa was good. Definitely worth a try. The owner was really friendly and knew all the customers that came in. To me that showed he cared about what he serves. Gracias read more

Food is decent- standard Mexican fare. Waiter was good. The problem was some friends or family of the owner or manager had three little boys running around screaming. The owner or manager was right there and just allowed it to get worse. I finally asked the mother to get the boys to sit down and stop screaming and it got a little better. read more

I'm a regular customer- the food is always fresh and great. The family treats you like extended family. It could be tacos or burritos, sometimes soup on cold winter night. Many times it's take out or a sit down dinner with the family and chile verde for a treat! If any specials on menu you should get it! read more

Ursula works very hard and is extremely kind and connected when I ate at El Gallo's with my son. My son enjoys a shredded chicken enchilada and I had camarones rancheros and they were delicious! I also got to watch live Olympics while my son was eating. I love this small family run business and have met Ursula's husband and daughter as well. read more

I am a longtime Cotati resident and have always wanted to try this spot. I am a chef in the service industry & love to support my local eating establishments. I thought today was the day I finally would try El Gallo but it was not to be. When I entered the taqueria the server was busy with some folks. I waited politely because I wasn't sure if I was supposed to seat myself or order with the QR code & then wait. After standing there a few minutes without being acknowledged, I sat down to figure out how to place my order. There weren't any signs that said, "please wait to be seated" or "order at counter" so I was a little bit confused. When I clicked on the QR code link the only choices were takeout or delivery. I was hoping to eat in so I stood up to ask if I was should to order at the counter. By now the woman was finished with the folks who had left but she still had not greeted me. She seemed very annoyed and responded rudely in a loud voice, "oh you wanna eat here? I didn't know because you just sat down." I explained my confusion about how to order & that I was waiting to ask & she said (again in a loud rude tone) "I was busy with those people when you came in so I couldn't talk to you." By now I was very turned off by the whole experience so I let her know I would be dining elsewhere. She sang out sarcastically "ok, have a great day!" and laughed. She was zipping around very aggressively & had not once made eye contact with me. I was shocked at the rude treatment I received just for wanting to give my business to this restaurant. It's ok to tell a patron, "I will be right with you," if you are busy & you can see that they may need assistance. I don't think customer service is important to this establishment after reading some of the other reviews with similar experiences that I had. I also noticed they mention the same person I interacted with. Judging from all the health code violations I think I dodged a bullet. I will not be back & will not recommend. read more

Got some food here for to go, first red flag was the undercooked and stale tasting chips. Got home and opened flautas which were 2 super skimpy soggy and flattened tiny flautas. Super burrito- nothing super about it! Was all rice and beans no guacamole and a pinch of sour cream and meat. This place is horrible! $50 and we tipped on to go food. Shame on this place for serving food at this price that is so skimpy. I understand it's expensive to run a restaurant right now. But don't cheat your customers. Ther super burrito is literally the same size as a kid's burrito. Used to be good here.. I will not be returning to this establishment. Check out there other recent reviews are being shady with prices and also portions are way off for what they are charging. $50 later and still hungry.. read more

El Gallo Taqueria - "Super" compared to "kids" burrito.. they're the same size.. - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Very authentic and fresh. We had a late lunch of the taco/enchilada plate. Very nice owner. Basic taqueria decor.

Delicious burritos. Huge delicious burritos. Did I mention delicious? Sis-in-law ordered like 24 burritos (and they were all cut in half & wrapped up nicely) for her son's graduation party. They were a hit. And they heat up nicely in the oven the next day. read more

El Gallo Taqueria - El Gallo Burritos for grad party! - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Nice family owned restaurant. Reasonable prices and absolutely great food! Their chicken enchiladas are my absolute favorites! Try this restaurant you won't be disappointed! read more

To be honest, I am more familiar with Cuban and Puerto Rican food being a transplant from the east coast. Mexican taqueria was a rarity then. That was over 40 years ago and I have been back to CA since, where taquerias are a dime a dozen. My exposure to Mexican was however not only minimal but few and far between. For crying out loud, I still have the audacity to consider myself an adventurous foodie. Absolutely no excuses for this except kick my butt! I hit the jackpot with El Gallo Petaluma, an unobtrusive, modest gem in my 'hood. Just when I thought it was safe to chat with Ursula, the very hospitable, cordial and helpful lady boss, CA has decided to close all indoor dining again. Bummer! I remembered from pre-Covid days, the dining room and the bathroom were immaculately clean. With Covid, social distancing was strictly adhered to, mask wearing was mandatory and they paid close attention to sanitization to keep the taqueira safe. Regardless whether the interior was hole in the wall or swanky, low or high end, I appreciate good food for what they are. Ursula's hubby put his heart and soul into his job and I seldom had a bad meal except for occasional misses. I've always loved to support a local enduring and endearing mom and pop biz opened 15 years ago. I still like, for the most part, to keep my Mexican grub simple, spicy and authentic seldom venturing beyond the classic tacos, burritos, chili verdes, chili rellenos, enchiladas etc. I'm now ready to move forward. If you love chili peppers as much as wifey does, you're gonna love Camarones a la Diablo ($14). The dish featured 7 jumbo prawns doused in a red chili pepper sauce that was spicy, super flavorful and very addicting. Hey, what about me who is now somewhat of a spice wimp? Tough! Like I said, good food is good food as long as it doesn't burn my gut out! Lol (4/5) I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm a newbie to the iconic Salvadoran pupusas ($8) in all their ooey gooey goodness. Ursula hails from Guatemala, which is a stone throw away from El Salvador. Now I'm always up to trying a good pupusa but their choices here were limited to pork or beef. The pork version was perfectly fried and paired nicely with refried beans, rice and cheese. Finally nail the pupusas with their red and green salsas. I'm sure there is wider selections elsewhere that is more exotic but might be trashier, fattier high carb crap! (4/5) It took me a while to learn the difference between a burrito, an enchilada and a chimichanga ($12). Never knew the difference until recently. That was coz I never had chimichanga before! I probably won't order this again. Firstly, the taste paled compared to the others. A chimichanga is a deep fried burrito plus the chicken strips were too dry for my taste. Secondly, watch out for the calories and fat. Factor in the guacamole and sour cream; you can get your arteries clogged in a hurry! This is not to say burritos and enchiladas are blameless! Jury is still out on the chili rellano! (2.5/5) All told, El Gallo is my go to taqueria for no fuss no muss taqueria style Mexican food prepared honestly and affectionally by mom and pop that satisfied my cravings for simple, inexpensive Mexican food. read more

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Muy amables los dueños , y la comida está deliciosa 5 stars comida caliente recién hecha , tortillas calientitas es un lugar muy recomendable definitivamente regresaríamos de no ser que venimos de muy lejos ... Si son viajeros van de paso este lugar está muy rico ;) read more

El Gallo Taqueria - Empty plate obviously was delicious - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Great food and great service, the el pastor tacos and the carne Asada tacos are so flavorful. This is my go to spot to go to when I want tacos and in the Petaluma area! read more

I've been a regular here for a few years since my son turned me onto them. The food is always great and the service is outstanding. This is a family owned and operated business, and they take great pride making sure that you have things prepared your way, and that everything is cooked to perfection. Prices are reasonable and I will continue to be a loyal customer. read more

Need a quick bite? This is the place :) Especially if you forgot to pack your lunch or have a sudden craving for Mexican food during lunch on a working day. Between 12 and 1 the order line becomes very long, try to pitch in a little early or around 1:30 for optimum burrito enjoyment :) read more

Love their black bean vegetarian burritos and their salsa! I would recommend that dish. I haven't tried anything else.

Review of the service, Not the food. Bait and Switch on Prices I went in for my first time and I asked to see the menu because I wanted food to-go. The girl said to use my phone to scan their QR code menu. I said that my phone was not working. She gave me the menu and said, "the prices will show up as more when I ring them up." This is a bait and switch, unethical, and illegal for sure. Charging a price more than advertised and expecting the customer to not find out. I closed the menu and left without buying anything. read more

Surprisingly good food for a little place like this. Authentic Mexican food, all hand-made.

It's my first time stopping here and I ordered lunch to go. I was very pleased when I ask if the beans came from cans, and the waitstaff said, "Oh, no we make everything ourselves from scratch." Knowing those facts,I ordered the black beans. read more

Got the asada fry's kinda pricey they were not bust down at all bland taste and skimped on the meat read more

El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

This place is terrible!! I've came here about 5 times and each time it's been different. The older lady who is usually there is the MEANEST rudest lady I have ever encountered in my life. The gentleman who is usually also there is really sweet and will make my order right and even include chips and salsa, like every other Mexican restaurant. Today I went and ordered the same order that I usually get, an enchilada combo plate, and the lady didn't include any chips. I asked if I can get some chips and she said they were going to be $3 and $1.50 for the salsa. That's INSANE. I told her that when I usually come, the chips and salsa are included and she said not today with the most condescending smile. I definitely do not recommend anyone coming to this restaurant. The food is not that great anyways. And their hours are inconsistent. read more

Was driving through Petaluma and just picked something that sounded good. Upon walking in the staff was friendly and the atmosphere was inviting. Food was quick but fresh. Was given a basket of warmed chips and as soon as that was gone, our food was served. Servings were generous-not just a massive amount of rice and beans. If we lived close by, this would definitely be a new regular. read more

El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

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I used to like this place, it wasn't satisfactory three months ago and I figured anyone can have a bad day. So I tried it again and I won't be going back. First, the chips tasted like they were cooked in rancid oil. Then, my chicken burrito had no chicken in it ! Next came the stomach ache... no I won't be coming back. read more

This is my go to spot for great Mexican food. I've had most of the menu at this point and I haven't had a bad experience. I often go back to the fish tacos, carnitas quesadilla, or chicken enchilada and they are always fantastic. Staff is always friendly and provide excellent service. Highly recommend! read more

Great service! Delicious food! Very authentic. Had their tacos de asada 10/10. Agua de Jamaica best out there.

Love this spot! The prices are reasonable and the value is great, I got the Torta and it was fire and I love their salsas!! Everything seemed very filling and flavorful, the HORCHATA WAS GAS!! read more

I was looking to set the bar for quesa Birria tacos and I found the mecca. I was pumped on the tacos, the consumè, and the spice of the hot sauce. I wondered why there was only a half in the hot sauce cup..well..it's melt your face off hot so tread lightly my friends. read more

I've been coming here off and on pretty much since they first opened. I always have my favorite super carnitas burrito with black beans and I am never disappointed. The family who run El Gallo are always friendly and attentive. The prices are typical for the fare. Neither too cheap for quality or overpriced for what you get. I will keep coming here as long as they stay in business. read more

I've been coming here for a while now; they never fail to deliver delicious food and hospitality.

Really good food and everyone is really friendly. They were able to make me a quesabirria even when it wasn't on the menu. Thank you!!

Took my sister and mother here for lunch yesterday before we went to Khols - needed a fast inexpensive place for lunch and we found it. My mother is in a wheelchair and although they rate themselves as wheelchair accessible - it really wasn't. A long narrow restaurant with several tables and chairs - when busy at lunch the ease of getting her electric scoter in there and positioned at a table was not going to be easy (at least not without creating a scene). Luckily they did have 2 small tables just outside so we took advantage of one of those. The woman at the front counter who I placed our order with was very friendly and fast to help. She understood our special situation and allowed us to take an additional chair from inside the dining area out to our table. She also brought the chips/salsa and our order directly to the table for us. The food was ok. We do have our other favorite places to visit - but this was convenient since it was in the shopping center we needed to do other errands in (and once we unload the scooter it helps to do everything at once without transferring my poor mom, loading and unloading her several times). We ordered our favorites. My sister had a simple chicken quesadilla with the toppings on the side - I do have to say the guacamole was amazing. Mom had the cheese enchilada with rice and beans. Priced very cheap and tasted good - the sauce was not too spicy. I had a super burrito with carne aside - the meat was good - but for me it had too much rice. We all three loved the chips and salsa. Overall it was tasty - and we would go back if we happened to be in the shopping center for other stores - but don't think we'd g out of our way just to have lunch there. Clean restaurant - fast service - friendly - good prices. read more

El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Petaluma, California

Ok food is ok but I am pissed. Twice they gotten my order wrong. The girl who works at the counter is a total snot. Uh... every time I get pico it is free. This chick charged me a buck for a tiny salsa! I won't be back. read more

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My man got an al pastor burrito and it was great; the meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. I got a cheese enchilada and a chile relleno combination and they were both very good; the renello was MASSIVE. I was also super impressed with the woman running the register. I assume she runs the entire place, because she is SUPER efficient. Didn't miss a beat with all the multitasking she was doing. read more