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    El Paisano Mexican Restaurant

    4.3 (29 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    Menu
    Dan A.

    *CASH ONLY* I was hesitant to try a place with just 12 reviews but from the minute I walked in to El Paisano it seemed very authentic. Seeing bunch of Hispanic folks eat lunch here was also very promising. I got tacos and burrito and loved everything including the salsas. Steak was not chewy at all which is my pet peeve. I will definitely be back to try other things.

    Tamiquena
    Scott R.

    Great authentic mexican cuisine (from what does this gringo knows). Had the Tamiquena (pictured) & it was great. Burrito was also good. Worth crossing a river for!

    Carne Adasa
    Danny N.

    El Paisano is the first full service authentic Mexican restaurant I have found in Pittsburgh. It's cash only. You know it's authentic when they do not serve free chips and salsa. I ordered the carne asada plate. It cans with a side of corn tortillas and two bowls of salsa. It was an enjoyable meal and I recommend trying it.

    Chilaquiles
    Mo C.

    I'd give a 0 rating if possible. Ordered a Chilaquiles for pickup and the whole process was so troublesome. The actual dish lacked any sort of flavor and the portion size for a $13 item was very subpar, especially for the cost-effective category of a restaurant this is. The takeout box was just half full with the tortillas. Utterly disappointed and would not recommend to anyone.

    Cheryl L.

    So we were in Pittsburgh for the weekend just hanging out. We wanted to have some Mexican food. Having moved to Ohio from California a couple years ago you certainly don't have as many options in this part of the country! Anyway I saw this place on Yelp and we thought why not? I am soooo glad we did. This place had authentic Mexican food! Everything we had was delicious but my favorite thing had to be the green tomatillo salsa. It was to die for. I literally wanted to just drink it down like water it was that good! I really wish this place was closer to me, but honestly a couple hours drive for some great mexican food isn't out of the question people! I hope to go back soon.

    Soda
    Nate P.

    This is a great place to eat. This restaurant is authentic as it gets. When you order it can be a bit tough unless you know some basic spanish. I don't. However, this wasn't to bad as I could just point to the things on the menu I wanted. My dad and I both got three tacos. I got the Lengua taco, Asada taco, and Carnitas taco. The tacos are very simple with just the meat, onion, and cilantro. Salsa is served on the side but it should be used sparingly (it packs some heat). Overall this is a great value and I highly suggest it to anyone in search of authentic mexican food.

    Menu at El Paisano Mexican Restaurant.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Cash only!! Delicious, authentic food, good service, nice ambience - but bring cash!!

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    8 years ago

    This is a hidden gem in Beechview many delicious choices authentic Mexican worth a little extra effort to find

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    Ask the Community - El Paisano Mexican Restaurant

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    Tocayo Taqueria & Tequila

    Tocayo Taqueria & Tequila

    4.5(472 reviews)
    5.6 miShadyside
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    Tocayo is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. The decor is so well done. The staff is…read morevery friendly. The food is fantastic. I enjoyed my birthday dinner there one year. Anytime my mom and I are out near Shadyside, we love to eat there. We love Mexican food and they do it so well. My husband loved his pozole soup. I had the tortilla soup today and it had such great flavor. I would be easier to eat if the tortilla strips in it were a little bit smaller. The birria tacos were phenomenal. The shredded beef is so tender and has the most amazing flavor. They're also super cheesy. The consommé really made it too. The chimichangas are very crunchy and you can't go wrong with any protein you choose. The guacamole is so creamy and tasty. Their chips are really good too. I have never had a drink there but they always look good. Go check them out if you like Mexican food. We have loved everything we have tried and you will too. Absolutely loved the birria tacos. So tasty and cheesy!

    Second time here but first review. We live in Shadyside and this is the place for Taco Tuesdays. We…read moregot chips and salsa to start; the salsas are on the mild side (we got roasted tomato and tomatillo and both tasted mild) so if you want spice go for their spicy salsa. The service here is excellent. In both visits the attentiveness has been perfect. The environment is musical, decorative, and darker. It is great for a date, a visit with friend, or a chance to scratch that taco itch. Now, their tacos are so good. My favorite is the chicken taco (sounds boring?); these tacos are amazing. Guacamole cream, kale, and spiced chicken. I also had chicken and chorizo, which is very good, but that chicken one is the bomb!

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    Tocayo Taqueria & Tequila - Outside view of the restaurant

    Outside view of the restaurant

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    Buenatarde Tequila y Mezcal - Fajita trio.

    Buenatarde Tequila y Mezcal

    4.3(103 reviews)
    5.8 miShadyside

    This is a review from an individual who grew up in the Bay Area, California, eating nothing but…read moresome of the best Mexican food. Both of my grandmothers were your typical Hispanic women who made the best Mexican food I had growing up. Living in Pittsburgh, most Mexican restaurants I have visited usually miss the mark and I typically never return. Not with Buenatarde! I usually avoid eating at Mexican restaurants in Pittsburgh, as I'm always disappointed with the quality of the food. Most restaurants seem to use premade ingredients, which is insane cause Mexican food cooked fresh is usually not that hard or expensive. Not with buenatarde, everything we ordered was made in house. The refried beans and rice tasted almost as good as my grandmothers use to cook. Not quite, but close! The carnitas tasted really good, the only issue we had was it was a tad dry. Not sure if it was overcooked, but it did taste good. Otherwise, everything else was great and we will be returning to try the brunch on a weekend.

    The restaurant was decorated fabulous! The staff was nice and friendly. Our waitresses wasn't sure…read moreof some of the questions we had but no big deal. The refried beans with cheese, queso on top of the chimichanga, and plantains were amazing! Unfortunately, the carnitas were dry and bland as you can see pictured. The tortilla could have been cooked longer as well. The chorizo was surprisingly spicy and good. The prices seem high but you get a decent amount of meat. We'd go back again and try the brunch menu or another protein.

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    Atmosphere, high top seating.

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    Buenatarde Tequila y Mezcal - Restaurant Front

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    Restaurant Front

    La Palapa, Mexican Cuisine & Mezcal Bar

    La Palapa, Mexican Cuisine & Mezcal Bar

    4.2(447 reviews)
    3.0 miSouth Side
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    We came here for an early dinner around 5 on a Friday. The restaurant was nearly empty. It had high…read moreceilings and brightly colored blue, purple, and yellow walls, with traditional decorations throughout. They have a large cocktail menu and many vegetarian options. To start, we had the jalapeño cheese dip. The jalapeño flavor was subtle, but detectable. However the cheese tasted like American, so it wasn't the most authentic. For my main, I asked if they could add soy-chorizo to the mushroom and cheese enchilada and the waiter said they were not able to, which was a little disappointing. I ended up getting the enchilada with just soy-chorizo. It was tasty, but the soy-chorizo was a bit dry. My husband enjoyed the steak burrito, but found their hibiscus juice a bit too sweet.

    I came for their taco tuesday deal where if you get 2 tacos, you get the 3rd for free (listed as…read more$12.95 on their menu). These tacos are made Mexican style, meaning it comes with onions and cilantro with lime on the side. It also came with a side of grilled onions and potatoes. The potatoes were too soft in my opinion. I think if you were going for grilled side veggies, it's better to make it a tad crispy and browned. For the Taco Tuesday Special, I got the al pastor, steak fajita, and chicken tinga tacos. The best one had to be the al pastor because it wasn't dry and had lots of flavor. I opted for the red morita spicy sauce, and trust it actually has spice and kick to it. The tacos are double layered, which is nice. Decent meal for a Tuesday dinner, their menu is pretty basic for a taco place. For instance, their only dessert is churros with chocolate sauce.

    Photos
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    Las Palmas - Chorizo

    Las Palmas

    4.5(292 reviews)
    4.1 miOakland
    $

    The food is great. The tacos are really good but I would definitely recommend the quesadillas. The…read morepeople working there are nice and friendly. It's a small building but it has a nice feel to it. Go inside, get a drink and snack, give your order, walk back out and tell the guy what you want. Then enjoy some delicious food. As someone that goes to school in Oakland and eats there a lot, I'd say this is one of my favorite spots in Oakland for sure.

    The tacos at Las Palmas are SUPER delicious and I definitely need to go back there again when I'm…read morein Oakland!! The service is fast, they make it in front of you, and you have the option of picking some stuff up at the grocery store while you are there. Friendly family type ambiance and it feels good to know you are supporting a small business like this. At $4 a taco, when they are generous with the authentic meat filling, double up on the freshly grilled corn tortillas, and allow unlimited toppings made fresh daily make these tacos one of the best deals around. The filling is already super flavorful, so you don't necessarily need extra toppings, but I like adding extra onions and cilantro. For me, a lot of the salsas were extra spicy, so my recommendation is to taste them before putting them on the taco. The ones I got honestly didn't need any extra added flavor. I got the steak and onions and the pork with pineapple and loved them both equally. I got them last week and already miss them - the smell and texture of the meat, the fresh toppings, how your breath tastes after, the combo of everything together - definitely a solid taco joint

    Photos
    Las Palmas - 2 tacos - pork and pineapple and steak with onion

    2 tacos - pork and pineapple and steak with onion

    Las Palmas - Al pastor and bisteck tacos

    Al pastor and bisteck tacos

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    Outside decor

    täkō

    täkō

    4.3(2.1k reviews)
    2.5 miDowntown
    $$

    I can't tell you how many times I have been here thru the past 10 years since it is my husband's…read morefavorite restaurant in the 'burgh. I also do really like it! I have had everything on the menu more than once and nothing had ever been disappointing. Therefore, it came as a shock when we learn they are were closing for a while. Knowing how long it took them reopen some of their other restaurants, we are a bit sad. Maybe they will make it a little less dark inside which would be great. Sometimes it is a bit too lick like a club in there. Also perhaps they could add the octopus tacos to Tako Torta ! We visited for one last hoorah last weekend. The octopus wasn't on the menu but after checking with our waitress, they still had a few. We got both this one and then queso! I got chips for the queso since I don't do gluten and then corn tortillas with the tacos. The octopus was well cooked as usual. I had a frozen pain killer which was great. See you soon I hope!

    Very small, dimly-lit, Mexican restaurant with delicious food…read more Have a bunch of drinks + taco options. Tacos come in a serving of 2 per order, but they are fairly large so this is enough Their namesake is their octopus taco. I got this, chips & guacamole, + their passionfruit beverage. It was all fantastic Service was unbelievably fast Downsides are that the place's seating is fairly uncomfortable (lots of stools with no backs) and it is pretty loud.

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    El Paisano Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated September 2026

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