The parking here is ridiculous! We parked couple blocks away, the parking lot is soo small and theres no street parking being thats in a busy residential area. Place was really busy when we came, but we got lucky and got a table fast. The waitress was really nice, being that it was so busy took awhile to get our drinks and food. Even sat for awhile waiting for boxes and our bill. The food was pretty good. My husband ordered chicken taco plate and the chicken was really juicy. I ordered huevos rancheros and a carne asada taco, the taco was juicy and delicious. The huevos rancheros was ok, nuthin special about it, I didn't care too much for the sauce that was on it felt like it was missing something. I really liked their fresh juice I ordered hugo guyava and It was really good. read more

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For my bday back in May I woke up and ran 6 miles because I wanted turning 38 to be something enjoyable because I knew what I wanted my breakfast to be; chilaquiles! Though I wished the eggs weren't scrambled but I remember savoring each bite because it was that good. I DoorDashed it and it arrived still piping hot. I also ordered Gavin a chicken burrito. He had it for lunch and purely enjoyed it. I didn't get a chance to try it though. Thank you for being open early during this pandemic! read more

El Pirrin - Chilaquiles. - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Ahhhhhh!!!!! Talk about REAL AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD!!!! They have an outdoor patio that is really clean and well kept, they have a sink outside for hand washing. It is located in a residential neighborhood so I couldn't get back there for the longest time...until I ran back into it by accident and I'm so glad I did. They have "Morisqueta" at this restaurant!!!!! Which is white rice under refried pinto beans, topped with pork in red sauce... this is a dish native to Michoacan and it is absolutely deeeeeelish! I wish it came with the cheese but it's good either way. You can't go wrong here if u like real authentic Mexican food :) read more

A real gem of a restaurant tucked away on a side street in a mostly residential neighborhood. There is a large outdoor seating area that is brightly colored. You can hear lively music playing in the background before you even walk into the restaurant which set the mood for me. I was ready for some good food and El Pirrin delivered! I ordered a combo taco plate which included carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas with a side of beans and rice all for a little under $13 during their lunch hour M-F 11am-2pm. I loved the crispy edges of the tacos and the seasoning of the meat was delicious. read more

El Pirrin - Tacos de carne asada, al pastor, & carnitas - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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I was in the mood for chilaquiles but wanted something a little more authentic. Found out this restaurant was near my house and decided to check it out. Parking was difficult, had to park about a block away but they were pretty busy so it makes sense. When arriving, we had to wait for about 15 minutes before we got sat. They have indoor and outdoor dining but we sat inside. Service was good, good ambience as they were playing cumbias and regional Mexican music. Ordered a Michelada to start my Sunday, and it was good in my opinion! They used actual beer salt instead of regular, which was perfect for the michelada. As for the chilaquiles, the sauce tasted authentic and homemade. the beans were good but were a little to salty for my taste. The rice tasted a bit bland. It could use more options for toppings but it was good overall. Overall, my experience was good and I would come back to taste there many options they have to offer! read more

El Pirrin - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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This place has been around for as long as I can remember. I finally tried it out for takeout when restaurants opened back up while COVID was at its peak. It was really good! So this time around I was able to go in person...this was my experience. 1. Food is delicious! Myself and my mom had menudo. The color is how I find it ideal; that nice light orange. The menudo was tender. I do prefer mine with a little more hominy. My serving was pretty big AND hot (which I love). My pops got the pozole, he said it was delicious. 2. The inside is small, however there is outside seating. If it's late and chilly outside; there are heaters 3. Parking is rough! Keep that in mind. On my visit, we got lucky and found parking and were able to seat inside so it worked out well! I highly consider this place. The menu has an option for everyone. Prices were reasonable considering the portion. read more

I've ordered menudo every Sunday for over a year, but I am prompted to write this review. The last few times I've ordered the menudo, the tripe has been Very chewy. Not like before when it was tender and easy to breakdown with my teeth . Maybe they are using a different vendor, but when I prepare this for my 86 year old father,(DoorDash), I have to cut it in super small pieces so he doesn't try to swallow it after trying to chew it over and over again . I usually ordered this every Sunday so this has been an ongoing thing for the past two years only recently it started changing the texture and all the way I ordered it again today. It is still the same way. I just cut it in small pieces, hopefully you can get the same vendor as before. I ordered the posole today. It has pork meat in there for my sister who is visiting. She says that the pork is also tough and not tender as she has previously eaten at other establishments. Not sure where to go from here I've tried multiple places for Menudo, and this was the best one only until recently. I would say the past two or three months that the tripe has been affected negatively. Hope this review helps in changing your source of tripe vendors . Otherwise your food has been delicious. read more

El Pirrin - Pork pozole with cabbage - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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OMG YAS! I am so glad I discover this gem this past Sunday. I ordered the combo plate, chicharron tostada + shred beef enchiladas and my BF ordered an al pastor super burrito. Everything was super fresh, flavorful and just plain delicious. The chicharron was AMAZING! Next time I'll get the chicharron burrito. My bf who has eaten a fair share amount of al pastor said it's one of his favorite to date. He said there is nothing he can complain about or would changed about his al pastor burrito. So if you are looking for a good Mexican restaurant in SJ, I highly recommend this place. Portions are big and service was friendly. We sat outside and the weather and ambience made is a perfect spot for Sunday night dinner. read more

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I've been living in this area for many years and finally got around to trying this place. It was nicely decorated with plenty of seating outside. Nice greenery and plenty of parking. Service was quick and lots of options on the menu. Prices were decent, and the food was pretty good. read more

El Pirrin - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Wow!!! The menudo was excellent!! I ordered a chicharon Taco on the side and it was amazing!! My son had scrambled eggs and bacon. That was Last weekend. I'm going back today and taking both my boys, hopefully they serve up some good Chicharon Burritos. My Nephew said it would Blow my Mind!! read more

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They might have new cooks or just been ordering lower quality meats as the food quality has gone down hill. Wait staff is great and been there for years and why they get 2 stars from me. I don't know what you've been doing with your Carne Asada, but please go back to what you were doing 10 years ago. read more

The food is Amazing, hot when served. Delicious chicharron tacos are a favorite. Servings are well portioned. Fresh ingredients and efficient service. Great outdoor seating and live music. You will not be disappointed. Reasonable prices Great lunch experience. Enjoy I will be back again and again.. read more

Local restaurant that I just found. I've only been there for brea and the chorizo and juevos are top notch Along with coffee and tortillas

First time here and it was so great I had to leave a review. Here around brunch and it was so nice. It was cold outside so they had the heaters out which is never done this earlier so they definitely care about their clients. The food was great and our favorite part was our interaction with our waitress(Rosie) she was so sweet! read more

Yummy food, got the meundo, unfortunately after a while though it seemed a bit chewy for me. Service was amazing honestly such kind and caring people. As mentioned by others it's locally ran Ambiance was great with the cumbia oldies they were playing, reminded me of riding home with my dad (I am Hispanic lol) read more

The chicken was a shredded type that I am not a big fan of and was rather sloppy. Also not a fan of adding hidden surcharges. There is no explanation of it on the receipt. There is a rather out of the way and easy to miss (non conspicuous) sign stating there is a extra charge if a credit card is used. I am not certain this is even legal in the state of California. Essentially charing a different price based on the method of payment. The place itself is room and they have nice outdoor seating. But still, cheap tricks to cut quality and gain a few more nickel and dimes are not worth it if you want to become a popular and more successful establishment. read more

Service was great Caldo de Res to go was hot when we arrived at home 30 minutes later. Quantity was generous with vegetables, beef two pieces not super meaty as expected kinda of over cooked. I believe the meat had been cooking too long in broth prior. Give them a try always full house. read more

Food is simply amazing and so is the customer service! My partner had the menudo and states its one of the best shin San Jose! I had the steak and eggs, it was cooked to perfection. Clean location inside and out... read more

Service is very very bad. They give uncleaned plates to eat. The food was very cold and chicken was greasy. Unable to eat. I go with my three kids who are in 16+ they said they never eat this kind of bad mexican food earlier. I don't recommend to this restaurant to any one. Even we complain they don't care. read more

El Pirrin - Tacos dorados - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Overall, this place is good. I ordered a lengua burrito for my sister but got a pork one instead so that was slightly disappointing for her. I also had a different idea in mind for the carne asada plate but it all tasted good so I wasn't about to start complaining! I don't think it was worth almost 20 bones, though! Anyway, I was super blown away by the beans and I don't even really get down with beans like that. They were soooo bomb! Probably my favorite thing out of everything I got. The horchata looked like it was gna be watered down tasting but it was on point, too! read more

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Excited to have Mexican food that went beyond the typical burrito, quesadilla, and tacos! There are still so any items left to try. Sopa de Mariscos (seafood soup with shrimp, octopus, fish, scallop, snow crab, veggies) $21 - Tasted like a Mexican cioppino. It was ok. Huachinango al Gusto (red snapper with sauteed garlic sauce, Veracruz style) $31 - An entire fried fish with bone in a massive party tray with rice and french fries. This is more than enough to feed two adults. The snapper was good. The fries and rice were average. Carne asada fries - Plain. Lacked a lot of condiments usually found in loaded fries like pico de gallo, cheese, and guacamole. Next time try: chile verde, pollo en mole, birria de chivo (goat meat stew available on weekends only), morisqueta (white rice, beans, and pork short ribs in red hot sauce), pozole. read more

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Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm GOOD. Everything is great about this place except one thing and it isn't their food, parking. Parking can be a challenge but it's well worth it. Authentic Mexican Food! My favorites are Pozole, Menudo, Chile Verde, Yummmmmmy! Friendly service, delicious food, what more could you ask for? ! read more

I've been coming here for years, most recent visit was a week ago. I ordered the Chili Verde, very salty and the rice was on the cold side. The refried beans were decent. Aside from the mediocre food, the service is great. The servers check on you and are quick. Ambiance is good, very lively. Parking is a hassle but you can find parking close. Tell the cooks to go easy on the salt! read more

The chile verde is so good will come back to get It again .The only thing is that I asked for minimal beans and they did not listen read more

The best of the best in ESSJ. This hidden gem is located right off King and San Antonio St. The parking lot is small but you can easily find street parking around the restaurant. Everything is fresh and made to order. They have a good selection of soups daily including menudo, pozole, and caldo de res. They have a variety of items on their lunch menu but offer the full menu all day. The chips and salsa may be the best in the South Bay. I can't recommend just one dish but definitely try the soups if you're in the mood for something warm. The tacos and chile verde are also some of my favorites. If you're in the South Bay and craving a home cooked Mexican food definitely visit El Pirrin! read more

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They used to have good food here at the pirrin but I bought enchiladas verdes and chicken soup. The Chile Verde looked terrible, it's seems like it was heat it over and over and all the food was extremely salty, so I had to throw the food away since my husband has high blood pressure and he wasn't able to it. Don't recommend this place at all since they're not selling healthy food. read more

Great pozole! Definitely feels like it is home made and made my day. I haven't tried anything else but I do recommend the pozole.

6/8/21 This was a #DoorDash order. To cut to the chase, not all the food was made particularly well, but it should be noted they have a good variety of meats that only the true Mexican places will carry--you know, lengua, intestines (as opposed to tripe or tripas, which is stomach), etc. But don't expect any of the food to blow your mind taste-wise. 1. Taco de Lengua $3: Pretty good lengua. Not overcooked, and nicely textured. Not particularly special though. I did like that their chunks are larger than normal, so you can taste the natural beefiness. 5/10 2. Taco de Buche $3: So, "buche" is supposed to be "pork stomach" but as I said, this is closer to intestines which does not have that characteristic honeycomb texture of tripe. Anyway, I loved it, but more because it wasn't cooked great, haha... they kinda made it messy and overcooked the intestines, but the dry yet chewy texture tastes good in tacos. But I think this is more accidental than purposeful. Anyway, it was good. 5/10 3. Burrito de Carne Asada $10.50: Well, it is "true" carne asada (grilled vs stewed/braised as many restaurants tend to do, cheating), but it's quite dry and low quality. Also, the burrito is mostly rice and meat. Needs some moisture. And CHEESE. 4/10 4. Platillo Pirrin $15.65 "carnitas (deep fried pork)": I think this is their version of a taco combo plate (I think cause I didn't order this and didn't see the description.) There were 3 kinds of tacos, and carnitas, as noted on the receipt, was one of them. Funny thing is, the carnitas was the worst part (though again, it's "real" carnitas--fried, and not braised like the cheaters.) The meat was tough and dry. The other tacos, whatever they were, were a lot better. The re-fried beans though were magical!--again, by accident I think. They're low quality, like a pile of mush, but I think they might have went overboard on the lard or something so they tasted spectacularly rich. It was delicious! But... again, I like it in the way that I like Burger King Whoppers--cheap crap that just hits the spot. 5/10 5. Caldo de Res $14.95 "maiz (corn) tortillas": I did like this! It's beef soup, but they used either beef ribs or short ribs (not sure what's the traditional cut of meat), and I've never seen that used in Mexican cooking before. Nice to try something new! It tasted closer to Korean rib soup though. There's not really any characteristic Mexican flavor to me. It's just pretty plainly seasoned rib broth, with vegetables. Simple, but good. But too simple to really say they put any effort into it. 6/10 So, I guess that says it all. 3/5 #sanjose #mexicanfood #mexicancuisine #buchetaco #lenguataco #mexicanfastfood read more

The rice and beans are good, that was it for me. Salsa was bland af, like mild pace picante. Asked for "salsa picante" to see if they had anything better and they brought me out chinese chili oil (see photo) lol... Let me know what everyone is ordering here that's 4 star worthy cause the salsa and the flautas ain't it. read more

El Pirrin - Flautas con Guacamole y Crema - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

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Breakfast torta... I ate the $1.25 avocado which was basically half of an avocado. But seriously how is this a Breakfast torta? Like why would anyone want this? Not even eggs? So so so horrible. Thanks for ruining my Breakfast. My man ordered a carnitas burrito and although it was mainly rice the pieces of carnitas that were in their were hard like they were refried from yesterday. read more

El Pirrin - Breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Awesome food, great service. Menudo con pata es Como lo hacia mi mama. Perfectly made with hominy separate. Perfectly filled to the top unlike some other places which is why I always prefer to order here. Enough little containers with spices to add to my meal. Definitely the best choice for me and I've tried many. read more

Restaurant food is good I use to go to this place very often, not anymore starting today, however this last time there was people blocking my way out two cars that for almost half an hour they didn't move even though I call the restaurant owner. I noticed that the restaurant parking doesn't have parking control signs to control the amount of cars so people just park anywhere when its full so I blame this on the management not on the visitors or customers even though some customers are stubborn like this person that didn't want to move even though she new that she was blocking my car. Bye bye el pirrin you just lost a loyal and weekly customer. read more

El Pirrin - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

I will not recommend this place what do ever it took 25 minutes to get my 2 tacos a order of French Frieda and a coke plus it took like 10 minutes for the server to even look at me it was only 3 people in the restaurant first time and last time I go there I lose my 30 minutes of lunch this is wrong plus the bill was crazy 17.00 for two tacos one soda and a small order of Fries never again this place looks great out side but wrong staff read more

El Pirrin - Two tacos and friends for 17.00 just not right - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

This is the second time I order to go! And honestly the food is REALLY GOOD! And everything is well packed! And they give you everything you need to add to your food (lemon, salsa, ketchup, etc) I usually have to ask for those items at other Mexican restaurants. I will definitely keep ordering from them. Also I order the kids meal for my daughter and they even put her French fries in a separate container, so it doesn't mix with the rice and beans! read more

El Pirrin - Caldo De Res - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

Best food ever. Everything is good on there menu. The service is great. The food is by far the best in San Jose

So this place reminded me of going to LA and eating in the neighborhood. The food was very good and matched what we were paying at other restaurants in the area . They are limited to eating inside but they have a canopy outside for for people to eat . We were eating outside and asked if they can put on there heaters that did not work . This place was good but nothing extraordinary . I recommend this place . read more

Food was bomb like always. Chorizo and eggs with pappas was exactly what I needed this morning..... Thank you .....

El Pirrin is always so good when we come! Great service, great food and great ambiance. Today, we celebrated a birthday and it was a group of 7 of us. The waitress was so nice and quick with everything. She provided plates for the cake we cut. And they even played Las Mananitas after we cut the cake :) Very sweet of them. Love El Pirrin! read more

Delicious and our new favorite place for Menudo!!! Super friendly staff, quick service. We will be back!! read more

El Pirrin - Menudo with Hominy - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California

We were at a training in San Jose for work and wanted some yummy mexcain food. The locals suggested this place and it was super close to the training so we said why not. I was told to get the taco dorado so of course I did but wanted to try other items as well. Taco dorado, nothing special kinda bland in my opinion but the chicken was good and flavorful Carne asada taco, typical yummy taco, meat portion was huge! I was able to make two tacos. It was really good. Nopal salad, very yummy and had a hint of spice to it. You can tell it wasn't super fresh but still pretty good Me and my boss we're kinda disappointed with the chips they gave us because they were clearly store bought, but the salsa was one fire! Soooo bomb! Service was great, and the atmosphere is cute and cozy. read more

El Pirrin - Nopal salad, chicken taco dorado and asada taco, all bought a la carte - Mexican Near Me - San Jose, California