El Rayo is a SLEPT ON food option in Portland! My coworkers and I really live for the winter deals (particularly Monday through Wednesday). I still love going to El Rayo for margaritas and a burrito or tacos during the busy summer season. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Tuesday (Winter) Taco Deal - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

El Rayo's barbacoa burrito. Awesome flavors. Their yucca fries with chimichurri dipping sauce was also delicious. Hubby got their chicken quesadilla, stepson also got the barbacoa burrito and his girlfriend got the carnitas burrito. Each meal came with tortilla chips and salsa. They ask you if you need a menu then when you're ready to order, you place your order and pay. Service was friendly. Food was ready in less than 10 minutes. We each got a drink so our tab was almost $90 for 4 meals and one appetizer. read more

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Quick stop before an event at the Cross Insurance Center. We hit the 4 to 6 happy hour and enjoyed the $2.50 Pacificos. Outside seating on the picnic tables was comfortable and close to Portland harbor. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Drinks - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

This review is specifically for El Rayo's Wednesday rice & bean bowl deal, which is probably the best lunch deal I've found so far in the area: it's $8.95 for any classic rice & bean bowl every Wednesday, and that includes the fried shrimp bowl (usually priced at $15.95!). As you may be able to guess, I usually order the fried shrimp bowl, and it's both delicious and filling. They do a great job with the shrimp: it stays crispy even after I drench it with salsa and mix it around with the remoulade and slaw. I've also split some chips & guac with colleagues on occasion, which are quite good. There's plenty of seating inside, the ambiance is casual and colorful, and they inexplicably have an arcade game in the back. Service is prompt (you order at the front and pick up your food when it's ready). There's also a lovely and spacious outdoor patio for nicer weather that I can't wait to make use of in the spring. Overall: a delicious and super affordable spot for lunch on Wednesdays! read more

Well, we stopped in for a cocktail before heading to the movie Barbie. My friend said they did great on her margarita and I opted for an Allagash draft. We looked over the menu and it looked great! We were hoping to return afterwards to try their food, but when you live on an island you're ruled by the ferry schedule. We are, however, looking forward to heading back. A good variety of House drinks, beer with many draft options, though. Our server was fantastic! Friendly and chatted with us about the movie . read more

Stumbled upon this quick serve / counter service restaurant on a Saturday in October. We were looking for a quick bite and pleasantly surprised they also served alcohol! Seating is first come first server. With a full house, we opted to wait to order until we had a seat. There were 6 of us, and most of the tables were two or four seaters. Food was ok. Portion sizes of the bowls and burritos were pretty big. The guac/salsa for the chips was TINY! Single size portions with a basket of chips. Overall, decent food at a reasonable price. Nice that you can order a beer or marg. Not ideal for parties larger than 4. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Overall we had a very positive experience, location, food, service. The staff member was ok and she moved quickly through the process. Very experienced staff member that knew how to handle a new visitor like me. The ordering process is pretty quick but be prepared to answer follow-up questions to your order, i.e. I ordered nachos and was asked if I wanted other things she listed off and of course I said yes to everything she offered. Before you order your go-to dishes, don't forget to explore the specials, as you might miss out on something delicious. In June they had Smoked Pork Belly Tacos - I ordered them and had no regrets. We also tried the queso dip with the pickled jalapeños and house made chorizo, loaded cheese nachos, fried plantains. The portions were very generous and delicious. The deck outside was nice and it was a beautiful sunny day, unfortunately it was HOT an there wasn't any cover, so we moved inside, luckily it wasn't crowded inside. It's small inside so it does have the potential to be very crowded. The location is just on the outskirts of the old port center, which I like, because it means there are many options for parking (all pay for parking). They had two bathrooms, one for male and one for female. They are labeled at the top of the door, but that didn't stop people from using whatever one was open - they didn't see gender signs on the door, so they assumed. Totally fine by me, but if they do want to keep it separate, they should put a sign on the door. I definitely would try this place again if in the area and craving quick nachos, tacos, beans and rice etc. Yum! read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Queso Dip* - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Had dinner before going to see a movie at the Nick. I ordered a michelada with tecate and a chicken chilaquile (special). I had had a michelada previously at the Scarborough location - in fact that was the only michelada I can recall ever having tried. This one did not live up to my memories. The first few sips were very nice, but it watered down quickly and it wasn't as spicy or as flavorful as what I remember. Granted I was sitting outside on a warm day, but still. My chilaquiles was good, but small, and too few tortilla chips involved. I don't like onions and it's my fault I didn't order it without. But after pushing my onions over to the side there wasn't that much to the dish. I did like it but I didn't think it was very "special." The atmosphere outside was probably the best part - despite the bees. The air was fresh and it wasn't too crowded or noisy. Although the patio overlooks a parking lot, it doesn't feel like you're in one. I did not like the system of ordering at the front and using the buzzer to pickup one's food; I would have preferred table service. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - michelada with tecate beer - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Food is really great, and an amazing atmosphere and even a deck in the summer. BUT it's is way overpriced for the portion sizes you get. For the price its just not worth it. You also have to order at the counter and you go up and grab the food, no service at the tables unless you sit at the bar which you do get a server. I got the chicken quesadilla and it was good but super small. Tacos are pricey as well. They do have great drinks and the large deck is great. I would come for drinks and chips but not for a full meal. read more

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Stopped in at El Rayo for an early dinner on a Wednesday. I was in between meal times so the restaurant was fairly empty, but the space was very comfortable and clean. It was happy hour so I had a house margarita on the rocks which was delicious and just the perfect strength I got 1 order of the chicken taquitos appetizer and a shrimp burrito. Both were delicious, with the perfect amount of spice and a hardy portion of filling. The prices were very reasonable for the old port area, and the staff was friendly. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - House margarita - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Everything I ordered was very mediocre. The bowl--which seemed like it had a lot of potential based on the ingredient list--was sparse for the price I paid. The portions are way too tiny for it to be a satisfying full meal. It did not have much flavor and could have used way more sauce. And to be honest, the best part of the meal might have been the chips and guac. There is some nice outdoor patio seating in the back, which was cute to sit at, but that was the only part of the experience I enjoyed. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Cool place, nice staff, fresh drinks. Food was very fresh but could have used more seasoning/flavor. read more

No table service. Which was ok once we figured it out but we were a lot of people. The drinks were delicious. Guacamole was ok and chips were ok. I would go back with set expectations. This is not a one and done read more

The food is ehh. It's decent, not good but not bad. Service was good bartender was really pushy on ordering as soon as we sat down. It was a slow Monday at 1230 be for real. My bbq pork burrito was horrible personally. I've had way better burritos. It was half cold and half warm. The coleslaw or whatever was in it was so over powering there was barely no meat. read more

3.5 stars due to the pricy, small portions. Food was great and there are vegetarian options, so that was a plus. However for $12-13 per entree I was expecting larger portions for both the taco plate and the rice and bean bowl. Currently during covid, they have the patio open and you can order up at the front of the restaurant and then wait for the pager to buzz to pick up the order. It's pretty quick and plates and utensils are disposable. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great little place. We found it by accident as we were walking around the area thinking about dinner. We ordered one of the November special burritos, it was vegetarian and had squash in it. It was fantastic. My partner is not much for Mexican food. But they were willing to give it a shot. We were both so happy we took the chance. The service was speedy. We did take out. But while waiting we noticed that we could actually talk to each other!! When we got back to our place, we noticed our bag included a small portion of chips and salsa (did not pay extra for these). Just enough chips to slip and the salsa was great. Didn't overdo the chips so we each really enjoyed the burrito. Total winner!! Even convinced my partner that if we could find more Mexican like this we'd have it more often! read more

We initially were headed to a diner up the street but it was closed due to a private party, so we headed down the street and discovered this place. What a gem! I was shocked to see that it had only received mediocre Yelp reviews as I thought the location, food and ambiance were amazing. I settled in on some tacos, I got one that was Carne Asada and the other was Al Carbon which was their charred chicken taco. I was impressed with both options, ingredients were super fresh and they give you plentiful, my tacos were almost overfilled with ingredients. My other friends got a quesadilla which came with chips and salsa, the other got tacos as well, both were impressed and happy with their decisions. Service at the counter was quick and friendly, willing to answer any questions. They also have a sit down counter and a menu full of local Portland beer options, can't wait to come back here and take my wife! read more

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We love El Rayo!! The food is always good, and the service is great too. The patio is the best outdoor spot in the summer!

This is somewhat of a fast food style place. You place your order at the cashier when you walk in and then food is brought to your table matched to the number you're given. You can choose a drink from the cooler (including Jarrito sodas) when you order or visit the bar separately after you order. We ordered carne asada tacos and a chicken burrito as well as margaritas from the bar. The margaritas were very weak, (not even a slight buzz after drinking two!) the tacos were good though I felt like they were missing something. The burrito was extremely good. Ambience was that of a typical taqueria and food was more of a Tex-mex style than authentic Mexican food. read more

Amazing and innovative Mexican! This place is wonderful! Super fresh food with varying degrees of light and fresh flavors with rich and hearty flavors. Ceviche was amazing. Salad was incredible. Tacos and the more traditional stuff was great too. Might be our new go-to for Mexican. read more

We went here because the back deck was dog friendly. The food was good. We both got the taco plate but tried different tacos. They were nothing special. What I was disappointed in was that no one was wiping down the outside tables. Not sure about the inside but the outside ones were really clean. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

This yucca rice bowl is so tasty!! The yucca is like fried potatoes but MUCH better. Very mild flavor but such a nice texture. Everything was so flavorful in this bowl! And it's vegan so I didn't have to make my order special to make sure it was dairy free! read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Yucca rice bowl - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Fantastic food and vibes! I got the BBQ pulled pork and carne asada tacos on the taco plate, which also came with rice and beans - both tacos were delicious. Their lemonade and hibiscus refresh were the perfect sweet drink to pair! read more

Let's start off with the positives. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Ambiance was clean and spacious with everything related to covid. I got the the venom marg, it was very tasty. Okay the not so positives. My marg was double the size of the salsa and was not worth $10.... picture for reference. I got the carne asade tacos combo. As SOON as i picked up the taco it fell apart from the "meat juice" before having one bite. Staff was considerate and i told them and made me a new order... Sadly however the second order was just as bad. Why was there so much lettuce?! The corn tortilla didnt even look cooked- had no black markings. I only ate the rice and beans. The meat tasted old and had no flavor. It honestly looked like dog food. My friend got the same thing, we each spent $30 on a meal we didnt eat, we wont be going back. Our meals were not worth $30.00 I wont be back. Again staff was beyond nice. Food was just was poor quality and no flavor. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - 10 dolla Margarita and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The Pescado tacos should have really just been a bowl. It would have made more sense since they basically appeared to be just thrown in the cardboard box they were given to me in. Mashed all together the ingredients tasted good but let's not call them tacos.. I could have taken a shower after I was done. The place has changed a lot since they moved locations.. hadn't been there in a while. I was hoping to get served.. but they don't do that anymore. Now it's a seat yourself and serve yourself type place. Not for me compared to what it used to be at the old location. Won't be back unfortunately. read more

I was traveling through Portland and after about 20 lobster rolls I decided to change the flavor. I got tacos off the weekly special menu. I wanted to try the vegetarian option and it was pretty decent. I've had better tacos so it didn't really standout or anything but overall it was pretty decent as definitely quenched my hunger. Go ahead give it a try. They have cool indoors vibe and seating arrangements. read more

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It's hard to rate a place you frequent, especially when your experiences at said place can vary so much each time you visit. El Rayo is standard Mexican/Tex-Mex fare with a wide selection of tequilas and some local beers. It's set up as a long, narrow bar with a few tables in back, and there is additional seating on the back deck, if you're lucky enough to snag it. There are a few things about El Rayo that make it different than other spots. Firstly, you order food, pay, and then sit - you get a buzzer, and there is no table service. Take this as you'd like. Sitting at the bar, you receive full food and drink service - this can be pleasant if you're in the mood. Secondly, their utensils and dining materials are all compostable - this is not something you see normally. It's a major bonus for me. Thirdly, it's small. Really small. Any given evening can be impossible to get a seat. It can get really cramped and really loud, so you're better off going at an odd time to beat the crowds. Foodwise, it's pretty standard. They have a breakfast burrito for $5.99 that is pretty dang tasty, though it's pretty small for the price. You can get the burrito vegetarian (eggs, shoestring potatoes, salsa, peppers), or with chorizo. It's great to have a grab and go breakfast option on the way to work. In terms of meals, the food is decent. A small bag of chips and pico is served with each meal, which is nice. Servings are what you'd expect for the prices. It's nice everything is cooked to order, and you can see the kitchen behind the bar, which is fun. One bummer here is the hot and cold waitstaff. Each time I've come, the bartenders and waiters seem so irritated that it's almost not worth ordering. Friendliness goes a LONG way when you're already in a tiny, cramped restaurant without table service. I think some work on the customer service would really help here. Come here at four PM for a margarita on the back deck and a burrito. Just don't really expect much from the restaurant itself. read more

Patio is great. I would come for the patio but that's about it. Food was overpriced. It was fine but def not worth the price. Portions were small for what they charge. House marg is $11 and also just fine. I would not get again. We were the last people on the patio and my girls went down and back up the stairs once and the girl working came out and said quite rudely do not play on the stairs. Just seemed quite aggressive for something like that. We tipped 20% on mediocre food and were there 35 minutes. We won't be back. read more

First time ordering from here-- the service was super friendly, but I found the food to be overall disappointing. I got a cheese and black bean quesadilla, and the bean to cheese ratio was way off in my opinion (too many beans). It also didn't come with sourcream which was disappointing. We tried to order chips & queso but they were all out so we got chips & guacamole instead, which was just okay. Overall, none of the food was bad, but wasn't amazing either. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Cheese & Black Bean Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

See now this is a proper burrito. Rice, beans, chicken, cheese, guacamole, crema, salsa, all in reasonable portions and evenly distributed. I asked for hot sauce inside and they added the perfect amount throughout. The burrito was a good size, big and filling but not excessive like Chipotle and other places. It stayed wrapped, could be eaten with one hand, and did not leak. This is how it's done. Margarita was fresh and delicious with just-right strength and balance of ingredients. I've had the tacos on separate occasions and they're great. El Rayo is a great option for relatively quick and casual Mexican without committing to full table service, but it sits well above Chipotle for quality, ambiance, and of course drinks. It's one of my regulars. read more

Can't do a full review. Was waiting for a friend to meet for dinner and arrived early. While waiting I was able to learn the process. Order and then find a seat. There are some tables and many bar seats. They also have outside seating but the temp was just not warm enough enjoy it. I have heard the food rocks. So I was excited. The reason we did not stay was that the only seats around was sitting on the sun. The heater was blasting full blast. So we left but plan to try again. read more

We really loved this place! The yucca fries and potatoes are so good! The rice and beans could be a meal on their own, so good! The Cali burrito was great and the chicken Taquitos were tasty. Salsa was great! My husband enjoyed the guacamole... but I thought my was sort of odd that it came with brown spots in it, which means it wasn't fresh I think. Anyways, this place is worth it! On 2dinein there are no options to order tacos which is totally odd. read more

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I am a fan of El Rayo but I'm not into sitting inside or outside of this location. Outsides vie is very industrial and inside is teeny and cramped. What's goods good? -Chips and salsa -Mexican Corn cob is awesome -veggie taco has a nice big portobello -fish taco is great but I have since become allergic. Something tells me they started using a lower quality fish and that when my allergy acted up - pork tacos are good too The tortilla itself isn't great kinda stale. And serve it up a cold Mexican Coke. So I've had better Mexican but this is pretty good but the setting leaves a lot to be desired. read more

El Rayo Taqueria - Fish, veggie, pork tacos - Mexican Near Me - Portland, Maine

Purchased 3 tacos, a kid's cheese quesadilla, street corn, 3 chicken taquitos & papas fritas. Tacos were a little bland and overly dry but the pork with the pineapple salsa was good and very tasty. Chicken taquitos had more cotija cheese than the tacos did and I even paid $1 for extra cotija cheese on one of my tacos... Service was incredibly strange... Check says I was taken care of by server Ashley. I watched a man pick up a take out order and heard her offer some silverware and hot sauces. So when my daughter and I were checking out the powerpuff girls sticker on the heater and Ashley mumbles, "you're all set," I assume she's talking to me since I'm the only person there.... I ask if I can get silverware and hot sauce for my daughter and I and she throws in 7 sets of silverware and 10 cups of hot sauce... a little extreme. Lots of great taco spots around southern Maine. If I'm feeling El Rayo again I'll definitely hit up a different location due to their lack of happy workers at this location. Manager (I'm assuming, lady in black t shirt) even had her phone out, texting, wearing no gloves and packaging up people's food in the window.... not wise to do in the restaurant business but especially during covid and especially in front of customers.... these workers didn't care.... pass. 2/5 starts cause the food wasn't even half bad. read more

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I love the food here, but something has changed recently in their process, making the wait time much longer than it used to be. In the past couple months a single order of their daily special has been consistently taking about 25 minutes to come out. It used to be 10 minutes, tops. The number of customers in the restaurant seems to have stayed pretty constant -- I don't know if the kitchen has been short-staffed or if they have tons of delivery orders or what. Also, Kate at the bar is super great! read more

I had a great lunch here with kids in tow. All the adults and kiddos were happy with their tacos and quesadillas. Highly recommended.

honestly, the food is not worth the high price tag. got their february special chicharrone burrito, and it was $15 for mostly rice. the chicharrone wasn't great either. read more

Coming to living in the west where we have a ton of amazing authentic Mexican restaurants/tacos, I was really craving good tacos. As my family and I were walking by El Rayo, I immediately saw a flag that says "tacos". My heart was happy and we went for it. I was so hopeful, but the food was not good. I am sorry, I feel bad for saying this even, but being Mexican, the burritos, nor any of the tacos, nor the corn, were good at all. It lacked the good Mexican flavor. They didn't offer home-made salsas. They were all bottled and placed into the cups. None of us could eat any of the food. We were so sad because we really wanted good tacos and we miss them. The prices are high too. For $5 a taco, I would expect to get a BOMB tasting taco. Tacos should not be $5 unless they're amazing! No recomiendo este lugar, lo siento! read more

Delicious food! I am plantbased and after asking for a few dairy omissions, found really great mega flavorful options! The yucca fries were the bomb and my seta mushroom tacos and fried avacado tacos were so yummy!! The spot is colorful and funky and the service was pretty quick. Can't wait to go back! read more

First off, I am from Southern California... That being said, I know the difference between SoCal Mexican food and New England, or just Maine, Mexican​ food haha. This place definitely​ serves great Mexican​ food, reminding me of home on the other side of the country. Their food, stretching from their very savory chips and salsa to their very flavorful bean and rice bowls, was a meal my friends and I won't forget. The service was also very friendly and made our experience here a lot more pleasing! My friends and I decided to eat outside and enjoy the beautiful scenery and weather, which was a great decision for us, overlooking parts of the city and enjoying the clear skies and luscious​ nature! That being said, I'd definitely​ come back to this restaurant if I'm ever in Portland again, and you should too. 10/10! read more

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