Best "hole in the wall" restaurant to go to for the best Mexican food in town! You won't be disappointed!

Decided to try a New Mexican joint in town and I've had this place bookmarked for quite a while. I came here for lunch on the weekend and there was no wait. I was able to place my order quickly and in less than 10 minutes the food was ready! FYI cash only. I ordered the Al Pastor Nachos and Carne Asada Tacos. The nachos were huge and stacked with meat! You definitely get your money's worth with the nachos. The tacos were pretty good and similar quality to those in used to. The only con of this restaurant is the parking. Limited parking and it's difficult to turn into the lot on Magonlia because it's right at the intersection. I opted for street parking because that was easier. read more

3.5 stars. Got Al Pastor, Cabeza, Fish & Shrimp Tacos (one of each) to try. Liked the Al Pastor the best. They have four kinds of Aqua Frescas to choose from. Got the Cucumber Lime. It was fine. $2.50 for regular & $3.25 for large. Three tables on one side (where you order & pick up, so let's call that front of the restaurant) with more bench seating off to the side of the restaurant. So, adequate seating. Parking wasn't really a problem. Packed during lunch hours, but plenty of street parking available. A solid, local choice for the area. Even the police stopped by to grab lunch here. read more

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One of the best carne asada burritos I have ever had. Not only was the food good but it was cheap and the service was awesome. They were very prompt and for being a quick place to grab a taco or burrito it is definitely worth it. read more

Used to really like this place until they changed there hours. I haven't been back since. But when I did go. The fried quesadillas with carne asada is bomb!!! That's my favorite item on the menu.. read more

Always great food and FRESH! Order over the phone for faster service, And Make sure to bring cash They don't take cards. read more

This place is amazing but it's cash only. Keeping it old school is cool but not that many people carry cash now a days. Fish taco Fridays read more

El Taco Man - Back at it again, fish taco Fridays. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Great place to satisfy your taco cravings! Pros: Only $1 tacos Good portions Everything's good! My favorites: Carne asada, fish, al pastor Friendly service Plenty of parking Cons: Total hole in the wall, but don't let that get to you Cash only Only outdoor seating - watch out for flies :\ Better yet, take it to-go. Their horchata is overly creamy and has a strange milky aftertaste. No me gusta Sauce was just okay. I've had better. Long wait but maybe because they're understaffed right now read more

Parking is a little difficult, but they have some of the best tacos ever, their fish taco being the best. A must try.

This place is situated in a mixed area of residential with some shops across the streets. I ordered the quesadilla with al pastor. It comes with pics de gallo, green sauce & sour cream. The meat has a spicy kick to it once you have bitten into the quesadilla with soft warm cheese. The menu has a variety for everyone if you are a meat eater, pescatarian, or vegetarian. From potato tacos, fish tacos or variety of meats, there is always something for everyone! The price is reasonable & the lady behind the counter was nice. I can't wait to try the other items on the menu when I go back, maybe tomorrow. read more

El Taco Man - Quesadilla al pastor. It's what's for lunch. Late lunch. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

El Taco Man is my go-to place whenever I'm craving some tacos. This place is a true hole in the wall in El Monte. So far I've tried their carne asada, al pastor, carnitas, chicken, lengua, and tripas meats and they have all been delicious! I'm always on the lookout for a good tripas taco and it's definitely cooked well here (lightly crisp, tender and flavorful) so I highly recommend it if you're willing to be a bit adventurous. Their al pastor is also delicious! It's savory, a bit smoky and a bit sweet, which is everything I look for in al pastor. Their carnitas are a sleeper, too. Whenever I've had carnitas at other places, it would usually be dry, but whenever I get it here, it's always moist. In addition to their tacos, I also recommend their burritos, tortas, and fried quesadillas. Their burritos come with your choice of meat, rice, beans, onions, cilantro, and salsa or you can opt to go with an all meat burrito, which is exactly what it sounds like. The tortas are a bit smaller than what you would imagine, but they are tasty! I like how they add guacamole in them. However, if you really want to indulge yourself, you must try their fried quesadillas. It's pretty much a deep fried quesadilla that's topped with lettuce, crema, and cotija cheese. It's heavy, but definitely tasty! Before COVID, they used to be cash only, but have since transitioned to accept credit and debit cards, which is a relief. They also close earlier than other nearby Mexican food restaurants so you can't scratch that late night taco craving. Their parking lot is a bit small and street parking can be difficult, but El Taco Man's friendly service and delicious food always has me coming back wanting more! read more

We got semi-lost getting here, streets turn at odd angles and things, but it was all worth it. This place looks like a 1-bedroom house on the corner of Magnolia with a big 'ole El Taco Man sign out front. It's cute, with picnic tables on the right and 2 sets of tables at the front, all seating is outdoors. I'd also like to add that El Taco Man has the best customer service of all the taco stands combined! No intimidation here and the nice guy calls you, "sweetie." (When our order was ready, he took the time to walk out of the kitchen to hand it to us!) It was a bit windy so we ordered to-go. (We made a makeshift table in the car with my cookie sheet LOL) Fried Quesdillas w/ Carne Asada http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/j8Vf8YXY2LPAiEAEwVbRhg?userid=sPksYz22qDXP2Zh475Pi1g#bwGa1qRyjFwPeX9I6BJuIw Carne Asada Burrito http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/j8Vf8YXY2LPAiEAEwVbRhg?userid=sPksYz22qDXP2Zh475Pi1g#eXT4-UY82si8yrlSIASPvQ Pollo Taco Carnitas Taco http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/j8Vf8YXY2LPAiEAEwVbRhg?userid=sPksYz22qDXP2Zh475Pi1g#WzqHXwumo5oR_DJdANL8oQ 2 cups of refreshing ice water (totally filtered, he even asked if we needed lids for the cups) Total: $11.75 The quesadillas were fantabulous. It's nothing like what you think it is - a flour tortilla with cheese and fried. It's a cross between an arepa and a pupusa stuffed with tons of cheese and then fried to a crispy, golden brown. It was cheezy goodness, not too oily or salty, and just made you want to eat more and more of it. It was topped with beans, guacamole, carne asada, lettuce, crema, and queso fresco. I think the only downside was the carne asada, it wasn't as flavorful or meaty as I'd liked it to be. I had the same problem with the carne asada burrito, but the rice and beans saved it. Rice was nice, fluffy and flavorful and so were the beans. Tortilla was pleasantly chewy but not too chewy. Still tasty as is. The tacos were a bit disappointing, chicken was flavorless and at one point we thought it was carnitas. The carnitas taco was the better taco, it had a slight carnitas flavor and it could use more time in the fryer. Although we were slightly disappointed by the meats, they were still edible and tasty in their own way and the fried quesadillas were a huge hit. We'll come back for more, for sure! Happy eatings!! read more

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El Taco Man is located a bit off the beaten path, but it is a great cheap find. Its a little shack off the corner of Magnolia and Meeker, close to the Garvey and Valley intersection. They seem to make everything to order, so thats great! Note, it is CASH ONLY. Tacos here are $1 each. You can choose from carne asada, carnitas, al pastor, lengua, buche, and more. I went with Al Pastor (3 stars) and Lengua (5gagillion stars!). For a dollar, these are pretty good sized. The flavor on both were good, the al pastor being good but not better than El Taurino's or King Taco IMO... the lengua however was phenomenal melt-in-your-mouth is-this-really-lengua-?! status. I will be back for the lengua! And to try their other meats. Chicken/Beef Fajita Bowl, $5 - 3 stars I was hoping for something lighter since Mexican was already a splurge on my so-called eating-healthier diet, so I went with the chicken fajita bowl... but it was still heavy - maybe I'll just stick to Chipotle's Burrito Bowls... yea I know, wtf?! beans, sour cream, cheese... this is not light. I should know better than to complain... but yea, it's prob just me being fickle and you should probably give it a shot if thats your kinda thing... but I would just go for a full-fledged burrito next time I'm looking for a calorie splurge. They also have $1.75 fish tacos, 2 for $4 sopes, $4 tortas, $1.25 tamales, and tons of other great cheap eats on their menu... plus what I hear is great horchata. This is a solid food option for S. El Monte, I'll be back to give more a try... read more

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I'm so happy I discovered this place. Thank you fellow Yelpers :) I love their fajita bowl (5/5)! You have the option of chicken or beef and the bowl comes with rice, beans, cheese, onions, bell peppers, pico de gallo, and sour cream. Squeeze some lemon and add some hot sauce and it is mighty delicious. All the flavors combined together is amazing. The meat was a little on the salty side but I added squeeze an extra lemon to balance it out. Their fried quesadilla is a popular item here but I didn't think it was that great. The fried quesadilla comes with lettuce, sour cream, guac piled on top. I liked the cheesy goodness of the quesadilla but I wasn't impressed with the flavor overall. I would give this dish a 3/5. Cash only! And if it is $5 on the menu then you pay $5. No tax or extra cents. read more

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Move over Taco Nazo, you've been replaced! If you're ever in the El Monte area and contemplating Mexican food, this spot will satisfy your taco cravings. This is a small spot that is off of a small street that crosses Garvey Ave. There is a pretty tall sign, so you can't miss this spot. Parking lot is small. Cash only. The carne asada had good flavor. Not too strong, and definitely not bland. Tortillas were soft and fresh. Onions and cilantro are a must. It's not King Taco flavor, but it's definitely a close second. The sopes were well made. Diced cabbage, cheese and tomatoes. The beans tasted good. It was proportional and the tortilla was tasty. Overall, it was better than good. Only thing I was disappointed in was the number of salsa's given with the order, and the size of the "side of onions and cilantro." King Taco gives a lot. This place gave me the equivalent of an eighth - LOL. Highly recommend. Thanks for the rec Mee!! Enjoy! read more

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I had my doubts about this place. It's a tiny stand located on a corner not too far from me that I had no idea was even there. However, my other half brought me there, swearing by their food. I've tried a few of their items since then and I find that mostly everything is pretty delicious! Fried quesadillas : they took me by surprise the first time I got them. It's not your usual quesadilla. The quesadilla is really thick and doughy, and is topped with lettuce, queso fresco, tomatoes, and your choice of meat. It's also topped with sour cream, but it's actually crema instead of the thicker sour cream. For the meat, I recommend the carne asada - it's super flavorful and tender. The fried quesdaillas take a while to cook (15 minutes,) but ask for them to be extra fried (additional 5 minutes) : they'll be extra crispy and delicious. Eat these with the green salsa (medium/hot spicy) and you will thank me. Carne asada tostadas : must be eaten within 10/15 minutes, or it will become soggy. Normal tostada : beans, cheese, lettuce, meat; but overall, super yummy. Shrimp tacos (breaded and fried shrimp) : good, but not great. Carne asada quesadilla : This is just a normal quesadilla. It's super cheesy, oily, and very delicious. Will definitely satisfy your cheese craving. We used to get the nachos with jalapenos, but they've been pretty soggy and the cheese cold the last few times we've gotten them, even thought we've gone straight home to eat them. Boyfriend always gets chicharron and tripa tacos, and he says they're tasty here. Horchata is made fresh, so it's a little grainy and tastes powdery from the ground rice. It's not overpoweringly sweet. This place is a mom and pop, with great food. It's basically a stand, as their parking lot is tiny, and there are only a few outdoor tables to sit at. They only accept cash. You can try to call ahead and order before picking it up, but from experience, I know that ordering ahead gives no difference to your food actually being ready when you get there. They still make it when you arrive, so you may as well order it in person. Service ranges from nice to impatient. It just depends on the person who's working there that day. Definitely one of our go-to places for food! read more

El Taco Man - Fried quesadillas with carne asada topped with green salsa - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

El Taco Man, which I think translates to F*cken Awesome Tacos in spanish. El Taco Man is a small taco shop in El Monte that is super cheap and super good. Dollar tacos have never been better in El Monte. I came here quite a bit and one time I brought my sister and she just had them make a custom breakfast burrito for her. I was like, whoa you can do that? I guess so man, I guess so.... read more

El Taco Man - Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Found my favorite burrito place! Ordered Asada Wet Burrito & Fajita El Pastor Bowl. The meat was so flavorful and the green & red sauces were so good! Lots of heat in them, just how I love it! Tortillas are soft and fresh. Must try! read more

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Saw this place pop up the Yelp 100 best list. Took my mother-in-law for lunch today. We got there about 11:45 and it wasn't crowded. There are two outdoor eating areas, it is very clean, the menu is easy to understand, friendly clientele, and the staff is helpful. We ordered pollo, cabeza, tripes and al pastor. The tripes was fried and good, the polla was good, the al pastor very flavorful, and the cabeza was heavenly. It was buttery, reminded me of a confit, oily, luxurious, smooth, yumminess. I would just have a bowl of that next time with a squeeze of lime. read more

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A hole in the wall mexican place, plenty of parking. The cashier was nice and patient so I decided to request half carnitias/half asada ALL meat burrito. Muy delicioso $4.50 and came out in less than 10 minutes. I wanna try their sopes next time when I feel like spoiling myself with fried food :D read more

Cheap, but CASH ONLY!! There's a Bank of America and a Citibank 1 mile away when you drive West down Valley. El Taco Man is a cute little shack, with some limited outdoor, shaded seating. It's very reasonably priced (a nice big burrito + 3 tacos came out to exactly $8). The burritos are good, but the bowls are better. They are big and filling for under $5. You get Mexican rice, beans, a lot of meat, and fresh tomato salsa. Al pastor is the best meat, but it's not as good as Tacos del Chino's al pastor. You must get both of the salsas, they look the same, but one has a roasted flavor, while the "Barbacoa" one has a delicious spicy flavor. However, skip the fish tacos here, and drive a couple minutes to Mariscos La Bucana and get yourself some amazing delicious fish and shrimp tacos! And don't forget the ceviche! Also skip the fried quesadilla. I know it sounds good, but it's really heavy and dry. Also, there's nothing special about the flavor :p Overall, El Taco Man is a solid place to get cheap, yummy Mexican food, but I usually like to go to Tacos del Chino, which is only a minute away. read more

El Taco Man - fried quesadilla with al pastor added, NOT GOOD! super heavy and bland :( - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

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Amazing food here, strongly recommended. The wet burrito and potato tacos are bomb. Also try the asada fries quesadillas

Bookmarked this place for awhile.. Finally got around to trying it.. Order: 4 lengua tacos 2 al pastor tacos 1 fish taco 1 combination lengua burrito 1 lengua rice bowl 1 medium Horichatha drink EQUALS === $18.00!!! This feeds 5ppl! Soooo cheap. I wish their chili tastes better though.. Nothing will beat King Taco green chili. Please improve in your sauce.. Make it more spicy!! Will definitely come back for some $1.00 tacos again ;) read more

El Taco Man - Lengua bowl.. Filled to the top!! - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

The best potato tacos I have ever tasted especially when you stuffed them with asada or carnitas I give the a 10 star review

I was so happy to come across this place on yelp while looking for lunch in this area. I was smitten at first look of my Pollo fajita bowl. My toddlers meal looked amazing too. Delicious, nice employees, great memu, authentic mexican flavors! Affordable, clean and worth the trip. A hidden gem read more

El Taco Man - Fajita bowl - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

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I thought that if I catered El Taco to my business I wouldn't have to wait in line. I quickly realized that there will most likely be a line no matter when or where you show up. That's because their food rocks. I tried 4 different tacos and all were good, including the vegetarian soy taco. ...what's not to like? Lots of taco choices at reasonable prices plus some excellent condiments. Glad we used Daniel and his team to cater for our employee. read more

Pleasant staff and the food is very affordable! 2 tacos (1-fish & 1-shrimp) and a regular coke for only $6.25. Good portion and tasty tacos. You should give this place a try. Will definitely come back when we're in the area. read more

First time and I am impressed! Def will be back...only if it wasn't too far out of the way. Cute little place, looks like a house converted into a food stand. some patio table and chair in the front and wooden bench on the side. Nice people, pretty good service! I had cabeza quesadilla! very juicy and cheesy! THUMBS UP! read more

El Taco Man - Very cheesy cabeza quesadilla! yum! - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

First of all, thank you to fellow yelpers for honest reviews... I chose this place based on comments and let me tell you, great stuff. Tacos de buche off the hook. People are very friendly.... These mix nachos tho!! Off the hook I've never had nachos with 4 different meats I'm them. Usually for something like this I would have spent over 10 because I had guacamole sour cream and four meats. Nachos are BOMB! read more

El Taco Man - BOMB!!!! - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

They got soooo many things right! I was greeted with a smile, when I asked what was good I was given honest and thoughtful answers based on my needs/wants. I was told that the delicious fried quesadilla would be perfect for me. I asked the kind lady if it would be enough food because I was getting "hangry" (so hungry that you are angry). She said "Look at me, it fills me up and I'm a big girl". So I got that with meat (al pastor on one half and carne Asada on the other half). It did fill me up and the bottled medio litro Mexican Coke complemented it perfectly! Like I said, they got so many things right, the service was perfect, price was very VERY good, and to top it off the food was amazing (and lots of it)! The one thing that sucks is that I live in Arizona. It will be a definite stop for ALL road trips! This place truly is the "mero mero!" read more

El Taco Man - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

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I've tried ALOT of tacos before .. and let me just say, these are some of the best I've ever had. :) And each taco were only $1! Even betterrr. Nothing beats delicous one dollar tacos! haha. I haven't tried the rest of their menu yet .. but I'm sure they'll be seeing a lot more of me in the future, considering I only work about 5 minutes away. :) Sooooo looking forward to trying the rest of their menu out! read more

El Taco Man - Their menu! This doesn't include some of their daily/lunch specials! - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Will definitely be back to try other things! This is a taco stand with all outside seating. I had three tacos, I tried the lengua, asada and the pollo. The asada and lengua were just okay, but the pollo I thought was especially good. Boyfriend ordered the carnitas bowl and it was really good. Carnitas bowl has beans, rice, salsa and is great paired with their salsa. The red salsa is super spicy, the green is more manageable! tip: parking is a small parking lot on the left side of the taco stand. read more

El Taco Man - Top is lengua, right is asada, bottom is pollo - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

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Great tacos & awesome service. Can't ask for more! +First of all, I don't consider taco shops real taco restaurant unless they have lengua and cabeza so I'm so happy El Taco man serves them! Not to mention their lengua and cabeza tacos were legit. +Price is fair. 2 lengua tacos & 2 cabeza tacos & 1 small al pastor burrito with everything came out $7.50 and the portion satisfied the both of us. WIN! +So I mentioned 'small burrito' earlier but isn't it awesome that El Taco Man serves small burritos? (the burrito is served with choice of meat, spanish rice, beans, cilantro, onions, and tomatillo red salsa) I know there are those rough days when you need to choose whether you should order a burrito or some tacos but at El Taco Man you don't need to pick and you can order both without over stuffing yourself or breaking the bank! :) Small burrito is a little bigger than size of your fist but it's thin so you can try both the burrito and tacos guilt free. +I also love how El Taco Man serves other food like tortas, nachos, quesadilla, fajitas, tostadas, and taquitos. So many options! +El Taco Man has a bottle of hand sanitizer in front of the counter so we can clean our hand before we eat with our hands. +I like both their salsa but I think I prefer their green sauce more. If you want some kick to your food, order the red salsa. -Couple downsides. First is that El Taco Man is cash only but there's no ATM at Taco Man so make sure you bring cash with you! -Outdoor seating only. -Salsa is stored in the restaurant so you have to ask the employee for it. They're really nice about it but they only give you one pack unless you ask for more specifically. -I've tried their fried quesadilla in the past but I didn't like it. I don't know what I was expecting but it literally is fried, oily quesadilla. The fried quesadilla is topped with sour cream and some lettuce, which didn't enhance the flavor of quesadilla at all. Won't be ordering this item again. El Taco Man we'll be back for your tacos and to try other items on the menu! read more

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Fuhhhhhhck. This place is literally around the corner from my house and I just tried it. I got a wet burrito. Spicy as fuck but very fucking delicious home made taste. I can't believe how good t was. I want another! read more

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So a buddy of mine had been telling me I have to go to El Taco Man and try the Fried Quesadilla. Today was the day I finally went and wow why did I wait so long. I ordered the fried quesadilla with Asada and was not disappointed. Added some red chili to it and made it even better. Everything about it was good. The right amount of cheese, the right amount of beans and the right amount of toppings. It was really good. read more

El Taco Man - Asada Fried Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Some of the best Mexican food around. We've gotten Shrimp, and carne asada burritos and all the tacos so far. Both have been amazing. We've gotten the burritos wet, which they drench in the sauce, so amazing! Their salsa is BOMB. The staff is super friendly. We love El Taco Man! read more

By chance stumbled upon this taco shop and it was really delicious! My son had a nearby appointment and we needed a quick lunch. There was a small lunch crowd gathering and so we pulled up the trusty yelp. Great reviews and now we know why. My husband and I tried a couple of items and all were really good. He had the al pastor burrito and carne asada taco. I had a couple of carne asada tacos and a fish taco and enjoyed both. The food took awhile but it was worth the wait. read more

Stopped her on our way back from San Diego THE BEST TACOS EVER. El pastor and the asada was bomb !!!

Fried quesadilla!! Sooo good, a little bit of a wait for it because they make it to order, not mad though. I love fresh, made to order food! I had the carne asada burrito, and that thing is packed with meat! Along with rice, beans, onions, cilantro, and salsa. A tad bit spicy but sooooo good. My girlfriend had the potato tacos. She said they were just alright, but she LOVED the fried quesadilla. Definitely coming back for more soon and often. read more

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In the city of el monte everywhere you turn there are tacos. El taco man is one place that can run with the big boys. This is one place I crave but I try to avoid cause I know if I go I will come out eating things I shouldn't be eating but ooo would it make my taste buds happy. I have only tried two things here. Their tacos and my favorite dish here the fried quesadillas. I love anything fried but oooo mmmm gggooossshhh!! This is soo good. If you love quesadillas you will definitely love this dish. You can also add your favorite meat...why not I already ruined my diet with oily and cheesy goodness why not top it off with some yummy beef! I picked carne asada and it goes perfectly with it! OOO man if I wasn't getting old and heart burn kicking in, I would be here eating fried quesadillas day and night! :) Must give it a try! Be patience for your food cause it can take a while to get it and they have their own parking lot but I think can only fit a couple cars but usually there isn't a long wait. read more