We have come here every trip for the past few years and we visit twice per year. The service has declined and if you ask for something that should have been on the meal you ordered and it appears to have been left out, they treat you like you're bothering them. Tonight we ordered a Chicken burrito bowl and the chicken was almost non existent, but we asked for salsa because there was literally none and they had to have a 5 minute conversation about whether or not they should give it to us, then reluctantly gave us a tiny paper cup of it. The cashier seemed nervous to even address the problem with the lady that made the meals. It's just salsa, don't lose business over it, or at least more business. Oh and if you are charging $15.00, meat should be included, not an extra charge or at least make it plentiful and able to be seen. This will be our last visit. read more

Great Mexican Food!!! I highly recommend! The carne tacos were amazing, as was the guacamole. read more

This is my first time eating from here. I got the chicken tacos. The chips with salsa. The pineapple mango drink and the tres leche. The food and drink were good minus the salsa. It taste very much like marinara sauce it also was lacking the look and consistency of salsa. The chips were fine without them but my taste buds expectations of the salsa was shattered. Loved the tres leche. The Pineapple mango drink was very good and you could tell it was the true thing by the taste. I chose takeout, service was fast. I went around 1 pm and the place was full minus one table. I'd eat here again. read more

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Found parking outside (illegally) Cute lil taco spot by UPenn. I wasn't impressed by the beef taco, felt like there was entirely too much meat on the taco. They have a nice lil sit down area inside. Staff was nice and patient. Drink: Horchata read more

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I've been ordering from here since 2023. The food is ok, not the best. But today was aweful. I ordered my bean tacos like I always do. When I ate the tacos they were filled with sour cream. SOUR CREAM TACOS. Who in their right mind hears bean tacos then makes a sour cream taco. I will not be coming back again and I won't be taking my coworkers here again. Loco Pez on Baltimore is a better place and does not give people a sour cream taco as a bean taco read more

Quite frankly this place was a bit of a let down. I saw some good reviews here about the food and I can't say I was impressed by anything here. The flan was uninspired and inconsistent. Some parts were hard, some parts were soft. It was baffling. It was if this flan was heated over a campfire with how inconsistent some of the internal bits were. The service was paradoxically slow for how few patrons were inside. The pulled chicken tacos I got were soupy, and a mess. The tortillas were cold but the meat was dripping and got everywhere, leading to this lukewarm food nightmare. The empanada was more breading than filling and the filling was drier than the Kalahari desert. After eating this I can confidently say I likely will never come back here. Somewhere in Latin America there is a very sad taco vendor that just woke up from a nightmare. He's comforted by his loving wife. "There there it was just a nightmare, what was it?" Subject matter? This establishment. read more

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Food was great, Service was great. Wait time was very appropriate. I will be going back

Really enjoyed takeout from El Taco! Delivery was insanely quick, and felt that the portion sizes were generous. I got the chicken tacos and they hefty (appreciated the doubling of tortillas). Flavor and texture were great (perfectly, simply seasoned, not greasy), and the corn tortillas tasted homemade. Also a huge fan of the creamy guac - will definitely be adding this to my weeknight takeout rotation. read more

This is my second time here, as a poblana de Mexico, there food sucks. Burritos are horribly wrapped and although the service is great, the ambiance is lovely, nothing could fix the terrible food. I forgot to mention that the horchata was disgusting and warm. read more

This spot is really for take out. Even though they have tables, it's not a restaurant atmosphere. The service was good tho. Cashier was very friendly. The food came out fast and good. I would order take out from here in the future. read more

I don't come to the University City area often, however, when here, I come to El Taco! The food is always fresh and delicious. Would recommend this place to anyone that likes tacos, burritos or quesadillas. Their creamy chipotle is the best!!! read more

The burrito fell apart as soon as I picked it up. It was all over the plate, a complete mess. The side order of beans was tasteless. Oh, and I got ripped off, but didn't realize it until I was on my way home. My order came to $24 and change. I handed the cashier two twenty dollar bills and got back $5.00 and change, $3.00 of which went to a tip jar. Oh well, lousy food and a missing $10. Not a good experience today at El Taco on Spruce Street. read more

Food was good, although I found a hair in it. Kinda ruined my appetite. Hopefully something can be done about this in the future.

I came here twice this past week and got their regular churro (they have 2 other flavors - caramel and strawberry filling). Absolute FIRE! Best churro ever! Comes out hot and stays hot while you eat it. The texture is perfect. It's crunchy, but not hard. Not greasy at all. Flavor is on point. I've had the tacos here and think the price is pretty good for what you get. Everything seems fresh. The staff here are really kind and friendly. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Nice set of crispy tacos. Quick service Filling and tasty. (This is a frigging take out. Nothing more to say. You are putting a gun to our head). read more

Really enjoyed our meal. Wife got the chicken tacos. I got carne asada with the creamy chipotle sauce. Overflowing with fresh toppings. Loved the fresh made tortilla chips and guac and finished off with a couple churros. Will definitely be back. read more

Very good Mexican-American food. Huge portions, decent heat, good choice of meats, veggies, and toppings.

Food was really good and staff was so helpful especially since it was my first time here. I loved there hibiscus juice and apple empanadas.

Delicious and perfectly made chicken burrito! Great tasting, fresh ingredients seem to be the recipe. No pictures. I was hungry, demolished the burrito, and realized how good it was once I was finished. read more

Amazing flavor, great staff, quality ingredients. My FAVORITE taco place! There isn't anything not good!

I am a regular here and usually I don't tend to have too many issues but after tonight, this location will no longer be receiving any business from me. I received TERRIBLE customer service from someone who refused to give me any information regarding a manager which I found RIDICULOUS cause why wasn't there a manager on duty in the first place? After receiving an order I did not ask for, I kindly asked to be given what I asked for but the employee refused to do so and said "Eat what I gave you." I continued to tell him that this was not what I paid for but was told that there was nothing that they could do and I just had to take the food that was given to me. Usually, I tend to not have too many complaints but after tonight's encounter, I will not be returning. Very disappointing. read more

The food here is pretty good. I've had the "El Taco" which is 3 tacos. I usually get chicken and creamy chipotle sauce but sometimes I try the El Super Macho. I haven't gotten anything else but low key it's kind of pricey . The service is nice too. It's pretty authentic for a university city restaurant which doesn't say much! La dueña is mexican too!! read more

We ordered a taco bowl (carnitas), chicken and beef tacos. They were all fresh and delicious.

LOVE their burrito - I have gotten the carnitas burrito with cilantro sauce and cheese sauce & it's so incredibly good. I'm definitely coming back & definitely going to try more things read more

I was walking down Spruce Street on the Penn campus the other day and was wondering what all the excitement was about and I looked into El Taco and it reminded me of the old days at Penn when students, staff and faculty would crowd into the same eatery to snag some excellent food. Another day, I stopped by to pick up a catering menu and have some tacos. I even bumped into other folks from my school and we both were raving about our lunch. I picked the crunchy tacos - three tacos filled with your choice of meet and sauces. I've never had a taco that tasted as delicious or a shell that was as crunchy and had its own unique flavor. The ingredients are so fresh and the restaurant is so bright and clean and inviting, it makes you want to go there again and again. And if you are interested in catering a meal with food from El Taco. I can tell you Brett (one of the co-owners) is available to help you in figuring out menu items and amounts. I knew the food was going to be a giant hit and it truly was. It was a joy to see my colleagues go back for seconds and even thirds. In fact, it's a day later and I'm still getting all kinds of compliments on the food. I love it when that happens! read more