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    El Taco Tote

    3.5 (117 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm

    El Taco Tote Photos

    Business Info

    EL TACO TOTE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Sonja C. W.

    Fish tacos are . Employees are so nice and courteous. Great food and good service. Nice restaurant too.

    Asada Skillet
    Mathena P.

    This is the worst takeout experience I have ever had in my entire life. No, I am not being dramatic- please see photos for proof. I ordered two mushroom tacos with lime, guacamole, pico de gallo, and toreado chile. When opened, it was mushrooms slapped in a flour tortilla with nothing else. My husband ordered the asada "skillet" and was missing lime, onion, green chile, red chile, AND guacamole. It was just meat and tortilla. The last, perhaps most offensive thing we received was the "fish taco." One disgusting piece of fish in a flour tortilla, missing all the ingredients I added: lime, pico de gallo, and cilantro. All of this order looked and tasted terrible and I would highly recommend NO ONE eat at this establishment. I am floored at the positive reviews. Disappointed is an understatement- you could not pay me to go back.

    Where the magic happens
    Kevin P.

    I have to say we have come by here many times and were across the street at the antique places and came in and oh boy this is one of our new favorite places. Very friendly staff and ordered our food and it came to us pretty fast. The atmosphere was really laid back and a lot of families were here and the space for seating probably seats over 100 people with tables and chairs and booths. My son stated that it is in his top 5 for places we have tried for tacos and the meat was perfect. They have an area with at least 20 toppings and sauces to choose from. Favorites were the jalapeño and avocado salsas for me. They have parking both in front and rear of the business and they also have drive thru and a patio area. The bathrooms were clean and that is big for me since I used to work in the restaurant business. Great place to come and the food and atmosphere is very laid back

    Family dinner for 4 with bistek and flour tortillas. Charro beans for the side
    Kristin P.

    Food is delicious and restaurant is clean and renovated. No AC in the summer so super warm! We like the bistek tacos with double beans as a side. The salsa bar is great. Friendly service

    Michael C.

    Came here 5 years ago on a visit to area and really loved it. Came back in 2021 and what a difference, down hill big time. We waited in line for almost 40 minutes to a cashier who acted like it was his first day. Poor guy was surrounded by coworkers who didn't help while he struggled. 50$ for four tacos with only meat and a side, with this especial "queso" which came out cold. Never again

    Menu
    Gerrit K.

    Tasty fast fresh mexican food worth stopping in for. The carne adovada in the skillet was okay, but the carne asada was even more moist and flavorful than expected. The queso fundido with vegetables (mushrooms) was amazingly just a slab of cheese melted over what appeared to be butter and topped with mushrooms and was decadently delicious. The unassuming potato was soft & creamy with a huge slab of butter shoved into it to melt and smother it. They serve a few different salsas, none of which are amazing, but do add some nice flavor and moisture. The friendly quick service ensures we will be back to try more from the menu.

    Out of school  and enjoying lunch
    Grace V.

    I just wanna say thank you to taco tote for thinking about R Albuquerque children and making sure that they have something to eat during this crazy time my 2 grand kids enjoyed the bean and cheese burrito and the case idea with rice so much you have gotten to new fans under your belt and one very grateful parent that businesses like you think about our children when the world is not thinking about anything but themselves THANK YOU AND MAY YOU BE BLESSED FOR YOUR KINDNESS.

    Is this considered "fast" food?
    Wendy A.

    $10 for 2 tacos and a side of beans. A $40 meal for the fam from a drive thru when I could've had a great sit-down restaurant for that. Instead, I get fried fish in a tortilla, that is all. No cabbage or tomato or anything? No sauce? Never again.

    Fish and Barbacoa Tacos
    Sherri S.

    Good authentic Mexican tacos! We ordered 4 barbacoa tacos and four fish tacos. They make fresh corn tortillas right in front of you that are a little larger and a lot better than other taco places. I was only able to finish two tacos because they give you such generous sized tacos. Maybe you enjoy dressing your own tacos, if so they have a nice garnish bar so you can fix it on up. When I order tacos I want them ready to eat loaded with all the goodness already and that's how I'm use to having it. I don't want to guess what sauces and garnishes will make these taste amazing. Pricing is excessive. This place is on Central. It's looks like a low end fast food joint. So why are they charging almost $40 for 8 tacos? I don't know. What I do know is there's some amazing taco joints that give you your tacos already loaded for a lot less. I just don't get how they think their prices are justified, but what do I know, I'm just a foodie.

    3/4 lbs. of sirloin
    Boo S.

    This is my favorite Mexican fast food restaurant. I believe this is a chain out of Juarez Mexico. The concept is so simple, grilled meat, tortilla and a salsa bar. The meat is freshly grilled to order, you can order by the taco, by 3/4 lbs., by the lbs. and the have combos. The tortillas are also fresh made, I love their flour tortillas. Thinner than a "normal" tortilla but with very good flavor and texture. The salsa bar is well stocked with a wide variety of salsas, but beware, some of them are very spicy. They do have free chips so you can sample all the flavors. The staff is always friendly but sometimes they're understaffed which can delay the salsa bar getting refilled and tables getting bused.

    Katie J.

    Steak taco...check. Shrimp Taco... check. Chicken Adobado...check. Fresh salsa bar... check check. The tortillas are AMAZING. Once a week, on a day somewhere between Monday and Wednesday, I get a taco craving. I'm always looking for a street taco-type experience since those have always been the best tacos. Taco Tote delivered in that department. Any meat you could think up wrapped in a yummy corn tortilla, nestled in a piece of foil keeping it warm while you prepare to dig in. I'm not a huge fan of this area at night and the construction is annoying, but worth the trek from the East. The staff were friendly and the food was made to order. Complimentary chips and fresh salsa bar to boot. They have a drive thru, so we will most likely return for to go orders in the future... possibly on a day somewhere between Monday and Wednesday.

    Skillet for 2 with sirloin and Bistek!  We chose a mix of tortillas, all the salsas, beans, rice, and a medium guacamole!

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    6 years ago

    Kids meal and experience drive through during COVID-19 crisis. Staff added a Complementary cupcake to my kids meal.

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    4 years ago

    Omg So good!!! I always get the Sirloin skillet it taste so good it comes with a baked potato and grilled onions and jalapeños

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    Page 1 of 3

    El Taco Tote Reviews in Other Languages

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    Review Highlights - El Taco Tote

    The carne adovada in the skillet was okay, but the carne asada was even more moist and flavorful than expected.

    $9.49 Carne Asada Plate

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    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd - Front of restaurant

    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd

    4.4(2.9k reviews)
    3.9 miDowntown
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Catering service

    There is one southwestern joint in town that is a must visit that's Cocina Azul. The place is…read morebeautiful, sharp clean and very new looking. They have ample seating in brightly lit areas and even patio seating. It was fun busy and alive on a Tuesday night. Our server was so wonderful, very happy and relaxed it's a sign of a good place. All the front staff were wonderful workers and seem to work very harmoniously. My coworker and I had t different things he got a smothered burrito and I got the brisket combo, both dishes were too much food for too grown men. Delicious and huge portions plus a really nice presentation. The wait was a bit long but that just means they are making everything before service. The only hard part was parking, it's a small lot so be prepared to walk a block or two during dinner rush. Trust me it's totally worth it!!!

    I'm in Albuquerque for a few days. I wanted some New Mexican food so I have Cocina Azul a shot…read more East to get to and easy parking. Their 2 big things were their "chili". Everything has either red or green chili or what they call Christmas style and that's both green and red. Not on top of each other but side by side. They both were good. HOWEVER, they were spicy. Really spicy. The green Sause looked like mostly diced hatch green chilis with seeds left in. It had a good flavor. The red Sause was heavy (I think) New Mexico chilies. It had a bright red color, actually stained my fingers, and a woodsy taste. I got a comb plate. It has a chili relleno, tamale, taco, and enchilada with rice and beans. And it was good. It was a lot of food. (See pics) I'm from Oklahoma and the Mexican food there is alot different. But I enjoyed my meal. I would have licked the plate clean if it wasn't so spicy. 4/5

    Photos
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd
    The Original Cocina Azul on Mountain Rd - Arellana's Guaco Sopapilla Burger

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    Arellana's Guaco Sopapilla Burger

    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    Frontier

    4.2(2.7k reviews)
    1.6 miMidtown/University
    $$

    Well priced! Awesome customer service! Well flavored food! Daily specials! Free chile/beans for…read moredine in (not sure as I didn't eat there)! Spacious! Free parking! It's a hit for me. I ordered the cinnamon roll, frozen horchata, green chile stew (comes with a warm tortilla), and adovada taco. The total comes out to less than $20! In this economy?! That's amazing. The most expensive item of my item was the iced horchata, which was good. The food still takes the spotlight though. The cinnamon roll could use a TINY bit more cinnamon and brown sugar, but is still pretty good. I'd definitely come back here.

    Te gusta! TBH, NM's…read morefood scene was underwhelming during my time there, and it was pretty disappointing to get food from the hearth that was more mediocre than the stuff we get on the East Coast. We ate from the border crossing past El Paso all the way to Taos, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. And I'm sure we missed a ton of great places, but that being said, the places we did try... yikes! We rolled the dice on this place. At first I was like, "Great, another place that is going to give us a premade tortilla and some bland combination of stuff in the tortilla..." Now look... this is not a Michelin-starred place, nor is it Michelin-recommended. It's not going to be a spiritual experience. It's not going to make you think differently about a taco, an enchilada, or anything else on their massive menu. But this place has heart, soul, and there's a lot of hustle. The tortillas are made fresh, right there behind the counter (i.e., you can literally watch them crank them out), and that makes a ton of difference. The food is honest, without pretense: fast and affordable. The ambiance is equally without pretense -- college kids, working-class folks, families, academics... The food was simple, spartan, and honest. No frills. Not extraordinary, but above average for the context. There is an ASTOUNDING amount of variety on the menu, and the combinations are infinite. I very much enjoyed my meal, I very much enjoyed the people-watching, and I very much enjoyed the experience. This was perhaps the best meal I had in New Mexico -- the cheapest, and the most memorable. If this place was a beer, it would be one of those local lager/pilsners that is as cheap as a Pabst/Coors/Miller but punches up way past the pretentious IPA scene. Thanks Frontier.

    Photos
    Frontier - Interior

    Interior

    Frontier - Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Complimentary Sopapillas ($0)

    Frontier - Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

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    Mexican Combo ($11) w/ Christmas enchiladas, rice, beans and a crunchy taco

    Herencia - Crab Enchiladas

    Herencia

    4.5(134 reviews)
    5.7 miEastside

    We were traveling from North Carolina to our home in San Diego…read more We looked up places to eat and were tired of "road trip food". We found Herencia and took a chance. We know good Mexican food, as we are from San Diego, and wanted to try the southwest fare. WHAT AN AMAZING CHOICE! The lovely hostess was charming, engaging and sweet (wish i had her name) and our waiter (Edgar) was authentic, personable and fun to chat with. We had been at a movie and had eaten a bit too much popcorn so we did not order a lot. The three of us shared the free blue corn (not fried) chips with three salsa samples. We then shared a salad and the amazingly good four taco sampler. Thank you Herencia (Enrique the owner, and staff) for this wonderful evening.

    This place as delightful! It's a nicely decorated spot with truly incredible Mexican food. We went…read morefor brunch on a Saturday and our server was amazing with suggestions on the menu and keeping the drinks topped off and checking in on us. They have complimentary bread and salsas which were quite delightful. I had the omelette de verduras which was just amazing. The eggs were cooked just right and it had lots of veggies plus came with a side of beans. They also had a lot of other good vegetarian options and verified everything with the kitchen on that front which made me feel like they really cared about making sure. Overall great experience and I will be back!

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    Herencia
    Herencia - Tacos

    Tacos

    Herencia - Costilla de Rez

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    Costilla de Rez

    El Patio De Albuquerque - An oldy, but a goody. Been loving this place for over 25 years.

    El Patio De Albuquerque

    4.0(902 reviews)
    1.6 miMidtown/University
    $$

    My favorite meal this year. Very friendly staff and comfortable seating outside underneath a tree,…read morewith fairy lights above. We had the guacamole and salsa, I recommend mixing them together, they pair surprisingly well. A little pricey at $9.60 for the plate. For entrees, we had the green chile chicken enchiladas and carne adovada Christmas style. The latter is one of the most distinct and delicious regional dishes I've had. All entrees had really nice pairings with pinto beans, potato hash, and freshly cooked sopapillas. We chose to have the sopapillas with honey as a dessert, but there's the option to stuff them with the entree.

    This place is like a Mom and Pop hole in the wall gem. The restaurant is small. Parking is a bit of…read morea challenge. There are parking meters along the street and they are free after 6 pm. We stuck a few quarters into the meter that couldn't be read, and we walked into the restaurant. We were greeted at the door and given several options for seating including outdoor seating. We took a table in the entry way, not in the main restaurant. It was a quaint spot overlooking the patio section out front of the restaurant. A server met us, took our drink order, and we placed a few appetizer orders. We got some chile con queso, and the chicharron. They initially brought out the queso in two small plastic to-go containers. I was not very thrilled with that. Then, when we polished them off, they brought out some more in a small serving dish. Why we didn't get the dish in the first place is beyond me. The queso was good, but I didn't think much of the chicharron. My husband like it though. The server did an excellent job keeping our drinks filled. We placed our order, and it wasn't too long that our orders came out. I got the combination plate, red sauce, ground beef taco. My husband thought he ordered the enchilada plate, but the chile relleno plate came out instead. He told them that was fine. The ground beef taco was so delicious. The chile relleno was pretty good, and the cheese enchiladas were okay, even though it was like they were barely there. The pinto beans, not refried beans, were also enjoyed. What really set them apart was their papas - those potatoes were soft and super flavorful. Their red sauce was spicy and flavorful. The server brought out two fresh and hot sopapillas. We poured honey on those things bite by bite. I honestly think those were the best sopapillas I've had. I also used the restroom before we left. It might need a little updating, but it was certainly clean.

    Photos
    El Patio De Albuquerque - Nice conversion of old house

    Nice conversion of old house

    El Patio De Albuquerque - Chips and salsa were fair. $4.00 for a very small serving of salsa. I would not recommend the salsa and chips for the money you are paying.

    Chips and salsa were fair. $4.00 for a very small serving of salsa. I would not recommend the salsa and chips for the money you are paying.

    El Patio De Albuquerque - Patio seating.

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    Patio seating.

    El Pinto - Fresh Guacamole

    El Pinto

    3.4(1.9k reviews)
    8.8 miBusiness Parkway/Academy Acres
    $$

    When visiting New Mexico, my friend took me to El Pinto, and I was extremely impressed! From the…read moremoment we arrived, I loved the atmosphere, design, and layout of the restaurant. Make sure you take the time to walk around and see the entire property--it is HUGE! It feels like you're stepping into a beautiful Spanish-style hacienda, yet it still manages to feel warm, homey, and down-to-earth. The restaurant is very spacious, has beautiful areas for events, and is also dog-friendly. We made reservations, and I definitely recommend doing the same--you NEED them! We were seated right away, and our server was attentive, friendly, and made our experience even more enjoyable. Now, the food! I loved that you can order your chile "Christmas" style and get both red and green. And FYI--endless chips and salsa! The margaritas were strong and delicious, exactly how a margarita should be. I highly recommend the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was moist, tender, and perfectly shredded. The tacos were also great, and the mole chicken was delicious. My only wish is that the menu offered a few more seafood options. Between the atmosphere, great service, delicious food, and margaritas, El Pinto was such a fun New Mexico experience. If you make it to New Mexico, El Pinto absolutely needs to be on your list of places to visit!

    Overall, the restaurant is quite remarkable. The location is unique and the interior and exterior…read morespaces are beautiful. My parents lived in ABQ for years and always thought that the atmosphere was great, but the food was so-so. However, on this instance, we all thought the food was quite good. Flavorful carne adovada, although it was a bit tough. Red chile sauce was spicy but had great flavor. The green chile sauce was hot and tasty. Posole was also good. The gold margaritas were also good - to anyone complaining about the price - at $14.50, the price is very fair considering the cost of ingredients. If you want a cheap junk margarita that is more sugar than anything else, go somewhere else! Our gripe... The place is huge and has an abundance of great places to seat guests. We had a pretty large group - 7 people celebrating a family reunion of sorts. However, they sat us right next to the bussing station that had noisy carts, dishwashers, and other distractions. It was so loud, it was hard to hear the person across the table. There were at least 10 other tables that they could have seated us at! It seems to me that this area should be used only when the restaurant is completely full. This seems to be a poor management decision rather than the fault of the servers or hosts.

    Photos
    El Pinto - Come on in!

    Come on in!

    El Pinto - Hatch Chile and Chicharrones

    Hatch Chile and Chicharrones

    El Pinto - Interior entrance

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    Interior entrance

    El Taco Tote - mexican - Updated September 2026

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