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    El Taquero Grill

    4.1 (54 reviews)
    Fri 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
    Sat 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    Alyssa C.

    Looking for some street tacos after a show at the Observatory? Stop by at El Taquero before midnight for some tasty tacos or burritos. Handmade tortillas, meat cut of your choice, and green sauce. Good way to end the night after a loud concert if you ask me.

    Chicken tacos
    Shawna D.

    The Yelp profile says they don't open til 4 but they were open for lunch when I went. AMAZING, delicious and fresh. Also extremely reasonably priced. I will be back when I'm in this area.

    Hairo C.

    This has become one of my favorite taco trucks in Santa Ana. It's a bit out of the way from me but it's always worth the drive. I highly recommend the handmade tortillas to go with any taco you'd like. Personally, I love the way they prepare their asada, pastor, carnitas, and tripa. I'll emphasize the tripa because it's hard to find well made tripa tacos. Their salsas are always on point, and their pickled onions are an great topping to the tacos.

    Sun setting the tacos is good. Off of south Harbor road.
    AA J.

    Excellent set up and great food. Quick service. You gotta love the outside atmosphere.

    Rain sleet or snow they are open for business!  #nodaysoff #tacosforall #3biterule
    Neil E.

    Serendipity, I probably drove by this place hundreds of times, but a few weeks ago the taco gods had plans for me. I was Stuck in late afternoon traffic on harbor and a line of people leading to a red food truck caught my eye. I wish I had pulled over and checked them out. From that point on, everytime I drove by the red food truck I'd glance at the red truck to gauge how busy it was. A line is a possible indicator of something worthy(some times not): People are exchange time for good food. Another good tell is the food is hot and fresh not just sitting waiting for the next customer. But Everytime I drove by the red taco cart someone was ordering. Tonight in the freezing rain(california 55 degrees and slight drizzle ) I finally decided to make the pilgrimage to the red taco truck. Thinking I'm the only dude who would chase taco trucks in this weather, there was a possibility this trip may be a flop due to a rainout. To my surprise, the red truck was in full swing churning out tacos and other dishes for the devout fans of El Taquero Grill, food cravings were being fullfilled. There was something magical about walking upto to a big red truck as the rain fell on it, with the bright spot lights twinkling, and the smell of grilled meats filling the air. It was the classical Bay Watch moment for me but instead of a red bikini it was a red food truck in slow motion. The menu was to the point and simple. I ordered my "go to" essentials. I was tempted to try a burrito and torta but tonight I was craving tacos. I ordered the Al pastor(I didn't see any trompo so I was hesitant about that order) Carnitas, Asada, cheese steak, and horchatas. Payment was interesting, they accepted cash or card, but if you had cash you have to round up or down to the nearest dollar because they had no coinage. Hmmm next time I will do the math ahead of time and try to get near .50 on the dollar and see if they round up or down. Unfortunately I didn't have cash so I paid with my credit card, There is a 4% fee, and they do accept Amex. I tapped the machine and quickly got out of the next hangry persons way. People can be nice but when it comes to food ugliness can come out. After paying i wanted to do a little snooping around so I walked the perimeter and noticed it was a smaller food truck, with only 2 people managing the orders and cooking, impressive. I tried to converse with the gentleman who took my order but he had no desire to entertain my small talk as his phone was blowing up, mobile orders were a big thing here, especially on a cold rainy day. I grabbed some condiments of lime, radish, and onions and ran back to my car to warm up inside. Soon enough I was called to pick up the to-go order. I ordered 6 tacos for myself which I would easily crush but today I felt less manly calling it quits at 3 tacos, if only I had a second stomach. These tacos were packed with meat also one had the choice of having handmade tortillas or the packaged one. I opted for the handmade tortilla which was amazing. Soft, chewy, and that nice corn flavor. It was slightly thicker so they didnt double up on the tortilla. 3 bites is my rule before adding condiments or anything to dish im trying for the first time. Why, because I want to taste the food without distractions or biases. With tacos it's tricky cuz 3 bites can make one taco disappear, But not these tacos. The cook is not shy to load up on the meat. The carnitas was delish, meaty not fatty, with alittle crisp on the outside while maintaining the juicy tenderness of the pork. The carne Asada looked amazing and had a nice char and also maintained its tenderness. Next was the cheese steak taco I'm usually a total snob and avoid cheese on tacos let alone melted cheese but tonight I stepped out side my comfort zone and lived a little and tried the cheese steak. Still piping hot I took a tiny bite and it it was the longest cheese pull ever! If you're a cheese fan this is your joint! Finally the al pastor, I questioned my decision on ordering it until the meat hit my taste buds. although not cooked on a trompo it was packed with flavor! Consistent with the other tacos it had a slight crispiness yet still tender and juicy. Threw on the lime and choice of red or green salsa half way through and it made each bite heavenly. To wash it all down I had a horchata with nice flavor, lower on the cinnamon and higher on the creaminess. It was thicker than usual any thicker it could've been a shake. Yeah seriously thick, but good! amazing tacos! It's currently my favorite taco joint in the OC. I was very impressed with the quality, they allowed the flavor of the meat to standout, and freshness was pronounce. Y'all have to give it a try!

    Menu
    Richard M.

    The smell will lure you in. Simply delicious with the Mexican flavors we all love. My only gripe is that they were so busy they ran out of cups for horchata. Other than that aces!

    Pastor Burrito

    A new found favorite! It's close to our house and the best taco truck we've been able to find nearby. The pastor burrito is SO GOOD!! This was my third time trying it and i've had their carnitas, pastor, and asada and pastor is the way to go! You can also order directly through them online instead of having to pay the fees through Grubhub. This is the link: http://bit.ly/eltaquerogrillsantaana (it's cheaper if you order through them. They just gave me the link today when i picked up my online order through Grubhub which was nice!)

    My favorite late night taco truck in OC
    Marc L.

    Hidden gem in a red truck. Located off Harbor Boulevard on Moore Avenue, close to the Carl's Jr. and Del Taco, this little red taco truck is my go-to stop for tacos late at night in Orange County. El Taquero not only has a variety of meats to choose from, they also specialize in doing cheesesteak and choriqueso tacos! If you like hot, stringy, melted cheese in your tacos this place is the spot! Besides the tacos (which are $2 each) I also like ordering the mulitas ($9), which are practically quesadilla-sized here. Add some extra slices of avocado and for $10 you can have a hot, cheesy cabeza mulita with a smooth finish... at midnight! Whether you get the choriqueso, cheesesteak, cabeza, carnitas, campechano, suadero, you really can't beat El Taquero when it comes to late night tacos in OC! They accept both cash AND credit too!

    Look for this truck!!
    Erika R.

    I didn't want to write this review so I can try to keep this place a secret! Although I realize it's this place is NOT a secret when there's a bunch of people in line! El Taquero is a taco truck that's parked along Moore Ave. It's the only taco truck on this street so you can't miss it! They're open from 5pm to 1am every day! They also have another location on Grand Avenue and 17th street. There's plenty of free parking along the street and a small lot which we have had no problems parking in when we make a late night visit. Only one table with about 4-6 chairs is available. These $1.50 tacos here are just plain GOOD! We always order the tacos with cheese which makes such a huge difference in the flavor. The tacos are always made fresh to order, so expect a bit of a wait - it will be worth it! Drinks are available for sale as well. Only once were the tacos too greasy for my liking, but every other time has been perfect! We've been here with big and small groups and no one has ever been disappointed. Service has been good so far! Someone recommended this place to someone who recommended this place to my BF and I.. and now we've been recommending this place to everyone!

    I could give 0 stars for this place. Quesadilla with barely no cheese and no flavor for 11 dollars. That's ridiculous! Super expensive! I never imagine I could be paying 11 dollars for for 1 quesadilla but i decided to tried. When I saw the price I thought it would come with cheaper and salsa at least but nope! It's just a unflavored quesadilla with a white weird cheese. Horrible horrible horrible!

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    8 months ago

    If you're looking for street tacos, definitely el taquero grill is the best. The best tacos ever.

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Lovely place! Great food! Will come back here for more!!! The carne asada, el pastor were my favorite!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food was delicious and the service was really great. Definitely recommend to everyone!!

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    3 years ago

    Honestly just wasn't a fan .. the meat did not taste authentic at all . I prefer the street tacos on the side of the rode ‍

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    7 years ago

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    5 years ago

    The best tacos and staff. The food is always fresh, the salsa is bomb and they are really nice. Go support small family business.

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    4 years ago

    Me and the boys always go to this spot after work! Best tripa and carnes out there. Reasonable price! And also they have horchata and drinks

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    5 years ago

    Amazing burritos and tacos!!! Coming back for sure, the rice is so so tasty, the salsas, Cecina meet is nice and tender

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - El Taquero Grill

    I stop by a few days ago they weren't there. Are they still open?

    To my knowledge the only day there closed is Mondays. But you can call their phone number to check.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Bandito Taqueria

    Bandito Taqueria

    4.6
    (487 reviews)
    6.7 km
    $$

    I fucking love this place. I eat here at least two or three times a week, and it never disappoints…read more The al pastor is a 10/10..seriously, get it with everything on it. Their salads are delicious, and the quesadillas? Chef's kiss. I'm actually really picky about quesadillas because, for some reason, the cheese at a lot of places messes with my stomach. But whatever they're using here agrees with me perfectly. Honestly... not even a 1,000/10. If you haven't tried this spot yet, you're missing out.

    PREMISE: I went here on a Tuesday night with a group of 10 friends…read more WAIT TIME: Not long! You order at the counter and then you can rather take it to go or sit in their restaurant. There's plenty of indoor seating and some outdoor seating as well. Food came relatively quickly as well for all of us, and drinks came out right away. Wait was maybe 5-10 minutes but all the food was freshly made! FOOD: They don't have too big of a menu, but that's not bad. I tried the carne asada, el pastor, and the mushroom tacos + queso tacos. The tacos were a lot bigger than larger tacos, coming at roughly $4 per taco. I would recommend the queso tacos because i LOVE cheese but the regular tacos are good. The quesadillas were very filling and there was a lot to them as well if you want something that'll fill you up more than a taco. SERVICE: Service was good. Everyone who helped us was very nice. PARKING: There is street parking and parking lots around the area for you to walk in--all of which are paid parking. You can use an app for the lots or use coins for the street parking. I've gone here during the day and night and I haven't had any issues with parking at all. INTERIOR: The interior is very simple: warm tones with benches. If you have a big party, you most likely will have to split up between multiple tables. For us, a party of 10, we divided it between 4 and 6, though the 6 was a tight fit. BATHROOM: Clean. Nothing crazy when I went there. I'm pretty sure you can use the bathroom too even if you don't buy anything. LOCATION: This place is in downtown Santa Ana, so there are a lot of shops for you to look around, eat at, or shop at if you go during the day. Very fun to eat tacos here and then go on a walk afterwards :)) TLDR: A very good taco spot to go eat if you want good tacos. They're open till 10pm weekdays and midnight on weekends as well. Decent variety that's fresh and very flavorful

    Photos
    Nice spacious dining room.
    Nice spacious dining room.
    Chicken Flour Quesadilla
    Chicken Flour Quesadilla
    Al pastor with everything and pineapple passion fruit fresh juice (no refill).

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    Al pastor with everything and pineapple passion fruit fresh juice (no refill).
    Navarro's Taqueria

    Navarro's Taqueria

    4.3
    (574 reviews)
    6.4 km
    $$

    I came here with my coworkers for lunch and so glad that we did. I'm disappointed that I have not…read morebeen here sooner! There is a decent size parking lot for Navarro's. It is next to a gas station. It looks like a pretty popular place during the lunch hour. It's a smaller place inside, but they do have an outdoor patio. We were able to find a small table, not too far from the front counter. Ordering at the front was easy. The staff was friendly and quick. We could see the cook grilling up the meats as we placed our order. There were at least five different salsas to choose from as well as cucumbers and a chili oil at the self-serve salsa bar. I noticed a customer in front of us ordered a kids plate which included two street tacos and rice and beans. That's what I ended up ordering with Carne Asada and chorizo. There were four or five proteins to choose from for the kids plate. I loved the grilled meats with the char flavor. It was delicious! Everything was well seasoned. I wish I would've ordered a third or maybe even a fourth taco because it was that good! I will definitely come back many times and it's going to be on our lunch rotation for sure.

    I ordered the BK breakfast burrito through Postmates since I was at work and really feeling a…read morebreakfast burrito. So I tried this out. I'm glad I did. The burrito was solid sized, I was definitely full after eating it. Great seasoned potato wedges inside, tasty egg, and plenty of bacon and sausage. Only thing with the bacon and sausage was that the bacon was actually bacon bits. I'm pretty sure they are pre bagged bacon bits, judging by the extreme salty taste...they overpowered the sausage inside so all I was really getting was bacon bits. There was supposed to be chipotle mayo inside as well, but I don't think mine had it. Or it was also overpowered by the bacon bits. Burrito was grilled on both sides and wrapped up nicely. By the time I got it, it was still super hot. The green and red salsas are also delicious.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Chicken Enchiladas
    Chicken Enchiladas
    Birria Combo A

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    Birria Combo A
    Tacos Gutierrez

    Tacos Gutierrez

    4.5
    (109 reviews)
    7.0 km
    $
    Family-owned & operated
    LGBTQ friendly

    Taco Gutierrez you have my whole heart!…read more After having moved to Santa Ana last year this has become my go-to spot for tacos close by. It's hard to find a good Taco Tuesday but they do a great job helping the community and keeping the prices $1.50 for basic meats like pollo, asada, and al pastor. I personally love my lengua and this truck has some of the best I've tried! It is a bit pricier but definitely worth it given the taste/quality. A couple things about the condiments--green sauce is spicier than you think, red one is more of a salsa and not that hot. Radishes are unfortunately not very crunchy/juicy at this location so I don't get it as often as I would at other taco spots. If you're ever in a rush, they do phone orders AND DoorDash. I've done all the methods and quality stays up there each time! However, if you do wanna enjoy your tacos right after they're prepared, you can always sit at their tables next to the truck. They have quite a bit of dining space and I've never seen it too crowded to the point of having difficulty finding a spot to sit. In terms of finding the truck, you just need to turn into S Hathaway St. Very close to the train tracks. I park in any free space they have there, since the businesses are usually closed after 5pm (which is when the truck opens).

    Came here on a Tuesday. Place wasn't too crowded and we were helped promptly…read more $1.50 tacos are a bargain these days, and they were reasonably sized. I got 3 asada and they were great! Small counter with radish, cucumber, and salsas as well as some Mexican lollipops (def took a few for the road) I definitely will be coming here on Tuesdays from now on!

    Photos
    Come make your own combination.
    Come make your own combination.
    Taco Tuesday come get your tacos.
    Taco Tuesday come get your tacos.
    Tacos Gutierrez

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    The Taco Connection

    The Taco Connection

    4.8
    (188 reviews)
    4.5 km
    $$

    Good service. Tacos were good and they give u grilled onions as well but they wrapped them in only…read moretinfoil with no plates. Horchata tasted old as well.

    So, before leaving my review, I wanted to try TC one more time. I wanted to make sure I'm being…read morefair in my assessment, because there's an abundance of taqueria's in Santa Ana. My cousin recommended it to me and said they were better than Los Cholos. I said no way! Way! These tacos are moist and flavorful. They use local vendors for their tortillas. You actually have to cook the tortillas. Small, thin and have that just made taste. I like these corn tortillas because it gives you a better meat to tortilla ratio. I had the asada, pollo and chueleta (pork but not al pastor). All tacos come with cabbage, cilantro, RED onion and their respective salsa. I began a conversation with Charles about tacos and he asked me if I ever had a Chorreadas. I saw it on there advertisement and was going to have one on my next visit. He said no, sit down, I'd like for you and your wife try it. We said we were really full but he insisted. It was on the house, how can i say no. It was kind of like a mini tostada. Meat, cheese, veggies, salsa and a special spread. My wife took a bite and she kind of perked up and said, " you have to try this". She handed it to me and I took a bit. And another bit and another. I not sure what that spread is but it had me hooked. My wife and I talked about it hours after. She even stated she'd go back tomorrow. My wife also had the ribeye taco. Same moist and tasty. TC is located in the Dunkin Donuts plaza. Basic ambiance with plenty of seating. Fast and friendly service. They also won a taco taste competition during Taco Week. IMO, a must try and if you do, try the Chorreadas! You won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Aguas frescas (Natural Waters- Homemade)
    Aguas frescas (Natural Waters- Homemade)
    Asada, Pollo, and Chuletas Quesadilla
    Asada, Pollo, and Chuletas Quesadilla
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    Taqueria El Gordito

    Taqueria El Gordito

    3.9
    (379 reviews)
    8.0 km
    $$

    Taqueria El Gordito is one of my go-to late-night taco spots, especially after work--and it never…read moremisses. They're open until 3am, which already puts them in a clutch category. This is the kind of place you rely on when you need something solid, fast, and satisfying. My usual order is the asada or cabeza tacos--and they don't hold back. The tacos are big, flavorful, and consistently good every time. Every now and then I switch it up with the chile relleno burrito, which is also worth it. Everything I've had here hits. The salsa selection is solid too. They don't have it laid out anymore, but you can just ask at the counter--and they'll take care of you. They've always been cool about giving extra when needed. They've also got a good variety of drinks to go with it. I usually take my food to-go, but the outdoor patio is there if you want to sit and eat. Service is friendly, quick, and consistent--another reason I keep coming back. If you're looking for a reliable late-night taco spot that delivers on flavor and portion, this is it.

    I was in the area and decided to grab some lunch. Someone mentioned that the Horchata water was…read moregood, first of all it was from the machine so that was already a bad sign. The tacos had plenty of meat tho. I had 2 adabada and 2 cabesa tacos. Adobada Tacos - the tortillas could use a little more oil when you say TJ style. The meat was more in the sweet side 1-5 (1) Cabesa Tacos- The meat was nice and fresh and had good flavor 1-5 (4) the yellow corn tortilla is always a nice touch. The salsas 1-5 (1) are not spicy and lack flavor It's not sitting outside but I'd rather eat inside. The Horchata Water can also use some work. 1-5 (2) This is just my taste buds talking we all have different taste buds, but this would not be my first choice for tacos.

    Photos
    Breakfast grub.
    Breakfast grub.
    Breakfast burrito
    Breakfast burrito
    Burrito combo, massive!

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    Burrito combo, massive!

    El Taquero Grill - foodtrucks - Updated July 2026

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