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    Ely’s Taco

    4.5 (51 reviews)
    ModerateFood Trucks, Tacos
    Open 6:30 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ely’s Taco Photos

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    a man standing in front of a food truck
    Stacy D.

    The BEST authentic, family owned, food truck street tacos! This is a family owned food truck and it's cash only. Don't be scared of curb appeal because I thought "heck no " The carne asada, chicken, chorizo & cheese, al pastor, is so good! Def ask for the side chili and onions and cilantro. My hubby is from San Diego and if you know..San Diego is known for the their amazing Mexican food. He actually really approves and thinks they are amazing 4/5. Lastly, no where to sit. Literally tailgate party. Bring your cervesas and sodas.

    Hours
    Ray H.

    **CASH ONLY** Good tacos but nothing particularly special. The feel just slightly smaller than other street tacos, but the base price is $2. The Al pastor was my favorite. Make sure to request grilled onions on the side. You can park in the bank parking lot and enjoy them. There is no outside tables so its either to go or eat in the car. Very nice and friendly people running the location here! Food Rating 8.7/10 for the el pastor tacos 8.5/10 for the asada tacos

    Had to eat only the Chicken and that was even dried up and refried YUCK
    Teresa

    Tonight ordered chicken tacos many all were rehashed fried over again meat was not fresh and the shells were hard and not edible . Won't be coming here anymore don't want to get Salmonella poisoning .Wouldn't even give it one Star

    Menu 06/2024
    Thy V.

    Great food truck for Mexican food! The tacos are bit smaller but not bad for $2.00 (Lengua is $3.5). Meat flavor is great and lengua is soft. The truck is by Dale Way and Harbor Blvd.

    Asada quesadilla
    Erwin R.

    Another great taco truck with some quality meat! I definitely recommend getting the lengua if you can spare some more dollars. They got lots of options for protein and great sauce too. Service is quick and nice.

    Menu - specials sheet on window
    Simon K.

    Pretty good taco truck. It seems to always be there, especially on Taco Tuesdays, right on the corner of Dale and Harbor (just south of Baker). But they have a sign saying closed on Mondays. There's a specials sheet on the window that has some extra taco options such as a ChoriQueso taco. That one is my favorite having a nice blend of Chorizo and melted cheese mixed together. The Al Pastor taco and the Carne Asada (steak) taco were also good. The rice was good. The beans were great. They have three different kinds of salsa, Green (mild, my favorite), Red (spicy, average), Habanero (very spicy but great flavor and preferred over the red). They also have Enchiladas and Burritos that I'd like to try next time. They even have a hamburger and a chicken sandwich.

    Carne asada and el pastor tacos with a cheese quesadilla.
    Chris L.

    **CASH ONLY** Located on a small side street right in front of the Express 5 Carwash, taco trailer sharing the street with another taco truck. I got the carne asada and el pastor tacos along with a cheese quesadilla and a side of refried beans. Probably the most decent street vendor tacos you can find south of Santa Ana. The tacos are small, but for a $1.50 each, they dice up the carne asada small enough so they can fit a good amount on the tortilla. The carne asada was tender and not overly cooked where you get those hard, crispy edges like how some places do it. The el pastor was also tender with enough of the pineapple just so you get a little sweetness. Not a whole lot of seasoning if any, but they cook the meat just right, and not greasy. Their cheese quesadilla has a good amount of cheese; nothing over the top, but any 5 year old would be happy with it. Their refried beans were good, and they give you a good portion for the price. I like how the beans are mixed and broken down with a thick texture. Nice compliment to the tacos. Service takes a little long as it appears as if they make each individual order one at a time as they receive it. Plenty of parking in the neighboring business. The trailer is located near a lot of businesses, so very convenient place to stop at if you're out doing some errands. I will definitely be coming back.

    Neighborhood food truck hits the spot! Stop by nearest Wells Fargo Bank on Off Harbor Blvd. By the entrance of Fast 5 Carwash!
    Richard T.

    Excellent food! Salsa Verde just right on the enchiladas and it's a plateful which will fill you up! Chicken has savory flavor..the tacos topped everything off..it's a must to stop by in the evening.

    pastor tacos
    Colton G.

    Best tacos in town hands down, no debate. I go more often than I'd like to admit for the pastor and pineapple god bless it's delicious. Make sure you tip and support our neighbors

    Ely's!
    Ashley D.

    Ely's is the bomb! I'm from the Midwest so carne asada is all new to me. I tried Ely's street tacos for the first time and can't get enough. Not only are the tacos super fresh and delicious. We also love to get the cheese quesadillas as well. Enchiladas are top notch and made with green sauce. Their green salsa is superior. They have original coke in a bottle. I mean, how can you really go wrong? Their hours say they open at 6:30 but they don't open their trailer until around 6:50pm and closed Mondays. Stop by and give them your business. No place better!!

    B. Z.

    So delicious!! So nice to have a taco truck in Costa Mesa by my house, everyone's really nice and the food is amazing!! Thank you guys!! Most delicious burrito ever'!!

    Tailgating Taco Party
    Irma B.

    So good!!!! Must add this to your rotation. Perfect street tacos. Everything we ordered was so flavorful. The family running this truck is as nice as can be. We want to make sure we try everything in the menu. We have an allergy to raw onions. So they dug around until they found a clean bunch of cilantro and chopped it for us so we had no onion oil on it. I know they didn't have to do it. But they insisted. We had so much fun doing our social distancing tailgating

    Menu

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    10 months ago

    There's are my favorite street tacos in Costa Mesa. I can't believe it has taken me so long to discover them

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    2 years ago

    This place is so GOOD! So what if it's not fancy looking? This is real food, real ingredients for a great price.

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    3 years ago

    Service is great! Small tacos but pack a lot of flavors ! Why there isn't a line wrapped around the block idk

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Fantastic quality and prices. Asada, rice and beans are legit. Just remember to bring cash! Friendly service too.

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    6 years ago

    This place has really good Cabeza and barbacoa. This is my favorite spot to come to after work on a late night.

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    Page 1 of 2

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    El Toro Bravo Tortilleria

    El Toro Bravo Tortilleria

    4.2
    (1.2k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $

    El Toro Bravo Authentic Mexican Food did not disappoint! I ordered the chicken, Spanish rice,…read morebeans, and beef, and everything was delicious. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned, the beef was flavorful, and the Spanish rice and beans tasted fresh and authentic. The portions were generous, and the food came out hot and quickly. The staff was friendly and attentive, making the experience even better. It's clear they take pride in serving quality Mexican food with authentic flavors. If you're looking for a great Mexican restaurant with tasty food and excellent service, I highly recommend El Toro Bravo. I'll definitely be back to try more items on the menu!

    I had a very disappointing experience here because of the customer service. I ordered six tacos…read moreseparately, and the employee helping me rolled his eyes, laughed, and sarcastically repeated, "So... six tacos all the same?" I brushed it off and tried to stay polite, but the attitude continued. While waiting for my order, I noticed him talking to his coworkers in the back while looking over at me, which made me feel uncomfortable and disrespected. I eventually called him out because there was no reason to treat a paying customer that way. Everyone has stressful days, but that's not an excuse to be rude or mock customers for placing an order. The food may be good, but customer service matters just as much. I hope management addresses this because no customer should feel embarrassed or disrespected simply for ordering food.

    Photos
    El Toro Bravo Tortilleria
    El Toro Bravo Tortilleria
    Signage Outside

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    Signage Outside
    The Taco Stand

    The Taco Stand

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I love this place! Came in on a Wednesday evening, as I was…read morecraving a burrito. I walked up and stood in line. A few minutes later, Maria (Taco Stand employee), was offering free churro samples to everyone in line. These churros were so tasty! I ended up ordering the California Burrito, Bean & Cheese Burrito, Carne Asada Taco, and Pollo Asado Taco......Everything tasted GREAT! Thank you Maria for the recommendations and free churros......I will be coming back soon!

    We stopped by The Taco Stand today at the Costa Mesa location. The parking lot is on the smaller…read moreside, and while there is indoor seating, you may need to wait for a table since it gets pretty busy. There is also some outdoor seating available to the left of the restaurant or at 1954 bakery. They offer the usual taco meats, burritos, and beer. We ordered two Baja Fish Burritos, what was supposed to be two California Burritos, and a churro. There was a mix-up with our order, but the staff was incredibly nice and ended up comping a California Burrito. In my eyes, the customer service was impeccable. The employees were constantly cleaning tables, picking up after guests, and helping everyone who came through the door. The atmosphere is very casual with a street-food vibe. If you don't want to wait for a seat, takeout, eating outside, or even enjoying your meal in your car are all good options. They also gave us complimentary churros in exchange for a review. The flavor was good, but the texture wasn't quite what we're used to. The inside was a little chewy and soft, whereas we prefer a crispier, hollow-style churro. As for the food, the Baja Fish Burrito was excellent--crispy fish with plenty of fresh vegetables. The California Burrito was also very tasty and packed with generous chunks of steak. The size of the burritos are pretty big. For the price point, service, and food quality, we would definitely come back.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Baja, camaron, carne asada | IG: @nom.noms.only
    Baja, camaron, carne asada | IG: @nom.noms.only
    The best corn

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    The best corn
    Mercado Gonzalez

    Mercado Gonzalez

    4.3
    (1k reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    This place is the Mexican market disneyland, interior is huge with bunch of food stalls, grocery,…read moreand Mexican silverware and other goodies. Parking can be tough since this place is always crowded. There are table seatings were you can eat and also TV screen and bar for drinks. I've tried the tacos, the crispy chicharron and the churros. The churros are my favorite, not too sugary and fried to perfection, hot chocolate there is bomb too. Tacos weren't the best I've had but meat was tender. Overall fun place to come with friends, would love to try margo my next visit!

    Disappointing to see the level of service at this location. As a regular shopper, I expect a higher…read morestandard of customer care. During my recent visit, Wendy at cashier station 5 on 6.13.2026 at around 7:30pm provided extremely disrespectful service and openly stated that she did not care enough to learn the pricing codes while scanning items. This raises concerns about pricing accuracy, not only for me but for other loyal customers as well. Fortunately, the employee assisting with bagging demonstrated far more professionalism and took the initiative to correct the mistakes caused by Wendy's lack of attention and concern. I hope management addresses this issue, as customers deserve courteous service and confidence that they are being charged accurately.

    Photos
    Great packaged foods, snacks and Mexican candy.
    Great packaged foods, snacks and Mexican candy.
    Time to eat churros
    Time to eat churros
    Menu As of 6/8/25

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    Menu As of 6/8/25
    Tacos Madre

    Tacos Madre

    4.3
    (554 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Free parking

    This place came up on a collection to follow of best tacos in Orange County.. We are working our…read moreway through the entire collection.. this did not disappoint! Home made shells are a big draw for me. Tried a few things.. Carnitas taco was the winner with the green sauce they give you on the side.. The Carne Asada taco was a close second place and that is great on its own but if you add the red sauce they give you on the side it takes it to a new level. Fish taco came in 3rd place but not by much. Very good, lightly fried and crispy... better than most. Order the chips and salsa.. that is sooo worth it... They have fresh Iced Tea which is nice as most places just go the easy route with powdered tea from A soda machine.. this is much nicer than that. Parking in front or in back.. just be aware of signs and don't park in apartments behind restaurant. Highly recommended place to try.

    To be completely honest, the only thing that had any authenticity was the refried beans, and to…read morethat we had to add lime and salsa to give it some flavor. The pastor was pre-cut pork chunks that had an odd texture with canned pineapple chunks added in. For a place that touts fresh tortillas, why were the chips directly from a bag that looked and tasted like something from the dollar store? The corn tortillas from Trader Joe's had more authenticity than the yellow discs they have to offer for tacos. Northgate Mercado is right down the street, for goodness sake- work out a deal to buy fresh from them and serve that to your customers. I was so grossly disappointed with everything this place had to offer and that doesn't happen that often. I don't recommend and I don't see a world where I'll ever pay my hard earned money to dine at this place again. Easy fixes - this place just needs a little bit of "try".

    Photos
    QUESABIRRIA WITH CONSOME
    QUESABIRRIA WITH CONSOME
    BIRRIA SLIDERS
    BIRRIA SLIDERS
    CHILE RELLENO & HARDSHELL TACO COMBINATION

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    CHILE RELLENO & HARDSHELL TACO COMBINATION

    Ely’s Taco - foodtrucks - Updated July 2026

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