Low-key on a mission to try everything here. So let's see if they're pretty good eh or ew. Everyone here is always super nice and food is always fresh and quality. This time I got their mango aguafresca, flan, esquite, and chicken torta to try. The mango agua Fresca was sweet mangoy and refershing. The flan was firmer than what I'm used to but was still super creamy, not too sweet and had plenty of this caramely toasty flaves. It's corn season and the corn in the esquite MNM. Amazingly buttery juicy sweet and generously topped with rich mayo, Cotija cheese and tajin. The torta was also REALLY YUMMY and was filled with crunchy fresh onions, lettuce, tomato, and radish, soft beans, savory cheese, and tender limey flavorful perfectly grilled chicken. I even added some of their super fresh yummy guac and omg pure deliciousity right there. Overall this place is still pretty good. Mango agua Fresca $5 Flan $5 Esquite $7 Chicken torta $12 +$4 guac read more

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I'm not one to complain or leave reviews, but this was ridiculous. Service was good and I'd like to give praise the young fellas that took my order. Gave me a few samples of their water and all were good. Food wasn't bad at all. Got a taco of Asada, solid but nothing crazy. ($3 eh...) Horchata was really good. $6 for a large (average price) Esquite was good, but nothing crazy. Portion was small, but not terrible. $7 averageish price. Buñuelo was very good. Expensive at $1.25 for the side. This is where the 1 star comes. I got an all meat burrito of arrachera. It was a bit salty. Meat was good. Salsa is spicy. BUT THE PORTION. The portion was ridiculous. Smallest burrito I've ever had. Half the burrito was taken up by a roasted onion, which I asked for no onions. $18 is insane. Especially for the portion. $40 spent in total and I'm still hungry. If I ever come back to this place. I wouldn't get any food (maybe a buñelo). Lady cook wasn't the nicest. She probably knew I'd be upset at the portion they gave me. This place is clearly catered to gringos as an "authentic" Mexican restaurant. I hate leaving 1 star, but $18 for a mini burrito is just insane. read more

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Service was good. First time here. Menu looked good and lots of veggie options. Ate the Chicken with veggie burrito. It was good BUT it was a bit too salty and the rice in the burrito made it a bit mushy. If you like your burritos like this you would be ecstatic, but I was not. Putting chucks of veggies or cabbage would have made it less much.... Maybe even corn, I will come back to try other dishes on the menu, but not the burrito..... breakfast tacos next! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Chicken and veggie burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I stopped in for the first time in the morning for breakfast. I got the chilaquiles roja plate added chicken. It did not disappoint. It was almost too much chicken. The chilaquiles red salsa is super flavorful and slightly smoky, you don't need a lot of sauce which was good becuase all my chips were covered, but not soggy. Very good. The restaurant is very cute and cozy inside, but had a very large covered outdoor patio. The patio looks like a nice place to hang out in the summer. The ladies running the restaurant are all friendly and nice. My food was made to order ready in less than 10 min. Excellent service. I will be back! read more

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We decided to walk over here after some awful service across the street at El Torito, and man, it was such a good decision. I ordered the asada fries and my boyfriend got the carne asada burrito. All of the ingredients were super fresh and both of the salsas we got (red and green) were each so flavorful and distinct! The green salsa is very bright and citrusy, and the red salsa had a very nice smoky/chipotle flavor. The restaurant was quaint and clean. I love the little candy/snack bar next to the register. Very cool place, we'll definitely be coming here again. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Carne asada fries (no crema or guacamole) - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Such a delightful place to eat whether you're in a large group, a date or alone. Quality food that makes you want seconds! I tried with but it everything in the menu and I honestly cannot decide what was my favorite plate. I am a Latina who grew up eating quesadillas de birria... so you bet it was the first option I indulged in. Aside from the food, the service was excellent! Mike showed such passion serving me and my team today! This place is upgrading and opening more locations (if I'm not mistaken) but I'll definitely be returning! BEFORE I FORGET... I'm a gym rat who watches what I eat & the food here definitely felt guilt free. Highly recommend read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Tacos dorados - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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We rolled up to Madre Maiz Taqueria on a full-blown Mexican food craving mission and honestly... it delivered with personality!!! My coworker and I went all in on the birria lineup, because the whole office was talking about birria so we grabbed the Birria Papas (w added guacamole) and Birria Tacos. The papas came out swinging: legit hand-cut fries piled high like they had something to prove. Messy, loaded, and worth every napkin. The tacos were a little on the petite side, like "did I accidentally order the sample version?" but still tasty enough to keep me from complaining too loudly. Now let's talk about the secret hot sauce. First of all, why is it secret?!?!? 2nd of all, I get it. That stuff is not playing around. One bite and my mouth was on fire!!! If you like heat that punches back, this is your moment!! The spot itself is super clean, the staff is genuinely nice (not the fake "have a nice day" nice), and everything just felt easy and welcoming. Prices won't make your wallet cry either, which is always a bonus, esp how expensive everything is these days!! Only downside, the parking is a bit of a game of luck. We got there early and snagged a spot, but otherwise, you might want to park across the street and pretend it was your plan all along. Overall: great food, spicy surprises, and zero regrets!!! Would absolutely go back. Make sure to ask for the "secret hot sauce" you won't regret it!!! read more

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Impromptu stop. Originally headed to Yogurtland, but since Madre Mais was right next door, why not? My friend always wanted to try this place. She got the potato tacos. I was undecided, but got the birria street taco ($3) and the carne asada special taco ($6). Something about the blue corn tortilla, cheese and chicharron flakes made it taste so yummy!! I asked for red and green salsa, but was not spicy or had no heat. But had great flavor! Now I will need to study the menu before going back again! The potato tacos look delicious! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Top... tacos dorados de papa Bottom... tacos callejeros de birria and los specials de carne asada. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Madre Maiz is easy to get to with accessible free parking with indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is easy to read and staff was friendly and patient while we waited to decide what we wanted to eat. We ultimately got tacos, fries, and chips. I may have ordered incorrectly but I would have liked more salsa to dip with the chips. We did get all of the salsa to try them and the spiciest one was my favorite! I'm vegetarian so I can't speak to the meat tacos but my fiancé did like them though he wished there was a little more meat/shrimp on it. The tacos dorados de papa (potato tacos) were good but they were pretty small. I think I would have preferred two larger tacos over four smaller tacos. I also wish there had been more cheese and sauce inside rather than on top, which made eating the tacos considerably more messy. The fries were shockingly delicious, I was not expecting them to be my favorite part of the meal! You get a lot of fries, I can only imagine how much more delicious they would be with toppings! read more

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I tried their bacon breakfast burrito with a café de olla. Both were delicious. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. It was very good. They just expanded their breakfast menu by adding chilaquiles, so I'll have to come try that next time. In the back, ladies were preparing the guacamole and salsas fresh. I could smell a large pot of beans on the stove and chiles being prepared for the birria. Made me feel at home. That being said, my usual go-to orders here are the birria bowls or burritos. Been here a few times and the staff is always friendly and helpful. It's a local business--so if you live in the area, support your local economy by visiting sometime. read more

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It's at the corner of Sierra Madre and Foothill. I've gone to the sandwich shop next door and have been wanting to try out this taqueria! Theres a small parking lot but also some street parking. There's both indoor and outdoor seating but indoor seating is pretty cozy. The menu is pretty solid. The workers are efficient and got my order done in a timely manner. I had to take it to go today so I ordered a carnitas burrito. Great portion (size of my forearm) with a fair price. The meat was tender and juicy but I really liked the onion slices that added a little crunch. I also added guac and crema for a little more flavor and I (almost) ate the entire thing! The red sauce was smoky but not very spicy. Definitely coming back for the specialty plates that sounded so good. read more

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Such amazing food! You can tell they use clean ingredients and meats. My absolute favorites were the shrimp taco's and the birria fries. (Ps. Don't forget to get the horchata delicious) Thank you Mike for your hospitality! My team and I appreciate you and see the passion you have for the food you serve. Team Summit Dental Arts! read more

Madre Mia...This place is great! There are a lot of great Mexican places in and around the San Gabriel Valley, but Madre Maiz Taqueria is up there. The staff was friendly. The food was great. And the prices were reasonable. I just loved how they cook and make the food right in front of you. Doing that means you care about your food and invite people to see how well they do it. Cleanliness 10/10 Service 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 Good 10/10 Bathrooms - Forgot to check Value 9/10 Will I Return? Yes read more

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I have stopped here before and taken it to go and it was delicious, but having it here took it to another level. My mom and I came and ordered 3 tacos, a birria torta, and mesquite, as well as an horchata. We were quiet during our meal because we were enjoying our food. It was perfectly seasoned and I definitely am coming back. The horchata was not grainy and totally tasted homemade. The service is so nice and efficient. She helped me choose the birria torta as I was also thinking of getting the burrito. Seating is plenty outside and indoor is a bit of a tighter fit. There is plenty of parking too. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Tacos, esquite, and torta - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Alright, so I gotta say food is pretty darn good. Just few things I can say that need improvement but all in all great flavors and service. Lots of seating, lots of parking( lot in the back). From the design and thought put into the decor, menu and all the other options (like candy, liquor, beer and wine) you get, it's pretty amazing. We ordered a plethora of items to see what would be our favorite. I gotta say it was pretty much everything. Super polite staff and the flavors of the food made you feel good. You're truly in for a treat. Asada burrito super bomb, great flavor decent size and for the price it's great. See I like to eat(like you!) so I wouldn't have minded if it was tad bit bigger and tad bit heavier. But flavor was super delicious. Crunchy potato tacos, like finger food, once I saw someone else's tacos I was like uh oh I'm gonna need a lot more tacos. Except we stuck to ordering a few items to just see how it goes. And yeah, like I said tacos are SMALL. Like baby size. Not normal if you ask me but to each their own I guess. Birria cup lacked meat, but the flavor was amazing, you get 3 baby sized corn tortillas and that's pretty much it. You would expect more meat but after looking at the taco sizes yeah. You ain't getting anymore! So order more! Asada fries as well, portion wise could have been more giving. Loved the house made fries, great touch. Or atleast I am assuming they are house made, tasted very fresh cut if you know what I mean. Except the portion is tiny, like everything else. So if anyone is understanding my lingo is that Madre Maiz doesn't really put out large portions, which makes you want to order more and spend more. Then again they have their flavor to compensate for the quantity? Last can't leave out the guacamole, fresh and delicious with the bag of chips. Now that food portion has been expressed, let's talk about the meat being slightly on the dryer side. Soft but definitely dryer than majority of the taquerias I have been too. The asada 100% was dry and lacked any form of juiciness. Flavor was there but just dry. 100% needed sauce. The red sauce was chipotle based, the orange was habanero, and the green was cilantro/maybe avocado based(no heat in the green). Every bit of sauce helped every bite. Was it worth trying and reviewing? Yes. Will I ever go back? 100% cause that burrito was pretty good. For 12-13 bucks it's not bad at all, might need two. Beautiful decor, and plenty of seating outside and limited on the inside. read more

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A quick bite. Portions are small for the price. Seating is limited. Service was average. We had the chilaquiles, tacos de birria, y tacos de papa. Not impressed. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Madre Maiz continues to be one of my favorite restaurants in Southern California. The meat is so tender, everything is so flavorful and fresh. We have yet to have an item that we did not love. Just look at how good everything looks in the photo! Best taco dorados I've ever had read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Street tacos, tacos dorados, esquites, and consome. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Was craving Mexican but didn't want to go to a truck so this local spot delivered. Located in the old PSC building next to Yogurtland, parking available lot or street. Friendly fast service, you order up at the counter first to pick up your food when ready. Multiple small tables good for 2-4 people if you want to eat your food fresh. I like that they sell tortillas here as well as popular snacks you would find in a corner store, really adds to the Taqueria vibe. Birria is popular here, they have it in multiple forms! I had to get a cup of consume and drink it down as it, scooping out the meat to eat with tortillas. The chips are thin and crispy good with the excellent salsas, the green was my favorite. Would eat here again, but hard for me to get anything else other than their birria. read more

Finally tried this spot! And it was so good! We had the asada and the carnitas burritos, great flavor. The green and red sauce on point, not too spicy. The habanero sauce was an 8 out of 10 for heat level. Prices aren't bad at all and the service is friendly. The patio has the most seating available and is spacious. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Carnitas burrito, asada burrito and chips, guacamole and salsa! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Madre Maiz is a local Taqueria in eastern Pasadena strategically located at the intersection of Sierra Madre and Foothill which offers good food in a great environment with great service. The restaurant is well branded, clean, full of color, yet not ostentatious. Food is cooked in front of you and the menu clear. I was greeted promptly on arrival, offered a sample of Carnitas when I asked for their recommendation, and guided through the menu. Excellent service. I ended up choosing, per recommendation, the Carnitas Los Especiales ($6) a sizable taco on a slightly chewy, perfectly textured blue corn tortilla, melted cheese, and carnitas. It was delicious, with the cheese and blue corn tortilla the strongest aspect. The chicken street taco ($3) was light and tasty, although the chicken marinade was a little light. Overall good, but not mind blowing cuisine. Wait time was about twelve minutes, a little in the longer side but I appear to have arrived right after a large order. Value, as stated above, was reasonable. I'm eager to try the many other tasty menu items I saw ordered by other patrons. Overall Madre Maiz is a solid, independent Taqueria worth a visit if you're in the area, and certainly worth eating in for, with great marks on ambiance and service and decent marks on food and value. Food: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Value: 4/5 read more

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This place is great! I have wanted to try this spot out for quite a while now... My mom brought it home for me, when I was recovering from labor/delivery. I had a bowl, with chicken. It was so flavorsome! The habanero sauce is super tasty! I actually enjoy all of there sauces. I enjoyed my bowl so much that a few days later I took my friend here for lunch. I got a bowl again, and she got birria fries. We learned that they trim the fat from all of their meat! Thank goodness. No one wants super fatty meat. And then... A few days later, I brought my other friend here for lunch. She got an asada burrito, and I got asada fries. Service has been quick and the staff is really nice. Some tables inside, and patio seating outside. I will definitely be keeping this on my 'when I happen to go out to eat' list. Four stars, because my asada fries had some metal from maybe a brillo pad in them?? Not safe. I did pick it out and continued to eat the fries... I was HUNGRY. I brought it to the cashier before I left and told her about it. She apologized and said that I should have brought them back to her, and they would have replaced them. This will not stop me from eating here. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Burrito bowl with chicken and birria fries. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Everything was made to order & fresh I had 4 tacos the birria, papas, shrimp & polo asado all of them were filled with flavor and tasting different from the next, staff was nice on point & helpful as far as recommendations go & the place itself was very clean with ample seating options inside and outside read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Polo asado, birria & shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Brokenhearted and poor service Super disappointed This time My fiancé was upset with the way the food Was cold Bunñuelos. No flavor Is just a fry tortilla with sugar poorly sad And the $$ Going down to the bottom hill No more standing standard read more

Was in the area for an appointment and thought I should try this place out. What a great decision! I got both the vegetarian tacos they offer with blue corn tortillas and with the sun dried tomato salsa. They were absolutely delicious and so flavorful! Their jamaica was also incredible, just the right strength and sweetness! Service was nice and efficient. The music is a great touch and so is the decor! The breakfast options look so good too, I plan on coming back to try a lot of the menu and bring friends!! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great taco spot! Got here just before 11am on a Saturday and ordered one of the each chef's specials: - Grilled shrimp: big shrimps and I love how they have a layer of cheese on the taco! They also have a lot of toppings - very yummy! - Filet mignon: this one is a little spicy but beef is very tender and full of flavors! - Arrachera: this one is also a little spicy but also very flavorful! Recommend all three! They have both indoor and outdoor seating! Staff was very friendly! Parking at the back and some street parking as well. read more

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Ordered takeout and they were so fast! There is plenty of parking in their lot and lots of seating on their outdoor patio. Seating inside is also available but it's a little on the smaller side. We ordered potato tacos, a chicken burrito bowl, chips are guacamole and two agua frescas. I LOVE how they put actual pieces of watermelon in the sandia agua fresca. It was so good! My chicken burrito bowl was good and I liked the salsa it came with but it wasn't super spicy like they told me it was. The chicken was good but the bowl was so beans heavy! Also I should have asked for more pico de gallo. I think the bowl needed some sort of fresh veg or something just so it wasn't just rice, beans and meat. I still enjoyed it! It was a pretty big serving and traveled well. I think this is a great spot to check out when you have a Mexican food craving! Service was really great too. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Looked up places to eat nearby and this place stood out. Very nice staff and clean location. There is outside seating which is nice on a sunny day. The food is really tasty. I had the Carne Asada Burrito. The habanero and the green salsa are a must try! Can't wait to come back! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Outdoor seating - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Nice environment, nice staff and service, but the food was kinda bland. Aguas were good, but wish the meat had more flavor.

The burritos are great, the carne asada was tender and the birria burrito was really tasty. I've been back multiple times and they have been consistently delicious. read more

This was the cutest little Taqueria! I got two chicken tacos and street corn. The tacos were tiny, but they had so much flavor! The street corn was full of flavor! The ambience was really cute and the staff was really nice! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We came here on a whim, hungry, and were pleasantly impressed. Silvia was very friendly and helpful with ordering our food. They're very nice about substitutions, which I appreciate as a slightly picky eater. The vegetarian tacos are delicious, with the champignones being my favorite. I love that they don't use lard in anything, including the tortillas. The blue corn tortillas are HANDMADE! I only eat handmade tortillas because store-bought ones are so bland. The salsas aren't too spicy which I appreciate as a slightly sensitive eater. I'm happy that I left without a burning mouth. They do have a spicy salsa if that's more your preference. The vibe is casual and fun with mariachi music playing and red chairs. The patio is nice if you bring your dogs. Free parking lot and clean restrooms, too! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Street taco is small, Los especiales tacos are a little bigger. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This Taqueria serves tacos that are basically regular tacos, but on steroids. We ordered all three of the Madre special, and all three were delicious. They are very generous with the toppings and flavors. We also ordered a Carne Asada burrito, but that was more mediocre and regular. The birria fries were pretty loaded and definitely a shareable item. Be done in space itself is pretty small with several tables as well as an outside dining space that's shaded. Parking is abundant, either in the lot or on the street. read more

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Good Mexican food joint, some decent parking in the back, fair prices, good portions. My family frequentl this place, we typically get burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Would recommend checking it out, but nothing special for out of towners. read more

I got the birria burrito with no beans And it was so good! Their spicy sauce burned my lips with just the right heat. Wished it had more onions and cilantro or if it came with pico de gallo- then it'd be perfect. You can tell it was made with a lot of love read more

A craving for tacos dorados led me here. They only have potato as the filling for crunchy tacos but it hit the spot. They have the cutest taco dorados de papas!! I also tried their taco especial and was delighted by the crispy cheese on one side of their signature blue corn tortilla. The cashier was friendly. The dining room ambiance is serviceable. Plenty of people coming and going for a quick bite. read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Their special taco with carne asada! - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Brought my bike club here Sunday morning. Had wonderful food and friendly service. They arranged tables for us, explained the menu. I had Breakfast Taco and Birria Fries, several raves from our group on how delicious it was. Thanks Madre Maiz! read more

Madre Maiz Taqueria - Birria Fries.mmmmm - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I've been here 3 times and their food is really good. They serve authentic Mexican street food and their meat is really juicy. Customer service is nice and the place is really clean. Their restroom is outside and parking is in the back or on the street. I will definitely come back for their food. read more

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My mouth and stomach are so happy when I come to Madre Maiz for their tasty crunchy potato tacos. You can't go wrong with these. Throw in an agua fresca and your whole mood changes for the day. Service is friendly and efficient. I've recommended Madre Maiz to friends who are potato taco enthusiasts and each one has concurred on their excellence. Yum! read more

This place was so cute! The customer service was also really good! The tacos were okay but not too good. They lacked something, maybe they were a little dry? My favorite one was the pollo asado since it had the most flavor. Good to try but not sure I will be back. read more

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I had takeout here and tried the potato tacos with chips and guacamole. I ordered the food via phone order and within 10 minutes the food was ready. The guacamole for me was okay, but I really enjoyed the potato tacos. Not a bad place to grab some Mexican food after a doctors appointment at Kaiser, or if you've just shopped at Nordy's Rack next door. read more