I swung through here on my way traveling back to Atlanta. This place was fantastic. I ordered the pork belly special, chorizo, and al pastor tacos. Everything was top notch. The corn tortillas are perfect. Cade, who seemed to be a jack of all trades for the restaurant, took my order and was super friendly. He had great recommendations. I sat at the bar where he was working, he was super friendly and conversational. I was eating alone so it was nice to talk with someone. I have already recommended this place to several friends. It's definitely a must try. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Pork Belly, Chorizo, and Al Pastor on Corn. - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

When they are good, they are really good. When they are not the food is inconsistent and the staff is RUDE. More than once the bean taco had less beans than butter on toast. The attitude when you have a negative comment or question why after 20 minutes you don't have your order the attitude is the customer should just go... Ask why the online order function doesn't include the large nacho chips and guacamole, they stare at you. Why would you want that? Well, I do want that so forget about ordering online. read more

It was good, service wasn't great but that's okay! Good staple for food in Asheville! read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Food: the food was good. It came out fresh and had a lot of flavor. The tinga was more spicy than I liked so if you don't like much spicy food, try the other chicken tacos. Service: nice and quick Ambiance: [[HIGHLIGHT]]cute place with seating inside and outside[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Loreto- chorizo tacos - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Stopped at Mamacita's Taco Temple before we headed back to Raleigh. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This was a cute taqueria[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Food was tasty and service was great. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]Service and ambiance worked out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had to wait a matter of minutes for the plantains and the tacos showed up super quick. Besides the plantains, which were perfect, I got four different tacos: the Toluca (which has chorizo verde with herbs, spices, and pickled onion), the El Pastor (which has chile-spiced pork, pineapple and cilantro), the Cabo (which is the griddled fish of the day [mahi] in chili lime sauce with pineapple, tomatoes and possibly cabbage) and the Tinga (which is rotisserie chicken in mild tomato sauce with lettuce, tomatoes and what I was told is feta). The Tinga was fairly average compared to the other three tacos. The El Pastor was a great sweet heat balance, the Cabo had some nice sweetness with the fish, and I could have eaten the Toluca all night. Pretty funny, right? My name is Luca and I love the Toluca. Overall, this is where to get creatively cooked up tacos. read more

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While heading into Asheville, hunger overcame us and we spied the Taco Temple as a way to alleviate those pangs. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place looks friendly from the street; unpretentious in its obvious heritage as a once upon a time drive thru, but with the potential and promise of something special inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The patio out front and the ante rooms offer plenty of dining space.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But [[HIGHLIGHT]]the crowd of people who kept coming throughout our time there, knew something was extra special here-and it was the food![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The simple menu, abundant with options of tacos and tortas, was a harbinger of tasty things to come. Armed with a variety of tacos, the biretta, chicken, fish and shrimp were incredible. A side of the mixed pickled veggies, several sauces and some fantastic potato wheels (ya gotta try them), not only made our hunger rapidly dissipate, but our taste buds were smiling the rest of our journey! read more

An offshoot of Mamacita's, Taco Temple retains the same focus on homemade Mexican eats. The offerings are a bit fancier than you might find at a typical taco joint but not to the point of pretentiousness (they also have breakfast tacos for those who are up early enough). [[HIGHLIGHT]]While it occupies a smallish space, Taco Temple does offer a cool vibe, including a vintage Corona machine.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] My wife and I opted for a trio of tacos plus guac to go. Our order was ready on-time, and one look at the homemade blue corn tortillas made us anxious to dig in. The tacos were generally tasty and delivered distinct flavors: the loreto (tangerine-pasilla shrimp) was spicy and tangy while the Santa Barbara (ancho-brown sugar rubbed steak) was smoky and slightly sweet. The panela (panela cheese, poblano, black bean, pickled onion) included too much pickled onion and too little cheese, however. The chips, guac, and tomatillo salsa were solid complements to the meal. Taco Temple may or may not make you a convert, but it's worth at least one pilgrimage. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Very quaint taqueria.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was fresh and homemade blue tortillas. All the waitstaff, including the bartender) were friendly and helpful even during rush hour on Friday evening. read more

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This is my #1 go-to lunch spot! The food is always so fresh, delicious and quick - I usually order either the avocado torta or panela tacos with chicharrones, both out of this world. The staff is always kind every single time I go. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There's no bad spot to sit, the patio is great year-round (especially if you have pups)![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Go support, you won't regret! read more

I LOVE this place. There are quite a few taco places to go in Asheville, and it's obvious this place is a locals only, hidden gem. Asheville's favorite thing is lack of parking and tacos, as seen by any map and a view of the local taco joints. Mamacita's tacos are a great price and served quickly. You can even order ahead and go through their drive-thru! Perfect for cold or snowy days. [[HIGHLIGHT]]You can tell the vibes are immaculate even from the drive-thru window.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] You can't get a bad taco, but here are some of my favorites: panela, avocado, & (chicken) tinga. Great for gluten-free foodies, vegan, vegetarian, or carnivores. read more

Excellent! Oh.my.God. This was the best restaurant I've been to since moving here!! I had the amazing avocado taco!! So amazing I went back the next day! Soooo fresh and flavorful. Amazing! read more

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Both food and service can be hit or miss. Employees aren't particularly welcoming. I like the baja taco but the quality of the fish is quite variable. read more

Great food! Tacos were perfect and chicken was juicy. Customer service was great. Definitely coming back!

Taco Temple is a must stop when we are in Asheville. The tortillas are freshly made which really sets them apart from other taco spots. Our favorite taco is the bean and cheese. As serious meat eaters, I never thought the vegetarian option would be the stand out. In general the tacos are above average but that cheese taco is dreamy. The chips are hot and fresh. The queso is a bit thin but has good flavor and we still love ordering it. I'm always a fan of horchata and their version hits the spot. The service is quick for freshly made food. It can take time since they get crazy busy so plan accordingly. They have a nice sized seating outside and a super cute interior. The bathrooms and nice a big and very clean when we were there. Love this spot! read more

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The ambiance lives up to the name in this space decorated with religious iconography and rodent skulls for some reason. The menu is Mexican, but suitably for Asheville has some vegan options (it's hard to find a vegan breakfast taco). Theirs had sweet potato, beans and a couple of other things and came on a splendid blue corn tortilla. Having said that, the flavor wasn't really popping until I added the salsa, which was excellent. Some tater tots on the side were satisfying. They hyped their hot chocolate on the menu, but I was told that they didn't have any because the shipment hadn't come in, which was a shame but does vitiate the notion that they source it from somewhere far away. I was glad they were open for breakfast, but I'd be happy to come back for another meal. read more

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June 2024-We weren't too hungry but saw the cars and Yelp reviews, so we entered. We're so glad we did. It was only 11:30 am, but the place was packed. The cashier was friendly and gave great suggestions. We loved our tacos and margaritas. We'd come back just for the margaritas. It was amazing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We had a great window seat and enjoyed our spur of the moment taco/ margaritas lunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I appreciated the no tvs/ loud music. Everyone was having fun talking.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It looked like a nice mix of locals and tourists.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We'll be back! Keep up the great work! read more

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Strongly recommend taco temple!! We went to grab some lunch during my friends bachelorette and all really enjoyed it. We grabbed some margaritas which were yummy and then some queso for everyone to share. It was really good and the chips were also great. I had the Baja (fried fish) and Santa Barbara (rubbed steak) tacos. They were both so tasty I almost wish I had a third. I also had to grab some plantains and they were so worth it. read more

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Temple margaritas are yummy! Great place to get some awesome tacos! Their salsa's are homemade and taste great. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Temple Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Amazing tacos and hot hot salsa. Food, service, music, this place has it all. Don't miss it.

10/10 food was good, price was decent, portion was generous, service was friendly. Marg Monday $5 Parking can be tight be it's a good spot! read more

I've tried Taco Temple many times over the years. It's always been ok. Tonight my family spent $70 and every service staff we came in contact with was rude as hell and the food, mid at the very best. There are so many better places in town. One being Mamacitas! If you're in a position of service, be kind or at least fake it to your patrons tipping 20% on counter service. read more

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! Had to celebrate with tacos, of course!! Ordered four different tacos, all delicious with a spicy kick! Tinga, Toluca & Al Pastor tacos ordered on flour tortillas and a Santa Barbara on a corn tortilla. Love that they provide lime wedges to add that extra flavor and I'm a sucker for fresh cilantro! Super excited that my corn tortilla Santa Barbara taco was a blue corn tortilla - my favorite! The taco boxes each came with their own chips & salsa, so the appetizer of chips & salsa that was ordered will be eaten later tonight. They don't skimp on the salsa; I was rather surprised at the generous amount. The online ordering system was simple, easy and fast! Parking can be an issue, but luckily they have a drive-up window for to-go orders. Friendly staff and wonderful food, what more could you want? read more

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When you have to circle the block to find parking, you know you're in for something good. We ordered a pile of tacos- a Santa Barbara apiece, Panelas for my Bride and El Kid, a Baja for me, a Loreto for her and a Borracho for him, and horchatas all around. Total was $50 before tax and tip. Everything was delicious, but not terribly filling, so we had to go back and order more. That was like another $20. TL;DR- an excellent place to eat when you're not starving. read more

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Second time coming here, and I'm still just as impressed!! I had the el pastor taco today, and the tinga with a side of guac; the el pastor was amazing!!!! The tinga was okay, just wasn't my preferred type of taco. I love their guac here, and it's so nice you can get a small (1 person serving) guac instead of having to buy a massive one that you could never eat as just 1, or even 2, people. Staff is friendly, they are constantly wiping down tables, and the music in here is FIRE. Love the music. Will definitely be coming here again soon! read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Pastor and Tinga Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Outstanding! I had a pork belly taco and a fish taco with the freshest guacamole and yummy queso. I was just passing through on my way to AL and I've been craving this place for weeks since eating it. There were 3 in our party and we all gave the food a 5 star! read more

OMG! I loved it! The grilled fish of the day was salmon, so l had one of those and it was so good! I also had a fried fish taco (not salmon) and it was even better! Flour tortillas on mine bc I don't love corn tortillas. It automatically comes with chips and a tiny salsa, which was good, but I ordered a guacamole & chips too. It was so good, I didn't have to add salt or anything! You order & pay at the front & grab your own seat (or take to go). The only thing was I had to clean my own table. The sweet tea was not as sweet as l like mine, but if I added more sugar, I'm sure it would have been perfect. JO had a steak sandwich & it came with pinwheel chicharonnes, which he didn't like the side but me & JA liked them. The tator tots were really good too. I would definitely come here every visit to Asheville! read more

We recently discovered this hidden gem and absolutely love it! The food is fresh and delicious and the drive up window makes take out so easy. Highly recommend!!! read more

Actual interesting flavors, not normal quality tacos. Quite special tacos in fact, hmMmmMM what will the special be today! Get 2 if its barbacoa ! Delicious flavors you won't be sad. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the interior as well, good feelings and the staff always has a smile.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It can get busy and loud during main times but come a little after lunch for a VIP experience[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], I suggest 5 tacos for growing humans 2 if you are just waking up. read more

We've been coming here for years and it's pretty good! It was hard to enjoy the food tonight though after being treated rudely by the to-go guy. It was busy and I was confused about which line I should stand in for pick-up and tried to quickly ask a server to point and he wasted more breath giving me a snotty answer than just pointing. I get it, I waited tables for years and ran take out in a busy restaurant, but it doesn't take any more time to be kind and helps confused patrons stand in the right place and out of the way. When he did turn his attention to me, he was way more interested in being pretentious and teaching me a lesson than in helping. I tried to explain that I was just confused and the take out procedure seemed a bit different than the last time I'd done it, but the response was just so finger waggy. Wish I had known before I tipped $10+ for him to hand me a bag and a side of bad attitude. Too many good taco places around for me to bother coming back here even though it's closest to our house! read more

Time for my final meal on this visit to Asheville. We stopped at Taco Temple. The tacos were great but there seems to be issues with restaurant operations, lol. I ordered 2 tacos. The first was Chicken Tinga. I asked how spicy it was & was told it's a 5 out of 10. I'll just say when I tried it there was no spice at all. After ordering, it took 22 minutes for our tacos to arrive. When they did arrive they were not the least bit warm. The flavors however were very good & tasty. In addition to the chicken tinga taco I ordered a Santa Barbara, which has ancho chilis & steak. As stated both were tasty, but lacking spice & lacking any warmth in temperature. The chips & salsa that accompanied the tacos was very good. There was a nice smoky chipotle flavor in the salsa which added to its tastiness. Perhaps we caught the Temple on a bad day. Next time I'm in Asheville we may give it one more try. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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If I could give this place a 4.5 I would. Didn't quite get me to a 5, but based on food originality, quality, portion size and price, it was pretty close. It's in the Charlotte Street neighborhood, which is a pretty area, but with not a lot of food places. The building is an old gas station that they did a pretty cool renovation on. The high point of this place is that even though it is small, they have a fairly large number of Mexican sandwich and tacos options. The tacos in particular rise above the tacos at similar places in West Asheville. We had chicken in beer chile sauce, fish of the day (mahi in this case) with green chile lime sauce, house-made chorizo with fresh herbs and spaces and grilled panela cheese with roasted poblano peppers. All had a lot of flavors going on and the sauces were excellent. The mahi was the least interesting, but still good. They serve the tacos with house chips and smoked salsa, which was also very good. But we still also ordered the tater tots dusted with chile-lime salt and they were soooo good. For $3, you gotta order those! Apart from the well-designed tacos, the fact that they use blue corn tortillas also adds something. Their own Mamacita's hot sauce is available and can take the kick of anything up a notch. It's good for dipping the tater tots in as well. This place made our go-to list for reasonably priced, out-of-the-box tacos. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Taco Temple chicken and mahi tacos with tater tot side. - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

The best place I've found in the USA for tacos. The flavors and combinations are great; the blue corn tortillas are awesome.

Wow. This place is amazing. The breakfast tacos are out of this world. The fresh meat salsa are even better. Get any breakfast taco and add avocado salsa. The hot chocolate was authentic and phenomenal. The tater tots really good. Great place to stop and get street tacos before you head out to hike. Service was outstanding read more

Great food is the only reason to put up with the #%^*show of parking and drive thru here! Get the handmade corn tortilla with whatever taco you choose. Add the smoky, delicious salsa and chips. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Bring your dog and sit on the covered patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I bring all my friends here and they always come back! read more

Fancy tacos, totally not authentic but that's not what you come here for. Everything we had was quite good (4 tacos). Also very good corn tortillas, they make them in house. read more

Two months ago I was in Asheville, North Carolina for a few days. My brother and I were craving some tacos and I decided to look for a restaurant that could satisfy our craving. Let me tell you guys this, Mamacita's Taco Temple had awesome sauce, the food was amazing the atmosphere and ambience were amazing, the service was great and the bathroom was clean. We ended up eating at Mamacita's for two more days because the food is that good, sorry I don't have any pictures to share, I ate my food so fast I forgot to take a picture read more

Delicious and fresh. Food comes out very fast. Lots of flavors. Very friendly staff. My picky teen loved the chicken tacos. We will definitely return next time we are in Asheville. read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We looked like the ultimate out of towners as we stared down the big menu outside of the building.I ordered the tinga chicken taco and el pastor. Hubby got an el pastore and an Americana. Homemade chips and salsa rounded it out. We were "beered out" after so much last bought bit if we had it in us, we would have preferred margaritas as they looked yummy! The outside looks like a hut and inside was a cute casual area with vaulted ceilings! A+ read more

Mamacita's Taco Temple - Chicken tinga and el pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

As a lover of mamacita's, I wanted to also love this place. I think I will give it a second go, but the first time was not stellar. Mamacita the south has gone down a little bit on the list in general because of the increase prices and the busyness. But I would still rank it pretty high. I like the location of the spot, and I was lucky enough to find parking during lunch one day. The interior seemed pretty nice, but I did notice a huge pile up of trash everywhere and I think there might be a staff shortage so that could account for it. I love that they have a patio with outside seating. The server at the counter taking the orders, was super kind, but was new and very confused about everything that was going on. Luckily in a manager came over to help out. Didn't mind being patient because they were also kind and I know the feeling. I got the salad and added mahi, which was the fish of the day. Salad was honestly pretty lackluster and it had a ton of oil and juice on it so I didn't even use the dressing. The fish was so oily I could barely eat it. I don't feel like for a mixed green salad. I had a lot of greens, and while I did like the little crispy things on it, they added to the general lack of healthiness which is what I wanted in a salad. Especially thinking of the price point, next time I would get the tacos. Those they look pretty good and it seems they had a lot of vegetarian options. read more