Food good Service ok Ambiance GoodWill parking lot in Oakland, lol Got the carnitas and cabeza tacos and they were bomb, but at $3.5 a taco I might have to look elsewhere read more

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It's been a few years since I last ate here. Tacos used to be really good. I don't know what happened. Maybe someone new preps everything because it sure as hell doesn't taste like it used to. The food is not bad. It's still edible but it's just not the same. The tortillas were a bit hard. It's as if the tortillas were getting cold and decided to serve them just so they wouldn't go to waste. People that have been coming here for years will know. El pastor is my favorite but I would not order it from here again. It tasted different. Tacos de tripa is also my favorite and were on point and I would come back again to order them. I'll come back in a few weeks or in a month or two to see if anything changed. read more

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This review is long overdue. I have been a patron of this taco truck since 2003. This hidden gem was introduced to me by my big brothers who have been coming here many years before me. Don't be discouraged by their location (Goodwill parking lot). No issues during the day; however, I do not recommend coming here at night alone if you are a lady. Just kinda sketchy because area is not well lit & you have some people peddling or panhandling. Oh & they only accept cash. Only two cons for me about this place. I've tried several dishes on the menu but my all time favorites are the carne asada & carnitas tacos. The meat marination & seasoning & homemade salsa is to die for! I am normally a person who adds extra spice/condiments to enhance flavors but this is one of the few places were I don't have to do any of that. Sliced carrots, radish, & jalapeños are a nice touch. You can ask for extra garnishes & sauce at no cost. What I love is when you order take out, they separately wrap the garnishes & sauces so that your tacos don't get soggy. It's little things like this that make me happy. read more

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I wouldn't waste my time coming here. They have two taco trucks in this parking lot and neither is sanitary. I would suggest you go down two blocks to the taco birria spot. read more

Not sure what happened to this place! This used to be my go to. Got a "super burrito" here for $13 which was supposed to have meat, beans, rice, sour cream, pico de gallo, and salsa (avocado $2 extra but they didn't have any). My burrito is as pictured- unseasoned chicken that both my friend and I separately equated to canned Costco chicken, rice, a few beans sprinkled throughout, little bit of sour cream, no pico de gallo or salsa (luckily we asked for some extra salsa which was just enough to give some flavor to our struggle meal). Pickled radishes, carrots, and peppers were good. Could barely squeeze any juice out of the lime slices. Really sad to see this place starting to put so little care into their food! 3 stars because before they were a 4 and now they're a 2... and I'm hoping this was just a late-night fluke. read more

Mi Grullense Taco Wagon - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

Al Pastor and Cabeza are delicious! If you're idea of a taco is a crisp shell with ground beef, cheese and sour cream - you are sadly missing out on the real deal. Mi Grullense Taco Wagon is what a REAL taco is all about. The first time I had them I remember looking at the taco thinking - they're so small, what a rip off. And then you take a bite and are blown away by the savory flavor of the meat and the wonderful boost you get from the radish, cilantro and onion - and after three you're feeling full. And you can wash it down with some agua fresca - Horchata is still my favorite. There are two trucks in the Goodwill parking lot. They're the same. No difference between the two, so just find the shorter line and get moving. The lot can get pretty crowded, and be prepare to eat standing holding your plate full of yummy goodness, sit in your car, or throw down the truck tailgate and devour! My bet is you'll be getting back in line for seconds! read more

Very poor tacos and burritos I spend 50 dollars on 12 tacos 1 burrito almost no meat I don't wanna go back to this place anymore

el grullense taco truck is in the goodwill pakring lot. i used to buy burritos/tacos here all the time. i forget why i stopped coming. today i found again why. only 1 taco truck was visible today. Menu: burritos(5) tacos(1.25) quesadillas (4.50) tortas (5) sampling: -asada burrito(5) average size, pretty salty, broken rice, chewy asada (steak), overall bland. the saving grace was the killa sauce which came in a sauce cup. -nice bunch of garnishes, jalepenos. frijoles refritoes -entire mexican families dine here, making the wait a little long. -friendly service --parking area is dark at night. not advisable. -people are cool here but it still feels creepy. (no "good will"). read more

A VERY GOOD TACO TRUCK. Asada and carnitas are quite good; pastor is so-so. Taqueria Sinaloa is still the champion. By the way, there are two identical trucks from Mi Grullense in the Goodwill parking lot. They are supposedly the same, so go to the one with the shortest line. Want more Mexican food reviews? See my list here: http://www.yelp.com/list_details?list_id=7moDaSk5jQWRZ76X3AbyFA read more

I'm saving up for Oliveto, so expect a lot of taco truck and banh mi reviews from me these next couple of weeks. I'm working from the this taco truck map: http://tinyurl.com/34u2a4 which says that the truck closer to the Goodwill entrance is the better one. I had tripas, fried up with a very pleasing mix of textures: mostly crispy bits with a few softer ones. Tortillas were a little old-tasting. $1.25 apiece, some English spoken. read more

This is my FAVORITE taco truck. Yes, it's located in the Goodwill parking lot and yes, it's off of International. Yes, there are homeless people that ask for money, just say no. I can eat like 10 tacos from here. I always lean towards the Asada, but the Lengua and Cabeza are bomb! You cannot deny it. Try it, don't think about what it is, just savor the flavor. And don't forget to ask for extra radishes, they so compliment each bite. You will not get sick from this truck. You may get sick from other trucks. If you consider outdoor seating = eating in your car, then yes, they have outdoor seating. read more

Went on a run to my regular taco spot tonight (El Gordo #2 at 4200-ish International) fiending for some tripas tacos but was surprised to learn they didn't have any tonight. Left there with my itch for offal still needing to be scratched, so I decided to give the oft-spoken-of-in-tones-of-hushed-reverence Mi Grullense a try. (Or maybe people are always cooing over El Grullense, the other truck with seemingly identical menu about 40 feet away in the same Goodwill parking lot? I've had pollo and al pastor from there in the past and was never impressed.) Got 2 tripe tacos and one al pastor. The al pastor had this sort of ketchupy, Manwich-like flavor to it, but not much else. The tripas had some nice crispy bits, but as with the al pastor, not much in the way of flavor, save for a kind of funky aftertaste. (ew...) Not sure what they hype is about. I'll be sticking with El Gordo. read more

What! Why are the ratings so low? Mi Grullense is the bomb.com aka taco heaven! Cash only (obviously). Located in the Goodwill parking lot, Mi Grullense is there to welcome you at all hours of the day: from lunch to late night after the club closes. I highly recommend their tacos & quesadillas. The tortillas for the tacos are crisped to perfection, but somehow are still really soft. I also love the shrimp tacos! But if you go too late they might run out of shrimp :( They're reasonable, and cheaper compared to other taco trucks such as sinaloa. From my experience, even late night (1-2am) there isn't any people in the parking lot bothering you or overwhelming you asking for food or money which I appreciate it. Staff is friendly and you get your food pretty quick once you order. read more

THE BEST TACOS anywhere! I know the location leaves much to be desired, but once you've eaten their devine tacos you will forget all about the occasional beggar or two. I used to live in the Fruitvale so I got turned on to these guys eight years ago. I will begin to crave tacos from the Fruitvale Taco truck in the middle of the week, and can't wait till Saturday when I have time to drive out to Oakland & satisfy my need for tacos. My absolute favorite is the carnitas, and the guy that serves them up knows me well... he remembers to omit the radishes and give me extra pickled carrots (yum!) on the side. The Al Pastor torta is also the bomb. read more

Mi Grullense Taco Wagon - Mexican Near Me - Oakland, California

I'm confused yet fascinated by the Taco-truck standoff in the Goodwill parking lot. Having never tried either Mi Grullense or its cross-lot rival El Grullense (what the heck is a 'grullense' and why are both these trucks fighting over it?), I went with Mi Grullense because it was more crowded. Unfortunately, this resulted in a very long wait for my burrito in the scorching hot sun. No worries, though -- there was some interesting parking lot entertainment, like the random white guy trying to sell a phone card for "un dolares." I took my burrito home and munched away -- those pickled peppers really give it some kick. It was on the small side for $4.50 (this was a vegetarian burrito, folks) but pretty tasty. I'm kind of curious to try the other truck now, just to see which Grullense is tops. read more

Was tired, sore and hungry...Lost as f' in an unfamiliar neighborhood. I live on the otherside of town. Finally, I found the place and it was worth the pain in the ass to get here. I had the 5 tacos a mix of lengua, al pastor, and carnitas. I pussied out and didnt try the cabeza, which I kinda regret. They were all good. Carnitas is nice and crispy, lengua fatty and savory. Al Pastor pretty good but unmemorable compared to the other 2. I would eat here more often if it wasnt a pain in the ass to get too. read more

Don't ever!!!! Order burrito super. NOTHING super about it. it's more like a regular rice burrito it's ingredients we're really seasoned right but the assholes charged us for super no guacamole no sourcrean .no salsa only thing we got was salsa in the side I get it the name on truck say. Taco but please customer service is important and the tacos I had better read more

I didn't realize until I started to write that the two taco trucks in the same parking lot of Goodwill have different names. Anyhow I sampled the wrong truck despite my friend advising me of the correct name beforehand. I ordered from this truck and it took a while for them to prepare the carne asada and carnitas tacos. It tasted similar to the ones I've had before on 22nd & International Blvd. I have noticed at this other location the use of MSG that left a dry mouth feeling at night. Anyway the tacos tasted good. Small tacos made on two tortillas. Tasty. I would come back again unless a case of "dry mouth " develops tonight. I will though have to sample El Grullense sometime in the future. Stay tuned. read more

Let me preface by saying that I'm not totally sure what an authentic taco is. The only real exposure I've had to tacos is with hard taco shells. This taco truck gave me a new found appreciation for tacos. The wrap was soft yet also a tad crispy. I got the al pastor and the lengua (beef tongue). I'd have to say I enjoyed the al pastor a tad more because of the spicy flavor. The tacos were fresh and delectable. Also, the service was extremely friendly. If I find myself in fruitvale again, I have my sights on a burrito. read more

Love to support local. Been coming here since back in the day! Always tasty and dependable. They are open late and always there. They have super tacos (cheese, crema). I love that they offer frijoles, I get my tacos w/ frijoles like how they make them in my town in Mexico. Affordable great food. Rather have home made style "fast food" rather than drive thru any day. read more

This place has some pretty good burritos and tacos. Burritos for $5 and Tacos for $1.25 Carne Asada or Carnitas are my favorites here. If you come here when it gets dark, just be aware of your surroundings! Don't come here alone at night. Bums and Hooligans always asking for change or something they want to sell to you Come here during the day. You will feel safer. read more

There are two identical trucks at this location. Avoid the one closest to the corner. They recently hired a new staff to run that truck and the steak tacos we had that day were drenched in cooking oil. A little oil is to be expected, as it is part of the recipe, but I'm talking dripping wet here. We ate in the parking lot (as is customary) and ended up leaving a huge puddle of cooking oil on the ground were we stood. It was either the ground or our arteries. Also, expect people to walk up to you and ask for change. 9 out of 10 visits, we get asked for change. :) By the way, the four star rating is based on the times when they get things right. They "oil incident" only happened once, on our last visit. read more

Wear a bib because that taco will squirt juice everywhere, that sounds vaguely obscene, it's true though.Located in the goodwill thrift store parking lot, driving by i noticed a lotta mexicans, it looked like a home depot.So we pulled in and we were not disappointed, jimpey ordered a torta , which looked delish and i chose the aforementioned chicken tacos.This place would probably be king of tacos in any other town in America but here in Oakland it rates a very solid top ten ranking, which is impressive enough for me to want to come back for more. read more

Aye Mami!! I eat tacos, Carne Asada. F*ck Tofu!

The quest for good al pastor in Oakland is wearing me out. No one seems to roast their pastor on a spit as far as I know. Instead of a wonderful tender texture, the pastor here was a bit tough and stringy. The rice and beans were good though. Maybe I should switch to a different favorite meat? Or maybe not. The quest continues... read more

The one closest to the entrance, usually with a line is the best. Not sure how two trucks with the same name and the same graphics have different food. But they do... Anyway this is very good taco truck fare. I like to sit on my hood and watch the street scene, better than television any day of the week. read more

Never had anyone ask me for money here. The best meal you can get for $2.50 (two tacos filled me up, these were very generous meatwise for being barely mroe than a dollar). I didn't try burritos or anything else. Just meat, salsa, corn tortilla, no frills, so good. read more

Here's a million $ idea for General Motors. Instead of pickup trucks, make taco trucks like Mi Grullense.

Disappointing. I ate here at noon on a weekday. To my surprise there was only one person in line in front of me. I ordered a couple of tacos asada and chowed down. It was cold and short on flavor. The lack of a line should have tipped me off. read more

This is still THE 5 star taco wagon. I have brought friends here many times and all of them love it. There have been feuds started because someone went to the wagon without telling anyone. The prices have gone up (to 1.25 per taco) but the quality is exactly the same as it was the first time I ate here. The ambience is a little better - a new building across the street and a new school next door. But the clientele and ambience are still straight street - and I love it so. read more

Went there today to get a taco and the man who took my cash proceeded to handle my food with his hands. Unfortunately, handling cash and food without washing between invites illness - I didn't take the taco, nonetheless. Nice guy, but they need to understand proper food handling. read more

I LOVE THESE TACOS!!!!!...... For 3 years i worked across the street from this taco truck and i have to say i ate here about 3 times a week. I love their tacos and especially their carne asada and tripas burrito off the hook.....It get's pretty busy during lunch time and really busy at night when people are comming out the clubs and bars...the cooks are really nice every time i go and my food is always fresh their agua de horchata rocks!!! read more

I have tried dozens of taco trucks, and Mi Grullense is hands down my favorite taco truck. Warning - there are two trucks side by side with the same name, yet one always has a long line. They perfect their carne asada and carnitas tacos each and everytime. Their meat is so juicy and savory, they're very consistent unlike several others which were only good sometimes. They always satisfy my cravings and it's only $1.25 for each taco, this is the best taco truck ever! read more

jennifer f. covers the bases with her review, so you should read it, and rush over and get some $1 tacos as soon as you can!

burrito was good af tacos were on point y'all feels me. clean as truck fresh paint think we had real steak idk