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    Santa Madre Taco Shop

    4.4 (645 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

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    SANTA MADRE TACO SHOP ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Derrick M.

    Great Taco Spot!! My wife and I had this place for lunch after leaving Ikea since its close by. It didn't disappoint. I found it on Yelp and will definitely be back again.

    Taco's and burritos
    Danny D.

    This place was great. Original Mexican tacos with all the dressings. You can't beat the flavor or the price. Plus you can have a cold one while you wait and one with your tacos!!!!

    Greasy chips
    Carla N.

    I really wanted to like this place. I placed an online order yesterday for lunch to pick up. It was 10:50 and the first option was in 15 minutes. I scheduled the pick up for 11:15. After I placed the order I received a text message saying it would be ready at 11:30. At 11:17 I received a text my order was ready for pick up. I didn't love that. I ordered the chicken burrito, no rice, add cheese, avocado sauce, pico & added sour cream. I appreciated the sour cream did not cost extra. I also ordered a side of chips. I appreciate I could get a side of chips & the cost was great. When I walked up & into the restaurant it seemed dingy. I was greeted & handed my bag. If you want salsa you need to get it yourself. If you want silverware you need to get it. No napkins were in the bag. I didn't see any to grab. My burrito was super cold. The chicken was dry & tough to eat. The burrito tasted like sour cream & pico only. The shredded cheese was not melted. I ended up scooping the inside of the burrito out & eating the parts of the tortilla that wasn't soggy. The chips were like none other I have had. Those that were not overly greasy were good. I couldn't eat more than half of them because they were soaked with grease. Unfortunately, I will not be back. My hunt for a good taco place by work continues.

    Shu Huan Y.

    I'm a big burrito person over tacos. I enjoyed both and all the sauces that was available. The rice and beans are flavorful with services being quick.

    All Battered fried meat. all are pretty good!!! Bare meat on Tortillas and help yourself on the salsa bar. Yummy!!
    Shujin H.

    Clean taco place. Fresh side bar. friendly staff. Yummy food!! I order 3x but was stuffed after 2x.

    Fish taco combo with fries
    Richie A.

    My fiance and I have been coming here every Friday for their amazing fish tacos. They never disappoint! The breading is perfect on the fish, nice and crispy with a great flavor! They have a taco garnish bar as well with multiple salsa selections, cucumbers, etc. The staff is also Friendly, overall great food, and a chill environment. I would recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a quick delicious meal at a decent price.

    Fish taco, Al pastor and carne asada
    Elizabeth O.

    Humble establishment. Ordering is easy and straightforward. Prices are reasonable. Stopped in after seeing reviews as I was driving from Tucson to Phx. Inside is midsize with plenty of seating. I got 1 fish taco, 1carne Asada and 1 al pastor. $3.99 Fish taco was AMAZING!!!! Would come back for it 100%. On the way back to Tucson I stopped by again. Wow. The chipotle sauce at the salsa bar was to die for!!!! $3.19 carne asada was good. It has that grilled flavor and the tacos was FULL of meat. This place doesn't skimp. $2.69 al pastor was my least favorite. The meat was tough, dry and didn't have that signature saucy sweet flavor I'm used to. Overall I would definitely come back. When you check-in you get a free drink. Great place and I will be thinking of that fish taco for years to come!!!!

    Inside
    Brinny S.

    This was a great find! The service was nice, and the food came out quickly. The man who took our order and made the food explained what the salsa bar options were, which was helpful because they weren't labeled. The Al pastor taco alone was ok, but with all the options available in the salsa bar, it turned out pretty good. The chipotle crema, cilantro and onions, lime, and pico made great additions. Now that fish taco, that was GOOD. It was huge and just made fresh to perfection. The salsa bar had tartar sauce that went nicely with it. I'd come back just for another one of these fish tacos honestly. And checking in on Yelp earned me a free soft drink!

    Ordering buffet for an event tonight!
    Eddie B.

    Well the team members from one of our locations always go here and I've been a few times. We had an event where we were doing a production for our customers and the day of that event (Saturday) I hit these guys up and said I wanted to feed our employees and I would need about 80 tacos in about 4 hours. They didn't even hesitate and said, "yeah, we can handle that" and so the order was placed. I'm telling you what, we grabbed up the food and went to our site and the team made SHORT WORK of all of those tacos. About 20 of us and they didn't last but about 15 to 20 minutes, they didn't even give me time to take any pics!!! Most places would just send tortillas and trays of meats with fixings, but not these guys, they actually made 80 tacos!!! They were so good, and when I checked in when I went to pick them up, yelp automatically sent me a free drink that I could use then or save for later! The service was amazing, the food was amazing, and the fact that they hooked us up in only about 4 hours was amazing! 5 STARS for Santa Madre Taco Shop!

    Can rice and minute rice with tomato sauce in it
    Garrett C.

    The corona gave it 3 stars not Mexican at all beans taste like can beans and the rice taste like minute rice the meat was dry and tasted like it was sitting all day not happy at all I paid 32 for me and my cousin would of rather made something at hm that taste better

    Carne Asada Tacos
    Saleem C.

    I was recommended to visit this place on a Tuesday for the taco Tuesday specials where you can buy two tacos and get one free. The tacos are about three dollars each with some of them going up to four dollars. I bought two surf and turf tacos, one fish taco, one full taco (fish, shrimp, cheese, and peppers) and was given two free carne asada tacos as it was a Tuesday. The Carne Asada tacos were pretty average and nothing special compared to other ones I've had other places. Not the greatest, but not the worst. The fish taco was not so bad, and had just the right amount of fish to the tortilla. It was not the greatest fish I've had as it had a little bit more salt then I'm used to, but you can take care of that with some of the sauces they provide. The full taco also was a bit saltier than I expected and not my favorite. The surf and turf tacos we're a bit much and not to my liking, and I would not get those again. Overall, the food wasn't so bad, but they had a lot of salt and not the right balance in flavor. They have a pretty amazing looking salsa bar, but honestly, it was not my favorite salsa bar either and seem to have more quantity over quality. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the restaurant was pretty clean; the prices seem to reflect what I would normally pay in the average taco places. Good place to get tacos especially if you are on a tight budget, which could even help your wallet more if you come on Tuesday. It may seem expensive at first, but the fish/full//surf and turf tacos are pretty massive. However, I will not be returning most likely. Food = 1/2.5 Price = 1/1 Service = 1/1 Decor/Cleanliness = 0.5/0.5 Total = 3.5/5

    people sitting at tables
    Sachelle H.

    I love the shrimp tacos here. They are battered and they put alot in a small shrimp taco. They are pretty pricey at $4 a taco but they have been well worth it in the past. This visit, I walk in and I see all new faces. I go to the register to order and the cashier tells me to wait a minute. It seems as though she was trying to figure something out in the register. She thens looks up with a smiling face as she takes my order. After I pay, I have to wait a while for my order which is rare here. I look over at the preparing station and I see what looks like already cooked fish against the wall. It was dirty looking. I then see the young man grab the fish and re-fry it. Maybe they like it twice fried so I decide to mind my business. I then carefully watch as he prepares the food going forward and mine appeared to be fresh but the process and cleanest doesn't appear the same as before. I receive my food and it hot and fresh.., I could barely eat the French fries which is just how I like it.

    Dale H.

    Let me start by saying the Fish Tacos are 5 star! ALOT of very crunchy fish that wasn't soggy and greasy on a very nice, hot tortilla - delicious. I also had to try the carne asada, but it's barely a 4 star. Plenty of chopped up steak (also on a nice warm tortilla, but the carne lacked seasoning and flavor. Although the tacos cone bare (just protein on a tortilla), the topping bar has quite a few choice how to dress up your tacos and how much "extra" you want on em - I like this option. I'll return for more of the fish Tavis, but this time I might try the al pastor vs the carne asada. 3 carne asada tacos loaded with plenty of meat fir less than $8 is a great deal though.

    Fish tacos! Great tasting fish!

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    19 days ago

    Excellent food. Excellent service. The shrimp and fish taco is epic. The fries are surprisingly great too.

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    Good food. I had tacos and really enjoyed them. The salsa bar is good and can be spicy too!

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    Santa Madre Taco Shop Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Santa Madre Taco Shop

    Are your tacos available on corn tortillas too? I cannot eat wheat flour.

    Yes. We have corn tortillas.

    Is the grilled chicken breast meat or thigh meat?

    Breast meat.

    View All 3 Questions

    Taco Chelo - Carne asada tacos

    Taco Chelo

    4.7(173 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $

    Had the Taco Gobernador Marlin and shrimp), and the Costra (carne asada, onions, and cheese). Both…read morewere very flavorful and delicious. Although you order at the counter, the young lady stopped by our table numerous times after bringing our food to make sure we had everything we needed. Two, what I would call gourmet tacos for $10 seems very reasonable for this area. Their Roosevelt Row location is much closer to my home, and I will be stopping by there soon.

    I was looking for a quick spot for dinner that was in walking distance of my hotel (AC Hotel) and…read moredecided to try Taco Chelo based on their Yelp reviews. This restaurant is centrally located near the ASU campus and offers generous patio seating in addition to their indoor dining area. I was greeted upon entering and since I was dining alone I decided to sit at the bar. I didn't realize you were supposed to order at the register at the bar, but the bartender was kind and took my order from my seat at the bar instead. I started with chips and salsa, which came with guacamole but I'm not a fan so I didn't give it a try. The chips were perfectly cooked and seemed to be house-made or at least a high quality chip as they were thick and had a good salty flavor. The red salsa had good flavor but mild spice. The green salsa was bright and had a little kick to it. I wasn't super hungry, so I only ordered one chicken taco (without the avocado salsa). The taco was pretty good, although I was anticipating a chopped grilled chicken but it came with more of a pilled marinated chicken. Still good, just not what I expected from a more "authentic" taco. I also missed having a salsa bar with toppings (onions, pico, etc) that you can add. Instead these tacos came as designed by the chef. I also ordered the mango and original house margaritas, both were refreshing and hit the mark with the chips and tacos. They had a $5 margarita for a special as it was Monday, but my margarita was full price. Not sure what the difference was, perhaps a lower quality tequila? This is a great spot for a quick bite or a light happy hour. They are newer, so show some local support!

    Photos
    Taco Chelo - Really cool vibe inside

    Really cool vibe inside

    Taco Chelo - Costra Taco - get it!!!

    Costra Taco - get it!!!

    Taco Chelo - Piña Colada Agua Fresca - very tasty

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    Piña Colada Agua Fresca - very tasty

    Anayas - Beer battered fish on top of a cilantro lime rice

    Anayas

    4.3(198 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately it was a total flop. We ordered a kids…read moreburrito, ceviche and another burrito. Their ceviche was good but I don't recommend eating it with the tostadas they serve it with. It was better with their table chips. The price doesn't justify the portion of it. The serving was very small and you should honestly be getting more than that. The burritos were sadly not memorable. How can you mess up a burrito?! It wasn't very busy either to have an inattentive waiter either. I don't know if it was maybe an off day to come in? But I won't be returning.

    I'm an Arizona native, and a self proclaimed Mexican Food snob…read more Añayas is in a strip mall behind a Circle K, so it's easy to overlook, but it's a true gem of the neighborhood! It's quaint, never a wait, and it has become our family go-to. We always have wonderful service and great meals with freshly prepared ingredients. The shrimp dishes are incredible, remnant of Puerto Peñasco with shrimp that "pops" (if you know good shrimp, you know what I mean!) They have Negra Modelo on draught (hard to find that!), and their margaritas are delish. You can't go wrong with chimichangas or combo platters! They have moles on the menu but we typically opt for more traditional Sonoran style. If you are on the search for amazing traditional Mexican food in South Tempe - you found your spot!

    Photos
    Anayas - Bar area

    Bar area

    Anayas - Weekly special

    Weekly special

    Anayas - Restaurant

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    Restaurant

    Taqueria Mi Casita - A huuuge quesadilla!

    Taqueria Mi Casita

    4.4(764 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    I've been in a couple of times now and I think their tacos are so delicious! Their tortillas are…read moreeven softer than most places I've been. Some of my favorite tacos are their Cabeza, Buche, and Asada. I also think their menudo on the weekend is fantastic too! Service is always fantastic, whenever we come in they always remember my boyfriend and say hi to him. Lol The restaurant is cute, alot of collected items throughout the place and somehow it just goes well.

    After a grueling, long shift, I was starving...And then someone recommended me this place since it…read moreopened late. So after clocking out I drove there and I was surprised it was right next to Kim Thao's Bakery. I had never seen this place until I got there. Inside, the ambiance gives a very authentic Mexican vibe with a lot of decor. I got the 3 cabeza tacos which was cow meat from the head. I wasn't hesitant in trying because why would I not? The tacos were really flavorsome. The meat combine with the toppings and lime made it seem like it was like any other beef taco. So after eating all 3, I ordered 3 more...After the first visit, I went back a different time to try their burritos. On the other hand, the burritos were very pricey...I ordered a beef tongue burrito which ran me about 20$....but, they are packed heavily. The beef tongue had a consistency like chicken which I like. But sometimes some of the meat had a rubbery texture. Everything I ate there was very delicious as I could taste the quality. I think this spot is authentic as it has great portion sizes however, I do think it can be pricey. Would I come here again? Yes, but just for the tacos. My next visit, I would definitely try the carnitas and cabeza tacos again. Overall, I rate this place a strong 7/10. sorry. I don't have pictures anymore...had to delete photos for storage space :( Adam Nguyen Copyright 2026 - All Rights Reserved.

    Photos
    Taqueria Mi Casita - Lots of seating inside

    Lots of seating inside

    Taqueria Mi Casita - Cabeza nachos!!

    Cabeza nachos!!

    Taqueria Mi Casita - Interior has a lot of flair

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    Interior has a lot of flair

    Los Sombreros

    Los Sombreros

    4.3(394 reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$

    My dad, my boyfriend, and I went to dinner at Los Sombreros tonight and it was fantastic. Our…read moreserver said they were the only one working tonight and that they'd take care of us, and they sure did. The parking lot outside was parking so we thought we may have to wait, but inside was not busy yet and we were seated immediately. I ordered the smoked chicken enchilada as I saw it was a Yelp favorite and it was delicious. I ended up taking half of it home since we all filled up on chips and salsa before our meal. This restaurant is decorated so cutely. I love how there is a Baja influence with all the surf boards but also southwest appeal. There is plenty of seating and tables for big groups. Even with other people yapping around us, the noise level was perfect to enjoy company. 10/10 would recommend.

    This restaurant is MUST visit! We enjoyed some delicious drinks, entrees, and an app! We were…read moreseated immediately upon arriving in their super cute space; there was both indoor and outdoor options on a Sunday evening! There were heaters available if we needed them, as we sat outside. Our amazing and friendly server offered to turn the heaters on for us, but we didn't need them. I enjoyed a Oaxacan Old Fashioned (on the sweeter side, but that's what I like), we had the Elote (BEST I'VE EVER HAD), and I also had the Carne A La Tampiquena. Everything tasted amazing and was served fresh and in a timely manner. We will most certainly be back (and you should visit, too!)!

    Photos
    Los Sombreros
    Los Sombreros
    Los Sombreros

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    El Jefe Tacos

    El Jefe Tacos

    4.1(411 reviews)
    6.3 mi
    $$
    Kitchen open late
    Vegetarian friendly

    Food was exceptionally flavorful and seasoned well. We ordered the ramen, tacos, and the Phoenix…read moreroll. We went to here as they were one of the late night spots still open. *This along with a hibiscus drink (large) and a cola! Approximately 50$. * Service was simple, kind, order at the register- type of spot. Ambiance wasn't busy for a Sunday night but the vibes were there, and I can imagine they get busy and can handle a lot with the seating options they have.

    I've been ordering from El Jefe in Tempe for the last 4 to 5 years as we live fairly close. We love…read morethe tacos especially with doing the family meal for street tacos! The meats are so good. We also use to love the sushi side. During Covid, we tried the sushi for the first time. We were hesitant as it's a Mexican joint, right? Not a Japanese specialty shop. So to my surprise, I couldn't believe the sushi especially the Las Vegas roll and their Nigiri cuts were pretty dang good. My disappointment seems to be this last year with the sushi just hasn't been the best or fresh tasting. The Las Vegas roll was always nice and warm but with an awesome cold center and fried to perfection and the sauce just right. Lately it's been the opposite. Super over fried were all you can taste is old burnt oil and it dried out and the sauce just bland and not helping at all. The other thing that bothers us is the lack of wasabi they give! If you're not going to give us full flavor, at least give more wasabi to help mask. I will say they give you plenty of soy sauce packets (just barely any wasabi).

    Photos
    El Jefe Tacos
    El Jefe Tacos
    El Jefe Tacos - El jefe box

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    El jefe box

    Santa Madre Taco Shop - mexican - Updated June 2026

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