We were coming home from a long day of driving and found this place along the way. To say it is…read morethe best Mexican restaurant food I've ever had would be an understatement. Everything was epic. We started with chips and salsa and beer. I wish I could remember the name of the young man who served us because he was a very good bartender and server. I ordered three different tacos and man, oh man! The cauliflower taco was hands down the best taco I've ever eaten. The lengua taco was just as good. The seasoning and accompanying veggies were the perfect ingredients for these tacos. The Baja shrimp tacos were good too, but not off the charts like the other two. The street corn was seasoned nicely and I enjoyed each and every bite My husband, who doesn't really like or eat Mexican food ordered the Philly Steak and Cheese burrito with rice and beans. He ate all of it, so I know it had to be good. We are already making plans to return, although it's over an hour away from our house. I'm excited to try other items. Barrios, thank you for the great food, the clean bar, and the excellent food. We look forward to seeing you again! And, we were aware of the upcharge for using a credit card, so there were no surprises as mentioned in other reviews.

It's time to update my review from 2 years ago! Yes, Barrios, you have a dedicated fan now! Since…read moremy last review, lots has changed about this place and only in a good way! They added an outdoor, dog-friendly patio and a new bar inside. Each time I've come now, that place has been clean and inviting! The service has been great - prompt, attentive, and friendly. But as a taco-loving Texan who now resides in TN, I have to say this is the BEST Mexican food in town. They have the best salsa, margaritas, and everything I've ordered, from tacos to brunch items to green chili has been yummy! While the salsa has been toned down for the 'can't handle the heat' locals - just ask your server for something else with more spice. They will accommodate you. There's some salsa Verde and tomatillo salsa that has a bit more kick and is my go-to! And they have corn tortillas too - you can just ask them to swap them out for the flour if that is your preference. I promise, my partner and I have hit just about every Mexican place in OR - and he even agrees, Barrios is where it's at!

What a nostalgic experience! Dan and I are visiting family in Knoxville. Today, we drove to Oak…read moreRidge where we used to live and had lunch at our favorite restaurant when Oak Ridge was home. I would love to move back to our Oak Ridge house. If we could move back, we would once again be regulars at El Cantarito and I will tell you why. I'm the frugal yelper. I love a good deal and I recognize value. That doesn't mean I like cheap food or don't enjoy fine dining. I just like value. That's what you get at El Cantarito. Their prices are fabulous and their food must be good quality because it tastes great. Dan and I each got a tostada lunch for just under $5. Dan got the tostaquac which included ground beef and sour cream. I got one with everything besides the ground beef and sour cream. Both had refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. Delicious. That came with rice and beans. The salsa was delicious, just the right amount of kick. I made the mistake of ordering the large beer without asking how large it was. It was 32 Oz. Dan got one, too. That was way too much for either of us, so we left much of it. The large draft beer was $4.99. During happy hour domestics are $1.99 for a small and $3.99 large. Modelo is a dollar more. It has a Mexican diner feel to it. It looks authentic and very much is authentic. During lunch hour it is very busy and a little noisy. We recognized our server but she didn't remember us. The check just said she's #2. She didn't recognize us. #2 gave us excellent service. We couldn't have asked for any better service. Oak Ridge is so lucky to have this wonderful Mexican restaurant. I hope they appreciate it.

When we lived in Oak Ridge we were regulars here for lunch. First time back in 5 years and were…read morequite pleasantly surprised to find the same good food and very reasonable prices. They have lunches as low as $4.75. Most of the staff is the same. Our server even remembered us. Walls decorated with Mexican art among the TVs showing sports and news. Very large menu with many selections from which to choose.

Best tacos in Knoxville! Pastor on corn tortilla Del Mar Style, perfection!…read more They have great salsa and other various sauces.

I really enjoyed Tia's tacos!! The corn tortillas and street tacos are the way to go! I really…read moreloved the salsa bar they provide! My only criticism is that it's expensive. It was $20 for 4 tacos...idk if I'd be making this a regular spot due to the price but it was a good experience and I'd go back if I had a really big craving for a salsa bar while I'm out running errands. The workers were very nice and welcoming as well! I do recommend Tia's tacos

You can't beat the food here! It isn't your typical Mexican food at all. I highly recommend…read moreeverything on the menu. Don't let the fact that it's co-located with a gas station fool you.

Loved my carnitas taco, but the al pastor was amazing. Everything is so fresh, and I love that you…read morecan try different toppings from the salsa and pico bar. Being able to choose flour or corn tortillas is a bonus.

Tl;Dr service is crap now and it reeks of human waste and has for at least six months…read more Look, the good is...pretty much on par with the area, there's better but it's not the absolute worst either. Years ago the price, quality and service couldn't be beat for town. Years ago. Whatever. Quality went down but portions, pricing and service remained better than the rest around four years back. Two years ago quality/flavor continued to tank, but service was okay and prices still okay. This past year? Gross. They're charging almost as much or the same as places in town that are much better in all fields: taste, quality, service, pricing, ambiance. Price creep came first. Then quality and flavor. Then came service and ambiance. Honestly, I hesitate to even brush it off as ambiance, it's closer to a health issue now and has been for at least six months. The area near the rest room absolutely reeks of sewage and human waste. I went to use the rest room and I genuinely vomited. When the smell hit me I was going to just...not use the bathroom, but my body had other plans and I was forced to use it because I had to vomit. I held my breath but then I tasted it in my mouth and vomited again, and then one last time. It was that bad. I don't know why I went back to this place, honestly. Dumb old me assumed twice now they would have this disgusting issue under control. "Surely by now" I said. It's not even that good, the only thing I can think of that possessed me to give this place a try the past two times and now this final time is that I have memories of this place. My family is close to the (previous) owners and waitstaff, we had my mother's wake here when she passed, things like that, and the make my margaritas strong because of that relationship. But that staff has been leaving over the past year, and the service shows the loss. Last time we were here we stood there for ten minutes to be seated. It wasn't anywhere near close, four hours to go actually, a weekend, and pretty dead. I understand why now. The guy in the kitchen just kept looking at us. Some other guy was in the office/kitchen just talking in the phone. The poor BOH kept ringing their little bell and couldn't even get any of the staff to come run food, it was ridiculous honestly. The mod food isn't even consistent anymore, it's like they can't even keep a cook so you order something and it comes out complete different every time, down to the salsa. One day spicy no cilantro, next day not spicy at all heaps of cilantro, one day no spice no cilantro etc. Avocado salad is the same way. So are other items. At this point, and it really hurts me to say it due to nostalgia, there is no point at all in visiting this place unless you like poor to mid food priced the same as better places in town, awful service, and the literal smell of human feces. RIP Gallo Loco.

Very inviting atmosphere with kind and helpful staff. We were seated immediately but I bet this…read moreplace can be quite busy. The food was excellent. We all enjoyed the beans that they served with the chips, a nice surprise. All the meat was cooked expertly and everyone liked their meals. We will be back.

Been here twice and we really enjoyed it! First time we ordered 2 barbacoa tacos and 2 pastor tacos…read moreto try. The pastor was kinda dry. The barbacoa was delicious! The second time we went, we ordering the birria pizza. I asked for cilantro and onions on the side and asked if it would cost extra; cashier didn't answer my question. I don't think she understood much English. Anyway, I see on the receipt it cost an extra $0.50. The birria pizza was amazing. Definitely enough to feed 3 people. Came with 3 sauces to dip in, in addition to the birria juice, and pickled carrots. Meat was flavorful and lots of cheese! It cost $23.99 in July 2026. We would definitely order this again!

Great experience. Easy ordering at the counter. Able to pay with card. Extensive menu and food came…read moreout very quickly. There is no indoor seating at this express location and it is a very bare bones & simplistic vibe to this old fast food spot. We sat in the patio area on picnic tables to eat, but there's also a seemingly efficient drive thru for picking up grub. We ordered a carne asada taco plate (with rice and beans) and a carne asada chimichanga plate with rice and beans, and chips and cheese dip. Everything was fresh and tasty, but the tacos and carne asada in general were the stars. That was well-seasoned and crispy steak. Holy moly. The tortillas were clearly homemade and so soft and delish without easily falling apart. Can't wait to go back for more tacos. The beans were stellar but we could take or leave the rice.

The food and staff were so friendly and the ambience in the restaurant with the hand paintings on…read morethe wall, which just outstanding very authentic looking. The food was nice and fresh and the drinks were OK. That's also a super on the chips was super fresh. We didn't stay for dessert, but we'll be back to try it again.

Outstanding service - very friendly, attentive team. I…read moreordered the California burrito. I misunderstood - this is not a burrito with sides - every dang thing listed is inside the burrito. None of the many things inside have any seasoning, the meat was overcooked, and it was simply not good. Quite disappointing :( Margarita ok. Chips great. Salsa completely forgettable. BUT - if you go, ask for the Spicy salsa - it is bonkers good! But I won't be returning.

Service was great! The food is so so. It's more American Mexican rather than authentic Mexican…read morefood. There was a problem with the registers when we tried to pay and ended up waiting for awhile. After we left we realized we double paid for some items so I called and spoke to the managers - all of which were very nice and apologetic and ended refunding our entire bill!

loved the food. the drinks were great, we had the prickly pear lavender and dragon fruit habanero…read moremargaritas, BEWARE: the waitress asked if we wanted frozen or on the rocks. we ordered on the rocks. She completely neglected to tell us they were $4 more than the frozen, so $10 per drink, and there was nothing on the menu stating the difference in price. We got two drinks each. surprise surprise when we got our bills and had $20 in drinks instead of $12. we would not have paid that much had we been informed. She also shorted me on my change when I paid cash. so, the food is good, drinks are good but not worth what we unknowingly paid. We split 1 lunch plate and 1 half appetizer and spent $36.20 EACH before tip for lunch.