I fell in love with this place and their famous sauce years ago and returned today, though reviews haven't been the best lately. Our service was good - it wasn't super quick but they had a lot of orders in front of us so we didn't mind. Bathrooms were dirty and some of the tables as well, but the food was just as good as before! I will always recommend this place. read more

Taco Gringo - Chicken Burrito Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

Maybe I caught them on an off day? Gringo is 100% accurate. This is the whitest tasting place I've ever eaten. So Much potential in menu only to be wildly bland in every possible way read more

Poor service and very bland flavorless food. The floors were sticky and the restroom was filthy. Very disappointing.

Might be the dirtiest place I've eaten at in a long while. Had a hard time eating the food while looking around at all the dirt and grime. A full clean, please and thanks. read more

Well c'mon people with the 2 stars the place says Gringo on the sign. Expecting anything else is simply asinine. The service was quick, they're killing it with the concept and has been around for 10 yrs. Their sauce is everywhere, at Lund's, Kowalski's, Cub, and even Walmart! That is a serious success story by any standards. The food was great for what it is: Americanized Mexican food. They are proud of it, and they should be. If you like Taco Bell, Chipotle, and liked places like Chi Chi's, La Casita, El Loro, and Acapulco, then this is like the best of all of that. Their Southwest sauce is truly awesome. It is very heavy on mayo, so take it easy! It is very heavy and sits there like a lump if you're not careful. All-in-all we will definitely be back while we're on this stretch of 94. Of course having been recommended by my brother who is a retired executive chef says something. read more

Taco Gringo - Taco Gringo menu - Mexican Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

See all

I am always excited to try new taco places! Unfortunately, this place missed the mark and we were super unimpressed. I ordered the classic burrito, and the amount of tomatoes on there were SO disproportionate that it made the entire burrito cold and dripping water. The rice was unsalted and not seasoned, just seemed like cooked white rice. There was zero flavor except the tomatoes. Husband got a breakfast burrito, his was better than mine except the entire bottom 1/3 was filled with tomatoes again. It's like the tomatoes didn't get mixed and it turned into a water mess. Hard shell tacos were actually pretty decent, except for the stale taco shell. Underwhelming for sure! read more

Food was ready in literally 3 mins. Dont even sit down . I was the only one there tho. The taco gringo southwestern sauce has msg butter egg sugar etc. Tacos r huge full of hella meat. Meat quality is great. All ingredients were quality. Black beans tasted fresh. The beef taste better than the chicken. The burrito bowl fried tortilla was actually good. Prices are fair. Fries were good. If you love fries get an extra order, the portion is small. read more

Taco Gringo - a close up of a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

See all

We have wanted to try this place for a long time. We have purchased their signature sauce and use it regularly. We ordered the cabin crunch. Great flavor, good amount of filling. We also got the chicken queso supremes burrito. This was a large burrito stuff with fresh ingredients. This was large enough that we could split it between two people. Now the show stopper was the chorizo queso fries. The fries were extra crispy with lots of flavorful chorizo, lots of queso and their signature sauce (which comes with every item). I have read several reviews complaining that this is not authentic Mexican. The name says that it is not authentic. The staff Ian and Connor made the experience even better. Fun and knowledgeable. We also received a 10% off for being in EMS. Clean establishment. read more

See all

This place was not good. The chips were greasy, & some were actually soggy, from soaking in the grease for too long. They were also way over salted. I ordered a burrito. It wasn't hot when I bit into it. It was lacking flavor, and it wasn't wrapped well. I can easily make a much better burrito at home. My coworker ordered a different burrito, & he wasn't impressed with his either. The only reason I'm giving two stars, is because the portion sizes were decent. read more

Very fresh casual great price for the quantity. Don't let the small looking shop scare you away

Gringo is basically roughly translated to mean non-Mexican person. And their food tastes like it was made by a non-Mexican person. This has got to be some of the most bland Mexican food I have had for awhile. The steak burrito I got was big. I will give it that. But when I took a bite I saw why it was so big, full of rice and about nothing else. And we are talking basically white rice, the flecks of spice can't justify this rice to be Mexican rice. I got fajita veggies in my burrito, which amounted to two pieces of onion and pepper. And don't give me that crap that this food is Minn-Mex, there is no such thing. Mexican food without any kind of seasoning or spice is not Mexican food just like seafood without the sea isn't seafood. If I wanted tasteless hamburger and rice I would buy hamburger helper for a buck and cook it at home. And tasteless is not an excuse for food ever so don't call it Minn-Mex... The chips that came with it were deep fried to a dark brown crisp and tasted like deep fried junk. YUCK. Ate one and threw the rest, luckily you don't get many to start off with. Their secret sauce is not really secret, ranch dressing with taco seasoning mixed in. Yipee. I can't believe they got Lunds and Byerly's to sell it for $4.99, what a joke. The decor was tacky and a hodgepodge of random things. And would you stop printing out sheets of paper and using them as signs? Who is going crazy in the back with the printer?? Chipotle is the same price. Check please. read more

Taco Gringo - Mexican Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

See all

We usually love this place! Even today, the service was fast and the food was fresh. But I really hope they get this message and make an important change. Both my husband and I chose ground beef in our entrees and it was WAY too salty. Please don't make the mistake of thinking the only way to add flavor is with salt! Maybe the cook made a mistake, we'll give them another chance as we're usually very happy with the food. read more

A bit on speedy side, but food was great. Friendly staff. Wish there was more locations!

Okay, but not great...more or less a take out place & bit pricey for what you get. Food is not authentic Mexican.

Very often we have taco night at Taco Gringo. We have never been disappointed. Large portions and typically very little wait.

If you're looking for anything even remotely authentic Mexican or tasty, this is not the place for you. I ordered a fajita burrito with the shredded pork. The food was served pretty fast, the burrito was wrapped in tinfoil and seemed pretty plump. It came in a basket along with some super stale chips and some Kind of mayonnaise/ranch dressing with some south western type seasonings, not sure what it was but didn't care for it. I generally eat my burritos with a fork and knife, so I open the burrito and imagine my surprise, there was about the equivalent of one bite of shredded pork inside there were exactly 4 thin slices of green and red peppers and five or six pieces of onion. Take a look at the picture, it was overwhelmingly tomatoes. In fact, I would call it a tomato burrito When I ordered, I was asked if I wanted rice and beans, I assumed on the side, my mistake. They came inside the burrito and both the rice and the beans or al dente, or otherwise slightly crunchy on the inside. I also want to point out that the tortilla was cold and not warmed up prior to making a burrito I also want to point out the obvious, when you put several cups of cold salsa into a burrito, On top of warm, presumably, beans, rice and a tiny, teeny bit of meat, it makes the burrito cold. So I ordered a fajita burrito and when I got was a cold tomato burrito. No fun and certainly not worth the $11 I paid for that and a small soda. read more

This is a casual place with a few tables inside and out. I had a beef taco and it was really good. Tomatoes tasted fresh and lettuce was crispy. Beef was nicely flavored. My friend had a taco rice bowl and it was also very good. There were many choice on the menu-everything from burritos to nacho grande. The food had an authentic Mexican flavor. They had four types of salsa to choose from. All were homemade. Service was quick and friendly. You order at counter and they bring your food to table. My only issue, and this almost made the place 3 stars, was that the bathrooms needed to be a bit cleaner. Other than that I recommend this taco place. read more

fuck taco gringo you cant be that busy wehere you cant serve online orders and be that low on ingredients i want my money back today not it 2-5 days read more

Parked my truck at TA and went to grab a dinner the foods is good but the rice was really raw not even cooked good than I went again asked them for salsa sauce and they charged me again for it, I know every Mexican restaurant will bring you salsa sauce free. read more

Taco Gringo - Rice still raw - Mexican Near Me - Clearwater, Minnesota

See all

The service here is awful now. Always been a favorite spot of mine but it's changed. No seasoning on the meat, no cheese, rude employees and unsanitary and cold. I'll never eat here again or suggest it to anyone read more

I am struggling to understand why this place is A. Still open and B. Could ever receive more than one star. Food was poor at best. The guys working were nice. Really, go anywhere else. read more

See all

Stopped in for a quick lunch. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and food quality. I really enjoyed the Southwestern Sauce. It added a ton of flavor to everything. I found myself even dipping my chips in it. Prices are reasonable for the portion size. I will definitely be back. read more

have tried taco gringo in Clearwater Minnesota multiple times and everytime we have ordered the order is wrong and we pay for queso but never get it. I wish I could leave a no star review. they never try to help or answer the phone. steer clear of this place. read more

This is my favorite place to eat in Clearwater !! I probably visit this location 2 times a week . I rarely eat inside though . They have great prices ! I have always gotten my food when I arrive and it's always hot ! Seriously love this place Only thing I don't like is the seating inside . They chairs are very uncomfortable.. but they have a great outside area ! read more

The service was friendly but the food is just very bland. Not a fan of the meals we had there and won't probably return.

Was very disappointed especially since we heard great things about this place and it was recommended we stop on our way up north. Perhaps I ordered the wrong thing (taco salad) but it was extremely average. The chicken was the rubbery "fake-ish" chicken you find at Subway or something and topped with way too many tomatoes, a little bit of lettuce, and sprinkle of cheese. And that's all. The fried tortilla bowl it came in was the best part (because anything deep fried can be okay). Their sauce is good- they have that going for them. And it was very quick so that's nice. Overall a bummer but maybe we caught them on a bad day! read more

Okay, so about a dozen friends and I were on a road trip two years ago, and we were starving, and we didn't want chain-food, so we stopped here. Today, two years later, I just ate there for the... sixth time? I think over half my original group has been back multiple times, as most of us loved it. I try to rate things based on what they're trying to be. This place is trying (I think) to be a casual walk-in fast food place with fresh and healthy Mexican/American menu items. It's not trying to be authentic Mexican, nor is it competing with Taco Bell. It is what it is; a locally-owned joint that's nice to walk into and have a quick bite of Mexican-styled food without spending too much money. On that level, I say it more than succeeds (hence my five-star rating). Of what I've had so far, the fish tacos are my favorite. They give you a choice of several salsas (cucumber, mild, hot, black bean and corn). My fave is the hot salsa. They also put this tasty southwestern sauce on everything. It's sour-creamy/hot saucy mixture that adds a good.... I dunno... southern-style chicken finger flare to it (a' la Abner's Chicken Fingers in Oxford, MS, anyone?). They have several signs up about their choices in ingredients which lead me to believe the owners are health-conscious. That, and the food tastes healthy. (Did I mention I'm health conscious in my food choices?) So, if you want a grease pit go elsewhere. Obviously, this place is in a small town, far from the twin cities (maybe not worth making a trip to Clearwater), but I can say, without question, that if you are nearby, it's worth a stop for some non-fast-food-tasting fast food. Oh, and the owner was really nice. So were her employees. Let's keep them in business, yelpers. read more

Mexican Food for Gringos: Simple Minnesota Mexican food, for those of you not familiar with Minn-Mex its similar to Tex-Mex with less spice and variety. This place gets props for using fresh ingredients, serving reasonable portion sizes, and charging fair prices. The element that puts this place over the top for most is their "Taco Gringo Sauce" which may cause you to start singing mariachi and scrounging for a Corona because of all of the MSG in it. (If you become addicted to the sauce they sell it by the bottle at the restaurant and local grocery stores.) Overall this is a quality place to stop and grab a quick bite to eat as there aren't many options in the area. However I can't quite get over the name, :-) only in Central Minnesota can you get away with calling a place "Gringo" and have people come in without hesitation. read more

Very slow service. Ordered 5 tacos and waited over 30 minutes. Not recommended if you have somewhere to be!

I had a Burrito and chips, not very good. The burrito ingredients were not spread out evenly, the meat and tomatoes were all at one end, the rice was like a giant ball at the other. Chips tasted greasy and kinda burnt. Maybe they needed to change the fryer oil. Only redeeming factor for the place was the Southwest sauce. It was pretty good, tastes like a mix of mayo and taco seasoning. Was tempted to buy a bottle, but not for $5. read more

Food is a little bit bland but overall I still liked it. Portion size is also great. P.s I love the sauce

My hubby and I stopped here for a quick bite to eat on our way up to the cabin. This place is a nice change of pace from the typical highway fast food joints. I ordered two chicken tacos and thought they were decent. Each taco is about $3. I thought the chicken was pretty good and flavorful. Each taco comes with lettuce, cheese, their special sauce and choice of salsa. I thought the corn and black bean salsa left a little to be desired. My hubby ordered the taco combo which came with two tacos, rice and chips. He got beef tacos, and I thought the chicken was a lot better. The beef seemed pretty bland. I would recommend skipping the combo since it just comes with plain white rice and tortilla chips. You don't even get extra salsa for the chips. Overall, this place was OK, but I'm not sure I would stop back. read more

Definitely tops Taco Bell! Very good food and customer service. Got our food to us fast.

On the go, quick stop. Ordered, used the faculties and they handed me our food. Wow fast and gracious service. Two of the best tacos I have ever had. An accidental find. Grateful for that! read more

On my way up north over the weekend, we took an alternative route on 94 to 10, rather than the usual 169 way. We were hungry so decided to give Taco Gringo a try. I had the fajita burrito. My group also got some quesadillas and tostadas. It was definitely a great alternative to the other fast foods around the exit. But I wouldnt go out of my way and take the alternative route again just to have it. read more

This was a good pitstop alternative to fast food they had fresh ingredients, real ground beef and House made salsas. I had the beef tacos, the only reason why I give three stars is due to they don't heat up the shells so it literally tears up your mouth. It would be like buying taco shells at home and not putting them in the oven, it's not as flavorful and rough on your mouth. At least Microwave them. I got the spicy salsa and I didn't taste anything spicy I also added hot sauce and it wasn't very hot. really fresh ingredients and I would go here again I just would asked her my shells to be heated up. read more

The only thing this place has going for them is the sauce. Even that is basically ranch dressing with a taco seasoning. My husband and I ordered chimichangas - he got steak and I got chicken. Both of our chimi's had about 4 pieces of meat. My chicken was bland and fake - like fast food chicken. The chimichanga's also had white rice and beans in it (mostly rice) - super bland as well. The salsa on the side was basically chopped onions and tomatoes, no spice or flavor at all. The inside was kind of dirty and messy - not the kind of dirty and messy that "works" for small Mexican food places unfortunately. This food was definitely made by white people. And that's definitely not a good thing. read more

I've stopped in here once for a taco, and it was good and fresh. The taco itself was filled to overfilling, which made it messy to eat. It's similar to a street taco. Served up with Taco Gringo's special sauce, it was quite tasty. I'd like to go back, but am not in the area that much. If you're stopping for gas at Nelson Brothers, swing by and pick up a taco or two. read more

I ordered steak tacos and they are American tacos NOT Mexican tacos. The food is not even close of being Mexican ‍, sorry. Meat was very salty, the tortilla was not heated up, I wonder what hard shell is like. Anyways, I would not recommend this place if you want real Mexican food. read more

I want to tell you how disappointed I am after eating at your restaurant tonight. I have had some of the best tacos ever at taco gringo- we were going to pick up something to eat on the way up to the lake and I suggested Taco Gringo- most likely I will never do that again!! We ordered our food and one of three of us got it. We waited another 15-20 min and when my son and I got ours- the chicken tacos and chicken burrito was cold to touch- the rice was gross and the lettuce tasted extremely OLD. Also the three other groups that came after us all got their food before two of the three of us. I asked if they could warm it up and it was very difficult for them to do. There were three people working all looking to be about 14 years old. We were there approximately 25-30 min and when we ate there in the past it was really quick. I also really wanted fish tacos but the person taking my order said it would take 10 min so I might not want that...? So I didn't order it Very very sad read more