I was in the mood for tacos (but then again, I'd never say no to tacos), so I stopped by Taco Libre for Taco Tuesday and was genuinely impressed. I tried all six of their taco flavors, and each one had its own distinct personality. I expected the birria taco to be my favorite since it's usually my go-to at most taco spots, but the pollo mole completely stole the show. The chicken was incredibly tender, and the sweet, rich mole sauce made every bite absolutely delicious. It easily became my personal favorite. I also loved the salsa bar because it lets you customize every taco exactly how you like it. Every salsa was flavorful and paired well with all of the tacos. The pickled red onions were a standout--I expected the usual tanginess, but they instead had a savory depth with a not-so-subtle kick from the chiles that made them surprisingly addictive. A special shout-out to the host, who was incredibly sweet and personable. She went out of her way to wave me over so I could enjoy my tacos fresh off the grill, and I really enjoyed our little chat about sweet tea. It's those small moments of genuine hospitality that make a place memorable. Easy 5/5. I'll definitely be back for more pollo mole tacos. read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I got a chicken mole and carne asada taco low-carb and it was amazing! The reason why I love this place is because they do let us tacos! The mole was mouthwatering and had the perfect flavor! The carne Asada meat melted in my mouth! The service was fast and organized. The ambience was really cute and we ate outside! read more

Taco Libre - Lettuce steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Ordered 2 Grilled Fish Tacos. The grilled fish tacos came out hot and I really appreciate how fresh the Salsa Bar was. Load the tacos up with cilantro, avosalsa, pickled onions and make sure to use a fork :) It was messy but oh so worth it! read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

DELICIOUS Cali burrito but they really skimped out on the chips (see photo). Would return regardless, as the food is good and reasonably priced for Old Town. read more

Taco Libre - Cali Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tried the crispy potato taco and the chicken mole taco. Both were delicious! The food tastes fresh and the salsas are homemade. Quality food and not too pricey. They do have a taco tuesday deal for 50% off! Would come back for more tacos and try other meats as well. read more

Taco Libre - Crispy potato taco and chicken mole taco - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Tacos were amazing ! Great taste ! 5/5 Great customer service! Very welcoming Nice staff . Great decoration outside , seating and inside very nice and bright. Very colorful. Clean environment Definitely recommended 10/10 With friends and family Will be back soon . read more

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This is a small little taco spot in one of the alley ways of downtown Pasadena. It's on Colorado around the corner from Cheesecake factory. The food is flavorful. I do feel bad because it seemed they were understaffed. The employees were running around back there getting food out asap but they were still kind and did their best to give good customer service. There was always someone in line and they tried to balance getting orders out and answering questions/ taking orders. My boyfriend got two tacos and an asada burrito and I got a chicken taco ( tasty but a tad dry) and a shrimp burrito. We also ordered the churros for dessert. Unfortunately they ran out of the chocolate dipping sauce . However we still enjoyed the churros. All of it was delicious. They also have a decent salsa bar with cilantro and onions as well. If you want pico de gallo or slices of lime just ask and they'll give it to you on the side. ‍ The dining room is small but can seat 4 to 5 groups and then they have outdoor patio seating as well. They have a decent sized tv near the door and they aired the soccer game last night which was great for all the patrons to enjoy. read more

Taco Libre - Pollo asada taco - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I was in the area and we decided to get Mexican, this was conveniently located on the busy old town Pasadena area. I ordered one taco of carne asada, pollo asado and a birria taco. The carne asada taco was the best one of the three. The birria taco was too salty for my liking. I would not say anything on the menu stood out to me, they were standard tacos and the best part of the visit to me was the flavorful salsas. read more

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We came to Taco Libre to redeem the deals from the SGV passport. The deal included a buy one get one taco and a fountain drink. The staff here was very helpful and explained the options included with the redemption. We ended up ordering a chicken taco and Quesataco with birria for the deal. And added a battered a fish taco to try as well. The location has patio and indoor seating. There's a self serve sauce bar. The decor inside is eye catching. The food was prepared fairly quickly. The food also came with some complimentary chips. The tacos weren't bad at all. Pretty standard street chicken taco. The Birria Quesataco was cheesy and delicious. The battered fish taco also a solid choice. The menu is pretty extensive. I had minimal expectations from Taco Libre, but left happy with the taste of all the food. Thanks, Taco Libre! ( ^_^)b read more

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Visited taco libre since it was part of a coupon book (sgv food passport) and it had friendly service! Got to try the birria taco and the queso carne asada taco. Both were good quality and the queso taco reminded me of a mulita. However, I can't bring it to myself to rate Taco Libre highly based on this visit. Because the price point is higher than your typical street taco trucks/stands and the food didn't hit as hard -- it isn't necessarily better or more unique compared to what around town, or maybe I didn't get the right items. Nonetheless, there was a fatal issue of no lime or lemon in the condiments section. Not sure if that was normal. read more

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Really like this place for good Mexican food in old town that is reasonably priced. A few seats outside and inside. Always tastes fresh and flour tortillas are yummy. I got a couple of street tacos for $3 each. My wife got a chicken burrito and we split that. read more

Taco Libre - Inside seating - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Had the chance to visit Taco Libre since we had the SGV Passport! This shop is located in an alleyway and pretty easy to find! Our deal was buy one get one taco and soda. We got the crispy mushroom taco with a pepsi. Total came out to $3.50 Not bad for 2 tacos that were decently sized! Inside it was clean with plenty of seating available. As a vegetarian it's hard to find a good taco shop and unfortunately this doesn't fall under our "good" category :/ We ate it there and enjoyed how crispy the taco was! Just the right amount for us to get a taste to see if we liked it but the flavoring was missing. All I got from this taco was how crunchy it was but other than that it was pretty bland. I'm glad the SGV passport gave me the option to come out of my way to try this place but I don't think I would come back read more

This is a tucked away taco joint in an alleyway that you can easily miss if you're not looking at the right signs pointing to it. There's a nice shaded outdoor patio area for outdoor seating, and a good amount of indoor seating as well. It's bustling with the constant sounds of the kitchen cooking fresh meat, and a TV playing loudly in the background. It feels like a no-frills taqueria, but feels like a more modern one with the decor and setting. Ordering is straightforward with the kiosk next to the register. The tacos and burritos are on the more expensive side, but 1/2 off Taco Tuesdays is a thing here! There's a self-serve condiment bar with diced onions, cilantro, sliced radish, a myriad of salsas. For the meats, it's pretty standard proteins without the more exotic ones like lengua or buche. I got a birria and al pastor taco. Both tacos were served on a corn tortilla, which unfortunately fell apart under the amount of meat on each- which is a great thing! The tacos were both equally juicy, flavorful, and seasoned perfectly. Topped with the condiments and sauces I got, and it made for a decent afternoon snack. A pretty good spot if you're craving tacos, but come on Tuesdays to get your money's worth! read more

Taco Libre - Toppings and salsa bar - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is located within an alley. There's street and structure parking. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Although the alley can occasionally get a bit smelly so sit outside with caution. The inside could be cleaner. There was a wash rag left abandoned on one of the tables. The staff were good and nice. And they have a kiosk! I got the pastor taco and birria taco. They were okay. Both could've been more hot and juicy. They were savory enough to taste fine but there's better options. The price per taco is also a bit steep. read more

Taco Libre - Birria taco and pastor taco with chips - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Paying almost 4$ for one taco, not asked if it's for here or to go (no consideration for people's time). Not coming back.

This place is okay. I came here because of the SGV podcast passport I had. It was to redeem a "Buy 1 Get 1 Free Taco and Fountain Drink." I decided on shrimp and the employee told me that wasn't allowed, he said anything else. But, I looked at the passport and nowhere did it say that shrimp was excluded. He agreed, but said shrimp isn't meat, so they can't honor the passport because of that. Huh? Anyway. So, I bought one shrimp taco and redeemed a chicken taco instead. It took about 20 minutes to get my food. It wasn't very busy when I was there, but maybe they forgot about me? Not sure. The volume from their tv/radio was loud so people dining at to speak louder to their company they were with. Food was okay, slightly on the salty side which needs water to wash it down with. read more

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Delish crunchy tacos and burritos! Definitely will order again! Not sure what the negative reviews are all about - this place is great. read more

I tried their asada and pastor tacos, and I really enjoyed both! Flavor wise, it's not the best I've had, but I still really liked the way they marinated the pork and seasoned the beef. The pieces were tender and not too dry. The onions, radish and cilantro were all very fresh. The flour tortillas were soft yet pliable. read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Conveniently located in old town and they offer a good selection of Mexican food. I got the taco plate with al pastor tacos, rice and beans and as you can see a tiny amount of chips. I know the plate isn't expensive and times are tough for businesses but please, I think you could fill it up, at least add more chips. The food is alright but personally I prefer King Taco, I just didn't want to walk the extra block. The ambiance is cool, plenty of indoor seating and some outdoor as well. The condiments are self serve (salsa, radish, etc.) but sadly, there's no limes. The employees are nice, it's simple and easy to order. They also have a kiosk if you don't want to chat with anyone. Overall, decent taco place that is skimping on chips. read more

Taco Libre - Taco plate (al pastor tacos) with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Good deal for taco Tuesdays, select tacos are half off. I tried every option available for their taco Tuesday special - carne asada, carnitas, grilled chicken, birria, and Al pastor. My favorite was the crunchy taco and cheesy taco versions. They also have lettuce wrapped tacos! They were good and have a little self serve hot sauce and pickled peppers/onions bar. read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Taco Tuesday $1.75 tacos i ordered online for pick up. Pick experience was easy went in there and told them my order number. They have sauces on the side the avocado one is amazing a hint of spicy but not overwhelming. I was about to try the others but afraid of the spicy ones maybe next time. I ordered 3 tacos and 1 cheese melted taco (i don't remember the actual name) the seasoning of the taco meat was on point. If you ordered online grab like i did my tacos did not have onions or the cilantro idk why since i didn't deselect it but u can grab those on the side where all the sauces are at. Please note that the taco liver is an alley. Overall delicious flavors. read more

Taco Libre - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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The outside is lovely, with lots of faux roses and a welcoming patio area. Inside, it just kind of feels dim and a little dirty. There are smears on the walls, the decor where we were sitting still had tags, and the bathrooms were pretty gross. The tacos were expensive, though the sauce bar is a nice addition! There is an ordering kiosk. This felt like a place that wasn't sure what it wanted to be-a greasy taco joint, or a fancy floral taqueria. It landed somewhere in between, with the dirtiness of a greasy taco joint and the pricing of a fancy floral taqueria. read more

Food- none of the salsas were addicting and the build your own taco thing, is fine, but their condiment line didn't seem clean and fresh. Overall, we had four different items two of them were not served hot and I'm feeling it the next day. And two of them were. All of them had decent flavor, but nothing to write home about. Service- they have a kiosk plus a person behind the counter no real organization with what you should do. Three guys working none of them really focused in on hospitality, none wearing gloves, including the cook. No real thank you.'s just serviceable service. Ambience- it seemed cool on the outside, but upon further review, there's all kinds of little weird things that didn't make for a great experience. They had a TV on with the volume up with music on in the background none of it seemed to jive. They had a ton of dirty dishes all over the place on the Trash unit, even though there was nobody in there practically. No real process for picking up the food when it was ready. Had to go check in on it. It was just sitting there while the guy was just standing behind the counter and talking. Place was not very clean. This is a classic example of a bunch of people that are just taking a job for a job and not executing with any kind of real values or direction from leadership. It's probably not their fault. It's always an ownership or management issue. Overall- Seems like it could've been a decent concept, but it falls short. I can't recommend this with so many great options around. read more

Ordered hard shell Beef tacos, Quac, and a Bean & Cheese Burrito. Tacos had great crunch and the meat was tender (machaca style) and had great flavor. Bean & Cheese burrito was tasty (refried beans). I like that they have a good condiments bar with onions, cilantro, and a few salsas. Had a red salsa, which was mild, not hot, but had great flavor. They appear to also have a Habanero salsa, so if you like heat...Quac was also pretty tasty. Why not 5 stars? Just misses that mark as a price / value ratio. Quac was a little on skimpy side, and meat in taco was a tad skimpy. Otherwise, yes I'd eat here again. read more

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This location is next to Burke Williams and I always get to crispy chicken tacos after my massage! So good!!!! read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Food wasn't really good or worth it. Dry cold pile of "pinto beans", rice was cold and had crunchy parts, chicken/asada was pre cooked then crisped up and pretty dry/flavorless. Chips were basic with a few standard salsas. Won't ever be back. Go to Los California Tacos truck if you want good and cheap tacos. read more

Taco Tuesday is the best deal around. It's our go-to. We like the birria and the crispy beef read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

Fish tacos were excellent. Definite 10/10. Good service too. Although a bit pricey, I will be returning.

I was walking around Pasadena so I decided to try this place out because you can never go wrong with Mexican food. It was decent food, but nothing that made me want more. I had the tostada salad which they packed with a lot of food. I even had some to take home. My husband had the chilaquiles. They had some adult drink options like sangria and micheladas which I thought was nice. If I come back again i would probably try the tacos to see if I enjoy those more. read more

Taco Libre - Tostada Salad - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Food is really filling. Definitely went on a good day because they have their Tuesday deals! Love that! The cashier was really sweet and accommodating! With good music across the street! My favorite by far was the birria ! Extremely filling!! Potato crispy taco was a nice texture between crunch outside and creamy potato! The green sauce is literally so good! read more

Taco Libre - Shrimp Taco Crispy Taco - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

First time ordering from this place Got torta and found hair in my food The asada is also salty read more

Taco Libre - Hair - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I come to Taco Libre often because I train next door (Fight Academy aka the best mma gym in the city) and I ALWAYS get the Cali burrito haha. I'm pretty sure they recently removed it from the menu, but it costed a pretty penny this time around because it was just a carne asada burrito + guacamole + fries. The Cali burrito never disappoints. Love their asada. Well-seasoned quality beef. Good stuff. I also love all their salsas! I usually don't go for the habanero/orange salsa cuz of the heat, but this one is too tasty not to suffer a lil bit for! But overall, my favorite part about this place is the service. Nothing extraordinary, just the basics. A hello/welcome, friendly attitude, and no matter how busy someone is, they'll stop what they're doing and address you at the counter right away. Love the staff! read more

Taco Libre - Cali Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I came on taco tuesday and I was DELIGHTED. It's giving taco! It's giving libre! I spent under $2 on each high quality taco! The inside is as vibrant as their chicken mole tastes- REAL vibrant I never had chicken mole with as many spices as I could taste in this one. It also tasted sweeter than I've had before so their recipe must contain a good little bit of chocolate. I prefer mole a tiny bit less pronounced sweetness I think but I still loved it. I tasted cinnamon I think, which I actually loved. I also got a vegetarian taco and just a plain grilled chicken taco, both also SOLID! and they have such good fresh topping available. The interior was fun and lively, everyone seemed to enjoy the open fun vibrant decor there. I definitely did! Service and ordering was quick and easy. Totally worth a visit, and I look forward to coming back! read more

Disappointing lunch experience One of the worst el pastor burritos I have had. Very salty and did not seem to be freshly cut. Price was acceptable at first, but not worth it after the first bite. Battered fish taco was just ok. Overall this place will not WOW you in anyway. read more

Taco Libre is located down the alley way (by Lather), right next door to The Dog Bakery and right across from Edmin Mills by Equator. My husband, our little girl dog and I came here with our 2 friends for a quick lunch this past Sunday afternoon, a little after 1 pm. The reason why we came here was because we were looking for a place nearby that had dog friendly seating and also did not have a wait. After looking at the menu, my husband and I ended up ordering: Taco Asada, $3.95 prior to tax- My husband thought the beef was good. The beef was fatty so it was tender and juicy. But for the price, this taco is expensive ($4 for a taco? Ouch!). Healthy Bowl, $14.95 prior to tax- I really liked this healthy bowl, as it came with black beans, salsa, cheese, rice, corn, Romaine lettuce and a scoop of guacamole. Also a side of cilantro sauce. You can add meat for an additional cost. I really liked this bowl. The portion size is really great for one person and also just fine to share with another. My husband thought the bowl was standard. ---------------------------- (Total= $20.84 after tax) Wait time for our food was about 10 minutes after we ordered. There are 3 outdoor (covered) tables. Water is self serve, along with utensils, napkins, etc. There is one unisex restroom by the food pick up area. The first time I used the restroom, it was fine. But when I used it again after our meal, it was dirty because someone before me threw up and didn't bother to clean it up... Overall, this place is A- Okay, thus my 3 star rating. read more

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I order the soft taco (Al Pastor) and their crispy Taco (beef.) Their Al Pastor was really good, one of the best I've had, and their Crispy beef taco was alright. I also like the ambiance of the restaurant being in an alley in Downtown Pasedena. I would come back if j get the chance. read more

Taco Libre - Crispy Taco (beef) and Soft Taco (Pastor) with some salsas. - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

I had a really good time here. Burrito was decently priced. Tortilla tasted fresh. The birria was super flavorful and moist. The burrito was evenly spread out and hot. Everything was quick and the service helpful. Nice inside. read more

Taco Libre - Mexican Near Me - Pasadena, California

We ordered crispy tacos. Staff who took our order said we could customize the tacos He was annoyed when we asked what we could customize in our tacos. Turns out we couldn't and customize anything. He was rude about it. Not sure what his problem was. First and last time we'll be here. Don't recommend. read more

This place is pretty small in the alley way with outside seating. The taco is not exactly the best, and the price is bit high, but that's Pasadena... A quick bite sure, not a place I'd get out of my way to go to be very honest. The staff is nice and accommodating, but it's unfortunate the food is not quite there... read more

I love Taco Libre's seafood options. Huge portions, good flavor and high quality on all of their menu. My go to tacos are the Baja fish tacos and the grilled shrimp tacos. The Baja fish taste just like in Ensenada. So perfectly battered and fried. The grilled shrimp is not overdone and not overtly salty. I've also had a plain pollo asada taco also flavorful and protein packed. I'll continue being a loyal customer since they're consistently delicious!!! read more

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