This is the single most authentic Mexican restaurant in NC. The food is incredible and so fresh. I love this place and I'll go again and again. It's cafeteria style, order up front, take your order when called, and take your dirty plates to the counter when done. read more

Stopped by Taqueria El Toro last week after a few people had recommended this place. I'll admit my expectations may be shaped by having a lot of Tex Mex style food in Texas, but I wanted to give this a try. When you arrive, there is plenty of parking around the building, and entrances in the front and on the right side. Once inside, you'll walk up to counter and place your order. Your then given a order number and it's open seating. Your number will be called out in Spanish when your food is ready and you'll pick it up at the counter. I ordered an al pastor taco which unfortunately was not good. It came out extremely cold and needed a lot of salsa for it to have any flavor. I also ordered a steak burrito which was much better and was served with melted cheese on the top. There were fatty pieces throughout the burrito but this was far better than the taco. Lastly, I ordered a horchata but it tasted like grainy and wasn't great. If I'm in the area again I may give this a try but I'd definitely stick with a burrito so your food is hot. read more

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First visit. Not my favorite Raleigh taqueria but ok if you are in the neighborhood. Tacos were good (both types of chicken) with good portions of meat and tasty flavors. Counter service was very friendly. Menu seems diverse. Restaurant is huge and clean. Prices are good value. Salsa bar was lacking. Only two types of salsa and was not a fan of either. : ( Tortilla Chips are the variety that are thicker, harder, and not as tasty. And they were probably over cooked. : ( Burrito was just ok but again good portion. read more

What a fun place. The chili rellenos special was excellent with rice and salad. The fixings bar allows you to make your entree as spicy and flavorful as you like. My second time there, and it won't be my last. read more

This is one of those spots everyone local needs to try. If you're looking for good tacos, want something pretty authentic, this is a great spot to start. Now I'm not Hispanic so I can't tell you what the most authentic Mexican food is like, but from what I've had from my travels, this is very close. read more

Hands down the best tacos I've had in North Carolina. Just wow. The food is phenomenal and comes out really fast. They've expanded into a bigger space so there's a lot more seating available which is much needed because it's always packed. The line moves quickly and the staff works efficiently. They are pros. If you love tacos, try this place. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place always has a line and is always busy but they do crank out great food. They have a great variety of Tacos and their salsa bar is amazing. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Variety (5) of different tacos. So damn good - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Affordable, tasty, and not your typical "hole in the wall" Taqueria. The dining area is big, bright, and modern--perfect for housing their glorious self-serve cilantro/onion/pico/salsa bar (seriously, that thing deserves its own fan club). Steak tacos? Absolute win. I'll definitely be back for those. But then there's... the quesadilla. I ordered a steak quesadilla, expecting gooey melted cheese bliss wrapped in a tortilla. What arrived looked like an alternate-universe taco: steak, beans, lettuce, sour cream--and not a single shred of cheese. So apparently this is their "thing," and it's not your conventional quesadilla. I sat there confused, like I was trying to solve a riddle from The Da Vinci Code. I hate beans, so after a few bewildered bites, I gave up. Felt guilty tossing it, but honestly, that dish left me questioning reality. Somewhere, a cow was milked for nothing. So yeah--come for the tacos, worship at the salsa bar, but unless you're ready for an existential crisis, skip the quesadilla. read more

I have been to El Toro over twenty times and the quality is consistently top tier. Their meats, toppings, and flavor profile are consistent between each time I have visited. I enjoy all of their tacos, especially the carne asada, pollo, and al pastor. I also like the horchata and chicken quesadilla (not pictured). This taqueria is the most authentic in the area! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

no-frills mexican food in suburban raleigh. the inside is huge with tons of tables and a sauce bar. the service is fine, you walk up to a cashier to order and pay right there. you wait for your food and sit down. my entire family and i all got tacos and they were the perfect meal before we headed to a concert. their salsa verde is peak. if you want a quick, delicious, and inexpensive meal in raleigh, taqueria el toro is the place to go! read more

Taqueria El Toro - tacos de lengua - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Fast service, good authentic Mexican food. Lots of food options. Great prices. Food for everyone in the family! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This is definitely not your typical hole-in-the-wall taqueria. Huge place, modern, well ventilated (a/c). Very clean. But let me be clear: it's the real thing!! You come in to a three register counter. Place your order and off to your table to wait for your number to be called. Had lengua tacos. It's hard to mess that up. I was impressed by this place setup. read more

My ambitious appetite was halted by the limit of the menu. I had the illusion of trying Menudo, unfortunately I wasn't able to eat any because they only serve it on weekends. I took a quick glance at the meat selection to place a taco order. I decided on tripas, however, they didn't have any in stock. I had to settle for Chorizo tacos. Worth the money. The salsa was great. That was a splendid surprise, made the whole experience worth the money. Maybe this is a salsa review. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Chorizo taco, address and price, with a Jarritos on the side. - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Second time here was a success. I ordered 2 tacos and they were ready in like 5 minutes, had great flavor, and were pretty cheap. This is a great, quick, tasty lunch spot. read more

These tacos were amazing. The tortillas were fresh, and the fillings were packed with flavor. The meat was juicy and well seasoned, and the toppings added a nice crunch. The salsa had a great kick, making each bite even better. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place is freaking amazing! I randomly went here because it was close and I am so impressed. They had a fresh salsa bar where you can put as much of any salsa on your taco but be warned some of them are SPICY! Like I love hot stuff and they were so spicy but delicious. If you don't enjoy heat definitely get the salsas on the side. Also my three tacos were only like $9 which isn't to bad for a lunch. My boyfriend tried the cows tongue taco which i personally found a little chewy but was an interesting taste. I really enjoyed the chicken and carnitas taco but the steak was a little bland and chewy. If you're in the mood for street tacos definitely check this place out! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This is one of the most authentic taquerias that I've found in the area. If you're looking for kitschy ambience or a taco salad, this isn't it. This is a classic hole-in-the-wall that serves amazingly authentic Mexican food...just like what I've had in Mexico. First good sign?? We were the only non-Hispanics in there. This means the food is good and authentic. There are tons of combos from the safe bets (carne asada, chicken, el pastor) to the more exotic offerings for the adventurous palate (tripa, lengua, menudo). They're all good! You dress your tacos yourself at the condiment bar with pico de gallo, salsas, onions, grilled jalapeños etc.... Wash your food down with a jarritos bottled soda or one of their aguas frescas (horchata, tamarindo or jamaica when I was there). You can't go wrong! read more

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If I can only go to one taqueria for the rest of my life, I'd choose Taqueria El Toro. This taqueria is tucked in a small shopping center off of Tryon Road. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary taco place that may or may not have good tacos and it looks pretty average - Nothing super special about the look of the restaurant. But I can tell you that every single time I visited Taqueria El Toro, the parking lot is so busy as it can be and the inside is always packed with people. My favorite thing about El Toro is that they got this amazing salsa bar where you can add toppings to your tacos as you like. I always love extra sauce, so this lets me get all my sauces without asking for extra at the counter. They also have toasted/grilled jalapenos and they are such a nice, kick addition to your taco plates! Another thing I like about El Toro is that their tacos are extremely affordable. I've been to many taco places with $4 or more per taco - so called "premium" or "special" tacos. They are tasty and fun, and I get that. But sometimes I just want simple, delicious tacos without the heavy price tag. Most of their tacos are less than $3 and that's such a steal! I love visiting here whenever I'm craving tacos, and I like to bring friends here whenever I have visitors from out of town :) read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Muy rico y rápido . El Menú tiene mucha variedad las salsa están sabrosas . Vamos a regresar de nuevo . read more

What a great find! This no-frills, authentic taqueria is the real deal! I've been wanting to eat here for quite awhile. It did not disappoint! I was glad we had researched the menu before arriving. There were many things on the menu we had never heard of! We ordered Cabeza Tacos - our least favorite Al Pastor Tacos - excellent! Carnitas Burrito - so good! Our favorite Al Pastor Burrito - very good! Flautas - 3 Flautas with rice & beans - delicious! Carne Asada Burrito - excellent! Guacamole & Chips The tacos can seem disappointing and look super plain upon arrival. Each one is just meat on tortillas, but after garnishing each taco at the help-yourself salsa bar, they become amazing, custom-made tacos! Each of the burritos were good, but the favorite at our table was the Carnitas Burrito! The flavor was amazing. The large guacamole was enough for our group of 5! It was a generous amount of guacamole! I didn't taste the Flautas, but my daughter-in-law loved them! We will definitely be back! read more

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LOVE their new space! They finally moved across the street and the new space is incredibly spacious. More parking and more tables means more people. The lines are extremely long so be aware! They still have the salsa/topping bar, possibly with more options. I love that you can adjust how much/ many toppings you can add yourself! read more

Taqueria El Toro - @sujungchronicles - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Best Mexican food in town (maybe even the triangle) hands down. Not much for frills, humble establishment, but the food is the main attraction- no bells & whistles here except for the strategically placed bull mounts on the wall. The service is good, self serve at your table, very efficient ordering process at the main counter... the ambience, once again, is clean, humble, no frills; little hole in the wall feel. My faves are the cabeza, lengua or al pastor tacos. The pozole there is second to none- usually with some Tecate beers! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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So I was in the area for a recreation basketball and thought I would stop to get a quick bite. This is an authentic Mexican restaurant with their entire menu in Spanish. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were pretty good. My rating is strickly because it was cold as crap inside the restaurant. It was 40° outside and it was even colder on the inside of this establishment. Everyone was eating with coats and some even had their hoods on their head....I probably with not go back until it's summer. *shrugs* read more

Taqueria El Toro - Shrimp Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Very tasteful and service is great, food comes out fast! By far best birria spot in town , most places around here are OK this place very flavorful a must try similar to San Diego tacos ;-) read more

Sorry for the delayed review! Visited for the first time a few weeks ago. This is a very authentic Mexican restaurant and the entire menu is written in Spanish. Unfortunately I don't speak the language and was having a little trouble figuring out what to get. The cashier was very patient and helped me decipher some things so I could order. I decided on a three cheese enchiladas topped with a red sauce with beans and rice on the side. You get a few chips with the order and there's a salsa bar. Most were way too hot for me, but the one I did try I enjoyed. The enchiladas didn't have much cheese in them at all and the sauce was kind of dried on top of them. The avocado slices were so creamy and tasty and so was the crema. The best thing about the meal was the rice, which was so fluffy and tasty. Next time I go I need to have someone with to help cos I sure didn't do a good job ordering! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Hidden authentic Mexican restaurant on the outskirts of Raleigh! We went looking for a Mexican place where the locals gather to eat and socialize. Taqueria el Toro is essentially a food court style restaurant -- order at the counter and pick it up your tray there and bring it back to your table. Also clean up by bringing your tray back to the window. Interior is super spacious and also has a big self serve salsa/toppings bar. It was bustling even at an off peak lunch hour on a weekday. The food was all served in gigantic portions but nothing was particularly flavorful. Vegetarian fajitas were bland only included a few vegetables. Chicken Quesadilla was also bland and lackluster. Guacamole needed lots more salt. Good value for the price, but otherwise wouldn't return. read more

This was my first time going to Taqueria El Toro, and maybe my last. I really enjoy Hispanic food, and the culture, even though my 7 year old half Puerto Rican daughter is fluent in Spanish, I don't speak Spanish. While at the restaurant in line I asked the cashier what was a Huaraches as I didn't know. a couple of cashiers tried to describe it to me, but they couldn't figure out the English words. So they started talking to the person behind me in Spanish. I replied with, "Lo siento, no hablo español, solo inglés," which means, "I am sorry, I do not speak Spanish, only English." I did learn that phrase, yet it didn't seem to matter. They continued to ignore me as if I wasn't there. While talking with the person behind me in Spanish, the cashier starting to make fun of me as if to humiliate me by saying, "Jaja, no español" while looking at me. Seriously, WTF. Is that how you treat your non-Hispanic customers by laughing at them saying, "Haha, no Spanish!" If you speak Spanish, go ahead, the food may be good, and you can order it. If you do not speak Spanish, avoid this place like the plague as they will treat you like crap, and laugh in your face making comments in front of other customers and staff. #507 read more

Fantastic Mexican food, everything is great. Service is quick which is amazing with how busy they are. It is loud, so listen for your order to be called, you don't want to miss out on any of the food. read more

My taco cravings are satisfied here! It's been too long since I've had some great tacos since I moved here from Los Angeles area. This place has a lot of seating and a salsa bar, which is a must if you are getting tacos. I got 3 tacos and it came out to a little over $6. A litter more than what I would way in Los Angeles, but I left feeling full. Their carne asada and al pastor were good with flavor. The cuts are bigger than the ones I'm used to, but the flavors were still there. I wouldn't say it's the best tacos I had in the world, but for someone who was craving them - this place hit the spot. Walk on over next door to get some la michoacana ice cream to top it all off. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Al pastor, carne asada, and cabeza tacos - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

If you're looking a reasonably priced and tasty taco spot, this place is a winner! I was in the area on a Tuesday and couldn't resist Taco Tuesday to-go. The service was really good and the portions were plentiful! read more

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Delicious, authentic Mexican food. I love everything we ordered. Everything is well seasoned, well cooked. My favorite is the cabeza and suadero tacos. Least favorite ones would be chicharron and chorizo. The chilaquiles is very good. Not spicy even tho the chips are fried with green salsa. Their salsa bar has 5 different salsas, 2 red, 2 green, and a carrot one. You also put your own onion and cilantro on your tacos so you can customize how much you want. Price is very affordable! read more

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Most definitely the most legitimate taqueria I have been to in Raleigh. We only tried the tacos, but they were exactly what you're looking for if you want stripped-down, bare-bones, "street tacos." With the tacos, you get the corn tortilla and whatever protein you selected. Proteins range from pedestrian to things a little more off the beaten path -- toungue, tripe, et cetera. Then you dress up your tacos any way you see fit at the "salad bar." Be very careful. There are no punches pulled with the spicy here. You will get lit-up pretty easily if you do not tread lightly with the salsas. read more

This was so good and absolutely delicious! Reminds me of tacos from México!!!!! I ordered 3 tacos al pastor and one taco suadero! They were all unbelievably delicious and super authentic!!!!! read more

Taqueria El Toro - Tacos al pastor and taco suadero - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The steak tortillas were plain just add lime but horchata was really tasty, and workers were fun to talk to.

Having lived in Texas for over 14 years and been spoiled with the superb authenticity of Mexican food, we came here with the bar raised high. And We've found our go-to place for the best tacos! The meat tacos are fantastic, perfectly spiced and they tone it down for you if you ask. Even my three year old loved the flavors. The salsa and condiment bar delivers the heat we were seeking and the fresh flavors we craved. The horchata was on the house and a great touch at that. They had plenty of vegetarian options that stayed well within the flavor range (it wasn't just a slab of cheese) ;) Loved loved this little restaurant. Always packed packing lot and why not? Highly recommend for phenomenal tacos! read more

This place is great! Stopped in for dinner and was really happy with my meal. The salsa and toppings bar had several different salsas, pico, cilantro, onion and grilled jalapeños. All of the salsas were pretty spicy and delicious. I ordered 3 tacos; one carnitas, one al pastor and when I hesitated picking out the 3rd meat, the girl taking my order recommended the salty steak and I'm really glad she did because that was my favorite one. When I was finished eating, I wished I had ordered a 4th taco because they were just so good! My husband got a Torta and it was huge. He really enjoyed it also. We both agreed it was some of the best al pastor we've had lately. Highly recommend trying this place! read more

I have heard so many people recommend this restaurant and I love Mexican food, so I finally tried it when I happened to be on that side of town at dinnertime. I was not disappointed! I am a huge fan of potato taquitos and they had them available - a huge plus for me. They were super tasty dipped in their delicious salsa verde and were a steal at $7 for 4 taquitos, rice, and beans. I also got a carne asada huarache. The beef was AMAZING. So well done! I will be coming back here again, even if I'm the only non-Spanish speaker in the place again. (I consider that a good thing. ) read more

Taqueria El Toro - Taquitos durado con papas, rice, beans, and salsa verde from the salsa bar. Not a great photo as I got my food to go, but it was delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Food was amazing and care is phenomenal here. They have a cart in the middle with all the toppings you'd like to place! They have plate pick up service or you can also drop them off in a window. Very clean place definitely recommend for authentic Mexican food. read more

Taqueria El Toro - Sope de Asada - Mexican Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Tacos are on point! Authentic and amazing!! Sala bar is delicious! Love them all and their rice! Will go back and excuses to be in the area just to eat tacos there! read more

Still amazing, I've tried several other things on the menu and have come back many times since the first time I went. The carnitas, however, has been a little bland lately. Love the huaraches! read more

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