Unassuming spot in Half Moon Bay for tacos, burgers and fried chicken. They seem to have it all but I only tried the baby burrito and taco. Baby burrito al pastor was tasty, meat seasoned well, and just the right size. Taco was the star of the show so I'd get that again. Carne was tasty and paired great with the salsa. Service was quick. About 7-10 min for my order tho it was about 4:30pm on a Friday so quite slow. Ambiance is mid. It faces the street and there are outside benches to sit at. I had just gotten back from a bike ride so I appreciated being able to sit within a stones throw away from the car/bike. If you're looking for something quick, more authentic than fast food, and variety of options, I'd check it out. Pricing also was fair. read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Menu as of July 2026 - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

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I went here last night to place a large order 30 minutes before closing, which I think is a little rude. The staff were extremely efficient and executed the task without any complaints. The food here was spectacular, great mexican food and burgers, I actually prefer the Mexican food here to Tres Amigos next door. The ambiance here is a nothing special, but it has an old school feel to it with ordering and waiting for food outside at a window read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

This place is probably the best burger spot on the coast, staff is super friendly, prices are absolutely unbeatable, and the food is actually amazing. I bike here a lot and love that I can sit outside and watch my bike while I eat. This is my favorite restaurant in half moon bay. Super underrated. read more

The food was ok but the customer service was borderline abusive. The cook does not want to rectify mistakes made and also was quite argumentative. Not at all what we expected based on the reviews. I should have gone to Tres Amigos next door. I'm honestly not surprised to see that the place is empty on a Saturday. Prices are a little ridiculous and leaves much to be desired. The tables are sticky, the kitchen is not sanitary, and I saw a few critters that killed my appetite. Extremely disappointed and very let down by the reviews for this place. This is the sort of joint people from HMB think is amazing but is a dime a dozen in other parts of the Bay Area. In a time of economical downturn it's really just not worth spending your money on places that are rude, dirty, and unfriendly. read more

Great selection, food plentiful and delicious and more importantly great friendly staff (Marco). Came for the delicious fresh crispy fried chicken. Available in a bucket w 9 pieces. Free green grilled chili available but very SPICY! Looking forward to coming back and try other meals on menu. read more

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Hands down, one of the best burritos I've had on the coast side. For years, I've gone to the spot next door, but it wasn't until I saw a couple reviews about this place did it peak my interest. Found myself near by and decided to give it a try. Reviews I read were talking about their fried chicken so I had to give this a shot. I got a 4pc meal and it came with a side salad, asked for rice instead of fries, and a mini roll. The salad was whatever but the fried chicken was greasy in all the right ways. Dipped in that extra spicy salsa, it was super good. Crunchy goodness at a great value. If you are looking for flavorful and affordable fried chicken, this spot got it. As I was eating the chicken, I knew I had to order a burrito and I'm glad I did. For $13, it was a hefty burrito and tasty. I can't really explained it but it tasted authentic, no frills, just how I like it. I wish the carne was cut a little thicker, but it was still super good. It's prime example of don't judge a book by its cover. Delicious, affordable food can be found here and worth a try if you find yourself in Half Moon Bay. read more

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This place had the most tender shredded chicken that I've ever had. I'm used to shredded chicken in burritos or quesadillas that are too dry, too stringy, or too saucy, but this place had chicken with the perfect texture and seasoning, comparable and even better than some other fine dining places. I definitely was not expecting that when I first ordered the super chicken quesadilla for $14, so it was a very pleasant surprise. Chicken is definitely this place's expertise, and they also have fried chicken on the menu which is uncommon among taquerias. For $8.5, you can get a combo plate with 2 pieces of fried chicken, a sandwich roll, and some sides. This sounds like a good deal that I'd have to come back and try out. As for the environment, the restaurant was more on the casual side. It was pretty small and lack good heating, so it was kind of cold sitting near the back. The tables were also slightly dirty and we had to clean it ourselves. read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Most tender shredded chicken I've had - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

The food was good and the ambiance is inviting, the service was good. The salsa bar gets a little crowded as it's next to the register and pickup windows so be patient. read more

Stopped by to get early dinner. Was super excited to try their fish tacos and the Campechana. They have a good space for eating outside and 7 tables in the inside. First impression the girl at the register was passing back and forth and looked pretty miserable. She kept clicking a pen rapidly and to be honest she got me anxious . Not sure if she was new but she couldn't answer some of my menu question. While I was waiting for my food the girl started spraying tables and quickly the whole restaurant smelled like fabuloso. Such a horrible and strong smell to be breathing/smelling while your trying to enjoy your meal. Theres a reason why they sell cleaners specific for restaurants use. For the food experience: I ordered a fried fish taco, Campechana and a Jamaica. Fish taco- tortilla was super cold and stale but the fish was deliciously cooked and toppings where fresh. Overall I would get fish tacos again but ask to get a freshly cooked tortilla. Campechana presentation was pretty bad. The glass they serve it in was pretty dirty of the person who made it. They didn't wipe the glass down so that was the first negative. Taste was pretty bad too all I could taste was ketchup. The 3 pieces of octopus looked like they were ripped apart with bare hands and not with a knife. The shrimp was cooked perfectly but the whole thing was served warm which was a little off for me. Saltines that were provided were sealed but very stale and soft . Overall very sad experience on this item. I would not get this here again. Everyone that ordered after me came for tacos or burgers and people looked very satisfied. If I ever come back I would just stay in the safe zone and order tacos. read more

My daughter dropped her half eaten burrito. One of the staff members noticed and brought her a brand new one. It was so thoughtful and kind. Made our day. read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I've been here enough to have tried most of the menu and they always deliver great quality and flavors. The only things I would change are the tripas, which aren't usually cooked crispy enough, and the nachos, which unfortunately have cheese sauce rather than real cheese melted over them. I've sampled all of the other meats in most of the dishes, and they're fantastic. Great prices for the portion sizes and terrific salsa to compliment. The staff is always super friendly and the restaurant is always clean. I've stopped in and grabbed things to go and only had to wait 5-10 minutes, even though they have a busy house dining in. Sitting down to enjoy the meal there is the way to go. Best carnitas and lengua I've found in Halfmoon Bay. read more

Haven't been here for years! I finally got a chance to taste a little bit of my childhood memory today. Yasss! In the past, I have always ordered their nachos and so that's what I ordered first. I'm glad they have sizes now: small, medium and large. I ordered the small. Doesn't matter what size really but still woww amazing! I think the secret ingredient to their nachos are the jalapenos which is not too spicy and especially that oozing yellow cheese (which doesn't harden few minutes after you order it like other cheeses). The ingredients are in the menu I posted. I, also, ordered 3 tacos: beef, shredded chicken, and bbq. Beef is your regular go to, chicken is you wana try and damn bbq pork hits the spot! Not saying the others weren't delicious but definitely bbq pork just had that authenticity to it. They add pico de gallo (salsa) and cheese to their shredded chicken taco. Chicken itself was already juicy! As for the beef and bbq pork, they add little bit of diced onion, cilantro and their hot sauce. Btw, they give you a FREE bag of chips with 2 hot sauce. Unfortunately, they stopped giving out the many different dipping sauces for the chips like the green dip and pico de gallo (tomato salsa) like before. They only have their hot sauce now which I showed in the pic. Which sucks cause I'm a real big fan of many different sauces. Still pretty good tho! You order through a window. They call you when it's ready. There are a few tables and chairs outside the restaurant. Most weekends, parking is pretty bad, but depending on time and weekdays, parking is pretty spacious. Enjoy! read more

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Very good food! Lots of traditional dishes to choose from. Amazing quesadillas and tacos!

Awesome little hole in the wall taqueria. We were going to go to the bigger place nextdoor and then I remember a friend of mine told me he preferred this place. I'm a little picky, so I asked the guy at the counter some questions and made a special request. My carnitas nachos were amazing, no skimping on the toppings. Carnitas were not greasy or fatty and the chips were crunchy. My friend ordered the fried chicken. It was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside and flavorful. If I wasn't so busy inhaling my nachos, I would have tried to steal a bite of the chicken, but I'll take his word for it. This place has lots of parking. I placed my order to go, but they have indoor or patio seating. This is my new go to spot the next time I am craving nachos and I definitely will return to try the fried chicken. The only reason I'm giving them just 4 stars is this was the only time I've been there and I like to save the 5th star for consistently. I look forward to updating to 5 stars soon. read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Carnitas nachos - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

I enjoyed my meal alrhough there was room for improvement. The rice was too dry and the batter was excessive. The beans were very good. The wait time was minimal read more

Taqueria La Gallina - Chilis Rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Half Moon Bay, California

You have to try their fried chicken! i was heaitant if i will get their fried chicken coz I only eat fried chicken from Jollibee. but come to my surprise that it is actually delicious. We bought 3 pieces chicken with fries and rolls to go, brought it to the beach and my husband and I shared it. I would recommend this place for the chicken, i have not tried their other mexican food but i will definitely come back to try it. read more

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Really good tacos - we had regular & super steak & chicken. Ambience is basic, but food and service was very good.

Perfect for fried chicken and burgers they're busy so call ahead of time. Mexican food is also very good I like their beef burritos. read more

Fried chicken is awesome! Staff was super friendly! Cozy little restaurant with a nice view of the mountains to the east.

Stopped by here for lunch and I have to say don't pass this place by!! It's right next to one of those touristy bigger Mexican restaurants but don't go there.. go here!! It looked like it was closed and there wasn't a clear sign when we drove by but it was definitely open. We had the asada taco, grilled fish tacos and the super quesadilla! The tacos were fresh and flavorful and they don't skimp on the servings which is great! The quesadilla is so flavorful. Friendly and fast service too. Highly recommend! read more

Another new business here to try. After Popeye's left up the street, we needed a fried chicken place. So far so good. Gotta return to try more items. read more

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We went to Poplar beach for the morning and was looking for something fast that we could get. I loved that we could order the tacos online and we were able to modify the tacos etc. Their online ordering platform is great. We we're very happy with both the quality and quantity of what you got for the price. This is defiantly a great taco place. We already planned that the next time we go to the beach we'll get food from here again. read more

Fantastic authentic food. Hot, spicy and fabulous!!! The Fried chicken is a must as is the tacos with Diablo sauce.

The best fried chicken you'll find anywhere in the Bay Area! Yes, I realize that this is a taqueria, and you should absolutely try their shrimp tacos (yum!), but trust me on the chicken. Their burritos are also delicious and I really like their nachos, but did I mention the fried chicken? Get you some! read more

We love this place. Such a simple yet beautiful part of our community. Not only is the food wonderful, but sometimes local folks ride their horses there to have their dinner. Recently, my 91-year-old mother-in-law Sylvia moved in with us from Tucson, Arizona and she loves fried chicken. So here is her review of the fried chicken at Taqueria la Gallina: I have had a lot of food in my time. This experience of your fried chicken has been one of the best. I love every part of it, and I was so happy when my grandson went and brought it to me for the first time. My kids helped me celebrate my 91st birthday with some of your fried chicken, and I couldn't be happier! Five stars! read more

So good!!! great little hidden gem on the 1 south of San Fran! great tastes! good portion, nice staff all around great experience read more

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If you read my comment history, you'll see that I'm only inspired to write reviews when something is exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. Taqueria La Gallina is inspired by the former. In the 8 days I spent quarantining in Half Moon Bay (there are worse places to wait out the results of a covid test), I ate at 5 different Mexican restaurants. With the exception of Cafe Capistrano (which I'd heartily recommend, though comparing it to a taqueria is apples to oranges), this was the absolute best of all of them. I ordered two carne asada tacos con queso, two grilled fish tacos, and an al pastor taco (yes, I'm a gluttonous lump; sue me)--and holy. freaking. guacamole. The tortillas were soft and pillowy--maybe the softest masa tortillas I've ever had. The carne asada? Salty, flavorful, and tender. The fish was fresh and played perfectly with the crunch of the cabbage and tang of the sauce. The queso was melted perfectly; the al pastor was perfectly sweet and smokey. But honestly? The real star was the *amazing* smooth hot salsa. I do not know what is in this stuff but I want to take a bath in it. Y'all. Taqueria La Gallina. It's a game changer. read more

Fabulous fried chicken! I couldn't make it any better.

Wanted to love this place, but the nachos were liquid, ballpark cheese, carnitas tasted like corn oil, and salsas were not flavorful. If you're looking for Mexican flavors and spice, sadly, this is not the place. The service was kind and friendly though. read more

Fried chicken burger and super quesadilla de asada are my favorite! Family has been coming here for years and always good read more

Great little taqueria in the mall on the West side of Main St. Very good quesabirria and burrito. They still can't do a salsa bar, but what they provide is good. Support the local establishments! read more

Wow, great vegetarian burrito ready in 10 minutes after I called. Go here! Something for the whole family and very fairly priced for HMB!

We visit this place for fish tacos on and off. Their billing is inconsistent, like, once they told me there are 2 tacos per order for fried fish and charged me 30$, today they told me that I can order fried fish tacos individually and grilled are in a pair. But the worst part was they served us frozen fish during my latest visit. The fish was rock hard and stale, made all of us feel sick. Never again! read more

This taqueria was a huge disappointment! The food was so bland and had no flavor at all! The rice, beans, chicken, guacamole, pico de gallo, everything needed flavor, salt, spice, something!!! Will not be coming back here.... read more

I ordered a chicken tamale and chicken taco. Both were delicious and the chicken was well seasoned. Staff were super friendly and food came out pretty timely. Came over with a group and the table was so quiet as we were all focused on enjoying our delicious meals. Will for sure try to stop by when I'm around again. read more

The food is actually good here but they don't keep their schedule . It said on google that they close at 9pm on Sunday's but they said they decided to close at 8:30pm sometimes. If their schedule shows they close at a certain time they should keep that so we don't waist our time looking for their food when they certainly don't want to sale. read more

Amazing pastor!!!! We got some pastor tacos and nachos. Also got a battered fish taco which was also excellent. The nachos are some of the best I've had. They do use the "fake" orange nacho cheese though, so if you're not into that, get some tacos instead. read more

Pleasantly surprised with our food orders. Our carne asada nachos were delicious with tons of meat cooked perfectly. Also ordered the fried chicken which was cooked perfectly as well. Crisp and moist. Not sure why we have never been to this restaurant before. It's definitely not fancy inside but we sat outside on the benches. I am planning on going back for the tacos. read more

Very good and authentic Mexican food. Definitely a local neighborhood joint frequented by workers in the area. Great food, good prices. Will definitely be back. :-) read more