Came here on a Friday night and it was very busy! There were plenty of seats inside as well and the restaurant is cutely decorated. We ordered Al pastor tacos (comes without pineapple), carne asada taco, esquites & a soup (can't remember what the name is) and i would say the food is decent here. The wait time is pretty long just an fyi. I would not recommend the esquites, it was really liquidity at the bottom and it was just too much mayo for me. I definitely had better. Other than that, the place is open pretty late so perfect for late night munchies. read more

Taqueria Los Ocampo - Arcade - Mexican Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I was pretty disapppinted, because I remember enjoying this place before. I stopped by to pick up pazole, and tacos to go. When I got there, I went to the ordering counter, but nobody was there. I saw people cooking at the grill and in the kitchen, Im sure at least 3 people saw me standung there, but nobody came to help me. Thankfully, the phone rang so somebody came out. When I got my order, there was oil and sauce on the bag from dirty hands, but worst of all nothing tasted fresh. The tortilllas with the tacos were hard, the al pastor was dry, and the meat/onion ratio was heavy on the onions. The avocado was dark, lettuce was wolted and the limes did not produce much juice. I usually love Los Ocampos, but I won't be going back to this location. read more

Taqueria Los Ocampo - Arcade - Counter service - Mexican Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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Compre tacos y los pedí sin cebolla y solo cilantro y cuando llegue a mi casa mire que solo venían con cebolla

The worst surprise I've ever had eating alambres. Bugs cooked on my food. I will call the health department for this disgusting action for take out. Employees making fun in Spanish about customers that walk in. The meet from the back was out with out room temperature. Employees making fun of customers walking , rolling their eyes. Health department needs to be aware. read more

Taqueria Los Ocampo - Arcade - close up of a taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

I called at 5:05 to pick up food and they said to give them 15 mins came in @ 5:30 to give them time and still had to wait another 20 mins while other ppl got their food before me! They were not even busy at all!! Wtf kind of service is this!!! read more

Used to be much better. I live near, and while the food is pretty good, the service makes me dread going back every time. The kitchen crew (who you have to grab your food from) ignores people who come in, never smile, never say thank you, and every time I ask for hot salsa I only get mild. I resorted to ordering DoorDash tonight so I wouldn't have to deal with the attitudes, my only request was hot salsa...didn't happen. The suburban location at least treats everyone equal. Done spending money on a place that makes me feel like a burden read more

Great service, a long time wait but worth the wait for delicious foods. Security guard service is welcoming so I feel safe even being a professional security myself I feel safe seeing other guards when I go to different restaurants. But good food and good service. read more

My standard when it comes to mexican food. I've frequented this place many times and have gone to the other satelite franchises (Lake Street, Midtown, white bear) and though they are all good, nothing beats the Arcade location. I've had multiple entrees at Los Ocampos so i will delve into a different kind of review. They flat top grill the meats adding a caramalization to the dishes. I believe they have the best Pastor in the Twin Cities. It has that deep red color on the outside, but also has the crispy, somewhat burned, texture from the flat top. It's savory and sweet and when added to any dish, takes the taste over the top. The salsa avocado, is also, in my opinion, the best in the twin cities. I haven't been able to find anything like it in the twin cities. I've been to Taco Riendo, Los Paisanos, and other taco places in the twin cities and none of them have been able to match the sauce (though, they are good in their own right). The sauce is a thick spicy, creamy, sweet, and thick piece of heaven. It hits your tongue and you get that savory taste with the creamy texture and right after the spiciness kicks in and takes your taste buds on a journey. This place sets the bar for Mexican food for me and sadly because I've had a taste of Los Ocampos, a lot of other places don't measure up to my standards. read more

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It's an alright place has a lot of different options to choose from this place is just a little messy like un cleaned but food is great but they definitely need to get better employees and clean the place up a bit read more

Delicious! We got this to go the other night, so I'm not sure how the dine in service is. I had the carnitas quesadilla, it was huge and delicious! Couldn't finish it, but it was perfect the next days for breakfast too! My husband had a burrito and was very pleased. Classic rice and beans, all was yummy and fresh. read more

Cliff notes review: PROS - Large menu chock full of quality Mexican eats. - Damn tasty huaraches, sopes, huarachazos (essentially an upgraded huarache), tortas and tacos. - Open late (til 4 AM on the weekends) - A long list of meats and similar ilk (e.g., pastor, carnitas, cheek, tongue, chicken tinga, etc.). - Reasonable prices - Clean dining room - Generally friendly service CON - Strip mall location Definitely one of my favorites for Mexican food in the Cities - get a huarachazo and it might become yours too. read more

What is a Southern California boy stranded in the Midwest to do about Mexican Food? Answer: struggle. I was enthralled by the authentic appearing menu and clientele on arrival, but was ultimately left disappointed by generic flavors, high prices, and okay salsas. The best part of this restaurant is that it closes at 4AM: a late night munchie location that St Paul desperately needs. read more

Taqueria Los Ocampo - Arcade - The restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

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TACOS. I love authentic Mexican tacos and in MN this place feeds my need. Carne asada, onion and cilantro in two thin layered warm corn tortillas. Can life get any better than this? No, unless you're in Mexico. Oh and getting the chips and salsa is worth it cause the more salsa verde and salsa aguacate you can eat, the better your life will be. Tip: All combo meals come with a can of pop, horchata or agua de jamaica - they don't always mention this so you need to remember to order it. Highlights: Tacos Sincronizadas w/Ham Chips and Salsa Verde/Salsa Aguacate Rice/Beans Elote Taqueria Los Ocampo 2 = Yo Quiero read more

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Just caution. The menu has changed. The prices have increased. I have eaten here so many times. I've dined in, taken out & called in orders. This time I called in, ordered my usual #8 Taco Acorazado & went to pick it up. My heart was broken when I see an entire new menu layout. (Cute, bright, easy to read mhmmm) but #8 is now a flippin' quesadilla! Seriously, you don't warn someone about this? I asked about the new change & the cashier I spoke to basically didn't care. I wasnt too upset that my now #19 is $3 MORE. I'll pay for what I WANTED, but gee Golly $12 for some cheese between a tortilla???!! Ugh. Ocampo you kicked me in the tummy today. Ouch. I'll eat this kids meal today, but next time I'm ready for your shenanigans. Also, like I mentioned in my first review the $1.99 tacos are now almost $3.00. They must be doing well. Inflation is a punta. Waaaahhh. read more

Huaraches tasted oily. El burritos mercado has better version. Restaurant is fast food style, neighborhood is so so. The parking space is shared among other businesses. 3 stars. Probably would check out this place again in a few months. read more

Service was good. Wait was long time to take to go. I was really surprised to find horchata drink there :) I liked the food! Hidden gem. read more

Came here again for the first time in probably months because I was seriously craving some tacos, and this place was the best place I can think of. (Allegedly, there is some kind of taco truck that shows up on White Bear Ave which is closer to where I live, but I have never seen this truck, and for all I know, it is actually Bigfoot. But in taco truck form.) The ladies who run the place are super sweet! The numbered menu makes for easy ordering, which is great if you can't pronounce Spanish to save your life. They have a helpful sign posted up above the register listing all the types of meat you can order with your food. I'm pretty jazzed that cabeza (beef cheek meat) and lengua (beef tongue!) are options, because those are (in my opinion) the two tastiest types of meat. I ordered the taco combo. You get three tacos (your choice of meat), a can of pop, and beans and rice for $11.99 with the choice to dine in or dine out. Last time I was here, I got take out. This time, I dined in and hung out at a table by myself. It was 100% awesome and made for a rather satisfying dinner. 10/10 would come here for tacos again. They're open late, which is a billion points in their favor, especially when you don't want to settle for less and get Taco Bell instead. read more

we ordered food and waited for an hour just for them to say they don't have our ticket so we left angry and hungry

I'll have to admit that I normally love and try all of Katherine Z's recommendation; they are always on point. I love MSP - but I really wish that there were lots of late night dining options in the cities; I hardly eat dinner early. So obviously at 10PM I realized I didn't have dinner and I wasn't in the mood to make anything; Enter taqueria Los Ocampo and it's wonderful Tinga de pollo. Taco Tinga, tinga tinga. It's shredded marinated chicken with a spicy yet sweet sauce. I don't even know how to begin describing it - but if you're here do try it. This place is taco central - it has over 15 different tacos and I've tried 6 (mostly limited to chicken and vegetarian) It's on point; but the taco tinga de pollo was the most memorable. There are other authentic Mexican dishes too, but I was primarily there for tacos. They also have desserts - we tried platanos fritos (fried plantains with condensed milk) and HOLY bajesus - it's a simple dessert; but you know something's really go when you roll your eyes back, and close your eyes. My significant other said, "You're alright over there? Or should I leave you and the platanos alone" :P Ha It's located in a small strip mall, and kinda looks like a fast food joint. If you don't know what to order; there are pictures and descriptions of items. I don't think you can actually order something bad here. Rusty Tacos has nothing on this. WIN. read more

So many wonderful options here. If you're nervous about what you're ordering they also have helpful pictures to help you decide. I cannot get off the huarachazo with the tinga de pollo. Spicy and delicious. It's located in a small strip mall next to a Subway and the fluorescent lighting is a bit out of control but none of that matters when you're ignoring the people you came with because you're too busy stuffing food in your mouth. It's also open until 4am. Score. read more

3.5 Stars I was dubious about Los Ocampo. The online photos make it look like just some fast food joint. I doubted it could actually be open until 4am. I kind of doubted it could be good. But a friend who has lived in the hood for years said it's his fav Mexican place, and it has surprisingly good reviews so mi amiga y yo headed down to Arcade Street on Sat night. Good signs -- When we walked in, everyone working and dining at Los Ocampo was speaking Spanish. In fact, we were there for about an hour and only saw maybe three or four white people during that time. Authentic, si si!! Also, while we were waiting to place our order, the line behind us grew to reach the door. And business was pretty steady the whole time we were there. The menu -- Dios mio. I was overwhelmed at first but then I realized it's mostly solo items (eg tacos, tortas, burritos, enchiladas) that can be turned into a combo meal (with rice and beans) if you so desire, and then a long list of the proteins (including some vegetarian options) to choose from. There are also pictures and descriptions (in English) of almost everything to assist us gringos. I got a sope combo meal and my friend got a torta. I was also very excited to order a Jarritos Pineapple soda. The service -- When we arrived the girl at the register was on the phone. It seemed like she was taking a to go order. This was fine at first as it gave us time to take in the enormous menu. But then we were standing there for what felt like forever as the girl continued to take the call, but didn't acknowledge us in any way. So that was a bit annoying. And there's not a clear system for delivering food to the tables. The receipt has a number on it, but the number wasn't called out and we weren't given table markers either. The woman bringing food to all the tables was super nice but it seemed like she just had to wander around the dining room until she matched the food to the person. I feel that they could adopt one of the systems successfully implemented by every other restaurant out there and get this figured out. La comida -- Exceeded my expectations. Especially considering I was eating with plastic utensils off a styrofoam plate. Not fine dining but still good food. I was also pleasantly surprised that the (slightly creamy, not usual chunky tomato) salsa offered to me was actually spicy. I am rarely impressed with rice and bean sides, but I finished these! My friend enjoyed her torta, which had no sides but was a large size on its own. We didn't have dessert, but there is flan, fried plantains, and tiramisu. The atmosphere -- The fluorescent lighting, color scheme, and table setups made me feel like I was at a Mexican McDonalds. But we enjoyed watching Mexican television, and the place seems reasonably clean. Several families were here, as well as couples, and people picking up food to go. According to the Los Ocampo website, there is a fancier restaurant with a bar on Suburban Ave. I'd definitely like to try more of the menu, so maybe next time I'll head to the version with a less fast food - like environment. But if in and out is your style, there are also three more locations like this one on Lake Street in Minneapolis. I am no longer dubious about Los Ocampo. It is tasty, and perhaps even authentic Mexican fare. And they are indeed open until 4am on the weekends. If they would get a proper ordering system in place and stop using styrofoam and I'd give them 4 Stars. read more

I was driving down Arcade and saw this place. I have seen it before, but never visited it. I have read good things about this place. I was hungry and decided I did not want to cook tonight. This is the perfect spot to get a bite to eat. I saw a server that I thought was also the host. I quickly figured out this is a seat yourself place. I looked over the menu board and decided on a steak burrito. I sat down at a booth with my beverage. My order was prepared quickly and served to me. The server mentioned the sauce was a spicy sauce. And I could tell it was a green sauce, which is not what I prefer. I asked for a Red Sauce and she brought me a 2 oz container. I was immediately surprised at the size of this burrito. This was not a large burrito. This was a Jumbo Burrito. I tried the chips first. They were stale and not very good. If fresher, they would have been good. I tried the guac. It was OK, but think there could be better guac around. Then I picked up the Jumbo Burrito.. I was concerned that it would fall apart during eating to the point of being a burrito I would need a fork or spoon to continue. As I ate my burrito, I was adding some of the hot sauce. It was pretty good sauce. I just wish the sauce could be added while it was being prepared. As large as this was, I was not wanting to unwrap, add sauce and wrap up again. I think that would have made for a messy burrito. It was decent tasting, but glad I had a little sauce to liven it up a bit. I had a couple small pieces of something that were very hard and had to remove from my mouth. My guess is they were beans that were not cooked or something. Not sure how that could happen though. I did not finish it. I had a small bite left over. I was simply too full. As it turned out, I was so full, once I got home, I could not spend the time necessary to put together a dressing for a macaroni salad for the weekend eats. read more

I stoped here after a workout at the east side YMCA which is adjacent to this taqueria. I was starving! Ordered the Al Pastor burrito, to go. It was a long wait, but enjoyed watching the energy of this place while I waited. When I got home I chowed down on the burrito (which could have been two meals.). Huge! Delicious combo of cheese, rice, beans and marinated pork. Served with chips and guacamole. I'm looking forward to returning. read more

Tacos are good, food is reasonably priced (maybe a tiny bit high, but portions are big, so it evens out!)... Has that fast food feel, but (similar to a Noodles) they'll wait on you if you eat in-store. PLUS, they have pictures of all of their dishes, which makes choosing go a lot faster. BONUS: Elote. Get it. Love it. read more

Came here for dinner on Monday night. Ordered two tripe tacos, two chicken tacos, al pastor sope, and the special corn. The tripe tacos were delicious!! The seasoning was spot on and it has the crunchy texture that I love that most places don't do. Radish, tomatillo based hot sauce, the guacamole cream sauce and lime made it an exceptional tacos. I lived in Los Angles for a few years and this taco rivaled with the some of the best tacos in LA. Bad: the sope; the al pastor needs a lot of work. The flavor was not well developed, the meat was dried and soaked with oil. They didn't even gave me a few slices of pineapple that I'm accustomed to getting with al pastor. The sope bread has good flaky texture. The specialty corn was good; the mayo, cheese, and spices were good. It could used a little more lime juice. The corn would taste better if it was grilled instead of boiled. Chicken taco: my girl finished both quickly and didn't say anything about it. The corn was her flavored thing on the menu. read more

There are two reasons that Los Ocampo gets 5 stars: One is that it is the very, very rare late-night spot in St Paul for those of us who closely follow the liquor trade. (Umm.. Village Wok? Did you know that St Paul has a huge Asian population?) Two, is that after following the liquor trade a tad too closely, one can find respite from the storm of a hangover in the Torta Cubano at Los Ocampo. There is scant reference in this ridiculous sammich to an authentic Cubano, but really, who cares? In my very veteran experience, there are only two sandwich-remedies for the misery of a hangover, the Sasha at Cecil's (Jesus. Christ.), and this torta magnifico at Los Ocampo. Both feature a runny fried egg on top, but this one has so many features to belay the horror I am not sure that I can remember them all. I do recall milanesa, chicken, chorizo, chicken, cheese, jalapeños, tomatos, mayo, lettuce, lovely grease (gotta be some manteca?) and onion. It is too big to finish. Do not be dissuaded by the prospect of lard; on the contrary: this is exactly what the doctor ordered in case of hangover. PRN, with three Excedrin® washed down with CocaCola Mexicaña. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! The service is HORRIBLE! I asked for jalapeño asados (roasted jalapeños) when I got my food they were COLD! Nicely I told the lady they were cold. With total attitude she snatched them from me and threw them on the grill. She gave them to me AGAIN cold! Again I said they're cold. Again she SNATCHED them and threw them in a vat of grease!!! She gave them too me again and yes they were hot but her attitude towards a PAYING customer totally sucked!!! I will never eat there again! I'm giving this place ONE STAR only because it won't allow you to post if you don't. This place deserves -10 stars and two thumbs down! PS., The only good thing about this place is the cashier UNDER CHARGED me by $4 and still not worth. It. read more

Mexican food has always been one of those types of cuisine that I don't really flock to when choosing a restaurant; not because I don't like it, but mostly because there are dozens of places who do it and a lot of it's really not all that great. However, let me urge you to hie your heinies over to this little gem in a typical strip mall on St. Paul's East Side, like right away. They have a huge menu of excellent Mexican treats, and they are open super late, if that's important to you. Most of the clientele tends to be Mexican, at least when I've been there. The menu should clue you in right away that this isn't a Mexican-Americanized place. They offer ingredients such as pumpkin blossom, huitlacoche (corn fungus), tripe, and several other kinds of meat that I haven't heard of. The tacos are great, but I really recommend the huarache. The huarache combo #22 is a masa cake, slightly thicker than a tortilla and topped with lettuce, sour cream, radishes, onion, choice of meat or veggie toppings and served with beans and Mexican rice. Delicioso! It's a lot of good food for super cheap. The service is always friendly. The ambiance is basic cafe with a big screen TV playing Mexican soap operas and music. Whaddaya waiting for? read more

I am so freaking tired of cream of mushroom soup. Ever since we first got that little chill in the air a few weeks ago, all my husband wants to eat are casseroles, hot dishes, or crockpot meals that prominently feature that salty, canned, creamy goo of coronary doom. Fortunately for me, last night we needed to get a quick dinner out between our workplaces and our church, and Taqueria Los Ocampo fit that bill nicely. Best of all: No cream of mushroom soup anywhere in sight! I tried the huarachazo, on the recommendation of my fellow yelpers. It was just OK, until I drizzled the spicy avocado salsa on top. THEN... it became a flaming pile of YUM. The bards that live among my tastebuds will be composing ballads... Anyway. I also had a giant cup of horchata, which was alright. Not the best horchata I've ever had, but it did help put out some of the fire in my mouth after I encountered that avocado salsa. Oh, and the telenovelas on Univision were a fun accompaniment to our meal, too. So I escaped the purgatory of soup-based meals, if only for one night. Give me a few more nights like this, and I may even survive fall. read more

Pet Peeve: Claiming to eat Mexican food when you eat at Chipotle This is where you get to put your 4 years of Spanish class to use. Everything is good here. All flavors of their tacos are good. I like the regular ground beef ones the best. The gordita is huge. I'm a big fan. Love their burritos. If you like authentic Mexican food, this spot is da bomb. You will need to know how to speak Spanish (just a little, at least know your numeros). Parking kinda sucks sometimes because it's in a little strip mall that is pretty busy. Service can be kinda slow sometimes because it's so busy. If you don't mind the language barrier, I would highly recommend this place. This place doesn't look like the same chain of Los Ocompo popping up in the area. For some reason, because it says "Taqueria", it's 10 times better. I've tried the others and they don't taste or feel the same. The only thing they have in common is the logo. read more

Used to be my favorite Mexican spot in the Twin-Cities until the recent management change. The food and cleanliness of the have both gone down hill since then. The staff is also unfriendly to the point of being rude. The horchata is watered down and so is the salsa verde. Guacamole sucked. Pastor isn't seasoned the same. Don't bother coming here unless you're desperate. I recommend Manana papusaria just up the street on E 7th st. Way more legit and the staff is super cool and friendly. read more

We have been here numerous times and it has now become our Go-To Mexican place. The Horchata makes my soul happy! This is the best Horchata I have ever had. You must get some! We usually order the same thing-number 6 with Carnitas. What this is, is a fried oval masa type shell with your choice of meat, beans, lettuce, avocado, radish, etc. etc.. All kinds of goodies piled on and served with three different sauces... I can not find it in myself to try anything else. Huarachazos is the official name of this thing. Don't ask me about the other meats (There are about 25 to choose from). You all know I am afraid of most meat, so I am not daring at all. I found my carnitas which i like and that is all I will ever have. I have also had the tacos which are perfect and the Torta, this huge Mexican sandwich which was excellent. Desserts-Churros which are good, just normal churros. Quit wasting your money on gringo style Mexican food and come here to get authentic Mexican grub! read more

Too much food! I've been to the location on Suburban and I like this place way, way more! We went here on a recent Friday for lunch. We walked in and it was quite busy, which was good. I had the huarachazo with carnitas and a DC, my lunch pal had a gordita with beans and rice and we shared an order of chips and guacamole. Our total was over $20 and we ate for a long time. My huarachazo had great flavor and was loaded with carnita meat and beautiful avocado. I didn't look like much good, but I was stuffed. I'm dying to go back for another huarachazo and I'm definitely getting a churro on my next visit. The food was great, the quantity overwhelming, the price was right, service was very friendly and the place was really clean and well maintained. Check it out! read more

Ordered lunch online, couldn't even locate my order when I arrived. Took forever to figure out what was going on, then took a long time to get my meal prepared. A reason I Ordered ahead, so I could enjoy my lunch - didn't even get to do that before heading back to work. Beans were runny and disgusting, along with the guacamole. The chips were burnt and the food was greasy. Disappointing that I didn't even get am apology for my order not even being started, and I gave them 30 minutes before arriving.. read more

Only 4 stars cause there was an issue with my ticket getting lost resulting in a longer wait. I also stared at the menu confused for a long time. The nice lady helped figure out what this vegetarian wanted. But holy hell. Good food. For being cheaper than chipotle it tasted a million times better. Great food. Good service. The horchata was pretty bomb too. read more

Really great food. Lots of authentic options. Friendly staff. This place is a new regular spot. read more

Taqueria Los Ocampo - Arcade - In St. Paul, I can get tacos de lingua, tripas...I just got the lingua. By the way, they have a torta Cubano that looks divine. - Mexican Near Me - Saint Paul, Minnesota

Tasty tacos of all varieties - check. Cheap - check. This place is a winner in my book. $2 tacos and they are really good. I have tried every variation of the chicken ones that they have and have yet to be disappointed. They have a very long list of different meats that you can get, as well a vegetarian options, for their tacos. Its a shame that I don't eat any of the other types of meat that they have. If tacos isn't your thing then you can alway try any other menu items on their list, from burritos to soup to chocolate tres leches. Trust me when I say you will not be disappointed in the food. This is just one of their many locations that they have throughout the twin cities - that must be a good sign for business. FYI - Don't forget to get the sauces to put on your food, they have 3 different types - be sure to get all 3. You will be happy that you did. read more

My husband and I went here for the first time on Friday night, around 7:30. It was definitely busy but we didn't have a problem getting a table. It seems like a lot of people come for take out. The menu is huge so it took us a really long time to decide what to eat. We started with some chips and guacamole. The guac tasted very freshly made, very good. Some of the best I've had. I got cheese enchiladas with red sauce and my husband got a huarache with pork. We both tried each other's meals and everything was delicious. I don't have a single complaint about it. We got churros for dessert too, tasty. Staff was friendly but not overly chatty - they are busy! Even though you order at the counter, this definitely isn't fast food so don't go in expecting that. You are going to wait for them to prepare your meal. We were completely fine with this - I'd rather have something fresh - but people should be aware of the wait. Everything looked really good on the menu so we'll definitely be back to try more things. Neither of us work nearby so I can't go for lunch but it seems like it would be a great lunch spot. read more

Love their tacos and love their nachos! I am very adventurous when it comes to food and tried almost the whole menu including the different kind of meat they serve for the taco. Overall I always end up going for the taco and nachos with a horchata on the side. Horchata is cinnamon rice milk, it's sweet and refreshing. It's like drinking milk that's been splashed with cinnamon toast crunch. read more

Amazing! Doesn't look like much on the outside. That's what I love about it. Keeps all the people who judge out. Very authentic feel.