OK yeah. I'm in board with the 4 **** + ratings. Rain or shine they come through... I believe we found Raquel's Tacos on Yelp and decided to go with rawull and her crew based on the ratings. Hand made tortillas, make all the difference in the world. you can see Raquel making the tortillas on the spot. She has a little hand pressed she uses and churns out the tortillas on a steady basis. You can ask for a quesadilla as well, available on request. She had her whole operations set up underneath a canopy she brought along on wet winter afternoon. Everything was organized and clearly identifiable. There are four types of protein on offer: #Tavos: ~ Al Pastor ~ Carne Asada ~ Carnitas ~ Chicken (shredded) I thought the shredded chicken was a bit dry, other than that everything else was brilliant! #Sides: ~ Beans ~ Onions & Clantro mix ~ Rice ~ Red Salsa ~ Green Salsa ~ Shredded Cheese ~ Grilled jalapeños (definitely spicy!) and ~ Lime Wedges They even bring their own Agua Fresca. Two big jugs with two different flavors. ~ Horchata The horchata was actually one of the better ones I had... Even better than some of the taqueria's I've been to. Well balanced, not chalky or too sweet, with just the right amount of cinnamon. Brilliant! ~ Jamaica I'm a fan... I definitely recommend them as a caterer. read more

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We use Raquel every summer for my husbands work team and they never disappoint! The meat is delicious, hand made tortillas are yummy! And all the sides, including the horchata and pina! I look forward to them coming every year! Always professional-love these guys! read more

Raquel's is literally the *best* taco caterer in the Bay Area. They make the tortillas fresh in front of you, and bring all of the supplies to feed your group. I've hired them for multiple parties at our house for 50+ guests, and will continue to hire them! read more

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I got a very last minute invite to accompany my Little to a hosted event. Free food, why not!?? We arrived to the shindig and I immediately noticed the filled plates of tacos that continues to pass me by. No joke.... I suddenly got super excited and was ready to tear ish up!! [Don't mind me & the effect that food has on me. Lmao.] Raquel had their whole setup underneath a two tents. One being the cooking station and the second being the condiments area. Everything was organized well and although the line for tacos were long, Raquel's crew were prompt and very efficient. So here's the rundown: There were 4 types of meats that are offered. -Chicken -Carnitas [pork] -Al Pastor [pork] -Carne Asada [beef] The tortillas are handmade & pressed on the spot. The condiments included onions & cilantro, two types of salsas, shredded cheese, lime wedges, and grilled speared jalapeños. The offerings also came with a side of rice and beans. Food was delicious and the tortillas are seriously THAT damn good- I could easily eat them plain. The fresh tortillas were slightly crisp and charred in all the right places which added to the overall taco experience. Trust and believe, Raquel's crew has this down to a science!! FYI: Meats were seasoned well but the chicken was a bit dry for my tastebuds. Keep in mind that the charred peppers are HOT. They don't play! read more

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Wonderful food and freshly made tortillas on site! We hired her for a baby shower for approximately 100 guests. We were allowed to have 4 selections of meats, rice, beans, salsa and 2 huge Agua frescas. Great price for the service and food is delicious! Highly recommended! read more

Taquero Raquel was amazing for my daughter's first birthday party in 2021. She and her co-cook were kind and respectful. We ordered pastor, asada, chicken, and carnitas and my whole family loved them. It came with 2 choices of drinks. We picked pina and sandia (i think). Of course the homemade tortilla's were the best part. I would hire Taquero Raquel again and again. Her food was delicious and her prices are fair! Definitely recommend them if you are wanting great food at a great price! read more

Raquel and her team did such a great job at my son's 21st birthday party! She made 4 types of meats: chicken, al pastor, carnitas, and asada, as well as homemade rice and beans, horchata, lemonade, two types of salsa, and HOMEMADE tortillas. I didn't have to do a thing!! My favorite type of hosting! Everyone at my party RAVED about the food. Said it was some of the best they ever had. They came early and didn't leave until everyone had their fill, then packaged up all the leftovers for us to dig in later, which was great because my son's friends arrived later and dug into everything that was left! We are grateful for their friendly, outstanding service. Thanks again, Raquel and team!! read more

Raquel has been coming to our swim club for years. My kids LOVE her freshly made tortillas and LOVE her tacos. If you need someone to do a taco "truck" for you, don't hesitate to contact them. read more

Excellent tacos and the service was great. They provided drinks, fresh tortillas, meats, salsas, rice, and beans. After the 2 hour service they helped pack up all the left over food so that guests could still eat. Highly recommend! read more

Recommendation from my cousin after I attended an event where Taquero Raquel had made the food. The people who showed up at my party were different. The Mexican rice tasted like white rice with color. The meats were all not made fresh. Salsa was watered down but had a decent flavor. They should let customers know when they call that they use different people for every party. I called her and expected her food and taste which is excellent. I received mediocre. I text her and recommended to let customers know ahead of time so they can make a decision if they want to book her or not. I also recommended she should let customers know that they should have Tupperware and containers ready for any leftover food because they do not provide. The taqueros were on time and courteous. The aguas, asada and al pastor were good. The other two meats (Chicken and carnitas) were ok. read more

We ordered several times from her to cater events at Stanford, this was a couple of years ago and people still talk about it! The tacos are so good, fresh and huge portions. The pricing is very reasonable and they make it super easy to hire them for catering-they bring everything they need and clean up after very well. Highly recommend!! read more

So excited to have a referral for a taquero who makes their own tortillas! Hired Raquel for my daughter's 1st birthday party. The park does not allow cooking devices other than the provided BBQ 's but Raquel said she deals with this all the time and not to worry. She would bring chaffing dishes to keep the food hot and her crew would serve. All I had to do, was show up 20 minutes before the start of the party and she'd be ready. So when I received a call from the taquero an hour and a 1/2 before, I knew something was wrong. He said he needed to set up the stove! Long story short, despite booking her 3 months before the party, speaking a month, a week and again 3 days before, her answer was that she forgot to tell the guy to cook the food beforehand. Ummmmmmmmm so I had 55 guests arriving to a party with nothing to eat. She didn't even apologize. Luckily, I was able to get food catered from a restaurant and most of the guests were about 30 minutes late. What a nightmare! So disappointing. So disrespectful. So rude. read more

We had so much food left over. Raquel's kids did the cooking, kept their masks and gloves on the entire time. This was a really big concern for us to keep our guests safe from COVID contamination. They were punctual and organized and even accommodated special requests. Price was very reasonable for serving 75 kids and adults total and the fresh tortillas were a great touch. Would hire again! read more

I have Raquel cater to our wedding and birthdays. I had her tacos for the first time when we went to my sister in laws wedding and they were delicious!! She is our favorite taco lady for our parties! read more

Thanks to Yelp..once again I found my new taquero contact for our family parties! Raquels Tacos was a hit at my daughters baptism. She showed up 1 hour early cooked some fresh rice and started making tortillas a mano! Best tacos ever. All my family was happy and that makes me happy! I love great food and most of all her and her daughters did an amazing job! Very great Family business! Book them soon because they are always busy and you cant beat thier prices! read more

Taquero - Raquel - New American Near Me

If there was an option for zero stars I would use it. I received a recommendation for Raquel's tacos from a friend who had used her before so I figured it would be fine. I was throwing my daughter a birthday party (turning three) and it was a big family and friends event, the jumper, the pinata, the face painter the whole nine. We have not hosted many events at our home so we felt very comfortable with Raquel bc she said she she would provide everything, food, aguas frescas, hand made tortillas, plates, utensils, etc. We were going to be able to focus on the children. I confirmed our order three days in advance and she confirmed back. Well guess what? They never showed up. The party started at 3pm and at 2:30pm no one was there from the caterers. I wasn't worried until 3:15pm. At 3:30pm I already had 20 guests and no food. At 3:40pm we triggered Plan Pizza and veggie platters. It was hugely embarassing for us. We are not used to having family parties with pizza and veggie platters. I don't have anything against it but in our family that's not the typical fare, even for a kids party. I called 7 times and texted Raquel at least 8 times that same day between 3:15pm and 3:45pm and NO RESPONSE! I then was concerned that perhaps something serious had happened to her. My friend who recommended her said she had several employees and that she was capable of covering several parties in one day. I actually never received a response, - ever. In fact, it's been 8 days and no response since. I am really hoping that nothing happened to Raquel but seriously, how do you confirm three days in advance and then the day of, you don't show up!? It was terrible and I am thankful for my family and partner for pulling it together. Our guests were gracious and everyone ate pizza. BUT I would never recommend her to anyone. I repeat, NO ONE showed up, NO ONE called and since then I have not heard a peep from this person or anyone associated with their business. There are so many taquero businesses in San Jose, why would you make yourself stand out like this? read more

I hired Raquel to cater my daughter's 5th birthday party. At first, I was really hesitant because of the 1 star review a couple of years ago, but I decided that the more recent reviews were reliable; also, a friend of mine recommended her since she catered his work event. The communications were OK, I got in touch with Raquel 3 weeks in advance. I called and spoke with her son, since I think that Raquel doesn't speak much English. We went over the menu items - which was pretty easy since he gave me the standard (freshly made corn tortillas | 4 kinds of meats: chicken, steak, carnitas & al pastor | rice | beans | including salsas, lemon, cilantro, chopped onions, plates, forks, napkins | 2 flavored waters of your choice (I chose Mango & Watermelon). I asked if they could make quesadillas since there would be a lot of kids - the answer is yes if I provide the cheese, which I did. Most of the communications were done via text, I was nervous so I texted 10 days ahead to re-confirm the address, time & date of the party - I received a short and sweet response "OK". I reluctantly thought that was enough confirmation. 3 days before the party, I received a text from Raquel to confirm everything again, and she called soon after to tell me what time they would set up - now I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to order last minute pizza! The day of the party, they came right on time for set up, which was at 12:30; the party started at 1:30 and they stayed until 4:30 (3 hours, not including set up time). I didn't get to meet Raquel - the people that came were a mother and daughter team working with Raquel. Everyone raved about the tacos, especially about the fresh tortillas. I ordered for 70 people and I had 46 adults & 32 kids. If you were wondering, they serve about 5-6 tacos per person. There were still plenty of leftovers - enough that we made a few bowls of nachos for the next 2-3 days to finish it off. Make sure to have to-go containers ready and also pitchers/jugs ready for the leftover flavored waters. Everything was delicious and I am super satisfied. I would recommend Raquel for great service and excellent food! Thanks so much! read more

I believe I will be the first one to review Raquel and I'm surprised that she is not on here already, but I was in search of what to do for my son's 5th birthday and my husband and I decided to hire a taquero. The one I originally wanted was already booked but my co-worker recommended Raquel to me! She offers four kinds of meats, I picked al pastor, carnitas, carne asada and chicken. She also brings two glass jugs of aguas frescas and I picked the horchata and strawberry. Even better - she provides all the plates and napkins and utensils, brings your choice of beans and rice AND she even makes the tortillas fresh when they start preparing the food there!! Of course there is also red and green salsa and the onion and cilantro mixture for the tacos! She comes half an hour before your start time and starts cooking, then starts serving half an hour after your start time and stays for three hours! She gives you every bit of leftovers that she brought after her time is up! Her price is VERY reasonable for the amount of things that is included in the price and I asked her to bring food for 40 people and I had a TON of food left! She and her son were very nice! They set up quietly in my garage and smiled and talked and laughed with all my guests and when she was done, she cleaned up after herself very well and left the garage spotless! (not that she even made a mess anyway) All of my guests LOVED her and loved her tacos! They were awesome! We will definitely be using her again! read more

I was looking for a Taquiza service for my baby shower as it was in a park and I had contacted some of my favorite Mex/Taco Restaurants if they had this service available. Some did not and the ones that did either had to be picked up or the price was not feasible for the amount we were requesting. Feeling disappointed I took to yelp for this and made a couple of calls. For the price and the quality of the food it was AMAZING. I am so glad Taquero - Raquel had catered my baby shower. They came early to set up, they had their own tent, made fresh tortillas, had four different types of meat (all so flavorful), two different salsas, rice and beans, and two fresca drinks. There was a lot of left-over food and he was nice enough to pack it up for us to take back home. I was so glad my guests were able to enjoy the food without worrying if I would have enough or it was not tasty enough. I received several compliments from the food. A friend of mine even called them the next day to have a day before her wedding party catered! Thank you once again Taquero - Raquel. I will definately do business with you again and I highly recommend anyone looking for good quality, tasty food to give them a call! read more

I have had Raquel cater 5 different personal events as well as multiple business events over several years. She is always on time and asked what time we would like to start serving. She always hits the mark right on the money. i have had her cater anywhere from 30-250 guests and the food is always awesome. Hand made tortillas are to die for. read more

My co-worker from work recommended this Taquiza to me. I was pricing around for almost a month and Raquel has the best offer for her price. Like the other yelpers commented, her package includes 4 different meats of my choice, 2 waters (juices) handmade tortillas, 2 different salsas, rice, beans, and all the other typical toppings that come with. She also said that she will provide utensils and plates. Since I do not speak Spanish, I have had my other co-worker as the main person to communicate with. I didn't have a problem with this because in the past, all the Taquiza people I came across with whom my family used did not speak English primarily as well. My husband and I are using her for our baby shower on Sept 2nd. We expect about 100-120 guests. We were expecting to place a deposit with her, but she stated that this was not necessary. This is good and bad in some ways- just because I feel that I'm not fully booked with her. We asked if we can try her tacos and she gave us a time and place where she would be serving next. The initial time we weren't able to make it to Morgan Hill at lunch on a week day. This was a couple weeks ago. Today, we text her again and my co-worker was able to go out and try her tacos since she was in the San Jose area this evening. My co-worker overall said it was "very good." I made her take pics. and had her give her my party info and our contact info. She offers watermelon, mango, strawberry and horchata for the drinks. I think I will pick horchata and the strawberry. So far I am satisfied with her- her response time to text us back is quick and she remembers who we are every time my co-worker calls/ texts. Our shower is in Newark, so, again I had mixed feelings about her committing to our party, but she told my co-worker she can drive any where. I think it definitely makes a huge difference if there is no communication barrier so I am ensuring that my co-worker is handling that aspect for me. I will keep you yelpers posted come party time!!!! Day of Shower: They showed up to the event earlier than what we spoke about which I LOVE! They showed up before us actually. Food was awesome and they were very pleasant and nice to my guests regardless of the language barrier. The food was superb and delicious! And I couldn't get enough of the watermelon juice and horchata. I got so many compliments on the food and service the day after. I loved them so much, I offered them to enjoy themselves to the other food we were serving. Definitely will use them again for an eventl Highly recommend!!!! read more

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I used Raquel for 2 events one on Friday (6/7/13)for my daughter preschool graduation and one for a company event (6/8/13) and I must say I made a good choice the food was great!!! The Aguas were great made with real fruit none of the powder stuff. For both of the events I was complemented on both the flavor and speed of service. I highly recommend Raquel's services for any type of event! read more

I hired Raquel for my wedding and she delivered on my big day! We had a buffet dinner and open bar, but I still wanted a late night snack of tacos for my guests. They worked with us to amend the budget since we didn't need any drinks or beans and I really appreciated that. FOOD Tacos were so delicious! We had steak and al pastor for the meat. My guests could not stop talking about the fresh food, especially the homemade tortillas. There was even food leftover at the end of the night which we happily took home. SERVICE I was initially worried about the communication since unfortunately I don't speak Spanish but her son Alex helped communicate between Raquel and I. In addition to that, I confirmed the details with her a few weeks before the wedding. Don't be alarmed if her responses are brief ("ok" or "thank you"). Everyone was friendly but Raquel was serious about her tacos! They came on time and everything was perfect! Cannot recommend Raquel enough and would definitely hire them again! read more

OMG!!! I'm soooooo happy! I use Raquel when I have partys....I couldn't find her # anywhere... (sad) I yelped Taquero....and poof her name pops up...destiny for tacos!!! Best Taquera Ever...fresh tortillas salsas...choice of meats...rice beans Aguas frescas....the works! Well worth the price!!!! Excellenté! read more

Raquel was great! I looked into booking Raquel, after I saw her set up at a Halloween Party. I remember there was a young boy and perhaps her husband there too. They were fantastic! The hand made tortillas were the best I've ever had (that party was maybe 4-5 years ago) I booked Raquel's tacos for a party in March 2012. (sorry, haven't gotten around to reviewing her) We originally planned to have the party at a local park, but due to rainy weather forecasts we changed it to our clubhouse, in a week's notice, and everything still went great, and the catering crew (Raquel and family) were on time and extrememly efficient. We were able to choose several meats to go in the tacos and they come with a couple of different salsas, onions-cilantro mix, and limes. With 2 jugs of complimentary refreshments. The hand made tortillas this time around was not like I remembered, but they were still ok -- I'm sure something's changed, but for those that weren't at the halloween party, the tortillas were still fabulous to them, and many guests asked for their contact info during the party and after. Communication barriers may deter some--and that is understandable. It would be great if I was able to speak spanish, so then I could communicate with Raquel directly, but I was able to work with her son Christian. He was very nice and professional, and for a teenager, that is extremely commendable. I hope he really goes places and finds many successes in the future. If working with a family gig type of business for your caterer is not an issue to you, then I'd recommend her. If you are the type of person who feel better working with contracts and what not, then I'd recommend you pay more for a licensed caterer. read more

We went to a birthday party that was catered by Raquel's Tacos in San Jose. I have never had better tortillas. She was making them fresh as the line of people came back for more. They didn't fry them in oil just cooked them on the griddle. Absolutely delicious. read more

After reading all the good reviews I was excited to call Raquel and have her cater my dad's birthday party. I spoke to her, she asked me to call her back because she didn't have her calendar. I called her back later that evening, left a detailed message but she never returned my call. It's scary to do business with caterers that are inconsiderate and unreliable. read more

Taquero - Raquel - I spoke to her and also left her a follow up voicemail but she never called me back. - New American Near Me

Amazing tacos with hand made tortillas. Definitely hiring them again for my next event.

Very pleased with both times I used Raquel's catering services! First time was for my baby shower second time was a year later for my little ones first birthday party. All my guest were super happy with the tacos and have started using her for their events read more

Good tacos mostly because the tortillas are hand made, however the rice and beans this time weren't cooked all the way. And the meat on the grill was getting over cooked, but still, good flavor to everything. I would book them, just tell them to make sure it's all how you want it. 3.5 stars if I could. read more

Taquero Raquel catered a party for me last year and she will be catering for me again in June! I love her! Everyone enjoyed the tacos, she was very friendly, everything was perfect! Easy! The food is amazing! You won't regret booking Raquel! read more

I guess the food is good if they show up. This business is a disgrace with no regard or care for its customers. I had the "pleasure" of attending my dear friend's party that came close to a near disaster with zero food/drinks because Raquel's failed completely. There was clear communication (and subsequent confirmation) in Spanish that food could not be cooked on site. Despite this they showed up planning to cook onsite and said it was not their problem that they couldn't and therefore had to leave. If you book with Raquel's please make sure you have a back up plan to feed your entire party with a 30 minute warning, because this business is entirely not dependable. Their excuse? They forgot. "Oops"! There was zero concern or care for how much trouble they caused. If you have close friends and family that can amass drinks, food, cutlery, and place settings at a minute's notice then take your chances. read more

this review is solely based on the fact that i called her to check her availability. she said she would call me back in an hour because she didn't have her agenda. that was 3 days ago. no call back, no nothing. what the crap is that? read more

Excellent food! Home made corn tortillas! Everyone loved the food, and the agua frescas was delicious. Would definitely recommend to anyone having a party. Raquel's son's arrived on time, set up provided everything we needed, rice, beans, salsa and your choice of meat. I was able to spend time with my guest and not have to worry about the food. I think everyone went up for at least seconds! read more

See S.C.'s review. I would write all the same things The food was wonderful, arrival time and setup, ready to feed the gang on time. Raquel and her son Alex did a super job, feeding our work group of 70 people at Mitchell Park in Mountain View. They arrive in a minivan, so be sure to get them access to their setup area, as the grills, etc. are too heavy to carry any distance. Their was a nice amount of leftovers for the cleanup crew to take away. No lard in the food. The pinto beans were freshly made, seasoned nicely and right temperature for serving. The rice was classically prepared and al dente, just right. Two giant jugs of horchata and strawberry lemonaide. Delicious! Watching Raquel press and grill the fresh tortillas was quite a treat. She is a sweet lady. Her son Alex, is the grill master, nice young man. I will definitely hire them again. Very well received with my coworkers. You won't be sorry if you hire this caterer, if you like wonderful, real, Earth Mama Mexican food. read more

I've ordered from Raquel to cater several company and family events and she's always done an amazing job. The events have ranged from 49 people to 170+ and she's always provided lots of options, drinks, homemade tortillas. Definitely my favorite caterer. read more

I hired Raquel and her team for our daughter's 1st Birthday. First off, great customer service from the first conversation. Very friendly and very detailed. They showed up an hour before the party started to set up and everything turned out great! People still ask me who my taco people were because the food was so good. :) read more

I have had the privilege to attend multiple parties where Raquel was the caterer. First, her homemade tortillas are amazing. The al pastor and asada are so flavorful. And the cost is totally reasonable to have tacos handmade for you. Regarding the other comments about timeliness, her team was always prepared and ready to serve when the party started. Additionally, if you do not speak Spanish, you will want to rely on texting her. Whoever translates for her is always speedy to reply. I have used other caterer's for corporate events, and none come close to the quality, flavor, or value of Raquel's. If you are considering multiple companies, quit thinking and just pick Raquel; you'll thank yourself later. read more

I was worried about hiring her because of reviews I read where people claimed she didn't show up or respond but my husband wanted to give it a try for his 30th birthday. Initial communication was great and I think it's because we speak Spanish. However, when it came time to settle the details she wouldn't answer any of our calls. My husband decided to call her one last time two days before the party and she answered. When he told her he had been trying to call her she disregarded it. My husband worked out the details with her and luckily the showed but I will never hire them again. She said she would bring four meats but only brought three, limiting my guests' choices. The chicken was was boiled and had no flavor; the asada didn't taste good either. The salsas had NO salt. And she claimed the aguas frescas were natural but they were clearly made with powder. read more

Very disappointed!!! I went off the Yelp reviews and recommended them to a family member for a party. Worse tacos I have ever tasted, meat had no flavoring, we did chorizo, chicken, asada.. (Nasty) the rice and beans were hard (obviously undercooked) I let her know and maria (taco lady) just smiled, The waters were powdered not fresh. Never again will I go through this company. read more