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    The Real Taco

    4.4 (170 reviews)
    InexpensiveFood Trucks, Mexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order The Real Taco Takeout or Delivery

    The Real Taco Photos

    THE REAL TACO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Truck
    Patty C.

    The fresh made tortillas and extremely fresh and delicious ingredients make these tacos stand out above the rest. Each one had their own unique flavors. I definitely don't have a favorite and wish I had more tacos as I was writing this. The only downside was that when I asked for consume for my birria taco they said I had to purchase it. I definitely don't need a full cup of consume for a single taco. The flavor was great on its own though.

    Fried Quesadilla.
    Anndora L.

    It's a food truck across the street from Copal. It's clean and the guy who took my order was welcoming. Pretty extensive menu the guy told me to take my time with. Outside seating with a few umbrellas to protect from the elements being sun, fog or rain! I ordered 3 tacos 2 steak & one chorizo. Plus a fried quesadilla - to go. Good tasty tacos filled to the brim. The quesadilla was eaten in the car - not too messy. Tortillas are all handmade.

    Yash S.

    Really fantastic tacos, I got a fish taco and a quesabirria taco. The tortillas are handmade with corn and really soft, not tough like some spots. The fish was super delicate and tender, seasoned well and the quesabirria was also excellent. My favorite taco spot in Santa Cruz!

    Quesabirria tacos!

    Don't miss the opportunity to get some fabulous authentic food! I had the Mexican corn in a cup and it was the best I've ever had. Quesabirria tacos were awesome. The owner is great and had a story to tell. Awesome experience.

    Birria Burrito
    Rachel L.

    Very solid!! One of the best Horchatas ever! It was definitely on the sweeter side but so creamy and addictive. I got the birria burrito which was quite flavorful on its own, but with the red salsa it packed so much delicious heat! Highly recommend. My boyfriend got the Cali Burrito which comes with green salsa inside, and he said it was way too spicy. I thought it was pretty mild, but if you can't handle spice be careful because it already comes with salsa inside! Service was super fast; took less than 10 minutes for our order. It is a food truck with a good amount of seating, although mostly in the sun and not well-shaded.

    Chile relleno burrito
    Emily Q.

    The burrito was so good. Wow, will definitely be returning. They have seating out front. It was filling and huge! Highly recommend day 2: i had to come back the next day after the delicious burrito to try a different item on the menu. I ordered the fish taco plate... wow!!!!!! The plate is not greasy, its filling and it feels homecooked exactly what i want. This is my new favorite truck to get lunch. So good!

    pollo, pastor, asada tacos!
    Mary S.

    A great drop in Mexican spot for lunch serving handmade tortillas. The portions right and tacos delicious. Keep in mind very limited parking so may need to park off street down the neighborhood.

    Craving mexican food, I searched for a suggestion...& I found The Real Taco. Wow... yummy, delicious, quality ingredients with lots of flavor! The service was friendly and prompt. It was nice to sit down with great food at the picnic table and wait out rush hour traffic and people watch! If I am ever up in Santa Cruz again, I will be back to try other options. This time I had the vegetarian burrito and veggie Taco. Good portions and about $20.

    Baja Taco plate

    Despite food being great, the young girl working the truck register charged me extra even though I said I was paying cash and proceeded to comment "its basically the same, just a few cents less" really it was a $5 difference. Non cash prices were $1.50 extra. Just a little off putting telling your customers who are willing to pay cash for cash priced food then you tell them "its only a few extra cents".... Rude and annoying. Food was great. 10/10 for the cali burrito w/asada and the baja taco plate.

    2 pastor( I was so hungry and bit into one before the picture!) 2 asada tacos.
    Melissa M.

    Came here for the first time today looking for a quick bite. There were only a couple orders ahead of us and the wait was not bad, took about 10 minutes to get our food. We ordered tacos and agua de orchata. We ordered pastor, asada and lengua. They were served with cilantro, cebolla and chile toreado plus salsas. The food was okay. The meat felt a little dry and the tortillas didn't taste or feel like handmade tortillas.

    Coca Cola
    Aly A.

    We came to Humble Sea Brewery and we saw this truck outside the patio area . My kids were super hungry after a long drive . The service was excellent super nice and attentive. The food was so delicious we got tacos they came with grilled onions on the side with some lime slices and some good salsa . The meat was cooked just perfect .My boys got some Mexican cokes for their drinks . They also offer a lot of different flavor of Jarritos . The best part is their tortillas are handmade and you know u can taste the difference. Overall the food is super good here definitely recommend.

    Carne asada burrito, al pastor taco, and pambazo

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    3 months ago

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    13 days ago

    Amazing shrimp tacos and burrito. Came out in ~5 mins. Great service - 10/10 would be back!!!

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    5 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Amazing fish tacos. Chicken and carnitas also great. Good rice, too. Solid time estimates as well!

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    1 month ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    SO SO GOOD! I always get the al pastor super burrito and the horchata. It's one of the best horchatas ever

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    1 year ago

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    3 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    My wife and I had the Quesabirria Plate and it was excellent....very flavorfull. Friendly service....

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    3 years ago

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    6 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    10 months ago

    Stopped in for a burrito- grilled chicken. Super spicy. Really nice guys working there.

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    11 months ago

    Yummy tacos! Choice of brown or white rice. Definitely would go daily if I lived closer.

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    11 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    The Real Taco Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Real Taco

    Are the rice and beans vegan/vegetarian?

    Yes, they are vegan and vegetarian!!

    View All 2 Questions

    Taqueria La Katrina  - Crispy tacos filled with asada, cheese, sour cream, lettuce, pico de Gallo, and guacamole!

    Taqueria La Katrina

    4.0(220 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    This was my 2nd visit to this taqueria and it was even better than I remember. Guests will enjoy a…read moreself-serve taco bar with 4 salsas, fresh and picked vegetables along with some spicy jalapeños and onions you don't regularly see, and warm and salty self-serve tortillas. I sure did! Today, I tried the Baja Fish Taco in addition to a super burrito. Way too much more food for me, so I figured I'd start with the fish taco since they don't travel as well. At almost $8, I thought the taco was pricy until I saw it. The fish filet is so large you can barely close the taco at all! It ate much more like a tostada in that sense, the large fish been exaggerated by the generous portions of cabbage, creamy guacamole, and the spicy salsa. The fish was crispy, abundant, and well-seasoned and perfectly complemented by the supplied toppings. There were a few opportunities where toppings had gotten knocked off and there was space to add some of their other sauces, but this is a rare taqueria item I think was perfectly balanced on its own. I'd come back just for this. I still enjoyed, but was a little torn on the super burrito I got. I got a super carnitas burrito. The additional super toppings: guacamole, cheese, sour cream, and pico all added freshness or creaminess that helped add flavor and cut down on the richness of the meat. To their credit, there was LOTS of carnitas but in my opinion they were too salty and they took away from the overall balance of the burrito, particularly in meat-heavy bites. This was somewhat remedied by adding their creamy avocado salsa, their especially tangy tomatillo salsa, or getting a bite with some of the super toppings, but the carnitas were overall disappointing. But, this wasn't my first time here! Last time I was here I had an al pastor super burrito and the balance worked much better. That burrito on its own is a safe 4 stars. Combined with the Baja fish taco and the chips and salsas/toppings? That's an easy 5 stars for my favorite Mexican food in Santa Cruz. If you're still on the fence, try the asada super burrito or stick to the fish taco and you'll be VERY impressed.

    My partner got sick after eating here. He had the enchiladas and baja fish tacos. He usually has a…read morebig appetite, but he could not finish his food.... On the drive home, he just felt nauseous and had an upset stomach all night. I didn't like their the salsas at all, but the warm chips were good. I had the coctel de camaron but it didn't come with any cucumber which I was disappointed with. food was also pricey.

    Photos
    Taqueria La Katrina
    Taqueria La Katrina  - Breakfast Bowl

    Breakfast Bowl

    Taqueria La Katrina  - Nachos from Taqueria La Katrina

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    Nachos from Taqueria La Katrina

    Taqueria Los Primos - Grilled Shrimp Taco

    Taqueria Los Primos

    4.1(173 reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $

    It's a good little neighborhood taqueria. I've been here on 3 different occasions and the food was…read moregood, and the service is even better. The food tends to be quite spicy here so ask for "no salsa" on your tacos if you can't handle the heat. If you want a low key meal, this place is never busy. The menudo with pata was a bit too salty but it was still good. The portion was enough for 2 full meals for me so it was worth the price. I love coming here and just getting a super taco for a weekday lunch.

    Most spots to eat in SC close by 8. We were the last customers at 9:40 pm on a Wednesday night…read more Another customer was turned away at 9:45 so get here by 9:30 to be sure. Inside was bright and clean with 3 TV's that showed the menu and 1 showing sports. They had a small dining area and had a good Mexican beer selection, Jarritos, and sodas in the refrigerators. Customer service was quick and friendly. I had the regular Al pastor burrito. It was good and even better when I added a touch of salt and lemon juice. The pastor was well cooked, crispy yet tender with rice and beans. The chili verde burrito was good too and had more flavor than the al pastor. The verde salsa tasted fresh with a touch of spice. It was my favorite. The jamaica tasted a bit weak but it was the end of the night. Los Primos is a solid 3 with perhaps a 4 rating when I try more menu items. I'd definitely hit up Los Primos again.

    Photos
    Taqueria Los Primos - Menu from December 2025

    Menu from December 2025

    Taqueria Los Primos - California burrito-carne Asada

    California burrito-carne Asada

    Taqueria Los Primos - Nopalitos Con Huevos

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    Nopalitos Con Huevos

    The Real Taco - foodtrucks - Updated September 2026

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