Most authentic Mexican food in Baltimore (coming from a San Diego native who grew up on food truck tacos and weekend trips to Tijuana). It's not like these other hipster spots that fancy the tacos up to hide the fact that they don't know how to make a decent carné asada. Although by late afternoon, Tortilleria Sinaloa often runs out of at least one of the meats, I'm still appreciative of their authenticity. And honestly, everything they have is good, so I usually just take what I can get! read more

It is so hard to find authentic Mexican food in Baltimore. But low-and-behold, The Weekly Yelp came through and lead me to this little gem. The pictures were enticing enough to bring me across town and I'm so glad I did. The previous reviews and pictures paid off! The flavors of Tortilleria Sinaloa brought my taste buds back to my days of devouring Tijuana street tacos at every cart and shop I stumbled upon. The flavors were perfectly fused and served in a manner consistent with the genre. And the Salsa Verde is the best I've had on the East Coast. I highly recommend the pollo and barbacoa? This place is small, which gives it its charm. In fact, there are only about a dozen stools around two edges of the inside with bar style counters. There is another location for this restaurant about half a mile down the road and appears to be much larger. I'll be checking that place out soon... read more

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Oh boy, I wish I knew this place earlier! Nice little cute tacos place in Fell's point. The place is very small, probably 10 counter seats. Once you walk in, you will see the tortilla machine behind the counter. I saw a person picking up the huge order of tortilla and chips while I was waiting. I had beef tongue and steak tacos. Beef tongue was the moment when you had the first bite, you lost your word because it was sooo good. It was delicious. Not chewy, not tough, cooked just right. Stake was ok. Maybe also because beef tongue was too good, so my expectation was too hight. Tortilla was really fresh and so as chips. It was too sad that no guacamole today.. I need to go back and try it. It is cheap and good! I highly recommend to try out! read more

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Friendly people. Fast service! Went in starrrrrving expecting that I would probably need to order additional tacos, but was completely blown away by the portion! Prices are extremely reasonable. Ordered to share tortillas & guac, which was fresh and made to order. Did the 3 taco deal and had the pork tacos and barbacoa. It came with a side of a whole bulb of roasted onion and a slice of grilled cactus and some fresh cucumbers. I was not able to eat my third taco because I was stuffed by the time I finished my second taco. So if you're looking for a quick bite which is both quality AND quantity, this is the spot to check out! read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Let's be super real - tortillas are, by themselves, the most boring things on the planet. They are Mexican white bread. But this place elevates them to the star of the show in a way I never imagined. Tortilleria Sinaloa does one thing super well: tortillas. The place is small, cramped, and is most notable for featuring a huge freakin' tortilla machine. This is definitely a take-out place at its best, which is perfectly fine by me. We got every kind of taco and their chips and guacamole, all of which are hand-made and absolutely perfect in every way. The steak and barbecue tacos were my personal favorites - they really hit the spot in a way only an authentic taco can. The seasoning was adequate but simple, which is perfect in my book: you could meter the spiciness of the tacos with the included sauces. The chips and guacamole ROCKED. The chips themselves were potentially the best tortilla chips I've ever had, to be honest. To hell with store bought chips. Note that their online ordering system seems to be flawed - my order never got through to the store itself - so calling in seems to be the better choice. They were very apologetic for their online system's failure and quickly remedied the issue, though, so no problems on my end. Highly recommended! read more

OMG.....fresh, spicy, and the best tortillas. We were expecting a good taco due to the recommendation we received, but this place surpassed all expectations. We knew the menu was limited, but the tacos did not disappoint. We tried chicken and steak and pork. All were great. The sauces were spicy and homemade and added to the deliciousness. A few stools, a beverage cooler and a tub of fresh tortilla chips, with big bags to go. A great place to pop in and get your fill of tacos and be on you way. We didn't have the opportunity to see the tortilla machine in action, but there's always next time! read more

Was stuck in traffic going home near here recently and it was dinner time so I thought I'd give it a shot. I live across the street from Tijuana Tacos, and that and Tacos Tolteca in Dundalk are the only Mexican I've eaten since moving to Baltimore not long ago, so that's my comparison. I ordered the quesadilla, which was small-it used two taco sized tortillas as the sandwich, rather than a larger folded tortilla like most places. The flavor was lacking, and definitely not worth a repeat, since I have excellent Mexican across the street, but I will say it was served with a small container of refried beans, which I really, really do not enjoy and generally never eat, even if they come with my meal. Since my meal was tiny, I found myself digging into the beans, and I have to say they were delicious-from a girl who genuinely dislikes refried beans, these had a great flavor and texture. I also want to add that I told the lady who rung me up that I would be back in a few minutes, and wandered around a little, coming back 15 minutes later (which is generally plenty of time at a place like this). I could clearly see my food waiting, but the two ladies bagging up tortilla chips ignored me for a full ten minutes until a lady came out from the back and handed me my food with no comment. Not expecting great service at a taqueria, but getting my food in under a half hour would be nice.. read more

Fantastic tacos. Got the pollo, chorizo and al pastor - as well as some guac with their homemade tortilla chips. Everything was fantastic, I would recommend everything we tried. read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Delicious fresh Guac and tortilla chips - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Tacos were good, but I wish they had a bit more flavor! They were out of barbacoa and it wasn't super clear about the al pastor option vs pork option. We ordered online and when we showed up they said their system was down and they never got it, but still whipped up our order in 10ish minutes. The chips were yummy! read more

Love this place. Crisp authentic flavors, friendly staff. I try to stop in any time I'm heading through and need my taco fix. read more

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I was told by a friend that these were the best tacos in Baltimore - and was not dissapointed. The tacos melt in your mouth. Wrapped in two corn tortillas and filled with meat, cilantro and onions, they are amazing. They give you two salsa toppings to put on as well. The guac is AMAZING here! The give you so much. For 5 dollars you get a medium and it was filled past halfway to the cup. We could barely finish it between two people. The chips were thick and crispy. read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This is the place if you want authentic tacos. Although they were out of guacamole and some of the other meats. The al pastor and barbacoa were delicious, super juicy with tons of flavor. There's not a ton of seating in the restaurant, so a lot of people get their tacos to go. read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Barbacoa & al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Over rated mexican place. Food is OK and the plantillas are home made. Flavor is a bit off and needed salt. Funny was to hear music from Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic but no mexican music. read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Pastor and Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Very good food, very friendly service, can't wait to go back! We ordered one of each type of taco. They were all tasty, but barbacoa and carnitas were the best! read more

I ordered 70 tacos for a catering event and was very impressed with the quality of the tacos. I ordered several types, Barbacoa being by far the tastiest and asado (steak) being the least exciting. Although this place is no frills and I order in Spanish, compared to Texas standards, these aren't cheap. They're sizable however and I would return again to get a barbacoa taco. The tortilla chips were also fantastic and tasted just as crispy the following day. read more

After moving to Baltimore from LA I've been looking all over for good Mexican food. Doesn't compare to my abuelita's tacos, but these are by far the best I've had in the DMV. Everything tastes extremely fresh and homemade. Perfect spot for a casual meal! read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

First time here and we were really excited to try the tacos. We got asada, barbacoa, and carnitas tacos. They tacos were mediocre at best. The service was okay. We were a bit disappointed. I won't be returning here anytime soon. read more

I seen a review describing this place a hidden gem!! He was absolutely right best Tacos ever had in the east coast ! There tortilla so soft n meats tender and there sauces . Finger licking good!! read more

The tortillas are the real deal. I bought al pastor and carne asada tacos and the meat was good. I also bought salsas, the tomatillo salsa is very good, however I was disappointed with the lack of spice in the red "spicy" salsa. Maybe it was just the batch today, but consistency is a must. read more

You must come here. Is there anything else to say? The barbacoa is exceptional, the carnitas is juicy, the tortillas are made in house. A small seating area by the window, it's a definitely a "if you know, you KNOW," place. It's always at the top of my list. If you're looking for a place to sit down with 5 friends and drink margaritas, this is not the place. Its a small room with a few stools by the big window while you wait for your food. It's a great take out option, perfect for a solo lunch if you can grab stool by the window, or an easy stop with a few buddies for a quick bite mid day. You're welcome! read more

I have been told to try this place for a few years and I finally did. I wish I would have checked it out sooner. This place has the most authentic tacos I've had in Maryland with the best sauces to accommodate. I had one chicken and one steak taco, with onions and cilantro (and a lime), man was it good!! I can't wait to go back! Delicious! read more

Tortilleria Sinaloa - Chicken and steak ($2.99 each) so good!! - Mexican Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Second time here and I love it! Authentic tacos. I've had the beef tongue, chicken, chorizo, and barbaqoa tacos. All delish! The chorizo is my favorite. It's about $7 a taco. read more

Placed an order at 515PM and showed up to pick it up at 550PM prior to 6PM closing. The door was locked and the woman at the register ignored me. I knocked and tried to explain I had placed a to go order and she continued to ignore me. I called and there number was out of service. There was another gentlemen with the same issue that came by while I was waiting. Ultimately no matter how tasty a place may be, if it had no costumer service it isn't worth it! read more

These tacos slap and are objectively, probably the best tacos in the immediate area. I got the res, pollo, and lengua tacos and all three were delicious with the beef taco being my favorite. The tomatillo salsa and red salsa it came with were super good and actually had some spice which was so nice to find. And to my surprise, the tacos were actually super filling! The only reason I rated only 4 stars is because the price. It's more expensive than most of the other taco joints in the area, and this is definitely more of a carryout place; this wouldn't be the place to go for happy hour or dinner with friends. With that being said, if you're looking to treat yourself to some quality tacos in the comfort of your own home, this is definitely the place! read more

If you are looking for authentic and tasty tacos this is a real gem. We had the al pastor, carne asada, and chorizo tacos. The tacos had plenty of meat. We also ordered the chicken and pork tacos which reminded me of being at my aunts house during Christmas. There isn't much space to sit and eat. In fact we had a "taster" taco in the car before we headed home to finish our order. If your in Baltimore and jonesing for some tacos, I highly recommend! read more

How this taco shop came up when you search Yelp for "best fish tacos" in Baltimore is beyond me. I hope that my experience here was atypical, since we came on Labor Day. If our tacos at all resembled typical non-holiday fare, I am beyond disappointed. We ordered two tilapia tacos, a beef taco, and a pork taco. Guacamole wasn't available because avocados were expensive this week (that's a new one, but it sounds honest). The tilapia tacos were whole tilapia fillets on two flour tortillas. There was no seasoning beyond some salt and pepper. There was no garnish, no spice, no sauce, no flavor. Just a sad tilapia fillet sitting on tortillas. The beef and pork tacos had some onions sprinkled on top. The pork was on the dry side too. Seasoning of the meat was similarly spartan, but the sauces (on the side) were a bit more flavorful. I'm not expecting tacos comparable to those in abundant Phoenix, TX, SoCal, etc, but I am expecting tacos that have some flavor. These definitely did not satisfy in that regard. I might return once to see if this was a fluke, but this first experience was such a turn off. read more

My favorite thing about this place is the fact that it sounds like a dying steam engine trying to escape from the clutches of a half animal, half machine kraken with the brain of a brilliant scientist lodged firmly in a crystal dome, covered in electrodes that can convey every emotion...except love. That or the delicious, amazing, freshly made tortillas that are smothered in the kind of meats that you generally eat in America with some suspicion, but you eat in Mexico with a hearty, "it's LOCAL and ORGANIC". Mexican tacos make me enter the bathroom a few days later with the entire "wheel of time" cycle by Robert Jordan in order to evacuate my bowels and my dignity. The tacos from tortilleria sinaloa are the exact opposite. So I guess they make me go up to the roof, with a single book that is clear and concise, like maybe "the stranger" or "franny and zooey". Their version of tacos el pastor are excellent, with the right amount of fruity sweetness to go along with their rather lovely combination of spices, roughly done. Their barbacoa is excellent, the beef tongue is finger lickin' good (ho ho ho) and everything else is great. Of the two sauces, the red one is a chipotle concoction that I would happily slather all over my body before satanic dances in the night, and the green one would be slathered, sadly, because it is really damn hot. This is a good thing. Anything being slathered is good, as a rule. The slices of radish are fresh and delicious, and though there is a bit of cilantro it is not overpowering. You can request the onions and cilantro on the side as well. Even the limes are bursting with limey flavor and juice. The mexican sodas are all made with cane sugar which greatly changes the consistency of the flavor as well as the texture upon the tongue - when had in conjunction with excellent tacos, it is like taking a trip to san carlos without the requisite tattoos, spring breakers, and jellyfish stinging you. Oh, the jellyfish. How I hate you. On an interesting note, most of the mexican places in the city buy their torillas from this place in bulk, so if you are eating mexican somewhere and the tortillas are delicious, they are probably made at this location. Why not save yourself some time and trouble and just come here, honestly? If you see a hungover asian guy wearing rayban new wayfarers eating a plate of tacos and smelling vaguely of terrible life choices and whiskey, say hello, because that's me, buddy. read more

Sinaloa still gets 5 stars but I had to update my review and say; a kilo of tortillas is a lot! For $2.50 it is a crazy good deal as you get about 35 reasonably sized and absolutely delicious corn tortillas. Now to figure out how I'll eat all of them... Oh, and this time around I brought my sister along (a serious taco lover who lives in NYC) and she claimed the chorizo taco to be the best she's ever had. Trust her, she knows what she's talking about. read more

It's astonishing the quality that can be achieved with this food for such an affordable price! Delicious and authentic tacos and tamales, etc. (note: authentic means very little toppings, no cheese or sour cream, and corn torillas, not flour). Don't let that stop you - this place is a taste explosion! And the hot sauces offered are exceptional. Drawback: there's only bar seating around the wall. I believe there's a new iteration of this place a few blocks away that does have seating; ill have to check that out next. read more

You know, I really don't care whether or not Tortilleria Sinaloa authentically delivers the same experience you get from the street cart on a side alley in Juarez, or if it's just like you get on the Texas border. They make a really damned good taco with fresh ingredients, for a reasonable price. They're the best you're gonna find in a good hour's drive in any direction. I've been driving by this place for ages, thinking to myself: "I need to stop in there." So, today, I made a special effort to make sure we dropped in for a bite. Lengua, chorizo, and lamb barbacoa tacos were the order of the day, along with pollo and puerco tamales for the wife. A little salsa verde on the lamb (tart, herbal, and warm), a little firey red salsa on the lengua (neutral heat), and a squeeze of lime and some onion on the chorizo - perfect. Fresh, soft, but sturdy tortillas "double-bagged" under the meat with fresh radish slices (not dried out and tired) made every bite worth it. Each flavor made my mouth happy. The lamb barbacoa was nicely spicy and tender, the lengua in moist beefy chunks and shreds with a cumin note, and the chorizo nicely mildly spicy and just greasy enough. I tried a few bites of tamale as well, and they're really quite good and moist - not heavy at all. Pork are steamed in banana/plantain leaf, and the chicken in corn husks. I will, repeat WILL, be back, if only for the bags of chips fried up from their house-made tortillas. And yes, when they're cranking out orders of tortillas, the machine screeches along incessantly. Ignore it and eat your food. The owner's a fantastically nice lady, too - she insisted on giving us a complementary bag of chips as first-timers. Of course, I now realize it's like a dealer giving you your first bump for free - you'll be back for more. read more

Overall: A taco place. It's only that, but I don't ask for much if the tacos are good, and these are solid. Authentic attempts and fantastic tortillas are mired slightly by mediocre prep and dryer textures, but flavors and salsas make up. Service is mediocre at best, but for me it's only two blocks away.. takeout here will solve my average taco fix, and I'll return until I find a better option within walking distance. _________________________________ Ambiance: 3/5. Loud music and crowds at 12p on Sundays. Small pickup at the front, large cooking space filled with grain bags everywhere, employees emerging every few minutes. Colorful and festive but it's clearly meant for takeout. _________________________________ Service: 3/5. Brief and to the point. A bit slow, both in service and in prep, and we saw some quibbling over a purchased item with a customer before us. The order we placed was also partially wrong (two tacos mixed up), so check before you leave. _________________________________ Drinks: 3/5. I try to avoid soda, but there are plenty of bottles including the glass-coke. No alcohol of course. _______________________________ Food: 3/5. Tried 5 different tacos for lunch on Sunday. All served in piping hot tortillas.. double wrapped, soft, grainy, and hearty. Tacos fall apart a bit, but otherwise shells are great. The green sauce is very refreshing, earthy flavor. The red sauce is heavy vinigraitte, earthy, and hits with a dry spice in the back that doesn't quite work with most flavor profiles. (best-to-worst). 1.) Steak - Lightly dry, but delightful in texture, palate, and flavor when splashed with accompanying lime and green sauce. It really comes together, more than the others, and is my go-to next visit. 2.) Fish - Lightly dry but flakey and full. Served plain on the shells but cup of pico per taco. Pico is onion-heavy but very refreshing. A light sauce would add some needed moisture. 3.) Barbacoa - Earthy profile, spongy texture lost in the richness of the tortilla. More spice like the chorizo but kept in check, meat flavors mixing with grainy tortilla flavor. 4.) Chorizo - Rather spicy--and over-spiced--flavor takes away from the meat. Onion and jalepenos help give it some levity though it still comes across heavy and sticky. 5.) Chicken - Good flavor, goes well with grain, but too dry texture, crispy on edges and only the largest pieces remain juicy. read more

I've been to Arizona and California and I've eaten where the locals tell me I can get the best Mexican food, and I have NEVER found tortillas as good as back home in Baltimore, at Tortilleria Sinaloa. They're so achingly fresh and perfect that they never feel like a mere conveyance for the filling in their tacos. And the fillings are so tasty - and the salsas are SO TASTY - that the tortillas have to be really something to hold their own. But they do. A shout out to the delicious, smoky red salsa too. You, my friend, hurt so good. I'm always sorry I ate you, but never sorry enough to not go back. If you want further proof that this is some real Mexican food, stop here for lunch on a Sunday. You'll find a line out the door of abuelas waiting to buy a chilo of tortilla for Sunday dinner. read more

I had probably the best tamale in my life here at Tortilleria Sinaloa. It even beats the abuela-made tamales that my roommate's dad would fly up from Brownsville back during my Notre Dame days. That's how legit this is. I tried three things: ~tamale con pollo y queso: standard chicken and cheese in a corn husk ~tamale oaxacalan: seasoned pork-belly tamale wrapped and cooked in banana leaf ~homemade guacamole While Tortilleria Sinaloa is known for their fresh chips and their tacos, they need to be put on the map for their tamales. Especially the Tamale Oaxacalan. Tamale con Pollo y Queso (Chicken and Cheese tamale) PROS -moist and not dried out like Trader Joe's frozen ones -meat was also moist, good quantity CONS -couldn't really taste the cheese but overall was good for a tamale -slightly small for $3 when I've had ones the same size for $2 in Chicago. Then again, those were sold off the bed of a pickup truck so I suppose this isn't really a con if you factor in rent and utilities as well as labor. Tamale Oaxacalan PROS -best tamale I've had in my life -pork belly was so full of flavor: fat melts right into the masa -banana leaf adds a nice tropical scent/flavor but is not overpowering CONS -not the healthiest: tamales are made with lard so the extra pork fat doesn't help with the cholesterol -I didn't order two of these Guacamole PROS -Fresh -can order different sizes CONS -not as chunky as I would like it. I like nice big chunks of avocado to scoop onto my tortilla chips. As mentioned before, I am so sad that I discovered this gem of a place only 2 weeks before I head out of Baltimore. I love it so much I may actually come back and order six tamales for the road. Pictures here: https://rammiegirl.wordpress.com/2015/07/08/an-atlantan-in-baltimore-legit-mexican/ Enjoy! read more

I'm Mexican and this is the only place that I know in Baltimore with really authentic Mexican tacos. The ingredients are fresh and the tacos are prepared just like they would be in Mexico. Open face on 2 corn tortillas (made daily in house) with a hearty serving of the protein, and sides of radish, onion, cilantro and green and red salsa. Seriously, these tacos are legit! I LOVE THEM and the owners are so friendly! The flan is also super bad ass and is made in house with fresh ingredients. I took a slice to school with me and let some friends try it and they basically stole it from me because they couldn't get enough. Oh and they have glass bottle coke, my favorite! read more

The fresh tortillas, sold by the kilo, are to die for. Cheat -- don't wait until you get home to try one of the warm delicious corn tortillas. Freshly fried tortilla chips are also sold by the (large) bag, and are equally as irresistible. The experience is roughly that of going to a Krispy Kreme for the first time as the donuts come fresh off the giant donut contraption... Tacos are also sold, but I've never ventured beyond the core tortilla factory business... read more

Got a little lost coming here but so worth it!! I tried the pesca tacos and pollo tamale. Both were so good. My favorite would probably be the fish tacos, the fish pieces were big and juicy. The homemade tortilla chips were crispy and yummy!! read more

Trying to catch the attention of those who are staying at the Inner Harbor and who want to do something different: take the (FREE) Circulator transportation system to the corner of Eastern and Central, hop off, and walk several blocks until you get to Tortilleria Sinaloa. One of the first things I did upon arriving in Baltimore from Seattle was to Yelp nearby restaurants. I was disappointed, though not surprised, to learn most of the eating establishments near the Convention Center and my hotel room at the Hilton had poor reviews. Yelp to the rescue. Tortilleria Sinaloa, about 1.5 miles east of the Convention Center, is accessible by the free Circulator for those who do not wish or do not have time to walk toward Fells Point. The place is very small, so anyone wanting a seat at the counter may consider eating before or after the meal rush times. With tamales not often on menus, I always order them when I see them in a Mexican restaurant. The chicken tamales at Tortilleria Sinaloa did not disappoint, and were under $3 each the day I was there. My friend reported her quesadilla with beans as scrumptious. We each had a bottle of water with our lunches, and the grand total was well under $20 for both of us. The only drawbacks for me: our food did not arrive at the same time, and my friend had to go through the kitchen to get to the bathroom facilities. Pleasant surprise: the owner, or someone very much involved with Tortilleria, was extremely nice. He asked us if we needed any help, and when we responded we were just waiting for my friend's meal, he went back to the kitchen, came back and reported it would arrive in two minutes--and it did. After we had licked our plates clean, the gentleman checked back in with us to make sure all was good. And it was. read more

I've left Baltimore and live in L.A. now, where tacos are king. Still, I find myself thinking about this place even when there are so many great tacos to be had here; probably because this was my first taste at more authentic Mexican food- the Sinaloa region to be more exact. I had been used to re-fried beans, cheese, and hard shell tacos most of my life- eating here was a mind-altering experience. The space is small, and if you're timing isn't right you'll be confused as to where you can eat your food, as there are only about 6-7 counter seats. Also, you have to walk through the kitchen to the back of the space to use the bathroom- A bit more casual than I'd like. I came in a group of 3, well before the dinner rush started, and found the place empty- score. I ordered one of the following: Pollo, Barbacoa, & Chorizo. All are served on 2 housemade tortillas. Why 2? After the juices start to run, you'll be glad they did- the tacos are all juicy and flavorful, and you can tell very few if any of their ingredients were pulled out of a freezer. The onion-cilantro topping is freshly cut, and the salsas are great as well. They also give you a little cup of guac with your tacos, just to nibble on. I shared the housemade chips&guac as well- the chips are crispy& flavorful, the guac simple. They let the more intense flavors from the tacos speak for themselves. Roll up your sleeves before you start eating, or the cuffs on that white dress shirt of yours will be sacrificed to the taco gods! Many of the customers are locals, and take-out seems to be an integral part of their business. You can run in and buy a kilo (Viva el sistema métrico!) of chips, or one of their meat choices to make your dish. I look forward to eating there on my next visit home- read more

This section of Fells has a number of good Mexican restaurants but Tortilleria Sinaloa is my go-to. I'm particularly fond of the barbacoa tacos, chorizo quesadillas (their quesadillas are really good), and pork tamales. As another reviewer wrote, their veggie options are of a much lower quality (think frozen peas and corn kernels). They are allegedly open until 7, but they close when they run out of ingredients (which is how you know it's good), which is usually closer to 5:30. read more

I honestly don't know where the good reviews are coming from. My fiancee and I walked in with moderately high expectations. We had read all of the great reviews on Yelp, and had been spoiled by a fantastic taqueria that sits kitty corner to us in Upper Fells. Having just moved to the city and having had a taste of some pretty good tacos elsewhere, I thought I had just hit the goldmine of living in a city with multiple fantastic taco joints. Apparently not. As we walked into the cramped confines of the restaurant, it was packed, so we resolved to order our tacos to go. The woman behind the desk seemed annoyed to be taking our orders, even before we had spoken a single word and were just taking in the menu. My fiancee ordered first, and asked for no cilantro to be added, as she has a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap (seriously, check it out: http://bit.ly/Pc0bCy). This seemed to be the final straw for any semblance of customer service that the woman had deigned to give us. She spoke extremely softly and not directly at us, which made it very hard for us to hear her over the sounds of the kitchen, and she got increasingly impatient with us as we asked her to repeat herself. When it came to be my turn, I asked for two Al Pastor tacos, as the quality of these have become my standard test for new taquerias. I also asked for no cilantro, and asked if they had cheese that could be added to it. The woman glared at me for a moment, and when I continued looking at her waiting for a response, she finally said, "No." So, okay, fine. I've had fantastic food before from places with abysmal customer service. I can also respect that if you believe you're serving up the best authentic Mexican food around, you get to dictate what you do and do not put on your menu. We waited while three other customers came, ordered, received their food and left, before we finally got our food. After the sad excuse for customer service, the ridiculously long wait, the food should have been something better than a C+ in quality. It was not. The meat was lacking flavor, and the only saving grace was their green sauce, which was only a B in quality itself. I know it's a "cool" thing right now to find hole-in-the-wall restaurants that do "authentic food" and won't compromise with American standards. I am generally a fan of such restaurants, but I do require the quality to be there, and it simply is not here. If you simply want to be seen walking into such a restaurant to uphold your hipster cred, then fine - but don't tell me that the food is better than anywhere else. Tijuana Tacos is a 5 minute drive away, and that's where I'll be keeping my business. The staff is friendlier, willing to doctor up your tacos the way you want them, and the food is light years ahead of this place. I won't be back. read more