Boca Chica Taco House

I love coming here and it’s my favorite spot for fast food tacos. It’s consistently tasty, affordable and I would say it is comfort food. My go-tos are the soft shell beef tacos (add tomatoes for free) and the potato burrito. The shells are tasty and don’t fall apart very easily. The beef is well seasoned and not dry. The toppings are always fresh. The burrito is really tasty, it’s in a flour shell which is also good. The potatoes inside the burrito stay crispy which is impressive! The interior has changed a lot since the pandemic. There’s no more salsa bar, you need to request salsas when you order (which is fine) One per item. It’s a really good salsa so do not miss out on that. The seating areas have changed as well and I hope they revisit making the interior look nicer. There used to be booths; they’re now swapped with tables and bar style seating. There aren’t as many tables as there used to be and there’s a to-go window that was established during the pandemic where there was seating and the salsa bar. The main room has very few spots for sitting. I also noticed that the cups and wrapping have changed. There used to be purple cups with a bull on it: it was cute. I do miss the ‘old’ taco house but the food is still really good, affordable and comforting.

My partner and I used to Door Dash from here, the people were always so nice and kind. We decided to give them a try, the food is so delicious and fresh. The prices are very reasonable, you get alot of value for your money. We are so happy that we will be back very soon. The young lady at the counter we so sweet and nice. We told her it was our first time as customers she helped us with our decisions. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Stopped for lunch. I have been coming here since they opened. Always great food at a reasonable price and a good variety to choose from.

Everything about this experience was absolutely wonderful. The female cashier is always so super nice and very beautiful she pretty like selena. Order a number 7 and a taco burrito it was amazing they will have my money for life. Good Job please keep up the good work yall are wonderful beautiful people.

I ordered a #5 beef taco (soft shell) combo meal and a beef enchilada. The soft shells are supposed to be flour taco shells, but the ones I got were corn. I also asked for no tomatoes but one of the tacos came with tomatoes. The beef in the tacos and the enchilada as far as I could tell had no seasoning at all, no flavor. The salsa was very generic with very little taste to it as well. Very disappointing, since I have eaten across the street at the restaurant and really enjoyed the food. I was expecting something better, but if I want Mexican fast food, I will go to Taco Bell next time.

Hands down the BEST Mexican food i have ever had! I can tell you for a fact that you can't find better Mexican food in Minnesota. The pics i took don't do it justice. If you haven't eaten here you need to try it and you'll know what i mean. They know what they're doing and they do it better than anyone. Packed with flavor and made perfect to order. La comida y el servicio son excelentes! And the prices are more than reasonable!!

Stopped for the first time a couple of weeks ago and have been back twice since 😀 Food is fresh and delicious and customer service is very friendly. Both the steak and chicken fajita tacos were excellent 👌 Looking forward to my next visit.

Great food. Indoor and outdoor patio seating. Take Out available. Family friendly. Close to Wabasha Brewing, Robert Piram bike trail, Harriet Island and downtown St. Paul for to go picnics. Boca Chica restaurant across the street for formal slow food dining.

Good food, just stopped in very quickly to get some food for the road and the vibes were great and welcoming. Servers helped with food questions, and the actual items were delicious. Definitely worth stopping by for some cheap and delicious food.

Visited 5/18/24. Taco house will forever be a fave. My family's favorite thing to do is get taco house take out and eat with beers at Wabasha brewing (would definitely recommend). Are things slightly greasier here? Of course, but that's part of the appeal. The enchiladas are my fave and both beef and cheese are consistently solid. I also adore the rice. My sister got a veg taco burrito and my mom got a few hard shells. Overall, the place is a St. Paul staple that I recommend to many. Sit on Wabasha's patio, stretch out and sip some brews while enjoying this food!

3.5/5 went here because we were in the area and hungry. ordered the 6 pack of al pastor tacos (taco Tuesday special) and a side of chips and cheese. the chips and cheese were ok. the cheese had a little better flavor than other cheese sauce, but I wouldn't get them again. the al pastor tacos were decent, but greasy. fingers were covered in grease after picking up the first one. the soft corn tortillas were mostly falling apart by the time we got to the third taco. the flavor was good, but not great. I've had better from other places. overall, I'd give this place another try (maybe try the carnitas), but I wouldn't go out of my way.

The refried beans seem to have too much salt on them the rice and the enchilada were dried out the enchiladas had no enchilada sauce on them very disappointing because I always been happy with the food before

Wish it was like the good old days. The burritos are the size of the kids menu burritos. So small they're like a snack. Chipotle makes bigger burritos and that's pretty sad! Get your burrito right Taco House! Just gotta add more beans,sheesh!‍ But, needless to say, food is tasty

Love the staff! I wish I could remember her name. BUT she is working tonite 11/22/23 and I just think she is the BEST! And la comida was on point as usual. Not expensive with amazing staff and great food. My daughter and I are all about the sopes and cheese enchiladas.

Great atmosphere! Great food! Sat in the bar area and had a blast. Chips and guacamole- great! Mezcal Margarita- great!

Stopped by for some to go tacos after leaving wabasha brewing. Definitely did not disappoint. Favorites include the beef flour tacos and chicken hard shell tacos. Salsa was great. Service was speedy!

Fast food type tacos. Tiny version of the Boca Chica restaurant across the street (downtown St. Paul). Coke fountain drinks. Seating is mostly along bar counters against the wall. (Only 3 tables in dining room). Tacos beef or chicken, deep fried or hard shell (corn) or soft shell. Lots of cheese. Papitas, refried beans, and chips and salsa (a bit spicy, but free). All packaged to go in bags.

Oh my, I just love coming to the Taco House! First off, this is a separate restaurant from Boca Chica's. Some people get confused. Anyway... If you get anything, be a little boring and get the original tacos. The flour shells are amazing and the beef is seasoned wonderfully so the whole thing just melts in your mouth (literally). I have found recently that I love the taquitos with rice. The pepitas are also a fave of nine. Make sure to get a bit of the salsa too. It packs a Minnesota punch, but is so great on the tacos or the pepitas. Upgrade to a bottle of jarritos instead of a fountain drink.

counter staff person very rude! bought $40 in tacos and the 4 chicken tacos I ordered for my child... had very little in the corn shell, requested flour shell and orange cheese... I was told after i ordered and paid.. they don't make chicken flour shell tacos.. they only make beef fried tacos.. so she would not remake them on flour shells.. even after explaining my child wouldn't eat a corn shell and the white cheese... did not refund.. was very rude and cold.. we love taco house fried tacos and have been coming here for many years... very unfortunate that the counter person is so very rude and seems very unhappy doing her job!!

The food is on point, I and my wife will drive to St. Paul for good authentic Mexican Food.

We headed to Boca Chica because it was close to the park. Sometimes you look at a place on the outside and it looks like a dive but the food is amazing. This is not that. We ordered chips and cheese, cheese quesadillas (this is not a quesadilla), carnitas tacos, a chicken burrito, and chicken tacos. The only edible option in the items we ordered was the pork taco. These were served in corn soft shells. I asked for the same but in flour. I was told that wasn't an option. I then asked for a pork burrito. They said they wouldn't make a pork taco. I asked for any menu item with pork that didn't have corn soft shells. She told me there was nothing available. The chicken in the burrito is dry, overcooked, unseasoned chicken. The cheese "quesadilla" is just a rolled up four tortilla with melted cheddar. When you order Mexican cheese, you expect a white queso. Nope. This was nacho cheese like you'd find at any county fair. Absolutely disgusting. We threw away more food than we ate. Side note - there were no tables big enough to seat 5 people. You're better off eating at any chain fast food Mexican restaurant. Literally. Any. Other. Mexican. Restaurant.

Good Mexican-American food. So everything is kind of mushy, but cheesy and pleasant. One thing that makes this place unique is that almost all the items are very small, so you order a few different things, each one you can finish in a few bites. Be sure to ask for the little salsa containers.

This place is such a great idea! It's a nice way to try Boca Chica or grab your favorites without the wait of the larger restaurant. They recently raised their prices after years however seem to still be in market value. They have a number of combos and a kids menu. There's VERY LIMITED SEATING so take your food to go! Good fresh food and spicy salsa!!

Great food, terrible service. Order for pickup and they were missing several items in my order. I called and they said they would have it ready when I returned to pick up the missing item. It was a ten minute drive and it was not done. Twenty minutes later I received my food and it was cold.

I came here during the covid-19 pandemic so my review will be a little different. I never went inside, you have to call ahead of time, give them your car make and model and pay with credit card and they bring out your food to your car. I ordered the #1 combo, cheese enchiladas with beans, rice, and pop, as well as their fried beef tacos, and of course a churro for dessert. They ask when you'll arrive and they'll have it out to your car. It worked very smoothly. I've had the Cheese Enchiladas and fried beef tacos at Boca Chica and since they have the same owners I was hoping it would be the same. It was. So delicious. My mom came shortly after me and said there were 4 other cars waiting, so hopefully they are keeping busy during these tough times. Things are difficult but they have adapted and from my perspective worked good!

It took over 30 MINUTES for four piece churros. The food was good but 30 MINUTES?? that is crazy. I was busy and had to leave but waited EXTRA 10 minutes.

Wowzers. Did I go to Taco House on the wrong day?? Like the rest of the world, I had a craving for tacos on Cinco De Mayo. The place was pretty busy but the lines seemed to be flowing. I ordered a vegetarian burrito, a vegetarian fried taco, rice, and a side of guacamole. I was not very satisfied with my food at all. The house made salsa was bland with no spice. The beans on my taco were salty. The fried taco shell had no crisp. It tasted as if it had been made the day before then warmed up. To make matters worse, the guacamole was also tasteless. I'm going to give Taco House the benefit of a doubt that they were just overly busy and my experience does not speak for all of their business. On the upside, the cashiers at the counter were friendly.

We went to this place on a whim on a Thursday because it was recommended as some of the best authentic Mexican in town. The place feels very traditional and just what you want when you're feeling like REAL Mexican food. Chips and salsa (one hot, one mild) were brought out and the mild salsa was great! Chips were warm and fresh and got our taste buds going big time. We ordered margaritas which were mixed well and for dinner, we got chicken fajitas and classic tacos: 1 beef, 1 pork, 1 chicken. They were both accompanied with rice, black beans and other toppings. The chicken fajitas were brought out piping hot and tasted fantastic. In regards to the tacos, chicken and pork were my favorites but the beef was on the dry side and didn't have much flavor. He corn tortillas unfortunately got a little soggy. I was actually most impressed with the black beans believe it or not. They were sprinkled with cotija cheese and blew away my expectations of boring black beans. All together, this was a great meal and would recommend it to anyone that was a truly authentic Mexican meal

Very nice takeout restaurant, fast service, very popular. Enjoyed a couple of tasty tacos Al pastore. If you're in the area worth a try.

Man oh man. First and foremost, everyone here is super friendly an sweet. I adore this place fo that reason alone. Also, a good taco salad and good sopes are hard to come by these days. I could pay extra for Teresa's in Mendota Heights, or I could pick up something up that's just as good for less than half. I think their new slogan should be, "You may be extra, but your guacamole never will be!"

I fkn love boca chica it is cheap and delicious! my fav things here are the fried flour tacos and the chicken fajita tacos. Also churros are good Someone on yelp complain that the fried flour taco was greasy...no shiz dude, of course its greasy. thats the point. its bomb Chicken fajita tacos are super good, they got really good grilled onions on them and guac!! I love it The best part about Boca chic is that they have homemade salsa picante!!! Big salsa bar in the back of the restaurant, u can fill up 10 little dishes and slather ur tacos in that delicious salsa also dont get the Taco House mixed up with the Restaurant. they are different. go to the Taco house for cheap delicious fast food eats

I wanted to love it, I really did. We pass it often and this place is always busy, so we figured it must be great. I love Mexican food and authentic Mexican is the best. I ordered chicken tacos and rice as a combo. I'm sorry to say the chicken tacos were awful. There was absolutely no flavor or seasoning to it. I threw some salsa on it to allow for some flavor, but typically the meat in a Mexican taco is seasoned. The Mexican rice was not great either. It had soggy peas mixed in it. It too was very bland. The outdoor seating was fun. We sat outside since it was a nice summer evening. I like that they have a kids menu. The kids menu comes with a dessert (churros). I have to say, the churros are the reason for the extra star. I would give the chicken tacos and rice one star, but the churros are really delicious. I was so hopeful this could become a place we regular visit. Unfortunately, we likely won't be back.

Fast service. Delicious food. Cafeteria style seating, but plenty of room as most people pick up food and leave. Can't go wrong with the deep fried tacos, but their taco burrito and standard bean and cheese burrito are also classically good.

Right now Wabasha Street is still blocked from the hillside slide. Taco House & Boca Chica are one of the closed road. Don't be discouraged, just use Robert Street to get to the east side of the road closure. Nothing too fancy here since it's the "to go" or quick bite stop. For not-much-money, you can get a hot and tasty lunch!

this is my favorite spot for Texmex fried flour tacos ARE A MUST not a huge menu but you can try there more traditional restaurant across the street at Boca Chica but if you're in the neighborhood on Wabash Avenue, stop in and get yourself three fried flowered tacos they're the best 5out of 5 you

If you thought you liked Taco Bell, you must try this place. Don't expect anything fancy, it's basically a fast food restaurant with authentic Mexican food. I have been here a handful of times. During my last visit, I ordered the Taco El Pastor (Pork Taco) and the Chicken Flauta. The taco has only seasoned pork and cilantro, note that it doesn't contain tomatoes, lettuce, rice, beans and etc. The Chicken Flauta comes with two fried tacos over lettuce with cheese sauce and cheese bits over it. So yummy, cheap and fast! 4 tacos for a little over $6 bucks. I'm all about the value. Note: Unlimited refill on fresh salsa in the back. If you are looking for a fancier atmosphere, I heard their sister restaurant Boco Chica is just as good, but pricier.

They used to be good but their prices go up every year while their quality goes down. I just ate my take out cheese enchiladas. The cook was too stingy with the cheese so all I could taste was dried out tortillas with gravy. This is the second time this has happened. I've been a loyal customer for more than twenty years, but that will have to change since the stingy cook thinks it is o.k. to put just a teaspoon of cheese in a cheese enchilada and a quarter teaspoon of cheese on top and uses stale tortillas.

My husband and I love tacos. There are a lot of taco joints in this neighborhood, and they're all pretty good. The Boca Chica Taco House has excellent tacos, but even if you're eating there (as opposed to take-out) they still put your food in Styrofoam containers. Styrofoam is nasty stuff. Minneapolis has outlawed it in restaurants. All of the tacos in West St. Paul are good, but we almost always eat at Taco Libre on Roberts because they bring your food on either washable plates or trays or paper plates. Very little waste. We will avoid BCTH until they change their wasteful ways. In summary, excellent tacos, not environmentally friendly.

So disappointed. We got our order home and it was disgusting, it was the wrong tortillas, greasy, flat as a pancake, and if we were lucky, maybe 10 pieces of shredded lettuce per taco. The beans were very salty and the rice super bland. We ended up taking the meat out of the tacos and using our own tortillas, lettuce, tomato and cheese to make our tacos. Mixed the rice and beans together with a little salsa to make them edible. covid has financially hit our family hard we rarely get to eat takeout and I wish we would of taken our $30.00 and gave it to another restaurant that would of taken care in getting our order right and edible. After over 30 years of eating at the taco house it is time to say goodbye.

The soda dispenser/ice machine is gross. There is dirt, or mold, or unknown blackness caked onto the transparent shoot that the ice pops out of. I took a very close look at the rest of the machine and it is terrible. This calls into question every other thing in the entire restaurant. Keep in mind that this is something that management knows that paying customers can see. How do they handle things that paying customers cannot see??? I don't even want to think about it. And I won't because I will never return. Chipotle might not be the best Mexican food out there but I can guarantee they care more about cleanliness by a factor of ten. This should be a one star review but the last tacos I will ever eat there were solidly average, so bumped them up a star. I grew up in the restaurant business so I am begging the management of this place to clean things up before the customers, or lack thereof, closes the doors.

Tried this place for a late 30 minute lunch and was pleasantly surprised. Seeing as all my other attempts at finding Mexican food in Minnesota have proven futile I came in with minimal expectations. There is nothing fancy or over the top about this place which is what I want in a taco shop. The menu is limited which is another plus for a taco shop. Do what you do and do it well. I ordered the tacos al pastor and it hit all the flavor notes needed. I appreciated that these were also full sized tortillas and not the smaller snack size at some taco shops. I also had an order of the flautas. In reality these are taquitos because of the corn not flour tortillas but the filling was tasty and the mexican crema and cotija cheese gave it that authentic kiss at the end. The young lady at the counter was very friendly and managed a number of customers and orders with ease. 4 tacos 2 taquitos and a bottled soda for $11 bucks was easily the best and cheapest taco experience I've had here.

Ok my rating will make sense to Westsider's and anyone lucky enough to have found this place. All others stay away!

Taco House! My average order at this place is Guac and chips (which is incredibly affordable), a sope which is filling and delicious corn cake covered with beans, cotija cheese, lettuce and onions, a beef enchilada which is bathed in a sauce worthy of cheese bomb heaven, a side of rice and a side of beans because this has been a staple for my daughters since they were toddlers and of course... the crisp chicken taco with tomatoes. You have to ask for tomatoes. Now, people swear by the fried flautas, fried shell taco and cheese sauce here at the taco house but I can't indulge on account of a lack of gallbladder. Short story short, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu because it is so affordable, and incredibly delicious. The service has always been friendly and fast and while it isn't the fanciest digs, they keep it clean. The Salsa bar is an amazing phenomena. two buckets are filled with pickled jalepenos and six buckets are filled with their red salsa. Which is delicious. but it is only one choice. They are all essentially the same salsa. The good thing; it is wonderful! I absolutely LOVE it. They also sell it to go. Okay. Five stars may be a bit much. However, when I look at my Twin Cities goto places, Taco House makes the cut. Great service, an amazing salsa atop the crisp chicken taco with tomatoes makes my list. It's a fantastic place and my kids love it too. Go get it!

Amazing & fresh food! Super friendly and helpful staff as well. Super reasonably priced. Honestly anything on the menu is a great pick. I typically get the #4 combo with beans. The #6 is also amazing!

Best fried flour tacos around! We love coming here for a quick bite but it's always consistent and delicious! I had to edit- just found 2 dead ants in our food. Needless to say we didn't finish the rest.

I love this place for fast, delicious, authentic tacos. Their salsa is always fresh and really spicy, which I absolutely love. It's nice they just allow everyone to take as much salsa as they want, otherwise I would be asking them twice for more. I always order the chicken tacos, dairy free, with a side of guacamole. I am not a fan of sour cream nor cheese on my tacos, but if you are, their chicken tacos come with both. I love that they use all white meat chicken on their tacos, this makes such a difference. Great, fast service. Ample parking. This place has been great for years.

Hands down the best fast food Mexican restaurant in Minnesota! Super adorable, great atmosphere, wonderful staff, and the most delicious food. Get the floor tortilla burrito! You can even sit outside and people watch!

The 4 stars are primarily for the authenticity and good flavor of the food. We wanted fast food but not Taco Bell...so decided to try this instead of going farther for something else. The menu is diverse enough if Mexican food is what you are looking for. It is the real deal and was good tasting. What I didn't like was that most of the tables were dirty and no one seemed to be checking on them to clean up after people left. The large parking lot had some trash as well. It was very chilly inside. The salsa bar was messy and 6 bins of almost gone--lots of room for improvement there. My hubby said the men's room was sketchy and if the women's was the same, I should skip it. Duly noted. Give it a try for sure, hopefully some of the things I mentioned will not be an issue when you visit. The prices were very reasonable and the portions good sized. The chips and cheese were too "stadium style" for me, including the tray. The cheese hardens almost right away so it's not made on site. We also had tacos, flautas, and quesadillas. I can't remember if they serve alcohol, I think beer. You order at the counter and they call your number when it's ready. We got there at a good time because while we were sitting there it got really busy with a long line. We even saw some come in and leave without ordering because the line was so line. That is a testament of the good food!

On a recent visit for lunch, I ordered their chicken tacos, soft shell, beans and beverage. My companions ordered beef tacos, soft shell, one with rice and one with beans, and beverages. The counter service was so-so, nothing to compliment there. The food was only so-so, too. I've had much better (specifically, at Casa Lupita out in White Bear Lake). I don't think this is a place I'd seek out in the future.

The food was horrible. Told me the vegetable taco burrito had veggies in and when it only had iceberg lettuce, i was then told that is the only vegetable. The burritos were all served cold and the bean burrito had a tablespoon at best of beans. The cheese enchilada was disgusting. The cheese was all coagulated and just oozing out in a thick lump. Complained twice about food and was told 'that is what it is." Do not waste your money. The chain taco restaurants would have been fifty times better and there are so many other good authentic spots to chose from.

Pretty mediocre. Got chicken and beef tacos and the beef was dry and cold, the chicken was bland and the cheese was more clumpy than shredded. The chips and cheese were decent, the cheese had a nice little spice to it. The churros were good though, definitely my favorite part. All around a very meh experience. Probably won't come back unless I'm craving a churro

The food is good but their customer service is terrible. We ordered online and it said it would be ready in 20-25 minutes but it took almost an hour for our order. Which left us standing and waiting for almost forty minutes. Either they need to adjust their expected ready time or they need to hire better people. We are in an online environment now and they are failing at this so far.

Awesome foof great hours. The best flautas and veggie taco salads. My granddaughter loves food.

I grew up eating Boca Chica with my father as he talked for hours with the man who started the restaurant so long ago. I could eat their hot sauce for breakfast. Enchiladas are to me home comfort foods. The nachos are simple but there's so much delicious cheese on it. It's almost too much.

I don't know what my problem is with no reviewing the places I love the most. Taco House is the Mexican Fast Food of my childhood. Green Chili Quesadillas, Barbacoa Flautas and Taco Burritos. Mmmmmm. Five stars just for the insane cheesy awesomeness of the green chili quesadilla. It's almost dangerous to eat if you don't want to get messy.

Is there such a thing as clean fast food? For $5 I got chips, guac, all the free and fresh salsa I could want and a loaded taco with beef and sour cream. My mind is going to explode. It's like I'm back in the 80's when this was all normal. The supervisor took the time to explain things and gave me a business card even though there was a line (crowd)of hungry people. The guys that work here were moving their asses. I felt bad but it was all just so cool and CHEAP and fresh. Now I'm going across the street for a margarita.

With all due respect I think it's almost laughable how many good reviews this place is getting the food was cheap but it also was Bland soggy and just tasteless and for a lack of better terms the taco meat look like cat food honestly please avoid this place and save your money PS the employees look very sad working there

This is a nice alternative for the fast, convenient on the go mexican meal. Love their tacos and the shells. Meat is always a generous amount and they taste like real tacos versus the tacos with meat that look like sloppy joe meat crammed into shells packaged in New Jersey. It's fairly close, convenient and appealing.