El Faro #2

Mexican restaurant · Riverside

El Faro #2

Mexican restaurant · Riverside

1

3422 S Harlem Ave, Riverside, IL 60546, USA

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El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null
El Faro #2 by null

Highlights

Giant burritos, tacos & chili rellenos, salsa bar  

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3422 S Harlem Ave, Riverside, IL 60546, USA Get directions

elfaros.com
@el_faro_2

$10–20 · Menu

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3422 S Harlem Ave, Riverside, IL 60546, USA Get directions

+1 708 777 1347
elfaros.com
@el_faro_2

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 7, 2025

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Chicago’s Restaurant and Bar Closures for 2019 - Eater Chicago

"Owners of Czech favorite Riverside Restaurant announced they are retiring and closing the restaurant on April 19." - Ashok Selvam

https://chicago.eater.com/2019/1/14/18182185/chicago-restaurant-bar-closures-2019
View Postcard for El Faro #2

Raul Villarreal

Google
I gave this place a second chance. 1st time they didn't want make my food until I paid for it. So I gave my card over the phone which I'm not really comfortable with doing. This time I placed an order to go and even though I placed it an hour before I arrived they didn't have it ready. They literally started cooking it when we arrived to pick it up. I will not be giving them another chance.

Lisa Voigts-Guzman

Google
I came here spontaneously after driving past it for years. I ordered the taco dinner (2 steak, 1 chicken) & a horchata. The steak was flavorful with only a couple fatty pieces. The chicken was very juicy. The beans were piping hot & the rice was also very warm but both were a bit bland imo. The horchata was deliciously sweet without being too overpowering. If Google Maps had half stars I’d give it a 3.5, but the friendly & quick service bumped it to a 4. I don’t think I’ll come by again, but I’m glad to have finally tried it out!

Elis

Google
Those were the best tacos I’ve ever had. 10/10 would come again

Kevin W.

Google
I usually order from these guys because I always liked their burritos. Sad thing is over the last couple of months their burritos have gotten a lot smaller. It went from a little smaller a couple of months ago to really small the other day. I like a burrito to fill me up, not tease me. I may try one more time somewhere up the road, but if little burritos show up again it will be time to find my new go to burrito place

Rafael Spahija

Google
This was the worst food I had ever had. I ordered a chicken burrito and a steak torta it was done in 15 minutes The chicken burrito was soggy and wet as well as the steak torta. I threw them both away after one bite. I would not recommend anybody going back to this restaurants

EL GUERITO MAYO

Google
I got nothing but Nervy Meat in my Tacos and Burritos Tortilla Not cooked and I Got Stomach Flu After This Never Ever Buying Again . 🤢🤮🤢🤮

Jessica Avendano

Google
I ordered for delivery and they forgot to pack one of my items and could not get refunded. The “steak” they put on tacos is not steak and whatever meat it is, is dry and discolored. Not worth the price and honestly I don’t know how they have 4 stars for the quality of the food I received.

Justin Reyes

Google
I ordered uber eats and the tortillas literally tasted two days old. I ordered enchiladas and they barely even had any salsa on them. I would not recommend wasting your time and money here. Complete trash
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Gourmet-Guy A.

Yelp
Have you ever eaten at the Nuevo Leon on 18th St. in Pilsen? It was the quintessential Mexican diner. Just great authentic Tex-Mex food for just a few pesos. Well the El Faro in Riverside IL reminds me of Nuevo León. Tasty tacos, comfortable booths, attentive service at reasonable $$. Ask for Lalo when you're there. He'll suggest some nice specials or recommendations.

Daniel T.

Yelp
Massively big and excellent burritos at great prices just like their sister location in Summit. They even have a vegetarian selection -- I tried the Chile relleño burrito and it was fantastic -- great friendly service and even have a sauce bar. Definitely come check it out! It's a hidden gem at the moment
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Tamika T.

Yelp
The service at first was good. I did not like my steak burrito because it tasted funny. I did not eat mine. I did talk to my waiter. I had to talk to another waitress & she told me because I ate some of the burrito. I had to pay for it. I said I took 4 bites off of it & it doesn't taste right. I was told that there wasn't a manager & nothing could be resolved. Another lady came out very highten and rude. Her presentation wasn't pleasant. She told me I do not have to pay for the burrito. Thank you. She could of been nicer. I did appreciate my first two waitress & waiter I had. This experience was not the greatest. #Maybenexttime.

William S.

Yelp
The food has changed cooks , which made the food way better. Food prices are way better,than other locations. I haven't tried every item on the menu. But I do recommend this place highly due to the attention of the server tending to your needs. Parking is limited but you do have parking on the side.on the street. Nice and cozy for 2 or more if you have a family.

Iven G.

Yelp
Terrible food and the service was very strange. Don't bother wasting your money here as everything is expensive now in days so you're better off spending more money at a better tasting spot.

Ryne Q.

Yelp
This is our normal friday spot. Everything is good from tacos, burritos and nachos! Great ownership with great prices. Best green salsa and al pastor.
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Sharon V.

Yelp
I've ordered pick up probably once a week (or every other week) since the beginning of the year and the food has always been spot on. Quality is consistent and the prices are reasonable. This part isn't a big deal for me but prices are a bit different on Grubhub vs when you call in an order, so I'd definitely call your orders in. Must try the chicken tacos! Finally a place where their chicken isn't dry and has a lot of flavor!
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Stephen M.

Yelp
Great food for the price, $7 for a giant steak burrito but it's not the best quality. It's decent quality, just not awesome. Still, I'd eat here again.
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Brittany T.

Yelp
The steak was so dry and tasteless. This was my first time here I usually got to the original one..
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Beatriz A.

Yelp
The food is great! Tacos are delicious, tostadas are delicious, pretty much everything is just great, the restaurant is very clean, they have hand sanitizer and different areas and next to their salsa bar which important, the staff is so friendly, the service is just great.
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Mickey E.

Yelp
I been going to El Faro in summit for 25 years, I asked when I walked in if this was the same recipe and menu, they said yes. A big lie, my burrito was so greasy it messed up my car seat, the meat was super salty & greasy. The meat is not the same as in summit and is super greasy and salty, when I called they said it was the same but I know my taste buds. Plus it was missing the lettuce and tomatoes. Never going to this spot again. I could not eat it. They must never ate their own food or something. This ain't it champ, do better.
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Alyssa S.

Yelp
I was exploring restaurants on Uber Eats and came across this one. The menu looked appealing and there wasn't a long estimated delivery time so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the chicken quesadilla dinner, a steak taco and a ground beef taco. One thing I liked was the options that come up when placing your order. You can choose corn or flour tortillas. For the tacos you can choose what you want on them like lettuce, tomato, onions, cilantro, cheese, etc.. And for the options that are an additional charge that info is on there as well. You can even indicate if you want limes with your tacos. I ordered flour tortillas for my chicken quesadilla dinner. It came with 4 tortillas folded over which made for four halves. The contained the right amount of chicken and cheese. perfect balance and was very flavorful and the chicken was not dry (which sometimes happens with chicken tacos and quesadillas). The dinner also came with rice and beans and lettuce and tomatoes. Quite delicious. Since it was my first time I also wanted to try different tacos so I ordered the ground beef taco with cheese, lettuce, tomato and sour cream. I ordered the steak taco with onions and cilantro, both on corn tortillas. The tacos came exactly as ordered and hade a very generous amount of meat . They were very good. Along with the order came green salsa and carrot peppers (not sure of the proper name but its the pickled carrots and jalapenos. I call them carrot peppers..lol). Overall I really enjoyed my meal and I will order from them again.
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Louie V.

Yelp
No. Just no. I go to the normal el faro in summit because they are great. You would think they would bring some people from that location over to this one til these guys get on their feet. Nah. Ordered a steak burrito. Nothing too hard, right? After all that's what this place is known for. First whoever rolled it must have previously worked at subway because it looked more like a sub then a burrito. Wasn't even wrapped tight, this burrito was legit looser then Brittany spears in her prime, it just flopped all over the place. Next the grease... I know this is Chicago where we get our beefs dipped, but this was baptized and washed of all sin in grease. There was so much grease that the grease made it passed the foil. The meat was salty and overall after 2 bites I'm ready to throw it out. It's a shame, not a fan of writing bad reviews specially to Latino owned business, but this was worse then what I would expect if a Karen decided to have a taco nite. Go at your own risk or give it time. LOTS OF TIME. They have a bunch to work on as far as order taking etc, but more so they have to work on with making their food right.
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Ramiro O.

Yelp
Home of the "regular" burrito. Nothing giant about it. If you want a giant burrito, do yourself a favor and go to Martinez Market in Bridgeport. You'll thank me later. There was a lot of extra tortilla and not enough of the fillings. Although I didn't get a bean burrito like some of the pics here I got a lot of tortilla. The steak wasn't that bad like some places that use that 70% fat and 30% cheap meat but it could of been way better and could of been more. After all I did order a steak burrito. On the plus side, the red salsa was really good. I went around lunch time and the wait was not long at all. I ordered to go.

Kevin C.

Yelp
Worst customer service ever! I ordered delivery and got the wrong order. I asked to speak to a manager but was told a manager was not on duty. I asked how we could make it right but was told there was nothing "they" could do. I was also told that they would take a "note" of the mistake. After an awkward pause of 5 seconds, the person named "Jose" who would not give a last name, hung up on me. I tried calling multiple times after and they did not answer. Terrible...
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Jennifer Q.

Yelp
Cute place - liked the vibe and the service was fast. Nice atmosphere for your neighborhood Mexican joint. Decent menu of what you would normally find in a Mexican restaurant and I liked the little salsa bar. Welcome to the neighboorhood!

Wanda W.

Yelp
Ordered via Uber Eats. 3 tacos, all with mushy and tasteless stuff (meat - beef, lengua- and avocado) inside. Unripe tomatoes on top of flattened, smashed tacos. Tasteless beans covered with gross, melted cheese. 75% + ended in garbage. Never again.
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Vito F.

Yelp
Now I gotta post about this BS. 2nd time. I ordered 2 well done Quesadillas and both were wayyyy undercooked... ordered 2 pozoles, absolutely no fixings- was told they don't give out fixings...phone was left off the hook, kids running the place said they did it on purpose to avoid doing work. AND NOW ITS TIME TO NEVER GET THIS PLACE MY BUSINESS. They refunded me $10 for one of the quesadillas, at this point I don't even care. Liars work here- you complain about something and they try to normalize the BS, ie, "our cheese doesn't melt, it's not supposed to in our quesadillas". Man never again.

Carlos M.

Yelp
The best place here in Berwyn tacos burritos my favorite drinks. Jarrito also have a lot of variety of food besides tacos. Pozole menudo. My wife she doesn't like but I don't care is why I divorce her People so friendly most everyone in the rest I fully recommend the best part of this is not to expensive is really affordable come to this place el faro.

Don R.

Yelp
I have been a regular, and long time, customer of the El Faro on Archer in Summit. This location in Riverside is more comfortable for stay in dining. The steak burrito was great! I noticed many other patrons having Tostadas. They looked good. Next time.....

Landyn S.

Yelp
The Food was great ended up getting 4 tacos the Service pretty good the Ambience was really nice I fell very comfortable but 9.5 out of 10 I would recommend
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Maureen F.

Yelp
We happened upon this gem by accident! We have ordered several times since and in a wide range of different dishes and we cannot say enough great things about it. We love it! Great portion sizes, good prices and fantastic quality. Highly recommend.
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Jeni G.

Yelp
Horrible service, tried this place TWICE and sadly they got the order wrong. Such a disappointment. Will never come back. Any recommendations for good Mexican food in the area?!
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Michael G.

Yelp
I'm giving five stars mostly for its relationship to the original. Don't get me wrong, the burritos here are great. But there's something lacking about the atmosphere. I'm glad it's much closer then the original. But I might still have to go back to the place I've been going to since I was a teenager. I can't speak to the whole menu as I've only had the burritos. I usually get the burrito dinner with rice and beans. Always top notch, and always filling.
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kerry s.

Yelp
I understand they just opened but they need more people. They only have 1 cashier for a long line. They are wasting all the booths along the front area because people have to stand and wait to order. No one will want to have people's butts in their faces as they eat. Their prices lie from their pamphlet menu and the board. Odd that would happen because they just opened less then 2 weeks ago. If you get a burrito meal just be warned its not $7.34 like it says in the pamphlet its actually $8.25. They have a salsa bar with stale store bought chips. My burrito had big chunks of fatty steak. Very tasteless that's sad because their original restaurant tasted great.
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Tim S.

Yelp
All the reviews saying it takes forever are from when they opened and were crazy busy. Got pickup for 4 meals and it took 10 minutes, everything was amazing
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Mary R.

Yelp
Great service , friendly staff & delicious food. So glad we stopped in. We will definitely order from here again .
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Triana P.

Yelp
This place has the best food, the best atmosphere and the greatest owners. I ordered torta and it was big. My son ordered a burrito and it was gigante. They even have a salsa station which was nice and convenient. The dining area was nice and roomy. They also have hand sanitizer everywhere.
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Aly F.

Yelp
Delicious food, huge portions, and a clean and friendly environment. Lots of extras included in our order, they are very generous! Plenty of parking available. Fun salsa bar for dine in customers.
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Adam B.

Yelp
1st day jitters for these guys but I know they will do great. The decor is so much better than #1. Will definitely be returning to this staple of the community soon. The food was great as always. Good luck El Faro #2!!!
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Marilyn L.

Yelp
Terrible, food cold and tasteless. Never again. Don't waste 10 cents or 20 minutes in there! One star is generous.
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Leo B.

Yelp
Met a group of ~10 friends+kids for a cheap taco group date. Overall, I was happily surprised by this place after having read their earlier reviews, which probably were a result of some startup growing pains being that this place just opened. They operate on a hybrid arrangement where you order your food at a counter upon entry and they bring it to your table. FOOD -- They have your typical Mexican fast food fare. I had the chicken burrito and it was delicious, though rumor has it that the pork burrito is where it's at. The two salsas I tried were good, though the extra hot green salsa could have been hotter (but then again, I've burned off my taste buds over the years from mom's spicy food). SERVICE -- I think this is what surprised me the most. By the time I ordered and made a pit stop at the salsa bar, the food arrived at my table before I did! I was in "fat kid" mode, so definitely appreciated the speedy service. After our meal, we lingered about while catching up with our friends and a lady amicably checked in us twice if we were OK and offered us coffee (presumably on the house). Not that ambiance is a big deciding factor with a place like this but a Touchtunes jukebox or some background music would be a nice touch. In summary, I don't live near this place but if I did, I could totally see myself frequenting this place often.
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Lin R.

Yelp
Authentic recipes ... The food was really delicious! I enjoyed steak tacos meal & my son had a giant burrito. Less than 16$ for 2 people to enjoy our a delicious meal! I will be back. Sn the Argo late night location is a family favorite

Jim M.

Yelp
Ordered for the first time and couldn't have been more disappointed. I ordered a burrito with chicken, beans, cheese, sour cream and rice. They sent a soggy burrito with chicken, tomatoes and lettuce. They also did not include the beans and rice that were supposed to be included in a quesadilla meal. I called and was put on hold for 7 minutes and then when I told them what was wrong, the helpful guy told me that they couldn't send out the correct food. So sorry, but basically we don't care. Do not order from these guys. Who knows what you'll get, but it won't be the correct items.
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Joel G.

Yelp
Took one bite and asked for my money back. Went to Zacatacos instead. Torta was so burnt I showed the waitress how it was just charred meat. The reply... "that's how we make it". The steak in the taco had to be 3/4 days old. I know el faro isn't known for their lunch, more for their 3 am food. But come on. Have some respect for the food you serve. While we were there other orders were being returned. Apparently they need to learn to cook‍. I never write reviews. This one deserved a review.
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Khalid M.

Yelp
She had me on hold for 10 minutes I'm guessing she forgot I was on hold I can hear their whole conversation laughing and giggling I was calling them to let them know that I ordered 2 chicken tacos and it was literally fat and bone it got stuck in my gums mad painful
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Joanne G.

Yelp
I'm being generous with a second star only because the staff is very friendly, the restaurant is clean and the food was prepared quickly and was served hot. That's where the compliments end. My steak burrito was the absolute worst I've ever had. The meat was greasy and fatty. The only flavor--no seasoning, no char--was a weird, overpowering taste of cinnamon. Add to that a microscopic amount of lettuce, tomato and cheese and wrap it in a stale tortilla. Next time I want an El Faro burrito, I'll get wasted and Uber to the original in Summit at 2am. As for #2 (appropriately named), it's not worth the three block walk.

Nancy Z.

Yelp
This is by far the worst Mexican food I ever had. Ordered a taco dinner steak and pork very greasy low end meat. The rice was tasteless and the beans were horrible. Not to mention the restaurant was freezing they had no heat on Do not waste your time or money at this place Also ordered side of guacamole and chips and they were horrible too tasteless I will never go back to this restaurant again! I would not have given it any star at all
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Juanita A.

Yelp
The husband and I had high hopes. We both grew up north side Chicago and we miss the authentic Mexican restaurants. I ordered a breakfast steak burrito and let me tell you how disgusting it was. For starters the "steak" looked like ground beef and nothing but fat. I couldn't even eat it. And They have a hot sauce bar with two sauces we will stick to zacatacos. The meat quality is way better!
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Christina P.

Yelp
I came here and got the Chile's rellenos. They had a good flavor but were in a pile of oil. The rice tasted like it was bad already. The tortillas were microwaved. They were al stiff and could tell they were old. They made a quesadilla was microwaved to melt the cheese... this faro is nothing compared to the other faro. Not worth the quality.

Felix V.

Yelp
I had a very bad experience this past weekend, on the phone I placed an order for Menudo and asked for Hominy and he asked me if I wanted the foot(pata) and I said yes also I asked for 2 chicken tacos, I shortly picked up my order when I got home the Menudo had no Hominy and no foot(pata) also the chicken in the taco was dried with no flavor, I called immediately and explained what happened to me and he apologized but couldn't do anything about and took my phone number for a Manager to call me this Tuesday and never received a call at all, I took it upon myself to call El Faro II and spoke to a Manager Martha and I explained my issue and she said I never got charged for the Hominy and there was no more foot(pata) left and I responded the guy on the phone didn't disclose that to me but he apologized. Martha began to give me an attitude telling me she can't replace the order because I never got charged for the Hominy and I repeatedly said that's not the point I didn't get what I ordered and was unhappy and her attitude got worst and I commented all Mexican Restaurants always put Hominy in a Menudo including in Mexico and I also mentioned other Mexican Restaurants locally and she responded "why don't I go there then" finally I asked her what can we do to resolve this and she said she'll give me two tacos and I responded I'm concerned about the Menudo and she replied "I'm not going to replace the Menudo free no way" then her attitude escalated and I said I would give a bad review and rating and she answered "that's fine" with no remorse or make a customer happy. This restaurant is never busy at all on an every day basis and I advise people that know Mexican food not to eat there and poor customer service with a poor Manager with attitude.
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A I.

Yelp
I placed a very simple order online: steak burrito with everything and steak taco dinner with cheese and avocado. I got a message it would be ready in 10 minutes. Waited almost 40 minutes for food. Brought my food home and it was cold. Tortillas were hard. No cheese in tacos. I will never come back. Ridiculous.
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Grant J.

Yelp
Went at end of lunch 100pm no line and I ordered a chicken Torta. Finally! I got the Tortas like I used to get toasted bun (not stale) soft full of everything I added some salsa verde delicious. The salsa bar has the carrots and peppers there they were exactly like I like them crunchy and tasty.

Jeff A.

Yelp
We come here often. Tacos are inexpensive and the food quality is superb. The owners are super nice hard working people. They really care about their customers and share the love of tacos and burritos with their customers every day. The salsa bar is a nice touch with an assortment of salsa. I prefer El Faro over Zacotaco for price and quality any day. Keep up the good work as we love the food and staff that are always pleasant.
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Erik B.

Yelp
Very dry food, lacked flavor and they did not include any salsa with our order.. Too bad, we were excited to have El Faro in Riverside but this was awful. Maybe management can course correct, but this current product is a fail.
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Ric C.

Yelp
The food was alright nothing special. The menu is very limited. No waitresses and you order at front register! Not the best place but not the worst
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Dick T.

Yelp
Excellent steak burriots. No fatty pieces of meat and decently filled with ingredients.

Melissa J.

Yelp
EXTERMLY SLOW totally not ready to open know body knows what their doing waited 25 minutes for the Apple Pay not to work there was a total 6 people in front of me. So waited 25 minutes for 6 people for the machine not to work don't go here horrible service the cashier was on his phone not paying attention. Awful service awful restaurant don't go here. Will give them another chance but very slow bad first impression.

J Z.

Yelp
Stopped for take out tonight. Service was quick and friendly but the food was horrible. The steak was in huge chunks, dry, overcooked and full of fat. The chicken was flavorless like it was boiled and used to make chicken stock, and it had bones in it. The beans and rice were also flavorless and the rice was dry and overcooked. We threw almost all of it in the garbage. I'd give it zero stars if I could.