El Jaliciense Méxican Restaurant

This review is based on a take out & im pretty sure it would be a higher rating if I ate at the location. I just ordered their chile relleno and pozole. The chile relleno was delicious, nice amount of egg and cheese. It was cooked perfectly. The pozole was good, lots of meat and the broth was descent. Overall it was a good lunch and I enjoyed it. I’d definitely come back again and try to dine in instead.

This is by far the worst Mexican restaurant that I have ever eaten. I hope I don’t get sick after eating the steak fajitas. The steak was chewy. Salsa was nothing but water and tomatoe. The service was horrible. Oh and at checkout you will be charged 3.5 percent for using a card. I can say one good thing…the Mexican Coke in the bottle was great. #stayaway

One of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever been too, and I recently moved here from southern California! Don't let the simple aesthetic fool you, the menu has a ton of great options, large yet reasonable portion sizes, and great authentic food and drink! They also had sandia (watermelon agua fresca)! Which I don't find most places. I had the birria plate and it was so tender and delicious- a little spicy, but a consistent spicy, not a building kind. My partner had the shrimp tilapia plate and wow were they both perfectly cooked! I'm so happy to have found such good, authentic Mexican food, and especially so close to home. I can't wait to go back and try something else! Update 10/23: Great jamaica and some of the best pastor I've ever had!

After a while of going here, I noticed that they manipulated the cost of my food. The register they use is completely manual and old school. They put in the prices as they see fit. There is no POS system and no itemized receipt they provide. I'm very disappointed, it feels like they do this a lot. I got the same exact order several times, and the price was different depending on who rings me up. I noticed several dollars (not including tips) added on from the price I saw at the register even. The young man with long hair rings up properly; however, the older gents that work there change the prices to juice up the numbers. I'll no longer be going here.

I ordered the peñita plate, which is grilled shrimp and grilled tilapia. The shrimp and its seasoning was AMAZING and I loved the toppings, sides, and corn tortillas that I got with it. Unfortunately, my tilapia (under the shrimp in the picture) definitely seemed overcooked and I only ate about a quarter of it. The server was very friendly and it's a cute lil restaurant.

Huge drinks huge portion sizes great prices and tastiii! Good guacamole too! All very home made. Everything is very delicious!

This place is a little hole in the wall but a great spot to get authentic Mexican food. Getting the food took a while but it’s for sure worth the wait. The birria tacos were soooo good and food tastes fresh and smells REALLY amazing. Salsa is actually Mexican hot and not watered down to be less spicy.

Slowest Mexican restaurant I’ve ever been to. Food was mediocre at best. Did not offer a good selection of food. Don’t waste your time.

Was tired of fried chicken,biscuits and needed a plate if rice,beans, birria and tortillas..yelp brought us here..didn't disappoint..the birria was easily shredded with a fork and the sauce was excellent.Not sure but it seemed like the corn tortillas were made in house..soft and food corn flavor...the service was good and we left happy...definitely recommend

Best Birria Tacos I've had in the 615! 1) Their tacos are huge! 2) lots of cheese and meat! 3) very flavorful consommé (aka what you dip the tacos in) Birria is Not on the menu, gotta ask! The outside maybe underwhelming/nonchalant, but Inside is very nice, and charming! Staff is nice, great salsa, thick horchata, we've been back several times, and now the coworkers go here! still great everytime! Give this place a try!!

Back in Nashville for another visit and went back for more great food. Restaurant was packed on a Saturday night and waited a short time before being seated. Wife ordered the chili rejenos, and I went all in on menudo , a traditional Mexican soup. Both meals came with yellow corn tortillas along with chips and salsa. Everything was perfect seasoned, and excellent. We didn't stay long, but this place is constantly delivering great Mexican food. If you're in the area, give this local business a try, you won't be disappointed!

Great service and the birria tacos are good. The guacamole is the best! Highly recommended

Solid Mexican place. It won't ever get 5 stars just simply because it's not authentic but it knows that and delivers good food. Their burritos are really great.

I've been seeing the birria taco all over social media and really wanted to see what all the fuss is about. So I did a search in East Nashville and found this cozy, hole-in-the-wall restaurant and decided to give them a try. When I showed up today, the parking lot was packed and the restaurant full (I got mine to go). I was immediately greeted by a very friendly gentleman and my order was taken within minutes. I was then given my hot, out of the fryer tacos to go within 15 minutes. All of that was great. And as I stood by the door waiting for my food, I observed other diners in the establishment. They were all very happy and their tables were full of all different types of entrees, including many birria tacos. Obviously, folks are a fan of these at this restaurant. However, I am not a fan of this particular taco. The cook here made mine the authentic way, I'm pretty darn sure. It was deep-fried, meaty cheesy, deliciousness, if you're into that kind of thing. For me, I felt like I had gone out all night long on a bender and had stopped at a greasy spoon Diner to pick up the greasiest menu item to ward off the impending hangover I knew I was going to have (no, I have not been hitting the bottle today.) That's how these tacos tasted to me. And that liquid that came with the order that I dipped my tacos into was off the charts greasy...but good. I just couldn't get down with it after 2. I gave up on the third one and just ate the beef out of the inside. It was rather yummy, moist and flavorful, and while I'm not necessarily still hungry, I'm not necessarily full. I may have to eat a small salad to compensate for all that grease. Anyway, if you're into these types of tacos, do come here and try them. I am sure mine were made very well and will be what you're expecting. I'm going to come back here at a time they're less busy and order something a little healthier. Hey, at least I tried. Note: do not try to park in their parking lot if they're super crowded because it is a nightmare trying to get out. Just grab street parking.

Comfortable vibes, amazing cultural setting, good food and fair prices! I particularly loved the quesa-birras with consome

Needed to take a much needed break from the typical Nashville food fare and decided to come here based on some locals' recommendation for authentic Mexican food! The server was super friendly and helpful when answering our questions. We got the birria tacos and a couple of the soft tortilla tacos as well. Everything was really well priced and delicious. The birria tacos came in piping hot and fresh. The quesabirria tacos are crunchy, savory, and packed full of stewed, flavorful, tender beef. The soup/consommé was light and tasted of beef. My friend really liked putting in some lime juice into it and drinking it by itself too when she wanted to lighten up the meal following some heavy tacos. Delicious!!!

I'd been before and didn't enjoy it and gave it another shot. The salsa tasted like it had gone bad. The Asada taco was mostly gristle and charred tiny peaces. The birria and pastor tacos weren't great either. The best part of the meal was the chips and salsa verde.

This might be kind of a hole in a wall, but the flavors and the freshness of the Guacamole are unbeatable. We can get delicious food for the family from the kiddos to the gramps. We love the spicy green sauce, the tacos, and quesadillas. I have been adding roasted jalapeños to my tacos for that extra pop.

Nice shrimp tacos We were doing road trip from Michigan to Texas and found this place along the way . Only tried shrimp tacos and it's amazing .

I love a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant and this one did not disappoint!!! I was visiting friends nearby and craving tacos so when I saw that El Jaliciense had lengua tacos on the menu, I was in! My friend and I stopped by here on a rainy Sunday night and were seated immediately. Here's a quick rundown: Pros: - Free chips & salsa - Tacos are really affordable, including lengua around $2 - Very friendly staff - Fast service and seriously authentic food Cons: - Parking can be hard if it's busy - Beer & Wine only (but good prices!) If you want some damn good tacos and like a real family run restaurant experience, you should definitely stop by here!

We love this place...Everything is amazing! I've watched people leave because they didn't have margaritas. What dorks... You don't have to booze it up to enjoy this place. Be a real one and get a Michelada or Mexican beer!!!

Authentic cuisine and the best birria tacos around. The tacos aren't on the menu so be sure to ask.

Good takeout. The guacamole was fresh, the burritos were tasty and nicely sized. Not inviting for an eat in on a Thursday night, but sometimes it's better to take your meal to go.

El Jalisciense is currently doing both take out and dine in. I had a serious craving for Mexican food and stopped by for a take out order to eat at a park. We got shrimp burritos and fish tacos, which were ready in about 10 minutes and delicious as always. The staff asked how much green chili sauce I wanted and how many forks and napkins I needed and packed everything well for our picnic. Original review: This is one of my local favorites for authentic Mexican food. When I visit I am reminded of restaurants in Mexico - from the tile and artwork to the telenovelas and futbol matches on the TV. The hospitality is also like Mexico - friendly staff that do not rush you through your meal. My favorites: ceviche tostadas, all of the tacos with corn tortillas. Those are authentic and priced right. For takeout I love to get a chicken burrito. Of course there is always a craving for a siesta after the burrito... They also have a great selection of Mexican drinks to wash it all down, from sodas to beers. All in all, friendly service, good authentic food, and at great value.

We've been going for a decade and we've always loved Jaliciense. But don't use the online ordering on their website. We thought we were doing them a solid by going through their interface, but it was a disaster. It's a white label for DoorDash. Took almost two hours to deliver someone else's order to us. After an hour on the phone with DoorDash we don't have a refund. It's up to the restaurant and they are unfortunately unresponsive about it. Just go pick it up like we should have.

This place is straight fire! Great authentic cuisine. Ample portions. Great prices. Locals love it. Large and varied menu. Beer and real glass bottle sodas with cane sugar. I cannot recommend highly enough if you like this kind of food.

A familiar and comfy Mexican restaurant in East Nashville. A great spot to grab a beer and a huge variety of real Mexican tacos with the cheapest price and the most welcoming service. I had carnitas, lengua and tripa, and the tripa was was amazing! The reason why I would like to go back!

AMAZING! Favorite Mexican Restaurant in town. Servers could probably work on personalities some but it won't stop me from returning time after time. HIGHLY recommend the Torta.

I've ordered the Birria tacos a couple of times on Uber eats. They're delicious and have a little kick to them. The food is always hot when it arrives. So good!

This used to be my favorite go to place for tacos in Nashville. But the service is constantly unpleasant...always. We always felt we were intruding being there to dine. I continued to dine here with my friends regardless because the tacos were good ...but after the bathroom flooded one day and was left unclean or picked up, I had to stop going. I told the owner about it and his response was "What do you want me to do about it?" Hmmm.... close off the bathroom and clean up the mess all over the floor for starters .. So I no longer go ...

Favorite spot to eat! The service is great, I love how friendly and inviting this place is. The food is amazing, so fresh and always enough to share. I started going for the tacos 6 years ago and the menu just keeps getting better! Simple beer selection can't go wrong here.

4 days into my Nashville vacation I had a strong craving for Mexican food, since I eat it relatively often in Southern California. If you want authentic don't worry at all, this is the place. Nothing fancy but great carne asada street tacos and homemade refried beans. My wife and son got the Pollo Loco and enjoyed it. The only complaint I'd have is the chips are average and the salsa is spicier than I prefer. Great prices too, especially as compared to Orange County, CA.

It's a little divey, it's off the beaten path, it looks a little sketchy on the outside, and it's delicious. Our table was raving about just about everything that was ordered. This started with the salsa, which was delicious! The guacamole we ordered as an appetizer was so good that we ordered a second one. It definitely has a more "authentic" feel than many places I've visited. So go past the looks, sit down and enjoy!

This was my second time going. My first time wasn't that good but I gave them a second chance. The food wasn't that great. I was charge $12.99 for my plate when on the menu it says $10.99. The restaurant was empty.

I'm from California and have been struggling to find quality Mexican food in Nashville, but thus place is IT. Authentic and delicious. Will for sure be back.

Chile Rellenos were delicious-tender poblano peppers and lightly breaded. Fajitas featured nice cuts of chicken with a nicely seasoned sautéed vegetable mix. Guacamole was really good - nice chunks of fresh avocado, cilantro and well seasoned. Well worth a try for either dine in or delivery.

I've eaten here 4 or 5 times in the last 6 months. Everythings delicious. Check out th tortas.

Wasn't crazy about this place. The salsa was spicy and good but the rest of the food was pretty bland. No margs either :( very quick service though!

Good bang for your buck. I enjoyed the fajitas more than the burritos. Think ahead - order the pico, sour cream, etc. on the side in case/when you have leftovers for day 2.

Picked up some food to go last night with a couple of buddies. I had been once long ago but I had friends rave about the tacos, so that's what I had to get. They were pretty tasty. I didn't give it 5 stars bc the tacos didn't totally wow me. Fish and chicken were a little lacking in flavor, but the pastor and steak were top notch. We also got some guacamole and chips. I love the chunky, hand made, fresh guac, but the chips could have used a little more salt. Pros: the price ($1.25/Taco!), the pastor taco, the guacamole, and they were super speedy with our to go order Cons: didn't totally blow me away, meat could use more seasoning, chips could use more salt Overall, I am being a little picky, but this is a good option for Mexican food in the area, especially if you aren't looking to spend much

El Jaliciense is better than El Fuego and if you think differently I'm so sorry but you're wrong :/ Better food, better seasoning, better value. And you don't have to elbow through like 80 people to get a table. I swear their chicken soup can cure any illness. And the quesadillas are are stuffed to near explosion, are the size of a small child, and will cost you like $6. One star knocked off because no margaritas- this is a beer only place unfortunately. Look this place isn't sexy or hip but it's authentic, damn good and won't overdraft your bank account. I've been hesitant to even review because I don't ever want to wait in line for my soup!

Best tacos in the entirety of Nashville, amazing food and friendly staff. You can go waste your money on a 4 dollar taco downtown or ... you can come here and get real authentic Mexican tacos!

The blandest burritos we've ever had- tried both chicken and beef. Service wasn't great but there was only one guy, although they weren't that busy. I can cut the guy a break, but the burritos were the issue. No seasoning at all. Queso was fine, salsa was ok.

After reading all of these great reviews we decided to stop here and try the tacos. I was a bit disappointed when small street tacos arrived. They were full of meat a bit of onion and cilantro and that's it. Theo has a good taste but we needed a bit more food so we ordered the quesadilla that came with rice and beans. The quesadilla was large enough to share. The grilled chicken was good beans and rice rather plain. The sign is not lit at night so the place may be hard to find.

Amazing birria tacos!! If you want authentic mexican food, especially quesa birria tacos. Go here!!! Locals only vibes.

This place is absolutely amazing. A little run down looking but good lord that food is probably the best Mexican food I've ever had. I will definitely be going back there. I can't even describe how incredible the food is!!! 10/10

always my go to for tacos! i order online and pickup but have never had to wait an extended amount of time when ordering online! great service.

I have debated whether to write a review, because El Jaliciense is so incredibly good, I'm scared to draw attention to it for fear it will always be crowded. It's that good. If you like REAL Mexican food (not the bland, lardy crap you find everywhere else in Nashville), then this is your place. It's a hole in the wall. They don't serve margaritas because they don't want to deal with drunk fools. There is beer and the tastiest Mexican fare in town! We always get the guacamole, which is the real deal: fresh avocados, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, made just right. They always bring out a variety of salsas, one red, one dark that tastes roasted, and the spicy green salsa. My favorite items are the ceviche tostada, shrimp taco and asada taco. Everything tastes so fresh, authentic and it's so reasonably priced! I brought my sister in law who is from Puerto Vallarta, and she said its the best Mexican she has had in TN. That's some cred for ya. In short, please don't pack this place so I can't get seated right away anymore, but in fairness to this family owned and operated gem, I have to share that I think it's the bee's knees.

How do I say this. The food was excellent and exquisite. Me and My Lord, Malaki Cenat enjoyed such meals you guys severed. I later that day brought my religious group to this establishment and they all enjoyed it. I do enjoy this establishment. Thank You. I will return soon with Malaki Cenat

I find myself here more than I'd expect... it's atypical in this part of town that it isn't expensive even though it's filled with people who are probably interns at Buzzfeed or working on their kickstarter for something leather that goes on your bike and syncs to your smartphone. Food is great, and the owners are super nice. Delivery options would make this even better though!

The carne asada plate at Jaliciense is unrivaled! Generous thin cuts of beef seared to perfection alongside a heap of rice, beans, and avocado. I also recommend their guacamole and salsa verde as they are also phenomenal! Through the pandemic, they seem to have raised their prices a couple of bucks on some items but I'll happily pay to keep them up and running.

The food and service was great. But, the menu pricing has one cost and I was charged another. They need to have updated menus that reflect the true cost of food options. I would have given four stars otherwise.

I love Mexican restaurants I could probably eat Mexican food every single day to be honest and that's also another reason why I'm fat but besides that I like this place and give you free chips and sauce so you can't go wrong with that I'll take that all the time and you know it's your typical Mexican joint I mean you can't really go wrong with it get some tacos free chips Lil burrito action not bad. All the prices are always about the same at every Mexican restaurant to go to don't matter if it's El Nopal or or what they're all basically the same and I like them. I probably spent thousands upon thousands of dollars in a little Mexican joints like this so I highly recommend

Despite it looking a little rough from the outside, this place was absolutely delicious! Definitely not your average Mexican joint. No margaritas or runny guacamole. Everything is authentic and tastes like it was scratch made just for you (prob because it was). The tortillas were perfect. Rice fluffy. The guacamole was BEAUTIFUL. Big chunks of tomato and onion with lots of cilantro and tender avocado. I will be back for sure!

I really wanted to like this place. After hearing so many rave about El Jaliciense's authenticity, I had to give it a try. Maybe it was a bad day, maybe what I ordered was bad... but EH best describes my experience. We came one Sunday for a late lunch. We shared the posole and a bizteca mexicano platter. I was so bummed by the ratios in the posole. It was largely hominy with not that much broth. The pork was nice and tender but there was just way too much hominy for me to enjoy it as a soup. The bizteca platter consisted of the usual rice and beans in addition to a chopped steak entree. I ate it all with corn tortillas. Overall, I wish I stuck to tacos, ceviche tostadas and fajitas like people recommended. I will try this place again some day. But next time Ill definitely take it to go.

I eat here at LEAST twice a week. Shrimp tacos are TO DIE FOR!!!!! Fajitas are amazing.... quesadillas are bomb.... a family owned establishment with extremely reasonable prices. Go now!!!

Hands down the best Mexican in the city. With the exception to the taco places off Nolensville Rd. Try the light green sauce. Its really good! everything is good here. I got the mar y tierra. very good. Keep this place secret.

Took my son to lunch, not impressed. Food tasted like canned. I still prefer Orange building close to ymca