El Taco Loco

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, el taco loco is the best mexican restaurant uptown. the past 4 years of living in Nola, if I want mexican I am coming here. Get ONE margarita and u will not need more drinks for a WHILE. Incredible (and free!!) options of hot sauce & lime wedges. You could stay for an hour (chill/fun ambiance), or be in/out for 15 minutes. Their balcony upstairs + margarita + friends + carnitas tacos = my heaven

This is THE SPOT for Taco Tuesdays now for me! Martín was so nice and i can tell they take great pride in their food! I will absolutely be back. And i was able to practice my Spanish which i always appreciate.

I don’t say this lightly, but this was hands down the worst Mexican food I’ve ever had. I walked in hungry and optimistic — I left nauseous and deeply confused about how a place like this stays open. I rarely leave reviews, but this was offensively bad. Save your stomach, your time, and your sanity — eat literally anywhere else. El Taco Loco? More like El Taco Local Health Hazard.

The one word that comes to mind for me to describe this place is “sensational.” The warm welcoming atmosphere and the quality of food is unmatched!! Don’t forget to pair your food with a delicious margarita! Also the prices are very fair! This is my spot for tacos, no question.

I am rating this based on an authentic Mexican cuisine experience. This place is the most authentic I have been to yet in the S Carrollton avenue area. (I have yet to go to the one across the street though). You definitely feel like you’re in Mexico, being served by Mexican cooks, in a Mexican owned restaurant, being charged less-expensive Mexican prices. It helps if you speak Spanish to communicate what you want. The food is served Chipotle-style behind a glass which really speeds things up. The spicy chicken taco with my own array of toppings tasted the best to me. Tortillas are perfectly browned, well filled. I love Mexican street food so it’s a win for me! Small details, like napkins available on the above deck, good music/sound system, large space, and outdoor fans seal the deal for me. Well thought-out establishment that reflects more value than the prices they charge.

i really, really wanted to support this local restaurant. the reviews are generally great but our experience was awful. there were no other customers, which is not Always a bad sign; but now i wonder… restaurant smelled dirty, like very old cooking oil. there was a very dried out plate of food on top of one of the garbage cans. the food on the prep counter looked old, like it had been sitting out for quite a while and/or reheated more than once. tacos tasted ok - not great, but edible. chips were fresh. salsa and queso tasted old. rice and beans were ok. tamale was very dry, and was reheated in the microwave. this place has potential - there’s a great upstairs area that gets a great breeze from the fans. a deep clean is needed and the food needs to be fresh, period. i won’t return but i certainly hope the restaurant and food will improve to what the older reviewers posted.

Horrible experience at this trash place. Charged $16 for a taco bowl and crappy service. Didn’t even get a tortilla to go with the taco bowl. Food tasted spoiled and they give small portions. Guacamole tasted disgusting. Don’t go here.

The best spot for Taco Tuesday in New Orleans. They have $2 tacos and $4 small margaritas on Tuesdays. On Tuesday’s there is usually a lot of Tulane students and a line but it moves pretty fast. The food is delicious and there is plenty of seating ( they also have a balcony). I ordered 3 chicken tacos and my friend got a steak quesadilla with margaritas of course. We definitely enjoyed. I would highly recommend checking El Taco Loco out.

It's always a good time at El Taco Loco. This has been my go to place ever since they were at the location up the street. I always get the nachos but next time I think I'll try the quesadilla. The service is fast and customer service is ok but the food hits every time.

Definitely was not feeling the so called "Taco Tuesday" menu!!! I was only able to get soft tacos, crunchy tacos or hard shelled was not an option. The chicken was super dry, not sure of the ground beef because I did not try it. The tacos are now $2.50 not $1.75. The margaritas were okay but now $4.50 instead of $3.50, a dollar more if you want mango or strawberry. The service was average. The environment was chilled but had many flies outside. So I would recommend sitting inside.

This is a very easy place to drop in and order whatever you want. You just step up to the counter, order the style of food you want, and can take it to go or to one of the tables provided. There's also a full bar there, complete with frozen drinks so you can have whatever you're looking for. The prices are decent, and the workers are very friendly. The biggest problem was that they messed up my order with someone else's, so the chimichanga that I received had beans in it. Not a huge deal in the grand scheme of life, but since I'm allergic, it made for a fairly unpleasant evening of puffy features and itchy skin. Overall, I'll give them another chance, for sure, but I will be far more mindful of paying attention to where they put my food so that they don't hand me the wrong order.

Dropped into this convenient place for a quick bite after a trip to the Audubon zoo in New Orleans. Family ate the quesadilla quickly, plentiful indoor and outdoor seating. Was more affordable for something quick than the famed nearby Camelia Grill. Afterward went to sno-la for some distinctive snowballs. One tip is to park a few blocks out for free street parking in the neighborhood, plus it's good to do a little walking after eating.

Loved this place! The tacos were great and service was good. It's a cool little spot to check out.

Great service and friendly atmosphere. Food is great the Tinga tacos are fantastic. Great place to grab a couple tacos and sit outside and enjoy the weather

I will say the last time I went here I was terrified because I went to the old location and it wasn't there anymore. But low and behold I travel a little further down Carrollton and there it is. I took two friends here who'd never been before and they absolutely loved it. Very fast service, clean restaurant and decent prices for some good quality Mexican cuisine. I got the tacos and they were amazing even got a nice cup of queso to top it off. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a quick fix. Taco Tuesday specials are nice too. I believe tacos are $2 and margaritas are $4. Go check them out and tell em Malik sent ya!

This itty bitty salsa is $7.50 and does not include chips. The queso is $10 and does not include chips. The pricing is ridiculous at el taco loco. If you want chips that's another $2.50 so if you want to spend $10 for an tiny amount of salsa and chips (which most Mexican restaurants give for free) then this is your place.

Came for taco Tuesday. Carnitas was good, chicken was dry. I did love the tortillas and the avocado sauce (guacamolillo? Or something?). I also went beyond the taco Tuesday menu and got their namesake which is a cochinita pibil taco and it was sooo dry. So I guess I only like the carnitas. Don't forget about the hot sauce bar in the back!!! There's these spicy pickled onions that are amazing, and of course some limon. Also, this place was PACKED on a Tuesday and their air conditioning sucks at best.

This place is terrible! Ordered a steak chimichanga and the steak was bad. I mean clearly had been sitting around way too long! My wife got a salad with steak which of course bad as well. The rice were hard little pellets. Chili con carne was gritty and tasted old as well. It was like some one took a week off and came back and served last weeks food. The fry oil was old as well. The whole bag of food smelled like old oil. Don't bother wasting your time! They should have stuck with the truck this is the second time they have let us down and there wont be a 3rd.....

The most helpful staff I've encountered in a very long time. Our Waiter, Terrence, was downright awesome. In a world of indifference, his light really shined. Geaux Saints, eh Terrence? This restaurant could easily score a solid five stars except for the boombox sound system's exceedingly loud music at a headache level. Turn the Boombox sound system down to a pleasant background level so your customers don't have to shout family secrets across the restaurant and you've got five stars all-day.

I go a lot of places to try different food but this one is not it. The seating is the only thing that would make a person want to come. The food is not great at all. The tacos were dry and flavorless, but like I say. I always try things at least one time. So I guess that was my one with that one# buttoeachitsown.

Total was a little over $16 for 6 tacos. We had chicken, el pastor and barbacoa tacos. Fast service, chicken was dry but the el pastor was good. If I go back, I would try the nachos and margaritas.

I am pleasantly surprised. Found some Mexican food in the greater New Orleans area that doesn't suck! I tried a taco salad with black beans and a side of rice. The rice was flavorful and not dry and the pico de gallo was legit. Very fresh with some good heat to it. The shell was nice and crisp. My only complaint is quite minor--it was smaller than most taco salads I've had. I easily demolished the whole thing in one sitting. Nevertheless, I will go back. Want to try the tacos or maybe a burrito.

Very fast service, you order right then and there. Everything was fresh tasting. Overall flavors were good, got my nacho craving taken care of for sure.

Priced high for what you get but then again your in naulins . Got 3 (small ) tacos and a bag of chips with quac and salsa $22.00. Don't mind paying the price but don't skimp on the portion! The so called carne asada was the cheapest fake steak over cooked and a lot of gristle. expect only to get equivalent to a tablespoon of meat. Thank God I didn't get the burrito I would've gotten lock jaw trying to chew that cheap meat. Treat your customers fairly with portions and they will return.

This used to be one of our favorite restaurants, we have been here many times and actually drove from Mid City just to eat here. Unfortunately it has taken a turn for the worse since moving locations. They act like they do not know what you are saying and do not even know what comes on their own dishes. I got a taco bowl and when I took a bite I realized the meat was extremely cold. When I looked into the bottom of the bowl I realized my shell, meat, and all ingredients were sitting in cold water. I never go back to the counter to complain or ask for a new meal but when I did the old man that works there or owns the place was unbelievably rude. I explained that I could not eat it because the everything, including the meat, was probably about 45 degrees. He said "You ask for lettuce", I assured him I did, He said "we keep lettuce in ice water to keep it fresh". I understand that the lettuce needs to remain chilled, but i do not want the handful of iced water that came with it. They literally just grabbed the lettuce out of iced water and put it over my meat. It was disgusting!! The old man then said he'd make it again. But this time he only put half a spoon full of meat rather than the 2 scoops they put the first time. They also will try to overcharge you for things that supposedly come with your meal so be very careful. They will act like they cannot understand you be take my word, they can. Very disappointed

Woah! Why have I been sleeping on this place? Ok look, it's more of a take out place although they do have some high tops inside and some outdoor covered tables their food is delicious and cheap! One of my new gf's spontaneously invited me to dinner in her uptown neighborhood and suggested this joint! She's a vegetarian (maybe even vegan) and loves getting their mixed vegetables, rice, black beans, tortilla chips and salsa from their salsa bar! I got so excited looking at her mixed vegetables getting chopped up and heated up that I wanted that as well as chicken in my quesadilla! And I wasn't trying to be as healthy as she was so I got the refried beans and rice although her black beans looked tasty too! Plus I got a fountain drink for my meal and had leftovers! Now that this place is on my radar now I know where to get some cheap and yummy Mexican food in uptown! Shoot, I want to try all their specialty means, especially the carnitas and barbacoa! Happy Mexican food eating y'all!

Family had the nachos, burritos and tacos. All very delicious. Friendly service and great food! Will definitely be back!

Good food an inexpensive plus plus .... Check out there taco Tuesday $2 tacos and $4 margaritas

Good, authentic Mexican restaurant. Food was good and excellent sound quality. Enjoyed my meal and next time i'm in the nola im coming again

El Taco Loco has authentic tacos, not the TexMex mess that y'all are used to eating! The have a lot of meat options like barbacoa, carnitas, spicy chicken, and they put it all on corn tortillas. I usually do onion and cilantro and lime, but if you're basic and want a Chipotle-esque meal, they have cheese and sour cream too. They do burritos and burrito bowls with beans and rice. They have chips and queso, and you can add meat to that and make nachos. Their churros are warm and delicious! They have really good frozen margs too! I do think that some of the meats that they use could have a bit more flavor.

I have ordered from here in the past and it was good. This time however, the only thing that was good was my margarita. The chips tasted stale and there was a hair in my quesadilla. Not happy.

Yes yes yes!!! Sit on the balcony and the food melts in mouth, done right. Prices are great to!

Great tasting authentic tacos! Much better than Felipe's or Juan's flying burritos especially in price. That's unless you add quac to your tacos. The tacos were 5.50 for 3 but I ended up paying 9.85. And when I asked how it got that high she said quac was 3.00. To me that's sky high considering it was just 3 small scoops for the tacos and not even a side with some chips. Also make sure she charges you for 5.50 and not 2 tacos for 4 and then 1 taco for 2 because that's what she did to mine. Yeah it's just 50 cents but it's 50 cents you might wanna keep!

The new location makes eating there much more appealing than the previous location up the street. Food is authentic and margaritas are well made and well priced. They make things in front of you according to your wishes. I agree with other reviewers that the chicken can be a little dry, but the other meats are well spiced and tasty. I prefer the burritos to the tacos, and the nachos are highly recommended.

Delicious, authentic Mexican food! We ordered take out, service was fast. The nachos were amazing!

This was nasty plain and simple. I placed an order on Uber Eats without reading any reviews. I had never heard of the place but it's Mexican food so how bad can it be ordering the basics. When I tell u each bite I took tasted like I was pouring a pound of salt it's an understatement. And it wasn't just one item, I tried them all and I ended up throwing it away. As I write this review I'm downing a whole gallon of water to offset the amount of salt I ate with the few bites I took of this nasty meal. BEWARE! On the other hand, I will definitely recommend Los Jefes

Hands Down delicious! My 6 tacos were amazing. My $3 margarita was great. I really enjoyed the food. I really just stumbles upon this spot and saw a huge line outside and figured what the hell why not and boy i am so happy i did. The different types i tried out were: chorizo,meat,chicken,and pork tacos were all delicious. So much so that i just kept ordering them to go with my delicious margarita. I noticed a lot if folks were getting take out seemingly by the cases ahahaua. The vibe is really really cool. This spot gets packed so plan accordingly but the line moves very fast. Parking can be hectic!

Love this taco place! It is fast, delicious, and has a great Taco Tuesday deal! Tacos with pork, chicken, or ground beef are $1.50 and come with cilantro, onions, and sauce. The tacos are warm and prepared fresh. My favorite was the ground beef, it was seasoned really well and had chopped up peppers in it. We also order chips and queso. The queso was delicious and we ended up ordering a second one. This restaurant is very fast and you order as you go down the line. The employees are very nice and I would definitely recommend coming here for taco Tuesday or just a normal night or day! They have tables inside and a patio outside. They also have great drink deals. During happy hour it is $3.00 for a frozen margarita.

I was excited to try this place out with a friend because of the high yelp rating and numerous good reviews. I love Mexican food, so I thought "Why not?" It is not a sit and order restaurant, but rather order at the counter and pay after it is all done. My friend and I ordered their Carnitas Tacos, Tamale, Steak Chimichanga, Taco Loco, Cream Churro, and a couple of Margaritas. The menu looked great and the chef made them really quickly, but all of the cooked meats looked and were dry. I love eating Mexican foods and I go to taco trucks and restaurants all over, but I feel like the execution was not done properly here. The carnitas tacos were pretty dry and could have been better seasoned. The tamale was overcooked, dry, and not very enjoyable to eat. My friend and I, however, did actually enjoy the taco loco and steak chimichanga. They both were seasoned better than the other items and were not as dry. The maragaritas were actually strong and did the job to give us a slight buzz. Another margarita would have given us a good buzz! The cream churro was tasty to end the meal with, but for being a cream churro, there was not an obvious amount of cream in them. Overall, a decent place to have Mexican food and strong margaritas in the Uptown area.

Loving it!! Since Mona's closed I've kept an eye on this spot. The last occupant was a miss, but this ones a winner! Something we need more of: local, authentic, quick, inexpensive and delicious restaurants. El Taco Loco checks all the boxes. It's setup like other fast service taco/burrito joints with options including Quesadilla's, Taco Salad, Nachos, Tamales and Wings. Where they surpass is in the meat choices which include Lenga, Tinga and Chorizo in addition to the regular chicken, beef, pork and veggie options. The meats are DELICIOUS! Well seasoned and cooked. I loved the house made guacamole. What I love most, the value, it's all completely reasonable. I had the Lenga & Carnitas tacos with a side of rice and beans last week. I look forward to trying the wings and burritos soon...probably today. **And BONUS, they had a guitarist ready to entertain at the front. I look forward to some casual nights here.

Best Mexican in nola. Friendly staff, fast, delicious, amazing!!!!! Cannot recommend this spot enough.

We went to El Taco Loco when a neighboring restaurant that we really liked was closed for the day. It was serendipitous that this happened, because we stumbled into another New Orleans gem. I had the carnitas quesadilla, and my wife had the nachos. They were made in front of us on the spot, by a chef that clearly knows his way around the kitchen. And it was absolutely delicious! My carnitas was moist and tender and not overcooked one bit, and I'm still smacking my lips in satisfaction.

Very good service I dropped in at 11:00 And I ordered 45 tacos and they were ready in 10 minutes a little expensive on the steak tacos $5 is a bit to much

We have heard many positive reviews and we're craving for the beer tacos NOLA has to offer. El Taco Loco is not only authentic street tacos, but some of the best tacos we have had. My girlfriend and I ordered the chorizo nachos and four tacos. I had the chorizo and tinga tacos while she had the barbacoa Mexicana and chorizo tacos. The chorizo they use was a pork chorizo that was great but the tinga taco was phenomenal. The amount of heat and flavour made me want more tacos. That is definitely the best I have had. My girlfriend liked the barbacoa and chorizo as well. Both bountiful with flavour. The nachos were more than enough to feed at least four people. They piled chorizo, guacamole, black beans and melted the cheese to perfection. If younare craving tacos and nachos, look no further than El Taco Loco!

Quick, easy and very affordable. If you want some good cheap tacos and fast service this is the spot to go to.

I was recommended this place by a friend, so I stopped by for lunch one day. The interior was very cute, and you can order your food at the counter and watch them make it. I ordered a Burrito Pequeno with Barbacoa ($8), which also came with cheese, beans, rice, pico de gallo, salsa verde and some other toppings. There was a good variety of toppings to choose from, but the queso and guacamole were extra. The tortilla ended up kind of soggy, maybe because the barbacoa itself added a lot of liquid to the burrito. They actually ended up having to double wrap my burrito because it tore the first time they tried to roll it. I honestly didn't love the burrito because of the sogginess, and the extra tortilla didn't help at all. However, the filling was delicious and both the barbacoa and rice were seasoned very well. Overall, the prices here are good and the service is fast. I would definitely come back to try something else on the menu, maybe the tacos!

Was in the mood for tacos and recently went here for the first time. El Taco Loco is a nice little place to grab some tacos for cheap. PROS: Fast service, friendly staff, and solid pricing! You can get 2 tacos for $4, so I got 4 for $8. They have an extras bar where you can grab salsas, sauces, jalapeños, and limes. Handful of seating with music playing often. Staff was very friendly, they overcharged me and once I brought it up they were happy to fix the problem. CONS: The Carnitas tacos was a little under-seasoned, and the Chorizo is very oily so it can make the soft shell break easily. Overall I'd come back! The food was very filling for the price and the topping options were very vast making it more food than you think.

Very good tacos and Margaritas. You order at the counter and the food is brought to your table when it's prepared. There are other dishes besides tacos. But we were there for one reason, tacos , and were not disappointed. You choose what meats you want on your tacos and also what garnish you want as well. Good concept. Make sure you check out the salsas in the back of the restaurant. Good food. Good drinks. And very reasonably priced.

They're not the greatest tacos or Mexican food I've ever had but man are their prices elite. You can get 10 tacos for $18.00! At some Mexican places, $18 only gets you three or four! Three tacos here is only $5.50! For the taste of the food and the price, it's a great deal. Proper social distancing protocols are followed inside the restaurant. Fountain drinks and free refills are offered. And the staff are good people! Very authentic. Again, I wouldn't say it's the greatest tacos I've ever had but for the price and service and quality, it's a great place to get Mexican food on a budget.

The best. I happen to work close to this place, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. My coworkers and I are always stopping by for lunch. Every single thing I've had here is good. I've had the taco salad (my favorite), burritos, chimichangas, nachos, tamales, and wings. My favorite meat is the al pastor but they've recently added steak so that may be changing. There's an array of toppings to choose from: fresh guacamole, queso, beans, cilantro, Mexican crema, etc. The staff is always friendly and very quick to get your food to you. The margaritas are SUPER good and strong. If alcohol is not your thing (or you have to go back to work), grab one of the Jarrito's sodas. They also do private parties. A friend of mine had her birthday party here and it was great. I definitely suggest this place to anyone who asks me where they can get good Mexican food.

This is no-frills badass Mexican food. Nothing fancy about the place at all. But the food is damn good. Their tacos are generous, the meat options are flavorful. Nachos are really, really good - with and without the carne. Their margaritas are no joke, so start with one. Sauce options at end of restaurant are legit. Closest I've found to authentic Mexican in all of New Orleans. And damn, that's fanfuckingtastic.

The meats are delicious and full of flavor. Everything tastes fresh and the bang for your buck is unbeatable

I got a 2 taco combo, one chicken and one tinga. The tacos themselves were pretty good; I wish that they had hard shell tacos. The tinga was spicier than I expected but so good and juicy. I also wish they had cheese thats not practically powder. The queso tastes like beer. The chips are SO GOOD- super thin, crispy, and salty. The churro is pretty good and I love that they fry them to order. I was kind of sad that I couldn't get a Jarritos with my combo, but overall these people are nice and I love the options.

My vegetarian burrito (with grilled vegetables, rice, crema, lettuce, tomato, onion) was yummy. Service is kind of slow. But that's probably a down south thing. My friend's got the chicken, steak, and shrimp tacos. Shrimp was a little too salty but otherwise rave reviews. (Yas for corn tortillas.) We also got the guac and chips. OMG and almost forgot, they have a sign outside that says, best margaritas in New Orleans and you know whaaaaat... They ain't too far off. I tried the frozen and on the rocks versions and they both are clutch.

Best brick and mortar authentic taco spot I've been to in town (the best ones here are trucks. I'd recommend to take away or sit outside-the inside gets stuffy and has little to no atmosphere. Of course, that's not what you're coming for. The chips are so thin and crispy. Cons: the tortillas aren't made in house (but still very good), the guacamole was mediocre, and the meat can get dry by the afternoon. I like the tinga. Spicy but not overly so.

Alright, y'all can stop messaging me about tortilla specifications. My boyfriend ordered from here recently and I had some....and the food was still not good. I'm aware the tortilla was supposed to be 10 inches and not the burrito... But less than 5 once folded and flat as a board? Come on. I'm no stranger to 10 inch burritos. But when you only fill half of the length of a tortilla with a scoop of stuff and then fold it in haphazardly.... Nah. It was more tortilla than filling. Burrito making isn't hard. Only the ends should be tucked in and the burrito should be solid, not floppy when picked up. Go anywhere else for your Mexican cravings.

Cool place with good food. Right on Carrollton, a few steps from Oak St. Came over after the Po boy fest. There was Latin music playing and people dancing outside. Fun! I got a Tinga burrito with a bunch of stuff in it, and a pork tamale. Excellent!!! Lot of flavor. Babycakes got a taco salad. The "bowl" was suspect. I suspect it's premade elsewhere, not fried on site. She said it was ok.

Go right now!! The man at the counter was so nice and friendly and made my order just right. I got the Al pastor nachos- AMAZING. The meat was so tender and flavorful- marinated in pineapple. The margarita was just as amazing. Do not judge this place by the way it looks- it really is an amazing meal at a good price.