El Tapatio

This place is legit. If you’re not looking for overpriced tacos or Mexican food this is the place to go. It’s authentic good food. The tacos $1.50 for steak tacos?? Can’t get any better than that. And they put a bunch of meat on it. The birria tacos with consome was really good too, consome had a lot of flavor to it not fatty. The service is good and the food comes out pretty quickly. They are also open pretty late! Definitely would recommend.

I ordered thru door dash. My food was fresh and tasted good.. but the hot sauce are no joke..

Absolutely sickening and disgusting. Do NOT eat here. We (my partner and I) just moved into our new home today and ordered some local takeout through DoorDash. We both got the chicken quesadilla. My chicken was pink and his quesadilla had pieces of chicken bone in it. But that was somehow the best part of our experience! Horrible. As I was eating the rice I looked on my spoon and noticed a bug. We immediately stopped eating our food and threw away an entire meal. We each had a bite of our quesadillas and a couple bites of rice. Now we're nauseous thinking about the fact that we probably just ate a couple bugs, hungry, and just lost about $30 worth of a dinner.

I came here thinking I was going to get three steak soft tacos some salsa and chips. If you do not speak Spanish do not even try to attempt to order your food here because They aren’t bilingual. I asked for salsa three different times and she said huh and replied back in Spanish Nobody at this establishment can speak English. The food Has absolutely no taste to it. It’s so bland. It was one of the most disgusting steak tacos I’ve ever had in my life.

$2 tacos, open late, and never have to wait. Coming from LA I really missed the taco stands so I’ve tried a lot of the different taco trucks/restaurants around this area and this has been my favorite by far. They don’t speak much English but service is quick and food is great for the price. Food quality has sometimes been inconsistent when ordering takeout but every time I’ve eaten inside it has been great. I’ve recommended this place to all my friends and they’ve all loved it too, highly recommend!

Wonderful little hidden gem in South Nashville. Excellent food with authentic options and good aguas frescas, too! Cash and cards are accepted so no need to worry about that. And don't forget to try the house sauces in the red and yellow bottles, that's not ketchup and mustard.

Authentic Mexican cuisine, sauces were amazing, most of the tacos were well seasoned other than the birria, and the agua frescas were delicious. Prices were low for everything other than maybe the drinks which were a little pricey. All in all pleasant experience and will return

This Place Was definitely over priced. I ordered a half chicken combo, and a burrito to go. My chicken was satisfying but my rice and beans were already cold. My burrito was just basic rice, beans, and meat. The sauces were pretty good, although not good enough to get me back there.

Forget the fancy restaurants and overpriced "gourmet" tacos. This place is the real deal. One of the many taquerias in strip malls on Nolensville Pike - it might not look like much, but the food is awesome! Get the authentic tacos - small street taco size but bursting with flavor. I usually get the al pastor and carnitas tacos, always amazing. This time I also had a chorizo mulita - perfectly crispy yet soft tortillas filled with cheese, avocado , and overflowing with chorizo. They usually have plenty of tables (sit down and get a michelada) in their dining room with beautiful, vibrant paintings, but you can also get your food to go. Service is always prompt and friendly, and make sure you try the spicy and creamy salsa (salsa cremosa in the yellow bottle). Parking lot is small but never had trouble finding a spot. Get some tacos here!

Late at night.. best place to get the munchies resolved! The chicken tacos are literally filled with meat fresh off the chicken! So be wary of bones. They have the spicy jalapeno sauce as well. Was crazy, it'll be 2:00 in the morning and people are still buying beers with food! I had chicken and shrimp tacos and a mini shrimp sopes. And it totally did the spot! They have inside seating. Or you can sit in your car and eat. If you sit in the car they'll come up to your window to order. Make sure you tip them!

Go here for some authentic Mexican food! Open late, no frills, delicious food. They might even have a mariachi band! Service is friendly and quick.

Very mid on flavor and quality, but for the price point, it may be worth a stop. Keep in mind they don't serve margaritas or any liquor, they do have beer. It's a cute restaurant and seems like it has more potential. Service was kind and quick. Found a hair in my drink so that left me with a lil' ick, but oh well.

Looking for authentic tacos? Tacos are delicious and cheap. Service is quick. Small place and it much parking. Recommend: Chicharrón Sope and l pastor tacos

Visited late night on a Thursday after a concert, and while the attention was nice and the prices weren't bad, the food was mediocre at best. We ordered 8 tacos: 2 lengua, 2 chicken, two beef and two pastor's. The lengua ones were fine, the the others were dry and flavorless. The chicken was just roasted chicken thrown on a tortilla, the beef was just whatever, and the pastor tasted like it was just taco seasoning and not made on a trompo. Overall not a horrible experience but I'd have to be desperate to come back.

I got three tacos and extra carrots. Unfortunately all three tacos were very bland and not that good. The carrots were a tad mushy and seemed old, not like fresh escabeche at all.

This place is excellent whether it is for lunch, dinner, or late night! I got 4 small tacos with carne asada, carnitas, birria, and chicharron (pork rinds). They arrange it relatively nicely in the plate and each is 1.25 only! I've never seen such amazing prices in the last few years maybe because I live in California and recently Seattle, but quality is definitely up there. Probably not as good as the LA tacos but here in Nashville, it's pretty good and does the job. What's even better is for each order, you get plenty of sautéed onions as well as a pepper to further fill you up. Overall, value and quality is amazing! However, there are a lot of quirks that first timers will be very intimidating but not something to dock a star off since it's a non-issue once you know, and I surprisingly learned it pretty quickly. 1) Menu has prices and below that have pricier options, but each of the sections you need to pick a meat. The meat that is not listed in the pricier section will be the cheaper price you see at the top of the section. 2) There is a pretty big language barrier so it is good to learn some Spanish for some basic requests like more water, forks, etc 3) It seems like you just sit down and then wait for the waiter or waitress to serve you, as long as you acknowledge your presence. They won't direct you to a table - we stood there 5 min awkwardly until a group straight up walked to a table and got menus immediately after 4) It seems you pay at the counter, since we never got our checks for 15 min

usually good , don't go for lunch, they took my order and after paying , told me they didn't have what I ordered , but they could get me something else of the same price, yet they couldn't issue me a refund, lol.

For the past 6 years this place has been my one and only to go place when I want tacos. There is another one down the street closer to Bell rd, but this one always wins. I wonder off the menu from my regular tacos today. I had the barbacoa burrito! Super yummy but a little too much rice. I asked for no beans. It brings, rice, onions, cilantro and avocado. The "agua de piña" was on point today, it usually has too much pulp. They have outside sitting and heaters for the winter. They offer different plates and offer beer on the can and bottles. Definitely a place I would continue to come, unless they become bad.

El Tapatio is quintessential Nashville, a city known for a thriving international food scene and secret hideaways that blend into the landscape. You'd hardly notice this place amongst the slew of Hispanic-owned businesses between the Glencliff and Antioch sections of town. But despite being nondescript, El Tapatio is the real deal and should definitely be visited! The high ratings and near-perfect health score are completely accurate! I started with an open-faced chorizo taco, a double layer of miniature tortillas with amble amounts of spicy Mexican sausage, cilantro, and freshly grilled onions. I doused it with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and the verde sauce provided for a taste that was absolutely magic! I love chorizo so much that I moved on to the chorizo quesadilla, a flour tortilla with sausage, cilantro, notably high-quality melted cheese, and the softest, creamiest refried beans you'll ever eat. The quality here is obvious, the little touches are wonderful, the servers are very nice, and I'm a sucker for a hole in the wall with amazing food!

If you're looking for an authentic restaurant, this is the one. They were open late, quick, and soooo good.

Not a very secure entryway into the restaurant. Rocky and Hilie and difficult to get in. I ordered Birria tacos and they obviously did not know what those were even though they had them on the menu. They brought me five street tacos and no dipping sauce, and called them Birria tacos. I only ordered three tacos. I give this place a D, yet I have to complement them on their meats, which were very good in their tacos.

My friends and I love going to El Tapatio! The food is always tasty and fresh. They have the best tacos in the Nashville area! Their pickled carrots are also amazing. This place is a must try!

They're open late and very affordable. Service & atmosphere overall 5 stars! You should try their pineapple juice, & their roasted chicken are made to order!

One of my favorite authentic tacos in Nashville. It is a hole in the wall - food truck/restaurant. The tacos come in 2 fresh tortillas and the meat is very flavorful. My favorites are the Carne Asada and Al Pastor. Great green cream sauce as well to top off the tacos.

This spot is the best example of Mexico's "street tacos" in Nashville. Better go early because it fills up quick with faithful customers. So happy our son's friends took us here.

El Tapatio met my requirement of when I see a giant smoker outside in action to stop by and grab lunch. You can eat on the patio or inside. We are inside. I ordered the Cuban torta. If was massive. There were tons of meats like a fried egg, ham, sausages, and some type of fried pork. The torta was on point. I was with three friends and all of our eyes were irritated from either chemicals or smoke. That's my only complaint. Overall I thought it was very good and I would return.

This place is awesome. Like others have mentioned, it is essentially a small room connected to a taco truck. There were two servers working. One who spoke no english and the other who spoke some. I found this to be a great sign. Each taco is $1.25 and you do need to tell them whether you want it on a flour or corn tortilla (Mexican tacos should always be corn on default in my opinion). I had the lingua taco and my friend had the shrimp and steak tacos. I have to say my taco won. It was humongous and tender and delicious. The sauces they make in house, particularly the verde, was amazing. The guy that sat next to us (HEY DUDE FROM THE MOXIES!) ordered a $5.99 quesadilla plate that left me in extreme envy. Extreme. It was huge, thick with meat and cheese... and even came with rice and beans. I will be back.

This is one of my new favorite spots. Like many people driving down Nolensville Road looking for some decent tacos, I was drawn by the large smokers out front. At first, I tried a variety of meats inside the folded Mexican dish: carne asada, al pastor, lengua, pollo, shrimp, etc. They were all pretty solid but nothing that really stood out or had me dreaming about it at night. EVERYTHING CHANGED when I ordered a chicken. Not a chicken taco, but a 1/2 chicken plate: a generous portion of perfect poultry softened and seasoned by the smoker, accompanied with rice, beans, tortillas, salsa, grilled onions, and a jalapeno. There hasn't been a week that has gone by where I haven't craved this dish - and in fact, I now just order the whole chicken (a mere $13) so that I have leftovers. It becomes the gift to myself that keeps on giving. Most of the food here is quite good - the sincronizadas are delightful, the torta isn't shabby. But if you want to eat the stuff that dreams are made of, get the chicken, and pour a good amount of the salsa in the yellow bottle on top (it's a tasty and creamy salsa verde...the best one that they have there).

Pesimo servicio! Tres veces se equivocó la mesera con mi orden y al dejarle saber se portó muy grosera.

This place is the real deal. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, here it is. It's a food truck, but also has a small area for indoor seating. When I pulled up in my car, a server came to my window within minutes. I had to ask for a menu only because I'm sure everyone usually knows what they want. They have a ton of options, all at a great price. Regular tacos are $1.25. Hard to beat that price. I got some beef and tongue (I know, trying to be adventurous) tacos. My boyfriend got the steak burrito. My tacos came with the meat, onions, and cilantro. You also get 2 sauces. Delicious. Three tacos was the perfect size meal for me. The burritos are huge. This place is just great.

Wow this is a hidden Nashville gem on Nolensville pike. I went two days in a row and it was AMAZING. I went with the smoked half chicken both times which came out steaming hot with the perfect combination of refried beans and rice covered with pico. The chicken is covered with an phenomenal spice blend which is addictive to the palate. And all for $7! What a steal. If you drive up they will take your order and have it to you in less than 5 minutes. Would love to try other things on the menu but the chicken is too perfect as is. I will definitely be back when I'm in town!

Wish I could gave them negative star , I used to get chicken from them since whole chicken was only for $ 7.99 , tonight I thought I should try them again , long story short , cold , undone chicken with just a little bit onion and halo pinion, i asked for extra they charged me 3.99 for a side of onion, So almost $ 20 for a 4.99 roasted walmart chicken . Take a look at the attached pictures!!??

This spot used to be one of my favorites but lately the quality went down a decent bit. Still a 4 star based off my previous experiences but don't think I'll go back for a bit.

In the search for tacos, we made our way down Nolensville Pike, as one does when they live in Nashville. We've had some great tacos along the strip, as we used to live in the Brentioch area. If you haven't sampled what's located along Nolensville Pike, you're missing out. There are two El Tapatio. I've never been to either before. I actually thought this was just a food truck/trailer, but they've got a little dining area inside the building it's located. The place isn't fancy by any means, but that is okay. We sat out on a little patio area. Our server was very friendly. We attempted to order some different things but were told they were out of mini sopes, taco gringas, and sincronizadas, and fries pork. A little disappointing. I ordered a shrimp taco ($1.99), and a quesadilla with chicken ($6.99). The shrimp taco was okay, but a little boring on the taste. The chicken quesadilla was much better. I really liked the grilled flavor of the chicken, and it was loaded with cheese. The rice and beans were your standard Mexican place rice and beans. The red sauce one the table was VERY hot. I like hot food and sauces, but it was too hot for me. I used the store bought stuff that was on the table instead. I enjoyed this place, a little sad that they were out of so much stuff, but I would come back, only after I try a few more along the road.

We always get the lengua and shrimp tacos as they are the BEST street tacos this side of Nashville, heck maybe even Middle Tennessee! We tried the chicken quesadilla today and it's just as good! Don't let the look of the restaurant fool you, it's not fancy but it has the best Mexican food!

The food is absolutely incredible. The sauces are hot hot hot. I tried many of the tacos which were all incredibly tasty, the tortillas they were on were made very well, the right amount of garnish was put on. The burrito was pretty well done too. So now that you know that if you want some of the best mexican food on this side of town, may I say a few words of criticism? The service for our table was unbearably slooooooowwwwwww. The limes we got were kinda old and dried up. These are legitimate complaints, but I still love the food there, just be ready to wait a while I guess.

Are you in the mood for Mexican. I don't think you can do much better than a food trunk. El Tapatio is your classic food trunk; however there customer service is above the rest. We got the classic chicken quesadilla and it was amazing simply and utterly amazing. I don't think it gets better than that.

The chicken burrito is awesome... and huge!! Smoked meat, rice, beans, onion, cilantro, avocado. A lime, grilled jalapeño, and 2 sauces came with it for less than $7. This is not your standard Americanized Mexican restaurant. Time and care are taken cooking the meat in smokers outside. You can eat inside (small space) or order to go and wait in your car outside and they'll bring it to you.

Probably my favorite spot on Nolensville Pike. Absolutely cannot go wrong here! Small dine in area, amazing food and always a nice staff. If you're looking for authentic, look no further.

Been coming here since I was in diapers....or maybe since I learned how to feed myself, not quite sure, its been years. The OG place for taco's. Don't really have to say much because this place speaks for itself. Bomb a** food, good prices. The seating is limited btw.

Authentic tacos for the win! Came up to visit my dad in Nashville, and we took a drive down Nolensville road looking for tacos. The taco truck attached to a room to sit was interesting, and the waitresses didn't understand us completely, but we got exactly what we ordered, and were happy we did! We ordered chicken, steak, fried pork, horizon, and lengua tacos, and all came full and fresh. The salsa was HOT, i was putting drops on my food (admittedly, im a wuss) Cant wait to return to Nashville in 3 months so i can order like 10 tacos!

This is the spot for tacos!!! They are delicious and affordable and authentic! They've done a good job adapting to COVID with bringing our take out orders to you while you wait in the car. Everyone is wearing masks. Staff is always friendly!

The food is really well seasoned and the customer service is pretty good too! I had a chicken quesadilla for take out and overall I loved the portions and my food was hot & tasty. A couple drawbacks, however, I found hard pieces of bone in my quesadilla that was pretty off putting. If I came back I would definitely get something else though, maybe without chicken. If you're planning on coming here to dine in, make sure you come a bit early because it was packed at 10pm while I was waiting on my food.

Just know this place is amazing! Excellent tacos especially the steak and shrimp ones!

Prices are high but the food is good and authentic. The location is small and cozy. I would go back here when I'm in the area.

Best burrito I've ever had. I live nearby and have visited nearly every local taco truck and mexican restaurant in the neighborhood, and this one is my favorite. I'm a boring, chicken-burrito-ordering kind of woman, and their chicken burrito blew me away. The chicken is fresh and moist and cooked on the grill to order, so it's not that dry shredded meat you expect. The tongue tacos, the chorizo tacos, and pretty much everything I've tried here is better than expected. Go here! They're on top of their game.

This place is just a room attached to a taco truck, but that is perfect as far as I'm concerned. I love taco trucks but it's too damn cold to eat outside and I'm trying to avoid taco juice in my car these days. The food is amazing. Nothing different on the menu from anyone else it's just better. I recommend a burrito, they are the best I have had in Tn. Be ready to catch up on your novelas while you eat.

Just like its sister store up the street, this place is the jam. This one gets extra special attention from me because 1) it is closer to my house and 2) it is open late at night. Which makes more sense at 1am, the dollar menu at taco bell or $1.25 authentic street tacos from here? The answer to that question will be left as an exercise for the reader. This isn't just your normal street taco truck either... you don't even have to get out of your car. They have car hops à la sonic who come out to your vehicle, take your order, and then bring your food to you. Only they aren't bringing foot long coneys, they are delivering out of this world tacos at a price that is cheaper than a meal at the other sordid fast food shack I just mentioned. One item to mention, just like the other store... English is not always the first language of the staff here. I've ended up with 9 tacos instead of 3 before because of the language barrier and my tendency to just nod yes whenever there is a communication issue. Not that I am complaining about 9 tacos, I mean I tried to eat them, made it about half way, and gave up, but still, just know you might have to work through your order a little.

I don't quite understand the 3 star review below mine. First she changed the item from what it's supposed to be, stated that it was pleasing to her, then added more good opinions and descriptions, but finally gave a 3 star review? o_0 Both El Tapatio locations offer very similar quality. I first visited both locations 3 years ago and had disappointing experiences. I recently tried both locations again and the quality of the food has skyrocketed (both places). The quality of food is very similar to my favorite Mexican food in Nashville (Taqueria Express food trucks). El Tapatio is essentially a food truck that parks next to a vacant small building that they lease. The small building acts like a dining area, while the food truck acts like the kitchen. I ordered a variety of items to sample their asada (beef), pastor (spicy pork), and pollo (chicken). The asada is juicy and relatively flavorful, similar to the asada at Taqueria Express. The pastor is spicy, flavorful, and juicy. The quality of the pastor is high, similarly to Taqueria Express, but the flavor is very different than Taqueria Express (not good, not bad, just different). It's still very delicious. The chicken here is not as flavorful as the chicken found at Taqueria Express. However what it lacks in juiciness and flavor, it gains in the grilled flavor. I'm not entirely sure if they cook the chicken on an open flame, but it sure tastes like they do. And this is the one department where the chicken is better here than at Taqueria Express. I would not hesitate coming back here. The quality is on the same level as the Taqueria Express food trucks (best in Nashville). Then again, El Tapatio, this location at least, is essentially a food truck with an indoor dining area. Prices here are slightly higher than a regular food truck because they rent/lease space for a dining area. Parking can be a nightmare too.

This place rocks it out everytime!! Definitely one of the best Mexican restaurants in town. The burrito Tapatio and the asada tacos are mind blowing.

This is an excellent, inexpensive taco place. The smoked chicken is my favorite. They smoke it on a huge smoker at their storefront and it's so flavorful! The half or whole chicken is a great deal. We eat here regularly and it's always excellent!

This place is super close to where I live and my family and I order the grilled chicken at least once or twice a week to have for dinner. We'll always get a whole or half to go with whatever we're having for dinner that night. The tacos, quesadillas and tortas are also amazing. This is a gem in Nashville - real Mexican food, ridiculously cheap prices, a staple of nolensville rd taco spots in my opinion. I never think to go anywhere else since I've started coming here for Mexican. No the place isn't fancy and English isn't a common language here but that only adds to its charm.

Be careful what you order n watch how they change the price on you when you pay I would rather pay cash they mess with your food and card information if you don't tip they will charge u extra they will add 2$ to 3$ more for there tip if you give them tip don't get rob for your money go somewhere else n also a lot of there food is expired or leftover meat

This place is amazing! The sandwiches are enormous, as are the quesadillas. Easily my favorite Nolensville Rd mexican spot.

I come for the pastor street tacos. I've had the carbon chicken and it is very good. The serving size is huge. Two people could split the 1/2 chicken meal.

This place has two locations, one is listed here. One is further north on Nolensville road near Thompson lane. I prefer the one further north, since it is bigger and more comfortable inside, but this location is closer to my home. Both have similar food offerings. The location listed here often offers champurrado/atole and tamales in cooler weather. Also frequently offers mojarra, and offers birria throughout the week. It is definitely worth stopping by here for some of the rarer finds listed above, service is great - if you pull up in your car, a waitress will come to your car to serve you.

Great steak tacos. I don't like the cilantro/onion combo, so I asked for them plain with cheese added which were yummy. The hot sauce that comes with is the perfect compliment as well. Visited: April 17, 2011

I don't go there for anything else than chicken . Always good don't like bean so I order whole with extra rice some times I get the order wrong but it may be the lack of English but that still doesn't matter after you take a bite of the chicken. Be back today for sure at some point