El Tarasco Mexican Restaurant

We visited El Tarasco for the first time last night, and it was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. We checked in as 3 adults and a baby, clearly asking for a high chair. They seated us without one, and even after reminding them, it still took 10 minutes for them to bring it—as if they had completely forgotten. I ordered the Quesabirria taco plate and specifically asked to confirm it came with rice and beans because the menu clearly states it does (I’ll attach the photo so others can see it too). Our waitress said she didn’t think it did but would double-check, then came back saying no. I asked for a manager. The manager, Javier, admitted that their menu is wrong and they “messed up” when they made it—but instead of fixing the issue or honoring what their OWN menu says, he argued with me and made excuses. That is false advertisement, and for first-time customers it’s extremely confusing and unprofessional. Instead of correcting it and making it right, he kept debating with me. I told him I wasn’t interested in arguing and that they need to fix their menu to avoid this with future customers. I ordered two other entrées and an appetizer. We got our entrées, but never got the appetizer. Our waitress disappeared without saying anything, so I told a different waitress that we were no longer interested since we were almost done eating. She said the appetizer was never even put in. At that point, I was just done. On top of all that: • The food was terrible • We were never checked on • Nothing about this place is “authentic Mexican food” as they claim • Overall, the service and experience were extremely disappointing For a first visit, this place completely failed. I will not be returning, and I don’t recommend wasting your time or money here.

Great spot for Mexican food in Visalia. This is a restaurant chain here in the Central Valley, but we like this location the best. Our waiter Jaime was great and the food delicious. We had the guacamole, nachos con todo, carnitas plate, taco and enchilada, as well as the molcajete.

I wanted to love my michelada. I was so exited and it looked delicious. The first shrimp tasted off and I had to go to the bathroom and spit the second one out. I work at a seafood restaurant, these shrimp were rotten. The chips were stale. I didn't want to complain and the service was great but I wouldn't go again.

Great place for a first date. Food is good. Service is great.

Went for dinner. Wait is long. Was sat in a booth next to a wall with a piece of it missing. The smell was bad. The food wasn't very good. I ordered the Chipotle enchiladas and the chicken was in chunks. The only thing I really enjoyed was the margaritas. Probably won't be back.

This was the first time I went in a very long time. The people working were nice, and the service was pleasant. The only con I have is that I needed to get my phone light out so I could see the menu.

Always love the food at this restaurant. The staff is so kind and welcoming. And the food is delicious. Love the enchiladas & chile verde. Margaritas are wonderful and great atmosphere.

Cute place, good service & food was delicious. We went with regulars so they knew the staff, but besides the attentive service food was tasty and enviroment clean & comfortable. The 4 of us sharing the Molcajete ea couple (2), 1 desert shared and a few drinks...over $200. Not cheap. But that's inflation.

Wow, things have changed drastically since I last visited this restaurant. First of all, the waitress, Meche, needs a better approach to her waitressing skills. I sat down and right away asked me what I wanted to drink, because I wasn't ready and my husband ordered water, she made the comment, "ok 2 waters". Then comes back to the table roughly 5 minutes with the waters and I ask for a Corona Michelada. That alone took another 5-8 minutes to make it to my table, by what appeared to be the bar staff. Let be clear, the restaurant was not busy! Then we get to ordering. While that went ok, it was the end when I got concerned. She was literally playing the "memory game" out loud naming off our food and drinks, all because we asked for split checks. This could have easily been avoided if she had simply asked from the beginning when taking our orders. Then the checks come, and she almost gave my friend the wrong ticket, however, she corrected herself while still talking herself of who ordered what. Needless to say, if it wasn't for the food, it would be a one (1) star. The prices have gone up due to the economy; however, the service should match it! Ot sure if Ill be coming back any time soon.

I'm surprised by the low reviews because we absolutely loved our food here! It was so delicious. On our way to Three Rivers from Fresno, we were looking for a dinner spot, so decided to check out El Tarasco Mexican Restaurant midway in Visalia. We had a great dinner here. The place was busy on a Friday night, but only waited for about 20 minutes to get a table. We had a carrot margarita, which is something I've never had before, and it was good and strong. They use fresh carrots and the tequila was on point! For our meal, we ordered a combination that's meant for sharing, which included steak, shrimp, fish and ceviche with guac and housemade tortillas. NOMS! The food could've been shared with another person, but there was no way we were gonna leave with leftovers. We left full and satisfied. The steak was tender and flavorful, the shrimp was perfectly cooked and the fish was flaky with a cumin seasoning on it. Ceviche was a nice, light addition to the meal. I loved creating our own tacos with the meat, guac and of course, it came with rice and beans. They also gave us chips and salsa free to start with, so we had everything we needed and more. Delicious food with large portions!

My husband and I had a beautiful breakfast here on Thanksgiving weekend. We loved that you could order from the entire menu, not just breakfast items. We each had a bowl of chicken tortilla soup. He also had tacos gobernador a la carte, and I had a shredded beef taco. Everything was fantastic!! The best was the chicken tortilla soup. The presentation of the soup was very elevated and classy. You start off with a bowl of just the tortilla strips and condiments. The server then brings the broth piping hot in a pitcher and pours it into the bowl. It definitely made for an upscale experience. The ambiance is colorful, festive, and beautiful. The music playing through the speakers was great. I ordered an iced tea and a cucumber water. The cucumber water was OK, not the best ive had. I couldn't finish it because I got too full. We will definitely be back for that fantastic soup.

We visited El Tarasco for the first time last night, and it was honestly one of the worst dining experiences I've had. We checked in as 3 adults and a baby, clearly asking for a high chair. They seated us without one, and even after reminding them, it still took 10 minutes for them to bring it--as if they had completely forgotten. I ordered the Quesabirria taco plate and specifically asked to confirm it came with rice and beans because the menu clearly states it does (I'll attach the photo so others can see it too). Our waitress said she didn't think it did but would double-check, then came back saying no. I asked for a manager. The manager, Javier, admitted that their menu is wrong and they "messed up" when they made it--but instead of fixing the issue or honoring what their OWN menu says, he argued with me and made excuses. That is false advertisement, and for first-time customers it's extremely confusing and unprofessional. Instead of correcting it and making it right, he kept debating with me. I told him I wasn't interested in arguing and that they need to fix their menu to avoid this with future customers. I ordered two other entrées and an appetizer. We got our entrées, but never got the appetizer. Our waitress disappeared without saying anything, so I told a different waitress that we were no longer interested since we were almost done eating. She said the appetizer was never even put in. At that point, I was just done. On top of all that: * The food was terrible * We were never checked on * Nothing about this place is "authentic Mexican food" as they claim * Overall, the service and experience were extremely disappointing For a first visit, this place completely failed. I will not be returning, and I don't recommend wasting your time or money here.

The drinks were excellent but the food was bad. They were super busy during dinner time so the service was on the slower side. The drinks came out quickly but the food took 40 minutes to prepare. The ambiance was upbeat at least. *Flautas: came with chicken or beef. We chose the prior and it was very dry. The corn tortilla was crispy and not overly greasy. Honestly tasted frozen. The included beans, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa were decent though and added some moisture. *Nacho Con Todo: crispy chips topped with cheese, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and jalapenos. We chose steak as the main protein and it was skimped out on. The steak was so dry and chopped up that it served as a rubbery topping. The jalapenos were cut longwise so it was comically large in comparison to the chips. This felt like another form of the dry flautas. *Campechana Cocteles: we additionally paid the extra fee for 3 oysters. However we wouldn't do this again given the oysters were small and not very fresh. The texture and taste were off putting. The cocktail came with tomato broth, cucumber, avocado, onion, tomato, shrimp and octopus. The octopus was a tad rubbery and overcooked. The shrimp was plump and they absorbed up the citrus well. The "seafood broth" didn't have much flavor and it was probably just Clamato. *Blueberry Margarita: the margaritas here were strong in alcohol content and flavor. This was my favorite as the blueberry taste was strong but not too sugary. There was almost a floral and fragrant quality which I loved. *Strawberry Margarita: similarly fruity and vibrant but sweeter than the blueberry. It was a familiar and classic taste which makes it easy to consume. I would only come back for their margaritas. The food was subpar compared to most restaurants in Visalia and it wasn't cheap either. The cleanliness and low health score was also a bit concerning. Stay for a short time, not a long time.

I've been to el Tarasco several times and it always hits the spot. I really like that they have a separate area for the bar it gives the place a nice vibe depending on what you're in the mood for. This time we tried the fresh guacamole from the guac cart, and it was honestly delicious. You can tell it's made fresh . Even though it was a busy time, our server took great care of us. I didn't catch her name, but we didn't miss a thing during our meal.‍ Definitely recommend this place. Great food, good service, and always a nice atmosphere.

We got charged $200 for four cocktails, one appetizer and one entree.... Y'all should be ashamed of yourselves. Plus the meat was dry and overcooked.

Our dining service was wonderful. My bride & I celebrated her 34 years of being a Mother . She had the combination fajitas and I had carne asada, both dishes were delicious! It was a Wednesday evening and the ambience was relaxing and romantic.

First visit on a Friday night very busy with a 30min wait. Found this spot on maps and it's location on W Main Street lots of parking and a area filled with food and shops We were seated at our table and quickly waited on ..looking over the menu and started with Ceviche Avocado Shell with shrimp nice and tasty avocado was firm and fresh , pineapple margarita so refreshing in a tilted glass. Entree we both ordered Fajitas combo that included steak, shrimp and chicken lots of veggies that came to us flaming hot oh so tasty with the side of beans,rice,guacamole and tortilla yummy Everything was tasty and portions huge saved room for dessert Tarasco Flan. Service and food was great would certainly return. Nice inside deco they do have a full bar separated from the dining area.

Went to eat here we shared our food, tastes good and it came with a food poisoning or somewhat. My wife and started feeling bloated , nauseated 30 mins after finishing our food. We both had stomach pain all night including diarrhea, vomiting. I had to almost went to the hospital but then fight it off for over 12 hours of stomach pain. I was wondering if anyone else have had this problem eating there, it was my first time eating at that restaurant and will be my last.

This review is for the bar only and not the restaurant or their food!!!! Came across El Tarasco while in town on company business and found the restaurant quite inviting from the outside. The bar area itself is pretty dark and they offer a wide variety of tequilas and margaritas. I opted for some beer only and definitely would be back in a heartbeat for the ambiance alone. Hopefully I will get to try their food the next time I'm in town. Cheers!

While stopping and resting in town overnight, we asked the hotel reception where is best place in town to go to if carving some good Mexican food and they said there's only one place El Tarasco on Main Street. So off we went for dinner and were not disappointed. The ambiance is really fun and festive. My kiddos enjoyed the giant chairs with sombreros. Service was speedy and attentive. The food and drinks were delicious. The homemade tortillas were addicting! If ever back in town we would definitely stop here again.

Food was just okay, nothing worth bragging about, and the chips were stale. The real issue was the service--or lack of it--likely because gratuity is automatically added. When it came time to pay, I mistakenly handed over a new card I hadn't activated yet. It declined, and instead of handling it professionally, the server literally tossed the card back at me and said, "It's declined," before walking off. I was shocked at her attitude, and even my whole table agreed it was completely unnecessary. I ended up just paying with cash, but the interaction left a bad impression. On top of that, the restaurant only has one bathroom for its size, which is pretty inconvenient. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place. There are plenty of better spots in Downtown Visalia that are much more worth your time and money.

Service was good.the ambiance was also nice But the food wasn't very good . All they have is nothing but seafood it looks like they changed the menu . I don't think I'll be coming back.

My family came to celebrate my birthday at my favorite restaurant el tarasco. The atmosphere was fun, modern and the food was out of this world delicious! But as a bartender for a Gordon Ramsay restaurant I know what is expected for basic good service. Our waitress Janeth sat us down and knew she was getting an auto gratuity. She visited our table of twice maybe 3 times. When visiting our table she was short, rude, and not productive or helpful. Little did she know that we as fellow service industry employees, appreciate and always over tip when we recognize great service. Now I do have to give a shoutout to the busser/guacamole show guy. He was fun energetic and witty! He helped our table more than our actual server. We didn't catch his name but he was top tier. After reading some other reviews, I feel as if manager or Owner should address the auto gratuity to lack of good service issue.

My attempt to conquer Main Street during lunch continues... This place looks unassuming from the outside and I was in for a shock! Beautiful, modern place with flowers and paintings. All the seatings are new, clean, and festive. The wait staff is very attentive. I got my drink, chips and salsa, food order in no time. I had the El Mocajate. What a treat. Hot volcano rock container, sizzling spicy sauce, with chicken, steak, blood sausage, and shrimp skewer. It was absolutely amazing. I was only able to eat half of it. Great place.

I was disappointed. My husband ordered camarones rellenos , and he liked that . I had the shrimp cocktail and was disappointed. The cocktail sauce was flavorless. There w as a good amount of shrimp, but the flavor was lacking. The shrimp cocktail at Super Taco is half the price and twice as tasty. I could say Super Taco lacks the atmosphere, but it was so noisy here that we couldn't carry on a conversation. Wish I could say something better, but I doubt we'll be coming back

First time coming here with my family and I realized I've been missing out on a good Mexican food place. Glad to have finally tried it. Came here on a Sunday and there was a wait. The hostess put us on the waiting list and we walked around until we were notified by text that we were next. Not bad at all! Makes it convenient if you have kids with you. Bar towards the back with additional booths for seating. Bathrooms were individual and clean. The service was great! They offer fresh guacamole made at your table for additional charge... fun to experience.

Drinks are good. That's about it. We visited for the first time on a Saturday night. Food is overpriced. Employees are rude. I'd skip this place if you're looking for authentic Mexican food.

Very good! I was craving a shrimp cocktail and came by here and tried thiers...only thing it was missing was a little Fanta orange in it, but I doctored it up with a little more ketchup and habanero hot sauce. I'll definitely be back!

The food is amazing. The environment works for families, brunching, and especially for drinks with friends.

No cheese in both of our chili Relleno dinners We typically love this place but with no cheese it was disappointing

I've been to this El Tarasco a lot and I've always had good experiences every time I come here. I've also done online orders with no problems or complaints. I prefer this El Tarasco over the other 2 locations in Visalia. The scenery and decorations are nice u can tell this place is older,but it's a very nice environment. The Ribeye steak dinner is my go to. They make nice crispy tacos and they have good draft beer. One of the only places that has Corona on tap in very generous sized mugs. This place fills up fast on the weekends and even on week days towards the evening so beware. Consider trying this place if u like some good food or a cold brew.

Somewhat busy St Patties night . Service was great, they wanted to seat us in the bar but grandpa isn't a fan of loud noise so they accommodated to our wishes and I greatly appreciate it since my pops is a picky man lol Server was enthusiastic and great Attentive and polite

Authentic delicious Mexican food. It's our favorite restaurant for Mexican food in the valley.big restaurant plenty of seating. Great service .

Seems like the flagship Mexican restaurant in downtown Visalia for going out. The menu had tons of colorful drinks. Not very cheap, but I guess that's standard prices these days. Quality food and prepared authentically. Very popular place for visitors and folks willing to pay more to socialize at a happening place.

Salsa is pretty good and good service. I like the ambiance. This place is a great lunch spot. The chili verde is pretty good.

The food was amazing! The carne asada wet burrito was huge, I couldn't even finish it all. There was a lot of meat and it was very tender. Though it was very busy that evening, our server was kind, attentive and genuinely apologetic for any wait we had. Our chips & salsa were refilled in a timely manner & our drinks as well. I loved the art on the walls, and the lighting throughout, especially the beautiful tree inside. It was quite noisy inside however we expected it since our visit was on a busy weekend night. Overall, I would highly recommend El Tarasco on Main St to everyone I know.

This place deserves five-stars plus! Wow this place has amazing food, great ambience, the service was quick upon ordering and selection was top-notch. We ordered a few different items from the menu to get a representation of their offerings. We had to wait 30 minutes prior to being seated due to it being a Friday night and holiday weekend; worth every minute once you are seated. You are rewarded with authentic Mexican cuisine in the heart of town. Would recommend folks make a stop here and enjoy their delicious food, great decor, and stellar service. Five stars plus! Will come back again! Thanks for making our picky eater enjoy his meal!

Great ambiance, friendly staff. The food very expensive, The food prices are outrageous, they have gone up 10 bucks at least. You pay 4,00 to fill up your chips. Food was small portions, the beef taco was dry...added salsa still couldn't eat it. I traded with my husband because he didn't like his. It was okay. We won't be going back or recommending El Tarascos anymore.

Fine Mexican restaurant in downtown. Visalia. We ordered Vegetarian Chille Rellienos, Burrito MIO, and Horchata. The servers confirmed that they don't use lard and use canola oil. The portion size was large and the price is slightly on the higher side. The entrees are about $20 for lunch. The ambience and service are great, and the food quality was also nice.

Street parking available. Went in for an early lunch; buy the time we left place was packed; a lot of people were outside waiting. My suggestion go early. Casual laid back vibe. If you sit by the bar, there are tv's with sports games on. Service was good. They hand you the lunch and dinner menu; however there is a separate menu for breakfast that is served from when they open until I believe 2pm on weekends. We had to ask for it, would of been nice if we got the breakfast menu to begin with; since we were still between the hours when we arrived. We ordered the chiquillies with Chile verde- didn't really look like the picture. Eggs were on top on the picture; they were inside when the actual plate was served. Little discrepancy with the pictures matching the presentation . Food was good; little pricey. However food was hot, fresh, and plentiful.

So I went to El Tarasco and I was charged $2.99 for extra sauce . The waiter told me it would be an extra charge . Some establishments should realize who they are serving. Tu gente! I thought I would review here without being rude there. Your enchiladas were pretty but secos. You know we like our sauces . And btw the sauce was terrible and not authentic. I'll try again . Service was slow. Just saying .

Me and my friend ordered a molcajete and we both got really sick , food poisoning ! Don't go there unless you want to have diarrhea and stomach pain all night long !

Went to dinner last night, service was ok. Waiter stopped by twice and took my order but acted as if my husband was invisible. He had to get up and go get himself a drink at the bar, weird!! I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were awful, worst fajitas I've ever eaten! Dry, rubbery and no flavor. My husband had the fish tacos and it was just ok! Very dissatisfying meals and waste of gas driving from out of town!! Save your money and go to VELASCO'S across the street.

I love this place!!! Been coming here for years and the food, drinks and service are outstanding!!

Food is scrumptious. Never fails to uphold description. Wait times may be long and very, but it is always worth it. Waiters are very nice and accommodating. We are regulars and they really take the opportunity to get to know you. I do not have anything bad to say about El Tarasco, except for the unreasonable amount of ice in margaritas. It was like 5 sips and my drink was gone. Brought this up to the manager and he said that is protocol. Not worth the $15 for 5 sips, even though they are delicious.

Always enjoyed this place but after tonight i will never go back. Next time you eat here look closely at your reciept. They automatically charge a tip with your bill without telling you which is very dishonest. I had always liked this place, but no more. Their scam is this when its time to pay their manager will automatically add a tip of 21 percent without asking you. They will then say its programmed in the system. So if you want to get ripped off eat here.

We're from Texas and we know Mexican food and this ain't it. The chips were crumbled and flavorless, and the salsa had no kick at all. They charge you four dollars for the second basket of chips that never happens in Texas. we ordered the Carnitas plate. The Carnitas was a bit on the tough side, Hardly any guacamole on the plate. Tortillas cost extra as well four dollars to be specific. The skinny margarita is the way to go since it's made with fresh lime juice. The frozen was not so good. Generally speaking, I would not go there again. Nice vibe but overpriced.

A restaurant that I really liked was called El tarasco. El tarasco is a mexican restaurant that is located in Visalia. This place has a wide variety of drinks, food, and deserts to choose from. The last time I went they had live music from mariachis which made the vibe very fun and entertaining which not alot of restaurants have that. The customer service was top teir they were patient and nice as well as gave you recommendations which is really helpful when you are indecisive. I would go there again in the future I will give it 5 stars.

Had a disappointing experience. The food and service was horrible tonight. The order was completely wrong. Plus one of the orders never came until everyone else had finished their food and it was cold. Nobody ever came back to see if we needed anything. I spoke to Javier the manager and he was rude and not even apologetic. He said while I got 300 people here which was not true there was maybe 50. Even if that was true I'm still a paying customer who works hard to take my family out I expect to get was I'm paying for.

We used to love coming here, until they started charging our cards when not authorized to do so. Feeling like they could get away with it. The last horrible service experience in your restaurant was our last, it's a shame to see such a great restaurant go so far downhill.

El Tarasco is exactly what you need after a full day of exploring the national parks. Some tasty margs that will get you going. Some tableside guac. And huge portions of Mexican fare that will fill you up and knock you out. Tableside guac was delicious and comes in a generous portion that you'll need an extra side of chips to get it all. What's not to like about freshly made guac. I went with the largest burrito they had and it was decadent and filling. A burrito packed with beans and cheese topped with pieces of steak and more cheese. It's a monster to eat and once done, you'll be ready for big. Prices are on the higher end, but you do get a lot of food that will hit the spot.

It's been a Hot minute since we last dined at El T downtown. I took a friend to dinner a couple of weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised by the pretty lights in the dining room. They now have fresh Guacamole prepared at your table and wonderful fun margaritas, also prepared at your table, isn't that nice? I also noticed they had lovely new fancy menus made, nice touch. The biggest surprise of all is their prices have gone up as much as $10 on some dishes! We ordered a taco (ala carte) a tostada with rice & beans, fresh Gaucamole, and 1 margarita each (one Cadillac & one Pineapple) the bill with tip was $90. The margaritas were fair and the food bland at best That's the last time for us, they can keep their pretty lighting and gimmicks, I'll spend my hard earned $$ elsewhere.

91 dollars for a torta, burrito, and an a la cart taco, three soft drinks. Waitress checked on us once in an hour. Food was abysmal.

Do not order take out got my food soggy and cold like they made it when I ordered it when I gave them a clear time of when I was picking it up there is a reason for that so they can time it accordingly my sour cream was this and cracking by the time I got it and my tortilla on my fours was soggy so disappointed and it was 20$ and they looked more like taquitos then fluatas

We went on a Monday afternoon. The restaurant was not busy, with just a few tables occupied. We waited what seemed like forever to get our food. We were ready to walk out just as our food exited the kitchen. The prices are outrageous. Over $60 for soup, a two enchilada meal and three soft drinks. The soup didn't come with tortillas. The enchiladas were room temperature. You get one serving of chips and salsa unless you want to pay extra. And the waitress checked on us ONCE the entire time we were seated. The manager even checked a few tables, skipping ours. We will not be back.

Amazing food, great atmosphere, and wonderful service. You feel like family every time you step inside.

Ok so this is a big shout out to Percy who was so kind and helpful when we had a "baby emergency". We were dining next door later in the evening where there was only pizza, and ran out of baby food. I ran next door to grab some guacamole, and Percy sprung into action, packing up that makeshift baby food quickly, and with a polite smile. Most people don't go out of their way when the tip is small. Thanks so much Percy for your selfless customer service!