El Trigo Restaurant

I recently had the chance to try this Mexican restaurant, and overall, it was a great experience! The burrito with green sauce was absolutely delicious. The meat-to-rice and bean ratio was just right, and the sauce that was poured over it was flavorful without being overpowering. It had a subtle kick of spice at the end, which made it incredibly satisfying. The Horchata was nice—if you're a fan of sweeter drinks, you'll love it. However, if you prefer something less sweet, you might want to order something else to drink. That said, it was well mixed and smooth, and definitely refreshing. As for the tacos, the prices were reasonable for the area. The Cabeza, Pastor tacos were by far the most flavorful! The tortillas, though, could use a little more oil to give them a better roast, but that’s just a personal preference. They were handmade and still quite good. The Asada tacos were okay, but I’d probably opt for other options like the Pastor or cabeza, next time. Oh, and the spicy sauce that comes with the tacos is definitely a head-turner, so be cautious if you’re not into heat—but it’s delicious. Lastly, the warm chips they served while I waited were a nice touch. The sauce was the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, making it an enjoyable start to the meal. Overall, a solid spot for some flavorful Mexican food, and I’ll definitely be back to try more! This is a mom-and-pop shop, so the wait times can vary, but it’s absolutely worth it if you’re not in a rush. The staff is friendly, and the food is made with care, so it’s all part of the experience.

Food was okay. Not bad, not spectacular, just okay. Their menu didn’t have price listed, which is frustrating. The young gentleman who served our food was very polite and attentive. I will try out other Mexican restaurants before coming back here.

The food was extremely delicious. Reminded me of my times in Mexico, the workers were so kind and very attending. The quality of the food is amazing and worth the price. I would love to come back.

The best menudo that I’ve ever had! The menudo was hearty and the chilis were actually spicy!! Thank you for taking such great care of your customers. Great family-ran restaurant!

A hidden gem! Delicious authentic Mexican food! A great menu of options! Bomb breakfast and excellent service! Definitely returning for another homemade meals just like my mom and grandma would make. I highly recommend!

I originally stumbled upon this place by accident during an evening adventure with my bestie and absolutely loved the food here! I decided to revisit with my dad and was extremely happy everything still tasted amazing. They did update the menu since the last time I was here and there is currently no prices written on it. The lady at the front was really sweet and patient with us as we took a moment to read everything. I ended up ordering the sope asada, lengua tacos, and buche taco while my stepdad got the coctel camarón y pulpo and camarones empanizados. The asada was delicious, it was seasoned well and cooked to perfection on top of a giant sope. Both tacos were delicious as well, the handmade tortillas were warm and tasty, and the lady in the front was extremely accommodating with me asking for no onions. The camarones empanizados had a delicious batter and was served with fresh warm tortillas. The only thing my dad wasn’t the biggest fan of was the coctel camarón y pulpo, it was on the blander side and required a lot of Tapatio, lemons, and ketchup to flavor it. Overall, I really enjoyed everything I ordered and would 11/10 come back!

There is a huge difference between food cooked using oil, and food cooked using rendered fat or “MANTECA”. If you are not familiar with the difference then it can be hard to understand or even imagine the incredible difference that it makes. For a conoseur like me it is important that establishments like this are preserved just the way they are. There is something intangible but so clear here, you can feel it in the air and taste the difference.

What a wonderful find. Wish I would know of this spot earlier. The food was authentic, tasty, and portion were more then expected. I will definitely come back many time. The best home made sopes, I have had. If you usually eat 2. I would recommend to start off with one. The homemade tortillas, yum. Thank you. It is located off on its own. Worth finding, highly recommend.

Service was fine. Attentive and friendly Ambiance was fine as well. Nothing to really note about the way it looks or anything. What matters most is that it's clean and comfortable enough. Ok now the important part. The food. We ordered albondigas, pozole, tacos dorados, Al pastor tacos, cabeza tacos, beans, rice, sopes. The albondigas was good but not amazing. It was definitely satisfying tho and I would order again. We had chorizo tacos dorados and they were quite tasty. The Al pastor tacos were fine. Really strong on I think it's cinnamon which wasn't expected. The cabeza was also fine. I realize cabeza is usually a little oily but I did feel like this one was a little oilier. Flavor was good tho. The rice was pretty bland. Now the sopes is where it's at. I looooove me some sopes and I would make the 40 minute drive here just to have them again. Theyre the size of a small dinner plate so theyre quite big. I had the carne asada. The sopes had a lovely crisp with a great chew. Lovely flavor and it went harmoniously with the beans, carne, and toppings. Definitely worth the visit!

I am so sad that I have slept on this place for so long! I've lived in the area for 7+yrs but my go to has been Habaneros, (which I still highly recommend) but we finally decided to give El Trigo a try and holy crap was it delicious! Between my husband and I we got the pollo, chicharron, pastor,l and chorizo tacos. All were delicious but the chicharron was SO good we both ordered more to go A big plus as well was the price, eating out can really hurt the wallet these days but we got 10 tacos for $30, for as delicious as they were that made us very happy! Can't wait to go back, maybe to try breakfast next!

We like that they are a Mom and pop establishment. We got: Carne asada burrito Carnitas/fried pork burrito Lengua taco $1.75 for cheese to be added to the burrito Overall, food felt basic like you could make it at home. Nothing to really go back for in terms of burritos or tacos.

I was telling my dear friend that I missed my grandma's nopales and she said I know a place. I never knew that there were restaurants on the side streets of University Ave. Lo and behold my dear friend introduced me to El Trigo!! The restaurant is small welcoming. I was telling her that I ordered the RANCHERO plate Asada, Frijoles de la Olla, Nopales). If you have ever seen the movie Ratatouille when the food critic takes a bite of his food and then he has a vision of himself as a child eating his mother's cooking with joy, well that was me!!! Lol that food was DELICIOUS!! The food was seasoned to perfection, I kid you not every bite was a taste of heaven. Not to mention the freshly made tortillas that accompanied the meal. I told the lady at the counter somebody's Abuela or Abuelo has to be doing the cooking and sure enough Abuelo was. You can't create a meal that tastes that good without years of experience and love. Anyhow I could go on but that meal warmed my heart and helped me from missing my grandma.

I had an incredible experience! The service was outstanding, and the food was simply delicious. And those homemade tortillas? Absolutely to die for!

Such a tasty authentic Mexican restaurant! If you want affordable and delicious Mexican food (that is Mexican mom approved) come here. I recommend the chilaquiles, tacos, and menudo!

Randomly picked this place for lunch. If you're Mexican and step into this place... you'll know it's going to taste good and authentic... and it was. I was a bit overwhelmed by the choices so I got pretty basic dishes. I order us some chicken enchiladas, asada plate, and a torta de milanesa. For drinks a Jamaica, and Horchata. Everything was really good. The service was great. I didn't wait too long for our to go order. The woman at the register was kind and patient with me. Prices were what you'd expect. I don't think I spent over $50 for 3 of us. We'll be back.

Ordered the caldo de pollo....not feeling 100 so I get home and start eating....there's a shrimp in my caldo de pollo..... I call them back to give them a comment on their soup...no where near the restaurant and the person that answers says that she's sorry to come back so they can make it right. I tell her it's just a comment, to inform the cook that if they don't necessarily have caldo de pollo, don't just mix it in with the caldo de camarón to call it "caldo de pollo". Update: I ended up calling them back to get a refund. The manager gave me a full refund, so for that I'm grateful but still craving caldo de pollo.

This restaurant is a hidden gem! Authentic Mexican food and friendly service. Limited seating is the only issue someone may face, but we will definitely be back!

Extremely disappointed.... For the exception of the rice, beans and salsa, everything else tasted old, reheated or had no flavor. The al pastor meat in my tacos was crunchy. Definitely a sign of old reheated meat. Carne asada was okay. Carnitas torta had a smear of avocado, I could barely taste it, let alone see it. We also gave the fish tacos a try, not good at all. Table service needs improvement. We were greeted upon walking in, but were directed to look at the menu on the wall, choose any available table and sit and let the waitress know what we wanted. No menu available to order from when you sit. The young girl, forgot our check. We waited about 5 minutes and reminded her again. She was the only person managing nine tables, taking orders, delivering the food and cleaning tables. Complimentary chips and salsa were given, but the chips were stale. Salsa had great flavor though. No complimentary refills as well. Don't remember if there was music, but there was a huge screen TV, but nothing was on. This restaurant is located in a residential area. Really hard to find parking. Maybe it was a bad day to visit, but I am definitely not coming back.

Food was delicious. We had the carnitas tacos, asada taco and asada some. They were all very delicious. The table chips and salsa were good and tastty

Authentic food! Home made tortillas all the foods I tried were so good! Can't wait to go back and try different foods.

Great food and service! Will definitely be coming back here. The torta milanesa was great and the tacos de cabeza were perfect.

A nice mom and pop establishment. Nothing fancy but food is legit. Good portions. Server is attentive.

Hidden gem! This place is amazing! The most authentic Mexican food I've had at a restaurant in a very long time. The menudo is so good we came back twice in the same weekend. The chicharron tacos are a perfect blend of crunchy and tenderness. Doesn't get better than this! If you are truly looking for an authentic Mexican food restaurant this is your place! It feels like I am sitting inside my grandmas kitchen. The service is also great! We will definitely be back!

Awesome tacos - even the taco shell tastes like homemade - if you are in riverside definitely eat here -

Authentic and flavorful. I had a Michelada with Modelo Especial (just spicy enough) a chicaron taco and the carne asada huarache. I loved the thickness of the fresh masa tortilla base. It made for a hearty dish. Faviana was a treat as our server, gracias. She explained the difference between the huarache, the gordita and the sopa. The three enchilada combo plate with geeen sauce was a hit as well as the garlic shrimp. Good value for the quality of authentic food. Although the juke box was in siesta and there were no individual menus, we had an excellent meal! Food-5 Service-5 Ambiance-4

Two years of college later and I never stopped going to El Trigo. I have gone enough to say I have tried nearly everything on the menu and I have yet to be disappointed. However the standout dish time after time were the costillas de puerco. Served with their wonderfully thick handmade tortillas, it made for a comforting meal that I devoured each time. Honestly one of the biggest things I'll miss in riverside and I will be sure to stop by next time I'm there.

This restaurant is a 50/50 I would say. Tacos were very tasty, meat perfectly cooked and fresh corn tortillas, HOWEVER, they didn't have green sauce, imagine going to a Mexican restaurant with no Salsa Verde which should be a staple. Pambazo was decent, not the best I've had but it was good, could've been better with green sauce for sure... Gordita de chicharrón, definitely my least favorite item, chicharron (pork skin) got me sick, it was too dry and hard to chew, again, no salsa verde and just not tasty at all. Staff was very friendly and welcoming, easy parking and no waiting time.

This spot is a MUST try. Please don't let this little place fool you. It had BIG flavor and you will not be disappointed. There is a variety of menu options and I couldn't decide what I wanted so I ordered a little bit of everything. Every item I ordered - Enchiladas (chicken & beef), Tacos (chicken, al pastor, chicharrones), Wet Burrito (beef w/ red sauce), Rice and Beans, and Pozole - was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious. The Jamaica and tamarindo drink were delicious too. The food is yummy, the prices are reasonable, and the service is good. I highly recommend. They will be catering my next event!

I ordered 4 tacos to go by calling over the phone. The service was standard and they spoke both English and Spanish. It took about 5 minutes for the tacos to be ready for pick up. The restaurant was petite and quiet. service was quick for pick up. They make their sauces in house but didn't have green sauce this time around. I tried the chorizo, chicharron and carne asada tacos. Carne asada was the best, chorizo didn't really have much flavor and chicharron was good. They were standard sized tacos but were generously packed with the meat.

Service was really friendly. Food was amazing. Environment was good. Highly recommend this place.

Enchiladas are good but small. I wasn't impressed by their beans and rice. I am subtracting one star because on the day we went they only accepted cash which was a huge inconvenience. Even with today's day and age you can do Zelle I would return here for the enchiladas

The food is delicious! Customer service is great. Cute little whole in the wall. It makes me feel like I'm in Mexico. The only bad part is that they closer to early for me.

I first discovered this place by chance during an evening outing with my bestie and fell in love with the food! I decided to return with my dad and was delighted to find that everything still tasted amazing. They have updated the menu since my last visit, and currently, there are no prices listed. The lady at the front was very kind and patient as we took a moment to review the menu. I ended up ordering the sope asada, lengua tacos, and buche taco, while my stepdad chose the coctel camarón y pulpo and camarones empanizados.The asada was delicious, well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly atop a large sope. Both tacos were also delicious; the handmade tortillas were warm and flavorful. The lady at the front was incredibly accommodating when I requested no onions. The camarones empanizados had a tasty batter and were served with warm tortillas. The only dish my dad wasn't fond of was the coctel camarón y pulpo, which was a bit bland and required a lot of Tapatio, lemons, and ketchup for flavor. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered and would definitely come back!

The place is small. They take walk in orders and there are some tables. The food is fresh and homemade. The tortillas are made fresh. I love the gorditas because they are made fresh. The coffee has cinnamon in it. If you are in the area a must try for Mexican food.

I ordered two different types of tacos and a few different menu items for a few coworkers and everything was very delicious. The ranchero taco was my favorite. I also ordered a chorizo taco. It's definitely a hole in the wall type of restaurant, but it has great quality food. I also got the Horchata and it was delicious. All of my co workers also enjoyed their food. Definitely try this place!!

Lovely place, our host Stephanie was really attentive, friendly and sweet. Food was also great and it was a cozy vibe inside. Will be back!

The beef tongue tacos here are divine, but I do have to agree with the other poster about how I was sad they didn't have any green sauce, that would've made the dish for me. The Al pastor was solid but the carne Asada was extremely dry and really tough. Will stick to the lengua from now on!!!

Menudo was awesome!! The service was great. Hand made tortillas are a game changer!

I got a adobado burrito with extra cheese and it was delicious. Definitely recommend Service was great and fast Ambience was quiet and Mexican. You can tell the people working here are honest and just want to make good food. The homemade horchate was good too! Free chips and salsa

Stopped here for breakfast and truly wasn't expecting to be as delicious as it was real authentic home made, almost like abuelitas cooking the hand made tortillas were so good I took the ones I didn't finish home. I had the chilaquiles rojos, my girl had the carne asada plate and for the price you can't beat it, just wish that they had a/c to combat the spicy salsa.

We were craving tacos today and we were on the hunt for real tacos we drove to a couple places and I didn't even get out of the car I saw the reviews for this location and called in the order to my surprise it was what I was looking for and close to home. You know the small places hidden away are the best! Amazing tacos, hit the spot right on....we will be back, we wish you were open later we wanted more tacos later and went to a taco truck because you were closed and that was awful in comparison. you can tell tortilla is homemade here.

Found El Trigo while driving through a map search of nearby "open now" restaurants. It looked authentic and has good reviews already so we decided to stop. It did not disappoint! If you're wondering where to stop, look no further. This is it. When we walked in the atmosphere is calm and welcoming. It's not too loud and everything is clean. We ordered from the counter and sat ourselves. The service came quickly, we got free freshly made chips and amazing salsa. If you judge Mexican restaurants by their chips and salsa like me, at this point you'll know you picked the right spot. The pambazo aka Bombazo was the best than other places I've visited in riverside. The tacos de cabeza were perfectly soft and the tortillas are handmade in house. The coffee is great and the tamarind agua too. My husband got the carne asada plate and everything was good, especially the beans. They taste homemade. Will be back 100%

I've been wanting to try this and finally went for breakfast. They have full service sit down tables. Our server was very nice and attentive. I ordered huevos rancheros and ice tea. Chips and salsa came out, very good, a little spicy. The ice tea was strong and fresh. Then the huevos rancheros came and there's not one suggestion for improvement I would make. It was hot and delicious. I want to go back again, maybe for lunch. Try it, you won't be sorry.

Amazingly fresh and delicious food. The lady in the front taking the orders was very nice and attentive. Family owned for over 20 years and done the right way. I wish I lived much closer to enjoy this food every week. One of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to hands down.

The food was great and service was good always staff is always friendly when we go in. Thank you El trigo

Food is great. The carnitas with rice and beans is delicious. The family meal with these options is a really good deal.

Best chorizo and egg burrito I had. It had beans, cheese and potatoes. It was simple yet good.

Authentic hole in the Mexican restaurant. Not the fanciest decor, you can tell they have been in the neighborhood for a while and with good reason. The food is consistently good, service is good, Menudo on Sundays is tasty!

Three words: SHRIMP FAJITA BURRITO Two more words: VERY FLAVORFUL Five more words: WILL MOST DEFINITELY GO BACK Bonus words: For my IG aesthetic peeps, there's a great mural outside of the restaurant (don't have a pic, but check it out and be pleasantly surprised )

Great food (I had the tacos) so good & flavorful & AMAZING service!!! I did the horrible thing of calling in an order 20mins to close. They said it would be ready in 10 and I felt so bad but the lady working was so sweet and understanding! You would have thought I was the first customer of the day! Definitely one of the best hidden gems around Riverside !

First time here stopped for lunch it was great. I'm a pick eater as id but glad I stopped . Fresh made tortillas and sopes are bomb

Food was hard I got a enchilada and the enchiladas were hard I came to eat here with my son and husband and the waitress with curly curly hair took my food out of my hand without asking if I was done and didn't offer me anything else to drink only my husband we won't be returning back 3/9/2025

The menudo here is awesome especially with their home made tortillas. The carne asada plate is also delicious. We call our order in on the weekends because they get super busy. Even with calling in our order ahead of time there still is a bit of a wait. We are patient because the food is absolutely worth the wait.

Tried the lengua, al pastor, chicharon, chorizo, and fish tacos. All of them were so good with their housemade tortillas. The chicharon taco has crispy pieces of pork belly and fatty skin! Their consome birria was good for 3 people, flavorful with huge chunks of meat. They also give complementary chips and salsa. Its a a great local restaurant with kind staff. Will definitely be back.

We stopped by for breakfast after Mt Rubidoux workout, it was our first time and we will be back. The food is all freshly made and very authentic. The menudo was the star of the morning (not greasy and so very well seasoned)! We even got some to go for tomorrow (so much for our workout ). Happy to support this small, family owned restaurant.

This spot is legit a hole in the wall. Authentic. My husband likes the carne asada burrito. I love the freshly made tortillas and the menudo is so good here.

My overall experience was amazing, greeted as soon as i walked in. everyone was extremely nice. & the food was delicious!! Me & my partner were craving empanadas close to their closing & they let us order & even let us sit down to eat.