La Imperial Taqueria

Came to try out the Taco Tuesday special while we were in town for a concert. The highlight out of everything we ordered was definitely the asada fries. The fries were crispy, the salsa was flavorful, and the portions were generous... Really good! Only negative was that despite being a nice looking dining room, there smelled as if there was a plumbing issue in the building so we took our order to go. Hopefully it's just a one off sewer issue that will be fixed because everything else is good here

The food, service, and cleanliness was so so good. My husband served a mission in Mexico over 10 years ago and said these are the best tacos and food since his mission that he’s had. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and service as we are just passing through.

I had an amazing meal at La Imperial Taqueria. The staff was so nice. The food was authentic and delicious. The Quesabirria tacos were the BEST I’ve ever had. Highly recommend going here. I’ll definitely be back.

Best tacos I’ve had in forever. Phenomenal flavor. I tried the quesabirria tacos and the asada and carnitas quesotacos . The meat had good flavor, didn’t matter which meat. The cheese was a good texture offset and the salsas were tasty. Basically, they’re doing everything right. Would 100% recommend and would come back.

Visiting from Vegas and we stopped by this place and it definitely did not disappoint!!! We ordered the asada torta and pastor burrito with an horchata. All were amazing! I absolutely loved how the horchata was creamy and not too sweet.

The quality of food is better than most taco shops . The smoked salsa is quite tasty and flavorful. Definitely not a fan of the watered-down guacamole. Employees are friendly and smile. The chairs are somrwhat uncomfortable. Also, the food did not come all at once but did not bother us too much. Definitely recommend.

This place is good. The customer service and the atmosphere are what stood out the most. The food is good, perhaps a bit over price, BUT nonetheless worth the experience.

Yes they do get busy but I have to say it's not a long wait as other places. The food was great and the prices were better. My quesabirra was juicy and stuffed with both cheese and meat. Definitely will be coming back. By the way there red sauce was actually spicy which was a plus.

It was a cool afternoon and we only had a short time for lunch before running errands. We stopped by La Imperial Taqueria for the first time. (mostly because it was nearby). It's a nice little restaurant. The counter server took our order. Our first choice was the wet burrito, but we were told they were out of wet burritos. That seemed a bit odd, but, oh well, we'll have the regular burrito. Our protein option was the Pastor pork. We sat down for the few minutes it took to get our food. The booths along the wall weren't that comfortable. The chairs were. The food came and, it was pretty typical Mexican food. It was tasty and plentiful. This is a good place to go if you feel like Mexican food and you're in a hurry, (or, get it as takeout)

Do not sit on this hidden gem off of rosedale hwy. The restaurant was very clean and well stocked for those who are staying to enjoy their meal. On Tuesday they do have chicken and asada tacos for $1.99 each. My fiancé ordered the tacos and I ordered the torta of asada. This was hands down the best asada I have had in Bakersfield. It wasn't recooked and crispy this meat was fresh and tender. The avocado salsa was fresh and vibrant with flavors. The corn tortillas were warmed in the meat fat that added extra flavor. The service was excellent, we were greeted with a smile as we walked in and given the special of the day. The food was brought to our table and we were asked if we would like anything else. This place is wonderful and we will definitely be coming back.

Food is good, the problem is not even them being a bit over priced, its the bad attitude from their workers EVERY time

Stopped in here to get food on our way to trivia. They have a taco Tuesday special on certain meats. I love chile relleno so I had to try the burrito. My husband got the 3 birria tacos. One star knocked off because we didn't get the consommé with it but the flavor was good. The inside was nice and clean and a solid menu that isn't overwhelming. Plenty of parking in the lot. The tacos were well filled and the flavor of the al pastor and chile verde were very good.

Food: 4.5 mics Service: 4.5 mics Ambiance: 4.5 mics Food: I ate 6 tacos and am beyond stuffed. I had Carnitas, don't sleep on this. Asada, refer back to Carnitas. Barbacoa, really good. Chicken, really good, Chile Verde, really good. Pastor, good. Massive tacos..3 would've filled me but I had the expectation of smaller tacos. Service: we were greeted as we entered into the empty restaurant. The cashier was very helpful in making recommendations. Ambiance: Clean, modern and new! Eat here if you're in the Bakersfield area.

I have eaten here multiple times. They have really good food. But tonight I ordered the chile relleno burrito and I was not I'm pressed. They used the cotija cheese to stuff the chile. I've ordered this before and it's so bomb. But tonight I had to take out all the cheese cause it was like chewing on rubber. The cheese did not melt. If this is how they are making them now I do not recomend ordering it.

Decided to try this place out for lunch as I often drive by. The location is off busy Rosedale highway which is very convenient. Upon entering you will be greeted with friendly staff that is willing off offer suggestions and lunch specials. The service was friendly and inviting. The atmosphere was fun, outgoing and had a good selection of Spanish/English music. I opted for the quesabirria tacos with included consome. They are shredded beef with cheese tacos. (3 for the lunch special). They were delicious, super comforting, and cooked just right! I was also very impressed with the salsa/guacamole sauce trio they give you with your meal. The presentation put the cherry on top of my first and certainly not last experience!

Nice service staff, great taco and guacamole, clean bathroom and picnic table for you to take your dogs! They even boxed up my leftovers and added some extra chips

very delicious food!!! good and fast service!! spacious and music is amazing. Definitely need to bring your family here :)

I recently came here to grab something to go for my husband. I ordered a bowl with the choice of meat as asada. My husband isn't a big eater but demolished it. He told me I definitely needed go try it. So, today, I ordered two bowls for us again. It was delicious. The only fatal error I made was not realizing the beans are refried, which aren't my favorite, but now I know for next time.

Bought the barbacoa tacos, give them 3 out of 5. Super EXPENSIVE the SMALL tacos, first and last time, will keep going to Victor's their 3 taco combo with rice & beans is same price as their 3 taco only combo, and Victors taste better sorry it had to be said.

We had the nachos, asada fries and trios tacos Which we picked. Verde taco, carnitas taco and asada taco. And a michelada Pretty Good food! They are next to a cigar shop so you can smell the cigar odor a bit but you get used to it

I waited to write this review after I had visited a few times. I honestly don't know why people have rated it so low. This place is legit! My go-to's are the burritos or Torta (pastor or Asada) with a large horchata. The food is cooked to order so it is FRESH! It can take up to 15 minutes even without many people there so I recommend calling ahead and placing a pick up order. If you make an order there instead of over the phone you get a cool little pager to notify you when the food is ready. I like the modern theme they have going on , and there is a large selection of seats to wait at and a huge tv over the bad while you wait. Pro-tip , open up that torta and crumble up that queso fresco so it isn't just a chunk in the middle. You're welcome! The horchata? Home made, none of that powder stuff. It's the perfect blend of milk, cinnamon, and ice. Duh-Lic-ious!!!!! They also put a variety of salsas in your order and they all taste great. The only thing I don't get here is the tacos, as they are a little small and pricey ( especially if you go with a handmade tortilla). They also have a chipotle looking area that you can order from but i always go near closing time so they are empty. I will be back...a lot!

Since this is close to my work it will probably become a regular spot to hit. Place is fresh, new, and very clean. Wait time for food has not been long at all. First time ordering was perfect, second time I asked for a few radishes on the side, I am seeing you only get lime and radishes if you order tacos. When picking up food I was told in fact that extra radishes were in the bag. Yes they were,,,,, in my co-workers container. I know next time to ask for them on the side. Both time I have had the Wet Burrito, it is a huge portion defiantly enough for 2 meals, and the green sauce is yummy covered in melted cheese. I need a few more visits before I can change to 5 stars.

Great food. Always clean and great service. Not a big selection but everything on the menu is bomb. Nachos were flight and the Chile relleno plate was off the hook. Tortillas hechas a mano with an Horchata. What else can you ask for?

What can I say! There's a hundred tacos shops but this one is top notch. With the homemade tortillas to the delicious Micheladas. You won't be disappointed. The employees are super nice and the food is delicious. If you're on Rosedale Hwy and want a explosion of taste in your mouth then I recommend this establishment. Thank you for satisfying my belly and taste buds.

I usually enjoy eating here, but the past few times that I've visited, the meat looks, feels and tastes old. You can see that it's dry. You can feel that it's hard. I will not be going back. I tried calling to make the manager aware, but I couldn't get anyone to answer the phone.

Really loved the food! It was really great and i would definitely eat there again. I got me a burrito and 3 queso birria tacos!

This establishment was highly recommended by a coworker of mine who considers himself a Taco connoisseur. So I was super excited to try it out. Unfortunately, it did not live up to the hype. It's not the best tacos you will ever have but they are okay. We don't have many taco spots in the rosedale area so it's nice to have this as an addition. I feel that there is a lack of flavor in the meats and the pricing is a bit overpriced. I did like what I ordered but for the price I can go somewhere much better.

Thought to try it out. Since signs Says best tacos in Bakersfield. SO WRONG.Very cold inside. Almost one whole taco meat was burnt. Asada tacos no flavor to them. Green salsa nothing to it. Employees.NO masks ! Clean inside little.

The hubby and I were starving so I decided to give this place a try after hearing very good things about it. Boy am I happy I did...it was delicious! I was slightly intimidated when we first walked in and looked at the menu since it's in Spanish but my 3 years of Spanish in high school paid off because I was able to get through it. There is everything from nachos to Camerones de diabla...shrimp cocktail to birria el chivo! I decided on tacos but with all the choices I was stumped on which to try. That is until I seen the quesabirria tacos!!! These things are all the rage right now and I knew I wasn't leaving this restaurant without trying them out! I also got asada tacos. They offered homemade tortillas for an extra $1 each but they were already pricey so I decided to skip them. I topped it all off with a nice large horchata!

Food was great. I had pastor and asada tocos on homemade tortillas. Both meats were very fresh and very good. Salas were all good. But the hidden gem of this place is its micheladas. They were super good. Some of the best around. Staff was also very friendly and helpful.

After an hour waiting, the still did not have my food. The manager refused to refund my money back onto my card and she said there was no one else I could talk to. If the money isn't in my account in 3 business days I'm going to pursue the money w interests in court.

Just tried La Imperial today and I'm obsessed ! Definitely can't wait to comeback and try more of their fabulous menu! The food is very authentic and not too heavy for Mexican cuisine. The menu is extensive but consistent. Very good and flavorful. We had the barbacoa de res plate with homemade tortillas, guac, chips, and tacos. Everything was very nicely cooked and seasoned well. The chips and guac is to die for, a little pricey!!!$6.50, but worth it. Rice and beans are the staple to any Mexican dish and they were both great. The horchata(typical Mexican rice drink) is a little bland but it pairs well with the meal. The staff was so sweet and very welcoming. I definitely recommend anyone try this gem...it became one of my top Mexican restaurants in town(:

This place didn't serve me anything gross so it gets two stars but nothing was good either. I got a chile verde burrito and it was dry. The meat was dry and it was at least half filled with rice. The rice isn't good either. It had an odd taste so maybe it is a box mix. The qesobirria taco was good and I enjoyed the meat except the big bay leaf that was in it. The avacado salsa was the best part of the meal honestly I can't recommend this place nor would I return again.

Everything we tried here was great. I highly recommend Tacos a mano it's an up charge but you'll thank me later.

We ordered the handmade tacos and they were the best tasting tacos ever! We asked for crunchy tripas and that's exactly we got Cleanest taco (Mexican) restaurant.

I live Yucatan but when in California I'm craving northern Mexican food so I was glad to find this place and even more happy to see they had birria de chivo on the menu. I got there close to closing time so had it taken "to go" and ate it at my hotel down the street. The meat was tender and delicious and the tortillas, rice and beans were also perfect.

Came here for fish. They had a variety of seafood on the menu along with meat and chicken options. Tacos are offered with choice of handmade tortillas (extra charge) or regular street size taco tortilla. Handmade tortilla tacos are extra charge however they're slightly bigger and tortillas are handmade, delicious. They also offer taco Tuesday specials. We ordered fish, carne asada and el pastor tacos. All were delicious. They also have aguas frescas that taste yummy. They serve micheladas and other beer options. Definitely worth a stop off the freeway by Costco. Opens at 10am not 9am.

Very clean and fresh. I like this because it's a family friendly establishment. The workers are friendly with a ready smile and are Bill and happy to explain ingredients and to make substitutions. The Aguas Frescas are delicious!

Customer service was good. However food was not fresh, super oily and cold. This place was good when it had just opened. Will not be returning.

Out here working the sandrini solar farm between the 5 and 99. Sup brought out ℝℝ for everyone. ℍ ℝ ℂ Definitely return to the spot

Second time here. Food is fresh and cooked to order. Had the chili verde burrito and it was delicious. I save half to take home for later. Only complaint is that the cloth bench along the wall is covered in stains. I would suggest using vinyl or something easier to keep clean. Otherwise the store was clean and staff was very friendly.

wow the food was so good I was craving asada fries craving satisfied!! the cashier was really nice.. definitely will be back!!!

The food here is a absolutely delicious!! We ordered the birria tacos and they were made to perfection, owner is very nice and welcoming. Place is new and clean. Highly recommend. La comida está absolutamente deliciosa! Ordenamos los birria tacos y estaban echos a la perfección. El lugar es nuevo y todo muy limpio. El dueño muy amable y atento. Definitivamente recomiendo este lugar!

The restaurant was very clean. Nobody greeted me when I walked in. I found a table and waited for some friends to arrive. I ordered the Birria taco and it was delicious. I also ordered the chips and salsa which I did not care for, and I did not care for the shredded meat taco. There was a big chunk of fat. I ordered guacamole, and it was pretty pricey, considering it just tasted acidic, as if they just put way too much lime or lemon juice and you could not taste the avocado at all. I probably won't go back.

Place does good at marketing but the food is meh! Service was bad and flies were also a problem. Food lacked savory ness also was over priced for what you get.. I ordered a wet carne asada burrito (meat was dry). I also ordered a Birra Taco with cheese and done not include the consume (extra $3.50) it wasn't even good it was just rendered fat nothing extra. I would not recommend this place if you looking for good food. I was very disappointed

Service was good meat was dry as was the tortilla beans have no flavor rice was over cooked with water to were it was mushy but the counter girl was super kind and the built was very clean

Overall, this place was pretty good. I ordered the carne asada, al pastor, and cameron(shrimp) tacos. I ordered two carne asada tacos, one with the normal tortilla that comes with it, and the other with a " homemade" tortilla for a dollar more. The only differences I noted was the homemade one wasn't perfectly round, just a little bigger but they still used the small amount of meat they did in the normal one. It tasted the same as the other tortilla, which was good on its own. Save your buck on each taco, cuz they're pretty affordable at $2 each. They gave me four salsas (a red, a green, and a couple avocado sauces) which were tasty. There's also tapatio, lemons and ketchup packets (wtf) at the counter if you're into that sort of thing. The shrimp taco comes on a lightly fried or toasted flour tortilla topped with avacado, a dry cheese (cotija maybe), a cream sauce and cilantro n onions. It was delicious and only $3. As I said earlier, I ordered an al pastor taco. What I believe I got was a chicken taco, as it was the color of chicken vs the normally red al pastor/adobada meat. It was good as a chicken taco, but lacking flavor if that was in fact their al pastor taco. I didn't attempt to return it because the line was long and the service was slow. I honestly think this is the slowest taqueria I've ever been to. Maybe it was just an off day for them. Maybe not. If they can get their service up to par, I would give them that fifth star. Having said that, the food was good and definitely the kind of taco shop I'd be satisfied to take someone visiting from out of town to. Definitely the best taqueria on my side of town.

Ordered birria tacos for pickup and the sealed bag had no consume. Tacos were bland and need that consume.

Let me preface by saying I was a already hungry and this was the nearest Mexican food after being at Costco's long fuel line. Arrived to see only another customer in the restaurant putting in their order. Nice! I thought to myself. I'm up next and cashier takes my order. Not many people roll in so I'm thinking I'd be getting my food soon. I check my receipt and 18 minutes have gone by. Mind you, not a lot of orders went out during this time as I'm stalking the counter. I see two containers. Could they be mine? Cashier verifies order and adds napkins, etc. Phone rings and cashier takes another order. Finally, I get my food around the 20 minute mark. If you are used to the hustling in Mexican food places, this might not be for you. I wouldn't recommend if you only have a 30 minute for lunch. After venting about how slow this place was and being wound up, I was able to enjoy the carne asada fries. Meat flavor was really good. Would I come back? Probably not.

Been meaning to try this spot out for a min. Damn i was really disappointed! The food is very flavorless! I got the chile verde plate. No spice or flavor at all. The rice taste plain. Same with beans! Wife got a chile relleno. Looked like tomato sauce was used for the salsa. The only upside to all this was the portion. Good portion. Way over priced too.

The tacos are amazing. I had carne asada and birria de chivo, the carne asada was some of the most tender meat I've had in my life! The Birria de chivo was also good but needed a little seasoning. The hand mad tortillas we also a good touch, fluffy and thick enough that your taco doesn't rip apart. The only issue is the time it took to the when was about 25 minutes and the prices are a little high but other than that I'll be back!

This place used to be good but idk what happened?.. .meat was horrible , rubbery and nothing but fat. Half of the meat I spit out bc it just tasted bad. My husband got the chile verde wet burrito and the meat was also not good and it was cold . Why do places start good then go down hill .

New hidden place behind Hooters. They let you sample their meat. I sampled their chile verde. It was pretty good. It had a nice kick to it. My mouth is still a lil on fire but it was tasty. I got carne asada tacos and carnitas tacos. They have handmade corn torillas which is $1 more. The tacos were pretty good. Definitely a good spot to hit up for Taco Tuesday!

It always blows me away when I see La Villa open up yet another restaurant. Who goes there? Why? It's garbage! There are so many great taco spots in Bakersfield, I just can't imagine why anyone would go and eat that gristly meat and strange, sour salsa at La Villa. Go to Sebastian's. Go to Vatos. Go to that little truck sometimes on Calfiornia and Stockdale called Tacos Jessie's. Or that other truck down the road called Los Tlaxcaltecas. Go to any place other than La Villa and you will likely get better grub than there. But this isn't a review of La Villa, this is all about La Imperial -- one more place you can go that is way better than La Villa. I work in Shafter so I've been going to La Imperial for years and I was so happy to see it open behind Hooters where BBQ Factory used to be. It's been a major remodel inside that looks quite modern (and quite different from the store in Shafter) but the food is the same: solid Mexican taqueria-style food and friendly service. And better yet, La Imperial is now on DoorDash, so I don't even have to leave home to get my taco fix on! If you're one who leaves special requests on delivery orders and are disappointed when you see those requests were ignored (Fuegos, I'm talking to you!), you'll be happy because La Imperial responds to every single request. I like a little extra salsa than La Imperial typically gives, and every time I have ordered delivery from them, I have requested some extra salsa containers. They have come through every time and one time even sent more salsa than I asked for. Well done! Everything is good. You really can't go wrong, but I'll point out some of my favorites. The carne asada is excellent, and the pieces are big enough to chew but not so big it's like eating a steak. Yes, I could give examples of places whose carne asada are chopped too small or big, but I think you know (La Villa and Dos Tacos). The is tender but bits get a bit charred as well, creating that delicious smoky flavor. It's excellent. I also love their refried beans, which might be strange to point out, but these really are that good. The beans are on the smoother side but still with some texture and are nice and salty and always topped with a bit of queso anejo. I love the delicious flavor of the red salsa that is spicy but not overwhelmingly so, and an order of tacos always comes with plenty of limes and radishes, a touch that is missed by many. And get the handmade tortillas. It's an upcharge, but it is worth every penny. It's yet another way that a place like La Imperial sets itself away from places like La Villa. The service can be slow at the store in Shafter, but the Bakersfield location has been speedy so far. Maybe it isn't quite busy enough yet being new, but orders have been extremely fast so far. I know some people like McDonald's. Some people like Fords. Some people like Wal Mart. And some people like La Villa. But people should have higher aspirations. Set your sights higher and try La Imperial. You won't be disappointed!

I don't understand that rant and rave of this business and seeing their sign saying the best tacos in Kurt County there OK they're not the best service was really slow Friday in three people in there but this is only my opinion so if you want to try them out give them a Try but I'm still a fan of some others

My husband was craving a burrito. So he called this place and ordered his asada burrito and ordered a Chile relleno plate for me. Husband gave his burrito a 10/10. It was actually big we could've shared the plate. I really enjoyed my plate. Especially the homemade tortillas very delicious with the salsa they provided. The Chile relleno was big too. This spot is great. Very friendly staff. As soon as I arrived like 15 min later, the food was ready for us. This place is great and very clean.

I try to DoorDash all the time and I really hate hot it says they stop receiving orders by 7:40 and they always stop receiving orders really early sometimes as early as 7!