Taco Palenque South 10th

Mexican restaurant · Mcallen

Taco Palenque South 10th

Mexican restaurant · Mcallen

1

1000 S 10th St #5022, McAllen, TX 78501

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Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by Meghan McCarron
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null
Taco Palenque South 10th by null

Highlights

Fresh tortillas, great salsa bar, authentic border cuisine  

Featured in Eater
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1000 S 10th St #5022, McAllen, TX 78501 Get directions

tacopalenque.com
@taco.palenque

$10–20 · Menu

Information

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1000 S 10th St #5022, McAllen, TX 78501 Get directions

+1 956 994 8950
tacopalenque.com
@taco.palenque

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 8, 2025

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The 38 Best Texas Restaurants, Mapped - Eater

"WHAT: A taco chain to rule them all, rooted in regional tradition. WHY: Texas is an endless font of mega-successful Tex-Mex fast food, from statewide standard Taco Cabana to hipster hegemon Torchy’s, but a regional chain slinging freshly cooked tortillas and menudo, with a fresh salsa bar at every location?  That’s next level. Founded in 1987 by Juan Francisco Ochoa, Taco Palenque’s 20-plus locations serve a quality, affordable version of the state’s border cuisine — including its iconic pirata taco, made with beans, cheese, and fajita meat, that’s beloved in Laredo and beyond.  —Meghan McCarron" - Bill Addison

https://www.eater.com/maps/where-to-eat-austin-houston-dallas-eater-38
View Postcard for Taco Palenque

BRENDA LEAL

Google
Today I ordered two beef fajita super quesadillas by drive thru, I took the disappointment that they didn't even bring enough cheese, literally it was the tortilla with the meat and worse when I was looking for my package of sour cream it didn't bring, and the container with the guacamole had a tag inside with number 4046 EMP 008, honestly I've never had so much happen to me in one order. Very disappointed… Server Vcash 2003v Check #704 2655 Ordered 2/26/25 7:45pm

Angie Martinez

Google
I came through the drive-thru window at approximately 11:30 am. Daphne what's the young lady at the window. I would like to say that I could not compare service to other places! As she was very professional and thorough and extra helpful when it came to explaining different side dishes. She was quick and fast and thorough. If she doesn't have a high raising position she should have one. It's employees like her that should be held at a higher ranking position. (I don't doubt that she would treat everybody equal) Thank you Daphne for caring and doing your job to the best way. (Initiative goes a long way and she did it!)

Shahbaz Salehi

Google
One of my favorite fast food restaurants in RGV. They have variety of TexMex dishes with reasonable prices. The portions are good too. They also have unlimited tortilla chips and salsa. Highly recommend them.

Nadia Cantu

Google
Had a horrible experience. First of all when ordering food at the drive-through, I was being rushed to order to the point where it was rude. Second of all, paid extra for fajita and did not get the extra fajita on the Panchos. Third of all, one of my plates had a hair. When I went back to retrieve my extra fajita that I paid for, I was met with a confrontational employee that questioned me as to how much fajita I wanted in a condescending way. If you pay for extra food, then you should be able to receive your extra food period. I just ended up asking for my money back and left them their plate. Rated Zero out of ten. Customer service sucks.

Mario Guillen

Google
Excellent food!!delicious!! but even much better the service they provide to the customer, specially the sales lady (cashier), the supervisor and the guy who server the tables. Very very kind and very professional service. I really like to come back tomorrow because of their service they provide 👍😉💯

Efrain Ramirez

Google
Consistently good food. Not happy that prices keep going up. This time the tacos were super oily, but that’s not usually the case. I’m a customer for life though - good food at decent prices.

Jocelyn Aldape

Google
We buy food here everyday, however, the past two nights the food has been horrible. With our first experience, the chicken was leftover pieces that were hard and we were given flour tortillas instead of corn like we asked. Tonight, we waited 25 minutes for our order only to find out that they messed up again. They didn’t put the guacamole, the chicken was cold, and they gave us flour tortillas instead of corn. This is so frustrating because we were loyal customers that drive 20 min just to eat at that location. But we will no longer be back. First picture is from two nights ago, the second is from right now. EDIT: I emailed them my phone number and they have not reached out.

Johann Gutierrez

Google
Excellent service went during night/early morning after clubbing service and personnel were great first time will be back again. Manager helped us out choosing the right order

Carlos E.

Yelp
Well, I really had a Great dinning experience in your restaurant! Clean, well located, friendly atmosphere and staff and, of course, Very Good Food!!!! I want to make a Special mention about the Manager named Edwin! Very Nice Manager! Very Attentive, Professional and Down to earth!! He's always making sure You are getting the meal order Right! Thumbs Up For Him! He Deserves A Good Promotion! Thank you All, Taco Palenque! Have a great Week!! Blessings!!!!
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Mary Z.

Yelp
Went in for dinner and was assaulted by a very strong chemical smell...so bad we turned right around and left...don't know what it was but I hope they get it fixed, I was looking forward to eating there based on many good reviews.
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Ignacio L.

Yelp
The tacos were just okay - not bad, but not impressive either. The meat was cooked fine, but lacked flavor. The toppings were standard, and the tortillas were a bit bland. I've had better, but I've also had worse.
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Luis Antonio C.

Yelp
Taco Palenque combines traditional Mexican street food with the combenience of a fast food restaurant. The tacos are great, the meats are high quality and the salsas are perfect. Service is very good. Workers are always making sure you get all you need. Atmosphere is great. The place is always nice and clean. They are open 24 hours so you can go any time at night.
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Franco C.

Yelp
Mexican fast food Coming from the north, where the options for Mexican fast food are limited to Taco Bell, I have to admit, I did not have high hopes when a local colleague suggested Taco Palenque for breakfast tacos. Two bacon and egg tacos later, I was a convert. Fresh, hot and tasty and a welcome change from the McDrive-thru places out there. Was so good, I pretty much had them everyday for 4 days Good size amount of food and a decent cost = happy breakfast-camper. Would definitely hit again if in the area. Give it a whirl

Julissa W.

Yelp
Have been eating here for a long time because food was always good, however, two days ago for National Taco Day weekend, I ordered 2 tacos caseros (sirloin) and it gave me the worst food poisoning ever. It was so so bad I'm never eating Taco Palenque ever again. My friend's husband had a burrito from here and he also got food poisoning that same week. I don't know if it was the same location though but it's a coincidence that we both got food poisoning from Taco Palenque a couple days apart. I don't know if they're being unhygienic, or the meat is not good. But beware if you eat here.
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Rolando N.

Yelp
For simple, fast, and tasty Mexican food, this place is hard to beat. It's nothing fancy until you sit down and start eating your food. Tortillas are fresh made, sauces are fresh and tasty and the food was cooked just right. The borracho beans were off the charts good. Service was prompt and friendly.
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Drew O.

Yelp
All tacos delish and super friendly staff. All salsa's scratch made. The barbacoa is a must. Ridiculous breakfast. Do it.
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Janie S.

Yelp
I usually enjoy their respective tacos, but breakfast is not their forte! Tacos suck, I am sticking to strips

Jakob O.

Yelp
They make okay tacos there burritos taste like elephant asshole.soup but the tacos are good
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Jezreel R.

Yelp
What an amazing place, hard working people and great cooks! I came for a visit due to visiting a family member in the hospital. My sister said go Taco Palenque, you are going to love it! I was skeptical, but I was surprised. To the point: the taste on the fajitas (beef) are to buy more! The service is great. Chips, salsas and customer service is 98%! I will definitely return! To the owner(s) of this place! Kuddos! You have a hard working team.
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Maira B.

Yelp
I am a first responder and am out here in Texas on a detail. I chose this location because it was 24 hours... BIG MISTAKE. If I can give it negative stars I would. I ordered 2 medium fajita quesadillas... and a medium guacamole... I got quesadillas. No meat in them. And NO GUACAMOLE on the side. WTF!!? I went around 530am, wearing half of my uniform and got a stank eye. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE.
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Nikki M.

Yelp
I was on a business trip to McAllen and noticed there were Taco Palenque restaurants everywhere! So I decided to pop in and ordered the Enchiladas Verdes for dinner one night. Oh my goodness it was delicious! My food wasn't as hot as I would like but it was still pretty tasty. I love the salsa/salad bar! It was definitely my favourite part. The service was great and the food came fairly quick. The only thing I would say is that my friend and I got quite a few stares. Yes, we were from out of town so we definitely stuck out like a sore thumb. But the stares from the TP staff and the customers were definitely very uncomfortable. I would definitely go again if ever I'm in McAllen, but I'll just stick to take out next time!
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Michelle L.

Yelp
Review Update: 08/28/21 I visited today at 11:00AM and the staff was very professional today. The young man at the drive thru window was very polite & helpful. It was a relief to have an attentive staff. We enjoyed our food and experience. **** I recommend the food, but service is lacking. I come once a week and it's rare that they remember to put everything in my order. Sometimes they forget the rice, sometimes they forget the chips or tortillas, sometimes they forget the salsas I asked for. The worst is when they forget a taco. It seems like they're working hard, but there is an organization problem. Something as simple as counting the items in each order would be a big help to begin with. Please fix this, I'm about to give up on Taco Palenque.
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Jerry J.

Yelp
A long time staple of the RGV that has now expanded beyond our borders. They have great tasting food here, which is why it is always packed. However, it isn't cheap. Sometimes this bothers me because I could have more of a restaurant experience for the same price, but if you order one of the meal combos it isn't too bad. Just expect st least $10 per person. There are unlimited chips and a great salsa bar. Everything is great. They use high quality meat, which I think is the reason people keep coming.
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Sandy L.

Yelp
Good fast Mexican food. Crowded and tables can be messy. Ask for ice if your getting jamaica or horchata. Loved the tacos asados
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Monica M.

Yelp
This place was so packed when I went, around the holidays, so it wasn't surprising. They took my order pretty quick though and were helpful with the menu. My food was out pretty quick too. It was really good. I had a pirata and I wanted to try (for the first time) a quesadilla with fajita which was good but I still prefer the pirata. I think this was the first time that I went where they gave me very little fajita in my pirata. I'd never tried the quesadilla but that had very little too which was disappointing for both items. I love the variety of hot sauces to choose from and they all taste good, plus free chips to enjoy, too. They're open either 24/7 or really late so it's good to go after a night out. I've gone here for years and will continue to visit Taco Palenque. However next time, I will speak up about the lack of meat if it happens again!

D L.

Yelp
Great and friendly service. My family and I split the fajitas for 2 and it was more than enough food. Everything was incredible food, will return in the future. My daughters really enjoyed the homemade tortillas!

Josh C.

Yelp
the food is terrible, it was so cold. not to include that the tacos were ridiculously small! Never coming here again!
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Jackie S.

Yelp
The food is good BUT they do skimp on the meats pretty significantly. Also, the daytime manager doesn't speak a lick of English, so good luck trying to voice any concerns unless you're bilingual (which the manager, Mr. Rivera, should be as well). Someone should also tell their staff the polite thing is to speak the same language as the customer. Some prefer speaking Spanish, some English.

Eduardo S.

Yelp
4 stars because it's good! Went in with the family and got well treated. The Waiter was on point with the order and didn't take long to bring the food to our table.

Alonso G.

Yelp
Food is still good; however the service has gone down and the portions have become smaller with the prices going up. Mistakes on the drive thru and running out of essentials become more common. For the price, I would recommend going with locally owned restaurants
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Liliana M.

Yelp
Great place to go when you are craving fajitas! The customer service was excellent and they have outstanding salsas available.
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John G.

Yelp
My fiancé and I were looking for a good Mexican spot to eat at for dinner. We were on a quest for the best Mexican food in The Valley and we kept getting the same response as we asked around: "You have to go to Taco Palenque". The one problem is we are vegan. So we decided to see what options were available for us and if they were able to cater to us in some way. The manager Jonathan was absolutely AMAZING in catering to us . He was so courteous and went out of his way to cater to us. He actually had the cooks completely rearrange their menu so that we could have a great meal for dinner. The food was absolutely delicious! Definitely would recommend anyone to check this place out. 5/5 stars
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Ramsey B.

Yelp
Taco Palenque is as good as it gets when it comes to Mexican Taquerias. The individual items such as steak tacos, La guera (taco al pastor with cheese on flour tortilla), or parrilladas are all great selections. Everytime I visit South Texas, I make it a point to dine at a TP at least 2x during my visit.
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Patty L.

Yelp
This is seriously so ridiculous that it took 20 minutes this morning to even take my order in the drive thru when there was ONLY 4 cars ahead of me. Not only that the lady at the drive thru took forever to greet and ask for the order.. This is horrible customer service!! Very inconsiderate of the service.

Abel H.

Yelp
Just the other day my wife and I ordered 2 fajitas. When we got home I saw the serving sizes which looked for children. Fajitas were chewy and full of tendons. Food quality has decreased and price increased. NO SEAN PINCHES CON LA COMIDA.

Carr H.

Yelp
On a business trip saw this Taco Palenque everywhere so decided to try. Never have tried TP. Very good fresh food. Employees are great, was uncertain what to order. Very helpful and patient employees making suggestions. The whole staff is great. Hard working people in every area of the restaurant. All friendly, all eager to help. I gave them 4stars because the restaurant needed to be cleaned. They may have had a rush, perhaps some sweeping, pick up would be nice. Great salsa bar. Strongly recommend
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Diego S.

Yelp
Parking is a nightmare, the place is PACKED, and their tacos are pricey. But, it's damn good! I ordered the fajita taco plate. Rice and beans are the afterthought. The meat is seasoned, juicy, and delicious. Has that oldskool cookout taste. Salsa bar with plenty o choices and freshly cooked chips...be careful, they gotta refill the bin frequently and those damn things are piping hot when they do. If you don't like crowds, not sure when you can go to Taco Palenque.
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Lanie W.

Yelp
Yum. My new favorite taco spot. Got two crispy tacos and a Mattamoras taco. They were so stuffed I couldn't eat it all. Great flavor and salsa. Can't wait to try again soon.
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Lou Lou O.

Yelp
Overpriced, no one speaks English, and everything a mess, especially drink counter. Only decent part were the salsas. Chips were good too. But $4 for one taco is highly ridiculous, even when it tastes great. And $12-14 for fajita plate is too much anywhere. Better come with a pound of fajita. So not the best. But I'm from San Antonio and the "Mexican" food is different. And we love our fajita. $2.50 is the highest I've ever seen. I cannot fathom how this place is consistently packed during the day and evening. Late night is understandable, people are drunk and disoriented.
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Kurt K.

Yelp
I have to come into town for business pretty often, and every time I am here I stop in to get my taco fix. Hands down the best tacos I have ever had. They mix the ground beef with delicious refried beans and cover that with fresh veggies and cheese all in their homemade tortillas. Just Awesome. The drawback for me as a native English speaker is that the place definitely seems like it has more Spanish speaking clientele so it sometimes gets confusing when they assume I speak Spanish. The main reason for only three stars is that I use the drive thru when I go there pretty exclusively, which is convenient, but it takes them forrrrrrrrreverrrrrrrrrr to get my food to me. I always get the same thing and that is a few crispy tacos. The longest I had to wait was nearly 20 minutes for 6 tacos. Worth the wait, but it seems like it misses the point. Especially when they tell me to pull to the side and I see multiple other cars get their food before me and leave satisfied, even though they were behind me in line.
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Cameron H.

Yelp
When I wanted breakfast here. Someone suggested this restaurant. Their selections sound good. When we went and bought tacos. We came back. And sat down to eat. The tacos smelt good and I took a bite. Yummy! This taco is really good! I ate all 2 tacos in 4 minutes. The tacos are really greasy. But good. Love them! Looking forward to eat this again another day! "My mouth is watering for tacos! I may have the poops soon."

Diana A.

Yelp
So I ate this burrito with chicken and it was so good the place is clean and I think the employees work hard so you should try this place
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Anisha G.

Yelp
I love this place! It is so crowded anytime of the day you go. People of all ages and groups come here. I always see families and couples here. Parking is crazy here. I really like their sirloin tacos, and with avocado. I like their salsa bar too. My favorite were the: salsa verde, radishes, and brined onions. Love their freshly made tortillas. I agree with most of the yelpers that this place is expensive for a taco, but I think it is worth it in terms of flavor and freshness. I am not Hispanic and only know conversational Spanish, so there were items on the menu that I attempted to google to figure out what they were and had no luck: - Panchos & Nachos -- what are panchos? - Tampiqueña? - Pirata? - Piratita? - Casero? - Botanas? I wish there were more explanations on the menu or website of what these items were. I would have stood there asking the cashier what the difference between all these items were, if there wasn't a line out the door behind me. What can I say? I like to try new items. It's boring to get the same food all the time.
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Liz L.

Yelp
This is the place to visit if you're in McAllen and craving authentic Mexican food. Located in an old taco bell building, the interior was smokey from the exposed kitchen grill that was grilling up a storm. Once you get over the cloud of smoke, though hard to see through, the smell of the cooked meat was intoxicating. I decided to order the fajita steak and was not disappointed with my decision. The meat was tender and well-seasoned with cumin and other flavors, the tortilla was fresh and the wide selection of sauces and hot peppers at the condiment bar was kick ace (in more ways than one). This place is also 24-hours and would fix a 2 am food craving. Ayayaa!
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Siena W.

Yelp
Don't knock healing qualities of fat and carbohydrates after 2 a.m.! The best quesadillas I've EVER had and huge breakfast tacos (read 'burritos' if you're visiting from somewhere else). Fresh tortilla chips and an amazing salsa bar make Palenque an obvious stop after last call. NOTE: The lighting is insanely bright, so be prepared to have your beer goggles snatched away when you walk in the door (it makes for some awesome/hilarious people watching though!).
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Debbie S.

Yelp
I was in the McAllen area for 5 days. I ate here 4 days. Mind you, they don't have great tacos where I'm from, so getting fresh tortillas is a big draw. It's cheap and cheerful and the salsa bar is the bomb. I'm mostly veggie, so the guac and fixings at the bar are awesome. The table service is always great and the meal comes quickly. What's not to like...
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Christian A.

Yelp
Taco Palenque is wonderful, ask anyone who goes clubbing at night if they know about Taco Palenque and they'll probably look at YOU like the idiot. It's great because it's open 24/7. There are constantly people in that restaurant and after you go there for the first time you'll realize why! It is a little on the expensive side for tacos or ponchos or a quesadilla but their tortillas are homemade and they (as cliché as it sounds) don't make it until you order it ;) Pay the extra if you want, you'll be glad you did. I don't think I'd go there every day for lunch but hey, it's good to have when you've got a craving for good Mexican food. I give it five stars even though the price is higher and you can't find a seat at 2:30 a.m. on a Friday night. Enjoy!
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Marina M.

Yelp
Everything about Taco P that's worth saying has already been said. Great fajitas, great salsas (chips are free), great hours, delicious agua de jamaica, and authentic tortillas. The taco pirata is $4 and a meal in itself (fajitas, beans, cheese, wrapped in a delicious tortillas). The atmosphere leaves everything to be desired. This is not a relaxing eating experience. It is always busy, always loud, and it really drives one to just eat and go. Or drive by and go. This time around I tried the breakfast tacos and they are delish. Only 99 cents Mon-Thursday. They almost double in price Fri-Sun. Taco P is on my eating checklist every time I'm in the Valley.
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nehemias P.

Yelp
This place was awesome! Me and my buddies had the beer munchies around 3am and had no idea where to go since we were from out of town. Anyhow, the Hotel recommended that we try this place out and I asked the bell boy what was good on the menu and he said, "Everything." And he was right on the money. We all ordered something different and we are all very happy with the authenticity and quality of the food. They also had this great salsa bar with 6 or more different salsa's. So, if you are ever nearby, then do yourself a favor and stop by.
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Jacob L.

Yelp
A very unique layout of the place everything looked so old there tacos where small the fajita tacos where great video was bland and flavorless bigger tacos and different sides and would have been a 5 star visit
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Bryan S.

Yelp
Overpriced fajita tacos along with a kitchen that is filthy! Their fajita has been going downhill for the past few years as well.
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Rochelle B.

Yelp
This place has fast service, delicious tacos, self-serve tortilla chips and a fresh salsa bar. Potato/egg and barbacoa tacos are great for a fast breakfast. The Pirata tacos are a filling meal by itself, my new favorite.

Mellyy G.

Yelp
Don't come here very often because because I'm really never in McAllen but when i do come here I'm more than satisfied! They surprise me every time . With out a doubt they do have the best fajitas ! There customer service alone it's amazing & the food just makes this place even better !! Every time I'm in McAllen I always come and never regret coming .
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Luiz Y Monica B.

Yelp
If you come to the valley, you MUST go to Taco Palenque. Great food, they try to keep it very clean all the time, the hot sauces are the BEST, if you are not used to hot sauce they can be hot for you, but for us they are just great. From 1 taco you can make 2 with the meat they give you, you just have to ask for free complementary tortillas and you are set. The jamaica water is the best for drinking. We are locals and love to come here every time we can. And we are from Mexico, so you can consider this meail a real mexican taste. This a "order yourself" and "pay at time of order" restaurant, but the order is delivered to your table while you get all your sauces and condiments ready from the "serve yourself sauce/condiment bar" take as much as you need, but make sure you taste the green sauce!
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Alex G.

Yelp
Gerardo took good care of us for being first time customers. Great food , great service! Wow! You won't be disappointed.

T R.

Yelp
Had the Taco Pirata combined with the open bar of fresh salsas made this an excellent taco.
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Ivan W.

Yelp
Everything you want in border cuisine if you are hungry and wanna stay casual.