Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan

We’ve been ordering from Tacos Al Vapor quite a bit over the last year, glad to have this option in Los Altos. Food has been generally very good and we’ve been happy customers, but but we found a screw in my wife’s beef cheek taco yesterday. Good thing she didn’t bite down on it too hard… she thought it was a bone but spat out a screw. I thought it’s okay, it happens no big deal, we bring her remaining tacos back to the store, at least so that they know and make sure their equipment is tightened up so it doesn’t happen to other people. Went back to the store, told the cashier and immediately her response was “we don’t use this kind of screws”… she went to check with the kitchen, I assume the manager is manning the grill, I could see her body language was along the lines of “no way it happened here”. I’m thinking this is Los Altos, you think people would drive back in 95 degree heat just to scam your restaurant?! Cashier was then nice about it, asked what we wanted and offered us a refund on 1 of the 3 combo deals we ordered. It was fine but the important part was that they were pretty dismissive and didn’t seem like they really cared about the potential damage this could have caused and general food safety. If my wife had chipped a tooth this would probably have turned ugly. Not sure if I’d go back.

The best Al pastor I’ve had in the Bay Area! I’m from LA and miss the street tacos at every corner but this place definitely scratches that itch. They grill their burritos and fill them with the perfect amount of each ingredient. I keep coming back!

The value for money is excellent, especially if you get the eight Taco plate. Beyond the value for money, every Taco I had was outstanding. These included: lengua, carnitas, al pastor, and cabeza.

The lemonade and tacos were really good. The sope was alright. It was kind of greasy/watery. There were barely any beans on it and they were kind of weird; I expected the usual refried. The shell was also charred too much and tasted burned. There were also flies which were annoying to deal with.

We had the 8 tacos special, chose beef cheeks and BBQ pork. Their beef cheeks were so soft and juicy, pork was grilled perfectly too. Their tortillas were also freshly made! We can also enjoy free salsa bar with many types of sauces. Their service was excellent too. It was a great local restaurant with a warm family feel. I’m sure we’ll come back soon!

Favorite taco spot in the Los Altos/Palo Alto area!! Also reasonably affordable in comparison to other restaurants in the bay. Definitely recommend the 8 taco deal and splitting it with someone! Loveeeeee the homemade tortillas and the salsa. Definitely a hidden gem. Service is also impeccable 💘

Great value for money tacos right on main street Los Altos! The meat was generous. The salsa/sauce bar was fresh. So many different cuts of meat to choose from. We ate indoors but saw that many took their order to eat out on the street using tables in front of other shops. 3 tacos were a perfect lunch for me. And their watermelon agua fresca hit the spot. (not too sweet)

Love the Mexican small town vibe right in the heart of the Los Altos. Our favs are the michocan style steamed tacos with freshly grilled stuff Hard to resist the temptation of tortilla chips with sauce bars is can get too filling 😀

I ordered a torta with asada con todo, &' super nachos con todo as well. It was very well made &' very delicious. It's very family friendly &' I recommend those who enjoy authentic Mexican food to stop by here and enjoy it yourself too! The service was amazing &' the server kept checking in to see if we needed anything as well.

Alison and I were looking for a place to eat on Taco Tuesday. We found Tacos Al Vapor in downtown Los Altos, convenient to our home in Mountain View. We're very glad we found it! We ordered the eight taco combination plate -- four asada (beef) and four pollo (chicken). We were served relatively quickly and the tacos were delicious! They were so good that we ordered another eight assorted tacos to go so that we could have lunch and maybe dinner tomorrow. Some of their taco filling options include beef, chicken, pork, bbq pork, brisket, shrimp, fish and vegetarian. There's also bottomless fresh chips and a salsa bar (including fresh pico de gallo) to go with the tacos. The menu also includes burritos, tortas and other tasty options. We'll be going back for more!

Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan started out as a food truck and recently opened up a restaurant in downtown Los Altos. While their menu includes the typical options including burritos, quesadillas, tortas, and plates, their tacos are the main appeal and only cost $3 each. All of the meats we tried are super juicy and they use fresh handmade tortillas as well for their tacos. An even better deal is if you order Rigo's combo which comes with 8 tacos and a drink for a total of $21.99. This brings down the cost of each taco to only $2.75! There's also a self-serve, AYCE, tortilla chips station that has a variety of salsas and sauces that you can choose from. Although I really like the tacos here, the other main entrees that I tried, the Torta and quesadilla, were very average and I didn't really like the fillings that were used for these. ORDER: |-| Rigo's Combo ($21.99) - 8 tacos with a can of coke |-| Tacos ($3/each) - comes with diced onion and cilantro |-| Torta ($13.99) - choice of meat, melted cheese, salsa, pico de Gallo, lettuce, sour cream, and avocado |-| Super Quesadilla ($12.99) - choice of meat, pico de Gallo, cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, and sauce

I am so thankful this Taqueria opened in the middle of Downtown Los Altos. It's probably the most flavor this town has seen. They serve some of the most delicious tacos. I believe they first started off as a food truck and now opened their first brick and mortar. What sets this place apart from any other taco is the handmade tortillas they use. It's steamed instead of fried on a griddle. They serve a single steamed tortilla that's sturdier and fluffier. They meat selection is wide and you can get your favorites. I enjoyed the Al Pastor, Cabeza, Lengua, Carne and Suadero the most. They have a $25 deal for 8 tacos and a soda. A great deal compared to the $$$ lunch options in town. Two tacos for under $10 is filling enough for me and a perfect deal.

We've been meaning to try this place. We got the 8 taco special for only $21.99. We got al pastor , carne asada, and chicken. Al pastor was my favorite. All were very flavorful. They also have a salsa bar full of different types of salsas and free chips. The chips were super fresh and I liked all the salsas. The tortillas looked handmade and held the meats well along with salsa. Definitely a great place for a quick bite!

The steak tacos are one of the best, super tasty, and crunchy just how I like it. It's quite a surprise you can have lunch for less than $10 in one of the rich neighborhoods in Silicon Valley. Don't be discouraged with the line to order food, as it goes fast and food also comes out quickly.

Simple menu with steamed meat options. Food was okay, but service was horrible! There is limited seating in the restaurant as it is a small space. A few seats are available outside. There is free street parking. I was missing a plate of four tacos and several people behind me received their tacos ahead of me. I asked the counter twice and they barely acknowledged me. It finally came and was missing one taco. I went up to let them know and the lady preparing the food at the back verbalized a bad word in Spanish. I said it's not nice to say bad words in Spanish to customers and they just remained silent. I asked for a refund of the four tacos, which they did, but this took time as well. I should have asked for a tip refund as well. Rude! Rude! Rude!

The tacos are so good. They did not disappoint! My mom recommended this place and I'm so happy she did! The cabeza and lengua are the best tacos I've had in the area. Def give them a chance!

2.5 STARS Digital Menu Board: "Rigo's Combo: 8 Tacos with a can of soda or battle of water - $21.99" They had me at a 'battle' of water! Offal and typos on the menu are usually a good indicator of a legit taqueria. So, I was hyped about Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan hoping it was going to be 5 stars. Sadly, my experience was not it. Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan started as a food truck and this is their first brick & mortar. They still have two food trucks in Burlingame and Millbrae. They're open for takeout, indoor dining, and limited outdoor dining (3 tables). M E N U Tacos al vapor (street tacos made w/ handmade tortillas), burrito, nachos, quesadilla, torta, and plates (e.g. carne asada, camarones, etc). No soups. Nothing is over $17.99 which is a great value for Los Altos! Proteins: Asada, pollo, al pastor, carnitas, lengua, suadero, cabeza, tripas, chorizo, and chicharrón. By 4 pm (closes at 8 pm), they were out of nearly half their proteins. No liquor license. They charge a credit card surcharge which I'm fine with but there was no sign and no heads up from the cashier. Our order: $21.99 + tax + cc surcharge = $26.18 (before tip). No receipt was provided so it seems I was charged $2+ surcharge (9%) on $21.99. Legally, I don't think you can charge more than 4%. S A L S A B A R Self-serve chips + salsa bar - heeeey! They had pico de gallo, salsa verde, salsa roja, avocado salsa (?), habanero, salsa macha, and escabeche (pickled veggies). My fav was the habanero. It was creamy and packed heat. While the other salsas were fresh, they were watered down and bland (didn't try the salsa macha). The chip tray was near empty with small chip fragments and crumbs. F O O D * Rigo's Combo: 8 Tacos w/ one can of soda or bottled water ($21.99): https://tinyurl.com/an3ha5x7 The tacos al vapor are served on a single handmade corn tortilla with diced onions, cilantro, two slices of pickled carrots, and a lime wedge. Al vapor are usually steamed tortillas but these were griddled. They were warm, sturdy, and soft with a good chew. They ran out of our first (lengua) and second (al pastor) choices so this is what we went with: --Suadero: Rose Meat x2 // 4.5 stars Rich and crispy with some delicious fatty pieces. If you well-marbled meat, get this! --Cabeza: Beef head/cheek x2 // 4 stars Tender and beefy. Not overly seasoned so you can taste the beefiness. --Carnitas: Fried pork x2 // 2.5 stars Nice, crispy edges but dry, stringy, and very salty. --Tripas: Beef intestine x2 // ? Guess they ran out of this too because they replaced it with a set of suadero tacos. S E R V I C E Not cool to make rude remarks about customers, thinking they cannot hear you and/or don't understand Spanish. A M B I A N C E Good food overrides vibes/ambiance for me. They were not busy at the time so I was surprised to walk in and see the dining area and floor in disarray. Every table except one outside were dirty with leftover plates from prior customers. Also, the restroom needed attention. P A R K I N G Easily found street parking. Overall, Tacos Al Vapor Michoacan serves pretty solid street tacos and a great value for Los Altos. I think they could be a gem but the negatives far outweighed the positives on my visit. Really hope this was just a very off day.

I have come here a couple times now. The second time, I have decided to get the 8 tacos deal plus a drink. We got to choose 4 kind of proteins. I chose al pastor, carne asada, chicken, and I forgot the last one. They were all good. Service was friendly, no complain here. There are a few seatings inside the cafe. Self serve salsa and chip bar, as well as cold water on tap. Will get back there to try to lengua and cabeza.

We came here for lunch after a hike. This restaurant was small and had limited tables indoors, but luckily there were quite a few tables outside, so we were able to quickly order and then grab a seat and wait for our food. I got the super suadero quesadilla to go, and it came in a nice plastic container. The quesadilla was massive and stuffed with brisket and cheese. The taqueria also had complementary chips and salsa, so I really enjoyed trying out the different salsa along with my quesadilla. Some of the salsa here were quite spicy for my friends, and the light green one was probably the most mild and refreshing one since it contained cucumber. Overall this was a great place to get some delicious and filling Mexican food. I'd highly recommend checking this place if you're around the area. Parking is also not too difficult since there is street parking in front of the restaurant and a parking lot behind it.

Great tacos, with a good variety of meat or vegan fillings. Fresh chips and a salsa bar with tasty pico de gallo. The eight taco combo offering is a good value. Quick service.

Driving app made me think that the back was the front. I tried asking the cooks if that was the front, both ladies said no. I asked politely how I go around since it was my first time here. Completely ignored. I figured it out and when I went in, I asked for an item, cashier tells me "we don't have it"... im like, so what do you have that I can order? Im already not happy with how im being treated. Lady says "everything else"..... only reason why i continue with the order is because someone had told me what they wanted before I got there. I pay but lady doesn't even bother telling me my total. I'm not sure I'll come back.

Delicious tacos and really good service!! I will definitely will be going back for lunch thank you !

This place may look unassuming, but it is a jewel in the wall. All their meats are good, but the carnitas is just amazing. Actually, don't come here. More for me.

BE CAREFUL, advertised prices are NOT what you are charged. I asked for the 8 tacos combo that was listed at $21.99 and when going to pay, they tried to charge me $22.86 (+tax +credit card fee). When I complained, they couldn't explain that and just said that's the machine and we can't change it. So basically, they are robbing all the customers one dollar at a time.

Found this place when we're looking for Mexican food. The place is very casual and quite small. We order a carne asada burrito and 2 carne asada tacos. The foods are delicious and quite generous. It has a place where you can get your own chips and salsas. You can get any kind of salsas they offer. The water is free and cold. You order your food at the cashier, pay, then find the table and they'll bring your order. The price is amazingly good. Remember to clean after you! I'll be coming here often

Chips and Salsa bar and great to see. Miss that in Mexican places here in Los Altos. Had the tacos and they were very simple and good. Reminded me of Mexico City street tacos. Great fresh soft tacos and assume the other tortillas would also be fresh. Small place, but food is worth a try.

Finally some tacos that taste like they're supposed to and aren't crazy $$. Came for a late lunch, as did apparently the rest of Los Altos, because it was PACKED. The cashier handled the line well, but the chips and salsa bar needed some attention. As soon as the line was cleared, she was all over it. We had tacos de pollo, asada, and suadero. Some of the tacos had 2 tortillas, and some only had 1, which was odd, but whatever the meat was ridiculously good. Like legit seasoning and proper cooking. No gristle, no grease, no chunks of indiscernible meat. PLEASE ADD GUACAMOLE TO YOUR MENU!!!! Can't wait to come back!

Salsa spiciness: a little salty, the chilli oil was a surprise but not spicy Tacos: lit meat perfectly seasoned, traditional tacoz hole in the wall but cute outdoor seats

Not gonna lie, I was a little worried the food wasn't going to be good because of the area it was in. But man this place was pretty good. All the salsas I tried were BOMB. I got 2 carne asada and 2 al pastor. They put little pineapple pieces in the Al pastor. The carne asada was so flavorful. Both were juicy and overall delicious. Also got horchata and that was good too- not as good as the food but it did the job. It's pretty small inside but that's not a big deal to me. Staff was friendly and gave us extra limes lol. Don't be fooled because of the location, this a real Mexican spot- loved it!! Will be back

There food is amazing per usual! I got the super burrito, and my daughter and husband got quesadillas. I ordered a pineapple drink, and my daughter wanted some but I told her it was too sweet. The cashier gave my daughter a big cup of pineapple juice for free! The customer service was really the star of the show. The place is very cozy, and clean. I come here every now and then, and definitely recommend!

Solid tacos. In particular, the cabeza (cheek) and lengua (tongue) tacos are their best. Those two tacos are prepared using the "al vapor" or cooking with water method while the others are made by grilling or frying the meat. That being said, the carne asada and al pastor are also decent. There's not much room on the inside or outside to sit, but if you can get a spot outside on Main Street in Downtown Los Altos, it has a nice view. The price is reasonable especially for the area. All of the other Mexican restaurants in downtown Los Altos are much more expensive. The staff is relatively friendly as well and they have a self-service chips and salsa station which is nice. They make their own tortillas and chips which are a lot better than average as well. I've even seen customers just buy a bunch of tortillas from them and take them home. All and all, I'd recommend this place primarily for takeout or a casual lunch.

Needed a small bite while walking around Los Altos. This place hit the spot. Tacos are fantastic and it's hard to believe they are only $3 each for good quality.

Amazing carnitas, excellent service, great value. This is a very welcome addition to downtown Los Altos.

Tortillas are the best thing here. Asada is extremely salty. And the pollo was just alright. I would say the meat wasn't clean. In the burrito the cheese was in solidified chunks. Service was alright but not super friendly. Bathroom said out of order but the service staff still used it so I think they just didn't want customer using it. It's also uncertain if chips come for free as they don't mention it. The salsa options are alright but not spicy or very flavorful. All in all I wouldn't go here again nor would I recommend to anyone else.

The food so bomb!!! Best tacos in Los Altos!! The service is so good and very quick and efficient. I love how they have ice cold lime water on tap! Five stars all the way! Thank you!!

What to pick first: ALL the tacos are amazing, the Sope (with carne asada) was SO good!! It's a small family business. They are just getting their feet under them so service can be less than perfect, but they are NOT a chain, they work VERY hard and they clearly LOVE the food they are making and serving. The value is really good: freshly prepared, good quality, NICE size servings and VERY reasonable prices!

My now husband and I have been going to Tacos Al Vapor for a few years now, and it is hands down the best on the peninsula. Whether you go to their taco truck in Burlingame, or this location, you are guaranteed quality food. The owner, Rigo, and his amazing crew catered our wedding and did a phenomenal job. They were so professional and organized, and the quality was incredible. We could not have been happier with the entire experience. I highly recommend the Al Vapor team for catering needs and the restaurants - you will not be disappointed!

Self service salsa station and delicious street style tacos. Won't disappoint. We got the steak, pork and chicken tacos. Chicken was a little under seasoned. But great experience overall.

Excellent authentic tacos, my wife and her family who grew up in Mexico and southern CA confirmed that these were the real deal.

This place cannot handle the volume. Placed order 30 minutes in advance and still had to wait about 20 minutes in the store. 50 minutes total for a few tacos and rude service is not worth it. Never have this issue at other places in the area.

This place is smackin. Food is bomb. Great customer service and the portion sizes are great. This will be my spot for tacos when I go to work. 10/10 I recommend. Best place in Los Altos/ Mountain View. Salsa is delicious!! Spicy but a must- chile de aceite!

Hello authentic flavor! Wow, so incredibly happy this place has opened up here. It is infinitely better than most of the standard Mexican fare around; you can tell by the first bite. Our group thought everything was delicious, but I always have a particular soft spot for any place that serves sopes and does it well, and they were so delicious here. I don't overeat often, but last night it was impossible not to. We'll be back soon!

I was surprised and excited to see a new taco place in downtown Los Altos. They took over the old T4 space. Their menu is focused on tacos, but they also have burritos, quesadillas, plates, and tortas. Meat choices include your standard proteins, a stew option, brisket, lengua, tripe and chorizo. If you get a plate, you can get tilapia or shrimp. - Carne asada tacos: $3 each. This was my first time getting tacos al vapor style: the tortilla is steamed rather than griddled, and then it's bathed in some sort of fat. In the end, the texture tasted pretty similar to a regular taco. The carne asada was higher quality meat than a lot of other places - Carne asada burrito: wonderfully griddled tortilla, generous on the fillings. It barely had any rice and had a ton of meat, which was great. They have a few small tables inside, and they have non alcoholic drinks available. Staff are friendly, and food came out pretty quickly. They even packed up some pickled carrots and a lime for me in my to-go plate. It's nice to have a new Mexican option around here! Note: there's a credit card surcharge (a bit surprising for downtown Los Altos.)

Order your own tacos: personalize accepted. My first time here. Their chips were ordinary. My husband and I ordered beef and chicken tacos, yellow rice (came in a platter) and black beans (came in a platter) and 2 soft drinks from Mexico. We sat by the window in a small corner table!

Ok, the tacos here were pretty good, but the wait was really long. They don't have enough tables, and they forgot to give me my horchata. I sat outside, and they brought me my tacos, but forgot my drink. No ambiance to speak of, just a bare bones taqueria. If they were quick, had enough tables, and didn't screw up my order, this would be 5 star.

I remember the truck they had in Burlingame which I guess still exists in addition to San Mateo. Apparently they are brick and mortar now. This used to be a bubble tea place if I remember correctly. It seems like there is a revolution of Mexican flavor coming into town. Many of the places have been around for quite a long time, then Tal Palo popped up down the street a year ago. I think this is a good thing. Los Altos seemed to hoarde all the old school American Breakfast places but was stodgy in its Latin tastes so a welcome addition to the area. If you're hungry or want a good split, there's Rigo's Combo which are 8 tacos and a soda. Problem is there are 10 meat selections. wish they did a 10 taco combo! Anyways we did them all except pollo and asada as you can get those at many different places. In addition to the tacos/burritos of your normal taqueria fare they also have a handful of substantial platters too which Ill try for next time. Though if only they had MIchoacan enchiladas, barbacoa and morisqueta, this place would be awesome. But for now with the small selection it is a great place to get some solid traditional fare. When we were there everyone was Mexican except us and the two guys next to me realized that I understood Spanish and we had a bit of a chat. That felt like the warmth I got from the people in Mexico when I did some extensive travel there a few years back. GLad to see this option in sleepy Los Altos...

Went around 4pm for a quick couple of tacos. There wasn't a wait at that time. Not much ambiance, but it's not that kind of place. The salsa bar was kind of a mess, they needed to tend to that. Ordered the asada and carnitas tacos. $3 each, which seems like a bargain, especially given the zip code. The avocado salsa was good. Meats were pretty salty. Came with a couple of vinegar carrot slices. Wouldn't seek it out again, but it looks like they already have a local following.

This has quickly become my favorite restaurant in Los Altos. I have now been here 4 times in the past 2 weeks. Simple menu but easily the best Mexican food around. The service is good but a bit slow. They definitely need more help as they have been pretty busy every time I've been here. They are usually out of chips and low on salsas but I guess that they are busier than expected. I'm guessing that they will just keep getting busier. Lulu's is in big trouble

After 30 years of being my favorite food spot, look out Italian Deli because Tacos Al Vapor is about to dethrone! Luckily they're right next to each other so I can have a little of both I had the cabeza and suadero tacos and they were true to form street tacos and absolutely delicious. It's so hard to find a good spot that has all the good meats in the Bay Area (lengua, tripa). I can't wait to go again.

Can't believe such an amazing taqueria opened in downtown Los Altos of all places. Highly recommend cabeza and al pastor. I'd be willing to travel pretty far for this, I feel so lucky that they are here.

Ordered the Rigo's Combo! 8 Tacos with a soda. These tacos were delicious! The tortillas were soft and a good amount of meat per taco. I ordered 4 Carne Asada and 4 Al Pastor. Both were really flavorful! They also had a salsa bar. Definitely could not finish the plate in one meal. So had to some for later. The orange sauce has a kick, so be careful putting on too much.

Los Altos was in dire need of a casual and affordable eatery. Well, $3 a taco is cheap by Los Altos standards. The tacos are actually good (better than anything else in LA/MV) and there's a chip and salsa bar. My only complaint is that the tables weren't cleaned between customers.

I tried their 8 taco special and super burrito with carne asada. The food was EXCELLENT!!! The soft shell tortillas had a nice fluffy texture and the meat was tender and nicely seasoned. The restaurant is rather small and they were really busy at lunch time so be prepared to wait a bit for your food.

Love love the tacos here. But make sure to check your order. They forgot my soda and sauce to go. Looks like they're pissed serving me late today. Sorry

Food is the BEST I've had in Los Altos. Please help keep this place open and maintain its reasonable prices! A true gem!

They home make the tortillas for the tacos and the meat is very tasty. They have good salsa and chips. They have good service although they are sometimes a little too busy during lunchtime which makes the wait a little long. But every time I have gone, I have always enjoyed the food.

Came by at lunch and the line extended from the order-entry counter to the door. My first thought was this place is popular. Ordered the Super Quesadilla ($12.99 plus tax). It comes with pico de gallo, cheese (no choice of kind), sour cream, avocado, lettuce, sauce (unspecified kind) and choice of meat. I ordered it with beef tongue steamed (lengua). Pluses: Large size and good fresh tasting beef tongue. Free self-serve tortilla chips by the counter with self-serve variety of salsa. Chips tasted unsalted which depending upon one's health and tastes could be a plus or a minus. Order taker and order walker (to our table) were both friendly and spirited. Minuses: Uneven fillings such that the quesadilla was uneven across its surface. A bit saucy from the sour cream and sauce. Next time, I may order the regular quesadilla that comes with sauce but no sour cream. Cheese was not easily discernible perhaps because of the overwhelming abundance of sour cream. Portion of meat was adequate but not overly generous. Overall, a great place for the Village.