Tacos El Gordo

Mexican restaurant · Springfield

Tacos El Gordo

Mexican restaurant · Springfield

1

1510 N National Ave, Springfield, MO 65803

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Highlights

Authentic Mexican cuisine, tacos, tamales, pupusas, and aguas frescas.  

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1510 N National Ave, Springfield, MO 65803 Get directions

$10–20 · Menu

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1510 N National Ave, Springfield, MO 65803 Get directions

+1 417 402 9307

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Sep 6, 2025

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A humble favorite for trompo, barbacoa, and dollar‑taco days. Frequently cited by 417 Magazine’s taco editors and local diners.

https://www.417mag.com/food-drink/dishes/best-tacos-southwest-mo/
Mexican Food in Springfield MO (2025)
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The Chef’s View

Google
They have two different restaurants and they are both amazing 🤩 Best authentic Mexican food in town. They now also feature a buffet, deets below 👇 Tacos el gordo #2 Tuesday 8:00am -9:00pm Saturday 8:00am -10:00pm Tacos el gordo #1 Wednesday 8:00am -9:00pm Friday 8:00am -10:00pm My faves are the ground beef empanadas, the traditional & Salvadoran Tamales 🫔 the Brisket Tacos 🌮 and Pupusas!!!

Abel M.

Google
Great tacos!! On our way back home to Dallas, Texas and stopped for a bite. Their Al pastor tacos were good, but the carnitas tacos for the win!!

Grcly44

Google
Went here while in town for work. $1 taco Monday special, so I ordered a variety. Every taco was bland. The steak was chewy and not tender. The shells were horrible. Now, I have high standards for Mexican food, so this may suffice for the locals, but it was below par in my book. The chips were bad and under salted, while the salsa was nasty, too. Stay away.

Chad Wamsley

Google
Fresh food and friendly staff. Very similar to tacos El Gordo in California and Los Vegas. Thursdays is dollar taco day! The mild green sauce is really really good and the red one is very spicy

Frank Topar

Google
The only issue we had were the prices. A shrimp quesadilla is $25. About $11 higher than we pay at our 2 or 3 favorite Mexican Restaurants. Other than that...it was great food, great service and a great atmosphere. Would recommend if you don't mind the price.

Alyca Mizell

Google
My husband and I tried the N National location last night for the first time. Just wanted to say all around 10/10 recommend. Food was great, service was great, and price was great! First time trying Trompo and it was DELICIOUS. Definitely will be returning ❤️ taco Thursday is genius!

Bambiethedeer “Bambiethedeer” Vigil

Google
Good food,good watermelon 🍉 fresca and pineapple fresca!

Lilly Dawn

Google
Gordo's is one of the best values for your buck as far as authentic Mexican Cuisine they have specials Monday through Friday I believe. Taco Mondays and Thursdays they have a good variety of tacos to choose from for the special. Every year on Cinco de Mayo they give away t-shirts and have other added specials with their daily special. They are always nice and kind.
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Crystal M.

Yelp
Amazing Good stuff Small little place nice staff Happy Food was excellent I will definitely come again

Cybrgrl S.

Yelp
Don't let the tiny and old building fool you; because, this place is amazing. The food is fabulous, the staff is friendly and hard working, and the prices are low for all the food you get. I had the Nacho Supreme and my husband had one of each kind of empanada and several tacos. Best Mexican food I've had in a long time and sincerely, the best Springfield has to offer. Just my opinion here, but if you want to find great people and great food in springfield, give them a try. Don't let the tiny old building put you off of a good thing.

Jeremy ..

Yelp
So many not great things to say about this place, I'm not even sure where to begin. I'll just say, the wait is ridiculous when you have 5 people in the back and only 1 cooking. The prices aren't great, and the food was terrible. How do you get an enchilada, tamale, rice and beans wrong. Rice and beans! Worst I ever had. Everything was close to not being edible at all. And it was $14! First they tried to overcharge me. I watched him pull the tamale out of the microwave! Let it sit and get cold while he answered the phone and took someone's order, and then put it in my box. It was a tamale...microwaved...and there was NOOOO meat in it. None! Terrible. I'll never go back.

Michael M.

Yelp
Tacos were good Service was good Ambiance was ok Seems like they are working hard and staying competitive
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Jo B.

Yelp
The food was amazing! The lengua and brisket tacos were very flavorful and served hot! The tamales were moist also. I got the Agua de Jamaica which was very refreshing and not too sweet. When in Springfield this is restaurant is a must!

Keith M.

Yelp
The restaurant is very small. There are three booth style seats inside and a few picnic tables outside. The service was fast and friendly. The tacos weren't bad. They make their own tortillas, and they were tasty. The taco's had plenty of meat and the onions and cilantro were fresh. Unfortunately, the meat was a bit fatty and needed more seasoning.
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Robert W.

Yelp
Well I just moved here to Missouri from San Diego back In August and have not gone to any Mexican food joints out here because I've been hesitant and just so spoiled from being 20 min away from Tijuana and having some of the best Mexican food in the United States.. but one day I was driving down Campbell and seen this place and it reminded me immediately of back home.. so I immediately pulled and checked it out and man I was not disappointed.. the food was on point, it was dollar taco day and they had a big list to choose from so i ordered 4 tacos a carne asada burrito and a adobada quesadilla.... Man oh man was it good.. now one thing that will always keep me coming back to a taco shop is the salsa if you ain't got no salsa game then I don't want it no matter how good the food is lol but their salsa was so good they have plenty of options to choose from plus super spicy salsa with is making my mouth water as we speak typing this so of course they had me try their spicy salsa thinking he's a white boy he can't take it lol but I did and loved it hahahaha their customer service was on point they all were super kind and they all introduced themselves to me even though they were busy they still made time to make sure I tried all salsa and all they're auga fresca witch I got 3 large 2 piñas and 1 horchata they have like 6 different flavors of I'm not mistaken... But all in all this is a fantastic taco shop and I'm glad I stopped to try it... I will forever be coming back to this place.. I'm glad I found my little slice of San Diego here in Missouri to satisfy my taco shop cravings... I can't wait to try more things there like their posole and carnitas and everything to be honest.. THANK YOU TACO EL GORDO YOU GUYS ROCK!!!
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Audrey V.

Yelp
I love this place for lunch. Such good prices and the food is really tasty with a wide variety. It can take a while to get your food, but it's worth it. Also more of a to-go restaurant.
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Kim W.

Yelp
This little shack on the side of the road with some tables inside and out is a gem! The food is delicious and authentic. I was surprised to find so much variety but I will be back when I'm in Springfield again. The beef empanada was probably the favorite of the three items I got because the deep fried skin was perfection mixed with the avocado salsa. The hot salsa was also super tasty and spicy. The Al pastor was delicious but didn't have the pineapple I'm used to. The cheese and jalapeño tamale was super tasty and definitely worth getting again. They also had pupusas and gorditas and so much more with a large variety of meats. They have daily specials for $6.95 and offer a stamp card for loyal customers.
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Kevin L.

Yelp
One of best Mexican food around, and taco Monday is awesome. Taco's are only 1 dollar and I highly recommend the Pastor taco with pineapple, it taste so beautiful. This is authentic Mexican food that even local Mexicans go to. I could eat here every day, now don't judge it from the outside. Just give the food a try, you won't be disappointed. I also recommend get it to go, it's kinda small inside.
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Joshua M.

Yelp
Great people and great tacos. Lots of specials to look forward to during the week. Eat here and avoid a Mexican Villa at all costs, Unless you like a melted Kraft single on a store bought tortilla.

Steve S.

Yelp
Awesome food. Authentic for sure. Not much table spaces for staying and eating so get it to go. Call ahead especially on $1 taco nights. Wow they are busy but awesome.
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Shane A.

Yelp
What happened to you Fat Taco?!!! You use to be the best spot in town for authentic "reasonable" Mexican food, but now that you're popular you're on the corporate train. It seems the only thing Gordo now are your prices, because your food portions have gotten pequeña! $9.50 for a burrito barley bigger than Taco Bell, and Sopas the size of a coaster. Maybe you should pick up show and move to the south side because you've clearly forgot where you came from.
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Sofie K.

Yelp
The joint is tiny but the flavor is mighty! Tortas are like my husband's favorite and this place slings killer good ones. I had the pastor and my husband got the lengua. We always share so each of us gets one. Both were delicious! Can't wait to come back and try more items on the menu.
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Jose M.

Yelp
Great food, and staff is friendly. Tried green sauce, not hot enough, so I went straight to the red sauce. The cocktail de shrimp has huge shrimp, loved it!! I will return when back in Springfield, Mo. I hope I get a load assignment from Prime, I will come back.
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Maggie G.

Yelp
So, I was browsing Yelp for restaurants and felt like tacos. I'm from El Paso and it's really hard to find authentic, good tacos. But I saw this place and it reminded me of home. Decided to give it try. I'm soooooooo glad I did. What got me was Menudo on the list for Sat and Sun only! *sign of a legit Mexican Restaurant*. At first glance the place is a hole in the wall, very funky building. You walk in and the restaurant is very very small, only 4 tables to sit at. Luckily it was empty so we got a table. I ordered four menudos, two bean and cheese burritos, a Barbacoa burrito, and 4 drinks. We waited for about 10 minutes for the food and it was absolutely amazing. The menudo was fresh and full of flavor, the burritos were huge and filled to the max. And the drinks were cold and refreshing. Look, this is as authentic as you can get to a true legit Latino restaurant. You cannot go wrong here. I ordered gorditas to go for the hubby and I'm confident he will love them. The ladies are super sweet and here to please. You can tell the value their customers. While we sat here for an hour it got crazy busy and packed. But clearly this is a little secret in this area. All in all, this place is my #1 spot in Missouri. I cannot explain enough how this is the true flavor of home.
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Regan L.

Yelp
After so many rave reviews from people that I know I decided to stop in here. At first I was rather shocked by the extremely high prices. I decided to order the two enchiladas special with rice and beans for $9.99. No drink included. The chicken was rubbery and flavorless. The sauce was thin and mild to the point of tasting like water. I have not been back at those prices. It's not worth trying it again to see if it gets any better.
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Mr. B. K.

Yelp
My wife almost had a wreck when she saw this place!! There is a Tacos El Gordo in San Diego, LA and Vegas. We thought for sure that maybe they were part of the SoCal family but no dice. Didn't matter, the street tacos were awesome, the Horchata is homemade and the corn tortillas are homemade as well. We had: Horchata (Rice drink) A++ Lengua (Tongue) Chicharron (Pork Rinds) Carne Asada (Steak) Tripe All were excellent and we asked for the fixings to be set aside so the tacos wouldn't get soggy on the way home. Everything was excellent and the green salsa was delicious. Friendly customer service, take credit cards. A++++ All around. We'll definitely be back.
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Jacob H.

Yelp
Tacos El Gordo is by far my favorite place to order authentic Mexican cuisine and is home to one of the spiciest sauces in Springfield. From their chorizo tacos with cilantro and lime, to their cheesy quesadillas and authentic cubanos this restaurant brings real culture to this area. Always 5 stars.
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Kris B.

Yelp
Ok officially have found the best street tacos in SGF. This place is a no frills taqueria serving legit Latin American fare. I wish this was closer to me but I will go out of my way for this place. I came on a Monday and they were doing dollar tacos so I ordered 4 tacos with a variety of meats and a pupusa. Everything was great!!

Irina H.

Yelp
In town for a wedding and decided to give this place a shot. Food was amazing! Their sopes were delish! My 4yr old loved them (it's rare) and the carne asada plate my husband got was great as well! Meat was juicy and tender! Would definitely come back!!
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Isela L.

Yelp
OMG!!! This little tiny place is a gem in Springfield!! Absolutely authentic Mexican flavor!!! The salsa verde is to die for ... the cachete barbacoa holly cow! And the cochinita needed the pickled onions but it was outstanding!!!!
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Larry F.

Yelp
Real Mexican food and owned and operated by real Mexicans from Mexico!! The best tacos north of the border!!!
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Kim Y.

Yelp
All I can say is, you've got to try this place if you love authentic Mexican food! Authentic. Delicious. Fantastic. Awesome tacos, tamales, and empanadas. This place is the epitome of "hole in the wall" wonderful. Take National Avenue north...you can't miss the pink awning on the right side just north of Division. A hotspot at lunchtime so plan accordingly.
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Jason B.

Yelp
(I'll be upfront and admit that I've only had their chicken and steak tacos. I'm sure the rest of their menu is just as good, but I've become quite addicted to the chicken tacos, and consequently haven't had the willpower to try anything else. ) So about the chicken tacos: they are small and a bit pricey, but they are also the best tacos I have ever eaten... including in Mexico. They are really fantastic. I personally prefer to have them hold the onions, but that's merely personal preference and no reflection on the quality of the onions. They only use quality ingredients. Each taco is fairly small, so for me four makes a full meal. You may prefer two to six, depending upon your appetite. They actually did heat up very well later though, so if you order too many, save them! Each one comes with a small slice of lime. If you squeeze some juice out, it really does add something amazing to the flavor. On a side-note, the steak tacos were outstanding as well. I've been favoring the chicken, but the steak was also outstanding. I'll be honest and admit that I'd foolishly ignored this place for years, because I hadn't been impressed with the restaurant which had preceded them, and the building was unremarkable. My foolish loss! I will be making up for that mistake over the coming years, by eating here every chance I get.
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Sara Z.

Yelp
Really great tasting tacos and at a bargain. Lunch for 2 was $10!!! We ate the chorizo, chicken and asada tacos. Our favorites were the chorizo and asada. The green sauce on the table added to the deliciousness and was not overpoweringly hot, just full of flavor. We had a palucha (sp) and this was amazing. I could have eaten two more! Service was very friendly. Place can be tight during busy hours. But hey, the best tacos are always in the smallest dives.
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Gary P.

Yelp
The outside doesn't look like much but the food is great! I ordered ground beef tacos and were very good. Just wish they had chips as well.
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Jennifer L.

Yelp
Authentic mexican food. So much flavor. They have daily specials that are $5.95 and a can of soda or Mondays and Thursday's tacos are a $1. Get the rojo pork. Soooooooo good. My husband got the burrito with everything it. I started with two carnitas and two carne asda with a side of rice and beans. Both tvOS were good. I went back for a single taco to try the red pork. I will be getting that next time. It was the best. The meat was so tender and flavorful. Can't wait to come again.

Selena A.

Yelp
Overpriced for little to no flavor. I love Tacos Taqueria truck on chestnut outshines this place and you get twice the food/flavor for cheaper the cost
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JOSEPH A.

Yelp
We had lunch here today, I had two Pork Taco's And we tried several different items....everything was GREAT...just like we have in SO. CALIF.
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CJ P.

Yelp
We've been here twice now, so we're still figuring out what we like best. We haven't even gotten into their main menu for all the taco choices. This place absolutely deserves to make it. They have fantastic food and super friendly and helpful staff. Seriously. Don't let the location keep you away. It's SO worth a stop!

S M.

Yelp
Wonderful Mexican food. The staff is over the top helpful and friendly! The food is delicious and the restaurant is squeaky clean. We also love that they stay open a bit later than other places. Definitely one of our favorite places in town, and we have tried all the Mexican restaurants.
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Cindy V.

Yelp
We tried the place the other day and it was terrific best Mexican food very authentic the tacos were some of the best lve had in Springfield we had papusas which are a grilled disk of dough filled with either pork and cheese Or just cheese topped with a cabbage salad can't wait to more things from there lm sure it's going to be good too.
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Nathan S.

Yelp
Wow! This place is truly incredible! They are not messing around! My boyfriend and I went and were so overwhelmed by the menu that we literally ended up trying basically everything on the menu and only spent like 30 dollars! I heavily suggest their Trompo (pork roasted on a vertical spit) and their pork in red sauce as well as their pork with potatoes! Their beef tongue and cheek was amazing too! Their Tamales are no joke as well! Also best Pupusas I've ever had! Why are you still reading this? Go eat there already!
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Jeremy W.

Yelp
I've been there four times and decided this will be my last trip there. The first time I was there, I got a special which included a soda, but I didn't receive my soda. I didn't realize it until it was too late. Their tacos are OK, but they put a premium up-charge on beef tongue. A bit odd considering it's not a premium meat or in high demand. Since I felt the $1 taco specials were a fair deal (with the exception of the lengua), I didn't have any other reason to complain until today. I just spent $10 on a burrito which somebody had suggested to me last week. NOT WORTH $10! I've bought bigger burritos for less. As well as, I can go to Qdoba and get much more food for almost the same amount of money. On top of that, they wanted me to tip them when I paid for my burrito. They never asked me to tip before. There was no wait staff involved or any reason to tip, except for greed. Furthermore, customers get a discount if they show them a five star rating they wrote on Google. That is misleading to potential customers because it encourages people to give a biased review for the sake of better pricing and not based on actual service or quality of food. Again, I will not be going back.
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Charity J.

Yelp
Authentic Mexican food. Tacos were decent size but tasty. So far it's probably the best I e found in the area but not the best I've ever eaten.

Bobbie C.

Yelp
Forget about the rest - this place is the best! I'm working my way thru trying everything on the menu. Recommended without hesitation!
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David F.

Yelp
Saw this place had great reviews on here so had to check it out and just like everyone else has said this place is great!! Got 3 tacos and 3 tamales for a really good price. The tamales were really good but really greasy so watch out on that and the tacos were fantastic! Got the carne asade and I don't know what they seasoned it with but it was great. Side of the spicy sauce was fantastic as well!
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Madelyn N.

Yelp
I'm from Central California, so I know great Mexican food! This is by far the closest to authentic Mexican food you can get here in Springfield! 10/10 recommend!
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Cindy A.

Yelp
We live in Orange County, California, and come to Springfield occasionally to visit family. On our flight here this week the guy seated next to me on the plane said I needed to visit this place for great Mexican food. I took his advice and I am glad we did. This is NOT Midwest Mexican food with liquid cheese poured on chips. This is the kind of food we like in SoCal........fresh and delicious.......no gringo food. I can't wait to go on a Monday or Thursday to try the tamales for a buck!
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Joshua G.

Yelp
This. Place. Is. LEGIT. Stopped by last night, Friday night, standing room only in the little shack when the weather was at 11 degrees Fahrenheit. As diverse as a crowd gets in Springfield: Menonnite lady, hip college students, a couple of young Hispanic families, and everyone is all smiles. I order, stand around for about 5 minutes while my order is being prepared and take it to go. I got chicken and pork tamales and a Pastor taco and a carnitas taco. The tacos are Mexican style soft corn tortillas with just the meat, some onions and cilantro, you may have heard this called "street tacos" in other locations. Excellent juicy meat seasoned to perfection. Everything I had hoped for. The tamales were also the best I've had in Springfield. They come wrapped in the corn husk, nice and moist, hot, and delicious. They offered sauces when my order was ready, I chose the spicy--which doesn't lie--and the avocado sauce which is more of a salsa style thing with avocado in it than a guacamole. The spicy is the fire and the avacado is the relief. Both were superb! Can't wait to go back and get more, maybe on a day when it makes sense to sit outside. Check this place out! Note: you need to be heading north on National to turn in to the lot, so if coming from the north you'll need to get to Division and then turn north.
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Nathaniel M.

Yelp
This place is wonderful. True authentic Mexican food. They definitely don't short you food!
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Witchy M.

Yelp
This place is AMAZING! I do not think they even know they have a yelp cause I asked them before & they look at me crazy. I'll do you a favor and tell you to GO HERE! They are closed on Wednesdays but try EVERYTHING! Its all good. Their Horchata is homemade and awesome. Sopes and gorditas are AWESOME. Seriously you can't go wrong.

Sam S.

Yelp
If you want amazing Mexican food this is your place. The food is amazing no matter what your preference tacos, burritos, tamales. I love this place.
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Stephanie C.

Yelp
Don't let the looks of this little gem turn your car around...slam yourself into a parking spot and run to the counter..tacos, rice, tamales oh my...family working behind the counter and cooking, homemade corn tortillas, bowls of menudo, anything you try will be awesome! Great find!
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Maestra R.

Yelp
This the best taco places in Missouri, the place does not look like a topical Mexican place but that is how you know the food is good. I am Mexican and I can tell you this is the best. Try also their banana (plantain) desert, it is delicious. The staff is nice and funny. I LOVE IT!!

Tram B.

Yelp
This is the best and most authentic Mexican restaurant in town. The lengua tacos and pupusas are my favorite!
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Dan D.

Yelp
Really looking for an afternoon snack to tie us between a late breakfast and dinner. This place has the best tacos! All kinds of meat with great preparations and fresh ingredients. Between the two of us, we had chicken, ground beef and pork on a vertical spit. All were delicious! My only complaint was they do not have chips and salsa but I'm still salivating 30 minutes after we left so I guess I'll forgive them! We will be going back.

Nick F.

Yelp
Fantastic food, that I always eat too much of. If you've ever passed by this bright green building and wondered if you should try, no need to think about it any longer. Go now! Also they have great prices and specials everyday