Taqueria El Toro

Never fails. I’ve been coming here for years, back when they were next to the El Toro market. Always so delicious, and very inexpensive for the quality. The fish taco comes with a delicious creamy sauce. Love that you can serve yourself at the salsa bar. Everything is so great. ❤️

Real authentic Mexican food. The portions were amazing for the price. Service was excellent, although there was a language barrier the worker tried her best and even further assisted me by grabbing another coworker. The atmosphere inside is kind of bland however it was clean, spacious, and tidy.

Excellent super flavorful tacos!! Can't vouch for anything else.

Affordable, tasty, and not your typical “hole in the wall” Taqueria. The dining area is big, bright, and modern—perfect for housing their glorious self-serve cilantro/onion/pico/salsa bar (seriously, that thing deserves its own fan club). Steak tacos? Absolute win. I’ll definitely be back for those. But then there’s… the quesadilla. I ordered a steak quesadilla, expecting gooey melted cheese bliss wrapped in a tortilla. What arrived looked like an alternate-universe taco: steak, beans, lettuce, sour cream—and not a single shred of cheese. So apparently this is their “thing,” and it's not your conventional quesadilla. I sat there confused, like I was trying to solve a riddle from The Da Vinci Code. I hate beans, so after a few bewildered bites, I gave up. Felt guilty tossing it, but honestly, that dish left me questioning reality. Somewhere, a cow was milked for nothing. So yeah—come for the tacos, worship at the salsa bar, but unless you’re ready for an existential crisis, skip the quesadilla.

This place is amazing. I got here all the time for lunch. The tacos are the best, the price is budget friendly, and the workers are very respectful to their customers! Love this place, the people, and the food!

This is one of the area's best kept secrets - it's not your usual cookie cutter Mexican restaurant, but instead a lo-fi culinary experience. It's basically a Mexican cafeteria, and most of the folks dining there don't speak English. The food is terrific, and the new restaurant across the street from their original location offers a much-needed increase in capacity. They also offer a fixings bar with a great array of salsas, pico, and slaw, but I highly recommend the grilled jalapenos, which are consistently fiery!

Delicious and relatively inexpensive!! I haven’t been here since 2011 and it is as tasty and well priced as I remember. The small portions of nachos is enough for two people, and the different salsas are great compliments. The aguas frescas are refreshing as well.

the dining room is unbearably cold and very very dark. not a fun place to enjoy a meal with family or friends. Food is pretty good and authentic. Counter service only. Customers bus their own tables. This place could be so much better with a few little tweaks!

Muy rico y rápido . El Menú tiene mucha variedad las salsa están sabrosas . Vamos a regresar de nuevo .

I have been here so many times but never wrote a review! They have moved across the street to a larger building. They used to be right next to the market. I always come and get the same thing typically, 3 tacos de carne asada or a beef torta. They are both so good. You can add salsa and other things to your tacos to flavor but they already put on when you order, onion and cilantro with lime on the side. They have a salsa bar off to the side you will see it. When you are done you put your tray and plates in the window. I hope they open the bar soon! It's worth a try if you haven't been! Can't go wrong with carne asada.

The steak tortillas were plain just add lime but horchata was really tasty, and workers were fun to talk to.

What a great find! This no-frills, authentic taqueria is the real deal! I've been wanting to eat here for quite awhile. It did not disappoint! I was glad we had researched the menu before arriving. There were many things on the menu we had never heard of! We ordered Cabeza Tacos - our least favorite Al Pastor Tacos - excellent! Carnitas Burrito - so good! Our favorite Al Pastor Burrito - very good! Flautas - 3 Flautas with rice & beans - delicious! Carne Asada Burrito - excellent! Guacamole & Chips The tacos can seem disappointing and look super plain upon arrival. Each one is just meat on tortillas, but after garnishing each taco at the help-yourself salsa bar, they become amazing, custom-made tacos! Each of the burritos were good, but the favorite at our table was the Carnitas Burrito! The flavor was amazing. The large guacamole was enough for our group of 5! It was a generous amount of guacamole! I didn't taste the Flautas, but my daughter-in-law loved them! We will definitely be back!

Ordered a chicken burrito to go and it was delicious! The menu had a wide variety of options and the prices seemed relatively cheap. The food came out super quick and the burrito had a lot of flavor. I would love to come back and try their other menu options!

realmente esperaba algo mejor los tacos estaban fríos tanto la carne como la tortilla. el agua de sabor no la recomiendo sería mejor un refresco deberían tener un buen servicio como al principio cuando empezó el negocio...

Hidden authentic Mexican restaurant on the outskirts of Raleigh! We went looking for a Mexican place where the locals gather to eat and socialize. Taqueria el Toro is essentially a food court style restaurant -- order at the counter and pick it up your tray there and bring it back to your table. Also clean up by bringing your tray back to the window. Interior is super spacious and also has a big self serve salsa/toppings bar. It was bustling even at an off peak lunch hour on a weekday. The food was all served in gigantic portions but nothing was particularly flavorful. Vegetarian fajitas were bland only included a few vegetables. Chicken Quesadilla was also bland and lackluster. Guacamole needed lots more salt. Good value for the price, but otherwise wouldn't return.

This place is freaking amazing! I randomly went here because it was close and I am so impressed. They had a fresh salsa bar where you can put as much of any salsa on your taco but be warned some of them are SPICY! Like I love hot stuff and they were so spicy but delicious. If you don't enjoy heat definitely get the salsas on the side. Also my three tacos were only like $9 which isn't to bad for a lunch. My boyfriend tried the cows tongue taco which i personally found a little chewy but was an interesting taste. I really enjoyed the chicken and carnitas taco but the steak was a little bland and chewy. If you're in the mood for street tacos definitely check this place out!

Best Mexican food in town (maybe even the triangle) hands down. Not much for frills, humble establishment, but the food is the main attraction- no bells & whistles here except for the strategically placed bull mounts on the wall. The service is good, self serve at your table, very efficient ordering process at the main counter... the ambience, once again, is clean, humble, no frills; little hole in the wall feel. My faves are the cabeza, lengua or al pastor tacos. The pozole there is second to none- usually with some Tecate beers!

This is one of the most authentic taquerias that I've found in the area. If you're looking for kitschy ambience or a taco salad, this isn't it. This is a classic hole-in-the-wall that serves amazingly authentic Mexican food...just like what I've had in Mexico. First good sign?? We were the only non-Hispanics in there. This means the food is good and authentic. There are tons of combos from the safe bets (carne asada, chicken, el pastor) to the more exotic offerings for the adventurous palate (tripa, lengua, menudo). They're all good! You dress your tacos yourself at the condiment bar with pico de gallo, salsas, onions, grilled jalapeños etc.... Wash your food down with a jarritos bottled soda or one of their aguas frescas (horchata, tamarindo or jamaica when I was there). You can't go wrong!

wow best Mexican food in the triangle area ! I have been to Mexico many time and this is right on par with many fine. Taco stands in Mexico. I will be back soon !

This was my first time going to Taqueria El Toro, and maybe my last. I really enjoy Hispanic food, and the culture, even though my 7 year old half Puerto Rican daughter is fluent in Spanish, I don't speak Spanish. While at the restaurant in line I asked the cashier what was a Huaraches as I didn't know. a couple of cashiers tried to describe it to me, but they couldn't figure out the English words. So they started talking to the person behind me in Spanish. I replied with, "Lo siento, no hablo español, solo inglés," which means, "I am sorry, I do not speak Spanish, only English." I did learn that phrase, yet it didn't seem to matter. They continued to ignore me as if I wasn't there. While talking with the person behind me in Spanish, the cashier starting to make fun of me as if to humiliate me by saying, "Jaja, no español" while looking at me. Seriously, WTF. Is that how you treat your non-Hispanic customers by laughing at them saying, "Haha, no Spanish!" If you speak Spanish, go ahead, the food may be good, and you can order it. If you do not speak Spanish, avoid this place like the plague as they will treat you like crap, and laugh in your face making comments in front of other customers and staff. #507

The food is excellent. We will be returning. We got the chicken tinga burrito and the mushroom and cheese burrito. Soo yum.

LOVE their new space! They finally moved across the street and the new space is incredibly spacious. More parking and more tables means more people. The lines are extremely long so be aware! They still have the salsa/topping bar, possibly with more options. I love that you can adjust how much/ many toppings you can add yourself!

Food was amazing and care is phenomenal here. They have a cart in the middle with all the toppings you'd like to place! They have plate pick up service or you can also drop them off in a window. Very clean place definitely recommend for authentic Mexican food.

Tacos are on point! Authentic and amazing!! Sala bar is delicious! Love them all and their rice! Will go back and excuses to be in the area just to eat tacos there!

Most definitely the most legitimate taqueria I have been to in Raleigh. We only tried the tacos, but they were exactly what you're looking for if you want stripped-down, bare-bones, "street tacos." With the tacos, you get the corn tortilla and whatever protein you selected. Proteins range from pedestrian to things a little more off the beaten path -- toungue, tripe, et cetera. Then you dress up your tacos any way you see fit at the "salad bar." Be very careful. There are no punches pulled with the spicy here. You will get lit-up pretty easily if you do not tread lightly with the salsas.

So I was in the area for a recreation basketball and thought I would stop to get a quick bite. This is an authentic Mexican restaurant with their entire menu in Spanish. I ordered the shrimp fajitas and they were pretty good. My rating is strickly because it was cold as crap inside the restaurant. It was 40° outside and it was even colder on the inside of this establishment. Everyone was eating with coats and some even had their hoods on their head....I probably with not go back until it's summer. *shrugs*

If I can only go to one taqueria for the rest of my life, I'd choose Taqueria El Toro. This taqueria is tucked in a small shopping center off of Tryon Road. From the outside, it looks like an ordinary taco place that may or may not have good tacos and it looks pretty average - Nothing super special about the look of the restaurant. But I can tell you that every single time I visited Taqueria El Toro, the parking lot is so busy as it can be and the inside is always packed with people. My favorite thing about El Toro is that they got this amazing salsa bar where you can add toppings to your tacos as you like. I always love extra sauce, so this lets me get all my sauces without asking for extra at the counter. They also have toasted/grilled jalapenos and they are such a nice, kick addition to your taco plates! Another thing I like about El Toro is that their tacos are extremely affordable. I've been to many taco places with $4 or more per taco - so called "premium" or "special" tacos. They are tasty and fun, and I get that. But sometimes I just want simple, delicious tacos without the heavy price tag. Most of their tacos are less than $3 and that's such a steal! I love visiting here whenever I'm craving tacos, and I like to bring friends here whenever I have visitors from out of town :)

Awesome authentic Mexican food with fresh cooked ingredients! Very reasonably priced too.

This was so good and absolutely delicious! Reminds me of tacos from México!!!!! I ordered 3 tacos al pastor and one taco suadero! They were all unbelievably delicious and super authentic!!!!!

Delicious, authentic Mexican food. I love everything we ordered. Everything is well seasoned, well cooked. My favorite is the cabeza and suadero tacos. Least favorite ones would be chicharron and chorizo. The chilaquiles is very good. Not spicy even tho the chips are fried with green salsa. Their salsa bar has 5 different salsas, 2 red, 2 green, and a carrot one. You also put your own onion and cilantro on your tacos so you can customize how much you want. Price is very affordable!

Sorry for the delayed review! Visited for the first time a few weeks ago. This is a very authentic Mexican restaurant and the entire menu is written in Spanish. Unfortunately I don't speak the language and was having a little trouble figuring out what to get. The cashier was very patient and helped me decipher some things so I could order. I decided on a three cheese enchiladas topped with a red sauce with beans and rice on the side. You get a few chips with the order and there's a salsa bar. Most were way too hot for me, but the one I did try I enjoyed. The enchiladas didn't have much cheese in them at all and the sauce was kind of dried on top of them. The avocado slices were so creamy and tasty and so was the crema. The best thing about the meal was the rice, which was so fluffy and tasty. Next time I go I need to have someone with to help cos I sure didn't do a good job ordering!

I have heard so many people recommend this restaurant and I love Mexican food, so I finally tried it when I happened to be on that side of town at dinnertime. I was not disappointed! I am a huge fan of potato taquitos and they had them available - a huge plus for me. They were super tasty dipped in their delicious salsa verde and were a steal at $7 for 4 taquitos, rice, and beans. I also got a carne asada huarache. The beef was AMAZING. So well done! I will be coming back here again, even if I'm the only non-Spanish speaker in the place again. (I consider that a good thing. )

Pretty typical food. The enchiladas were great. Very friendly servers and quick service. Lots of TVs if you're trying to catch a game.

Still amazing, I've tried several other things on the menu and have come back many times since the first time I went. The carnitas, however, has been a little bland lately. Love the huaraches!

I was in the area for an appointment, and decided to go to Taqueria El Toro. It was early in the day, about 10:30 am, but they were open. We order horchata, orange juice, and 2 huaraches (grilled chicken and el pastor). Everything was really delicious and reasonably priced. The salsa bar was great too. The restaurant is very clean and the staff is welcoming. I will definitely be back.

Hands down the best Mexican food in the area. The service is quick and everything is delicious. Family friendly, with lots of seating. Highly recommend visiting this place if you're in the area.

Delicious AUTHENTIC Mexican food in Raleigh for unbeatable price. Fast service with the order at the counter method. I liked the toppings and salsa bar and how spread out and open the the restaurant is.

My taco cravings are satisfied here! It's been too long since I've had some great tacos since I moved here from Los Angeles area. This place has a lot of seating and a salsa bar, which is a must if you are getting tacos. I got 3 tacos and it came out to a little over $6. A litter more than what I would way in Los Angeles, but I left feeling full. Their carne asada and al pastor were good with flavor. The cuts are bigger than the ones I'm used to, but the flavors were still there. I wouldn't say it's the best tacos I had in the world, but for someone who was craving them - this place hit the spot. Walk on over next door to get some la michoacana ice cream to top it all off.

This place just got even better!!! They just opened their new location and it is beautiful. Food is fresh and amazing. Staff is super friendly! The line was out the door but the wait was worth every second. Authentic Mexican and made with love!

Fast and friendly service. Very laid back atmosphere. And they have a taco topping bar!! Out of all that we tried - the chicken tacos were my favorite and the steak burrito was my husbands. The Al Pastor had pieces of fat all in it- other than that it was so good.

Can't beat the carne asada burrito. Looking for authentic? Legit, fast, and delicious.

Stopped by for lunch after reading reviews. The restaurant was busy. They have an extensive menu. We ordered asada (steak) sope and chicken & asada (steak)tacos. They have a great salsa bar with all the toppings. I enjoyed the sope, the portion was small but flavorful. The chicken tacos were flavorful. I wasn't a fan of the way the steak was cut- I'm a fan of street tacos. Nonetheless I enjoyed the food. There were other dishes I will order next time. Overall great food with reasonable prices in a clean restaurant.

Having lived in Texas for over 14 years and been spoiled with the superb authenticity of Mexican food, we came here with the bar raised high. And We've found our go-to place for the best tacos! The meat tacos are fantastic, perfectly spiced and they tone it down for you if you ask. Even my three year old loved the flavors. The salsa and condiment bar delivers the heat we were seeking and the fresh flavors we craved. The horchata was on the house and a great touch at that. They had plenty of vegetarian options that stayed well within the flavor range (it wasn't just a slab of cheese) ;) Loved loved this little restaurant. Always packed packing lot and why not? Highly recommend for phenomenal tacos!

It's my first time see Beef Tongue Tacos, so I come to this place. It's not bad, it's fine to give a try!

This place is great! Stopped in for dinner and was really happy with my meal. The salsa and toppings bar had several different salsas, pico, cilantro, onion and grilled jalapeños. All of the salsas were pretty spicy and delicious. I ordered 3 tacos; one carnitas, one al pastor and when I hesitated picking out the 3rd meat, the girl taking my order recommended the salty steak and I'm really glad she did because that was my favorite one. When I was finished eating, I wished I had ordered a 4th taco because they were just so good! My husband got a Torta and it was huge. He really enjoyed it also. We both agreed it was some of the best al pastor we've had lately. Highly recommend trying this place!

New place is huge. Food is fantastic. Lines are very long verifying the food quality and taste. One thing though, little to no vegetarian options. Only so much mushrooms one can eat. Family LOVED their food and I wished for more options. Maybe add chill relleno's to the menu??

Amazing tacos and amazing prices! I got the asada burrito and the meat was cooked perfectly and the tortillas are great. I love the salsa bar as well and how you can get however much you want.

Great place to get a legit hole-in-wall kind of legit Mexican food fix. Had Tacos al Pastor and Sope Azada. I love the toppings and salsa bar for you to add things as you like. The food was good and service was super quick. Will be back again.

Came here with a group and had a wonderful experience! The price was right and the food was delicious! My favorite taco was the suadero! I will certainly come again. Note the old location is across the street and still has the sign up

Food is delicious and one of the best Mexican food I have every tried. The portion are good and price is decent too. Service is good and staff is friendly.

The new location is gorgeous! plenty of space. The food was amazing. If you want authentic Mexican food, this is the place. Had a gordita and 2 tacos

Horrible food, I would go eat literally anywhere else. Not authentic Mexican as well. Chicken was either hard as rocks or had bones on it. Did not get close to finishing a chicken burrito - if you can even call it thaf

If you're looking a reasonably priced and tasty taco spot, this place is a winner! I was in the area on a Tuesday and couldn't resist Taco Tuesday to-go. The service was really good and the portions were plentiful!

After I moved here from San Diego I wasn't sure if I'd find good authentic tacos but this place is legit! You get so much food so cheaply and it is good. The guac is huge & tasty. The carne asada and al pastor tacos are great. Chicken tinga & carnitas are also good. We tried a quesadilla which was ok but I'd recommend the tacos. They have a good salsa bar too

Placed a fairly large order with specific instructions and these guys have it ready and correct in about 15 minutes. Super impressed. The carne asada is ok, but the carnitas are the BEST! Rice and beans are good. Food is reasonably priced. This will be my new lunch/taco spot.

We went today for a late lunch, and the parking lot and the restaurant were packed. I always love this place and it has never disappointed. Very authentic Mexican food. Make sure you know your Spanish because they call out orders in Spanish, since most customers are Spanish speaking. I love they're tacos, whether it's the grilled or shredded chicken, soft steak, carne Asada, shrimp or fish. I tried their quesadillas once and they were great also. We tried the torta sandwich today also and it was great. We got it with egg to change it up and it was very flavorful with avocado, and the bread was thin and crispy. Love that they have a toppings bar so you can put whatever you like on your tacos. They close at 8 everyday so make sure to go early if you decide to go.

Solid authentic Mexican tacos- that's the best way to describe this spot. The sauces were extremely spicy and I loved it. It's got a very local, yet true to Mexican roots vibe, and the service is efficient and fast. The prices are pretty affordable too, and it's a great meal for someone looking for no fuss yet comfort food. I ordered the chicken tinga and regular chicken tacos and was thoroughly satisfied. They double wrap it in the taco shell so it can get pretty filling after two tacos in my opinion. I especially like the way they let you add toppings on your own to your liking. I'm only taking off a star cause in terms of freshness and taste, I've had better tacos in the city, but this is right up there near the top.

Really good and authentic tacos. Beware of peak hours because it'll take you a while to ge through line and order your food. Other than that, this place is one of the best Mexican places in Raleigh!