Taqueria El Vecino

A great spot any day of the week, but Taco Tuesday is where it truly shines with amazing deals on their delicious tacos!!! You really can’t go wrong—every taco on the menu is a winner. Walk in, grab a menu, pick up your utensils, and seat yourself before diving into a flavorful feast. Highly recommended!

We enjoyed Sunday brunch here. I had the Huevos dos Diego. A twist to eggs Benedict. It was good. The corn cakes were a little sweeter than expected but still an enjoyable meal. We were a party of 10. Everyone enjoyed what they ordered, and some at the table are regulars here.

Like many ethnic restaurants, this restaurant has particular flavor… this one is smoking their meats. This must be a popular, because it is always busy, but not a favorite of mine. Nice chips and dip bar. Service was very good. Cost were a little higher than expected, at $60 for a casual two person dinner. Nice atmosphere and outdoor dining is available.

A local gem with wonderful food at a reasonable price! We’ve visited at least once or twice a month for the last year and it never disappoints. They have extensive gluten free options and a salsa bar. We also love their outdoor patio and margaritas/cocktails. Love this place!

A very welcoming gem in the heart of Oak Grove. The restaurant has a very lighthearted, casual ambiance. Service was superb. The Tex Mex menu is extensive and has plenty of options for all palates. The salsa bar had salsa that is *actually* spicy. The queso dip was melty, cheesy, and thick. We very much enjoyed the tacos and enchiladas. Each protein had a nice smokey flavor and were seasoned very well. The drinks were top notch. We were seated immediately even though the place looked full. The food came out hot and fresh. Definitely adding this place to our rotation!

Been here several times while visiting family in Decatur, they are actually frequent visitors to this place and we also enjoy it. Actually we went twice in three days. Everything is great, clean, home made, true Mexican food. We will keep going every time we visit.

Edit - glad to hear you're still open! Attached a pic of the site - most of the screen is blank, tried it on a few other browsers and computers, same thing. Been that way since covid Web site has been broken for 5 years; assumed they went under during Covid. Used to really enjoy their food.

This place could be great but they lack a basic level of service. My wife likes the brisket tacos which are delicious. But get your service right. Walk into Los Herman's in Tucker and they churn and burn. Service is excellent.

Wow! I mean you think Mexican food.. basic tacos, bland rice and beans... But not this place-- excellent QUALITY food! The salsa bar was a very nice touch. Very cute dining room that gives a communal feel inside. Let's get back to food-- we ordered queso to starts with taco/tamale combo with lamb quesotaco, brisket taco, and cheeseburger taco, chicken tamales with rice and charro/black beans. AMAZING! Oh, and Aspen is an amazing server! Very attentive, friendly, and had excellent customer service!

They fell off big time. It's no longer in my rotation for Mexican food. I had the worst tamales ever there . And the margs were mid.

Found this local gem while itching a Mexican craving. This place has not only smoked food (think barbecue, always a good sign), but delicious and flavorful tacos that are UNIQUE and not cookie cutter. I hate when Mexican food tastes bland and loses its authenticity. This place definitely stays true to its roots! The smoked chicken taco is to die for, and I love that they have a salsa bar! I'm excited to try all their fun tacos when we go back. The only reason for four stars is the service was pretty slow (although it was a busy Sunday afternoon) and there is no where to wait when the service is busy like it was. You have to literally stand in the parking lot and hope to hear your name. All and all, I can't wait to go back!

Two things that always cheer me up are tacos and nice people. I was in a bit of a funk and stumbled upon this place while I was out running errands. I've been to the butcher shop located in the same plaza before, but never noticed Taqueria El Vecino. They have a small patio and dining area, but I opted to sit at the bar. Luckily I came on a Tuesday when all tacos are $3.50. I ordered a Texas margarita that was good. I also got an assortment of tacos including carne asada, al pastor and Baja fish. All of the tacos were delicious. I also got a side of rice and it was light and fluffy. They have salsa bar that includes a variety of sauces and condiments. The staff was so amazing and checked on me frequently. I enjoyed my meal and look forward to returning.

OMG, soooooo good. I came here for Taco Tuesday and the food and service were amazing. I tried the lamb quesabirria, Al pastor, and pork belly tacos! They were all so good. I also had a small pitcher of orange jalapeño margarita! Prices were great! I will definitely be back.

Came here with a group of classmates to celebrate a milestone over cheap margaritas on a Monday at 6 pm. Since we were a large group, it was a relief to know they could accommodate for a party of about 15 people or so. Margarita Monday came in clutch and was only $6 per! They have other specials throughout the week including taco Tuesday (of course) for $3.50 as opposed to full price $6.50 per. The drinks were strong so air on the side of caution if you are driving here or going for a few rounds. There's an entire salsa bar for the complementary chips we get, ranging from mild, spicy, and even chipotle dip. Food took some time to come out but then again, we were a large crowd to feed with all of us ordering as well. I split a Pick 3 Tacos or tamales plate (birria quesotaco, pork and steak tamale) with my friend while others got a variety of other items including Carne Molido burrito, quesadillas, and more. Everything was well prepared and seasoned. Overall, we walked out full and happy. Our waitress was wonderful and really tried her best to make the orders right. Would I say the food is authentic? No, but it was good and for very fair prices. It was a casual and comfortable establishment with staff who care about how they carry themselves. I would definitely like to come again and recommend others to check them out too!

Visiting Decatur and this place was recommended to us for Taco Tuesday! We were seated quickly despite a busy parking lot, and had a great server who explained the specials and recommendations. Tacos are $3.50 on Taco Tuesday which was a great deal!

Did a low key valentines taco Tuesday on their patio for lunch and they did not disappoint! As all good dates start.. we both did a shot of tequila (6$ on Tuesdays) any off their huge list of tequilas they offer. Even the bartending bf approved that it was a solid deal. Quarts of tecate for 3.50$ too BUT THE TACOS, YALL! The tacos were something else. The twist of bbq and smokiness with tacos WORKS. They were all well balanced and delicious . We tried 8 cause gotta maximize on variety and trying the menu! His favorite was the pork belly, pastor, and smoked chicken. Perfect mixture of textures and the savory goodness. I really enjoyed the grilled grouper and quesobirria. The fish was so delicate and the mango and jicama slaw was perfect. Lamb quesobirria was also phenomenally tender. I would've paid extra for consume tbh. Free chips and salsa! Salsa was self serve at a little bar with other taco fixings like onions, cilantro, radish, and roasted peppers. Tacos were roughly $5-6 each and $3.50 on Tuesday! Service was friendly and prompt.

We have dined here and gotten pick up orders quite often the past year or so and each experience has been extremely positive. We have a problem because we are stuck on a couple of food items. In the past we have had the Cheese Poblano and it is fantastic but would rather it served with a plain enchilada sauce versus the chipotle taste. Next time will order it plain and use their wonderful pico de gallo from the salsa bar. Yes they have a salsa bar and it is quite the show. You name it, they have it...whole roasted jalapeños, char grilled corn, cilantro, onions, pico, and so very many different salsas. Our two items that we are really enjoying are the Carne Asada Tacos and the Cilantro Corn Cakes. The Carne Asada Tacos come as full as they can with grilled meat, onions and cilantro. The carne is perfectly seasoned. The corn cakes are like no others we have had. They come warm and the taste is perfect. None of the ingredients over take the other...they meld perfectly together. And we always order a bit too much so that we can have left overs!!! Service is really good. Highly recommend. And will definitely return.

I came here with my mom one Saturday and overall we really enjoyed it! Our server Natasha was so kind and very helpful! We got the clementine spicy marg small pitcher $28 then both did the three taco plate with rice and beans ($18) i loved my al pastor tacos! They give free chips and have a whole section of salsas to choose from! Which i lovee when they have that! The only reason its 4 stars and not 5 is i felt like $6 per taco was a little steep for price and the margarita pitcher had a lot of ice in it but dont get me wrong they were strong just overall a bit more pricey than we thought it would be

Literally the best Mexican food I've had in my life!!! Has indoor and outdoor seating but we opted for the bar. Loved the salsa bar with all the fixings! Ordered a skinny margarita which had the perfect proportions of tequila, lime, salt and frothy goodness. Had lunch and ordered a taco plate with 1 vegetable taco and 1 carne asada taco. Also, had tres leches cake which was okay (denser and less liquidity than I prefer), would like to try flan next time. Service was hospitable and amazing. Five Stars

Smoked salmon was very flavorful. Service was friendly with a cool jazz selection playing . I'd definitely come back

A dream is a wish your heart makes and I dreamed about returning here for years. I was just never in the area... Until! Last summer, my husband and I took our daughter to Fernbank and I was like "We're close enough!!!" It must've been late afternoon because there wasn't a Saturday lunch rush when we got there and we were able to sit inside and enjoy the AC... I was so relieved that the salmon quesadillas were still on the menu, you have no idea! I had been hyping them up to my husband the whole way there. We both got those and our daughter got a cheese quesadilla (she's nothing if not consistent!) While I would get it without the black beans next time, everything else was perfect. The salmon was perfect, the tortillas were crispy & brown, and the sauce... It was as good as I had told myself it was, if not better. Hubby and I enjoyed some margs and we all had fun with the salsa bar. I'd love to go back some weekend soon when it cools down a little and have dinner outside again. Maybe other places nearby have something similar to offer, but I don't know about them and this place does it perfectly so why look elsewhere?

Excellent service and food! We were sat quickly even on a busy night and the staff are all so nice engaging and helpful. The smoked meats are great. Also great weekly specials

This is Our favorite neighborhood taqueria! We love the pico de gallo in the salsa bar and also usually get the cheese dip (queso). Friendly staff and casual ambience with outdoor and indoor seating. My daughter and son shared the grilled chicken burrito and side of sweet potato fries and I got the black bean burrito with added rice. I always leave feeling stuffed! They also have desserts in a case--I like the moonqauke cake and usually get it to go since I am too full to eat dessert at the restaurant. We also love the Taco Tuesday specials for $3.50 tacos!

I ordered a burrito with extra shrimp for $8 and received a burrito with 0 shrimp. It was a take-out order I drove 20 minutes both ways to pick up so going back to get the correct order is not an option. I suppose eating in is not so bad since you can get the correct order while you wait. I hesitated to post a similar review a while back, but this is the second time they've screwed up an order so not holding back. They did refund the order after the fact so I give them credit for making it more than right. The food is OK, and a great neighborhood place, but take out service can be spotty in my experience.

Have eaten here a couple times and it is always good. Solid Mexican food for the area. Service is always good.

I wrote a review of El Vecino eight months ago and have probably visited more than a dozen times since then (okay, maybe 20 times). This update is to implore diners to not miss this place! The carnitas on hatch chile grits has only gotten better. Mole enchiladas - awesome... and the range of margaritas is enviable. (Shoutout to spicy ones.) I'll addicted. You will be, too.

The SERVICE was exceptional... the food was not. My boyfriend got a steak quesadilla and it was okay, but not worth $15. I got 2 tacos and a tamale... the smoked chicken taco was pretty good but the al pastor was not. This is not a restaurant for someone who likes mexican food in my opinion. The queso was good, salsas subpar. The ambiance was fine, i guess...

A little gem in our neighborhood. We enjoyed Sunday brunch with friends. Great food & ambience

Super solid place that I visit weekly. I try to get something other than tacos every visit but they have me in a chokehold. My favorites are the smoked pork, grilled fish, and birriaqueso tacos. They have daily specials and the margaritas are always on point.

Our first visit - very nice staff and Mexican food. Hope to return soon. Parking lot was so jammed at suppertime we almost gave up and left but the manager moved her car for us! Above and beyond! I liked the salsa bar, especially the minced cilantro, corn and pica de gallo - and murals of Day of the Dead type skeletons going about "life" - folk art lovers, the interior is definitely worth a look!

First visit today.....overall very good. Not at all crowded, I guess I arrived after the lunch rush..... Service - great! Natasha (I think it was her name) - every restaurant needs someone of her caliber. I started with a texas margarita - good, some guacamole and chips. Chips were just as I love them - thin, warm and crispy and the guac was very good...a smallish portion for the price. There is a salsa bar....not my preference because of cleanliness concerns but, the choices were very good. So refreshing to have true spicy options! A carnitas taco and a pork belly taco. Loved the carnitas, lots of juicy pork, pork belly not my favorite. The health rating is a bit concerning but, I will definitely return. Photo for context.

This was a few months ago Brie ( suggested this entree and was pleased she is attentive and helpful) was waitress. Food is awesome, fresh, and flavorful. Have been a few times since. Margaritas are a hit or miss sometimes but good. Steak nachos, were very good. Sat at bar, Joey was bartender. Plesant guy.

My favorite mole. Frfr. Bonus is it's available on a vegetarian dish. Great place with a family feel. I strongly disagree with the negative reviews

4.5 stars for a really good Mexican restaurant. My wife and I decided to go to Taqueria El Vecino one evening to celebrate one of her recent accomplishments with some margaritas and tacos. Located on Lavista in the Oak Ridge plaza, Taqueria El Vecino has both a nice interior and some really great outside seating. Since this venue is dog-friendly (woo!), we decided to sit outside. Fortunately we called ahead to put our name on the list on a Taco Tuesday because the wait times for walk ups were pretty long. We arrived at the location and, after a brief wait, were seated outside at one of the tables on the wood patio. The tables were well spaced apart for COVID safety purposes, which was great. We had a server come by to take our order for drinks who seemed really overwhelmed, but fortunately she was just helping out and our actual waiter came out and provided us with really good service and recommendations. Since it was Taco Tuesday ($3 each!), we decided to order like 10 or so tacos. Some of my favorites included the fish taco and shrimp taco, and a shoutout to the interesting cheeseburger taco (although I think the kitchen forgot the mayo that would have made it even crazier). We also ordered a large pitcher of margaritas that were both super tasty and super strong. After finishing our meal, the waiter recommended we try something called the moonquake cake. I was pretty full, but decided to give it a try. The reason this review is a 5 star rating rather than a 4 is that moonquake cake was out of this world! It was a dark chocolate cake that was super moist and had lots of fun things with it (pecans, cream cheese, coke, etc). Our waiter came back when we were eating the cake and asked "Was I right?" about the cake being awesome and we enthusiastically agreed. Overall, Taqueria El Vecino provided us with an excellent Mexican food experience. The nice venue, solid service, and great drink and food makes this spot worth checking out . . . especially on Taco Tuesday.

Love this place. I usually get the pork tamales with green salsa. Pair with refried beans and rice, and you have an awesome dinner. I go here at least twice a month. Highly recommended.

Great place located in the oak grove shopping center. They have a variety of hot sauces and salsa that can be used. Overall the good and service were great.

Friendly staff and great food at a reasonable price! Will come back. You can sit indoors and outdoors.

Pretty good tacos - I would describe them as "elevated" rather than what I know as authentically Mexican. For example, the fish taco comes with jicama mango slaw and smoked pepper scallion aioli. I'm usually cool with just some lime, maybe cabbage and some onion. The place was pretty packed when we came in but we were able to get a table without waiting. There's an impressive amount of sauces in the bar and a lot of them are really spicy! Although there is a full bar, the cocktails are pretty basic. Would probably just stick with margaritas. Service also could have been faster. For taco cravings I prefer Buford, but this is a decent option if you live in this neighborhood.

This is our go to neighborhood spot; friendly, personable and welcoming. The food is consistent, delicious, and always hits the spot. The green chile grits for brunch are an all time favorite for me. The large selection of tacos is sure to accommodate everyone. Service is friendly and on point. Highly recommend this place; the variety of specials they offer throughout the week, tequila flights, brunch menu, and great atmosphere. What else do you need?

I hate that I have to give only 3 stars for this place because my goodness the carne asada tacos were soooo good. But my waiter(Danny- looks like an old Limp Biscuit ) legit tried to finesse me tonight. He literally only brought out the receipts that had the sign line, no itemized receipt! So I asked for it and sure enough he tipped himself 25%. I was so flabbergasted because I was already happy with my service and food and wanted to tip him well , but I feel that it's common courtesy to tell the entire table that there is an automatic gratuity or not. You shouldn't assume people aren't going to tip and just add gratuity without notifying the party. It high key felt like he racially profiled my table but I'll leave it at that. ASK FOR AN ITEMIZED RECEIPT PEOPLE!!

Had dinner with my son last night and was blown away by the flavors that hit my tongue!!! The al pastor taco was melt in your mouth awesome, tamales were seasoned to perfection, refried beans sit on!! Oh, and the fried avocado wedges were epic! Love the self serve salsa bar with all the choices. Our server, Natalie was prompt, friendly and extremely helpful. Love the casual atmosphere and the choice of in or outside dining. I understand why my son said it's his favorite place.

Five stars for a great local Mexican food spot with exceptional margaritas! My husband and I came for Taco Tuesday. It was pretty crowded and we waited about a half hour for a table outside. I would plan to arrive early in order to find parking! The outside patio is large and the tables are at least six feet apart. I didn't go inside the restaurant but it looked clean. The servers all wore masks. On Taco Tuesday, all tacos are $3! We made our own taco flight and tried eight different tacos: carne asada taco (good), fish taco (very good), smoked pork taco (very tasty), pork belly taco (good), fried shrimp taco (good), beef tenderloin taco (good), pastor taco (very good) and cheeseburger taco (fun). We also had the chips and salsa which were fine (nothing special). The tacos were larger than expected and very filling. We definitely did not need to order eight but we had fun trying the different flavors. The real standout were the margaritas - they were strong and delicious! We ordered a pitcher of their basic (house) margaritas. They have tequila, combier and lime juice. Pleasantly tart and not overly sweet; highly recommended. Overall, Taqueria El Vecino has a great patio and great margaritas. We will definitely return.

Honestly pretty disappointed given the decent reviews. Brisket taco was bland, my tamales were okay but I was suppose to get sauce on the side with them and neither came with sauce. I ordered one with skirt steak and did not receive it. Needless to say, I should have known it would have been bad when I saw some of the items on the menu. If you want anything authentic as far as tex mex goes, this will not be it.

Great food and service!! Ate outside in the sun, wonderful. Bean burrito was awesome!

Terrible service. You have to seat yourself and get your own menu. Food was not flavorful at all. Margarita was good tho. But never will I go back. Waste of time

This is a wonderful restaurant. The food is excellent. The owners & staff are outstanding. Their food is consistently excellent. I've been eating there for years. I'm so happy to have this restaurant in my neighborhood. The only problem is the lack of parking. I highly recommend that you carpool because the parking lot is small.

How have I missed this place???? My Dad was in VA Medical Center and I needed food before going to see him. I originally thought of getting Ethiopian food but wasn't sure and then Yelp showed me Taqueria El Vecino. Add Taco Tuesday to the equation and this became my lunch destination. I was greeted as soon as I came in but chose to sit at the bar since it was just me and lunch would start soon. Since it was Taco Tuesday every taco on the menu was $3 and the options were plentiful. I chose the Fried Shrimp, Smoked Chicken and Carne Asada Tacos. The Fried Shrimp taco was THE BEST I EVER HAD! Flour tortilla, perfectly fried shrimp and the pineapple slaw...it was flavorful and just delish! I liked the Smoked Chicken taco....with dried Roma tomatoes it had good flavor too but it was missing some "dressing". It needs a sauce of some sort but flavor wise it was GOOD. The Carne Asada was as basic as a street taco but with flavor. The steak was seasoned and still tender..on a corn tortilla with cilantro and onions...I couldn't have asked for better. I included charro beans and rice & a House Texas Margarita and I was in Foodie Euphoria. I will definitely go back!

This place is sooo good! Had to drive about 20 minutes but I've tried almost all around my Dads new neighborhood and found all pretty lackingThen saw this place and gave them a try and WOW So glad I did! The pablono was the best! So good I could have ate another! The grouper and the lamb taco were the bomb, and my Dad loved his been burrito and he is hard to please!! It's def GOLD this place! And tell Ms Cindy Elaine said Hello!

Excellent Mexican food. Elevated compared to normal Mex. Like the salsa bar. Will be back next time in ATL

Don't sleep on the tofu quinoa burrito. One of the best burritos I've EVER had (I'm not even vegan)!

Great neighborhood spot for tacos, bbq etc. Food is all fresh and tasty. Friendly service. We'll be back!

Food was excellent I would recommend the salmon quesadillas great service as well defined coming back

Food, atmosphere, and employees were 10/10. Great place! Food is truly incredible, especially the BBQ.

Taqueria ElVecino restaurant is a great place. They have many vegetarian options. I loved the sauce bar just for sauces, where every type is labeled well. Waiters are super nice.

GREAT neighborhood taqueria. Everything is excellent. Good assortment of tacos! Rob smokes the meats in the back. Green hatch enchiladas with rice and charro beans is excellent, as is the roasted tomato salsa and the margaritas!

The food is still good, but the service is lackluster. They spread the servers too thin to where they end up not being able to adequately take care of the customers. You're better served to just order food to go and eat at home.

Amazing!!! Great services, great margaritas, great tacos. Wait for food can get long when busy but worth it - order an app or margarita while waiting. Love the Spicy Tangerine! Don't worry not too spicy. =^,,^=

Moved here in 2020 in Sag Hills. Loved the team and menu but this has completely gone down hill, including brunch. They raised prices and I'm ok with that but your service stinks, esp outside. Hard for me to continue patronizing when you don't care about us.