Taqueria La Vaquita‎

One of the very best Mexican restaurants in the triangle. Tons of options and everything is high quality, authentic (as far as I can tell), and delicious. Service is fast and friendly. Outdoor seating only and you can find many street food style options that are less common in typical Mexican restaurants. An all time favourite of mine.

The tastiest tacos I've had in Durham yet. My favorite trinity of cabeza, tripa, and lengua were cooked well and flavorful. They are made to order, but well worth the wait.

I visited this place while in Durham for the weekend, and this place was delicious!! Pulling up, I was a little skeptical. Visually, it wasn't what I imagined, but damn was it good. We ordered our food and didn't have to wait long to get it. The price was great and the food was amazing. Would highly recommend.

This is a good fast lunch option. It’s window service and picnic tables only. The food was good. We had very high expectations based on reviews and recommendations. We will need to go back to try other things to really give it a fair review. The burrito was good and so were the papusas.

I have been wanting to stop by. The place is always busy looking so I knew it would be good. Had a couple tacos and will be back! I like the menu options and frankly the fact that you can order single items is real nice!

Nice out door seating ..the food was kinda bland and everything on the plate was cold.. there was no seasoning or flavor on the meat and the corn tortillas are bland and hard . I knew it wasn’t going to be good when I placed my order online and he said 10 mins .. I do not recommend

Taqueria La Vaquita, recommended to me by a friend and as someone who grew up in LA and went to school out in San Diego I had to give it a shot. I’ve craved tacos ever since moving out here and I would say this place was good but definitely not up to par to what I am used to. Now the food isn’t terrible by any means. I got to try the al pastor, shrimp, carnitas, carne asada, lengua and the cabeza. By far my favorite was the cabeza. The chips and salsa were great! Cabeza - crispy outside and fatty and tender inside. Carnitas - good, solid choice. Not dry. Carne asada- give that a go, it was like a steak chopped up, even had some sinew bits (I enjoyed that, some might not). Shrimp - had a nice bite, not over cooked, pricey. Al pastor - good, a bit dry and definitely not sliced from a spindle of meat (this is the chopped stuff) Lengua - stay away.. did not have its signature meaty and tender combo that a well done tongue should have I do have to agree with some comments as others put out about their service. I have two main comments- - Wait time : waited 35 minutes for a burrito, 4 tacos, chips and salsa. - Ran out of Al pastor for my burrito on a taco Tuesday.. and did not tell me until 18 minutes in. But I give an extra star because they replaced my meat with shrimp. Aside from that I’d recommend checking in on your food at the 10 minute mark, then the 20 minute mark, etc. Of course you can order online, and maybe it’s Covid but I went during dinner time at 6pm, with 2 people ahead of me and waited 35 minutes total. So if you’re hungry get a drink, maybe ask for your chips first or you’ll get a little grumpy. My initial review is a 3 because i would give the food a 4 and the service a 2. I would like to give this place a second shot though. Update 4/11/2023 I finally came back to visit- some notable changes to the storefront is that there are now TVs for the menus. The food was also more expensive though I can understand that with the economy the way it is. Ive come back to give the 4th star back because they were quick! But the feedback for the food above still stands; and some new ones below. Chips and Guac - nothing special, though the guac seemed to lack some flavor, I had to add some salt, pepper, cilantro and onion (from my taco) and that made it better but it must’ve been mostly avocado. A bit expensive for what it is. I tried the following this time and have an update only for the chicken taco. Carne Asada - Still good, came with onions and cilantro Cabeza - tender, fatty; still recommend this as one of my favorites Pastor - good flavor, a bit of crisp; delicious Beans + Rice - they get the job done Chicken - Don’t recommend this guy, I finished it since it was a $3 taco but the meat was a bit dry, not memorable or worth your time. Mexican Coke - Classic, refreshing; I got to pop the cap myself and found on the wood support next to the picnic table, the bottle opener is a bit worn as it seemed to barely catch my bottle but I got it open! *I did see Birria tacos and want to come back to try those-

This place is the real deal. The menu is a little overwhelming due to how many different plates and tacos are available, so I just stepped out of line and took my time looking through everything before ordering. I’m not super familiar with more traditional Mexican food, so I just picked a few tacos I’d never had before, including lengua (beef tongue). Everything was fresh and cooked perfectly. I can’t wait to go back over and over and try new things every time!

Taco shells are clearly handmade which is great, but they gave me half of a shell for one taco. for $3.50 that's very petty the Horchata might actually have been so horrible it made me not want horchata again. it tasted like it is missing all of the cinnamon and sugar. putrid cheese quesadilla was decent they put radish's on the tacos too. weird place

This place is a hidden gem. I was in town for the holidays from Texas but wanted Authentic Mexican food. I liked on Yelp and came across this place. I got the Asada Burrito and a Carnitas taco. Both were legit Mexican, not TexMex that people consider Mexican. Their Salsas are also legit. Don't sleep on those salsas. Great flavor.

Awesome place in Durham. Great place to set outside and enjoy the weather. Food is authentic and great. $3 tacos

This place serves the best pupusas and tacos in Durham. Everyone is friendly, music is great, and it is easy to get in and out of.

Atmosphere: Taqueria La Vaquita is a cute local stand with outdoor seating. People may recognize the iconic cow on the roof, and the outdoor area makes for a lovely meal out on a sunny day. Service: We ordered at the counter, and our food came out relatively quickly for pickup! Food: We ordered the Enchiladas en Salsa Verde and the Carne Asada Plate. The Enchiladas en Salsa Verde were decent - we would've liked a bit more chicken, but it tasted great otherwise. The Carne Asada Plate was also pretty good. The grilled pineapples and jalapeños made the dish extra flavorful, and the portions overall were filling. Overall: We enjoyed our experience at Taqueria La Vaquita. The food was solid and the atmosphere was humble and comfortable. Not quite the mind blowing, 5-star experience that some of our friends have raved about, but nevertheless we think that everyone should try out this local favorite!

Great food, reasonable prices. No indoor seating on a cold day so carry-out was required for me.

We went here due to Yelp and trying to find a place to eat. This place is hidden in the forest and sort of like a food truck experience. It is outdoor dining. The prices are a little up their in price compared to in Texas. I got the tripa, tongue taco and I can not recall the other one plate. It came with rice and beans. It does take awhile for you to get the food as I think we waited 20 minutes for our food. You can order ahead of time as well. The food was good, but it is something I can get here in Dallas. I am sure this place serves the community well

The molé was very satisfying. Service was very good. Everything else was fine. I will be getting food from here again.

Yuck, just received my DoorDash order and DEFINITELY have issues with the $7.99 Queso due to the VERY stale chips. I ordered a 3 taco meal so would have expected chips & salsa. Ummm....no, I get a 1/3 paper sandwich bag full of extremely stale chips to cover both queso and salsa? The salsa was delivered in a ketchup size container. The issue is the stale, flimsy/chewy chips but also no regular size salsa for a taco meal?

Authentic. Delicious. Affordable. Three words that describe this amazing taqueria! I was told about this spot from a friend and said it is a must visit and it so is. Taqueria La Vaquita is tiny meaning if you blink you will miss this gem on the corner. The gem is a larger trailer with two windows and menus on the outside detailing all the goodness they have going on inside. There is outside seating, but they have to go options as well. I decided to get three tacos with all beans and chips and salsa. The three tacos I got was the Pollo, al pastor, and beef. Wow!! The tacos are small, but pack a lot of flavor in each bite. The meat is grilled to perfection with the cilantro, cabbages, and onions making a great side appearance as well. They give you just enough food to satisfy and a little left over to fill that satisfaction again! Such a great go to spot!! A must while in the Durham area!

This is my go to spot for authentic Mexican food in Durham, NC. Only has outdoor picnic table seating so it's perfect for a day with pretty weather but the takeout is also a great option. Always speedy and order always correct. Honestly the sides and apps are just okay but the entrees are out of this world. The Enchiladas Poblanos is actually the best thing I've ever eaten not exaggerating. I'd sell my soul for the recipe to that sauce.

Their Queseda birilla is some of the best Mexican food I've ever had - must try! Will be coming back

Taco plate - 3 tacos (2 asada and 1 al pastor). Just ok. One of the asada tacos was dry but the other was really good....strange. Al pastor was just ok. Rice and beans were good. Carnitas torta was average. I felt it needed beans. Carnitas was a little dry. Avocado just lumped in the middle. Overall just lacked flavor. Salsa verde was great. Cucumber lime was delicious. Wish I got the 32 oz. Service was nice and fast. Plenty of outdoor seating.

I love this place all the food is fresh and healthy the salsita it's really good I 100% recommend

We love to come here and there are so many items that we will never tire of the well made , reasonable & authentic Mexican Food. It is clean and cute!

Everything from the small business vibes to the owner being the nicest man in the world to the LITERAL BEST THING IVE PUT IN MY MOUTH (the cabeza tacos) I will never go to another taqueria again despite loving 45 miles away from it. Order the CABEZA tacos and thank me (And the restaurant after! Good luck!

The food was flavorless, the chips, salsa and cheese dip were cold, and the guy at the service window was unpleasantly unfriendly. Will not return or recommend.

I can't get enough of this place! I first tried the food through delivery, because it was on our lunchdrop program at work. I love Mexican food, but I am sensitive to spicy foods, so I try to be cautious. Taqueria La Vaquita was perfect. I go the carnitas tacos and the meat was juicy and flavorful without being spicy and they had so many options! After trying it, I went in person and got the burrito with carne asada and it was huge, filling, and tasted amazing. This is my new go-to spot every time I want a burrito. Also, the queso is top-tier.

I hadn't been here in a long time and it's nice to see some things have changed and some things have remained the same. Taqueria La Vaquita is built into an old drive-through  convenience store so it's got some charm to it and feels like eating at a food truck venue with expanded outdoor seating. Their prices are a little steep given what you get, but if you want to get that coin from the transplants you gotta charge a higher tier. The woman at the counter was a little brisk and didn't seem eager to answer questions about the menu. The person I was eating with was curious if they sold beer, which they dont but there is a latin american convenience store in close walking distance where you can buy a beer and brown bag it.  I got the mexican street corn special, one of their summer staples. It was truly authentic, albeit incredibly tangy and very messy. Good, but intense. For my main entree I got the Burrito Texano (Grilled shrimp, steak & chicken on a bed of lettuce, tomatoes, rice, beans, sour cream, and cheese). The portion of this burrito was a good size and it was certainly packed with meat, but the meat itself was not very flavorful and sadly not a terribly high quality. The chicken and steak were pretty tough and the shrimp was rubbery. I split an order of the quac and chips with my dining companion. The chips were excellent and the quac was pretty good. Everything is served in incredibly basic bags. For the price it does feel like it should be a little more presentable than looking like it came out of a food truck. The diet coke I ordered was in a bottle, not a fountain drink. There's lots of outdoor seating, and no indoor seating. The parking situation can be a little messy but there's usually a spot in a larger dirt lot on the side. Overall it was a decent experience. Unfortunately it does feel like this place has lost a lot of its charm given the demographics trying to serve it now. It's still very authentic but it's not as affordable as it previously was.

First Mexican spot I visited in Durham and it was delish! Hole in the wall place with authentic, top tier and loaded tacos. We ordered through a small window and sat on the picnic tables outside! We tried: Carne Asada, Pastor, and Lengua tacos with rice and beans - Pastor was my favorite, followed by asada and then lengua! First time trying lengua aka beef tongue and it's an acquired taste imo 3 Pastor tacos with rice and beans - Yummy Will definitely come back to try their other items! We also got homemade raspado or Mexican style snow cone which tasted like sweetened condensed milk + peanut butter + ice at the neighboring small Mexican store and it was pretty refreshing for the weather :)

I can't give stars to places that don't serve me. Me and my girlfriend show up at 8:45 pm, a guy (I'm guessing the owner) goes, "Oh, I'm sorry ma'am, we are closed." "What time are you open until?" "Usually nine, but today I couldn't afford to staff the place." (I can't remember the exact wording here.) I saw a couple eating outside, we parked in one of the four spots and the sanitation score was an "86.0." Other reviews say the food is amazing, maybe it is, I don't know.

Awesome neighborhood taqueria. Their tacos are really good, but they have a pretty extensive menu as well that includes non-taco items. This place is always consistently busy when I come, which I take as a good sign. They seem to do lots of takeout, but they do have picnic tables you can sit at. Really enjoyed the salsas here too. Check them out!

From what I tasted, I'd rather get a torta here than tacos. My partner's torta Cubana was pretty great. Unfortunately, the thin and limp tortillas had no chance of containing my pastor, chorizo, and lengua meat, and fell apart immediately upon picking them up. I ended up eating my whole dish with a fork, trying to get some tortilla pieces in with my meat, which varied a lot in how good it was. The lengua was well-textured (though not very flavorful), and the pastor had a great flavor, but the chorizo tasted like ground up nothing. The salsas, both mild and hot, tasted negative-spicy to me, and the rice and beans were similarly flavorless. If it weren't for delicious bites of that torta Cubana, I would have worried I was losing my taste and gotten tested for COVID.

Holy cow. Holy pork! Holy queso, batman! This spot is on FIRE with flavor! I don't mean spicy, that's customizable, I mean flavor to the Max!! My favorite tacos were the carnitas (pork), hands-down. The cabesa tacos were rich and great, and benefited from a squeeze of lime (provided) to cut through the richness. Heads up, prepare to check your large to-go orders before heading out. They might miss a lil something because they're popular and busy. Still worth it! Tip: if you're ordering for a big group, double your queso and guac order. It'll be fine either way though bc the tacos are delightful and filling!! Enjoy!

We frequent La Vaquita at least once every two weeks. This is our go-to Mexican spot. Coming from southern California where the Mexican food options are plentiful, I can say without a doubt that La Vaquita is one of the best in Durham area. (The only other place we like is La Club in North Durham). My favorite thing from them is the pastor tacos and birria tacos. The pastor flavor is just so good! The other meat that I really like is their lengua - it is super tender and melts in your mouth. The asada is good too but I don't think it is too special. Overall, the tacos are always loaded with meat and even just 3 is very filling. The taco plate comes with beans and rice, although weirdly the beans taste a bit different sometimes haha - not the most consistent item on their menu. I tried to be adventurous and tried their Barbacoa and chicken burrito recently (it's weird that on their menu you couldnt order just any meat in your burrito). Anyways, it was good but I didn't think it was amazing by any means - I would rather order their tacos. Their horchata is absolutely delicious and is my guilty pleasure. Taste: 4/5 Presentation: 3.5/5 Recommend to a friend?: Yes Consistent: Yes Cost: $$ Parking: They have parking all around their perimeter now... but sometimes you might need to try your luck with street parking.

I loved my tacos at La Vaquita, and I'd highly recommend this spot for tacos specifically. I was so excited to see chilaquiles on the menu that I immediately ordered chilaquiles in salsa verde with chicken, and they were good with a generous portion, but I am so glad I added a taco at the last minute to my order--the tacos al pastor were absolutely incredible! I lived in Mexico City for a couple of years so can be picky when I get Mexican food in the US, but the tacos at La Vaquita are the real deal! And it helps that the place is locally owned and the staff are attentive and friendly, going out of their way to be sure you are satisfied. The friends I went with nearly all got tacos, and they all looked delicious (including the vegetarian trio). They also got several orders of flan, which I had some tastes of and really enjoyed. But I must underscore again that it is the tacos at La Vaquita that are to die for. The next time a craving for tacos hits, especially if it's a day with nice weather (note that seating is picnic tables with minimal sheltering above), I will be back for more!

Low key yet high flavor, this place consistently has fresh, nicely presented food and friendly service. The fish tacos were great, look forward to trying more.

Holy moly! This is one of those places where you take the first bite and it makes you feels like you're dreaming. I warn you, don't let the location fool you. You are in a for a treat. I was surprised that I was the only one there at 5:00 p.m. on a Thursday but I spoke too soon. People kept coming! I ordered the 3 tacos special. It came with a side of rice and bean. Although the wait took 20 minutes, it was worth every bite! The food is made to order and fresh. When I opened my box of goodness, it already foreshadowed what was to come. The tacos were amazing with the green sauce. The rice and bean were also a hit! How can it be so good? I am happy to discover this restaurant and vow to be a loyal customer. Overall, the customer service was good. This is a special place, please support them!

Really good tamales, tacos, pupupas and plaintains. So happy they're dedicated to good food done right. Love, love, love..

If tripa and lengua are on the menu, you know it's going to be good. Not much of a wait on a Saturday night. Appreciate that food came with radishes and fresh lime. Chips were fresh and crunchy. Wish the salsa was hotter. And we ordered to go, but they forgot to put my Jarritos drink in the bag and I didn't realize it til we got back to our hotel. But the food was so good, that it wasn't a big deal.

Good tacos for Durham*! *the taco scene in this city is incredibly underwhelming so is takes barely anything to be considered "good." Food was okay. I ordered the lengua tacos. Incredibly greasy and flavor was alright. I did try their habanero salsa. Very good. Seating is all outside, so if you go on a nice day it really is a lovely lunch!

Edit they do appear to still be open! It's just the website has been taken over. Still my favorite taco place in the area.

Just the best Mexican in Durham. Love the ceviche and the tacos. Online ordering can be a little confusing. Recommend ordering directly from their website. Just go!

Always really good. By far the best Mexican food in Beverly. Torta (Veggie) is unusual and really tasty. We love the tacos and burritos and go here regularly. Great take out food.

This place came highly recommended from a few of my classmates so I was excited to try. They have some tables outside for seating and colorful flags strung up for a festive vibe. The guy at the window was friendly and provided good service. I loved that they had options for vegetarian tacos. I got the ones with the peppers, onions, and mushroom sauté minus the cheese to make it vegan. The tacos were pretty basic and didn't have a ton of flavor in my opinion. I also got a side of plantains which came with a bunch of cheese on them, to my surprise. So I wasn't able to eat them, but they did appear appetizing and seemed to be cooked properly. I tried the fresh tamarind drink they make and it was decent. Overall opinion, is just okay for a vegan, probably more enjoyable for an omni-palate.

Amazing food! Best Mexican we've found in the triangle. We ordered online through Yelp. It looks like their website was hijacked by a gambling site. A little strange to order directly from Yelp and not the best experience because they don't offer descriptions where you order. Those are on the "menu." But I'll overlook that because the food is great!

Location has great vibes for summer nights and good food. The menu is quite big so I went with a classic steak burrito and overall it was pretty good. Compared to other mexican places, the size wasn't huge but it will fill you up nonetheless. As you can see from the photo, the burrito is still filled with all the essentials. Will be back to try some more items!

I can't say enough good things about this place! Being a CA transplant it's hard to find great authentic Mexican food and this place hits the mark on everything. It's made fresh so you may have to wait but it's worth it.

The mole poblano is very good! So are the tacos and tamales. Will be coming to this place for tacos every time I get a chance.

We have nothing but positive things to see about our recent experience at Taqueria La Vaquita. This was some of the best Mexican food that we have had in the Triangle area, the portion sizes were large, and the horchata was delicious! We can't wait to eat here again. Below are out thoughts on the items that we ordered: 1. Shrimp tacos - Super flavorful and cooked to perfection. Whatever they were seasoned with (lime? fairy dust?) left us wanting more. 2. Chicken tamales - We ordered the plate, which came with 2 large tamales. They came wrapped in banana leaves. The chicken was beautifully spicy, just enough to be enjoyable. 3. Horchata - Cinnamon goodness and the perfect level of sweet. We would order all 3 items again. With regard to COVID, all ordering and pickup is done outdoors so risk of exposure is minimal. There is nice outdoor seating available to people who are interested in eating at their location.

Delicious tacos. We had the Tinga, Pastor, and Barbacoa tacos with rice and black beans. The rice is wonderful and my favorite anywhere. Not happy that my request for no onions went ignored. Also, we ordered queso and chips and the queso was like water and cold. Yes, I had to drive 5 mins, but it actually cold. Absolutely the worst. Plenty of outdoor seating.

Woww, this place is a great find in the area. My partner and I have been on the hunt (unsuccessfully until now) for our go-to taco spot. After someone at my gym shared a recommendation recently, we decided to give it a try and I am so happy we did. Everything was delicious and the meal was so affordable. The menu was huge and we definitely went all out ordering - tacos, sopas, queso, sides. Highly recommend and this is definitely our go-to spot in Durham.

Ordered take out from here and it did not disappoint! The tacos were full of toppings, nice big tacos and not to expensive. I would say the queso was one of the favorite parts of my meal. It's slightly spicy though, more so than I expected. The food came quickly through door dash, the tacos were hot but the queso had gotten a little cool but it was still delicious. I love the radishes that come on the side, it adds a freshness to the tacos. I haven't had a chance to actually go to the restaurant but I can't wait to go and try the tacos served up fresh. Overall good flavorful food. I'd say it's on par with other tacos I've had here. I'm a big taco fan so I'm a new fan of this place.

Got the veggie tacos here. As a vegetarian, finding options at a taqueria is often difficult. Thankfully, there were quite a few! Amazing.

Straight forward yumminess. I'm a fan of the barbacoa, guacamole, and queso. Their recently renovated patio is perfect and great for people watching. The biggest issue is parking and sometimes they're a little slow. You can order ahead, which I recommend.

Order fish tacos and they are THE BEST!! Outside seating was great and this is a very busy place. And I can see why!!

Still the best in the Triangle. They've updated their outdoor seating during the pandemic. Some things to note that are new. - They have an amazing salsa macha (chili oil/crisp) on offer when you ask for salsas - They've added quesabirria tacos to the menu with a fine consommé. - Mulitas with your choice of meat are also on the menu now (great with barbacoa)

One of the iconic Durham Bulls spotted at La Vaquita Taqueria. These past couple of weekends I couldn't help myself going here to get some great food. In the picture: *Barbacoa Tacos *Chicken Flautas *Sopes *Pollo Empanada Not in the picture because I was hungry and didn't have patience *Chicken Tacos *Cucumber Lime Agua You literally cannot go wrong with the options here as there are a variety. All of your favorites plus the ones you never thought would be. Their Agua Frescas, the food and sauces are all freshly made, which from the taste you will tell immediately. There are cute little tables to sit at and eat outdoors and a good amount of parking spaces for to go. You need to go if you haven't already, conveniently located in our favorite city, Durham!

Not bad! It's an authentic taco shop with a good quantity and cheap prices. I ordered the al pastor, and it was fine; nothing special, but not bad either. The staff is friendly, and there's both uncovered and covered outdoor seating available. The parking lot is small.