EL Burro Taqueria Kloof Nek — Restaurant in Gardens

Visited in December 2024. South Africa. Capetown.

This Mexican eatery boasts a charming, if compact, interior. The fast-casual format suggests a quick bite rather than an extended dining experience, a feeling reinforced by the limited seating. Floor-to-ceiling windows bathe the space in abundant light, and the vibrant color palette contributes to a cheerful and upbeat atmosphere.

The Food: The menu showcases a commendable range of Mexican staples, featuring an array of tacos (served individually, and generously sized), alongside appetizers, salads, and desserts. Our tasting journey comprised four tacos: shrimp, fish, crispy duck, and pork. The tortillas, evidently house-made, exhibited a distinct corn flavour and softer texture than commercially produced versions. The shrimp taco was a delightful explosion of fresh flavours – juicy marinated onions, creamy avocado, and succulent, breaded shrimp, all held together by a light and refreshing sauce. The crispy duck taco, with its vibrant slaw and piquant sauce, offered a rich and intensely flavourful experience. The pork taco, while tasty, suffered from an overabundance of pickled onions, somewhat overpowering the other components. The fish taco, featuring breaded fish, fresh slaw, pickled onions, and a mayonnaise-based sauce, proved a touch too rich, owing to the creamy sauce. A minor, albeit concerning, discovery was a piece of plastic film found within one of the tacos – a detail requiring immediate attention to food handling procedures. Overall, the flavour profiles were good, though the fatty sauces made the tacos surprisingly filling.

Service: The service was friendly but disappointingly slow. Even with the restaurant practically deserted, the wait for our food was excessive.

In conclusion: In summary, if your craving is for Mexican fare, this establishment will more than likely satisfy. The selection of tacos and other Mexican snacks is extensive and varied. However, the significant wait time, even under circumstances of minimal patronage, proved a notable drawback. While the overall experience was pleasant, the lengthy service suggests this establishment is better suited for a one-off visit rather than becoming a...

Almost all of the restaurants in the neighborhood were closed at 9pm but we noticed this restaurant was open. Considering I come from the States and in a large Mexican community, I have big expectations when it comes to food claiming to be Mexican or even Tex-Mex. Despite all of that, I really liked this restaurant with what they described as Mexican-inspired tapas. Some of it definitely was different from its traditional counterpart, but it was all good nonetheless. We started with a couple of drinks, a Horchata and a Paloma. Because it was tapas style we ordered a few things - the Chile Rellenos, Steak Quesadilla, a Fish Taco, an Al Pastor Taco, the Sweet Potato Taquitos, and the Smoked Jalapeno and Corn Croquettes. The Chile Rellenos threw me a little off guard because they were small, almost bite sized, and basically only had cheese in them. The rellenos were really good though, smokey and cheesy. The tacos were also 🔥 and had a ton of flavor. The Taquitos and the Croquettes were so amazing, I think they stole the show because of how good they were! The Taquitos were different in that they were made with sweet potato but they tasted amazing! And of course the croquettes were so delicious, I mean they're corn! The restaurant itself was small but had a cute decor, a lot of the decorations and setting Mexican inspired. I really enjoyed this restaurant, the food was really good in its own right albeit not all the way authentic! I would definitely recommend this restaurant with its twist on...

I dined here with a friend who suggested trying tacos 🌮. Upon entry, I admired the venue’s eclectic look that reminded me of Mexico and Spain combined. We had two attendants at our table- one who took the order and another who tended for drinks/coffee. At first we were confused who was our server but soon we were engaged in table talk and laugh that it did not bother us.

We tried a variety of tacos 🌮- all very tasty and coffees. The overall dining experience was pleasant until we were leaving. After paying for our meal and exited, one of the table attendant lady came outside calling at us to confirm that we paid our cheque. We responded yes while looking at each other perplexed that she would do such a thing. I would like to think we were not racially profiled as we were the only coloureds dining at the time but for a moment, we both asked each other if that could have been the case. I was a bit disappointed that the two ladies were not in communication to avoid duplication or missteps like coming outside to stop us to ask if we paid our cheque.

This incident unfortunately left a negative impression on the overall dining service and I will never...