Don Gallo — Restaurant in Durham

Impressive authentic Mexican place with handmade tortillas hidden inside a check cashing station.

A challenger for La vaquita, its more popular cousin down the road. Very good tacos and other Mexican food. They know what they are doing and it is good.

The three tacos I've tried were all good. The asada was the least delicious, since the steak wasn't particularly flavorful but it wasn't too fatty or gross either. Al Pastor was delicious. Very well seasoned and crispy in places. The Lengua was some of the best I've had. Very tender, flavorful. Generous portion of meat in each taco. Three plus rice and beans was a good amount for me. Others may need more. Tacos are made traditional with onions, cilantro, and radishes on the side unless you request otherwise. You can get them done American style with lettuce, sour cream, etc. if you want. But why would you do that? Trust the traditional.

The place is hard to find. There's a billboard but the building itself is only marked as Cely's, the check cashing location that shares the building with Nacos. But it's actually nice in there, given the outside looks. There's some decor and it's kept clean. While I was waiting for my takeout someone went and cleaned a table right after another customer left it. Still, it's just a casual taco stand type of place. They do serve beer though, which is a plus, and there is more seating than La Vaquita.

All of the people in interacted with were quite friendly and prompt. My food was ready in about 5 minutes, maybe a but longer. But fresh and tasty.

Beware the red/orange salsa you get with your order. Very hot. I love hot food but too much of that stuff will wreck you unless you're prepared with a sugary drink/rice/beans.

They only really missed on the rice and beans. Just not that flavorful, tasted bland and overcooked. Maybe from a can?

Great spot to check out overall. Good,...

I have selfishly not reviewed this place even though it has been my FAVORITE taco spot is Durham for years 😊. It is a total “Hidden Gem”. The menu is in Spanish and it’s located at the back of a check cashing store. They are clean and have a huge outside deck that I frequently sip/guzzle beer and eat the best $2 TACOS in the triangle. The tacos come in all types of meats, seafood and innards. This place is cheap and delish 👅

The pics I attached do not do the restaurant justice. We were starving after work so I grabbed this bite before dinner my food and quickly snapped these pics in the car before we ate it. I got 2 tacos, 1 was Asada (steak), the other Barbacoa (braised beef), and my son a ‘Frijole and Queso’ (bean and cheese) pupusa. The pupusa’s are only $3 and are huuuuge, it is almost the size of a plate and is served with some delicious pickled carrot slaw mixture. Don’t forget the red and green salsa. They are uniquely thick/creamy here and the perfect amount of heat. Customer service is excellent every time I come there is usually an abuela in the kitchen.

I will attach better pics at a later date but for now make this your new...

Part of me doesn't want a write a great review because this place will be swamped once word gets out. Hopefully, most people won't find the place and give up, which normally I would call a negative but I think makes it even cooler. Located in the same building as a check cashing place, this tiny place has a handful of tables and in-process outdoor seating area (painting going on when we went). They were more than accomodating with our large party of 13, taking up most of the dining area. Bringing us waters and helping out with the blackboard menu, for us gringos. I stuck to the tacos and pupusas (cheese and meat filled thick pancakes) but burritos and combo plates also. Yummy! Fresh meat, soft (handmade) tortillas, with cilantro and onions on top. Pupusa (with their mild salsa and guacamole), also very good. The best part was the price, a full meal for under $7. I wish I lived closer to this gem, as I'd definitely...