El Sazon Tacos & More — Restaurant in Eagan

⛽️ Gas Station Gourmet — El Sazón in Eagan Is a Hidden Taco Powerhouse

If you’ve ever doubted that amazing food can come from humble places, let El Sazón in Eagan change your mind — and your lunch plans. Tucked inside a BP gas station, this unassuming taqueria is run by Chef Christian De Leon, a passionate chef with years of experience in professional kitchens. He made the bold decision to branch out and open his own spot, and let me tell you — it was the right move.

What Chef Christian is doing here goes way beyond “good for a gas station.” These tacos are the real deal — the kind that stop you mid-bite with a quiet “whoa.”

I went straight for the carnitas, and I might never look back. Juicy, flavorful, and fall-apart tender, they pack a serious punch. There’s a richness to the pork that tells you it’s been slow-cooked with care, not rushed out of a steam tray. And while the tortillas do their job, the carnitas bring so much juice that I strongly recommend eating them on-site. Don’t risk the drive — this taco is best enjoyed hot and fresh, with napkins nearby.

While I didn’t grab the shrimp tacos this visit, I’ve heard they’re a crowd favorite and definitely worth checking out if you're a seafood fan. It’s on my list for next time.

What makes this place even more impressive is the setting. We’re talking about a make-shift kitchen inside a gas station, but you’d swear you were eating from a full-scale taqueria with a trained crew. That’s the magic of Chef Christian — he brings years of culinary knowledge, flavor intuition, and hustle into every taco.

El Sazón isn’t trying to be flashy — it’s just trying to be great, and that’s exactly what makes it so special. Great food. Great story. Great tacos.

So if you’re in Eagan and want something real, something handmade with love and skill, skip the chain drive-thrus. Pull into that BP station and treat yourself to one of the most satisfying taco experiences in town. Chef Christian took the risk — and now we all...

Tucked away in a BP gas station in Eagan, El Sazon is a delightful surprise for suburbanites looking for flavor. Don't let the location fool you - there's nothing "gas station" about the food. What we ordered and ate was more high end than many dine-in restaurants in the cities, and came at a reasonable price with perfect portioning (yes I know how snooty that sounds - consider that you'll pay roughly Applebees pricing for two people + tip AND the food you're getting is 100% tastier AND supports a small local business!).

What we ordered: chips and hot salsa, quesabirria, and an asada burrito.

Let's start with the salsa. We ordered hot, and I semi-expected it to be the sad green sauce that comes with chips in most restaurants, but it was a beautiful red/orange curry color, very thick, and it packed heat AND flavor. I couldn't get enough.

My partner enjoyed the burrito (massive) but said he'd be getting what I got next time: the quesabirria.

The quesabirria were packed with tender, flavorful meat, and gooey Oaxaca cheese. This dish came with three and for as hungry as I was going in, I could only confidently finish two (which may have had something to do with how many chips I ate...). The au jus was the perfect pairing for each bite, and bonus: the tortillas did not fall apart when wet. I topped each taco with more salsa (not that they needed it - I'm just an El Sazon hot salsa devotee now).

We live dangerously close and I have a feeling this will become a weekly staple. Don't sleep...

Inside a BP gas station with only a small one window of their name under a Rockstar decal.

There are maybe four tables and some chairs for window seating, but it's mostly takeout or scarf it down in your car outside (like me). Can order online, QR code inside or sometimes one of the workers comes out and can help.

Grabbed the LA burger (not listed on menu, available till end of October possibly via a social media post) and a birria taco. Also Jamaica because yes?

Birria taco: Hefty meaty taco that will break on first bite and love you give it. It will be messy. It will be good. For the person who says the tacos are expensive, perhaps, but when you think of all that supply chain issue, inflation and GOOD QUALITY FOOD, you might spend a bit more. Also you get more meat than I've had at other places.

LA Burger: Wagyu beef 3oz double patty with seared chihuahua cheese, house pickles, onions, chopped lettuce, tomato and sauce. If I thought the taco was messy, this was on a whole other level. Multiverse level. I don't usually get the "American" food when I'm diving into specific food groups but it looked too good. And, it was. Juicy and popping with flavor. To make it messier added their hot sauce and verde sauce to it.

Jamaica: Probably the best I've had (other than the first one ever trying it) solely because it wasn't over sweetened, but balanced with the acid.

Will totally be back for the birria quesadilla to try...