El Paisano Mexican Taqueria — Restaurant in Fortuna

The BEST quesabirria tacos I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot)! I get 3 to a plate, spicy with cilantro and onion, and they taste the same every time. I order these at least twice a month LOL

I originally tried El Paisano for the first time because they’re one of the only Mexican restaurants in Northern California that offers pozole every day (if at all) and they did not disappoint!

My usual order is: • Horchata over ice (it’s sweeter than I’d like but still decent) • 3 spicy quesabirria tacos • A cup of pork pozole

The chips & salsa that are included with your meal are really good! FYI the salsa is more like a sauce than salsa/pico but it’s not a problem for me.

Bonus points for Marcus’ friendly attitude, excellent attention to detail (remembering everyone’s name and order preferences), and great customer service. They’re super quick too! Usually less than 5-10 minutes no matter if I walk in or call in my order.

Not that it matters but living in Humboldt for most of my life meant that Mexican food has been a pretty regular part of my diet when dining out, so I don’t usually get too excited to try a new place. I can say without a doubt this is the first Mexican food place that I crave on a weekly basis and that I actually look forward to going to because the...

Food/Taste/Flavor: 5/5 - wasn't expecting much when we walked in as one of the doors did have a "broken" sign, stating to "please use other door." Ordered the regular burrito of meat, bean, rice, and cheese with tripa in one and cabeza in the other. The burritos were very generous in portion size and has a good ratio of rice, beans, and protein. The cabeza was super tender and the tripa quite clean. Both burritos were flavorful and moist! They also gave us a bag of fresh chips that were crispy

Ambience: n/a - ordered food to go. The shop is clean and spacious with tables around the edge of the restaurant and still being mindful of spacing

Service: 5/5 - super friendly and took the time to explain the difference in some item for us and did give us a heads up that certain proteins (such as lengua) may cost a bit more.

Value for price: 5/5 - probably one of the best burritos we've had in a while. Definitely worth for quick and friendly service that's reasonable price and...

The food is passable, but not great. Caveat: I have no idea about the restaurants in the area (for all I know, this is the best restaurant in town), as we were passing through. It was are getting close to sunset, I had hungry kids, and I didn't know anything about the area, but figured "you usually can't go wrong with Mexican food." The service was hilarious. The level of condescension was akin to something one would see on a movie, at say, a high-end, French restaurant, serving people who did not seem to be in the right tax bracket to be dining there. I typically leave good reviews and swipe past the restaurants I either don't remember or did not enjoy, but this one stuck out in my mind. By way of edification for the staff, should they ever read this: you can wear a mask and speak clearly OR you can mumble (and maybe still be understood) you CANNOT do both. The repetition of "what?" "I'm sorry?" and "I do not understand" should have been...