Like a well-oiled machine, Tacos Gavilan is (Yoda-speak)
Looking quite familiar to a In-N-Out with about double the interior seating, I counted no less than 10 workers manning the assembly line behind the counter. Taco Gavilan's salsa bar is almost entirely prepackaged, save for the free beans & cooked onions/jalapenos. Keeping things sanitary, it makes to-go orders quick, although when dining in, it's a pain in the arse trying to open every single packet.
A pretty straight forward menu board to peruse from, I love my offal, so I went with the lengua plate.
Rice, beans, salad, cheese, guacamole, meat & choice of corn or wheat tortillas. A liberal amount of diced lengua, I enjoyed Tacos Gavilan's lengua plate. Less than $10, a hefty amount of food is what I received. Plus, I took advantage of the free beans & cooked onions/jalapenos.
Service was good. The seating is expansive. Also, the inside was clean throughout. Plenty of staff on hand, wait for food was minimal, which, I assume, would include the drive-thru.
Imagine a Del Taco/Taco Bell amalgamated with a local taqueria, and that's the best way I can describe Tacos Gavilan. Fast, but good food! I wasn't expecting much, but Tacos Gavilan charmed me with inexpensive but authentic food, in a clean atmosphere akin to an In-N-Out. I'm looking forward to coming back & exploring the rest...
Read moreHaving visited 4 different "Tacos Gavilan locations" [Southgate & Bellflower, southeast of Downtown, & Hollywood] on five separate occassions, I've found them to be as consistent as they are remarkably delicious! Staff members continually keep their dining areas clean which stands out among the better Taqueria chains. Their quality & flavors are exceptionally good as the taste of their tacos, burritos, sopes, tortas, mulitas, & quesadillas shine with generous portions of meat. Plates include flavorful rice and frijoles with guacamole & sliced cheese on tomato. If short on funds choose to have a couple of tacos, their complimentary frijoles de oya can satisfy repeatedly, cup by cup, while complementary sauteed chilies & onions can additionally fill one's appetite as one enjoys these at no extra charge. The green salsa has a delectable kick, and I've taken it home and used it gratefully. [Keep it refrigerated] The onions, cilantro, and lemon wedges are all hermetically sealed in keep fresh bags, very sanitary. The pina agua is delicious on ice, and my favorite among the standard Aguas of Horchata, Jamaica, & tamarindo drinks. Tacos "Gavilan" is an "Eagle", not a chicken, that flies...
Read moreHad a bad experience. I placed my order and waited patiently and excited because this was my first time eating here. Then I see them give my order to someone else, after fiddling with the food that person gave it back stating it was the wrong order. Then they actually tried to give me my order after the previous customer ran their fingers through it. I am a manager at another restaurant and I know first hand when food is given out you never take it back behind the counter. Well they did. So I politely asked them to remake my order. They kindly did. But after taking back the food they didn’t even change their gloves. At this point I was in shock, this is really happening. So after remaking my order I get home and notice they didn’t give me my super quesadilla asada which was $7.99 instead they gave me a asada burrito which is $5.49. I asked for a carnitas taco and they gave me chicken. They literally just opened and this happened. Some of them clearly need retraining. Very...
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