El Nopalito — Restaurant in Soledad

Important!!! Always Ask for a Receipt (Cash or Card), especially in this restaurant for the following reason:

The food here is delicious, and the prices are reasonable, leaving a great first impression—until I encountered an issue during the same visit.

We initially ordered four entrées and received a bag with handwritten labels taped on it from the food prep staff. I paid in cash but didn’t ask for a receipt, which I usually do. The cashier, an older gentleman who appeared to be the owner, completed the transaction after checking the food and the order label.

After eating part of my meal in-store, we decided to order more food to take home because we enjoyed it. I placed another order, showed the food to the cashier, and paid cash again. However, just as I was about to drive away, the food prep lady ran after me, claiming I hadn’t paid for my first order.

I explained how much I had paid in cash and the change I received, but claimed that neither she nor the cashier could find a record of the transaction. I suggested they check the CCTV footage or their computer records. It seemed the cashier might not have printed the receipt for my cash payment. Additionally, he appeared forgetful, possibly due to age or other reasons. Finally, the lady said it's ok. Probably she found the transaction inside the computer with the amount I told her. It was the first time in my life being accused of eating without pay. They had very few customers from the time I arrived to left, could count with my 2 hands. So, you can't really say the guy didn't remember because of too many people. Customers were staring and it's quite embarrassing!

This situation might stem from disorganized workflows. The food preparer should hand the bag directly to the cashier, who is a few steps away from prep station, this might not have happened. However, it underscores the importance of always requesting a receipt, regardless of how you pay. It can save you from unnecessary misunderstandings and...

The food is good! If you’re looking for a restaurant atmosphere, this isn’t the place. It’s a taqueria at the back, behind a few grocery items in the store. There are tables and chairs to sit on and eat, so if you don’t mind that kind of atmosphere, you’ll enjoy your meal.

If you’re looking for a great tamale—this is the place! If I’m not going to make them myself, I will not buy tamales anywhere else! The pork tamales are GREAT! The masa is not dry, it’s tasteful. The pork is not dry and they’re not stingy with the meat. The meat/masa ratio is perfect! I’m not a person that eats a lot of tamales during Christmas but this year…it was the highlight of my meals! I will always go here...

I had the sopes. So delicious. The corn dough was absolutely crisp on the outside and the inside had a pudding like consistency. The lettuce was the freshest lettuce I've ever had. It was crunchy and juicy. Instead of using sour cream they used some kind of cheese which was a cross between cottage cheese and a cheese with a little more bite. There were a choice of two sauces to have. The red one added heat without disturbing the flavor profile of the sope. The green one was so hot that I just had a taste which did wonderful things for all my senses. My partner had the enchiladas and said they were the best enchiladas...