El Taquito Taco Shop Inc — Restaurant in West St. Paul

When we first walked into El Taquito, you got the sense of immediate relief. Like if a restaurant could give you a warm hug, a pat on the back, and then whispered in your ear that everything is going to be alright. The man at the counter taking orders was purely just joy incarnate. As he was taking a family’s order, he looked at the little kid and asked their name. Their eyes lit up as they said their name. He responded “that’s a Spanish name!” and they shared a really beautiful moment. He was no less charming when we placed our order. Between the two of us we got the shrimp ceviche tostada and six tacos. It was all just barely over $20, which is incredibly affordable. One of the many highlights for me was that they gave me a full sized water cup. It’s a little thing, but that goes a long way. It shows a level of trust and companionship in your customer base. At this point, we hadn’t gotten our food and I was already in love with the place. Then the food came. Oh boy, lemme tell ya, if that wasn’t the best Pastor taco I’ve ever had you can call my mother and tell her I’m a dirty, dirty liar. The previously mentioned man even brought me a bottle of their SUPER hot salsa, and that stuff doesn’t mess around. It was very hot but VERY good. Their normal salsa was also incredible! Took an already great taco and made it so good I almost cried real human tears. The vibe, the service, the food. Everything was above and beyond at El Taquito. I don’t know what I did in this life to deserve such a lovely experience, but I won’t ask questions. If you’re wondering whether or not to go here right now, JUST GET IN...

I heard someone raving about this place in a review for a competitor, so I thought I'd try. They're open late which is GREAT. 5 stars for being open until 11pm.

5 stars for the amount of meat put in a single taco. However, the meat tasted a bit bland and just...off? I ended up throwing my leftovers out, which is something I rarely do. 0 stars for that.

The tacos use very large tortillas, which disintegrate when you try & pick one up. I had to use a fork and knife to eat my taco. 0 stars for that.

5 stars for the lady working there, she was very nice!

5 stars for the rice & beans! I would order again.

1-2 stars for the queso & chips. The chips are circular and I believe are just store bought chips. The queso seemed more like warm cream than queso. Certainly unlike any I've had before... but maybe there are people that like it? It was $5.00 and to me, definitely not worth it.

All in all it was a very disappointing experience, especially since the lady there seemed really nice and it looks like a mom & pop establishment, the kind of place I like to support. If I had enjoyed the food, it would be a 5 star review.

In closing, I recommend people try it once, because if you like the food (as some do) it's a...

Update: the other reviews that say they over charge is definitely true! I ordered 2 tacos and a jarritos in the drive thru. I didn't even realize until I got home that they changed me for 3 tacos and the drink!! I realized when I got home that the total was $10.20, which is the price for the drink and 3 tacos! It's easier to go inside, the drive thru takes forever.

The atmosphere of the space is good and cute. The staff member that took our order wasn't the most friendly. I ordered a drink which ended up being like a snow cone (oops-totally my own fault) and I had to go back up and ask for it. The worker seemed annoyed that he had to go make it and I watched him stand and talk to his coworker for a period of time before even going to make the drink. I got it as we were ready to walk out the door. The fish tacos and the spicy sauce on the side were good. My chicken taco was a hot mess though. The meat was bland that the juice soaked into the corn tortilla and it completely fell apart. I didn't even end up eating it. Overall, I would try this place again and hope that the front staff is in a more friendly and inviting mood. Prices were...