Taqueria El Girasol — Restaurant in Westerville

Taqueria El Girasol

Taqueria El Girasol is a recent addition to the Westerville dining scene and is one of my new favorites. Owned by a family originally from Mexico City they offer traditional Mexican food from a slightly abbreviated menu. The abbreviated menu doesn’t bother me because it is a small restaurant and I would rather they do a few things well than have to cut corners with a larger menu. One thing Taqueria El Girasol offers that is usually missing from local Mexican menus is breakfast dishes.

Doing my due diligence I read several previous reviews of the establishment and I will now address some of the earlier concerns in one sentence or less. The chips were warm, the salsa was thick, the horchata was cold and the food was deliciously seasoned.

The Food

Today I chose Huevos A La Mexicana. Eggs scrambled with tomato, onions and Jalapeños. It was cooked perfectly and not overcooked as is easy to do. It was well seasoned and served hot. It was in my opinion a good value for the money spent. I have never ordered a dish here that once finished left me hungry. Speaking of good values the desserts here are easily large enough for two servings and are absolutely delicious.

The Facility

The signage in front makes the restaurant easy to find even though it is situated almost in the corner spot of a small strip. Once inside the dining is nicely decorated with artworks that pay homage to both Mexico and Central Ohio. The table arrangement is nicely laid out and not cramped. Overall the dining room and restrooms are very clean and neat in appearance.

The People

The people who represent your business can make or break your business. The people I have talked to at Taqueria El Girasol are some of the nicest I have met in a while. They have always welcomed me in or welcomed me back and have always made me feel truly welcome. They have also always thanked me for my visit. Not just one of my favorite restaurants but also some of my favorite people.

Personal observations and preferences

Not much I would change about Taqueria El Girasol. Would like the option of flour or corn tortillas with some dishes but to be fair it may be something that all I had to do was asked for. Also business hours of 10:00AM-10:00PM are not conducive breakfast dining and the breakfast dishes on the menu. I understand this is a family business and the importance of balancing life with work, but I’d be interested to see whether they would be more busy between say 8:00AM to 10:00AM or 8:00PM-10:00PM.

Final thoughts and recommendations

Overall I would have no reservations recommending Taqueria El Girasol to a friend or family member, or for that matter taking a friend or family member...

I’ve been a loyal customer but today I will never go back again food was starting to taste nasty anyways way to oily for me the only thing I really like was the the little square shrimp thing in the middle so I got up out my sleep 23 minutes away from where I stay to get what I was craving. I get there I ordered my food lady told me I have to wait because she had diners I said ok wasn’t a big deal for me after waiting 20 minutes outside I come back in the diners have there food already looking full and she told me she’s not talking my order she’s busy I don’t think y’all know how bad I wanted to go off I had a hungover and drove 23 minutes away I’ve been a loyal customer and also gave tips every time that was very disrespectful to me very and they also be closing early and do what they want how you gone deny my services and tell me to come back later how bout I’ll never be back in that dead ass place my first time every seeing anybody in there dinning I felt disrespected and the last time one of the worker guys said they were allergic to shrimp so I think that’s why she probably didn’t want to make it that’s not acceptable

UPDATE

New company new atmosphere different food customers service is top notch this place is very clean and food is delicious and the employees is all about customer service I rate...

Noticed that this place had finally reopened under new management. Ordered a large pepperoni pizza and some garlic bread. New owner (Thai) has 5 years restaurant experience. Cheese changed from provolone and mozzarella. A new dough recipe was implemented. Some minor tweaks to the menu have been made and the addition of some Vietnamese Dishes has the place feeling totally updated to a modern feel . Even though I ordered pepperoni, I saw that he is hand chopping the vegetables for another pie. Can't beat fresh vegetables. On to the lowdown, the pizza is a flat crust, that carried the sauce, it is a non-sweet sauce. The mozzarella cheese was melted perfectly and was super tasty. The pepperoni is the star of the show which was a little spicy which gave it the right amount of zip combined with some added spices. It was a nice cup and char pepperoni. The garlic bread was a nice tasting butter and garlic mixture on the "King" of sub buns from Auddino's. The bigger thing is that they have kept the prices the same. I can't see anything but success for the new owners. The inside has a nice new feel with it. The new floor and paint job is totally...