Real Tacoz — Restaurant in Yorba Linda

I don't know why good tacos are so hard to find in O.C. Real Tacoz does a lot to continue this trend. Tacos are small, and the meat is mostly flavorless. I say "mostly" flavorless, because the pork/carnitas does have some flavor. Real Tacoz pork tastes like cat food. No joke, no exaggeration. I've tried it a few times to make sure I wasn't imagining something, or having a bad day, or perhaps Real Tacoz was having a bad pork-day. The pork has remained consistently cat-food like, taste-wise. The other meat is not good. Their meat isn't terrible (other than the pork), it just isn't good. It's slightly worse than mediocre. Burritos are similarly flawed meat-wise, but bring their own whole dynamic to this faux-Mexican hole-in-the-wall. Real Tacoz choice of ingredient combination for their burritos is not only quixotic, but the flavor combinations just don't work, culinarily, or taste-bud wise. It's pretty hard to not be able to figure out what should be put into a burrito, but remarkably, Real Tacoz has figured out how to screw up even this simple task for their burrito ingredients. Their bean burritos is its own special kind of misery. The portion size isn't bad, but the burrito is expensive for a bean burrito. The beans are runny, and the tortilla is so insubstantial, that the burrito false apart right around the 5 minute mark. Any attempt to consume the burrito after 5 minutes, and will have a burrito spilling its insides all over wherever you are. If you're in a car, expect burrito ingredients all over your clothes, seat, center console, floor mats, gear shift, and any passengers. Try to nibble it just a little after 10 minutes have passed, and you'll exp0erience a special kind eating misery that'll make you regret needing to eat food of any kind. I never thought I'd have such a negative burrito problem as I've had with Real Tacoz bean burrito, but there you go.

I know what it takes to operate a Mexican fast food restaurant. I regularly patronize such establishments. I also have some experience with Mexican fast food restaurants from the inside. I've worked as a cook, preparer, cashier, and manager of several different Mexican fast food restaurants. Real Tacoz is failing on multiple levels. Running such a restaurant isn't rocket surgery/brain science. It is a series of fairly simple, readily defined steps, techniques, objectives, informed if not by experience, then by simple training. If Mexican fast food chains can readily train distracted teenaged employees in the finer art of successfully running those chain restaurants, then it should be child's play for an adult to operate a single restaurant. Real Tacoz represents that rare combination of small-scale Mexican-restaurant recipe, food preparation, and managerial failure.

On the plus side, Real Tacoz cashiers have always been a delight to interface with. I've been to Real Tacoz probably a dozen or two times (it's the only fast food restaurant in this part of town), and without exception, the cashiers have always offered plenty of good cheer, smiles, and an eagerness to serve any way they can, within reason. The hired help is the bright spot, a very bright spot, in the otherwise dreary and unpleasant experience that is dining at Real Tacoz (or getting it to go).

Parking is free, plentiful, and readily available. I recommend, however, that you never us it, and just pass right on by, unless you're so hungry cannibalism seems appealing. In that case, Real Tacoz is superior to consuming your fellow man or woman. Past that, I recommend you learn to live with whatever hunger you imagine Real Tacoz...

I live less than 5 minutes from this place and am shocked it is still in business. I commonly patronize local independently owned restaurants in the area. I tried it when we first moved here over 2 years ago and decided to give it another shot. And I can say this will be my last time.

The portions are miniature. Their tacos ($2.50 each) are literally the smallest I have ever seen at any restaurant, street cart or drive through from California or Mexico. Their burritos ($11 for bean and cheese) are also tiny.

Perhaps those could be overlooked if it wasn’t for the rude staff. They were rude 2 years ago and rude today. They have an attitude as if they are doing you a favor by over charging you for tiny portions. And they also get exponentially ruder if you can’t complete your order in Spanish and have to ask for them to repeat it in English. There was multiple audible sighs of disappointment from the staff member helping me.

My hope for this review is one of the following:

1. people stop patronizing this place so it will be closed , opening the opportunity for a new taco place in the area

2. the current owners seriously evaluate their business and make some changes. Start by clearing out the staff in customer facing positions and start over with new ones. Take a sample of some of your competitors in the area and adjust portion sizes or price.

Real Tacoz is devastatingly inadequate in all areas you would want in a local restaurant and I absolutely recommend you look for any of the other...

Every time I've come they were very busy, and sometimes the wait to order and receive is a bit long even though there are visibly 6 or more people working fast, but I totally understand because of how good their food is and reasonably priced, and my husband and I don't feel ill after eating. Now I order enough food to last us a couple of days, which is what it seems other regular patrons of theirs are doing! TRY THEIR HABANERO SAUCE; I'm a high heat unit lover, yet theirs is still very hot to me :). My favorites: Bean and cheese (blanco) burrito - with habanero sauce of course, and extra cilantro. I'm full after eating 3/4 of it due to the ample portion size :). Chicken bowl - with habanero sauce again, and extra cilantro. It comes with reddish, very light and fluffy Spanish rice, choice of grilled meat, pico de gallo, and a gracious amount of guacamole. Sometimes I'll substitute the rice for refried beans, other times I'll ask for half beans half rice on the bottom, and recently I replaced my choice of meat for refried beans....