Alvaro's Mexican Food

Kinda sad this place has been replaced by "Burros and Fries!" Alvaro's Cali Burritos were 10X better than what I just ordered from "Burros and Fries!"

Came here at 1030 and they were already closed!

They claim to be open until 11:00.

It's happened to me twice now.

Ended up at Don Rios at 10:40.

Guess they didn't want my business.

I recently moved back the the area and have gone to Alvaro's a few times since moving here. Despite my experience several years ago regarding poor service, Alvaro's has quickly earned my loyalty and has quickly become my favorite taco shop in the area. Although my experiences lately have only been through the drive-thru, the service has been quick and the food has been delicious. My go-to here is usually the number 5 which is a plate with a cheese enchilada and a shredded beef taco. There's something about their enchilada sauce that hits the spot every time.

I'm glad that I set my previous experience aside and am so close to Alvaro's to be able to get food from here.

Over the years, we've been here a lot but unfortunately, we won't be back ...
Over the last couple of years, food has been very inconsistent (Carne Asada burrito will sometimes have no pico, some pico, and one time a LOT of pico ; tacos have varying amounts of pico/shred, cheese; etc. - and one time, a ham-egg breakfast burrito had chorizo mixed in ) ... it's been disappointing but we've tried to support a small local business.

But, we can't any longer - we had mild food poisoning a year ago, wrote it off (it happens), but after 2 Carne Asada tacos, the hubs spent most of the night in the bathroom , we won't be back ...

I don't like this place for Carne Asada burritos, seems like very cold pico de gallo ruins a warm burrito. I found that I don't mind other items and have been ordering Tostadas lately. Today I noticed the price of a Tostada has gone up almost 30%!!!! Wtf. Not sure if everything across the board went up as well. The ladies up front are friendly, EXCEPT one. lol. I probably won't be back.

This place has excellent authentic flavor! And I love the salsa bar. I can't wait to try it again when I return to Branson.
The only complaint I have is that I asked the waitress if the crunchy tacos were deep fried, and she said yes. What I received after ordering three crunchy tacos were definitely not deep fried. Hopefully it was just a miscommunication. The flavor was good enough that I will be there again.

Fast, cheap, and tasty...and very friendly service! What's there not to love?!

Today we ventured out to a new taco joint (new to us because we've never been here before).

We had the carnitas street tacos and taquitos (aka rolled tacos). The carnitas meat was tender and flavorful, topped with lots of cilantro and chopped onions. There was a generous amount of meat for a small taco! 3 tacos for $5.99, not bad at all.

The rolled tacos were extra crunchy, down to the very last bite! Nothing soggy about these guys! They were topped with a mountain of cheese and guacamole, but never lost their crunch. I wasn't expecting the meat to be juicy because it was deep fried, but it was surprisingly moist. $5.45 for 3 rolled tacos, including the guacamole!

I tried a variety of sauces and can't say that I have a favorite--they all tasted great! There was a self-serve sauce station, equipped with disposable gloves and hand sanitizers.

The place was very clean, with tables for indoor dining and a covered outdoor patio that's very spacious. We opted to sit outside to enjoy the fresh air from the morning rain.

If you prefer to not dine in or even get out of your car, they have a drive thru and deliver with Postmates.

Taco Tuesdays: Buy 1 Get 1 Free

I was not impressed with the food. The food needed a lot more seasoning. Too bland. I will not return. Service was good but a smile would have been nice.

Food: 4/5
Service and Setting: 2/5
Value: 4/5

I grew up on Alvaro's and I honestly haven't tasted Mexican food that was exactly the same. Their meat, rice, and just the way they make burritos just hits a little different and anyone who grew up in Sabre Springs could attest to that. Their food is hit or miss and can range from 2/5 to holy moly freshness 5/5. Their salsas are also pretty average and are the one thing preventing them from ever hitting 5/5 status, but their chunky salsa, a recent addition in the last years, not to be confused with pico de gallo, is pretty good. The cashiers are normally very nice but you occasionally get this scary skinny chick that will spit in your food if you cross her wrong so be aware. I am so sad that they stopped serving food for 24 hours! The drive thru comes in clutch on those late night runs.

Pollo Asado Burrito: 4.5/5
Make sure to ask them for a pollo asado burrito and not chicken. If you ask them for a chicken burrito you will get this shredded chicken mess that I do not even want to talk about. The real gas is when you get only chicken, cheese, and rice. It sounds bland and like a travesty, but trust. 9 out of 10 times Alvaros will make you fresh chicken but if you are on the tail end of someone who had a large chicken order you may get their scraps. Their rice is super fresh and is not really oily or dense like I have had it in other restaurants. Their chicken, while greasy at times, is very good and has a deep savory flat grill flavor. They are pretty generous with their cheese too so it is always worth it to add some if you need your calories for the day. FYI, the burrito normally comes with guacamole and pico de gallo.

Pollo Asado Quesadilla: 3.5/5
Alvaro's really packs it on with the cheese for their quesadillas. The chicken is great and the tortilla is super good as well. The only issue is that your food will be swimming in a pool of grease and sometimes it does hit different, but usually it's a bit much. You can upgrade the cheese to Monterey Jack and it is a totally different taste! While their normal cheese tends to be more tangy and cheddary, the Jack is more savory and nutty. I prefer the normal but to each their own.

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito: 4/5
Again, depending on the day that you go, the Chorizo Burrito will either be really well made or a greasy mess. Nothing spectacular but usually a very solid burrito. I always add rice or breakfast potatoes to help cut back on the greasiness and it helps a lot.

Great Mexican food. Quick services. Cozy location.
It's definitely worth trying and open 24hrs