El Grullense Grill - CLOSED
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner, Late Night
- Alcohol: Full Bar
23 reviews
San Jose, CA
"I was happy to see a taqueria in Cupertino/Saratoga, and I was ecstatic when I actually ate there! This place has some of the best carne…" read more »
30 Reviews for El Grullense Grill
3.75 Stars
This is probably one of the better restaurants on Castro Street (not that the competition is really anything to write home about). Tacos are cheap ($1.25/ea) with a huge selection of meats. The chorizo and al pastor are excellent. Even if this is the best place on Castro, it doesn't hold a candle to the places up on Old Middlefield.
There's a full bar in back, as well as a dart board. Overall, a pretty nice place to swing by to take care of your late night post-drinking munchies.
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Unexpectedly quite good!!! I figured it would just be a generic Anglo Californian "BURRITO" place but their food is quite good!!!
THANK YOU El Grullense for having beans and rice that taste the way they're supposed to!!!
Chorizo taco = mad delicious
Pleasant service. I recommend this place!
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I love El Grullense. They have been expanding like crazy. At the beginning of college, we would go to the one on El Camino in Redwood City. Then we started frequenting the new one they opened in Palo Alto, and finally, I've ordered from the one on Castro.
Consistently good, fast, filling, and affordable. They got my order wrong once, but they're forgiven. My favorite place for burritos.
I have started to get the super nachos with chorizo...omg, to die for. The wet green burrito has always been a favorite...it's so big that you actually get really embarrased when they bring it to your table.
The food is consistently cheap, huge, and super tasty. Service can be iffy since they don't always speak much English, but all in all....LOVE IT.
Note to first timers:
There's a huge parking garage in the back that is free to the public. There is a rear entrance to the restaurant that can be hard to spot at first, but you'll find that you're parked super close once you figure the whole thing out, lol.
So NOT Taco Bell. Where can you find beef tongue and chorizo wrapped in a cozy size tortilla with your assortments of salsa? People, this is how they roll in Mexico. Is is what Mexicans eat as street food. Ask Mr. Bayless and he'll tell you! The fish/ pollo asada are my favorites. If you want authentic street tacos, come here. If you want to run for the border, head to the bell.
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Very cheap tacos with a good salsa/fixings bar, but the meat (served from a steam table, usually) is not so good in flavor. Even though they have spit for taco al pastor, it doesn't change the quality much.
An alternative when you're bored with Los Charros.
Looking for more Mexican? See my Mexican food list here:
http://www.yelp.com/li...
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About as close to Taco Bell as you get, but at much higher prices. This is the first "Mexican" place I can recall going to that had the cheese wiz type sauce that Taco Bell uses. The refried beans also seem to be of Taco Bell origin.
The "guacamole" is more like avocado-based sauce.
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Not too bad. I was too lazy to walk around the corner to Los Charros so I figured I'd give this place a try. Average burritos served with cold chips. Although, my Pollo Asado had a special crispiness to them, nice. More of a bar than a taqueria.
not bad . . . seen it . . . never been in it. funky little taqueria with a juice bar as you walk in. there's a full bar tucked in the back and there was rock music blaring really loud - odd and annoying at the same time.
i had fish tacos and my friend, the goat tacos. the fish was moist and very well-seasoned. the hot sauce was spicy and flavorful. my friend loved his goat tacos. the downside, the portion was miniscule. we felt like we'd only had appetizers so ordered seconds in a larger size. this time, it came with sour cream and guacamole. mmm, mmm, good.
we ordered margaritas after dinner. i could barely taste the tequila :( botttom line, great for a cheap quick bite but get your drink on somewhere else. will definitely go back though.
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Cheap late night Mexican - with all the background karaoke you can handle. The whole menu seems decent but I wanted a recommendation this time... and I had more luck getting one when I asked in Spanish. They suggested I get my taco with the the "pastor" (which is the tasty bbq from the death spit behind the counter) or the carne asada. Both were great.
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This taqueria is very good. The tacos are small and cheap ($1.25) , so you can build a feast out tiny interchangeable parts like a lego castle.
Or if you'd rather have your meal pre-architected, I would recommend the pollo asado super burrito. It put my eyelids at half mast it was so big. I think it is marinaded in tryptophan.
This is the first taqueria I have ever been to that has priced the veggie burrito ($6.99) to be more expensive than the super meat burrito ($6,75). Is this a Mountain View thing? Has the prius to hummer ratio finally tipped?
Oh, and nice touch with the bucket of Corona in the doorway. I wonder how many kids have grabbed one and run off to enjoy their ill gotten brew across the railroad tracks like the wealthy suburban hobos they imagine themselves to be.
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Great spot on Castro for a decent priced burrito/tacos. Almost everything on Castro St. is sit down table service. This place is your typical order at the counter and find a place to sit. The Salsa is great and the chips are at the counter in little paper dishes. This location is much cleaner than their El Camino spot.
For the location, quality and price this place is great.
I tried some of their horchata recently and almost died - it was like drinking liquid cinnamon bun. So happy.
I demoted them down to 3 stars, though, because I specifically said no refried beans and they were mixed in with the nachos anyway. I hate that stuff. I rarely ever change orders, but one thing I always say is "No refried beans!" and no means no! I don't mean ... light on the refried beans or ... refried beans if they're hiding under guacamole! I mean NO REFRIED BEANS!
Okay, I promise, I'm rational. This just came after a long string of Mexican places insisting that I MUST have meant some form of refried beans even after I said no and serving them anyway.
I am thankful to this place for providing a great finish to a long, hot day. It was that 90-degree day last week, and I had had a very long day at work. When I got home, my boyfriend and I walked downtown in search of the perfect snack and beer combo, but it was after 10 and all the restaurants were closing.
Finally, we found El Grullense, brightly lit with people standing in line to order tacos. They definitely knew what everyone wanted to finish off such a hot day--they had a big cooler full of ice and beers right by the door.
We sat outside at one of the nice sidewalk tables on Castro and shared a regular quesadilla that was quite tasty. It had cilantro and onions inside, which was surprising and good. I was also impressed by their self-serve salsa bar (which also has limes, radishes, jalapenos and even cucumber slices) and the actual bar in the back of the place. Quite a fancy tequila selection!
So, while I'd still go to Los Charros when the hours were right, this was a great place to go late at night.
This is a great place to get lunch or a quick bite to eat. Their food is tasteful, and service is great. The location is convenient to parking. The prices are low. I love their spices, and their free chips and salsa is better than most other more expensive restaurants.
I would give them 4 stars, but they have one annoying habit I just have to knock them for. They do not give change with pennies. If your bill comes to $5.98 (as they prices are low, it frequently does) and you hand them a $10 bill, they will only return $4 in change. Yeah, I know, it's just a penny or two, hardly worth the effort to argue over it (I gave up after the first few times), but the presumption on their part is annoying. Obviously, this annoyance isn't so great that I'd stop going there. However, if you get riled up over this kind of behavior, got to Los Charros instead.
It's good to see another taqueria style place make it's way into the area. Los Charos has been the only game in town for a while (I do still love it, but it doesn't hurt to have some variety). For some reason this place felt really familiar and when I saw the clock on the wall they had another location in Redwood City I'd been to with an old co-worker.
So the bar was my usual 4 soft tacos with the selection being asada, carnitas, tripitas, and cabeza. Solid across the board. They had probably another half dozen meat selections so I'll definitely be back to sample those in addition to the tamale, chile relleno and milanesa entrees. So like Los Charos, they are straddling the line between taqueria/sit down. As far as Taquerias go this is biggest cleanest joint I've seen since it's fairly new. I frequent some hole in the wall grungy places that some people are scared to go to. Even though this didn't fit that mold, it however did not disappoint and hopefully they survive the high turnover of this block.
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This is a nice taqueria for Mtn View. I know they have Los Charos but I seemed to like the look of this place better.
I didn't try too much when I went on Thurs 11/9/06 because I had a big lunch. What I had:
1 regular bbq pork (pastor) taco $1.25-comes with the meat, onions, cilantro & salsa, with the two corn tortillas. The meat was a bit dry so not my favorite. Interesting the meat on the spit looks so good with the pineapple on the top and bottom, but maybe they cut the meat beforehand because it wasn't juicy.
I also got a regular lengua (beef tongue) taco $1.25 which I liked better. The lengua was tender, moist and just good.
The melon agua fresca was just ok. I thought it was too sweet, but got used to it fast and finished it up. $1.25 for a medium, they don't have small.
There is a nice looking bar in the back for the hard liquor. Great FREE salsa bar with 4 types of salsas, radishes, jalapenos/carrots, cucumbers. FREE chips too. Separate men and women bathrooms available.
They have lots of other stuff like breakfast, tacos, burritos, plates, seafood, quesadillas, combinations, vegetarian specials, birria & menudo on the weekends, and a juice bar.
Recommended.
El Grullense Grill
152 Castro St (near Caltrain station)
Mtn View CA 94041
650-965-4753
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This place is all kinds of skungy. Having messed up my burrito twice, I finally sequestered myself in a booth with a half-assed vegetarian stomach nuker, replete with the most limp-wristed "salsa picante" this side of Edmonton. *yawn*
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first and last visit. ordered burritos and they were both gross. i had a super chicken burrito, way too much chicken, soggy tortilla, the whole thing was mixed into huge mushy mess. i ate maybe a quarter of it then threw it away. my boyfriend's was the same with chili verde and a visit to the bathroom immediately followed...not an experience you ever want to remember if you know what i mean.
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I've been a big fan of Mi Pueblo and Garcia's, but I've become a bigger fan for El Grullense. Very tasty (and cheap) tacos, free chips, garden fresh salsa and guac (unlimited), reasonably priced combo plates that includes a drink/rice/beans on the side. and the best part, it's centrally located on castro with clean/new/comfortable seating, and fast service too.
This place is seriously good. We eat here regularly. The only reason that I won't give this place five stars is that it's inconsistent -- sometimes I'll get a fantastic meal and other times it'll be just okay.
We can't find something that's bad on the menu. I really like their tortas (big pocket-like sandwich) with carnitas (fried pork). Sometimes, however, the pork includes a few really-fatty bits, and their cuts in the tin foil leave tiny bits of it in the sandwich -- two tiny problems that are easily fixable.
Everything is delicious -- flautas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas. When you sit down they provide you with unlimited tortilla chips, fresh salsa and avacado dip (it's not really guacamole). Make sure you don't fill up before your meal arrives, which is usually around five minutes.
The seating can be a little tight since two-thirds of the establishment is kitchen space. There's a little bar toward the back and they always have TVs on.
Oh -- their horchata (milky-cinnamon drink) is also delicious. Make sure to grab a cup.
The food was below average. I ordered a burrito and found a stone (size of a bean) in the food. I also dined in once, there were flies all around! I wouldn't go there again!
Not bad, not bad. The tacos are super cheap, and pretty tasty. $1.25 a piece? What a steal!
This place is seriously good.. For $1.25, you can get a huge Taco.. Super Salsa bar!!!!.. I have been here twice now and loved the food, service, and the drinks.. There is a bar there to chill out as well with bunch of TVs with games & music going on. We had the Mango Pina Colada today and it was delic!!!.. Some of the other items on the menu are pricier but reasonable in comparison to other places on Castro.... So, do try it.. I am sure you'll like it.. Their salsa bar has 4 types of salsas, guacamole, various pickled options, radishes, and cucumbers.. I mean, a real salsa bar!!!!.. Enjoy!!
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Just had lunch today here with my hunny. For $8 I had a huge plate, an enchilada, flauta, beans, and rice. I had the bbq pork and was it tasty! The service was also great! They were very attentive with their customers. We entered, they saw us struggling to read the menu on the wall, so they handed us menus to look at. When we went to the register, the cashier warned us that chorizo was more expensive and was kind enough to change our order. My hunny's burrito was HUGE and came out in less than 5 minutes. The waiters gave us chips while we decided what to order and served us salsa! I loved the pico de gallo, it was fresh and had jalapeno pieces to give it a nice kick. The chips on the other hand were not spectacular. But with the great service and food that's not on the greasy side, I was quite content with my meal today. Thank you El Grullense Grill, I will come to visit you again when I visit my hunny.
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Great fresh Mexican food with a nice atmosphere and apparently seven Paulina Rubio videos per hour on the TV. Doesn't get much yummier than that. My Mexican coworker likes it (the food not the Paulina videos, for the most part), and that's always a good sign (although I don't know if she's ever tried Taco Bell).
The menu board is HUGE and I feel sad making a quick decision. But beef and chicken with salsa and beans and rice in any combination is great. The salsa bar is good too (mmm, fresh lemons too).
I can't do this place three times a week, but I might work up to twice. It's a good default destination if it's two or three days before payday. Nice atmosphere, easy to talk to and hear the person or people you're with.
there is absolutly nothing wrong with a good burrito for lunch - and this place delivers. as some of you know I'm a big fan of any place that has a super burrito on their menu (which this place does) and if I can get a beer with my food life is always good.
this place has flatscreens and a fully stocked bar. and its a burrito joint. I'm not sure how this fusion really works, since nobody is ever working the bar, and the one time we tried to order a rum and coke they asked us how to make the drink. I mean it's a rum and coke, what do you think is in it?
but the food is good, and it fills you up - just in time to walk back to work with a mexican food hangover.
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ooooh just missed being the first to review! went to the "grand opening" thursday night, was pleasantly surprised to see the bar in the back (yes, it's there, albeit a bit obscured from street-entry view) being used to watch basketball; other TVs had soccer to keep fans appeased. this one seems to be going for a more table-service-oriented scenario than our previous fave on el camino. they're still working out the kinks - boyfriend found his burrito a bit greasy (a big no-no in his book - and mine), while mine had spicy salsa and cilantro despite my instructions to the opposite. props for larger salsa containers - little cups just don't cut it when the craving hits.
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Ordered a carne asada super burrito and a wet carnitas burrito.
The good:
The chips and salsa bar are good. The pico de gallo is slightly spicy and flavorful. I liked that they have radishes and cucumbers.
The average:
I had several bites of the carnitas wet burrito and it tasted ok, nothing to write home about. There was a good amount of fat in the meat.
The bad:
The carne asada burrito was below average. The ingredients were not mixed uniformly; the guacamole and cheese were at the bottom of the burrito. Most of the carne asada pieces were burnt. I had to put pico de gallo and hot sauce on every bite. I was going to get some onions from the salsa bar but when I also scooped out an insect, I decided to pass.
Verdict:
I won't be back.
my opinion is that this is the best taqueria in mt view now. it's clean, got cheap prices and good quality food. the meats are good, the service is good, and the fish tacos are tasty as hell.
i always get horchata, because it's consistently good... never too watery.
when we went there once there was a mariachi band and it was kind of loud, but interesting and fun.
also, they have a bar, and a negro modelo with your 1.25dollar tacos is ace.
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