On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Don't Just Wish Someone A Good Holiday, Give Them One With Chili's.
Loading...
Awesome burritos and their spicy sauce reminds me of this amazing burrito place my wife and I went to in Kauai (yes Hawaii =P). Love the al pastor tacos too.
Steak and chicken can tend to be on the dry side some days though.
It's called TACOS Don Memo for a reason. There is little reason to get anything but tacos, which are by far the best, most authentic in they city.
Well, their tortas are also sublime, but quite a kick in the calories. One chicken torta, and I'm not allowed to eat for the rest of the day, as it consists of a large crusty roll, seasoned fried chicken, avocado slices, jalapeno pickles, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato. The tacos are simple: just meat, onions, cilantro and salsa. Their burritos are not my favorite thing; I'd definitely stick to the torta and tacos.
You can order online at foodtrux. Also, if you go any time between 12pm and 1:30pm, be prepared to wait, or even to be turned away! Yes, this cart place does so well that they actually turn away customers. No taco for you! (Truly, they are much kinder than the soup Nazi.)
Whenever I write a Yelp review I take a minute to relive my experience at the establishment I am reviewing. As I do that now for Don Memo's, I realize that my mouth has begun to water just from thinking about the mind-blowing torta that I had there. In fact, if they were open now, I would consider getting in the car and driving down to U. City just get one - that's how good they are.
The torta, a Mexican sandwich, includes breaded chicken breasts, avocado slides, pickled jalapenos, and all kinds of other delicious stuff. The cost of this masterpiece? $5. Don't feel like something quite so heavy? Try the tacos. They come with lime wedges to be squeezed on the tacos, giving them a fresh, vibrant feel. $2 each!
The line can be a little long at lunchtime (as with all of the good carts), but it is totally worth it.
3.0 stars
After reading much about this much vaunted food truck and its wares, I was curious to see how it stacked up against other places I've visited. I ordered a spicy pork burrito, since there seemed to be a lot of good things mentioned about it. The wait itself wasn't too bad, maybe 10 minutes or so. The burrito came out piping hot. I carried it back and proceeded to dive in. The spices were nice and hot, just like I like it. There was also some fresh cilantro and I believe some lime thrown in. The pork was allright, but it didn't taste like it had been marinated or seasoned at all. Also there was a vein in at least one of my bites, which makes me question thequality of their pork meat. The rice was a little overcooked and chewy/hard in spots. The black beans were decent.
Overall I enjoyed the taste of the burrito, although that vein and some crunchy rice in one part of the burrito kept me from rating it any higher.
I"ll try the tacos next time and see if they are any better.
For those who want a first-class taco from this lunch truck without the lines: go on a rainy day at 11:15am and maybe you'll be the only customer there, as I was today.
1 steak taco to go with my leftover rice and beans and I was set. These babies are stuffed so full of meat that 3 tacos is overkill. The browned steak peppered with cilantro and onions and drizzled with lime was so flavorful, it put to shame my steak taco last night at Taqueria Veracruzana. They were good, but lacked this intensity of flavor. The spicy salsa was truly tangy and delicious - what a mouthful of food!
I'll have to go back so I can taste the Al Pastor.
The burritos and tacos at Tacos Don Memo are good, very good. They are flavorful and light in a way that is hard to describe... The burrito feels like it is about 6 pounds when you are carrying it home, but when you bite into it it turns out to be much less dense than expected... Of course, it winds up weighing down your stomach later, but that is an expected cost of eating a giant burrito from a food truck.
They also sell Mexican Coke (i.e., glass bottle, sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup), which is pretty awesome, even if I can't really taste the difference.
The worst thing about Tacos Don Memo is the wait. It is really, really awful, and calling ahead doesn't help. The first time I went, without calling ahead or anything, it took about 35 minutes to get our food. The second time, we called ahead, they told us to show up in 25 minutes, we arrived in 30... And it still took 35 minutes to get our food. Both visits were around the same time on weekdays, and it doesn't seem to be a particularly unique phenomenon... During my 70 minutes of waiting in front of the little truck I have observed numerous people say they called in orders only be to forced to wait around for 10, 20, 30 minutes.
BOTTOM LINE: The wait sucks--like really sucks--but the food is good. Count it.
This truck is very good. The food easily annihilates all other similar establishments in the area that have more square footage. The only noteable disadvantages to this lunch truck are:
1. The long wait(you should call and place your order ahead of time).
2. It is crowded so stay sharp when they call your order lest someone else takes the order meant for you.
I only had a chicken tostada and al pastor taco. The taco beat the tostada. I will probably update this review when I try some of their other items. I heard that the burritos were amazing.
Roast pork = BEST BURRITO IN THE CITY.
During lunch, I prefer not to make a five-block trek in 90º, 100% humidity weather to get my grub. Today, however, a persistent coworker somehow convinced me to make the journey up to 38th for one of Tacos Don Memo's burritos al pastor.
First things first. I'm not usually into burritos. I usually find them too bland or too dry...or just too fluffed up with junk lettuce. I'm much more of a tacos dude. So far I've only taken two bites of this burrito and am already certain that this is the best burrito I've ever had. It took a long time to prepare, but watching them prepare every ingredient from scratch was mesmerizing.
I just finished the second-best tacos I've ever had in my life...and they were made in a trailer. That's pretty damn impressive.
I read on here & elsewhere that the lines for this place are long. Either they're suddenly hurting for business, or the students are all to busy moving in today to seek out awesome tacos, because there was no line when I got there. In any case, I called in my order...you should too, because presumably that will keep you from having to wait in line (in the event that a line exists).
Are the Burritos great? Cheap? Big? Yes yes yes! The dudes running it seem clean enough and I'll eat from their roach coach.
You could get a burrito that's 1/2 as good, a dollar more, yet without a long line from Chipotle, Qdoba, or Mexi-Cali (or one of the food trucks around the corner).
I guess I wouldn't mind waiting if there were some cute penn co-eds in sundresses crowding the sidewalk, but otherwise I just keep walking.
There have been few times in my history with food that I've happily raised my gastronomic white flag in defeat. It only happens when my poor stomach just can't take any more, even when my taste buds are just getting started. It took me half an hour to recover from the feeling that if I moved even a centimeter, I was going to get half-digested burrito all over my brother's new carpet. He's hoping to get his security deposit back; I'm just hoping for mobility. I'm still looking at half of my burrito, standing on its end, staring me down, as if to say, "Yeah, I knew you couldn't finish me, you tourist punk. Go back to Chipotle where you belong."
But seriously. From my first bite, I got it. Thank Yeshua for Yelp, otherwise I never would have known about this completely unsuspecting cart that doesn't fit more than two people in it at a time. They're the friendliest two people I've encountered since getting here last Saturday -- are all behind-the-counter workers here rude as a rule, or have I just been super unlucky? It made me wish I'd spoken Spanish more with my dad as a kid so that I could get in their good graces. Anyway, I must've waited about 5 minutes tops for my burrito. I'm still deciding whether it's a good or very, very bad thing that this place is a block from where I am. I handed my brother (who, it should be noted, eats literally nothing but peanut butter sandwiches and thus has no reference point for burrito weights) my burrito when I got in, and the first thing out of his mouth was, "How much did you pay for this?" Six dollars exactly for a burrito that must cost them at least eight dollars. He also asked if it was the kind of thing I could re-heat, because it must've been at least three meals.
I should've listened to him and stretched it out, but my mouth got too greedy. This is everything a burrito should be. It's like I was asleep, and today, I woke up and tasted a bu-rri-TO for the first time. I can't comment on the spicy sauce because I'm a pansy, but I have no doubt it's out of this world. The whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts, but those aren't anything to take lightly, either. Fresh, fresh vegetables, perfectly cooked rice full of flavor, and the steak? There's something about the way Latin folks cook meat that just cannot be beat by anyone, anywhere.
Pity I can't take this place back with me to Athens. I think the greater pity is that my brother can't appreciate this place when he's so freaking close. If you can get here and enjoy the food, do it as much as possible, and I'll live vicariously through you.
P.S. Evidently you can order online at http://www.foodtrux.com, but I didn't try it, so I can't comment on it. However, unless it's peak eating time, I would just go and watch your creation being made by these artisans.
At Penn we had tons of Mexican options, and they ranged from mediocre (Qdoba) to decent (MexiCali). So when Tacos Don Memo opened their food truck I wasn't super pumped.
But it was amazing. A total revelation. Blew away the competition.
2 soft tacos, spicy pork with spicy sauce. Came with slices of lime wrapped in tinfoil. The guys there were really chill, I would call them ahead of time on their cell phone to avoid a line.
For me, the tacos were where TDM excelled. I actually thought the burritos were just very good.
I don't know how things are now, but TDM saved my life multiple times in 07-08.
Words cannot express how amazing the food is here. I took off one star because it is SLOW, though if you show up early (11:30ish), the wait is much shorter. Regardless, don't go here if you're in a hurry. Wait until some day when you can take a long lunch break and savor the taco goodness.
This is an awesome Mexican food just north of Walnut on 38th street, but it has one fatal flaw: it is SLOW.
The burritos are incredible, very authentic, with freshly cut avocado... but if you go, expect to wait a half hour at minimum to get your burrito (if it's meal time). You can also call in. Because they exercise such care making the food (and take their sweet time) the burrito itself sometimes is not as hot as one would like.
Still, the sheer quality and authenticity of this place merit a visit by anyone who loves Mexican food.
This is possibly my favorite place to eat. Not just in University City. I'm talking all of Philly. My friends and I have had a running game all summer to see who could eat at The Don (as we like to call it) the most days in a row. I made it to 3 weeks, 5 days a week, but that wasn't enough to topple the streak of 20 my roommate stacked up at the beginning of summer.
The lines are long, but if you call it in and take care of errands, it's no problem. The burritos are pretty huge; you'll probably eat it in two sittings on an average day, although it's definitely possible to scarf it down when hungry. I've been on a taco binge recently- in fact i just ordered 2 chicken and 1 beef taco, spicy no onions.
The tostada is like having the burrito in a hard shell; it's great pairing 1 tostada with 2 tacos for a filling meal.
The torta is the one item wholly different from the rest, with milanesa, avocado, jalapenos, carrots, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and some beans rounding out this delicious sandwhich. There is none of The Don's hot sauce on this one, though, so it has a different taste than the other items.
I'm getting hungry thinking about this place. Gonna go pick up my tacos now.
Best Mexican food on Penn's campus? Four stars? Are these reviewers joking?
This is by FAR the best Mexican food anywhere in Philadelphia. Believe me--I've tried the other Mexican in Philadelphia, ranging from the expensive, trendy options like Distrito and El Vez, the cheaper, more "authentic" places like Los Taquitos de Puebla and Taqueria Veracruzana, and I can tell you--I don't call those places Mexican anymore. No other eatery can share this title with the Don.
I go to Penn, and my week is not complete without a visit (or three) to Tacos Don Memo. One time, my friend, a fellow food connoisseur and (wisely) a fan of Tacos Don Memo, and I shared a meal together from Tacos Don Memo. Halfway through our third taco, we decided we still wanted more Tacos Don Memo. Not because we were hungry or because we needed it--by that point actually, I was quite full. It's because you just get that much pleasure from eating Tacos Don Memo.
Another story--my dad came all the way from California to come visit me. The first place I wanted to take him? Tacos Don Memo of course. Now my dad hates Mexican food, so when I told him that I was taking him to a Mexican food truck, he said no. I told him that he HAD to eat here. Now my dad, the Mexican-food-hater, LOVED this place. He said it was the best meal we had on the trip, in which we went to such places as Alma de Cuba, Ippudo in NYC, etc. etc.
Basically, it comes down to this--if I bring you to Tacos Don Memo and you don't like it, I'm not your friend anymore. It means you either don't have a tongue or don't have a brain. I'm not even slightly scared of over-hyping this place.
Anyway, onto the actual food. Can you tell? I really, really, really like this place.
Their tortas are actually the first thing I ever tried. Breaded chicken with a perfect amount of sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos--when I first had this, I was hooked for good. Little did I know that their tortas are probably, in fact, their worst dish.
The burritos are amazing. Leo and his crew only use the freshest of ingredients, and they cut fresh avocados right in front of you to put into this burrito. Their hot sauce is so good, my friend actually asked them to bottle it and sell it to him. Not willing to give away his culinary secrets so freely, Leo refused--I can see why.
Now their tacos. Their tacos are the superstar among all-stars, the LeBron James among the Joe Johnsons, Ray Allens, Danny Grangers, and Kobe Bryants (take THAT Lakers fans!!). Particularly their spicy pork tacos--which, with the pineapples (the perfect touch) are the perfect combination of spicy-slightly sweet tastiness. Their steak, pork, and chicken tacos are excellent as well, if you like cilantro.
So in conclusion: If you like eating at ALL, go to Tacos Don Memo.
Also try their location behind H-Mart near the 69th St. Station.
P.S. If you don't like the wait, call in 30 minutes before.
yes, this place is worth the line that can often have you sitting on the curb for up to an hour. Some people call ahead but I never seem to get my act together for that.
GREAT tacos with all the right fresh stuff on them. If you go vegetarian on their burritos or tostadas they usually give you $1 off. This place is a significant cut above most Penn-area food carts. Really nice guys who run it too, and they go the extra mile with lime and radish carefully wrapped in tinfoil on the side. I have had their meat tacos (I am now a lapsed veggie) and they are good, though I really usually save my meat eating for places that use a spit.
Today, I had a strong craving for burritos, and my course was set. I didn't even have to think for a nano-second about any Mexican food imposters, aka Qdoba, Taco Bell.
Luckily, I ran into my friend, a loyal patron of Don Memo's, and was able to get the number to call in my order. Although rumored wait times of 45 minutes during lunch rush hour are not to be doubted, my 3 PM order for 3 burritos (I roped in my friends) took about 20 minutes.
It was possibly the best burrito I have ever eaten. Don Memo's burritos are bursting with flavor and freshness. Always prepared in front of you, the deliciously marinated steak, the freshly-cut slices of ripe avocado, the beans, tomatoes, and rice all combined together and wrapped in a toasted, warm flour tortilla is almost too much to ask for. I savored every bite for a good twenty minutes as I chomped through the humongous burrito. Washed down with a sweet bottle of pina soda (pineapple, like pina colada), I was quite content with my mid-afternoon meal.
Probably don't need to eat dinner later tonight was what I thought as I crumpled my napkin to throw it away. You could easily split one of these honking burritos with a friend and both end up satisfyingly full.
$6 for a burrito - choice of chicken, beef, pork. Other items on the menu also look delicious.
Highly, highly recommended and added to my food trucks list.
Great burritos and tacos, which blow away anything in town. Agree with Justin K that the only flaw is that it takes very long due to the long lines. Call in your order so you don't have to wait 20 minutes.
Solid burrito ($6) the size of a premature infant. Nice touch of warming up the tortilla. No line when we went at 1 pm on a Thursday, but at least 2-3 people came by while we were there to pick up orders that they'd phoned in. He had chicken and I had steak. Great place for a first date or maybe a Valentine's Day lunch.
Taco's Don Memo is a gem of the food truck culture around Penn and Philly.
Simplicity dictates their menu; they offer tacos, burritos, tortas and tostadas. While the burritos are huge and very delicious, tacos are the way to go. Try the chicken tacos with spicy salsa. Also, you can ask for sour cream or cheese with your tacos...a nice complement to the spice of the meat and salsa.
As a native of California, I'm just glad to have found an authentic Mexican spot near Penn's campus!
The MOST AMAZING burritos in the city and they come from a food truck!! There isn't that much selection -- just tacos or burritos, pork beef or chicken. But it's filled with deliciousness that I can't even describe. To be honest, I've never looked inside cuz I would scarf it down in like 5 minutes. Prices are also very cheap because they're a food truck.
They also have a restaurant, which I've never been to. But if the food truck is ever closed and I'm craving Don Memo, I will def pay it a visit.
Hurray for taco trucks! 5 stars may seem a bit steep for a restaurant that could easily be converted into a horse trailer (and may well have begun its career as such), but to truly enjoy the University City food truck experience, you have to overlook trivialities like this. Just eat your tacos (or burrito), 'cause, seriously, they're quite scrumptious. Be sure to give yourself ample time, as delicious takes a while when it's done right.
This place has the best tacos and burritos I've tasted on the east coast. I'm originally from Cali and tacos don memo take me back home. They have 4 items there (see the post below) but I've also been able to get super nachos there. Everything there is pretty good, but my favorites are the carne asada tacos and the chicken burrito. I get both with the spicy hot sauce. The use fresh ingredients and everything is made to order. I'd avoid going around lunch time since the line can be terrible. You're usually pretty safe after 2pm.
Tacos Don Memo, a food-cart located at the corner of 38th & Sansom, is hands-down the best Mexican Food on Penn's Campus. The cart sells four items: Burritos, Tacos, Tostadas and Tortas, as well as Mexican soda pop and traditional specialty drinks such as Horchata. At lunch time, you'll be lucky to wait less than half an hour, as Penn students are willing to wait in long lines for these delicious Mexican specialties. Frequent patrons who have earned the trust of Don Memo enjoy the privilege of calling in their order and skipping the line!
Best burritos in the area without question. Make sure you have plenty of time before ordering - it can take a while.
The key here is that they cook all of the meat as you order it unlike the chain burrito places.
I can't believe I'm giving a food truck star ratings, but Don Memo's has amazingly flavorful burritos for less than the nauseating Chipotle-Qdoba price. Basically, picture your ideal burrito and you've got Memo's: big, stuffed with quality ingredients, and cooked with flavor. Plus, you can call and order ahead for pickup. Yum.
Upper Darby, PA
Category: Mexican
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Mexican
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Italian Market
Category: Mexican
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Mexican
I've worked in U City for 6 years and I have my…
All the food trucks where I like to eat. I'm…
All I really do these days is read casebooks and…
