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I frickin' love their nachos. I've only been here once, but I will come again and again for their super nachos. I had the cheese and the chips placed separately because I hate soggy chips.
It definitely doesn't look good without the chips because it looks like it will give you endless indigestion (which it does, btw), but it tastes like heaven. My coworker bought the taco salad and the taco is humongous. Like HUGE. The lunch hour is madness and the servers love to yell it out at you but I think I'm going to go again today.
For their nachos of course.
Not a lot besides fast food is open in Palo Alto is open past 10 so El Grullense, otherwise a 3 star joint get's it's fourth star
they have sopes which is always a plus!
cabeza needs some more flavor tho........ and i'm on my cabeza tip right now
Nachos with or with out the cheesy nacho cheese or regular shredded cheese black beans, whole pinto or refried meat or no meat
thats just for starters
the greens salsa is Addictive
And the Fajitas come on a sizzling platter and fresh tortillas
Chicken or steak you wont be let down
I'm kinda limited to like a 2 mile radius on places since my crappy bike can only take so far without me being extremely tired. This is my favorite spot to eat in the area. Their tacos are delicious. I've tried most of their meats and the Lengua (beef tongue) is good but the true stand out is the Carnitas. The first time I ate here I got a Carnitas Super Burrito and as I slowly chow down the burrito I bite into a whole mouth of warm tasty fatty goodness. Probably not very good for you and at only one bite of delicious fatty goodness it won't make the burrito disgusting from all the fat.
But yea this is one of my favorite places to eat. If you want a wet burrito their green sauce is hard to beat. They also have a lot of other stuff on the menu but I never felt like paying around $10 for a plate when a $6.50 super burrito can make me a happy man.
Today I went and got a veggie burrito because I wasn't really in a meaty mood. It tasted as good as a burrito could without meat and it came in a wheat tortilla. I absolutely love this place.
EDIT - Actually I don't really think this place is a 5 star after having some real 5 star restaurants but I wanted to raise its average so I rated it a 5.
Who'd'a thunk you could make a delicious veggie taco for less than $3? Only in Palo Alto.
El Grullense is the bomb. Their salsa bar is delish (be warned, the salsas are *actually* hot) and there's always free-flowing water and a soccer game playing on their tv in the corner. Quick, fast, cheap, filling, legit. And vegetarian friendly!
I got a regular carne asada burrito, a small horchata and a Dos Equis Amber. My friend got himself the super nachos al pastor and a Dos Equis Amber.
We chose to come here because it was one of the very few places open past 10 pm near his new home. We were happy that they served beer.
I didn't have high hopes for this place considering it's in Palo Alto, and I'm glad I didn't.
Their burrito didn't impress me, but, boy, did it fill me up. I actually couldn't finish it. I decided to have the rest of it for breakfast this morning around 10 am and didn't get hungry again until 6pm. Two meals for $6 is (almost) always a good deal. I was also happy that, unlike a ton of taquerias in the bay area, they didn't put cheese or sour cream in the burrito. In L.A. no one does that, but up here everyone does. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it always just weirds me out. I personally do not like sour cream or cheese in my burrito. I was just raised that way.
I highly advise against getting the horchata. It was TOO sweet. I diluted it twice and it was still too sweet. It also had a very strong cinnamon after-taste; felt as if I was biting on a cinnamon stick or something. It's also possible someone may have messed up that night and put in too much of whatever. I've NEVER had an horchata that was so sweet it was gross.
The super nachos weren't special either. Considering the portion and the price it's a good deal, though. I would definitely get their burrito again before ordering the super nachos.
I loved the atmosphere here, though. Our cashier and waitress were very friendly. Just like any good Mexican place, they had a jukebox on which I wanted to spend money.
FREE CHIPS FTW!!
This is definitely a nice spot for a late night burrito craving and a beer.
Minus a star for today (10/05/09)
Fish taco ($1.35 + 0.75 cents for the fish) = $2.05 each.
Nasty ass burnt fish! WTF? So not worth it!
Torta ($5.50)
Burnt sandwich? WTF? Take a look at my pics and tell me if you would eat this sh*t?!!!
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Ever since I was introduced to Chimichangas in Southern California, the standard and high expectations of finding a Bay Area replacement was met here! I honor a mom and pops restaurant that holds its ground when there is so much competition in Mexican fast food business. Right when you walk in, you know this place is going to be amazing when 80% of their customers are Mexicans. To me that's a good thing!
Chimichanga (Deep Fried Burrito) $7.50
No oily mess! That's a big plus! The wrapped ingredients of rice, beans, cheese, and beef arrived hot and the burrito was glazed with green guacamole, sour cream, and topped tomato. The fried burrito wrap was quite crunchy and not drowned by the toppings (sour cream, tomatoe, and green salsa).
Super Nachos $5.99
Served on a massive platter, this is truly a cheap eats for under $7.00! Ask for the BBQ pork with pineapple as your choice of meat. They are very generous on the sour cream as well as the guacamole!
Menudo $8.50
I love Goat! And yes... they have goat meat menudo here! This is a winter treat and proves that i'm more Mexican that you! Throw in the tripe and i'm all over this hot soup! By far, this is one of the best ones in Bay Area! Note: Served only on Sundays!
Serves complimentary tortilla chips: Yes - The crunchy thick style! And there's a freshly made salsa bar! The green salsa is perfectly spiced with a creamy texture making is perfect for dipping.
Accepts debit? Yes! Plus one star!
Parking: Park in the back. Street parking is a pain. Get there early before Noon. This place gets packed rather quickly by 11:45AM.
Their super burritos ($6.99) are really good but last time I opted for the regular chicken burrito ($5.50) to cut down on the calories. I love this place because they have a self-serve salsa bar filled with mild diced tomato and onion salsa, mild green salsa, sliced radishes, lime wedges, pickled onions, carrots and peppers and sliced cucumbers. I go for the everything but the pickled onions, carrots and peppers. Anyways, back to the burrito-- the chicken is tender and juicy and last time, the chips they fry themselves were really fresh! Not the stale chips you know no one wants to eat. This is the place to get a burrito if you're in Palo Alto. They are fast, really nice and well priced. I used to go at least once a week when they first opened for 3 months so I love their food..as do the other people who fill the place at all hours of the day :).
I've only ordered the soft tacos from this place. When I find something I like, I do not deviate. Okay, I lied, I do... just not at this place.
I like their soft tacos: carnitas or carne asada. If I'm feeling absolutely crazy, I'll order 3 w/carnitas. On normal days, it's 2 carnitas and 1 carne asada soft taco. At $1.35 each, you really can't go wrong.
They have free chips, 3 types of salsa, lime wedges, pickled onions, carrots, and peppers.
Spongebob Awesomeness: Mmm. Jalapeños.
I went to this taqueria twice, I thought the restaurant was pricey, the food was blend and I was not impressed with the service.
The first time I had menudo. I thought the soup was ok, the portion was served hot as it should be, but I felt it was a little small for the price. They charge $1.50 more than other restaurants for menudo, and most of the menu items are over $10.
The second time I went back I did not have a good experience at all. I ordered the combo with flauta and taco. The menu posted on the wall says $6.50. But when the cashier rang me up, she said $7.50. I asked the cashier why is the menu on the wall post $6.50. She answered "because this is the new price?!" I paid the $7.50 but I wasn't impressed with her customer service attitude.
Then I watched the kitchen prepare my food; and the lady had her finger stuck inside my taco shell. But then she answered the telephone, perhaps took an order, and then continued to make my food. All this time I thought to myself, she talked on the telephone and without washing her hands made my food. The telephone like the computer keyboard is one of the most "germiest" places you can touch.
When I finally got my food, the food tastes bland and cold: The meat from the flauta and the taco was at room temperature, the taco sauce was refrigerated cold, making this a completely cold and tastless meal. All the while I was thinking that the cook prepared my food with her germy hands.
I picked at the food a little and left most of it uneaten, needless to say I won't be back to this restaurant.
Gave them the usual "taco" test. One of each: Pollo Adobado, Carnitas and Carne Asada.
The tacos were pretty good. BBQ chicken was nice and juicy, not overly dry. Same with the Carne Asada. However the carnitas was on the dry side. But hey... 2/3 ain't bad.
Chips and salsa were lackluster.
The table set up is kinda weird with a bunch of long tables and chairs. Reminded me of lunch benches from my elementary school days... cringe...
I was so excited to finally try this place out for lunch. They have a pretty decent menu of items. They have an assortment of offerings with pictures above the ordering counter. Pictures are always a plus. I tried a chicken burrito and added a chicken tamale during this stop.
The order was to go, but service was mish mashed. A ton of orders after mine received their items while my order was nowhere to be seen. When I finally received my food, my burrito was quite yummy. I had regretted, after seeing a few other orders, of not ordering it wet, but it was still quite tasty. Orders come with a little bag of chips and the assortment of salsa is near the pick up window.
The chicken tamale is pretty tasty as well. Not dry at all. Trust.. This is always a bonus. The only random offering I saw was the baked potato, but even that might be tasty. Pricing is definitely reasonable as my burrito was only 6 bucks.
I'll definitely go back here again for the flavorful burritos, but I want to try their quesadilla. It tends to get crowded, but people come and go. Spacious seating inside and decent parking in back or on the street.
Next trip, I definitely want to try the $2 churros.
This is definitely one of my favorite places I go to for Mexican food. Delicious! They also don't charge tax which is a big plus. The food is reasonably priced.
I usually order their regular chicken burritos and it's a good size portion. I love their drinks next to the registers. I haven't seen their mango flavor in a while but got their strawberry one. I really miss that mango one though.
I haven't found a place comparable to this one in Mountain View but am still looking. Most of the other places I go the food is just blah! Including baja fresh. The only con: their salad bar is not as good as baja fresh and seems watered down.
In a nutshell:
*I work nearby and this is one my regular places to eat at. The food is extremely tasty, fast and good!
*I normally order the "huevos con chorizo" which is EXCELLENT! The portions are huge and well worth the price ($7).
*The condiment bar is also very fresh and the selections are great (i.e. various salsas, freshly cut radish, etc...)
*They have all you can eat authentic restaurant style chips, which are very flavorful.
*Best of all I think the staff, is very friendly.
Overall, make sure you get there before the lunch rush or else you'll be waiting for a little while to order your food. I usually go there around 10am and order the chorizo con huevos. This will fill me up until dinner time. I highly recommend this Mexican eatery if you are close by.
I was cruising down El Camino Real when I noticed this location of El Grullense. Having heard of their popularity in Redwood City, I decided to check it out. I first noticed their humongous menu, not just tacos and burritos here, but all sorts of soups, seafood plates, and other Mexican specialties.
I just wanted a sampling of their meats and at $1.35 a pop, the tacos were the perfect vehicle. I tried my current trinity: pastor, carnitas, and lengua.
Pastor - I'm beginning to realize two distinct types of pastor, a lard-y, subtly spiced version that melds together nicely, and a chipotle version, that's tasty as well but bigger on the seasoning. Pastor here is of the latter variety, and roasted on the spit. The pieces weren't quite as tender as I'd like.
Carnitas - This was your twice fried version, the dryish shreds of pork getting a rejuvenation from the fresh fry in lard. Pretty good, albeit oily.
Lengua - Greyish cubes of beef tongue, but tender and well seasoned. I like places that have a darker shade of lengua, as it seems to be of fresher quality, and most likely not frozen. I apply this to all beef I eat.
They give you chips when you order and the salsa bar had a very good fresca, good chipotle, and an excellent spicy verde. Chips are on the thick side, but good.
Burritos are $5.50 and supers $6.50.
Despite the slightly tough pastor, a pretty good showing in the world of taquerias. In the world of Grullense taquerias however, we shall wait to see.
I've been coming here for years, but not recently. Was very pleasantly surprised today. They now have a juice bar, which I haven't tried yet, but it looks good.
I had a carne asada super burrito. Excellent. I usually order a child's burrito as the regular burritos are too big. I didn't see child's size on the menu here.
The salsas here are really good.
A lot of shrimp dishes on their menu, so much to try, so few calories I'm allowed daily! I'll have to come back.
This is down the street from my friend's house; LOVE the super tacos. They have a decent salsa bar and are quick to turn out the food. They are open late and hit the spot for a few bucks. They also have a great horchata, it came highly recommended and it does not disappoint. The accept Visa/MC but also have an ATM inside (???)
Hmm...I used to think it was decent for the south bay but since I had a couple of better places (La Bamba and Rincon Sabroso) now in comparison I don't think it's good at all.
I've only had the super burritos here, I think both al pastor and carne asada. The reason I don't like it so much, it's really really greasy. By the time you eat through half way, the whole bottom section is so soaked with grease that the burrito starts to fall apart. Yucky.
My friend said their corn tortillas which you can get with the menudo is really great but I never tried it. Well, if you're in the mood for burrito I say go to La Bamba (old middlefield location) or Rincon Sabroso (rengstorff and central) instead. The latter is the better of the two.
SOOO DELICIOUS! Today was my first time here and I got the carnitas soft tacos and #18 (shrimp in a type of gazpacho soup with avocados and salsa). Both were really good. The carnitas had crunchy pieces and not soggy like some places make them and they have generous portions. #18 has so much shrimp I couldn't finish it all!
My coworker got the carnitas tacos as well and #23 or 24 (the shrimp stew). I tried some of the stew and it was delicious as well. Perfect for a cold day. It had huge shrimps and chunks of stewed veggies and the broth was amazing.
I can't wait to come back to try their other stuff! The selection is endless.
KILLER carnitas at this El Camino Mexican joint. Super fatty and fried crispy. I had a super carnitas burrito with a soda for $7.50, about 20% menos than it would cost in SF. The salsas were just OK and all too hot for me, but overall this place rules!
I have been coming here for a few months. I am originally from SD and they do not really make California Burritos here in Northern California. I am not a big fan of rice and beans in my burritos (which seems all burrito shops do here). They do not make them that way in San Diego.
The California Burrito has carne asada, potatoes, pico de gallo, and sometimes guacamole. The folks here are kind enough to make it for me though. The place could be cleaner, especially outside.
So interesting that a rather disparate Yelp clientele has sampled the offerings of El Grullense and come to such a variety of responses. The veggie burrito I had for lunch, along with the chips seem to be the best I've had in awhile. Yes, the chips--just the right amount of salt, and very flavorful (god forbid they use manteca for frying their chips. but they're hella good; and the fact that I noticed the good flavor really says something to me). Love the freshness of the burrito, the generous portions, and a tortilla expertly wrapped that did not fall apart on me, not even at the very end. The salsa fresca, not bad at all; however, the chipotle salsa (that's what I think it was) was just amazing in its depth of flavor and bite.
You know it, I'm coming back!
I've worked a 2 minute drive from here for over 8 months, and never tried El Grullense. It's a crying shame, dammit!
I had a super burrito con pastor (BBQ'd pork). They give you some chips and you have just enough time to down those before a nice lady walks your order out from behind the counter. It was straightforward and delish.
One surprise: In a few bites, I SWEAR there were little pieces of pineapple in my burrito. It actually tasted good... even if it was a mistake. Happy accident ftw.
The venue is clean with plenty of seating and lots of natural light. They take visa/mastercard ($5 minimum on charge) but also have an ATM for those last minute poor planners like me. They have parking in back for about 25-30 cars is my guess. I was here for lunch today a little after noon and there was a line of about 8 people. They had two cashiers who swiftly and politely whittled the line down to nothing. The staff here is very welcoming, they give you service with a smile and at the same time are very efficient without making you feel rushed. They yell out your order number so pay attention folks and you either walk over and grab it or they happily bring it to you. Their menu is huge with about 33 combo plates and a nice little salsa bar. I have yet to try any combo plate.... someday, someday
Here's my order:
Regular burrito (carnitas): rice and beans were good, carnitas were a tad dry but still flavorful
Lengua taco: wrapped in two small corn torts, onions, cilantro and green salsa.. very fresh, the lengua was decent in flavor but I've had better
Tripas taco: fresh produce, tripe was lightly crunchy with a nice smokey taste, very good
I'll start sampling the combo plates on my subsequent visits... nice little joint folks, I liked it.
There are three extremes of mexican food, yuppie mexican food, rrreeaall mexican food, and fast food mexican food. Mexican restaurants need to pick an identity and maximize on one of these three styles. The problem I have with Taqueria El Grullense is it has the high prices of a yuppie mexican restaurant, the subpar service of a reeealll mexican restaurant, and the taste of a fast food mexican restaurant.
I had the chicken enchiladas and some chips. Both were mediocre at best and left me remembering I had better in Texas......in an airport.
SUPER authentic hole in the wall Mexican food.
CHEAP. Like $1 or 2 for my vegetarian soft taco!
Not exactly for my tastes but maybe because it's SO authentic.
Also I'm vegetarian but I found a chicken piece in my veggie taco so that was a bit of a turn off.
Yummy salsas and did i mention really cheap?
I love my taquerias and I've been struggling to find a good, cheap place in Palo Alto where I can get my burrito/taco fix. Well, I went here the other day and it was better than most, but still not quite what I'm looking for. I got the Al Pastor super burrito which was enough food that I still haven't eaten since 5 pm last night, and I don't feel the hunger coming.
The upside: perfectly done pork (crispy on the outside, really tender on the inside), well wrapped burrito, nice and spicy, good salsa!
The downside: the pork itself didn't have a whole lot of flavor, big globs of cold cheese, too much sour cream (there were times when all I tasted in my burrito was the sour cream!)
I'm interested in coming back and trying something a little more authentic (menudo on Sundays!) but I wasn't terribly impressed with the burrito.
I don't pick-up often enough to try anything other than their super steak burrito. But I'll make the 6 mile round trip if I'm really craving it over the 6 block round trip to Andale.
The burrito is the size of a sand bag but a little too salty for me and I like my food salty.
Free chips and a salsa bar.
The food to me is the same as when it was Senior Taco were I tried the grilled chicken burrito.
Super Steak Burrito after tax: $6.66. Hmm.
So i got tricked today. Seeing how the al pastor is on a wheel similar to el paisa i was excited. I ordered a wet burrito with red sauce. I had the al pastor and it was very dissapointing.
It was dry hard and with the texture of beef jerky. If this was a higher end restaurant i would have made a complaint. Now that i sit here and reflect on this it was horrible. I couldn't even taste the al pastor it was way over done.
I would give it a 3 1/2 but for sure not 4. The first year I move up to Palo Alto area I went to this place, its called out to me haha! Don't get me wrong I give it a perfect 5 for a 3 1/2 star lard pit. If you want this same experience with an actual experience go to Celia's (you won't regret, grullense you will, somethimes more than others). Celia's are everywhere and you can enjoy the food more and the surroundings = )
train with the best http://barrymasteller....
I had a carne asada (steak) taco and a carnitas (pork) taco today. While on the small side, they were only $1.35 each. The steak was well done and crispy just the way I like it. The pork was not grilled to a crisp but it was lean, tasty and gristle-free. The taco shells were toasted to be slightly crispy, but they were not hard taco shells.
I also had a mango agua fresca. It was very tasty and refreshing. There were chunks of mango flesh in it, but no fibrous stuff to get caught between my teeth.
My favorite taqueria in California!
I love the carnitas, their pico de gallos, the horchata, the sopes, and the fish tacos. Can't beat their $1.25 tacos when you're looking for a cheap meal.
This used to be the family run Mr. Taco. Now it belongs to a small chain. The place is always crowded at lunch time. However, the beef in the super burrito was not great and had a lot of unchewable unswallowable beef gristle.
I will give it a pass for a while.
On any given evening, you'll find a line for these fine tacos. They are not your typical run for the border type of Mexican tacos. With a wonderful assortment of meats wrapped in little mini tortilla shells, one could eat a half dozen and call it a night. When the place is too crowded with Stanford students, Doc and I will get take out and enjoy the deliciousness from the comfort of our couch as the dog drools in jealousy. Seriously, for a buck thirty five you can spare the taste test. Just don't wear open toe shoes. The floors are sticky.
A reasonably priced place to grab a yummy bite to eat.
I usually get the veggie burrito, which is simple but good. No fancy eggplant or roasted peppers or anything-just beans, rice, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, etc.
I also recently branched out and tried the goat tacos and, gosh, were they good. You might wanna try them....
I love taquerias. But I like to be consistent. After all, when I hit up a new place, I always want to review the same thing, if they serve it. El Grullense has it: Al Pastor Super Burrito. The best I've had is La Bamba, with Three Amigos (in HMB) being a close second.
I got to El Grullense in Palo Alto yesterday, and the line went way out the door. Fortunately, the line went fast, they sold Mexican Cokes, and my order was up before I knew it.
When I unwrapped the foil, I was instantly disappointed: the burrito was loosely wrapped, and the outside was covered in sour cream. Two instant turn offs. While the food was spicy, there just wasn't much in the way of flavor for the pork, and I think it was reheated: I ate many pieces of pastor that were cold. Very cold. Furthermore, I had numerous golf ball sized chunks of cold cheese. Not very good.
Overall, it was ok, not great.
For those of you who like tacos and beer, don't go right now. They've lost their ability to sell. Big sign on the wall even says so.
This is another one of those places that I never would have noticed (despite the pink paint job) if it weren't for Yelp. Unfortunately, it's not a place I intend to frequent regularly.
I got a chicken super burrito. While it wasn't BAD, it just wasn't something special at all. The chicken seemed to be all dark meat... And it just tasted funky. The sour cream also tasted a little... Weird. The rice was too crunchy, like it was either over cooked, or had been sitting for awhile. Either way, not very yummy.
Their menu is very big, so maybe in the future, I'll try again... But... Not for awhile.
Good Mexican food, my coworkers and I sometimes come here for lunch.
Food's pretty good. Usually a bit of a line, but it moves fast.
Getting the food takes a while, though. Usually 15 minutes, sometimes longer.
Place is reasonably clean, but nowhere near immaculate. We don't care, but if you do, you might want to look for a more Americanized place.
There's a minimum ($5 or $6, I forget) to use a credit card.
I always drive by this place and have never tried it. It's actually quite good. So the rule I take is that any ethic food place who's patrons are of the same origin, is a hot spot for yumness. (Yeah that was me trying to be PC by saying, wow a lot of mexican people come here, so it has to be good).
Had one of their combos (6 bucks enchilada and a taco, plus a drink, rice and beans) which was really good. I scarfed mine down before my friend finished his, and he got his first.
I will return to this place. it is open late at night it gets another star
This is easily the best Mexican food I've had since I moved to the bay area from Austin, TX (where we know our tex mex!)
I always get the carne asada as my meat option because it is TO DIE FOR. I haven't tried the chicken and I don't plan to either because the carne asada is brilliantly delicious. I may try some of their other beef dishes some time as well.
The burritos are big and thick and awesome. Someone commented that it was too greasy, but come on, it's Mexican food!!! Non-greasy Mexican food is a down right oxy moron (depending on what you're eating, of course).
Right now I'm enjoying their super nachos and again, brilliant. First place I've seen outside of Texas to serve the holy grail of Tex-Mex: Queso dip (liquid cheese). It was all over my nachos and now it's all in my belly because da-zayum it's too good.
The prices are fair and the menu is varied. You can get your usual Mexican fare along with other great soups and fish dishes. I'm very impressed with the selection available, and I'm impressed by how fast they get through those orders during the lunch rush.
Their salsas are also very flavorful. Again; I've been having trouble finding decent salsa outside of Texas, and this is the closest I've come. The chips are a little too thick for my liking but it works well with the deluge of sauces and salsas and meat on the nachos.
Eat here! Eat here now! Do it!!!
Redwood City, CA
Category: Gas & Service Stations
Redwood City, CA
Category: Mexican
Redwood City, CA
Category: Mexican
Palo Alto, CA
Category: Mexican
Redwood City, CA
Category: Mexican
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