El Gran Taco
340 E New Circle Rd, Lexington, KY, 40505
El Gran Taco Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lexington for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
340 E New Circle Rd
Lexington, KY, 40505 - Phone (859) 245-5684
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Rob B.
I happened upon the food from El Gran Tako at the annual Lexington Lions Club Bluegrass Fair. It was delicious. More recently I enjoyed it again. This time at Lexington's Latino Festival. It was so good I decided to make a special trip to their location on New Circle Road for dinner. It is the quintessential "hole in the wall." Definitely nothing fancy. But the tacos are wonderful. Full flavored and some of the best available in Lexington. Add the Green Chile or Red Chile sauce as you desire. I add a mixture of both. Wash them down with a bottle of Jarritos soda, direct from Mexico, or a Mexico Coca-Cola. I have been back several times. The young lady who waited on me was very friendly and spoke fluent English. If you are a hearty eater--and I stress the word hearty---order the "Super Metegoles" sandwich. It is massive and loaded with Mexican sausage, breaded beef, pork leg, ham, egg, American cheese and pineapple. If you can eat it all, I tip my hat to your appetite. But my favorite item on the menu are their tacos. They are simply the best I have found in Lexington.
(4)C T.
By far the best tacos al pastor in town. I once spent one whole day of vacation in nyc just taking the subway all around town to sample what food bloggers said were the best tacos al pastor in the city. Gran Tako's version challenges any of those spots in New York. The service was terrible, but I'd put up with crappy service for those tacos anytime. Spanish sausage taco was great as well. Lots of things I want to try on the menu in the future.
(5)Madison B.
Best hangover tacos on the north side. Cheap, delicious, authentic. Go during the slower hours as this place has limited seating. The barbecoa and pastor are delish!
(4)Dominic M.
I've driven by here over several late nights and been surprised by the place. Pro tip: any time there's a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with dozens of cars parked outside at 10 PM at night -- that means it's worth checking out. When I stopped in the derelict-looking strip mall I was immediately assaulted by an incredible smell: a giant self-basting wheel of pork was spinning outside of the main door, almost like the "doner kebab" places you'll see in some parts of the Middle East. I entered, stepping into a different universe. This was no longer Lexington, KY. Everyone was speaking Spanish, there was no menu to speak of unless you asked for one. And hen I got a menu, feeling like a total gringo, it was covered in sharpie edits. No one uses the menu, and you shouldn't either. Just get some tacos or a torta. I went for the basics to get the lay of the land, three tacos: chicken, beef and pork. What I received was incredible. Simply indescribably good. An assault on the taste buds and the senses. From the texture to the taste to the smell, this was something unlike every other watered-down, Americanized, Mexican restaurant in town. This is authentic, this is the real deal, and it's worth experiencing and savoring. I'll admit the chicken was the inferior of the three -- it was a bit dry. But with a little salsa verde it was still quite good. The pork and beef were simply awesome. Not just awesome, I mean totally, mind-blowingly great. Oh yeah, and they're $2. Seriously. If you love food and you want a bit of an adventure, check this place out, maybe even late at night. They're open until 4 AM!
(5)Jesica L.
I've never been in this part of town before- there is a pawn shop next door and a lot of automotive stores so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The restaurant is small but not tiny with maroon plastic booths, yellow-green walls and Spanish speaking music videos on the tvs mounted on the walls. The waitress automatically spoke to me in Spanish which I liked and handed me a menu with all kinds of delectable food to choose from. I ordered a steak taco (carne asada), chicken taco, milanesa taco, with a side of rice and beans and a side of avocado. I also ordered their agua de horchata that had the right hint of cinnamon. Everything was delicious! The corn tortillas tasted very authentic as though they had an old lady grinding the maiz and making them by hand in the back. The tacos came with slices of white onion and cilantro in red plastic baskets. Nothing fancy but everything was fresh and very tasty. The prices were very reasonable - $2.50 per taco, $2 for a side of generous side of avocado, $1.99 for a side of rice and beans. All in all this place has really great, authentic tasting Mexican food, the best I've had in Lexington by far
(5)Benjamin M.
News surfaced over the weekend that the owner of this restaurant has been arrested on human trafficking charges (search the Herald-Leader for the story). He's innocent until proven guilty, but I'm lowering my review to give you a heads up. This joint might have the best tacos in Lexington, but I won't be supporting it if the allegations prove true.
(2)Olwen C.
Great authentic Mexican food. Will definitely go back and recommend to friends. Prices are good and portion sizes are good!
(5)Jason B.
I love my Mexican food and this place helps me love it more. I love the whole atmosphere of the place. Another hole in the wall place that you can call home. They don't speak much English but can they cook. If you are looking for something outside of the box and is very delicious. This is the place you need to check out.
(5)Lynn K.
Food tastes good, lost 2 stars for 2 reasons, the temperature of the beans in my burrito were cold & brought the overall temp of the burrito down, & the barbacoa is not authentic, as real barbacoa is made from cow cheek meat & theirs is a round roast. That in & of itself was a major let down. However... If going for tacos or tortas, worth trying at least once, as the al pastor tacos were flavorful & the tortas are huge!
(3)Nick B.
Really enjoyed this place! I got two tacos (chicken and lamb) and one of their special burritos, I enjoyed all three things.
(5)Lee P.
I have been wanting to try this restaurant and I was not disappointed at all! I got the pork torta. The meats were very well-prepared, and everything was so fresh and piping hot. You can either use the red (rojo) sauce or the green (verde) sauce; the rojo can be EXTREMELY spicy, so watch out for that. The verde is nice and tangy with a little spice. If you like avocado, it's a nice addition to the tacos/
(4)Shane B.
This is the best Taco joint in Central Kentucky, HANDS DOWN. When I walked in and heard the music, smelled the food and took in the ambiance, I felt as though I had been transported to a little mexican cantina. The waitress, while she couldn't speak english, did very well to get my order. I had two of the Pork Belly tacos and two of the Pork w/ Pineapple, and both were AMAZING. I ordered a Coca-Cola and it came to me in a thick bottle, with a "Henco en Mexico" on the side, BOOM - authenticity. They were playing Bandito on TV - BOOM - authenticity. They served me with a smile, and asked me to come back. BOOM - 5 Stars
(5)Kiersten S.
I have eaten at many taquerias and this one is OK. The tacos al pastor were the best of the three I tried. Otherwise, the meat is dry, the tortillas are just ok and the green sauce is not the best
(3)Ben F.
This place is flat out disgusting, I don't know what kind of pallet the people have who gave this place a good review but they are nuts. The steak was tough and gristly, the chicken was bone dry. It was flat out disgusting. Never go there, ever!!!
(1)Jeff R.
Telenovelas or Spanish game shows blare out on two TVs. The English menu is barely in English. The last time I went, the painted over all the graffiti on the wall. The tortas are fantastic. The tacos are too. This is one of my favorite places in Lexington.
(5)Jenny R.
Delicious. It's the real thing. I've been away from Texas for so long and I miss good Mexican food. This place isn't fancy and it isn't for people expecting Americanized versions of Mexican food. We got tortas and they were super tasty. Just simple yummy food.
(5)Eduardo C.
As soon as I stepped in and heard banda music playing in the kitchen and saw nothing but hard core Mexican channels playing on all the T.V.'s, I knew authenticity wouldn't be an issue. I ordered a tako de carnitas (fried pork) and a tako de lomo (ribeye taco) to begin the meal. Not to say that these are small, they are of decent size and two can easily constitute a lunch for most people, I just like to sample multiple entrees. The tacos come with what you would expect, such as cilantro/pico de gallo. The ribeye taco is a sweet deal for 2 bucks, with a nicely seasoned, thin piece of tasty meat. The carnitas taco was also good but I enjoyed the tako de lomo more. I also found the green sauce they provided to go well with the extra sour cream I requested on the tacos. I decided to try La Diego Maradona torta for my second entree. If you think a Torta Cubana mixes it up, you better keep reading. This monstrosity stood out to me immediately on the menu, as it boasts carne asada, tocino (bacon), jamon (ham), pierna ahumada, salchicha (sausage), queso blanco (also known as queso fresqo), queso amarillo (slices of cheddar or american), chorizo, slices of avocado, lettuce, tomato, and even small chunks of pineapple! Now this is a gutsy torta, and although I was skeptical about the pineapple, I had to give it a shot just for the sheer guts they had to put this thing on the menu. The first bite was an explosion of flavors, particularly since they understood how to make good chorizo, but also took the care to not overpower the other meats in the sandwich, which can happen pretty easily. The bread was acceptable by telera standards, but it was obviously the innards of this thing that were memorable. Don't expect a fancy interior when you walk into this place, but if you're serious about well priced and flavorful Mexican food, it's worth visiting.
(5)Megan F.
The important point to make is that the tacos are a great bang for your buck and come with all the right fixings: cilantro, lime and salsa. The meats are good quality and are well prepared with flavorful spices. I like when you can taste the kick of a taco even without putting salsa on it and these are those kind of tacos! Not really related to the food, but they've got a really interesting way of presenting menu items here. As in there are a few entrees that are named after women celebrities... Hmm. Naming meat after women is just a tad offensive...Ok, way more than a tad! But why still high marks from me? Well, the way it's presented on the menu which is slathered with 90's style graphics/fonts somehow just cuts the offensive edge off of it, for me anyway. Experience and judge for yourself but all of this is simply to say the reason El Gran Taco gets high marks is for their scrumptious tacos.
(4)Cullen L.
Spectacular! I was expecting another Chipotle style place. This is not that! These are proly the best authentic Tacos in the state.
(5)Stella J.
El Gran Tako (as they spell it on the sign) blew my mind. A good friend of mine, a professional chef, has urged me for ages to come here. She said it's the ONLY Mexican restaurant in Lexington worth its salt. And I just didn't listen. I went to other Mexican places, thought they were great. But finally, finally came here last night. I am filled with despair, the last six months of my life were filled with opportunities to dine here, opportunities that I squandered and will never have back. But I must look to the future. Look to dining here as often as humanly possible. I had a taco called the Gringa (indeed), loaded with bistecca, caramelized onions, avocado, tons of things I've already forgotten and quite possibly some sort of chemically addicting substance. The first bite literally caused me to push myself away from the table in astonishment. What was happening in my mouth? Why were such familiar flavors exploding into new dimensions of pleasure and enlightenment? I know this review is filled with hyperbole, but I just can NOT say enough about my experience here. My husband had a burrito mixto, and he had a similarly transcendental experience. He argued his was far better than mine. Our friend, a native of New Mexico, had the Tacos Loco and said it was the best Mexican food she has ever eaten, better than anything she ever had in Albuquerque. The only down side is that they do not serve alcohol. They have a huge range of Jarritos sodas, Mexican coke, and fruit smoothie type drinks. And you know what, honestly, I'm okay with not having a beer or a margarita, because I can devote those calories and stomach-consuming-volume to putting away more tacos. Holy crap. If you don't go to this restaurant immediately after reading this review, I can only assume you hate food.
(5)David W.
The food is awesome and totally affordable. If in doubt, get the chicken tacos. And I'm pretty sure they have bootleg luchadore superheroes like all over the walls. If you've ever wanted to see Spider-Man with a weird logo on his head and like some Sonic the Hedgehog accents - you're in for a real treat.
(5)dane h.
This place was a regular stop for me when it was called La Favorita, and I always liked it. I finally tried the new version last night with a friend. We tried the pork, steak, and barbacoa tacos, plus one of the huge specialty tacos (pork), and rice and beans. The food looked ok, but we were disappointed at every turn. Nothing was very hot temperature wise. Most of the meat was overcooked and dry. Some of the meat was undercooked (not raw, just not cooked long enough to break down the fat and gristle properly). We both encountered quite a bit of inedible gristle and fat in our tacos. The steak in the steak tacos was awful. I would venture to say this place does not use a very high grade of meat, nor do they have very good quality control. The rice and beans were average at best. The hot sauces were pretty good. I just received a text from my friend, and she has been experiencing major digestive issues since the meal. I can report the same. lol Her yellow/lab hound mix ate much of our leftovers, and he appears to be ok. So I guess I would rate this place somewhere between drunk food and dog food. Maybe we caught them on a bad night, but there are much better options for Mex around here. Based on my experience, I won't be back.
(1)Shane F.
This place is a dump. It needs to be pushed down on Yelp.
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