Good mexican food. Very tasty. Service is order and seat yourself. People are nice.
(3)
Gina D.
We stumbled in here on a rainy day for a quick bite. There is a lot of competition in the area which I am anxious to try since our meal was not bad - just so-so. There was nothing that really stood out to us. I had a taco platter with the shrimp taco and carne asada taco. The portion of shrimp was generous but the flavor was lacking. The steak was a little tough but overall had decent flavor. He had the burrito especial which had some amped up flavor from jalapeños. A great variety of hot sauces were available on each table and we tried them all to just try to lift the flavors of the meal. I wouldn't try to deter someone from coming here. I just wouldn't expect to be wowed.
(3)
Bryan J.
i'm going to give it five stars, but keep in mind, this is just a local mexican taco joint, so keep that in mind. it seems to be run by the owner, and he really does know almost everybody who comes in, which is nice. the other staff are all young and very friendly. all homemade, and really really good. their salsa is a little on the hot side, their tacos are wonderful, they have a little salsa bar with a couple of other homemade salsas and peppers and the like. their gazpacho is worth the trip!
(5)
Mike M.
Just average Mexican food at tourist-town prices. Nothing out of this world or to phone home about. My favorites include the fish taco, chimichanga, and quesadilla. Just be aware that almost anything else you could want with your meal (with the exception of salsa) is truly extra and they will charge you for it, that also for chips and extra guac. Service can take a while on a busy day as there's usually only two people working at any one time (one on the register, one in the kitchen) otherwise the food comes pretty quickly, though your mileage may vary. In the end, if you're craving California-style Mexican food that's not Taco Bell, El Taco Loco is the only game in town.
(3)
peter s.
Avoid. I love a good hole-in-the-wall, but this one just doesn't feel clean. Everything sticky. The tacos were unremarkable at best - underseasoned, cheap ingredients, nothing approaching authentic. Better to avoid New Hope altogether, except for the old Playhouse - nearby Doylestown has much more to offer on the food front.
(1)
Jim K.
The owner as I walked up to the counter to order was talking about a customer who had been in there earlier who complained about bad food and bad service. From how he reenacted the situation he sounded very rude and cursed the customer off. Very dirty feel to the place. I literally live a minute walk and I refuse to eat here again. The steak tacos that I received were white meat. Guacamole tasted like they drenched it in lime juice prolly because they had made it that morning and didn't want to make a fresh batch. I've given this place multiple chances and every time they disappoint.
(1)
F B.
Walked in the door At 9:16pm. They close at 10. Either the owner or maybe just the cook, comes to the counter yelling, seriously im not being sarcastic, YELLING that we cannot sit where we were going to sit and that we "BETTER ORDER RIGHT NOW because we're running out of food and I can't take it". Hmmmm someone's having a bad day and obviously doesn't know how to keep it inside for the sake of customers. Nastiest face, nastiest temper. My girlfriend is in the food industry and we would never walk into a restaurant within a half hour of closing, but it was a full 44mins before, with 3 families still eating. Drove here from NJ just to eat there and will never step foot in the place of a rude, mean, nasty person like that again.
(1)
Lamprey I.
If you like REAL Mexican food, not that Taco Bell crap, this is where to go. El Taco Loco had it's origins in Levittown, PA in a strip mall on the intersection of Durham and Newportville (now New Falls) Roads. Later, much to my dismay because it was a twice a week stop, the proprietor moved to New Hope (why is it that everything I love either goes away or goes belly up?). Fortunately, it only moved a short distance and now, not only do I make a regular pilgrimage to eat here but my wife too loves their food. How does one find it?,... simply locate the entrance to the New Hope Ivyland train station then do an about face and walk the 100 feet to El Taco Loco, on your left I love this place.
(5)
Vincenzo C.
Excellent! Super fast service too. Been to New Hope several times and never knew this place existed. It's one block off Main st.... worth walking to.
(5)
Ben W.
Salsa was extremely memorable. The service was warm and friendly. We were happy with everything we ordered. Basically, everything you could want in a quick Mexican meal.
(5)
Ezra S.
I would say this is above average Mexican food, the mild salsa from the salsa bar was too spicy, I thought the chips were just blah, no real corn flavor in them but not salty. On the upside, the guacamole was excellent, the pinto beans perfectly seasoned and the gazpacho was outstanding.
(3)
W S.
Usually El Taco Loco is really great, went tonight super stoked on it being Taco Tuesday and as we walked in at 8:20 the guy working said they were closing. I get if you're slow to close up early every once in a while but this is actually the second time it's happened in the past few months. I used to be local but now live out by Philly so both times drove almost an hour only to be turned away. Super disappointing.
(3)
Amy A.
Love when the guy gave us the heads up that the jalapenos were exceptionally hot. They were! El Taco Loco is a great place to stop in for a quick, but very yummy meal. I've been a few times and never left disappointed. On a recent trip I orders the carnitas in a corn tortilla. Get the combo, the rice and beans are great. They also have a salsa and pepper bar. It's cheap, fresh ingredients, and delicious. It's byob so bring some corona's to wash down the yumminess.
(5)
Lauren B.
I was excited to try this place, based on some of the reviews. California-approved Mexican?!? I'm in. However, I'm not sure that's true. Our nachos had whiz instead of actual cheese, and while the tacos weren't bad, I wouldn't talk them up to anyone serious about Mexican food. If I hadn't read reviews, I think I would have had more realistic expectations of El Taco Loco from just walking in. It's low key and a little underwhelming.
(2)
Sydney E.
By far my favorite taco joint!! Everything is fresh and delicious. Salsa is fresh and soup du jour is always great. BYOB too so bring some margs and enjoy!
(5)
Bruce E.
This place is GREAT! BBQ burrito is excellent! Good service although slow and NOT fast food. The cook likes to prepare the food right. It was well worth the wait and we will visit again. Closest thing we've found to good California style Mexican food and at a reasonable price. So far we have not found anything we like as much in NJ. I guess that's because this is PA. LOL Now...There's always someone having a bad day looking for an excuse to give a bad review. So the guy below with an attitude needs to get a life. You'll notice 90% of the reviews are positive.
(5)
Toni P.
Food was not very good and very expensive for what it was. I had fish tacos that were ok. My husband got steak fajitas which turned out to be a small steak burrito (not my understanding of fajitas). All the food was bland and neither of us was satisfied even after spending 30+ dollars. I read on yelp reviews of the "great salsa bar" but that is not true. They had only one kind of salsa while we were there (they were out of mild) and it was only ok hot salsa. Despite several employees working, it was more like a take out restaurant that offered seating. There was only counter service which is not necessarily bad but the staff did not seem interested in any sort of customer service. It looked like a sit down restaurant but we were expected to figure out on our own the non conventional set up of "order it yourself at the kitchen" Regardless of service style I was very disappointed.
(1)
Ed K.
This is a American Mexican restaurant more on the American side. The food is ok wish it was more authentic but like I said it is more American. It is a good value for what they serve.
(4)
Wendy K.
A last minute next day luncheon was thrown my way for some VIPS for the following morning. I emailed this restaurant at 11pm hoping I could reach someone, anyone, to place an early next day order. My email was promptly replied the following morning and I was welcomed to call the restaurant 2 hours before they even opened to place my large order. I called it in at 9am for an 11:30 pick up time. Asked for them to just choose a variety from their lunch menu and I would trust their decisions. I was surprised at the amount of food and at the price. Very reasonably priced and a plethora of choices for all. Everyone loved it! The food was fresh, delicious and even though it was nearly an hour after pick up that some were finally able to eat, they loved it too. The guacamole was perfect, a slew of salsas from mild to hot were included as well as burritos, tacos, fajitas & some vegetarian options Their customer service would bring me back, but the quality of food makes me want to go back even sooner. Thanks guys for saving the day! (I even snuck a couple of burritos to take home) That's saying a lot.
(4)
Mo P.
This place reminds me of a California taqueria with no flavor. This place has potential but can not compete with the Mexican places in Lambertville. I will not be coming back to this place until they add some authentic seasoning and upgrade the quality of their ingredients and salsas.
(2)
Brandon W.
Stopped in for quick bite before leaving town. Glad we did. Best tasting tacos I've had since being to California. Everything was delicious. Will be on the list of places for our next visit.
(5)
Amber H.
This place is amazing. I get the taco salad every time I go. It's pretty awesome. The staff is really nice-I read a review on here that they weren't-clearly the reviewer is a tool. Anyway, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is relaxing. Great place!
(5)
Jackie T.
If I could give this place a 2.5 I would...but they redeemed themselves through out the meal so I rounded up. Couple of notes: 1) First, this place is a seat yourself, order at the counter type of place. When we walked in, that wasn't clear to us and no one explained that so were getting a little irritated that the waitress hadn't stopped by after sitting there for almost 10 minutes. 2) After figuring out the deal, we ordered chips and salsa. The first 2 batches of chips that came out were not crunchy at all. They were actually hard to eat...almost chewy. I assume they must have been leftover from previous days and had just gotten stale. Finally the 3rd basket of chips hit the jackpot. They were good, crisp and crunchy. 3) They have a salsa bar which has a decent variety to choose from. 4) It's BYOB which I love. 5) After ordering our entrees, the food came out fast. 6) Overall our entree's were really pretty good. It was a lot of food so we came home with leftovers 7) They serve almost everything on Styrofoam which kinda freaks me out and is a bit weird for a dining experience. 8) They often have Groupon, LivingSocial or Spinsaver deals out there so it makes for a cheap meal. 9) The service is okay, but certainly not overly friendly or welcoming. I would return given that the food was pretty good and they redeemed themselves throughout the meal, but probably wouldn't return without a coupon though.
(3)
Amalia Y.
honestly, this place was just... meh. there are so many yummy options in new hope and just across the bridge in lambertville, el taco loco just isn't one of them. i had steak and vegetables over rice and a side of beans- rice was underseasoned and dry, almost crunchy. the beans were a lukewarm, bland, mushy mess. the steak and vegetables were pretty bland as well (surprising for a mexican-inspired restaurant). a few sporadic chunks of raw jalapeno definitely woke up the palate, in an unfortunately unpleasant way. the salsa bar was forgettable- not awful, but definitely not good enough to remember. with so many other quirky, delicious, authentic places in the area, i doubt i'll be back. its only sort-of saving grace is that it's a byob. just be prepared to drink your beverages out of paper cups.
(2)
Angie R.
Eh. Plain boring food and not worth the money. I can make better guacamole and fajitas at home. Skip it!
Not really anything redeeming about this place. First and foremost the food is pretty gross. I ordered a bean burrito, which was totally slop wrapped VERY loosely in a tortilla. It came out cold. My wife had a bean chimichanga which was essentially the same thing as my burrito, not deep fried at all. The owner was short and rude with us. No reason to go to this place.
(1)
Priscilla B.
Save your money . Front counter person curt and needs s lesson in customer service . Waited 45mins for food. Pa err ty of 3 , we each were served 10 mins appart , no apology , no explaination . Food was fresh , fair taste very over priced. P. S. Fix your heater we fwere freezing.
(1)
Anita R.
Have been going here for years. The food tastes very authentic, and the salsa and sauces are very good. It has a nice atmosphere for a quick meal and the service is always excellent. The portions are pretty big and I always leave stuffed with a smile on my face.
(5)
dave s.
I would love to be able to write a review but never got a chance to taste the food. This past Sunday I walked in at 8:15 pm walked up to the counter to order take out and a guy yells out "Picking up?" I said No, I'd like to order takeout. The guy huffs and rolls his eyes a minute later I asked Do you have an issue or problem with taking my order and was told in an obnoxious, snarly way WELL! I started putting things away and I have an hour and a half drive home... I looked right at the guy and said forget it! The place doesnt even close till 9pm.. I walked in 45 mins before closing..Never in my life have I been treated so poorly.. If the owner is reading this take note and grant me a full apology for having been insulted and treating me like crap..
(1)
Mark D.
If you are hungry and want something good to eat.. go here. Me and my loved one are gluten free diners and when we found out that the triumph bar down the road had NO GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS and if they did, it was as if they were jumping through hoops to make it available.. on top of that, entrees started at $20. Anyways, I'm not here to bash Triumph but to PRAISE the Crazy Taco! Our meal came out to a total of $20 for the both of us and we were more than full afterwards... they have a choice of flour tortillas or corn tortillas for most dishes (which our dietary needs require) and they prepared the dishes relatively quick. We were very happy with our experience here!
(4)
Rosa M.
Service? None. Attitude? Yes! A bad one! You must walk up to the counter to place your order...that's fine. (Too bad the girl taking the order seemed soooo inconvenienced to take my order and charge me. You would have thought I asked her to pay for our meal.) You order and pay ahead of time and then find yourself a place to sit. You will have to get our own plastic forks, knives and napkins because its a fetch your own. There was a fixins bar that was suppose to have different salsas and sour cream or something but it was mostly empty and very sloppy looking so it was not an option. We waited for a while..then half of the order was brought to the table in a plastic basket. She mumbled something ( same girl) I have no idea what she said. We had no plates and just looked at each other wondering if we had to fetch our own plates. After a few minutes we went and asked for plates. So as we stared at our tacos getting cold we decided to start eating them right out of the basket. She then arrived and with attitude and gave us styrofoam plates. I'm surprised she didn't fling them like frisbees at us. We waited for the remainder of our order....dum de dum dum. And then a young man brought the rest. Our order consisted of a variety of hard and soft tacos and shrimp quesadillas....pretty basic Mexican food. Out of a 5 I'd give it a 1. Taco Bell would have been tastier. It's a shame because its a cute hole in the wall place in New Hope off the Main Street. There are many options on the main road to have lunch and this place looked like it would have at least good food..I don't know how this business survives. You have to be LOCO to go back!
(1)
Christina S.
What a find. Don't go for decor or ambiance, but the food and the service are stellar. I didn't see any Mexican Mama in the kitchen. It seems the place is run by hippie college students. However, they have a wonderful attitude, good food and great prices. It is a BYOB to boot.
(4)
Robert L.
I love this place. The food is great, the prices reasonable.
(4)
Michael C.
I'm only giving 2 stars because I ate here years ago and I remember it being cheap but delicious. Recently I was in town with my wife who loves Mexican and I told her about this place. We walked in and literally stood there for 5 minutes wondering where to order? There was one older guy there but he just kept looking at us and then back to his phone. We assumed he didn't know English at all (he made eye contact, but no hello) and we just waited there looking at the menu thinking a server or cashier would be right out. Then that same guy walks over and rudely asks "well you want something?" We looked at each other and put down the menus and walked out. Worst customer service ever. The place also looked gross and uninviting.
(2)
Mr X.
Late at night about more than a month ago I was there with a friend. Love what they did with the place as I have t been there in a few years. I would give the atmosphere a 5 star. Salsa bar was great too. Attitude of staff was a 2. Food was a 1.5 as it tasted and looked like it was heated up in the microwave. Don't think I will go back there at least not in this life time.
(2)
Jason W.
My wife and I ate here a few weekends ago while visiting New Hope for our anniversary. We loved the food so much that we just had to come back again the next day and have some more before we went back home! I especially loved their carne asada.
(5)
Senlei O.
I came with a Living Social coupon and left feeling quite satiated. You order and pay at the window and the staff will bring out the food. Food seemed fresh and was quick to serve. Salsa bar was nice, but it was a bit messy and whenever I see a messy "___ bar" i question the freshness and cleanliness of the place. But upon further inspection, that seemed like the only section that was lacking in the cleanliness department. Food was reasonably priced for the portions which were more than enough. Would go back again, even without a coupon.
(4)
Amanda N.
El Taco Loco doesn't look like much pulling up to it, but anyone who lives in the New Hope/Bucks area knows - it's where it's at for good Mexican food. Forget chain restaurants, I'm taking a trip down river road every time I have a craving for chips and salsa. Last night my friend and I made the trek for dinner. It was really nice because it was earlier in the evening, and a weekday so we were really the only folks in the place so it was quiet and relaxing. I order the combo platter of one flauta and one tamale. Both were so good! It's hard to chose one as my favorite, but if I was telling someone which one to pick I would go flauta - I bit into it and was pleasantly surprised at how darn tasty it was! The only reason I don't give the Crazy Taco five stars is because I find that the rice and beans are not normally hot. Some people don't mind that sort of 'room temp' food thing, but I'm all about my food feeling like I was fresh off the stove!
(4)
Monyca W.
Now I know why they call it El Taco Loco. You'd have to be loco to eat here. We stopped at El Taco Loco because we had somewhere to be in an hour, and we figured it'd be cheap, quick and good. It was none of the three. When we first walked in, I noticed a large group (12-14 customers) sitting at one table. I appreciate that a large group can upset the rhythm of a kitchen, but they already had their food, so it didn't seem like it would be a problem. As we stood at the door, the waiter shouted, "You can sit..." as he looked for a clean table. But all of the tables had dirty plates piled on them. I spotted a clean table, and asked "there?" We sat for a while before my boyfriend finally got menus. Then we sat for a while, as the waiter walked past us completely and we asked, "Can we order? Can we order now?" unable to get his attention. Finally we flagged him down and gave our order. Even ordering tacos from the menu seemed confusing to him. We sat even longer before we flagged him down again and asked, "Can we just get our drinks at least?" At this point, the large party already had their food and was eating, I can't imagine why he wouldn't be able to bring out two sodas, even if the kitchen was backed up. Finally we got our sodas, and then we waited... and waited... and waited for our food. While we were waiting, we could see that the two people who were working in the kitchen were eating in the back. I'm all for a dinner break, but not when you've got orders to get to. Right? Finally, the woman from the kitchen brought out my order. My boyfriend didn't have his food yet, which enabled him to get up and get forks and napkins for us. I was starving, so I decided to at least sample the rice and beans while we waited for my boyfriend's food. Red rice and refried beans: both were al dente and crunchy. Crunchy?!? I didn't have much time to ponder it though, because the waiter came back and said, "Did you have a chance to try the tacos yet?" Um, no, I was trying to be a little polite and wait until my boyfriend had his food. "Good, because... it's not your order." And with that, he scooped the tacos up off the platter, leaving me with a plate of crunchy uncooked rice and beans. At this point we were seriously considering getting up to leave. But we were hungry and we had already invested so much time into this place. Finally our orders came. We didn't have room on our table for the first platter I got, now just rice and beans, plus our two new platters, but luckily there was a table of dirty plates right next to us I could just add my plate to. The tacos were plain, without any type of sauce or seasonings. By the way, there's a Mexican tienda around the corner as well as a hot sauce store - think they could maybe stop in one of those places to pick up a little bit of seasoning? Luckily, I was able to scrape up a small spoonful of salsa out of the "complimentary salsa bar." While we ate our cold tacos, I overheard the woman from the kitchen saying, "We usually don't do table service, we decided to try it out." Suffice it to say, the experiment was a failure. I would've been perfectly happy to place my order at the counter and wait for my name to be called. At least then the staff could concentrate their efforts a little. Each time more people came in, the lone waiter would then clean off one of the dirty tables, squirting windex which smells great while you're eating, while the party waited there for their table. Needless to say, we didn't make it to the place where we needed to go in an hour, and the food was not quick, or good, or cheap. Taco Bell could blow this place out of the water in all of those categories. As could just about any Mexican place ever. Hell, buy yourself an Ortega soft taco kit at the grocery store and then make yourself wait an hour before you eat it cold and you would still have a better experience, even if you piled your sink full of dirty dishes just for the "atmosphere." For those of you who think this is "authentic," I pity you. Authentic Mexican food uses fresh delicious produce, not a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce. Authentic Mexican rice and beans will not break your teeth. And Mexican food is known worldwide for its flavors and spices, precisely because it is not served plain with an optional nearly-empty "complimentary salsa bar." The rest of the night, we rued our decision to stay rather than get up and leave. If I could give zero or negative stars, I would. There are plenty of great restaurants in walking distance, you'd have to be loco to go to El Taco Loco.
(1)
Leigh M.
Love the food here. The fish tacos are the freshest I've ever had, and I continue to go back for them alone. But the service is probably the worst I've ever experienced. The staff is fine, but watch your blood pressure if you run into the manager because he could ruin any sunny day. He argues with you, cuts you off, snaps, and even reprimands you if you take too long ordering or order the wrong way. I let it go the first time, thinking everyone is allowed to have a bad day, but the man has been continually rude since I've been going. He yelled at a priest...enough said. But really the fish tacos are heavenly.
(4)
Tucker C.
Very cool spot. Owners are super nice. Food quality was fantastic. My 7 year old loved the ground beef tacos. Check out the Especial and the BBQ burrito. A must stop if in New Hope.
(5)
Sandi N.
Mistakenly placed an order at the wrong location and attempted to cancel the order, yet pay for cost. The angry man on the phone answered rudely even while trying to pay for the cost. Needless to say, I did not pay due to rude remarks and poor customer service. Would NOT order from again.
(1)
Tommy M.
FINALLY some where I can go for a real taco. Now they just need the breakfast burrito like I use to get in LA.
(4)
Eric W.
I've gone to El Taco Loco with co-workers, and some of them experience a bit of sticker shock when they take out the menu. Not only is the food more reasonably priced than other Mexican options within walking distance, it's also much tastier, in my opinion. Besides, as the owner says, "This ain't Taco Bell." The quirky menu - which states that its food is made fresh and without such unmentionables as lard - is stocked with the usual suspects of California-style Mexican food. A particular standout is the taco salad, which should be given a Congressional Medal of Honor. A fried taco shell holds layers of rice, lettuce, fresh vegetables, and your choice of protein, topped off with a scoop of sour cream, homemade guacamole, and jalapenos. It's large enough to be your only meal of the day, which is a blessing in disguise because nothing else you eat afterwards will taste quite as good. The fresh salsa bar may seem a bit dank, but the small assortment of salsas and vegetables are quite tasty and come with a hefty serving of heat. A bright sign advertises "Taco Tuesday" with its $10 all-you-can-eat taco special, but since these are standard beef tacos served six at a time, this is only a deal if you can eat more than one plate. El Taco Loco's cantina-like atmosphere make it more suited for take out than table service, especially since the friendliness and service quality are very dependent on who happens to be behind the counter that day. If there's one complaint about the food, though, it'd have to be the portion size. Don't be expecting the football-sized burritos you get on a college campus. These plates are much more modest, but the food quality ensures that you'll be satisfied.
(4)
Jane P.
Fantastic Mexican food at low prices. Really good local place. Friendly service and low prices. The salsa bar is really good, as are the quesadillas and burritos. Tuesday is all you can eat tacos for $9.95. They have coupons available on their website and in the entertainment book. This is a place to go for great food - not if your looking for something upscale with a romantic atmosphere.
(5)
Kristen F.
just okay. nothing great or memorable. i prefer taco bell. but i guess the ambiance was cute and the kid who took our order was friendly.
(3)
Karen F.
Years ago (and I mean many) ETL was THE only place around for any type of Mexican food. They were much needed and much consumed by my crowd back in the day. Nowadays, to be fair, there's alot moore competition - but Chicken Tacos and Quesadilla's at ETL ESPECIALLy after a night of New Hope drinking are always a welcome taste of home for me. Bring on the guacamole - hold the jalapenos (OK, I'm a wimp) - and I am where I need to be.
(4)
Hayl S.
I made the unfortunate mistake of eating here tonight and I am paying the price. This place is not Gluten-Free friendly, no matter how many times their staff swear that it is. I called ahead and asked about their Gluten-Free options and the hostess promised me that they don't cook with flour and I would be fine as long as I didn't order the flour tortillas. I ordered a chicken enchilada platter and a taco platter with carne asada and carnitas, both on corn tortillas with rice and beans. When I arrived the cook rung me up and again I asked if they used flour and if it was safe to eat because of my gluten intolerance and he told me there was no flour in my meal. When I brought the food home I tried some of each and was nervous about the enchilada sauce so I called the restaurant and a 3rd employee told me that the enchilada sauce was made from scratch without any flour and double-checked with the kitchen staff. After eating my meal (that was lacking in flavor) I know for certain that I have been "glutened" from their food. I'm not a celiac and don't usually have a problem with cross contamination, I didn't even have anything that was fried. They clearly don't know what they put in their own food! I wouldn't even recommend this place to anyone who didn't have a gluten intolerance because the food isn't that great anyways.
(1)
Rose H.
We went into Taco Loco seeking out tacos on a friday afternoon. We were really disappointed in the tacos carnitas- the pork was undercooked, and the pico de gallo was lackluster. The carne asada taco I ordered was pretty good, though it was served with Colby-jack cheese, which we found odd. Also, the woman who took our order was less than friendly, and the tacos were overpriced.
(2)
Stephanie V.
I like El Taco Loco for a few reasons. The food is affordable, fresh and not smothered in cheese and the interior is really cute for a cheap taco joint! the only downside was that my ground beef was pretty greasy, but, I'm not exactly expecting health food from a Mexican fast food restaurant! It tasted pretty good and that was my main concern here;) This is a great place to pop in for lunch if you're on a budget. The decor makes it feel special too.
(4)
Yolanda Y.
I'll start with what disappointed me the most. I think they've stopped trying here. I was with a friend in town and we were looking for a place to sit down for lunch and yelp helped me find el taco loco. It looked promising and the reason we didn't pick the other Mexican place down the street is because it looked a little more expensive. Should have definitely gone there in retrospect. Anyway you're supposed to walk up to the window to order so we walked up waited a little and ordered two burritos with a lemonade and a water. 15 - 20 minutes later we got our food. Im not an expert but I don't think it should have taken so painfully long to make a couple relatively small AND simple burritos. Absolutely not worth the money. But like I said in the beginning the atmosphere was sad. It seems like the owners stopped caring and the staff - well the one person working when we came - couldn't care less. At least put some friendly music on in the eating area or something.
(2)
Darlene O.
I am not a Mexican food expert but I really thought the food was delicious. I can only compare to Taco Bell so for me this is authentic. I wish I had more Mexican restaurants in my area. So although El Taco Loco is a bit of a drive I go here when I want Mexican food. My only complaint is that in the summer it is very noisy from the air conditioners in the wall.
(4)
Joshua E.
I've lived in and around New Hope Lambertville since the early 90s and I've been going to El Taco Loco almost as long. It is definitely funky and a little chaotic, but the food has been consistently top-notch. Their guacomole is the best I've ever had at ANY restaraunt, Tex-Mex or otherwise. The staff have always been pleasant, and I've been going long enough that I've seen several different incarnations of staff. It's a New Hope institution.
(4)
Harrison L.
Unpretentious and inexpensive, yet very good quality food. It contrasts with the snooty wannabe upscale places in the neighborhood, and also stands high above the corporate crap fake Mexican restaurants. Ordering is simple, service is quick. The only gripe I have is that they make you pay for tortilla chips.
(5)
Kathy B.
Weird Place....No table service, we had to take a take out menu and sit at any table, we chose the room to the side which was very cold, the air conditioner was running full blast? It was in the 40's outside. NO waiter or waitress, we were standing at the counter ready to place an order the cashier was on the phone, taking a take out order and ignored us, finally she said I will be with you in a minute. After waiting at least 5 minutes more, she again apologized and continued on the phone explaining the menu and prices and then taking credit card information. We decided to leave because they were unorganized, short handed. People sat waiting at tables for their order and ours was not even taken yet. We used common sense and left because the beginning was not a good experience and we decided to go somewhere else where we were treated better. There was only two people working in the back a young man with bright red hair sprayed and a woman who seemed to be doing all the work. From where we stood the kitchen did not look clean. Won 't see us again, no second chance for us...A man came in as we were at the counter and decided to leave, he left after seeing us leave. This was our first and last experience here.
(1)
Monica H.
May be the best cheap eats in town...well except for John & Peter's...but this is the place where Gene Ween worked as a teen and was inspired to write "Pollo Asado" from The Pod! Any Ween fan will enjoy a basket of cheeeps from this place. Do you make guacamole? Yes, I do make guacamole.
(4)
Sarah H.
This place was supposed to be an authentic little gem in the heart of New Hope, instead it was a freezing cold, unfriendly, blandness of a place that had horrible food as well. The service was horrible, we went to the window to order - the waitress ignored us, so I presumed it was order at the window, she didn't say hi, she just grunted back to everything. Then the food arrived, and it was just as bland as her...no color = no flavor, horrible. The kids could barely stomach it, and for my 13-year old to not eat everything off his plate it had to be bad. I was hoping for lovely flavors of cilantro, onions, cheeses, cumin but there was nothing. I would not recommend this to anyone, I've actually been thinking of going back and sharing this with the owner but he probably wouldn't care, BLAH. If you feel like a blah night out, this is your place.
(1)
todd s.
Great food. We found this place years ago. We don't get to New Hope very often, but we keep finding ourselves eating here.
(4)
Rich J.
El Taco Loco serves simple Mexican at a reasonable price. The food is bland and reminiscent of Mexican food served at a school cafeteria. The saving grace is their salsa bar which is on par with other fast food Mexican restaurants. Consider other options in the area (Tortuga's, Buho's) if your time and budget permit.
(2)
Karen U.
Place was empty the entire time we were there, although it was off season. Restaurant was also very cold!! I had a taco salad which was good, but nothing to write home about. The girl who was working there was very nice and since we were the only ones there, the food came quickly, but I don't think I would go back again.
(2)
Audrey T.
Decent cheap Mexican food, served by sullen teen staff who act like they're doing you a favor. Walk across the bridge and eat at Tortuga's in Lambertville. Spend the extra $10 and get a better meal served by friendly people.
(2)
Catherine K.
Pretty standard Tex-Mex, but always very tasty and reasonable.
(3)
Gourmet G.
Surprisingly superb Mexican food prepared with only fresh ingredients in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Start with Botana Especial, a zesty blend of beans, cheese, salsa fresca, guacamole, and sour cream, served with grease-free housemade tortilla chips. You'll find all the standard menu items - tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas - and the shrimp fajitas are among the best I've ever had. Be sure to save room for the dessert chimichanga, stuffed with apples, cherries, or blueberries and topped with fresh whipped cream. Consistently cited as the best Mexican food in Bucks County, and deservedly so.
(5)
Megan B.
Ate here Sunday night with the husband. Started with nachos. Wasn't that thrilled with the ground beef ones we ordered. Liked the other kind better, but couldn't remember which we had ordered prior. Salsa was AMAZING. Had a delicious chicken taco, served in a corn tortilla. Rice and beans on the side. Made me very happy. Husband had a combo plate, and almost licked his plate clean. I guess that means he liked it. Service was a little slow, but not too bad. Noticed the two couples that came in after us (we were really early for dinner, probably arrived around 445, only one other table eating) waited forever. So good though, I'd wait.
(4)
Victor C.
Lunch Review Being a California native and long-time southern California resident, I thing I have my standards set pretty high for what "American" authentic-mexican food should taste like... I wasn't necessarily hesitant to try this place out, but I didn't go in with uber-high expectations. Ordered a Carne Asada Burrito. It wasn't anything like what you would get at a Tacqueria on the SF peninsula, at Roberto's/Alberto's/something-erto's Taco Shop in SD, or even as "generous" as the monsters they call burritos at Chipotle, but it was a solid burrito. The meat was freshly grilled, there was a "fresh" salsa bar, and the owner (I presume) was very courteous. With the limited "cheap eats" in the Lambertville/New Hope area, I'd come back.
(4)
B H.
Came here for the first time on a Monday lunch. Ordered to go. The decor is nice btw. Friendly owner who's been in business 24 yrs. you gotta know there's a reason you can stay in business this long. I had the especial burrito- chicken, rice, hot peppers. really spicy & Loved it! What impressed me most was the smoky flavor and tenderness of the meat. Price is very affordable. Its not a humongous sided burrito as in a Chipotle chain store, but it was enough to make me satisfied. Freshly made homemade salsa varieties are so good too. I'm looking forward to coming back for more and trying more dishes!
(5)
Lala H.
I enjoyed this spot. The food is good and the selection of sauces is nice. I tried beef enchiladas, tacos and chili. My friends had the chicken arroz con pollo. Portions are nice and the staff is friendly. I'd definitely eat here again if I'm in the mood for tacos in New Hope.
(3)
M K.
The beans were good, and the rest of our meals were average. We got the pork carnitas and steak tacos, and chicken with rice.
(2)
Lisa S.
HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The staff was not friendly but what I really care about was the food and it was horrible. I should have paid attention to the warning sighs which were the place was dirty, hardly any customers and the worst part there were some flies. I totally agree with one of the previous reviews that whoever gives this restaurant more than one star is because they like mediocre food. Lets put it this way taco bell has better Mexican food.
(1)
Brandon R.
One of the best places for a casual meal in New Hope. Very friendly service, and surprisingly good Mexican food. I would definitely go back!
(4)
L K.
My boyfriend was in the mood for Mexican food and really enjoyed this place, which bills itself as providing "California style Mexican food". I'm no expert on California style Mexican food, so my review is more catered to a typical customer who's looking for a delicious, hearty and affordable meal after a long (perhaps touristy) day in New Hope. We ordered the "special dip" as a starter, which was very good; in particular, the guacamole was very fresh, though they skimped on the cheese and the tomatoes I think were ordinary, bland American beefsteak tomatoes. Still, I enjoyed this dip a lot with the basket of warm, crispy chips. We also ordered an entree of a platter of fish (tilapia) tacos, which came with 2 tacos, rice, beans, and salsa. My boyfriend really enjoyed this dish, whereas I was more enthusiastic about the rice. I was less keen on the fish because it had been (purposefully) charred at very hot temperatures for a brief amount of time in the kitchen. My boyfriend, however, loved this. There is an excellent array of hot sauces available at every table: 2 habenero hot sauces, a regular chili sauce, Tabasco, and a smokey chipotle hot sauce. All were delicious to combine together! Service was basic: self-order at the counter, no one waiting the tables. ***One major complaint: please please please use recyclable materials rather than styrofoam plates, platters, and takeaway packages, and plastic forks.*** We were dining in rather than taking out, but we still got styrofoam, which is just terrible for the environment and extremely unnecessary for people staying in to eat.
(4)
Milton A.
Fair to good food but with some very strange items and issues. The good: the chips and the salsa bar are really good. The tacos and quesadillas are standard and pretty good. The strange: No one else on the planet makes burritos the way this place does and their way isnt that good. Black beans are not available and rice is minimal/skipped instead of being an anchor component. The burritos are heavy on refried beans and cheese and then CUT IN HALF. The maddening: Parking in New Hope can be next to impossible on a nice evening or anytime on the weekend and this place is very close to the rail lines so the number of very close street parking spots are minimal. I think this place was listed as the caterer on the first Ween record.
(3)
Belinda B.
The only reason this place is not a 5 star is because of the atmosphere. Definitely a hole in the wall but if you show up on a Tuesday you can get all you can eat tacos (beef or bean) for under $10. Delicious! P.S. 10% off coupon available on their website!
(4)
Chris W.
Food was good. Service was horrible. They forgot our order and the guy taking orders is just angry - plenty of other spots to check out for a better experience.
(2)
Stacey S.
The food was outstanding, the salsa...amazing,the service...eh...really slow. There was only one other couple in there at the same time so not quite sure what took so long, but once we got our food we decided it was worth the wait. Place could use a good scrubbing though.
(4)
MsPandora P.
Ever since I was old enough to drive, New Hope has been one of my favorite day trip destinations. When those first warm days of Spring would finally arrive, we'd hop in the car, pop in the Road Trip Mix Tape, and cruise on out to spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon. Once there, we just had to hit up a few spots without fail: Now & Then, Hemetro, LSD, Gerenser's - and El Taco Loco. Sadly, most of these places are either gone or not quite what they used to be... Except for El Taco Loco! Back in the day, ETL was half the size it is now, with much simpler decor - but everything else there has remained the same. They still serve up solid, simple, Mexican-inspired fast food that's super tasty and inexpensive. Are the tables sticky? Yes. Is the "service" nearly nonexistent? Yes. Will you leave here thinking you've just had the absolute best meal of your life? Probably not. But will you have paid under $10 for a plate full of really tasty food, at a place that's full of character, which also happens to be a New Hope institution? Absolutely. The Nachos Supreme is a huge and delicious mess; omit the beef to make it veg-friendly. The Cheese & Onion Enchiladas, smothered in red sauce, are gooey comfort food - and a real bargain when served with rice and beans at $8.95. The Bean & Cheese Burrito is basic, but throw in some extras (lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream) and the platter is still a bargain at around ten bucks. The Taco Salad, a personal favorite, is incredibly tasty; filled with rice, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and your choice of beef, chili or refried beans, and topped off with guacamole and sour cream, this thing will leave you fully satisfied for just under $8.00. (The best part, of course, is ripping into the crispy, flaky tortilla bowl.) Utilize the complimentary salsa bar to perk things up - all of the salsas are great, especially the tangy salsa verde - and throw in some pickled jalapenos to add a vibrant kick! A special note for vegetarians: Both beans and rice are veg-safe, and plenty of dishes are or can be made vegan through omission of cheese and/or sour cream. Now, I'm not saying that ETL serves the best or most authentic Mexican food in the New Hope area, because it doesn't. But what it does, it does well. If you go here with the right expectations, you will not be disappointed.
(4)
Jamie L.
We luckily quite randomly stumbled upon this place. We just turned onto the main street and wanted to grab a bite to eat for lunch and we saw the sign. Walking in i wasn't sure if we just sat down or ordered or what then a very nice guy popped his head out and told us we order with him and he will bring it to us easy enough. We had a pulled beef burrito platter and a chicken burrito platter both were AWESOME! A little messy but soooo good. They were quite large so we really could of probably split it for lunch. They also gave us a chips and we had tasted all the salsa's from the help yourself salsa bar they were all very fresh and very good. I would definitely go back.
(4)
Nick C.
I always eat here when visiting New Hope. My favorite is the chicken BBQ burrito platter, with everything except guacamole. Friendly workers (mostly). Clean, but bathroom could use some ventilation. Great deals on groupon, spinster and living social. Good prices for a New Hope restaurant, especially with coupon.
(4)
Alicia O.
This place is about a half hour away, but when I crave Mexican food, this is the only place to go. I love their salsa and guacamole. The meat is just seasoned, which is pretty good. My only complaint is that sometimes they have servers and sometimes you can just order at the counter. One night I came in when they were REALLY busy. They only had one waitress working, but we couldn't order at the counter. I would have preferred ordering from the counter when they're that busy.
(4)
Joy G.
cheap, tasty and way better than Taco Smell. Love their food. I don't have anything to add other than that I agree with previous reviewers comments. Also useful to mention that parking is a problem in New Hope, so likely you'll park a few blocks away and you'll have to work. In a town where almost all the eateries are uber-expensive, this is a good alternative.
(3)
mundania h.
When I was in New Hope for the day with my g/f we had heard that this place had really good tacos. On that part they were absolutely right! The food was very tasty and the service was extremely friendly. The reason for 3 stars is the cleanliness. As I walked back to use the restroom I got a glance at the kitchen and it was pretty gross. They had dirty dish rags on the floor and the counters did not look all that clean either. Also, when we sat down our table was pretty sticky and messy. I get the whole dive aspect but the kitchen should look presentable if your customers are able to peek in. I also work at a coffee shop and it literally takes me less than a minute to wipe off a dirty table.
(3)
Kate G.
my most frequent dining partner and I have a bad habit of trying to force eating mexican food when the location does not call for it. new hope PA is a place where mexican food doesnt belong. I ate a BBQ burrito with BBQ sauce on it? i mean, it wasnt bad. and they have a salsa bar. but we did see actual mexicans come in and stare at the menue for 20 minutes, extremely confused. There was a 17 year old white young man making all the food. in fact, new hope has a thriving white youth employment in the service sector industry. i thought that was a relic of the past. at least there is one place on earth where full grown adults are doing something better-paying than making taco salads.
(3)
Ant K.
Tried this place after getting a half price deal from living social. It was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed the chips and salsa bar. The guacamole was pretty good too. The tacos themselves weren't necessarily memorable. But if in the area again I can't say I wouldn't stop by.
(3)
john t.
This is not mexican food. Im not sure what it was. the meat has no mexican sauce or spices in it. I'ts just plain fried ground beef dumped on whatever you order. There isn't a mexican to be found there. Just some wierd white guy that serves up the blandest nasty food I ever ate. If I ran a mexican restaraunt I would at least learn how to cook mexican food. Better off going to Taco Bell
(1)
P M.
We were looking for cheap eats after a great ride on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad this past Saturday. The owner / host seemed really pleasant but the food was oh so bland. How can you serve tacos with just iceberg lettuce and tomatoes - without cilantro and onions? I guess if I had it in my mind that it was not supposed to be traditional Mexican, then I would have set my expectations accordingly. They had a choice of hard corn or soft corn tortillas, but would have preferred a choice of flour for myself. Step up and place your order at the counter. Food was made fresh to order, piping hot delivered to your table, solidly good guacamole, convenient salsa bar. Steady stream of customers came in with many grabbing takeout to go. The air conditioning was very welcome on this hot day. About 1/2 of the 15 or so tables were filled. Just remind yourself that you're in the northern half of the US and not in Texas, AZ or California. I'm spoiled because you can get authentic tacos in those areas but I guess I should just close my yap and be happy that I found some relatively affordable grub in a normally expensive tourist trap town.
(2)
Steve L.
Been going there for years. The BBQ chicken burrito is incredible. Sweet smoky BBQ sauce combined with Mexican heat in a delectable tortilla makes every bite a party. Salsas are freshly made daily. The founder came from San Diego and establishes that fresh Mexican ingredients do not need to be expensive.
(5)
Rev Dr David Albert F.
Well it's not clear that a customer is supposed to order her or his own food and that table service is nonexistent. A simple sign would clear it right up. Beyond that the food is really good and very reasonably priced. Nice folks working there too.
(3)
Jenna T.
Love love LOVE this place! Tacos are my favorite food and I'm always on the hunt for the best. I just keep coming back to this gem! The food is fabulous, but not to fancy, just the way I like my tacos. I highly recommend this place for someone looking for a good taco!!
(5)
Janelle M.
I've heard a lot about El Taco Loco over the years, but never got around to eating here. Recently after shopping in New Hope, I decided to stop in and grab a Bean (hard) Taco to-go. It was yummy and only $1.95. The place is small and very casual. It's an order at the counter kind-of-deal and (I guess) they bring the food to your table when it's ready. Anyway, the girl at the counter was super nice and informed the guys in the back that I was waiting and to "get on the bean taco." You can see into the kitchen from the counter, which probably isn't the best thing they've got going for them, as their kitchen looks kind of not-the-cleanest, but whatever.
(3)
Jennifer Y.
Taco Loco at first glance seems like it might be one of those less mex and more tex mexican restaurants but, the food here is excellent! Prices are reasonable and it's byob. I made the mistake of ordering something really spicy (not thinking it would be) and it was muy caliente! Plus, what's nice is that it's BYOB.
(4)
Dorothy P.
What makes El Taco Loco A-OK and not "eh, I've had better" (and I do wish you could give half stars on this site!) is the quality for the buck. One has to be careful in tourist destinations like New Hope to avoid the rip-off, and New Hope townies (as I now am) know to go to El Taco Loco where they can eat in or take out, and get abundant dishes made with good quality ingredients for a fair price. For those aspects, the El Especial burrito and the soft tacos de carne and the fact that it's right around the corner from our house, we're fans. Here's are some of the down-sides: The place is dark, so dark in fact the if you pass by you might think it was closed. The atmosphere, with no music and little light, seems gauged to the temperament of depressives despite the nicely conceived decor. Secondly, the staff, a group of very pale, tatooed, goth-seeming white kids, is quirky to say the least: They tend to observe you from the other side of the counter very much as a junkyard dog might, with a certain lean suspicion and lack of welcome. Be careful that they MARK your dishes if you're taking out because if not you'll get home and not know what anything is. The last big downside is the lack of service: If you do decide to eat at the restaurant, no one will care if you live or die. I asked them about this and a pale girl with black fingernails explained to me that she got annoyed that people expected to be "catered to", and that they just don't do things that way. Evidently not! That said, this is really the best place to get decent Mexican food at a good price in the New Hope/Lambertville area.
(3)
Sara S.
Love this Tex Mex food! Not AUTHENTIC MEXCIAN - but delicious tex mex. We love the Nachos Grande! You order at the counter, so the reveiw below confused me as the reviewer wrote about trying to flag a waiter down to place their order. No wonder she had such a hard time, she had no idea what she was doing. Anyway, love the giant burritos, huge piles of nachos and wonderful quesadillas. this place has awesome refried beans and excellent guacamole. nothing FANCY - but hearty and yummy.
(4)
Jake F.
Was hungry at lunch so I scampered on in there for a burrito with fried steak ( Carne Asada? You Mexican freaks can correct my spelling, but I didn't memorize how to spell it ). It was great!! I would love to go back with some buds and get a ton of their stuff and wash it down with some good strong lager. I would give a 5 for the food if it was a more sophisticated entre, but burritos are pretty basic, right? The prices were good, the owner was a good guy. They have a "bar" where you can get different sauces, and pick up some really hot peppers. I mean, how much can you tear apart a burrito? Great food, great atmosphere, definitely going back. Some other bonehead wrote a review here, and said "definitely a hole in the wall". It's basic, but there are two rooms and it is very clean. Kind of an unfair assessment to call it that.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Hipster Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : No Caters : Yes
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.
Valerie B.
Good mexican food. Very tasty. Service is order and seat yourself. People are nice.
(3)Gina D.
We stumbled in here on a rainy day for a quick bite. There is a lot of competition in the area which I am anxious to try since our meal was not bad - just so-so. There was nothing that really stood out to us. I had a taco platter with the shrimp taco and carne asada taco. The portion of shrimp was generous but the flavor was lacking. The steak was a little tough but overall had decent flavor. He had the burrito especial which had some amped up flavor from jalapeños. A great variety of hot sauces were available on each table and we tried them all to just try to lift the flavors of the meal. I wouldn't try to deter someone from coming here. I just wouldn't expect to be wowed.
(3)Bryan J.
i'm going to give it five stars, but keep in mind, this is just a local mexican taco joint, so keep that in mind. it seems to be run by the owner, and he really does know almost everybody who comes in, which is nice. the other staff are all young and very friendly. all homemade, and really really good. their salsa is a little on the hot side, their tacos are wonderful, they have a little salsa bar with a couple of other homemade salsas and peppers and the like. their gazpacho is worth the trip!
(5)Mike M.
Just average Mexican food at tourist-town prices. Nothing out of this world or to phone home about. My favorites include the fish taco, chimichanga, and quesadilla. Just be aware that almost anything else you could want with your meal (with the exception of salsa) is truly extra and they will charge you for it, that also for chips and extra guac. Service can take a while on a busy day as there's usually only two people working at any one time (one on the register, one in the kitchen) otherwise the food comes pretty quickly, though your mileage may vary. In the end, if you're craving California-style Mexican food that's not Taco Bell, El Taco Loco is the only game in town.
(3)peter s.
Avoid. I love a good hole-in-the-wall, but this one just doesn't feel clean. Everything sticky. The tacos were unremarkable at best - underseasoned, cheap ingredients, nothing approaching authentic. Better to avoid New Hope altogether, except for the old Playhouse - nearby Doylestown has much more to offer on the food front.
(1)Jim K.
The owner as I walked up to the counter to order was talking about a customer who had been in there earlier who complained about bad food and bad service. From how he reenacted the situation he sounded very rude and cursed the customer off. Very dirty feel to the place. I literally live a minute walk and I refuse to eat here again. The steak tacos that I received were white meat. Guacamole tasted like they drenched it in lime juice prolly because they had made it that morning and didn't want to make a fresh batch. I've given this place multiple chances and every time they disappoint.
(1)F B.
Walked in the door At 9:16pm. They close at 10. Either the owner or maybe just the cook, comes to the counter yelling, seriously im not being sarcastic, YELLING that we cannot sit where we were going to sit and that we "BETTER ORDER RIGHT NOW because we're running out of food and I can't take it". Hmmmm someone's having a bad day and obviously doesn't know how to keep it inside for the sake of customers. Nastiest face, nastiest temper. My girlfriend is in the food industry and we would never walk into a restaurant within a half hour of closing, but it was a full 44mins before, with 3 families still eating. Drove here from NJ just to eat there and will never step foot in the place of a rude, mean, nasty person like that again.
(1)Lamprey I.
If you like REAL Mexican food, not that Taco Bell crap, this is where to go. El Taco Loco had it's origins in Levittown, PA in a strip mall on the intersection of Durham and Newportville (now New Falls) Roads. Later, much to my dismay because it was a twice a week stop, the proprietor moved to New Hope (why is it that everything I love either goes away or goes belly up?). Fortunately, it only moved a short distance and now, not only do I make a regular pilgrimage to eat here but my wife too loves their food. How does one find it?,... simply locate the entrance to the New Hope Ivyland train station then do an about face and walk the 100 feet to El Taco Loco, on your left I love this place.
(5)Vincenzo C.
Excellent! Super fast service too. Been to New Hope several times and never knew this place existed. It's one block off Main st.... worth walking to.
(5)Ben W.
Salsa was extremely memorable. The service was warm and friendly. We were happy with everything we ordered. Basically, everything you could want in a quick Mexican meal.
(5)Ezra S.
I would say this is above average Mexican food, the mild salsa from the salsa bar was too spicy, I thought the chips were just blah, no real corn flavor in them but not salty. On the upside, the guacamole was excellent, the pinto beans perfectly seasoned and the gazpacho was outstanding.
(3)W S.
Usually El Taco Loco is really great, went tonight super stoked on it being Taco Tuesday and as we walked in at 8:20 the guy working said they were closing. I get if you're slow to close up early every once in a while but this is actually the second time it's happened in the past few months. I used to be local but now live out by Philly so both times drove almost an hour only to be turned away. Super disappointing.
(3)Amy A.
Love when the guy gave us the heads up that the jalapenos were exceptionally hot. They were! El Taco Loco is a great place to stop in for a quick, but very yummy meal. I've been a few times and never left disappointed. On a recent trip I orders the carnitas in a corn tortilla. Get the combo, the rice and beans are great. They also have a salsa and pepper bar. It's cheap, fresh ingredients, and delicious. It's byob so bring some corona's to wash down the yumminess.
(5)Lauren B.
I was excited to try this place, based on some of the reviews. California-approved Mexican?!? I'm in. However, I'm not sure that's true. Our nachos had whiz instead of actual cheese, and while the tacos weren't bad, I wouldn't talk them up to anyone serious about Mexican food. If I hadn't read reviews, I think I would have had more realistic expectations of El Taco Loco from just walking in. It's low key and a little underwhelming.
(2)Sydney E.
By far my favorite taco joint!! Everything is fresh and delicious. Salsa is fresh and soup du jour is always great. BYOB too so bring some margs and enjoy!
(5)Bruce E.
This place is GREAT! BBQ burrito is excellent! Good service although slow and NOT fast food. The cook likes to prepare the food right. It was well worth the wait and we will visit again. Closest thing we've found to good California style Mexican food and at a reasonable price. So far we have not found anything we like as much in NJ. I guess that's because this is PA. LOL Now...There's always someone having a bad day looking for an excuse to give a bad review. So the guy below with an attitude needs to get a life. You'll notice 90% of the reviews are positive.
(5)Toni P.
Food was not very good and very expensive for what it was. I had fish tacos that were ok. My husband got steak fajitas which turned out to be a small steak burrito (not my understanding of fajitas). All the food was bland and neither of us was satisfied even after spending 30+ dollars. I read on yelp reviews of the "great salsa bar" but that is not true. They had only one kind of salsa while we were there (they were out of mild) and it was only ok hot salsa. Despite several employees working, it was more like a take out restaurant that offered seating. There was only counter service which is not necessarily bad but the staff did not seem interested in any sort of customer service. It looked like a sit down restaurant but we were expected to figure out on our own the non conventional set up of "order it yourself at the kitchen" Regardless of service style I was very disappointed.
(1)Ed K.
This is a American Mexican restaurant more on the American side. The food is ok wish it was more authentic but like I said it is more American. It is a good value for what they serve.
(4)Wendy K.
A last minute next day luncheon was thrown my way for some VIPS for the following morning. I emailed this restaurant at 11pm hoping I could reach someone, anyone, to place an early next day order. My email was promptly replied the following morning and I was welcomed to call the restaurant 2 hours before they even opened to place my large order. I called it in at 9am for an 11:30 pick up time. Asked for them to just choose a variety from their lunch menu and I would trust their decisions. I was surprised at the amount of food and at the price. Very reasonably priced and a plethora of choices for all. Everyone loved it! The food was fresh, delicious and even though it was nearly an hour after pick up that some were finally able to eat, they loved it too. The guacamole was perfect, a slew of salsas from mild to hot were included as well as burritos, tacos, fajitas & some vegetarian options Their customer service would bring me back, but the quality of food makes me want to go back even sooner. Thanks guys for saving the day! (I even snuck a couple of burritos to take home) That's saying a lot.
(4)Mo P.
This place reminds me of a California taqueria with no flavor. This place has potential but can not compete with the Mexican places in Lambertville. I will not be coming back to this place until they add some authentic seasoning and upgrade the quality of their ingredients and salsas.
(2)Brandon W.
Stopped in for quick bite before leaving town. Glad we did. Best tasting tacos I've had since being to California. Everything was delicious. Will be on the list of places for our next visit.
(5)Amber H.
This place is amazing. I get the taco salad every time I go. It's pretty awesome. The staff is really nice-I read a review on here that they weren't-clearly the reviewer is a tool. Anyway, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is relaxing. Great place!
(5)Jackie T.
If I could give this place a 2.5 I would...but they redeemed themselves through out the meal so I rounded up. Couple of notes: 1) First, this place is a seat yourself, order at the counter type of place. When we walked in, that wasn't clear to us and no one explained that so were getting a little irritated that the waitress hadn't stopped by after sitting there for almost 10 minutes. 2) After figuring out the deal, we ordered chips and salsa. The first 2 batches of chips that came out were not crunchy at all. They were actually hard to eat...almost chewy. I assume they must have been leftover from previous days and had just gotten stale. Finally the 3rd basket of chips hit the jackpot. They were good, crisp and crunchy. 3) They have a salsa bar which has a decent variety to choose from. 4) It's BYOB which I love. 5) After ordering our entrees, the food came out fast. 6) Overall our entree's were really pretty good. It was a lot of food so we came home with leftovers 7) They serve almost everything on Styrofoam which kinda freaks me out and is a bit weird for a dining experience. 8) They often have Groupon, LivingSocial or Spinsaver deals out there so it makes for a cheap meal. 9) The service is okay, but certainly not overly friendly or welcoming. I would return given that the food was pretty good and they redeemed themselves throughout the meal, but probably wouldn't return without a coupon though.
(3)Amalia Y.
honestly, this place was just... meh. there are so many yummy options in new hope and just across the bridge in lambertville, el taco loco just isn't one of them. i had steak and vegetables over rice and a side of beans- rice was underseasoned and dry, almost crunchy. the beans were a lukewarm, bland, mushy mess. the steak and vegetables were pretty bland as well (surprising for a mexican-inspired restaurant). a few sporadic chunks of raw jalapeno definitely woke up the palate, in an unfortunately unpleasant way. the salsa bar was forgettable- not awful, but definitely not good enough to remember. with so many other quirky, delicious, authentic places in the area, i doubt i'll be back. its only sort-of saving grace is that it's a byob. just be prepared to drink your beverages out of paper cups.
(2)Angie R.
Eh. Plain boring food and not worth the money. I can make better guacamole and fajitas at home. Skip it!
(1)Irina L.
Some would call this a hole in a wall [which it isn't really], but it's where you find good food, for very reasonable prices, without the frou-frou, the high overhead of fancy décor and without the snobby or indifferent servers. Here, it's laid back, easy going, disposable cutlery and plates, but lingering tastes and simple, enjoyable food. It's a BYOB !! We popped in around 8 pm on a Thursday eve, for a lite bite: and we've got exactly what we were looking for. We ordered a cup of gazpacho each, fish tacos a la carte [one Baja style, one classic], a side of frijoles, and water. The gazpacho was perfect: rich tasting, full-bodied, not watered down or flat on flavors, well balanced with spices and lime, served in a small bowl with crispy toasted tortilla strips. The fish tacos, made with tilapia, were delivered on layered corn tortillas: generously piled with fish, garnish and sauce. Very tasty, warm and fresh. A bit more splash of the hot sauce for the extra "bite" I line in my food - and this went down so well! Frijoles were more like refried beans than the "soupy" version we expected, but we polished these off, too. So good, for so little money. The food was prepared fresh, to order, pretty efficiently, and delivered to the table by the staff. The only thing missing was outdoor seating, as it was a lovely summer evening.
(4)Rennie J.
Not really anything redeeming about this place. First and foremost the food is pretty gross. I ordered a bean burrito, which was totally slop wrapped VERY loosely in a tortilla. It came out cold. My wife had a bean chimichanga which was essentially the same thing as my burrito, not deep fried at all. The owner was short and rude with us. No reason to go to this place.
(1)Priscilla B.
Save your money . Front counter person curt and needs s lesson in customer service . Waited 45mins for food. Pa err ty of 3 , we each were served 10 mins appart , no apology , no explaination . Food was fresh , fair taste very over priced. P. S. Fix your heater we fwere freezing.
(1)Anita R.
Have been going here for years. The food tastes very authentic, and the salsa and sauces are very good. It has a nice atmosphere for a quick meal and the service is always excellent. The portions are pretty big and I always leave stuffed with a smile on my face.
(5)dave s.
I would love to be able to write a review but never got a chance to taste the food. This past Sunday I walked in at 8:15 pm walked up to the counter to order take out and a guy yells out "Picking up?" I said No, I'd like to order takeout. The guy huffs and rolls his eyes a minute later I asked Do you have an issue or problem with taking my order and was told in an obnoxious, snarly way WELL! I started putting things away and I have an hour and a half drive home... I looked right at the guy and said forget it! The place doesnt even close till 9pm.. I walked in 45 mins before closing..Never in my life have I been treated so poorly.. If the owner is reading this take note and grant me a full apology for having been insulted and treating me like crap..
(1)Mark D.
If you are hungry and want something good to eat.. go here. Me and my loved one are gluten free diners and when we found out that the triumph bar down the road had NO GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS and if they did, it was as if they were jumping through hoops to make it available.. on top of that, entrees started at $20. Anyways, I'm not here to bash Triumph but to PRAISE the Crazy Taco! Our meal came out to a total of $20 for the both of us and we were more than full afterwards... they have a choice of flour tortillas or corn tortillas for most dishes (which our dietary needs require) and they prepared the dishes relatively quick. We were very happy with our experience here!
(4)Rosa M.
Service? None. Attitude? Yes! A bad one! You must walk up to the counter to place your order...that's fine. (Too bad the girl taking the order seemed soooo inconvenienced to take my order and charge me. You would have thought I asked her to pay for our meal.) You order and pay ahead of time and then find yourself a place to sit. You will have to get our own plastic forks, knives and napkins because its a fetch your own. There was a fixins bar that was suppose to have different salsas and sour cream or something but it was mostly empty and very sloppy looking so it was not an option. We waited for a while..then half of the order was brought to the table in a plastic basket. She mumbled something ( same girl) I have no idea what she said. We had no plates and just looked at each other wondering if we had to fetch our own plates. After a few minutes we went and asked for plates. So as we stared at our tacos getting cold we decided to start eating them right out of the basket. She then arrived and with attitude and gave us styrofoam plates. I'm surprised she didn't fling them like frisbees at us. We waited for the remainder of our order....dum de dum dum. And then a young man brought the rest. Our order consisted of a variety of hard and soft tacos and shrimp quesadillas....pretty basic Mexican food. Out of a 5 I'd give it a 1. Taco Bell would have been tastier. It's a shame because its a cute hole in the wall place in New Hope off the Main Street. There are many options on the main road to have lunch and this place looked like it would have at least good food..I don't know how this business survives. You have to be LOCO to go back!
(1)Christina S.
What a find. Don't go for decor or ambiance, but the food and the service are stellar. I didn't see any Mexican Mama in the kitchen. It seems the place is run by hippie college students. However, they have a wonderful attitude, good food and great prices. It is a BYOB to boot.
(4)Robert L.
I love this place. The food is great, the prices reasonable.
(4)Michael C.
I'm only giving 2 stars because I ate here years ago and I remember it being cheap but delicious. Recently I was in town with my wife who loves Mexican and I told her about this place. We walked in and literally stood there for 5 minutes wondering where to order? There was one older guy there but he just kept looking at us and then back to his phone. We assumed he didn't know English at all (he made eye contact, but no hello) and we just waited there looking at the menu thinking a server or cashier would be right out. Then that same guy walks over and rudely asks "well you want something?" We looked at each other and put down the menus and walked out. Worst customer service ever. The place also looked gross and uninviting.
(2)Mr X.
Late at night about more than a month ago I was there with a friend. Love what they did with the place as I have t been there in a few years. I would give the atmosphere a 5 star. Salsa bar was great too. Attitude of staff was a 2. Food was a 1.5 as it tasted and looked like it was heated up in the microwave. Don't think I will go back there at least not in this life time.
(2)Jason W.
My wife and I ate here a few weekends ago while visiting New Hope for our anniversary. We loved the food so much that we just had to come back again the next day and have some more before we went back home! I especially loved their carne asada.
(5)Senlei O.
I came with a Living Social coupon and left feeling quite satiated. You order and pay at the window and the staff will bring out the food. Food seemed fresh and was quick to serve. Salsa bar was nice, but it was a bit messy and whenever I see a messy "___ bar" i question the freshness and cleanliness of the place. But upon further inspection, that seemed like the only section that was lacking in the cleanliness department. Food was reasonably priced for the portions which were more than enough. Would go back again, even without a coupon.
(4)Amanda N.
El Taco Loco doesn't look like much pulling up to it, but anyone who lives in the New Hope/Bucks area knows - it's where it's at for good Mexican food. Forget chain restaurants, I'm taking a trip down river road every time I have a craving for chips and salsa. Last night my friend and I made the trek for dinner. It was really nice because it was earlier in the evening, and a weekday so we were really the only folks in the place so it was quiet and relaxing. I order the combo platter of one flauta and one tamale. Both were so good! It's hard to chose one as my favorite, but if I was telling someone which one to pick I would go flauta - I bit into it and was pleasantly surprised at how darn tasty it was! The only reason I don't give the Crazy Taco five stars is because I find that the rice and beans are not normally hot. Some people don't mind that sort of 'room temp' food thing, but I'm all about my food feeling like I was fresh off the stove!
(4)Monyca W.
Now I know why they call it El Taco Loco. You'd have to be loco to eat here. We stopped at El Taco Loco because we had somewhere to be in an hour, and we figured it'd be cheap, quick and good. It was none of the three. When we first walked in, I noticed a large group (12-14 customers) sitting at one table. I appreciate that a large group can upset the rhythm of a kitchen, but they already had their food, so it didn't seem like it would be a problem. As we stood at the door, the waiter shouted, "You can sit..." as he looked for a clean table. But all of the tables had dirty plates piled on them. I spotted a clean table, and asked "there?" We sat for a while before my boyfriend finally got menus. Then we sat for a while, as the waiter walked past us completely and we asked, "Can we order? Can we order now?" unable to get his attention. Finally we flagged him down and gave our order. Even ordering tacos from the menu seemed confusing to him. We sat even longer before we flagged him down again and asked, "Can we just get our drinks at least?" At this point, the large party already had their food and was eating, I can't imagine why he wouldn't be able to bring out two sodas, even if the kitchen was backed up. Finally we got our sodas, and then we waited... and waited... and waited for our food. While we were waiting, we could see that the two people who were working in the kitchen were eating in the back. I'm all for a dinner break, but not when you've got orders to get to. Right? Finally, the woman from the kitchen brought out my order. My boyfriend didn't have his food yet, which enabled him to get up and get forks and napkins for us. I was starving, so I decided to at least sample the rice and beans while we waited for my boyfriend's food. Red rice and refried beans: both were al dente and crunchy. Crunchy?!? I didn't have much time to ponder it though, because the waiter came back and said, "Did you have a chance to try the tacos yet?" Um, no, I was trying to be a little polite and wait until my boyfriend had his food. "Good, because... it's not your order." And with that, he scooped the tacos up off the platter, leaving me with a plate of crunchy uncooked rice and beans. At this point we were seriously considering getting up to leave. But we were hungry and we had already invested so much time into this place. Finally our orders came. We didn't have room on our table for the first platter I got, now just rice and beans, plus our two new platters, but luckily there was a table of dirty plates right next to us I could just add my plate to. The tacos were plain, without any type of sauce or seasonings. By the way, there's a Mexican tienda around the corner as well as a hot sauce store - think they could maybe stop in one of those places to pick up a little bit of seasoning? Luckily, I was able to scrape up a small spoonful of salsa out of the "complimentary salsa bar." While we ate our cold tacos, I overheard the woman from the kitchen saying, "We usually don't do table service, we decided to try it out." Suffice it to say, the experiment was a failure. I would've been perfectly happy to place my order at the counter and wait for my name to be called. At least then the staff could concentrate their efforts a little. Each time more people came in, the lone waiter would then clean off one of the dirty tables, squirting windex which smells great while you're eating, while the party waited there for their table. Needless to say, we didn't make it to the place where we needed to go in an hour, and the food was not quick, or good, or cheap. Taco Bell could blow this place out of the water in all of those categories. As could just about any Mexican place ever. Hell, buy yourself an Ortega soft taco kit at the grocery store and then make yourself wait an hour before you eat it cold and you would still have a better experience, even if you piled your sink full of dirty dishes just for the "atmosphere." For those of you who think this is "authentic," I pity you. Authentic Mexican food uses fresh delicious produce, not a pile of shredded iceberg lettuce. Authentic Mexican rice and beans will not break your teeth. And Mexican food is known worldwide for its flavors and spices, precisely because it is not served plain with an optional nearly-empty "complimentary salsa bar." The rest of the night, we rued our decision to stay rather than get up and leave. If I could give zero or negative stars, I would. There are plenty of great restaurants in walking distance, you'd have to be loco to go to El Taco Loco.
(1)Leigh M.
Love the food here. The fish tacos are the freshest I've ever had, and I continue to go back for them alone. But the service is probably the worst I've ever experienced. The staff is fine, but watch your blood pressure if you run into the manager because he could ruin any sunny day. He argues with you, cuts you off, snaps, and even reprimands you if you take too long ordering or order the wrong way. I let it go the first time, thinking everyone is allowed to have a bad day, but the man has been continually rude since I've been going. He yelled at a priest...enough said. But really the fish tacos are heavenly.
(4)Tucker C.
Very cool spot. Owners are super nice. Food quality was fantastic. My 7 year old loved the ground beef tacos. Check out the Especial and the BBQ burrito. A must stop if in New Hope.
(5)Sandi N.
Mistakenly placed an order at the wrong location and attempted to cancel the order, yet pay for cost. The angry man on the phone answered rudely even while trying to pay for the cost. Needless to say, I did not pay due to rude remarks and poor customer service. Would NOT order from again.
(1)Tommy M.
FINALLY some where I can go for a real taco. Now they just need the breakfast burrito like I use to get in LA.
(4)Eric W.
I've gone to El Taco Loco with co-workers, and some of them experience a bit of sticker shock when they take out the menu. Not only is the food more reasonably priced than other Mexican options within walking distance, it's also much tastier, in my opinion. Besides, as the owner says, "This ain't Taco Bell." The quirky menu - which states that its food is made fresh and without such unmentionables as lard - is stocked with the usual suspects of California-style Mexican food. A particular standout is the taco salad, which should be given a Congressional Medal of Honor. A fried taco shell holds layers of rice, lettuce, fresh vegetables, and your choice of protein, topped off with a scoop of sour cream, homemade guacamole, and jalapenos. It's large enough to be your only meal of the day, which is a blessing in disguise because nothing else you eat afterwards will taste quite as good. The fresh salsa bar may seem a bit dank, but the small assortment of salsas and vegetables are quite tasty and come with a hefty serving of heat. A bright sign advertises "Taco Tuesday" with its $10 all-you-can-eat taco special, but since these are standard beef tacos served six at a time, this is only a deal if you can eat more than one plate. El Taco Loco's cantina-like atmosphere make it more suited for take out than table service, especially since the friendliness and service quality are very dependent on who happens to be behind the counter that day. If there's one complaint about the food, though, it'd have to be the portion size. Don't be expecting the football-sized burritos you get on a college campus. These plates are much more modest, but the food quality ensures that you'll be satisfied.
(4)Jane P.
Fantastic Mexican food at low prices. Really good local place. Friendly service and low prices. The salsa bar is really good, as are the quesadillas and burritos. Tuesday is all you can eat tacos for $9.95. They have coupons available on their website and in the entertainment book. This is a place to go for great food - not if your looking for something upscale with a romantic atmosphere.
(5)Kristen F.
just okay. nothing great or memorable. i prefer taco bell. but i guess the ambiance was cute and the kid who took our order was friendly.
(3)Karen F.
Years ago (and I mean many) ETL was THE only place around for any type of Mexican food. They were much needed and much consumed by my crowd back in the day. Nowadays, to be fair, there's alot moore competition - but Chicken Tacos and Quesadilla's at ETL ESPECIALLy after a night of New Hope drinking are always a welcome taste of home for me. Bring on the guacamole - hold the jalapenos (OK, I'm a wimp) - and I am where I need to be.
(4)Hayl S.
I made the unfortunate mistake of eating here tonight and I am paying the price. This place is not Gluten-Free friendly, no matter how many times their staff swear that it is. I called ahead and asked about their Gluten-Free options and the hostess promised me that they don't cook with flour and I would be fine as long as I didn't order the flour tortillas. I ordered a chicken enchilada platter and a taco platter with carne asada and carnitas, both on corn tortillas with rice and beans. When I arrived the cook rung me up and again I asked if they used flour and if it was safe to eat because of my gluten intolerance and he told me there was no flour in my meal. When I brought the food home I tried some of each and was nervous about the enchilada sauce so I called the restaurant and a 3rd employee told me that the enchilada sauce was made from scratch without any flour and double-checked with the kitchen staff. After eating my meal (that was lacking in flavor) I know for certain that I have been "glutened" from their food. I'm not a celiac and don't usually have a problem with cross contamination, I didn't even have anything that was fried. They clearly don't know what they put in their own food! I wouldn't even recommend this place to anyone who didn't have a gluten intolerance because the food isn't that great anyways.
(1)Rose H.
We went into Taco Loco seeking out tacos on a friday afternoon. We were really disappointed in the tacos carnitas- the pork was undercooked, and the pico de gallo was lackluster. The carne asada taco I ordered was pretty good, though it was served with Colby-jack cheese, which we found odd. Also, the woman who took our order was less than friendly, and the tacos were overpriced.
(2)Stephanie V.
I like El Taco Loco for a few reasons. The food is affordable, fresh and not smothered in cheese and the interior is really cute for a cheap taco joint! the only downside was that my ground beef was pretty greasy, but, I'm not exactly expecting health food from a Mexican fast food restaurant! It tasted pretty good and that was my main concern here;) This is a great place to pop in for lunch if you're on a budget. The decor makes it feel special too.
(4)Yolanda Y.
I'll start with what disappointed me the most. I think they've stopped trying here. I was with a friend in town and we were looking for a place to sit down for lunch and yelp helped me find el taco loco. It looked promising and the reason we didn't pick the other Mexican place down the street is because it looked a little more expensive. Should have definitely gone there in retrospect. Anyway you're supposed to walk up to the window to order so we walked up waited a little and ordered two burritos with a lemonade and a water. 15 - 20 minutes later we got our food. Im not an expert but I don't think it should have taken so painfully long to make a couple relatively small AND simple burritos. Absolutely not worth the money. But like I said in the beginning the atmosphere was sad. It seems like the owners stopped caring and the staff - well the one person working when we came - couldn't care less. At least put some friendly music on in the eating area or something.
(2)Darlene O.
I am not a Mexican food expert but I really thought the food was delicious. I can only compare to Taco Bell so for me this is authentic. I wish I had more Mexican restaurants in my area. So although El Taco Loco is a bit of a drive I go here when I want Mexican food. My only complaint is that in the summer it is very noisy from the air conditioners in the wall.
(4)Joshua E.
I've lived in and around New Hope Lambertville since the early 90s and I've been going to El Taco Loco almost as long. It is definitely funky and a little chaotic, but the food has been consistently top-notch. Their guacomole is the best I've ever had at ANY restaraunt, Tex-Mex or otherwise. The staff have always been pleasant, and I've been going long enough that I've seen several different incarnations of staff. It's a New Hope institution.
(4)Harrison L.
Unpretentious and inexpensive, yet very good quality food. It contrasts with the snooty wannabe upscale places in the neighborhood, and also stands high above the corporate crap fake Mexican restaurants. Ordering is simple, service is quick. The only gripe I have is that they make you pay for tortilla chips.
(5)Kathy B.
Weird Place....No table service, we had to take a take out menu and sit at any table, we chose the room to the side which was very cold, the air conditioner was running full blast? It was in the 40's outside. NO waiter or waitress, we were standing at the counter ready to place an order the cashier was on the phone, taking a take out order and ignored us, finally she said I will be with you in a minute. After waiting at least 5 minutes more, she again apologized and continued on the phone explaining the menu and prices and then taking credit card information. We decided to leave because they were unorganized, short handed. People sat waiting at tables for their order and ours was not even taken yet. We used common sense and left because the beginning was not a good experience and we decided to go somewhere else where we were treated better. There was only two people working in the back a young man with bright red hair sprayed and a woman who seemed to be doing all the work. From where we stood the kitchen did not look clean. Won 't see us again, no second chance for us...A man came in as we were at the counter and decided to leave, he left after seeing us leave. This was our first and last experience here.
(1)Monica H.
May be the best cheap eats in town...well except for John & Peter's...but this is the place where Gene Ween worked as a teen and was inspired to write "Pollo Asado" from The Pod! Any Ween fan will enjoy a basket of cheeeps from this place. Do you make guacamole? Yes, I do make guacamole.
(4)Sarah H.
This place was supposed to be an authentic little gem in the heart of New Hope, instead it was a freezing cold, unfriendly, blandness of a place that had horrible food as well. The service was horrible, we went to the window to order - the waitress ignored us, so I presumed it was order at the window, she didn't say hi, she just grunted back to everything. Then the food arrived, and it was just as bland as her...no color = no flavor, horrible. The kids could barely stomach it, and for my 13-year old to not eat everything off his plate it had to be bad. I was hoping for lovely flavors of cilantro, onions, cheeses, cumin but there was nothing. I would not recommend this to anyone, I've actually been thinking of going back and sharing this with the owner but he probably wouldn't care, BLAH. If you feel like a blah night out, this is your place.
(1)todd s.
Great food. We found this place years ago. We don't get to New Hope very often, but we keep finding ourselves eating here.
(4)Rich J.
El Taco Loco serves simple Mexican at a reasonable price. The food is bland and reminiscent of Mexican food served at a school cafeteria. The saving grace is their salsa bar which is on par with other fast food Mexican restaurants. Consider other options in the area (Tortuga's, Buho's) if your time and budget permit.
(2)Karen U.
Place was empty the entire time we were there, although it was off season. Restaurant was also very cold!! I had a taco salad which was good, but nothing to write home about. The girl who was working there was very nice and since we were the only ones there, the food came quickly, but I don't think I would go back again.
(2)Audrey T.
Decent cheap Mexican food, served by sullen teen staff who act like they're doing you a favor. Walk across the bridge and eat at Tortuga's in Lambertville. Spend the extra $10 and get a better meal served by friendly people.
(2)Catherine K.
Pretty standard Tex-Mex, but always very tasty and reasonable.
(3)Gourmet G.
Surprisingly superb Mexican food prepared with only fresh ingredients in a casual, relaxed atmosphere. Start with Botana Especial, a zesty blend of beans, cheese, salsa fresca, guacamole, and sour cream, served with grease-free housemade tortilla chips. You'll find all the standard menu items - tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas - and the shrimp fajitas are among the best I've ever had. Be sure to save room for the dessert chimichanga, stuffed with apples, cherries, or blueberries and topped with fresh whipped cream. Consistently cited as the best Mexican food in Bucks County, and deservedly so.
(5)Megan B.
Ate here Sunday night with the husband. Started with nachos. Wasn't that thrilled with the ground beef ones we ordered. Liked the other kind better, but couldn't remember which we had ordered prior. Salsa was AMAZING. Had a delicious chicken taco, served in a corn tortilla. Rice and beans on the side. Made me very happy. Husband had a combo plate, and almost licked his plate clean. I guess that means he liked it. Service was a little slow, but not too bad. Noticed the two couples that came in after us (we were really early for dinner, probably arrived around 445, only one other table eating) waited forever. So good though, I'd wait.
(4)Victor C.
Lunch Review Being a California native and long-time southern California resident, I thing I have my standards set pretty high for what "American" authentic-mexican food should taste like... I wasn't necessarily hesitant to try this place out, but I didn't go in with uber-high expectations. Ordered a Carne Asada Burrito. It wasn't anything like what you would get at a Tacqueria on the SF peninsula, at Roberto's/Alberto's/something-erto's Taco Shop in SD, or even as "generous" as the monsters they call burritos at Chipotle, but it was a solid burrito. The meat was freshly grilled, there was a "fresh" salsa bar, and the owner (I presume) was very courteous. With the limited "cheap eats" in the Lambertville/New Hope area, I'd come back.
(4)B H.
Came here for the first time on a Monday lunch. Ordered to go. The decor is nice btw. Friendly owner who's been in business 24 yrs. you gotta know there's a reason you can stay in business this long. I had the especial burrito- chicken, rice, hot peppers. really spicy & Loved it! What impressed me most was the smoky flavor and tenderness of the meat. Price is very affordable. Its not a humongous sided burrito as in a Chipotle chain store, but it was enough to make me satisfied. Freshly made homemade salsa varieties are so good too. I'm looking forward to coming back for more and trying more dishes!
(5)Lala H.
I enjoyed this spot. The food is good and the selection of sauces is nice. I tried beef enchiladas, tacos and chili. My friends had the chicken arroz con pollo. Portions are nice and the staff is friendly. I'd definitely eat here again if I'm in the mood for tacos in New Hope.
(3)M K.
The beans were good, and the rest of our meals were average. We got the pork carnitas and steak tacos, and chicken with rice.
(2)Lisa S.
HORRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The staff was not friendly but what I really care about was the food and it was horrible. I should have paid attention to the warning sighs which were the place was dirty, hardly any customers and the worst part there were some flies. I totally agree with one of the previous reviews that whoever gives this restaurant more than one star is because they like mediocre food. Lets put it this way taco bell has better Mexican food.
(1)Brandon R.
One of the best places for a casual meal in New Hope. Very friendly service, and surprisingly good Mexican food. I would definitely go back!
(4)L K.
My boyfriend was in the mood for Mexican food and really enjoyed this place, which bills itself as providing "California style Mexican food". I'm no expert on California style Mexican food, so my review is more catered to a typical customer who's looking for a delicious, hearty and affordable meal after a long (perhaps touristy) day in New Hope. We ordered the "special dip" as a starter, which was very good; in particular, the guacamole was very fresh, though they skimped on the cheese and the tomatoes I think were ordinary, bland American beefsteak tomatoes. Still, I enjoyed this dip a lot with the basket of warm, crispy chips. We also ordered an entree of a platter of fish (tilapia) tacos, which came with 2 tacos, rice, beans, and salsa. My boyfriend really enjoyed this dish, whereas I was more enthusiastic about the rice. I was less keen on the fish because it had been (purposefully) charred at very hot temperatures for a brief amount of time in the kitchen. My boyfriend, however, loved this. There is an excellent array of hot sauces available at every table: 2 habenero hot sauces, a regular chili sauce, Tabasco, and a smokey chipotle hot sauce. All were delicious to combine together! Service was basic: self-order at the counter, no one waiting the tables. ***One major complaint: please please please use recyclable materials rather than styrofoam plates, platters, and takeaway packages, and plastic forks.*** We were dining in rather than taking out, but we still got styrofoam, which is just terrible for the environment and extremely unnecessary for people staying in to eat.
(4)Milton A.
Fair to good food but with some very strange items and issues. The good: the chips and the salsa bar are really good. The tacos and quesadillas are standard and pretty good. The strange: No one else on the planet makes burritos the way this place does and their way isnt that good. Black beans are not available and rice is minimal/skipped instead of being an anchor component. The burritos are heavy on refried beans and cheese and then CUT IN HALF. The maddening: Parking in New Hope can be next to impossible on a nice evening or anytime on the weekend and this place is very close to the rail lines so the number of very close street parking spots are minimal. I think this place was listed as the caterer on the first Ween record.
(3)Belinda B.
The only reason this place is not a 5 star is because of the atmosphere. Definitely a hole in the wall but if you show up on a Tuesday you can get all you can eat tacos (beef or bean) for under $10. Delicious! P.S. 10% off coupon available on their website!
(4)Chris W.
Food was good. Service was horrible. They forgot our order and the guy taking orders is just angry - plenty of other spots to check out for a better experience.
(2)Stacey S.
The food was outstanding, the salsa...amazing,the service...eh...really slow. There was only one other couple in there at the same time so not quite sure what took so long, but once we got our food we decided it was worth the wait. Place could use a good scrubbing though.
(4)MsPandora P.
Ever since I was old enough to drive, New Hope has been one of my favorite day trip destinations. When those first warm days of Spring would finally arrive, we'd hop in the car, pop in the Road Trip Mix Tape, and cruise on out to spend a leisurely Saturday afternoon. Once there, we just had to hit up a few spots without fail: Now & Then, Hemetro, LSD, Gerenser's - and El Taco Loco. Sadly, most of these places are either gone or not quite what they used to be... Except for El Taco Loco! Back in the day, ETL was half the size it is now, with much simpler decor - but everything else there has remained the same. They still serve up solid, simple, Mexican-inspired fast food that's super tasty and inexpensive. Are the tables sticky? Yes. Is the "service" nearly nonexistent? Yes. Will you leave here thinking you've just had the absolute best meal of your life? Probably not. But will you have paid under $10 for a plate full of really tasty food, at a place that's full of character, which also happens to be a New Hope institution? Absolutely. The Nachos Supreme is a huge and delicious mess; omit the beef to make it veg-friendly. The Cheese & Onion Enchiladas, smothered in red sauce, are gooey comfort food - and a real bargain when served with rice and beans at $8.95. The Bean & Cheese Burrito is basic, but throw in some extras (lettuce, tomato, guacamole, sour cream) and the platter is still a bargain at around ten bucks. The Taco Salad, a personal favorite, is incredibly tasty; filled with rice, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese, and your choice of beef, chili or refried beans, and topped off with guacamole and sour cream, this thing will leave you fully satisfied for just under $8.00. (The best part, of course, is ripping into the crispy, flaky tortilla bowl.) Utilize the complimentary salsa bar to perk things up - all of the salsas are great, especially the tangy salsa verde - and throw in some pickled jalapenos to add a vibrant kick! A special note for vegetarians: Both beans and rice are veg-safe, and plenty of dishes are or can be made vegan through omission of cheese and/or sour cream. Now, I'm not saying that ETL serves the best or most authentic Mexican food in the New Hope area, because it doesn't. But what it does, it does well. If you go here with the right expectations, you will not be disappointed.
(4)Jamie L.
We luckily quite randomly stumbled upon this place. We just turned onto the main street and wanted to grab a bite to eat for lunch and we saw the sign. Walking in i wasn't sure if we just sat down or ordered or what then a very nice guy popped his head out and told us we order with him and he will bring it to us easy enough. We had a pulled beef burrito platter and a chicken burrito platter both were AWESOME! A little messy but soooo good. They were quite large so we really could of probably split it for lunch. They also gave us a chips and we had tasted all the salsa's from the help yourself salsa bar they were all very fresh and very good. I would definitely go back.
(4)Nick C.
I always eat here when visiting New Hope. My favorite is the chicken BBQ burrito platter, with everything except guacamole. Friendly workers (mostly). Clean, but bathroom could use some ventilation. Great deals on groupon, spinster and living social. Good prices for a New Hope restaurant, especially with coupon.
(4)Alicia O.
This place is about a half hour away, but when I crave Mexican food, this is the only place to go. I love their salsa and guacamole. The meat is just seasoned, which is pretty good. My only complaint is that sometimes they have servers and sometimes you can just order at the counter. One night I came in when they were REALLY busy. They only had one waitress working, but we couldn't order at the counter. I would have preferred ordering from the counter when they're that busy.
(4)Joy G.
cheap, tasty and way better than Taco Smell. Love their food. I don't have anything to add other than that I agree with previous reviewers comments. Also useful to mention that parking is a problem in New Hope, so likely you'll park a few blocks away and you'll have to work. In a town where almost all the eateries are uber-expensive, this is a good alternative.
(3)mundania h.
When I was in New Hope for the day with my g/f we had heard that this place had really good tacos. On that part they were absolutely right! The food was very tasty and the service was extremely friendly. The reason for 3 stars is the cleanliness. As I walked back to use the restroom I got a glance at the kitchen and it was pretty gross. They had dirty dish rags on the floor and the counters did not look all that clean either. Also, when we sat down our table was pretty sticky and messy. I get the whole dive aspect but the kitchen should look presentable if your customers are able to peek in. I also work at a coffee shop and it literally takes me less than a minute to wipe off a dirty table.
(3)Kate G.
my most frequent dining partner and I have a bad habit of trying to force eating mexican food when the location does not call for it. new hope PA is a place where mexican food doesnt belong. I ate a BBQ burrito with BBQ sauce on it? i mean, it wasnt bad. and they have a salsa bar. but we did see actual mexicans come in and stare at the menue for 20 minutes, extremely confused. There was a 17 year old white young man making all the food. in fact, new hope has a thriving white youth employment in the service sector industry. i thought that was a relic of the past. at least there is one place on earth where full grown adults are doing something better-paying than making taco salads.
(3)Ant K.
Tried this place after getting a half price deal from living social. It was surprisingly good. I really enjoyed the chips and salsa bar. The guacamole was pretty good too. The tacos themselves weren't necessarily memorable. But if in the area again I can't say I wouldn't stop by.
(3)john t.
This is not mexican food. Im not sure what it was. the meat has no mexican sauce or spices in it. I'ts just plain fried ground beef dumped on whatever you order. There isn't a mexican to be found there. Just some wierd white guy that serves up the blandest nasty food I ever ate. If I ran a mexican restaraunt I would at least learn how to cook mexican food. Better off going to Taco Bell
(1)P M.
We were looking for cheap eats after a great ride on the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad this past Saturday. The owner / host seemed really pleasant but the food was oh so bland. How can you serve tacos with just iceberg lettuce and tomatoes - without cilantro and onions? I guess if I had it in my mind that it was not supposed to be traditional Mexican, then I would have set my expectations accordingly. They had a choice of hard corn or soft corn tortillas, but would have preferred a choice of flour for myself. Step up and place your order at the counter. Food was made fresh to order, piping hot delivered to your table, solidly good guacamole, convenient salsa bar. Steady stream of customers came in with many grabbing takeout to go. The air conditioning was very welcome on this hot day. About 1/2 of the 15 or so tables were filled. Just remind yourself that you're in the northern half of the US and not in Texas, AZ or California. I'm spoiled because you can get authentic tacos in those areas but I guess I should just close my yap and be happy that I found some relatively affordable grub in a normally expensive tourist trap town.
(2)Steve L.
Been going there for years. The BBQ chicken burrito is incredible. Sweet smoky BBQ sauce combined with Mexican heat in a delectable tortilla makes every bite a party. Salsas are freshly made daily. The founder came from San Diego and establishes that fresh Mexican ingredients do not need to be expensive.
(5)Rev Dr David Albert F.
Well it's not clear that a customer is supposed to order her or his own food and that table service is nonexistent. A simple sign would clear it right up. Beyond that the food is really good and very reasonably priced. Nice folks working there too.
(3)Jenna T.
Love love LOVE this place! Tacos are my favorite food and I'm always on the hunt for the best. I just keep coming back to this gem! The food is fabulous, but not to fancy, just the way I like my tacos. I highly recommend this place for someone looking for a good taco!!
(5)Janelle M.
I've heard a lot about El Taco Loco over the years, but never got around to eating here. Recently after shopping in New Hope, I decided to stop in and grab a Bean (hard) Taco to-go. It was yummy and only $1.95. The place is small and very casual. It's an order at the counter kind-of-deal and (I guess) they bring the food to your table when it's ready. Anyway, the girl at the counter was super nice and informed the guys in the back that I was waiting and to "get on the bean taco." You can see into the kitchen from the counter, which probably isn't the best thing they've got going for them, as their kitchen looks kind of not-the-cleanest, but whatever.
(3)Jennifer Y.
Taco Loco at first glance seems like it might be one of those less mex and more tex mexican restaurants but, the food here is excellent! Prices are reasonable and it's byob. I made the mistake of ordering something really spicy (not thinking it would be) and it was muy caliente! Plus, what's nice is that it's BYOB.
(4)Dorothy P.
What makes El Taco Loco A-OK and not "eh, I've had better" (and I do wish you could give half stars on this site!) is the quality for the buck. One has to be careful in tourist destinations like New Hope to avoid the rip-off, and New Hope townies (as I now am) know to go to El Taco Loco where they can eat in or take out, and get abundant dishes made with good quality ingredients for a fair price. For those aspects, the El Especial burrito and the soft tacos de carne and the fact that it's right around the corner from our house, we're fans. Here's are some of the down-sides: The place is dark, so dark in fact the if you pass by you might think it was closed. The atmosphere, with no music and little light, seems gauged to the temperament of depressives despite the nicely conceived decor. Secondly, the staff, a group of very pale, tatooed, goth-seeming white kids, is quirky to say the least: They tend to observe you from the other side of the counter very much as a junkyard dog might, with a certain lean suspicion and lack of welcome. Be careful that they MARK your dishes if you're taking out because if not you'll get home and not know what anything is. The last big downside is the lack of service: If you do decide to eat at the restaurant, no one will care if you live or die. I asked them about this and a pale girl with black fingernails explained to me that she got annoyed that people expected to be "catered to", and that they just don't do things that way. Evidently not! That said, this is really the best place to get decent Mexican food at a good price in the New Hope/Lambertville area.
(3)Sara S.
Love this Tex Mex food! Not AUTHENTIC MEXCIAN - but delicious tex mex. We love the Nachos Grande! You order at the counter, so the reveiw below confused me as the reviewer wrote about trying to flag a waiter down to place their order. No wonder she had such a hard time, she had no idea what she was doing. Anyway, love the giant burritos, huge piles of nachos and wonderful quesadillas. this place has awesome refried beans and excellent guacamole. nothing FANCY - but hearty and yummy.
(4)Jake F.
Was hungry at lunch so I scampered on in there for a burrito with fried steak ( Carne Asada? You Mexican freaks can correct my spelling, but I didn't memorize how to spell it ). It was great!! I would love to go back with some buds and get a ton of their stuff and wash it down with some good strong lager. I would give a 5 for the food if it was a more sophisticated entre, but burritos are pretty basic, right? The prices were good, the owner was a good guy. They have a "bar" where you can get different sauces, and pick up some really hot peppers. I mean, how much can you tear apart a burrito? Great food, great atmosphere, definitely going back. Some other bonehead wrote a review here, and said "definitely a hole in the wall". It's basic, but there are two rooms and it is very clean. Kind of an unfair assessment to call it that.
(4)