El Mexiquense Grill
74 North West State Rd, American Fork, UT, 84003
El Mexiquense Grill Menu
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Address :
74 North West State Rd
American Fork, UT, 84003 - Phone (801) 756-3744
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Stephanie S.
Second time coming here, we got an elote (Mexican corn), a carne asada burrito and a Chile verde burrito. The carne asada burrito was really good, the elite was awesome! The Chile verde burrito had good spice but the meat was really dry. Probably won't get that again. We really like this place overall
(4)Mike N.
As far as Mexican goes, this is among the best you'll find in Utah County. Its a divey place that shares a parking lot with JDawgs. It is a casual establishment and the service won't be the friendliest but it draws a large lunch crowd and there is plenty of seating. The al pastor and carne asada are popular and delicious. They serve fresh tasty chips with every meal and they have 5 different salsas to choose from. Some of these are genuinely hot and spicy. The food I've had has always been delicious and the portions are large and filling. The only disappointment I had during my latest visit was that they were completely out of Dr. Pepper in the soda machine. Apparently Im not the only one who loves some Dr. Pepper with mi comida. Also, there is almost always futbol playing on their two tv screens, so this can be a plus if youre into Mexican or English soccer.
(4)Lilly S B.
Excellent Mexican food that rivals Mexico City and Cancun! We eat here at least once a week! Delish!!!
(5)Clint M.
Killer al pastor tacos as well as carne asada and carnitas tacos. The beans and rice were okay
(4)Paislea S.
Mexiquinse is/was one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to eat at. Ever. Located just down the road from our home and on the way home from work, my husband and I found ourselves here many times. The staff are all extremely friendly and polite. The food is outstanding - tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more specialty items like elotes (corn w/chile & cojeta) and fresas (strawberry dessert) have all been delicious. We recommend Mexiquinse to all of our friends, family and co-workers!
(5)Erin L.
Absolutely love the version of street tacos. Been disappointed to see they've been closed the past couple weeks:(
(4)John L.
La consequencia! Food was very tasty but we all spend the rest of the evening paying the price. I'm not sure the restaurant would pass a health inspection when we went.
(2)Nicole K.
This place never disappoints. I have tried several dishes here and they are all great. This is the closest I have gotten to finding an L.A. quality Mexican Food. There salsa is also amazing.
(5)Jessica P.
Best Mexican food EVER! My husband I live in So Florida, I haven't been that impressed with the food in Utah, but this place is great.
(5)Zach L.
This is what Mexican food, for me, is all about (though my favorite in Utah C. is and always will be Maria Bonita): delicious tacos al pastor, whole chicken meals for the entire family, a run-down dive of a location, a small salsa bar with condiments that aren't overly sweet, overly salty, or overly complex--just the earthy, robust flavor of various peppers and chilis. Good place. I haven't tried much of the menu yet so I can't vouch for everything, but what I did try didn't make me feel like I was projecting or cheating or pretending to be eating something I'm not (i.e. Real Mexican food! that's as Utah as it comes, or Gourmet Fajitas! that amounts to a contradiction in terms). We're seeing more and more of these places pop up--and apparently this place has been around for a lot longer than I know--and I'm grateful.
(4)Jeffrey S.
Not doing much on a Friday night an find yourself kinda-sorta near American Fork? No? I'm the only one? Well, if for any other reason you're in the neighborhood and you have a hankering for Mexican food (el hankering?) then this is a nice option. Located just east of the spiffy strip mall with shiny buildings, this is a little more off the beaten path. It's in a little strip mall--you'll probably see the sign, but you can look for the shinier J Dawgs sign too; they're neighbors. Inside is more seating than I had imagined there to be, a pretty large, open kitchen, and a massive board with the eponymous red/yellow wavy background that I see at a lot of Mexican joints. While they do offer a lot of the traditionals, there are some fun takes on them. I ordered up the Ya Vass Burrito as it called out to me with bacon. In fact, they've got bacon on a few of their menu items. The burritos seem to be the main draw, next to the tacos al pastor. I had to indulge in one of those lil' guys as well and found it to be sweet, delightful, and very bright red. The spit didn't seem to be spinning, so I'm not sure where the meat came from? But heck--it was good. As for the burrito, it was quite large and tasty enough, but the bacon was actually kind of a disappointment. It was overcooked and kinda carbon-y. But a nice crunch texture broke up the soft burrito texture. There's a salsa bar in a cave-like room off the main dining area. Be warned that they take their spice seriously. When they say hot, it's hot. Even the not-so-hot was still steamy. The price seemed about right, and it was nice to try something with this flavor (both literally and hole-in-the-wall one-of-a-kind) and even though I'm not raving about it madly, I'd gladly bite into one of their burritos again.
(4)Matthew W.
Crave-able tacos of every standard street taco variety, and tacos al pastor worth driving great distances for. Their salsa bar is top notch. Very affordable...I haven't had a thing on their menu that wasn't delicious and a great value.
(5)Scott D.
All I have to say is holy chimney! mass quantities of food at a decent price with old fashion Mexican flare.
(3)Jeff N.
I really like this place as a staple, low cost mexican resturant. Haven't had anything bad here. Great food salsas and menudo too.
(5)Todd R.
Good, authentic, Mexican food. Their sauces vary in heat from day to day. Dining room is a little small. Overall though , I think it is the best Mexican option in American Fork or Lehi.
(4)Jennifer H.
Love the pastor tacos with the pineapple on them! Great salsa bar too. My husband loves the green chile burro. This is the only place in Utah he will eat Mexican food after growing up in AZ.
(5)nachot t.
I can't believe I've never written a review of El Mexiquense! I've been here a couple dozen times and every time I drive all the way from Draper, I think to myself, "Self, we need to come here more often." I've tried a number of things on the menu, but a few months back a buddy ordered the Fortachón burrito - loaded with refried beans, carne asada, grilled chicken, chorizo and bacon. BACON! I don't think I've ever had a more tasty burrito. Ever. It's a huge meal and after I wolf it down, I wish I would have saved half for dinner. The al pastor tacos are another favorite of mine. The pork is juicy and flavorful and they actually serve them with a slice of fresh pineapple. The chips and salsa are great. At the salsa bar you can pick from a number of different flavors, including a green jalapeño salsa that's got a bit of a kick, but the flavor is oh, so good. The food is excellent and high quality. Cost wise, it's about the same as the nicer Mexi places, but you won't find a more tasty meal. I also like the fact they have a couple big screen TVs that are always showing fútbol. Yesterday we saw Hong Kong get beat down by Argentina. The score was 4-zip before they even put in Messi. Great Mexican food, chips, salsa and some fútbol = an awesome lunch.
(5)Darrell A.
Hear me now, believe me later. This is good authentic Mexican food. How do you know if it's authentic? Well, they have a salsa bar of 5 salsas and 1 is mild and 4 are grown man hot! All the hot are half gone and the mild hasn't even been touched! I had the Al Pastor plate and it was really good. Any more authentic and you'd have to worry about getting kidnapped.
(4)Elizabeth T.
Esto sà es comida Mexicana! Real Mexican food!! I've been living in Utah for over a year now and I can say I finally I found a super good authentic Mexican restaurant! I'm from Pharr, Texas a border town with Mexico and this place is the closest to any Mexican restaurant down there! My husband and I got a Molcajete special to share and it was delicious! It is enough for up to 4 people. The Molcajete has: chicken, shrimp, steak, chorizo, a tomato, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño peppers filled with cheese. Along with a side of rice, beans, lettuce, tomato and onions as well as flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas. It also came with a 1.5 liter Jarritos drink. Great value for the quality and quantity of food. Y'all need to try this place!
(5)Matt W.
I was stopping in American Fork for gas, and I needed some lunch. I resisted the siren song of In-N-Out, and decided to look for something different. El Mexiquense hit the spot. You'll order at the window, then staff will bring out chips, point out the salsa bar at the back, and bring your food out once it's ready. The al pastor is great, really moist and complimented by their salsa verde and the slices of fresh pineapple, and the Carnitas pairs really well with the avocado crema over on the salsa bar. Staff was friendly and fast while I was there - I'd grab some tacos, try the salsa bar, and enjoy yourself!
(4)Kathy D.
Very disappointed. The person taking our order neglected to tell us that they were out of guacamole and considering that 3 out of 4 of our meals were suppose to have it on them, it would have been helpful. Would not come back.
(2)James S.
Worth a try if you have never been. I'd definitely recommend it.
(4)Dustin K.
Ok food. Not really that great. Tacos stale, meat old tasting. Fries not very good. Overall wouldn't come back.
(2)Abinadi F.
I'll give these guys 4 stars. They are very good, and delicious. It's as close as good as you'll get to a good Mexican taco. They also have quite a variety of foods that are authentic. I know a lot of people don't like "tripas" but they sure make them goooooood. It's not loud, and they are fairly fast. Their salsa's are not my favorite. If you want to get a good taco in Utah County, so far, this is the best place i've found.
(4)Carlos J.
Authentic Mexican. Owners are from Mexico City . Tacos are by far the best menu item they offer. The pastor taco is one of the best I've ever eaten. Chips and salsa are all homemade. Grill isn't too bad, though I've had dry chicken a few times. Burritos will fill you up. Some of these menu items will bust any diet your on. So if you are watching calories, stick to the tacos! Salsa is amazing as well. It's well supported by local Hispanic community.
(4)Gifford L.
Being from Utah and having been to Cafe Rio a ton I'm not sure I know what good authentic Mexican food tastes like, but if I had to guess this place would be pretty close for the following reasons. 1. The food isn't overly sweet. 2. They were cooking whole chickens (which you can order) 3. The ambiance -The Pastor taco was very good. -Chips were light and crispy just like they should be. -I enjoyed the Salsa bar and Chicken Taco very much.
(4)Hayden H.
Tried this place for the first time and was happy about visiting! They are very generous with the portions and the prices are great! I ordered the pastor taco plate and was STUFFED afterwards (and imma big dude, 6'4" 220+) Everything my group had looked good too, the burritos are HUGE, the quesadillas were loaded up and everyone left happy. Highly recommended!!
(4)Darryl M.
I found this place on Yelp and based on the good reviews and lack of other local Sunday dining options, checked it out. Meals are ordered at one window and the picked up relatively quickly at the next window. Drinks are canned or bottled if your order something authentic, or in the self serve fountain if you go with American soda. We ordered a chimichanga and carne asada plate. They were both ready quickly. The salsa options were fine, the green sauce was a bit hot for my gringo tastes. The chimichanga was great, could have fed two people with it. The carne asada plate had great sides but the carne was disapointing as both pieces had a thick streak of fat or gristle that made it hard to chew and nearly impossible to cut with the plastic knife and fork. Price was reasonable, atmosphere was minimal, somewhat sparse and unorganized but clean. I will go back and either try something else or give the carne another shot.
(3)Alan D.
Theres so many of these kind of restaurants that look like this out there. In Strip malls, long menu's, with white guys like me and my wife sounding out mexican dishes we don't know what are. To me, and to be honest, most of them are the same. Look the same, flavor is all the same. I came here solely because it was rated so high on yelp, and we wanted to try American Fork stuff for lunch. But this place is different . They've thrown in some sort delicious flavor into fresh food. It tastes really good. Whoever is cooking, behind that wall I ordered at, knows how to cook. I'm craving it now. I had the Carne Asada Tacos and my wife had the asada burrito. My tacos were Great. Seasoned good, and very fresh. The refried beans, which are normally bland and sprinkled with a little cheese were also flavored very well. The asada burrito was good size, and had even a different flavor than my Asada Tacos. The salsa bar, you're just going to have to guess. Fill up with one each, and taste them all. They were all good, but I found my favorite. Great value, good food, and a touch different. Worth swinging wide for, if you like mexican. 4 stars.
(4)Tina E.
Best mexican food in the valley hands down! Fast and friendly, plus it doesn't hurt if you speak a little spanish. :-)
(5)Jennifer S.
Went here on a very strong recommendation from friends. We got the Tacos Al Pastor (Carnitas, Shredded Beef, and Chicken) and a steak and chicken chimichanga. The rice was a little dry. The beans were good. The salsa bar was fun--the jalapeno cucumber one may be my new favorite. The horchata was sweet and creamy--excellent! I don't know that it lived up to the hype our friends created for us, but I would go back.
(2)Christian M.
I love the tacos here. It's the only thing I order. They are the real deal. Fresh salsa bar too. Feels like I'm back in California. Only knock is that they are pretty slow. If there are better tacos between south of SLC and north of Provo please let me know because I haven't found them.
(4)Charles S.
I had fairly high hopes for this place, based on the Yelp rating. But I was also skeptical, due to the few bad reviews and the fact that it's located in American Fork. I grew up in Utah County and have never thought of it as a haven for good Mexican Food. So... I entered El Mexiquense with a bit of an attitude. I was just looking for reasons to start deducting stars. The first thing I noticed was that the prices are a bit higher than your typical taco shop and much higher than your typical "street taco" shop. Based on the raves here on Yelp, I ordered the Al Pastor plate for $6.99. Not a bad price, especially if it turns out to be good. Once I got the food, which included a big ol' basket of chips, my trepidation about "high prices" was gone. This was a LOT of food for the price. No deduction. Value is important, but what about the taste? Holy smokes!! This Al Pastor was hands down THE BEST I've had! Wow! And the rice and beans on the side? They weren't fillers or throw away items, as they so often tend to be at these types of joints. Both sides were plenty flavorful, fresh and fabulous! The next item on the agenda... the salsa bar! Hah! Here's a spot where I can certainly find a fair reason to eliminate a star. The freshly sliced limes, the salsa, the hot sauce and the (pickled?) onion mixtures were all there for the taking. There was one problem though... no labels! How am I supposed to know which one is super hot? And which one is tomatillo? So, I tried a few of the offerings. Every one was DYNAMITE! Drat! Labels or not, this salsa bar kicks ass! No deduction. The ambiance was taco shop cool. Nicely arranged with a couple of big TV's set to ESPN. They operate like a cafeteria, where they call you and you pick up the food. But they serve the meals on stoneware dinner plates. Nice touch! Paper plates would have a hard time holding up to the juicy deliciousness here. As I left El Mexiquense, feeling fat and happy, I began to recount my experience and figure out the star rating. The more I thought about it, I couldn't find any reason to remove a single star. If and when I find myself in this area, I'll definitely be getting my Mexi fix at this wonderful little place.
(5)Carolina C.
One of the best fast food, authentic Mexican restaurants in Utah. Their carne asada tacos and volcanos are amazing. All the salsas are really good too. And they are open Sundays!! Very friendly environment (The only negative thing is their music is sometimes too loud during lunch)
(4)Justin G.
My wife and I were really hoping this would be a great Mexican place that would be a "go to" if we had a hankering for tacos. It was a bit of a disappointment. The el pastor that everyone is raving about on the previous reviews had a strange taste for me. The carne asada tacos were a little better but not great. All the meat seemed a bit dry and lukewarm when it got served to us. The salsa bar had 5 options of which I liked 2. I won't rule out giving it another shot, but I'm still searching for a great taco place.
(2)Emily G.
We really love this place. Have eaten here many times and have never had a bad meal. The wait is sometimes long for the food and a lot of times they are out of chicken if you go late, but overall a fantastic place. Best Mexican good in the valley!
(5)Katie H.
Since my husband went without me the other night I was very jealous so today he got some food to go and brought it home to me. We were planning on sharing tacos and a tamale but surprise- he got a smothered burrito on top of that so once again we over ordered. Why?! Seriously. Do NOT over order here. It is much better to eat here twice fresh for the same amount of food than to get it all at once and have to eat leftovers. Well, lucky for you I got to try more stuff and can now write about it. Unlucky for me we have a lot of leftovers. They give you so much food for your money though and I am certainly not complaining about THAT. *Just have to add, when my husband ate the leftovers he thought they were amazing. Maybe because we heated them in the oven. So it is a preference thing. I still prefer not to over-order here. Once again, I am amazed at how good everything is. The tacos are SO GOOD! We always get four different kinds though and I never know which is which except for the chicken, but the cubed meat one is my absolutely hands down favorite. It is so tender and soft and the flavor was ummmmm... pretty sure those Tacos are going to heaven. I think it was beef? All I know is that it's heavenly and it may be the only kind of meat I want to order from now on. We got our tacos on flour tortillas this time. Love their flour tortillas. The chicken tamale was delicious. A little on the dry side but still delicious. The Chile Verde Burrito was excellent. The green sauce is actually spicy- so good. I was happy to see that they used white cheese instead of chedder. If their smothered burrito is this good I cannot wait to try their enchiladas. My husband got his burrito as a meal but it didn't come with rice this time. Maybe they were out, but the beans were SO GOOD! I didn't remember them being THIS good the first time. They must have just made a batch because they were fresh. And these are not canned beans- pretty sure, because there was a whole layer of an onion in there... This is really pushing the limits of four stars and bordering 5 stars. Chips- Awesome once again. And the red "Sauca" was as good as I remembered. My ONLY complaint is the fresh tomatoes that you get with the lettuce (that comes with the fajitas) are not that good of quality. They really need to connect with a local tomato grower... hmmm. P.S. Not a bone to be found in any of our food this time. Not a one. See? It really doesn't happen that often, so don't let it scare you away or prevent you from coming back if you do get a bone in your food. If that stops you, I am sad for you. So deprived.
(4)Neil Y.
Definitely some of the best "authentic" Mexican food in Utah county. The fajita chicken is moist and spiced perfectly. Huge portions to boot!
(4)Jason P.
This place is hands down the best Mexican I have had in Utah and rivals some of the best I have had in Cali. The Al Pastor tacos are to die for! The array of flavors that just explode in your mouth is wild. After finding this little gem last week my wife and I have been there so many times I'd be embarrassed to admit it. The Guacamole, Jalapeño salsa is the bomb, ( it packs heat and flavor) we even bought some to bring home. The carne asada is also killer, reminds my wife and I of some of the great carne asada we had in Little Havannah. Everything we have had there is great, the prices are well worth the food. Last night we were there and my wife mentioned how funny it was that just down the road Cafe Rio was probably jam packed, while this little Gem lay hidden to most of the community. That being said this is authentic Mex, none of that Tex Mex business.
(5)Tony G.
These are by far the best tacos I have ever had. There isn't a place that compares! I always get tacos al pastor and carne asada tacos and I am impressed every time. It is a very clean place with very friendly staff.
(5)Monica T.
My boyfriend and I stopped in here to grab take out for his family (and us, of course) as we were headed over there for lunch. This place is in the same area as a lot of the stuff they pick up for such lunches, and we passed by it on a previous occasion and I remember all the glowing Yelp reviews. So this past weekend we were able to satisfy my curiosity. As far as the atmosphere goes, this is your standard kind of hole-in-the-wall-ish Mexican joint: sparsely decorated with signs that aren't always grammatically correct, with a soccer game playing on a TV. We even got to see someone score a goooooooooooooooooooooooooal while we were waiting for our food. Anyway, we were ordering for seven people, so we got a couple of burritos (chile verde, and whatever #1 is. I believe it contained chicken, bacon, potatoes, and other goodness), a couple of tortas (carnitas and the one with sausage and potatoes) and three taco combos (two al pastor, which is the specialty, and one shredded beef). The total came out to a little bit more than you'd expect from a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint, but still not unreasonable. While waiting for our order, we filled up little cups with samplings of all the salsas. Overall, everyone enjoyed all the stuff we brought in. That #1 burrito was probably the favorite of the group, followed by the shredded beef tacos and the sausage torta (my personal favorite). Oddly, the tacos al pastor seemed to go less quickly than the others. I know I'm not as big a fan of al pastor in general as most people, and this may be the case with my boyfriend and his family. Still good, but I think we liked everything else better (especially the ones with more unique flavor combos). Everyone was also a big fan of the salsas, especially the salsa jalapeno (I think that's the name. It's the green one not named salsa verde). It definitely had some heat to it, which is not super common among Utah county Mexican joints. In summary: the food was tasty and also delicious. Do try it sometime.
(4)Bud H.
I absolutely love this place. In fact, my wife and I hit it up almost every single Tuesday night. Sure, it's a small hole-in-the-wall, but that's just part of it's charm. The tacos are really good (e.g., al pastor, carnitas, etc.). The chips are great (home made and usually served warm). The nachos (carne asada) are awesome, and trust me, I'm not a big nacho guy. Super tasty, super cheap, and nice size portions. And perhaps the best thing they've got is the spicy, lime-green colored condiment they serve over by the salsas. Holy cow that stuff is great. That sauce/salsa wih the nachos is a flavor combination you simply can't find anyplace else.
(5)Brandon R.
Delicious, authentic food at fair prices. Good and quick service. The atmosphere is pretty casual, nothing fancy there. Probably because the food makes you forget about the atmosphere. Their carne asada and pastor tacos are fantastic, and I also really enjoyed their chicken enchiladas. Their horchata (made in store) is the best I've had anywhere in Utah Valley. Their fish tacos are just ok, and their salsa bar could use some more variety. I will definitely be returning.
(4)Joy M.
We come here at least twice a month, we always get the whole chicken for $17.99 that comes with beans and rice, corn or flour tortilla and a 2 liter drink. They use to have Jarritos but now it's just coke products. Honestly for the price and amount of food you get it is a good deal, the chicken is amazingly tasty. For lunch I get my normal order which is the three tacos with lengua, tripa and cabeza. This is the only place in Utah county that I know that serves these type of tacos and make it really good. There's Diego's in Provo but not much of a fan. Mexiquense is hard to beat!
(5)Matt C.
This is a great little restraunt. I have been by this place a hundred times without ever noticing it. Then I was hungry and wanted to try something new and found this little joint on Yelp. The al pastor tacos are great--that is what I had. The restraunt is a dive so expect that going in. It is usually small and crowded but the staff is great and very nice. If you are going for great Mexican food then you won't be disappointed.
(4)Zach T.
El Mexiquense is awesome! I was sad it was closed for a while, but I'm glad it is back. Personally I would recommend getting the Molcajete. It is a giant rock bowl (molcajete) full of chicken, shrimp, steak, chorizo, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeño peppers filled with cheese. They serve it up with a handful of hot and fresh tortillas, as well as a side of rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, and onions. It is A LOT of food. It is too bad it is so far from Provo, otherwise I would be here a lot more often. If you're thinking Mexican and want an authentic experience, quit debating and head over to El Mexiquense.
(5)Anthony B.
Most authentic and tasty tacos in utah valley. Love the Al Pastor tacos. They make them just right. Great service, good selection of salsa, and the tacos are delicious. One of my favorite places.
(5)Tara M.
I was looking for s place nearby that had Al pastor tacos and this came across yelp. I've seen the restaurant before but never stopped in. Now I regret this decision when I could've been eating here for years! We started with the choriqueso appetizer. Basically Latin fondue. Chorizo sausage topped with melted cheese, served with tortillas or chips. Holy. Moly. I'm drooling reliving the memory of eating it. I had the Al pastor plate... Didn't disappoint. Best authentic Mexican street tacos around. Hands down. My sons tried carnitas tacos and carne asada. The carne asada was my fav after the Al pastor. I'm going back again tonight!
(5)James T.
Yelp has done it again...helped me find a great Mexican Restaurant close to home. Lisa played it safe and went with the Cheese Enchiladas. I had the Shrimp Burrito. I was skeptical at first, $8.99 for any seafood sounds too good to be true. Totally expected cocktail sized shrimp, but fresh medium to large shrimp were delivered. The fresh grilled onions, peppers and chiles were excellent. The variety of salsas for the chips was also great. The jalapeño was my favorite. Great food at very reasonable pricing. Service was very friendly and the food was prepared promptly, less than 10 minutes. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Alex S.
This place is a 4.2. SUPER SUPER YUMMY! I enjoyed the tacos al pastor very well marinated, and the slice of pineapple... as always is a must! They put a lot of cilantro on it!! if you dont like that make sure to ask for a little less. The gringa (al pastor meat with cheese) was very delicious too. The same meat and the cheese really compliments the tangy meat. The burrito is what my friend order, he let me have a little. The chicken is so tender and well seasoned, the one thing is the chorizo is chorizo. Now that i don't live in mexico... not as good as i remember. The sauces are all very yummy. The jalapeno salsa... spicy yet statisfying (i hope that doesnt count as plagiarizing the lion king). The horchata delicious creamy... everything good. But it costs a lot... possibly not worth buying... but good for testing it out! LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANT!!! it passed the two hour diarrhea test. Nothing matters more to me than taste and digestion. I would say this is the best mexican place thus far in the American Fork/Pleasant Grove area. GO THERE!
(4)Hunter C.
Needed to give this place another try. The last couple of times have been really good. The Al Pastor was good, but not my favorite. The carne asada, shredded beef, and especially barbacoa tacos were excellent. I'll be coming back to get my taco fix.
(5)Curtis C.
This place has the absolute best, authentic Mexican food I've ever had in Utah. I'm not sure how long it has been there, but it makes me sad to know that I've possibly been missing out on this food for so many years. The menu has everything you can imagine, tacos, burritos (yes I know these aren't authentic Mexican), menudo, mole, nachos, EVERYTHING. To top it off, you get the choice of a large variety of meats, carne asada, chicken, pork, shredded beef, chorizo, and a couple others that I'm forgetting. After looking at the menu a while I ended up getting some shredded beef nachos (they were out of carne asada), one chorizo taco and a shredded beef taco. After I ordered we picked out a table and I walked over to the salsa bar. The first thing I noticed was the sign in the picture above, "3 SIDES OF SALSA MAXIMUM, thank you for your cooperation. " There are three different flavors of salsa here, a red, a green, and a hot red. I thought that the 3 container limit was a little odd, but it seemed like it would be enough to work for me. Once I had my salsa I got back to the table and the women who had taken our order pointed at me and told me to come get my chips. Back over at the register I picked up a generous sized container of chips and we began to snack on them. Halfway through the chips and salsa I was starting to get a little worried about the salsa limit. Our food came out and I was amazed at how authentic the tacos looked. They looked like real, homemade tacos...not the typical Taco Bell/Del Taco premade tacos...these were real tacos, with spiced, juicy meat, full of flavor. As I bit into my chorizo taco a tear of joy slid down the side of my face as I realized that I had finally found a quality, authentic Mexican establishment near me. My two tacos were something around $1.25 a piece, and they were well worth that price. These were only an appetizer though for what lay ahead, the shredded beef nachos. As I opened the container I knew I was in for something special. Covered in cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and shredded beef, these are hands down the best nachos I've ever had the joy of tasting. The pictures say it all. Every bite was as good as it looked. The order also came with another bag of chips and a container full of a bean cheese mixture. We spent around $10 and had more than enough food for two, just the thing of nachos would have been enough for the both of us. I have nothing bad to say about this place, every bit of it is amazing. They don't even have a website, that is how you know it is quality food. Oh, and I went back and took some more salsa...three wasn't enough. The Good: Confusingly low prices Flavor filled food Huge menu The Bad: The 3 salsa side limit is unforgiveable...so just get some extra salsa if you need it. (I think this has been removed now after the re-open!!!)
(5)Lana B.
If you love real mexican food, street tacos, al pastor, carne asada, this is the place. I always get 3 carne asada tacos, squeeze lime juice all over them, and the spicy cilantro sauce and dig in. Cheap, divey, and awesome. They just rebuilt after a fire so the place is sparkling.
(5)JP C.
For tacos al pastor, this is the place to go in Utah! It's also got solid service and a new, modern and clean decor. I lived in Mexico as a kid for a couple of years and fell in love with tacos al pastor. I literally went back to Mexico a few times just to eat tacos al pastor at this one particular place in D.F. I tried for years to find something that reminded me of the tacos I had in D.F., but it really wasn't until finding El Mexiquense that I felt like I had something even comparable. These tacos are excellent! When I walked in the first time and saw that trompo, I knew I was in a good place. So the tacos al pastor are fantastic. I've had several other tacos here and enjoyed them as well. I'm a big fan of the cabeza and lengua tacos. I've had their chile verde burrito; it's an absolute monster, and it's pretty darn tasty, to boot. Be hungry if you get this one! Although I myself haven't had the tortas, I've now seen the milenasa torta, and it looked pretty great. My friend enjoyed it quite a bit. The salsas are somewhat limited, but very solid. I like my salsa pretty spicy, and El Mexiquense can make me happy with their salsas. I wouldn't mind some better chips. I like mine to be more substantial. Those nice, thick chips are the best! But El Mexiquense has a much thinner version. The service is always quick and friendly, in either English or Spanish. Excellent tacos, solid options other than tacos, good service, I make it here regularly.
(4)Michelle L.
I had the Al Pastor taco meal and I give it two thumbs up. This place was busy when I went there but they were still fast and had great service.
(5)Julie K.
Tacos are amazing! We had tilapia, pastor, and carne asada. The smooth green salsa was tasty. The horchata refreshing. If you're in American Fork, stop here!
(4)John T.
Not impressed. With all the high ratings I was expecting something great. Ordered vegetarian burritos and got ham in it and chile Verde burrito was way salty
(2)Brian E.
Ate lunch here today, the food was great and tasted very fresh! The ordering process was super easy, easy to read menu, etc.. They have a tasty salsa bar and free chips too. Plenty of tables and seating, TV's were on and showing a Soccer match. The Al Pastor tacos were great, seasoned perfectly and served with a good portion of Pineapple on top! I tried their Carne Asada tacos too and thought they were tasty, a little dry but tasty.
(4)Paul W.
This little place has, in my opinion, the best Mexican food in Utah. Big portions and great food. I highly recommend it.
(5)Davin P.
Just came for the first time tonight. Delicious! Tried 5 different things and really enjoyed each. Relleno was best I have found in Utah. Carne tacos were my favorite. We ordered small just to try it initially and then ordered more food 4 more times. Great value, clean and chips and salsa are spot on!
(5)Debra H.
This is our favorite Mexican food place. They have authentic Mexican which is hard to find in Utah County. Some of our favorites are the Costillas plate, Carnitas and pastor and tongue tacos.
(5)Danny G.
This place is bomb. Carne asada burrito will fill u up. And since im coming from Los Angeles, CA. Mexican food stands is high im my book and they nailed it. Not to mention their customer service is right on it. Happy camper
(5)Clay A.
Mystery red sauce was too much. Ordered tamales with red sauce, expecting brown enchilada sauce, but got a bright red sauce, redder than cholula. Lost my appetite and walked away. Beans and rice in the combo were nothing special. Will not return.
(1)Alexis F.
Best quesadilla I've had! I got the carne asada quesadilla. I didn't think I'd get too full off of it at first. But it's so rich and flavorful, I was stuffed. The steak had an awesome flavor and there was so much cheese! Salsa bar was pretty good. The chips were just average and almost every table needed to be bussed though. Overall a great place for good Mexican food, definitely will go back to try more!
(4)Jeff B.
I love this place. I go there a few times a month. The salsa bar is fabulous. If you can take the heat, there's a habanero cucumber relish that's excellent. You really can't go wrong with anything you order, although the fajitas come out a bit too greasy. My favorites are the tortas. My son and I go often, eat chips and salsa and split a torta. Definitely plenty for lunch. The people there are nice, and even when it's busy, they do a good job getting the food out.
(5)Amber D.
I went here with a group of my extended family. Their food was very good, a lot of flavor. I was not impressed with the Nacho's. I was expecting something glorified like Betos super nachos but, it was just meat and cheese. There was plenty of food to go around though and the price is good.
(4)Dustin T.
Carne Asada burrito was one of, if not the, best burrito I've ever had. Exceptional.
(4)Lance H.
My rating of 4 stars is based upon the authenticity of the tacos and their flavor. This is not a 4 Star restaurant for its ambiance or gourmet cooking. Based upon other reviews I did a taco plate with 2 Al Pastor and one carne asada taco. The al pastor ones were very good and I'd go for them again. The carne asada one was decent. The beans were fair. I wasn't a big fan of the rice. The horachata again was decent, but I've had better. The salsa bar had a some nice choices. I'd go here again easily just because it was pretty darn authentic Mexican food which is what I want when I go for Mexican.
(4)Brett S.
Best Mexican Food in UT County That about sums it up. They have a smoker out front that they cook their chicken in so I recommend anything with chicken. They have daily specials that vary but I'm pretty sure on Friday they have a chicken chimi and a drink for like $6...I'm drooling just thinking about this place. Their salsa bar includes a "jalapeno sauce" which is basically a runny guacamole with a bit of a kick and I like to put it on everything. My wife always orders the chicken sope which is chicken and beans piled on some fried bread, kind of like a mini navajo taco and it's only $3. Recommend: Chicken Chim, chicken sope, chicken bacon burrito (can't remember the name), carne asada burrito and wednesday special chicken nachos
(5)Bill K.
Great authentic Mexican food! I enjoyed the jalapeno sauce. My tacos were great and the best part? No American cheese in sight!
(5)Joseph T.
I guess I got the wrong thing. Salsa bar: average, chips: tasted store bought, smothered shredded beef burrito: I guess it was okay...the jarritos mandarin was good though...
(2)Russell C.
This place is super tasty. It is pretty cold inside and drafty but the food is worth the pain. It is so good. You have to get the El Pastor Tacos or anything El Pastor. Tasty tasty tasty.
(5)Katie D.
Use to live right by this place and now I am a half hour away. I miss the al pastor tacos! Might have to make a trip down to AF. I never get anything else because I cant stray from tacos!
(5)Jeff R.
Came here based on the Yelp reviews and the high ratings for the food. Surprisingly they were out of chicken on this visit which seems very odd for a mexican restaurant at lunchtime but I was planning to try the Al Pastor which was recommended. I ordered an Al Pastor burrito which was reasonably priced and a very large portion, large enough that I didn't finish and I generally have a big appetite. They had a selection of fresh salsas to choose from and you could get chips to snack on until your food was ready. A big plus for me was Diet Dr Pepper on their soda machine which is absolute heaven in my book! Now to the food, the Al Pastor was very tasty and had great flavor and spices. I found it to be a little too spicy for my taste and would not likely order it again. The food was way above average and very authentic mexican. The dining room is fairly small but we were able to sit at a table; you order from a window and they call you when the food is ready or they may bring it out if not too busy. They had somewhat loud music playing and the TVs were either broken or just turned off which seems odd but not a place I would expect to be able to watch sports. If you want great mexican food this is the place.
(4)Jon S.
Al pastor tacos are amazing and the salsa bar is ridiculous! Great place to go!
(4)Lisa M.
love love love! need i say more?
(5)Rick H.
Excellent! Yesterday, my wife and I went to El Mexiquense Grill to try the Al Pastor tacos that have been getting such great reviews. The special: four taco's and a drink for $6. We ordered Al Pastor, Carnitas, Carne Asada, and Pollo tacos. When they came out, they looked perfect! Little soft corn tortillas topped with meat, sweet onions, and lots of cilantro. I added salsa from the salsa bar. The perfect taco! It's difficult to pick a favorite, but the Al Pastor, with the juicy slice of fresh pineapple would be the winner for me. I also enjoyed all five of the salsas at the salsa bar. I loved the tacos so much yesterday that I am taking my daughters to El Mexiquense Grill for lunch today!
(5)Melissa P.
The best Mexican food we've had since moving here from California. El pastor tacos (el pastor anything) is where it's at. You MUST have el pastor if you come here. It's the best thing on the menu and what El Mexiquense is famous for!!! Even my picky 3 and 4 yr olds eat it!!! Don't fall for other "Mexican" food restaurants in Utah! People here seem to think throwing salt and pepper on food makes it "Mexican". Not this place!!!
(5)Leslie H.
I love the tacos here! We always order the combo with 4 tacos, chips and a drink for six bucks! The tacos are as good as any I've had. I am going to have to branch out and try some of the other items. They all look so good. But I have a hard time thinking about NOT ordering the tacos. This is another great example of an excellent family owned business.
(5)Abe N.
This is the same food I had when visiting the Yucatan in Mexico. Incredible. Get the tacos al pastor or la gringa al pastor. Whatever you get, make sure it has the al pastor. You will love it! Yum!
(5)Crystal H.
While eating there my husband found a large bone chunk in his burrito. We will not be going back!
(1)Dan T.
I can't say enough about this mexi-joint! The Pastor (Al Pastor) is blow-your-mind good in my opinion. Look for the gyro-style pole in the back of the kitchen full of porky goodness topped with a whole pineapple. I was giving a punchcard for a free taco at 6 punches and a free meal at 12... I've gone through 4 cards already. Top do's: - pastor tacos - milenesa plate - salsa bar (watch out for the green stuff, it look like guac, but is really blended jalepenos) - some weekends they do BBQ (asada) chicken outside on the big smoker trailer If your into new/strange stuff try the lengua, tripas, or cabeza tacos
(5)Ryan S.
El Mexiquense specializes in tacos al pastor, and when done well tacos al pastor are magical things. you can see the pork stacked up on a spit and cooking in the back and the tacos arrive with sliced pineapple on the top. with most food items I'm not big on the combination of sweet and spicy but I make an exception when magic and tacos are involved. five taco gnomes out of seven on taco a day.
(4)Frank P.
Just tried it. Total taco cart tacos! Al pastor is where it's ar
(5)Kirsten L.
Having been raised on San Diego taco shops - you know, the kind that looks so shady you figure its a 50% chance of getting diarrhea after eating there, but it tastes so good you don't care - I was pleasantly surprised to find this place hiding out just down the street from my new home here in Utah. That doesn't mean this place is sketchy (its actually far from it!) its just the style of food that I'd been missing... really good, home-cooked Mexican. Its actually much nicer than a dive taco shop, they even have TVs tuned to ESPN and serve the food on real plates. We've already been here 3 times in the short few weeks that we've lived here, and keep coming back instead of trying other new things because everything we've had is delicious. My first meal was a chile relleno special, they were done just right. Crispy, dunked in a yummy sauce, and cheese oozing out. The shredded beef rolled tacos are also quite good, although I could do without the mountain of lettuce on top since that just gets in the way of the guacamole. They do rice and beans right too...that's usually the part of the meal i'm okay with skipping but here I wanted to finish them off. The salsa bar is fantastic too, there isn't one sauce in there that I wouldn't eat again. I wish they were labeled so I knew what was in them, but I'm okay with just filling up my cups with the "green" one. Like others have said, I do think their prices are a little high, but I'm willing to pay for it. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)Paul E.
I've driven past this place dozens of times and finally wandered in late on a Saturday afternoon to just check out the menu. I couldn't help but sample the Al Pastor taco -- topped with pineapple. Love at first bite! I'm giving five stars just for that simple street taco and planning to come back with the family to sample everything else (and will report). There are lots of fresh-mex chains in this corner of Utah Valley -- and I enjoy most of them -- but if you're looking for authentic Mexican don't miss El Mexiquense.
(5)Joel A.
Awesome tasty authentic Mexican food. I love the Gordita Al Pastor. BUT make sure they charge you the advertised price.
(4)Joshua M.
My wife and I read the reviews about this place and decided to give it a try, big mistake!! The food took about twenty minutes and that was only my wife's dish. My dish didn't come out for another ten minutes. I got the nachos which were sub par plus they had a hair in them. My wife got the three taco plate and the meat was very dry and bland and the refried beans seemed to be straight out of the can. We will not be returning!!
(1)Cameron W.
Tacos al pastor!!! They honestly taste like Christmas!!
(4)Austin P.
Carne Asada Burritos! Good price, much better than Betos. Their sauces are delicious too.
(5)Chris T.
Best Mexican food for miles.
(3)Dom H.
Kinda pricey, but the food is good. Honestly, no Mexican restaurant can mess up on the delicious rice and beans. As for the other food, I ordered 3 tacos: pastor, carnitas and carne asada. All were delicious. If it was a little cheaper, I'd be at this place all the time. My girlfriend and I ended up paying $20 for just two 3-taco meals.
(3)Michael P.
Easily the best tacos between downtown SLC and a southern point I haven't reached. The salsa bar is great and the free chips, which are quite good, are a bonus. Everybody raves about the El Pastor, but while the meat is tender and the pineapple is great, it should take a back seat to the carnitas and carne asada. I may just not be an El Pastor connoisseur.
(4)Jim H.
The food at this place is excellent. It is not a high end sit down restaurant, but the food is off the charts. I had the carnitas and they were tasty, juicy and some of the best I have ever eaten. The refried beans were very flavorful. Glad I came and will definitely be back next time I am in the area!
(5)Kevin S.
Excellent, Authentic food from south of the Border. Their food rivals much of the hispanic food in Houston where I came from. It also beats every Hispanic restaurant that I've tried in Utah. They are excellent and it speaks very well to their Hole in the Wall nature. And they make Horchata the way it should be. !!
(5)Kim B.
Good asada!!! So glad to find something so authentic (coming from a native So Cal girl).
(5)Curtis G.
When three-fourths of the patrons are latino, you know that you're getting authentic cuisine, and that's the case here. Some Mexican places are dives that you never want to go back to, but this is a dive that you can enjoy over and over again. The specials on the whiteboard seemed to be a better value than the regular menu.
(3)Cory M.
We at there tonight. Tacos were vulcan, al pastor, fish, and carnitas. The presentation was great (for the price) and the flavor was right on. The salsa bar was excellent also -- we had the regular red, the al pastor salsa, the jalapeno, and the green sauce. Great stuff. My new favorite taco shop.
(4)Mike B.
I'm a local now, via Southern Arizona- where Mexican food abounds, so I'd say that I'm slightly qualified to give a decent review, in comparison to the abundant Mexican food that I've experienced over the years. I'd have to say that this taco shop in American Fork is one of the best around the area. At least from what I've found. Orders are always made fresh, and the seem to have a pretty good handle on quality. Whenever I've tried new places, my first and lasting impression is that if I find an undesirable item in a taco or burrito, such as gristle or a piece of bone etc..., the thumbs go down, and I usually wont return for future visits. That tells me that they care about what the pull off the grill and stuff in-between the tortilla shells, and they are not just stuffing the shells with "animal everything", to make the meat go further. Well, needless to say I have been back a few times and I have not been disappointed. I've tried several different tacos, and overall, I give them all a thumbs up. I've developed a liking to two or three of them, and the rest of the varieties are just ok, for me. That's not to say that someone else might give the others a better taste value over the ones that I prefer. The tacos at El Mexiquense are a good value as well, that is if you order them in the combo meals. A la carte, your wallet will feel a bit of a sting, as they range from about a buck-fity to two-fity each. The only reason I did not give 5 Stars, is that there are no 5 star restaurants in Utah, and this is a taco shop, not a full service restaurant. Having said that, I'm not comparing it to a full service restaurant, so based on its merits as a taco shop alone, I give it only 4 stars because I think they can do a little bit better job at overall consistency in portion sizing, and they still have not been consistent on overall flavoring. For example, the carne asada is one of my favorites, however the flavor in marinading has been a little weak at times, and other times it is spot on! You know it's right when you don't have to douse a taco with a two liter bottle of your favorite hot sauce or salsa. I usually fill a couple of small cups with their home-made salsa's and hot sauces, thinking I'll probably use them, then I feel bad that I didn't use as much as I thought I would, and end up having to throw them away as I say thanks, and walk out the door. So, if I haven't done my job in building up your taste buds for a good tasty taco, you probably aren't very hungry right now, or you are one of those that settles for the .39 cent tacos at the place down the road. Your belly gets full, and the land fill gets full of empty hot sauce packets, that you have had to douse your taco with, just to choke it down.
(4)Joe L.
I used the android yelp app to locate this place since there are about 50 places to eat in this area. The chicken chimichanga was huge and tasy.
(5)Daniel J.
This place is the bomb. Best Al Pastor tacos in all of Utah. The rest of the menu is decent, but you really go for the Al Pastor meat. I spent 2 years in Mexico, and this is the most legit place I've been to this side of the Rio Bravo. I'm moving out of state, and I'm way depressed about missing out on my bi-weekly taco run. If you go, get the tacos Al Pastor or a Gringa Al Pastor.
(5)J T.
Complimentary chips with a salsa bar. The carne asada is fantastic, best in Utah County by my count (perfect balance of natural steak flavor and salt). Excellent mexican food at a reasonable price. Staff is friendly.
(5)Sam W.
Me and my wife have been looking for a few good Mexican Restaurants in American Fork. There really are a lot of scary ones around, and this seemed to be one of them from the outside. I was pretty afraid of trying this out, but I am glad I did. (If anyone else feels the same, its not quite as bad inside as it is outside =P) A lot of people love the Al Pastor Tacos, including my wife. I do enjoy them, but the dish for me from this place is their Tamales. We have also tried the more common dishes, and I recommend their Enchiladas, Nacho's, and any of their Tacos. Their Quasadila's are my little brothers favorite as well. One time, I was having a really horrible experience, long wait and it seemed like they skipped our order completely. Before I said anything, 2 members of the staff noticed we had not received our food yet. They promptly finished our order, came over to our table, and apologized for everything. They also gave us free Flan on the house for me and my wife. I hate Flan, but the fact that I didn't even have to say anything meant a lot. As for their Burritos etc, they seem pretty generic. There really isn't anything special about them. I also believe their Carne Asada can be pretty inconsistent. Sometimes, its incredibly over seasoned or under seasoned. This is the main reason I am only giving 4 stars instead of 5. Other than this, it was great!
(4)Karlene E.
Inexpensive, yummy, Mexican food. You need to try this place.
(4)Matt B.
One of the best Mexican places in the area. Great food at great prices. Definitely one of my favorites.
(5)Charles W.
Solid hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. The salsa bar doesn't really have any great salsas. I really liked the strawberry water that they have occasionally and recommend the fajitas. Carne asada burrito is above average.
(3)Isaac F.
Mediocre carne asada burrito. But the al pastor tacos are AWESOME!! Food tasted fresh overall and the chips were nice and crisp but not terribly greasy. They have great sauces and salsas, too.
(4)Joe G.
Awesome "street style" tacos. Love the authentic flavors. By street style tacos we're talking simple - your choice of meet on two small corn tortillas. Add whatever salsas and toppings you want on them. They're traditionally topped with diced onions, tomatoes and cilantro, but they have a few other salsas and pico you can add to them. They're so simple and so good. They offer Tacos De Lengua (Beef tongue) there that I saw a lot of people ordering. My pops loves this kind of taco, but I haven't actually tried them myself. I tend to stick with the asada or pollo tacos. When I went there they were doing a $0.99 taco deal. Whatever tacos you want for 99 cents each. It's not a bad price. There are street carts in Salt Lake where you can get the same type of tacos for a little bit cheaper, but at $1 a taco it beats the heck out of taco time, taco bell, del taco and even sit-down Mexican restaurants. This is currently my favorite place for tacos.
(5)Jeff R.
Came here based on the Yelp reviews and the high ratings for the food. Surprisingly they were out of chicken on this visit which seems very odd for a mexican restaurant at lunchtime but I was planning to try the Al Pastor which was recommended. I ordered an Al Pastor burrito which was reasonably priced and a very large portion, large enough that I didn't finish and I generally have a big appetite. They had a selection of fresh salsas to choose from and you could get chips to snack on until your food was ready. A big plus for me was Diet Dr Pepper on their soda machine which is absolute heaven in my book! Now to the food, the Al Pastor was very tasty and had great flavor and spices. I found it to be a little too spicy for my taste and would not likely order it again. The food was way above average and very authentic mexican. The dining room is fairly small but we were able to sit at a table; you order from a window and they call you when the food is ready or they may bring it out if not too busy. They had somewhat loud music playing and the TVs were either broken or just turned off which seems odd but not a place I would expect to be able to watch sports. If you want great mexican food this is the place.
(4)Jon S.
Al pastor tacos are amazing and the salsa bar is ridiculous! Great place to go!
(4)Lisa M.
love love love! need i say more?
(5)Rick H.
Excellent! Yesterday, my wife and I went to El Mexiquense Grill to try the Al Pastor tacos that have been getting such great reviews. The special: four taco's and a drink for $6. We ordered Al Pastor, Carnitas, Carne Asada, and Pollo tacos. When they came out, they looked perfect! Little soft corn tortillas topped with meat, sweet onions, and lots of cilantro. I added salsa from the salsa bar. The perfect taco! It's difficult to pick a favorite, but the Al Pastor, with the juicy slice of fresh pineapple would be the winner for me. I also enjoyed all five of the salsas at the salsa bar. I loved the tacos so much yesterday that I am taking my daughters to El Mexiquense Grill for lunch today!
(5)Melissa P.
The best Mexican food we've had since moving here from California. El pastor tacos (el pastor anything) is where it's at. You MUST have el pastor if you come here. It's the best thing on the menu and what El Mexiquense is famous for!!! Even my picky 3 and 4 yr olds eat it!!! Don't fall for other "Mexican" food restaurants in Utah! People here seem to think throwing salt and pepper on food makes it "Mexican". Not this place!!!
(5)Leslie H.
I love the tacos here! We always order the combo with 4 tacos, chips and a drink for six bucks! The tacos are as good as any I've had. I am going to have to branch out and try some of the other items. They all look so good. But I have a hard time thinking about NOT ordering the tacos. This is another great example of an excellent family owned business.
(5)Abe N.
This is the same food I had when visiting the Yucatan in Mexico. Incredible. Get the tacos al pastor or la gringa al pastor. Whatever you get, make sure it has the al pastor. You will love it! Yum!
(5)Crystal H.
While eating there my husband found a large bone chunk in his burrito. We will not be going back!
(1)Kirsten L.
Having been raised on San Diego taco shops - you know, the kind that looks so shady you figure its a 50% chance of getting diarrhea after eating there, but it tastes so good you don't care - I was pleasantly surprised to find this place hiding out just down the street from my new home here in Utah. That doesn't mean this place is sketchy (its actually far from it!) its just the style of food that I'd been missing... really good, home-cooked Mexican. Its actually much nicer than a dive taco shop, they even have TVs tuned to ESPN and serve the food on real plates. We've already been here 3 times in the short few weeks that we've lived here, and keep coming back instead of trying other new things because everything we've had is delicious. My first meal was a chile relleno special, they were done just right. Crispy, dunked in a yummy sauce, and cheese oozing out. The shredded beef rolled tacos are also quite good, although I could do without the mountain of lettuce on top since that just gets in the way of the guacamole. They do rice and beans right too...that's usually the part of the meal i'm okay with skipping but here I wanted to finish them off. The salsa bar is fantastic too, there isn't one sauce in there that I wouldn't eat again. I wish they were labeled so I knew what was in them, but I'm okay with just filling up my cups with the "green" one. Like others have said, I do think their prices are a little high, but I'm willing to pay for it. Definitely recommend this place!
(5)Paul E.
I've driven past this place dozens of times and finally wandered in late on a Saturday afternoon to just check out the menu. I couldn't help but sample the Al Pastor taco -- topped with pineapple. Love at first bite! I'm giving five stars just for that simple street taco and planning to come back with the family to sample everything else (and will report). There are lots of fresh-mex chains in this corner of Utah Valley -- and I enjoy most of them -- but if you're looking for authentic Mexican don't miss El Mexiquense.
(5)Joel A.
Awesome tasty authentic Mexican food. I love the Gordita Al Pastor. BUT make sure they charge you the advertised price.
(4)Joshua M.
My wife and I read the reviews about this place and decided to give it a try, big mistake!! The food took about twenty minutes and that was only my wife's dish. My dish didn't come out for another ten minutes. I got the nachos which were sub par plus they had a hair in them. My wife got the three taco plate and the meat was very dry and bland and the refried beans seemed to be straight out of the can. We will not be returning!!
(1)Cameron W.
Tacos al pastor!!! They honestly taste like Christmas!!
(4)Dan T.
I can't say enough about this mexi-joint! The Pastor (Al Pastor) is blow-your-mind good in my opinion. Look for the gyro-style pole in the back of the kitchen full of porky goodness topped with a whole pineapple. I was giving a punchcard for a free taco at 6 punches and a free meal at 12... I've gone through 4 cards already. Top do's: - pastor tacos - milenesa plate - salsa bar (watch out for the green stuff, it look like guac, but is really blended jalepenos) - some weekends they do BBQ (asada) chicken outside on the big smoker trailer If your into new/strange stuff try the lengua, tripas, or cabeza tacos
(5)Ryan S.
El Mexiquense specializes in tacos al pastor, and when done well tacos al pastor are magical things. you can see the pork stacked up on a spit and cooking in the back and the tacos arrive with sliced pineapple on the top. with most food items I'm not big on the combination of sweet and spicy but I make an exception when magic and tacos are involved. five taco gnomes out of seven on taco a day.
(4)Frank P.
Just tried it. Total taco cart tacos! Al pastor is where it's ar
(5)Austin P.
Carne Asada Burritos! Good price, much better than Betos. Their sauces are delicious too.
(5)Chris T.
Best Mexican food for miles.
(3)Dom H.
Kinda pricey, but the food is good. Honestly, no Mexican restaurant can mess up on the delicious rice and beans. As for the other food, I ordered 3 tacos: pastor, carnitas and carne asada. All were delicious. If it was a little cheaper, I'd be at this place all the time. My girlfriend and I ended up paying $20 for just two 3-taco meals.
(3)Michael P.
Easily the best tacos between downtown SLC and a southern point I haven't reached. The salsa bar is great and the free chips, which are quite good, are a bonus. Everybody raves about the El Pastor, but while the meat is tender and the pineapple is great, it should take a back seat to the carnitas and carne asada. I may just not be an El Pastor connoisseur.
(4)Jim H.
The food at this place is excellent. It is not a high end sit down restaurant, but the food is off the charts. I had the carnitas and they were tasty, juicy and some of the best I have ever eaten. The refried beans were very flavorful. Glad I came and will definitely be back next time I am in the area!
(5)Kevin S.
Excellent, Authentic food from south of the Border. Their food rivals much of the hispanic food in Houston where I came from. It also beats every Hispanic restaurant that I've tried in Utah. They are excellent and it speaks very well to their Hole in the Wall nature. And they make Horchata the way it should be. !!
(5)Kim B.
Good asada!!! So glad to find something so authentic (coming from a native So Cal girl).
(5)Curtis G.
When three-fourths of the patrons are latino, you know that you're getting authentic cuisine, and that's the case here. Some Mexican places are dives that you never want to go back to, but this is a dive that you can enjoy over and over again. The specials on the whiteboard seemed to be a better value than the regular menu.
(3)Mike B.
I'm a local now, via Southern Arizona- where Mexican food abounds, so I'd say that I'm slightly qualified to give a decent review, in comparison to the abundant Mexican food that I've experienced over the years. I'd have to say that this taco shop in American Fork is one of the best around the area. At least from what I've found. Orders are always made fresh, and the seem to have a pretty good handle on quality. Whenever I've tried new places, my first and lasting impression is that if I find an undesirable item in a taco or burrito, such as gristle or a piece of bone etc..., the thumbs go down, and I usually wont return for future visits. That tells me that they care about what the pull off the grill and stuff in-between the tortilla shells, and they are not just stuffing the shells with "animal everything", to make the meat go further. Well, needless to say I have been back a few times and I have not been disappointed. I've tried several different tacos, and overall, I give them all a thumbs up. I've developed a liking to two or three of them, and the rest of the varieties are just ok, for me. That's not to say that someone else might give the others a better taste value over the ones that I prefer. The tacos at El Mexiquense are a good value as well, that is if you order them in the combo meals. A la carte, your wallet will feel a bit of a sting, as they range from about a buck-fity to two-fity each. The only reason I did not give 5 Stars, is that there are no 5 star restaurants in Utah, and this is a taco shop, not a full service restaurant. Having said that, I'm not comparing it to a full service restaurant, so based on its merits as a taco shop alone, I give it only 4 stars because I think they can do a little bit better job at overall consistency in portion sizing, and they still have not been consistent on overall flavoring. For example, the carne asada is one of my favorites, however the flavor in marinading has been a little weak at times, and other times it is spot on! You know it's right when you don't have to douse a taco with a two liter bottle of your favorite hot sauce or salsa. I usually fill a couple of small cups with their home-made salsa's and hot sauces, thinking I'll probably use them, then I feel bad that I didn't use as much as I thought I would, and end up having to throw them away as I say thanks, and walk out the door. So, if I haven't done my job in building up your taste buds for a good tasty taco, you probably aren't very hungry right now, or you are one of those that settles for the .39 cent tacos at the place down the road. Your belly gets full, and the land fill gets full of empty hot sauce packets, that you have had to douse your taco with, just to choke it down.
(4)Joe L.
I used the android yelp app to locate this place since there are about 50 places to eat in this area. The chicken chimichanga was huge and tasy.
(5)Sam W.
Me and my wife have been looking for a few good Mexican Restaurants in American Fork. There really are a lot of scary ones around, and this seemed to be one of them from the outside. I was pretty afraid of trying this out, but I am glad I did. (If anyone else feels the same, its not quite as bad inside as it is outside =P) A lot of people love the Al Pastor Tacos, including my wife. I do enjoy them, but the dish for me from this place is their Tamales. We have also tried the more common dishes, and I recommend their Enchiladas, Nacho's, and any of their Tacos. Their Quasadila's are my little brothers favorite as well. One time, I was having a really horrible experience, long wait and it seemed like they skipped our order completely. Before I said anything, 2 members of the staff noticed we had not received our food yet. They promptly finished our order, came over to our table, and apologized for everything. They also gave us free Flan on the house for me and my wife. I hate Flan, but the fact that I didn't even have to say anything meant a lot. As for their Burritos etc, they seem pretty generic. There really isn't anything special about them. I also believe their Carne Asada can be pretty inconsistent. Sometimes, its incredibly over seasoned or under seasoned. This is the main reason I am only giving 4 stars instead of 5. Other than this, it was great!
(4)Karlene E.
Inexpensive, yummy, Mexican food. You need to try this place.
(4)Matt B.
One of the best Mexican places in the area. Great food at great prices. Definitely one of my favorites.
(5)Charles W.
Solid hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. The salsa bar doesn't really have any great salsas. I really liked the strawberry water that they have occasionally and recommend the fajitas. Carne asada burrito is above average.
(3)Isaac F.
Mediocre carne asada burrito. But the al pastor tacos are AWESOME!! Food tasted fresh overall and the chips were nice and crisp but not terribly greasy. They have great sauces and salsas, too.
(4)Joe G.
Awesome "street style" tacos. Love the authentic flavors. By street style tacos we're talking simple - your choice of meet on two small corn tortillas. Add whatever salsas and toppings you want on them. They're traditionally topped with diced onions, tomatoes and cilantro, but they have a few other salsas and pico you can add to them. They're so simple and so good. They offer Tacos De Lengua (Beef tongue) there that I saw a lot of people ordering. My pops loves this kind of taco, but I haven't actually tried them myself. I tend to stick with the asada or pollo tacos. When I went there they were doing a $0.99 taco deal. Whatever tacos you want for 99 cents each. It's not a bad price. There are street carts in Salt Lake where you can get the same type of tacos for a little bit cheaper, but at $1 a taco it beats the heck out of taco time, taco bell, del taco and even sit-down Mexican restaurants. This is currently my favorite place for tacos.
(5)Daniel J.
This place is the bomb. Best Al Pastor tacos in all of Utah. The rest of the menu is decent, but you really go for the Al Pastor meat. I spent 2 years in Mexico, and this is the most legit place I've been to this side of the Rio Bravo. I'm moving out of state, and I'm way depressed about missing out on my bi-weekly taco run. If you go, get the tacos Al Pastor or a Gringa Al Pastor.
(5)J T.
Complimentary chips with a salsa bar. The carne asada is fantastic, best in Utah County by my count (perfect balance of natural steak flavor and salt). Excellent mexican food at a reasonable price. Staff is friendly.
(5)Cory M.
We at there tonight. Tacos were vulcan, al pastor, fish, and carnitas. The presentation was great (for the price) and the flavor was right on. The salsa bar was excellent also -- we had the regular red, the al pastor salsa, the jalapeno, and the green sauce. Great stuff. My new favorite taco shop.
(4)Joy M.
We come here at least twice a month, we always get the whole chicken for $17.99 that comes with beans and rice, corn or flour tortilla and a 2 liter drink. They use to have Jarritos but now it's just coke products. Honestly for the price and amount of food you get it is a good deal, the chicken is amazingly tasty. For lunch I get my normal order which is the three tacos with lengua, tripa and cabeza. This is the only place in Utah county that I know that serves these type of tacos and make it really good. There's Diego's in Provo but not much of a fan. Mexiquense is hard to beat!
(5)Matt C.
This is a great little restraunt. I have been by this place a hundred times without ever noticing it. Then I was hungry and wanted to try something new and found this little joint on Yelp. The al pastor tacos are great--that is what I had. The restraunt is a dive so expect that going in. It is usually small and crowded but the staff is great and very nice. If you are going for great Mexican food then you won't be disappointed.
(4)Zach T.
El Mexiquense is awesome! I was sad it was closed for a while, but I'm glad it is back. Personally I would recommend getting the Molcajete. It is a giant rock bowl (molcajete) full of chicken, shrimp, steak, chorizo, tomato, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeño peppers filled with cheese. They serve it up with a handful of hot and fresh tortillas, as well as a side of rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, and onions. It is A LOT of food. It is too bad it is so far from Provo, otherwise I would be here a lot more often. If you're thinking Mexican and want an authentic experience, quit debating and head over to El Mexiquense.
(5)Anthony B.
Most authentic and tasty tacos in utah valley. Love the Al Pastor tacos. They make them just right. Great service, good selection of salsa, and the tacos are delicious. One of my favorite places.
(5)Tara M.
I was looking for s place nearby that had Al pastor tacos and this came across yelp. I've seen the restaurant before but never stopped in. Now I regret this decision when I could've been eating here for years! We started with the choriqueso appetizer. Basically Latin fondue. Chorizo sausage topped with melted cheese, served with tortillas or chips. Holy. Moly. I'm drooling reliving the memory of eating it. I had the Al pastor plate... Didn't disappoint. Best authentic Mexican street tacos around. Hands down. My sons tried carnitas tacos and carne asada. The carne asada was my fav after the Al pastor. I'm going back again tonight!
(5)James T.
Yelp has done it again...helped me find a great Mexican Restaurant close to home. Lisa played it safe and went with the Cheese Enchiladas. I had the Shrimp Burrito. I was skeptical at first, $8.99 for any seafood sounds too good to be true. Totally expected cocktail sized shrimp, but fresh medium to large shrimp were delivered. The fresh grilled onions, peppers and chiles were excellent. The variety of salsas for the chips was also great. The jalapeño was my favorite. Great food at very reasonable pricing. Service was very friendly and the food was prepared promptly, less than 10 minutes. I highly recommend this place.
(5)Alex S.
This place is a 4.2. SUPER SUPER YUMMY! I enjoyed the tacos al pastor very well marinated, and the slice of pineapple... as always is a must! They put a lot of cilantro on it!! if you dont like that make sure to ask for a little less. The gringa (al pastor meat with cheese) was very delicious too. The same meat and the cheese really compliments the tangy meat. The burrito is what my friend order, he let me have a little. The chicken is so tender and well seasoned, the one thing is the chorizo is chorizo. Now that i don't live in mexico... not as good as i remember. The sauces are all very yummy. The jalapeno salsa... spicy yet statisfying (i hope that doesnt count as plagiarizing the lion king). The horchata delicious creamy... everything good. But it costs a lot... possibly not worth buying... but good for testing it out! LAST BUT MOST IMPORTANT!!! it passed the two hour diarrhea test. Nothing matters more to me than taste and digestion. I would say this is the best mexican place thus far in the American Fork/Pleasant Grove area. GO THERE!
(4)Hunter C.
Needed to give this place another try. The last couple of times have been really good. The Al Pastor was good, but not my favorite. The carne asada, shredded beef, and especially barbacoa tacos were excellent. I'll be coming back to get my taco fix.
(5)Stephanie S.
Second time coming here, we got an elote (Mexican corn), a carne asada burrito and a Chile verde burrito. The carne asada burrito was really good, the elite was awesome! The Chile verde burrito had good spice but the meat was really dry. Probably won't get that again. We really like this place overall
(4)Curtis C.
This place has the absolute best, authentic Mexican food I've ever had in Utah. I'm not sure how long it has been there, but it makes me sad to know that I've possibly been missing out on this food for so many years. The menu has everything you can imagine, tacos, burritos (yes I know these aren't authentic Mexican), menudo, mole, nachos, EVERYTHING. To top it off, you get the choice of a large variety of meats, carne asada, chicken, pork, shredded beef, chorizo, and a couple others that I'm forgetting. After looking at the menu a while I ended up getting some shredded beef nachos (they were out of carne asada), one chorizo taco and a shredded beef taco. After I ordered we picked out a table and I walked over to the salsa bar. The first thing I noticed was the sign in the picture above, "3 SIDES OF SALSA MAXIMUM, thank you for your cooperation. " There are three different flavors of salsa here, a red, a green, and a hot red. I thought that the 3 container limit was a little odd, but it seemed like it would be enough to work for me. Once I had my salsa I got back to the table and the women who had taken our order pointed at me and told me to come get my chips. Back over at the register I picked up a generous sized container of chips and we began to snack on them. Halfway through the chips and salsa I was starting to get a little worried about the salsa limit. Our food came out and I was amazed at how authentic the tacos looked. They looked like real, homemade tacos...not the typical Taco Bell/Del Taco premade tacos...these were real tacos, with spiced, juicy meat, full of flavor. As I bit into my chorizo taco a tear of joy slid down the side of my face as I realized that I had finally found a quality, authentic Mexican establishment near me. My two tacos were something around $1.25 a piece, and they were well worth that price. These were only an appetizer though for what lay ahead, the shredded beef nachos. As I opened the container I knew I was in for something special. Covered in cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and shredded beef, these are hands down the best nachos I've ever had the joy of tasting. The pictures say it all. Every bite was as good as it looked. The order also came with another bag of chips and a container full of a bean cheese mixture. We spent around $10 and had more than enough food for two, just the thing of nachos would have been enough for the both of us. I have nothing bad to say about this place, every bit of it is amazing. They don't even have a website, that is how you know it is quality food. Oh, and I went back and took some more salsa...three wasn't enough. The Good: Confusingly low prices Flavor filled food Huge menu The Bad: The 3 salsa side limit is unforgiveable...so just get some extra salsa if you need it. (I think this has been removed now after the re-open!!!)
(5)Lana B.
If you love real mexican food, street tacos, al pastor, carne asada, this is the place. I always get 3 carne asada tacos, squeeze lime juice all over them, and the spicy cilantro sauce and dig in. Cheap, divey, and awesome. They just rebuilt after a fire so the place is sparkling.
(5)JP C.
For tacos al pastor, this is the place to go in Utah! It's also got solid service and a new, modern and clean decor. I lived in Mexico as a kid for a couple of years and fell in love with tacos al pastor. I literally went back to Mexico a few times just to eat tacos al pastor at this one particular place in D.F. I tried for years to find something that reminded me of the tacos I had in D.F., but it really wasn't until finding El Mexiquense that I felt like I had something even comparable. These tacos are excellent! When I walked in the first time and saw that trompo, I knew I was in a good place. So the tacos al pastor are fantastic. I've had several other tacos here and enjoyed them as well. I'm a big fan of the cabeza and lengua tacos. I've had their chile verde burrito; it's an absolute monster, and it's pretty darn tasty, to boot. Be hungry if you get this one! Although I myself haven't had the tortas, I've now seen the milenasa torta, and it looked pretty great. My friend enjoyed it quite a bit. The salsas are somewhat limited, but very solid. I like my salsa pretty spicy, and El Mexiquense can make me happy with their salsas. I wouldn't mind some better chips. I like mine to be more substantial. Those nice, thick chips are the best! But El Mexiquense has a much thinner version. The service is always quick and friendly, in either English or Spanish. Excellent tacos, solid options other than tacos, good service, I make it here regularly.
(4)Michelle L.
I had the Al Pastor taco meal and I give it two thumbs up. This place was busy when I went there but they were still fast and had great service.
(5)Julie K.
Tacos are amazing! We had tilapia, pastor, and carne asada. The smooth green salsa was tasty. The horchata refreshing. If you're in American Fork, stop here!
(4)John T.
Not impressed. With all the high ratings I was expecting something great. Ordered vegetarian burritos and got ham in it and chile Verde burrito was way salty
(2)Brian E.
Ate lunch here today, the food was great and tasted very fresh! The ordering process was super easy, easy to read menu, etc.. They have a tasty salsa bar and free chips too. Plenty of tables and seating, TV's were on and showing a Soccer match. The Al Pastor tacos were great, seasoned perfectly and served with a good portion of Pineapple on top! I tried their Carne Asada tacos too and thought they were tasty, a little dry but tasty.
(4)Paul W.
This little place has, in my opinion, the best Mexican food in Utah. Big portions and great food. I highly recommend it.
(5)Davin P.
Just came for the first time tonight. Delicious! Tried 5 different things and really enjoyed each. Relleno was best I have found in Utah. Carne tacos were my favorite. We ordered small just to try it initially and then ordered more food 4 more times. Great value, clean and chips and salsa are spot on!
(5)Debra H.
This is our favorite Mexican food place. They have authentic Mexican which is hard to find in Utah County. Some of our favorites are the Costillas plate, Carnitas and pastor and tongue tacos.
(5)Mike N.
As far as Mexican goes, this is among the best you'll find in Utah County. Its a divey place that shares a parking lot with JDawgs. It is a casual establishment and the service won't be the friendliest but it draws a large lunch crowd and there is plenty of seating. The al pastor and carne asada are popular and delicious. They serve fresh tasty chips with every meal and they have 5 different salsas to choose from. Some of these are genuinely hot and spicy. The food I've had has always been delicious and the portions are large and filling. The only disappointment I had during my latest visit was that they were completely out of Dr. Pepper in the soda machine. Apparently Im not the only one who loves some Dr. Pepper with mi comida. Also, there is almost always futbol playing on their two tv screens, so this can be a plus if youre into Mexican or English soccer.
(4)Lilly S B.
Excellent Mexican food that rivals Mexico City and Cancun! We eat here at least once a week! Delish!!!
(5)Clint M.
Killer al pastor tacos as well as carne asada and carnitas tacos. The beans and rice were okay
(4)Paislea S.
Mexiquinse is/was one of my favorite Mexican restaurants to eat at. Ever. Located just down the road from our home and on the way home from work, my husband and I found ourselves here many times. The staff are all extremely friendly and polite. The food is outstanding - tacos, quesadillas, nachos and more specialty items like elotes (corn w/chile & cojeta) and fresas (strawberry dessert) have all been delicious. We recommend Mexiquinse to all of our friends, family and co-workers!
(5)Erin L.
Absolutely love the version of street tacos. Been disappointed to see they've been closed the past couple weeks:(
(4)John L.
La consequencia! Food was very tasty but we all spend the rest of the evening paying the price. I'm not sure the restaurant would pass a health inspection when we went.
(2)Nicole K.
This place never disappoints. I have tried several dishes here and they are all great. This is the closest I have gotten to finding an L.A. quality Mexican Food. There salsa is also amazing.
(5)Jessica P.
Best Mexican food EVER! My husband I live in So Florida, I haven't been that impressed with the food in Utah, but this place is great.
(5)Zach L.
This is what Mexican food, for me, is all about (though my favorite in Utah C. is and always will be Maria Bonita): delicious tacos al pastor, whole chicken meals for the entire family, a run-down dive of a location, a small salsa bar with condiments that aren't overly sweet, overly salty, or overly complex--just the earthy, robust flavor of various peppers and chilis. Good place. I haven't tried much of the menu yet so I can't vouch for everything, but what I did try didn't make me feel like I was projecting or cheating or pretending to be eating something I'm not (i.e. Real Mexican food! that's as Utah as it comes, or Gourmet Fajitas! that amounts to a contradiction in terms). We're seeing more and more of these places pop up--and apparently this place has been around for a lot longer than I know--and I'm grateful.
(4)Jeffrey S.
Not doing much on a Friday night an find yourself kinda-sorta near American Fork? No? I'm the only one? Well, if for any other reason you're in the neighborhood and you have a hankering for Mexican food (el hankering?) then this is a nice option. Located just east of the spiffy strip mall with shiny buildings, this is a little more off the beaten path. It's in a little strip mall--you'll probably see the sign, but you can look for the shinier J Dawgs sign too; they're neighbors. Inside is more seating than I had imagined there to be, a pretty large, open kitchen, and a massive board with the eponymous red/yellow wavy background that I see at a lot of Mexican joints. While they do offer a lot of the traditionals, there are some fun takes on them. I ordered up the Ya Vass Burrito as it called out to me with bacon. In fact, they've got bacon on a few of their menu items. The burritos seem to be the main draw, next to the tacos al pastor. I had to indulge in one of those lil' guys as well and found it to be sweet, delightful, and very bright red. The spit didn't seem to be spinning, so I'm not sure where the meat came from? But heck--it was good. As for the burrito, it was quite large and tasty enough, but the bacon was actually kind of a disappointment. It was overcooked and kinda carbon-y. But a nice crunch texture broke up the soft burrito texture. There's a salsa bar in a cave-like room off the main dining area. Be warned that they take their spice seriously. When they say hot, it's hot. Even the not-so-hot was still steamy. The price seemed about right, and it was nice to try something with this flavor (both literally and hole-in-the-wall one-of-a-kind) and even though I'm not raving about it madly, I'd gladly bite into one of their burritos again.
(4)Matthew W.
Crave-able tacos of every standard street taco variety, and tacos al pastor worth driving great distances for. Their salsa bar is top notch. Very affordable...I haven't had a thing on their menu that wasn't delicious and a great value.
(5)Scott D.
All I have to say is holy chimney! mass quantities of food at a decent price with old fashion Mexican flare.
(3)Jeff N.
I really like this place as a staple, low cost mexican resturant. Haven't had anything bad here. Great food salsas and menudo too.
(5)Todd R.
Good, authentic, Mexican food. Their sauces vary in heat from day to day. Dining room is a little small. Overall though , I think it is the best Mexican option in American Fork or Lehi.
(4)Jennifer H.
Love the pastor tacos with the pineapple on them! Great salsa bar too. My husband loves the green chile burro. This is the only place in Utah he will eat Mexican food after growing up in AZ.
(5)nachot t.
I can't believe I've never written a review of El Mexiquense! I've been here a couple dozen times and every time I drive all the way from Draper, I think to myself, "Self, we need to come here more often." I've tried a number of things on the menu, but a few months back a buddy ordered the Fortachón burrito - loaded with refried beans, carne asada, grilled chicken, chorizo and bacon. BACON! I don't think I've ever had a more tasty burrito. Ever. It's a huge meal and after I wolf it down, I wish I would have saved half for dinner. The al pastor tacos are another favorite of mine. The pork is juicy and flavorful and they actually serve them with a slice of fresh pineapple. The chips and salsa are great. At the salsa bar you can pick from a number of different flavors, including a green jalapeño salsa that's got a bit of a kick, but the flavor is oh, so good. The food is excellent and high quality. Cost wise, it's about the same as the nicer Mexi places, but you won't find a more tasty meal. I also like the fact they have a couple big screen TVs that are always showing fútbol. Yesterday we saw Hong Kong get beat down by Argentina. The score was 4-zip before they even put in Messi. Great Mexican food, chips, salsa and some fútbol = an awesome lunch.
(5)Darrell A.
Hear me now, believe me later. This is good authentic Mexican food. How do you know if it's authentic? Well, they have a salsa bar of 5 salsas and 1 is mild and 4 are grown man hot! All the hot are half gone and the mild hasn't even been touched! I had the Al Pastor plate and it was really good. Any more authentic and you'd have to worry about getting kidnapped.
(4)Elizabeth T.
Esto sà es comida Mexicana! Real Mexican food!! I've been living in Utah for over a year now and I can say I finally I found a super good authentic Mexican restaurant! I'm from Pharr, Texas a border town with Mexico and this place is the closest to any Mexican restaurant down there! My husband and I got a Molcajete special to share and it was delicious! It is enough for up to 4 people. The Molcajete has: chicken, shrimp, steak, chorizo, a tomato, cilantro, avocado, jalapeño peppers filled with cheese. Along with a side of rice, beans, lettuce, tomato and onions as well as flour tortillas and/or corn tortillas. It also came with a 1.5 liter Jarritos drink. Great value for the quality and quantity of food. Y'all need to try this place!
(5)Matt W.
I was stopping in American Fork for gas, and I needed some lunch. I resisted the siren song of In-N-Out, and decided to look for something different. El Mexiquense hit the spot. You'll order at the window, then staff will bring out chips, point out the salsa bar at the back, and bring your food out once it's ready. The al pastor is great, really moist and complimented by their salsa verde and the slices of fresh pineapple, and the Carnitas pairs really well with the avocado crema over on the salsa bar. Staff was friendly and fast while I was there - I'd grab some tacos, try the salsa bar, and enjoy yourself!
(4)Kathy D.
Very disappointed. The person taking our order neglected to tell us that they were out of guacamole and considering that 3 out of 4 of our meals were suppose to have it on them, it would have been helpful. Would not come back.
(2)James S.
Worth a try if you have never been. I'd definitely recommend it.
(4)Dustin K.
Ok food. Not really that great. Tacos stale, meat old tasting. Fries not very good. Overall wouldn't come back.
(2)Abinadi F.
I'll give these guys 4 stars. They are very good, and delicious. It's as close as good as you'll get to a good Mexican taco. They also have quite a variety of foods that are authentic. I know a lot of people don't like "tripas" but they sure make them goooooood. It's not loud, and they are fairly fast. Their salsa's are not my favorite. If you want to get a good taco in Utah County, so far, this is the best place i've found.
(4)Carlos J.
Authentic Mexican. Owners are from Mexico City . Tacos are by far the best menu item they offer. The pastor taco is one of the best I've ever eaten. Chips and salsa are all homemade. Grill isn't too bad, though I've had dry chicken a few times. Burritos will fill you up. Some of these menu items will bust any diet your on. So if you are watching calories, stick to the tacos! Salsa is amazing as well. It's well supported by local Hispanic community.
(4)Gifford L.
Being from Utah and having been to Cafe Rio a ton I'm not sure I know what good authentic Mexican food tastes like, but if I had to guess this place would be pretty close for the following reasons. 1. The food isn't overly sweet. 2. They were cooking whole chickens (which you can order) 3. The ambiance -The Pastor taco was very good. -Chips were light and crispy just like they should be. -I enjoyed the Salsa bar and Chicken Taco very much.
(4)Hayden H.
Tried this place for the first time and was happy about visiting! They are very generous with the portions and the prices are great! I ordered the pastor taco plate and was STUFFED afterwards (and imma big dude, 6'4" 220+) Everything my group had looked good too, the burritos are HUGE, the quesadillas were loaded up and everyone left happy. Highly recommended!!
(4)Darryl M.
I found this place on Yelp and based on the good reviews and lack of other local Sunday dining options, checked it out. Meals are ordered at one window and the picked up relatively quickly at the next window. Drinks are canned or bottled if your order something authentic, or in the self serve fountain if you go with American soda. We ordered a chimichanga and carne asada plate. They were both ready quickly. The salsa options were fine, the green sauce was a bit hot for my gringo tastes. The chimichanga was great, could have fed two people with it. The carne asada plate had great sides but the carne was disapointing as both pieces had a thick streak of fat or gristle that made it hard to chew and nearly impossible to cut with the plastic knife and fork. Price was reasonable, atmosphere was minimal, somewhat sparse and unorganized but clean. I will go back and either try something else or give the carne another shot.
(3)Alan D.
Theres so many of these kind of restaurants that look like this out there. In Strip malls, long menu's, with white guys like me and my wife sounding out mexican dishes we don't know what are. To me, and to be honest, most of them are the same. Look the same, flavor is all the same. I came here solely because it was rated so high on yelp, and we wanted to try American Fork stuff for lunch. But this place is different . They've thrown in some sort delicious flavor into fresh food. It tastes really good. Whoever is cooking, behind that wall I ordered at, knows how to cook. I'm craving it now. I had the Carne Asada Tacos and my wife had the asada burrito. My tacos were Great. Seasoned good, and very fresh. The refried beans, which are normally bland and sprinkled with a little cheese were also flavored very well. The asada burrito was good size, and had even a different flavor than my Asada Tacos. The salsa bar, you're just going to have to guess. Fill up with one each, and taste them all. They were all good, but I found my favorite. Great value, good food, and a touch different. Worth swinging wide for, if you like mexican. 4 stars.
(4)Tina E.
Best mexican food in the valley hands down! Fast and friendly, plus it doesn't hurt if you speak a little spanish. :-)
(5)Jennifer S.
Went here on a very strong recommendation from friends. We got the Tacos Al Pastor (Carnitas, Shredded Beef, and Chicken) and a steak and chicken chimichanga. The rice was a little dry. The beans were good. The salsa bar was fun--the jalapeno cucumber one may be my new favorite. The horchata was sweet and creamy--excellent! I don't know that it lived up to the hype our friends created for us, but I would go back.
(2)Christian M.
I love the tacos here. It's the only thing I order. They are the real deal. Fresh salsa bar too. Feels like I'm back in California. Only knock is that they are pretty slow. If there are better tacos between south of SLC and north of Provo please let me know because I haven't found them.
(4)Charles S.
I had fairly high hopes for this place, based on the Yelp rating. But I was also skeptical, due to the few bad reviews and the fact that it's located in American Fork. I grew up in Utah County and have never thought of it as a haven for good Mexican Food. So... I entered El Mexiquense with a bit of an attitude. I was just looking for reasons to start deducting stars. The first thing I noticed was that the prices are a bit higher than your typical taco shop and much higher than your typical "street taco" shop. Based on the raves here on Yelp, I ordered the Al Pastor plate for $6.99. Not a bad price, especially if it turns out to be good. Once I got the food, which included a big ol' basket of chips, my trepidation about "high prices" was gone. This was a LOT of food for the price. No deduction. Value is important, but what about the taste? Holy smokes!! This Al Pastor was hands down THE BEST I've had! Wow! And the rice and beans on the side? They weren't fillers or throw away items, as they so often tend to be at these types of joints. Both sides were plenty flavorful, fresh and fabulous! The next item on the agenda... the salsa bar! Hah! Here's a spot where I can certainly find a fair reason to eliminate a star. The freshly sliced limes, the salsa, the hot sauce and the (pickled?) onion mixtures were all there for the taking. There was one problem though... no labels! How am I supposed to know which one is super hot? And which one is tomatillo? So, I tried a few of the offerings. Every one was DYNAMITE! Drat! Labels or not, this salsa bar kicks ass! No deduction. The ambiance was taco shop cool. Nicely arranged with a couple of big TV's set to ESPN. They operate like a cafeteria, where they call you and you pick up the food. But they serve the meals on stoneware dinner plates. Nice touch! Paper plates would have a hard time holding up to the juicy deliciousness here. As I left El Mexiquense, feeling fat and happy, I began to recount my experience and figure out the star rating. The more I thought about it, I couldn't find any reason to remove a single star. If and when I find myself in this area, I'll definitely be getting my Mexi fix at this wonderful little place.
(5)Carolina C.
One of the best fast food, authentic Mexican restaurants in Utah. Their carne asada tacos and volcanos are amazing. All the salsas are really good too. And they are open Sundays!! Very friendly environment (The only negative thing is their music is sometimes too loud during lunch)
(4)Justin G.
My wife and I were really hoping this would be a great Mexican place that would be a "go to" if we had a hankering for tacos. It was a bit of a disappointment. The el pastor that everyone is raving about on the previous reviews had a strange taste for me. The carne asada tacos were a little better but not great. All the meat seemed a bit dry and lukewarm when it got served to us. The salsa bar had 5 options of which I liked 2. I won't rule out giving it another shot, but I'm still searching for a great taco place.
(2)Emily G.
We really love this place. Have eaten here many times and have never had a bad meal. The wait is sometimes long for the food and a lot of times they are out of chicken if you go late, but overall a fantastic place. Best Mexican good in the valley!
(5)Katie H.
Since my husband went without me the other night I was very jealous so today he got some food to go and brought it home to me. We were planning on sharing tacos and a tamale but surprise- he got a smothered burrito on top of that so once again we over ordered. Why?! Seriously. Do NOT over order here. It is much better to eat here twice fresh for the same amount of food than to get it all at once and have to eat leftovers. Well, lucky for you I got to try more stuff and can now write about it. Unlucky for me we have a lot of leftovers. They give you so much food for your money though and I am certainly not complaining about THAT. *Just have to add, when my husband ate the leftovers he thought they were amazing. Maybe because we heated them in the oven. So it is a preference thing. I still prefer not to over-order here. Once again, I am amazed at how good everything is. The tacos are SO GOOD! We always get four different kinds though and I never know which is which except for the chicken, but the cubed meat one is my absolutely hands down favorite. It is so tender and soft and the flavor was ummmmm... pretty sure those Tacos are going to heaven. I think it was beef? All I know is that it's heavenly and it may be the only kind of meat I want to order from now on. We got our tacos on flour tortillas this time. Love their flour tortillas. The chicken tamale was delicious. A little on the dry side but still delicious. The Chile Verde Burrito was excellent. The green sauce is actually spicy- so good. I was happy to see that they used white cheese instead of chedder. If their smothered burrito is this good I cannot wait to try their enchiladas. My husband got his burrito as a meal but it didn't come with rice this time. Maybe they were out, but the beans were SO GOOD! I didn't remember them being THIS good the first time. They must have just made a batch because they were fresh. And these are not canned beans- pretty sure, because there was a whole layer of an onion in there... This is really pushing the limits of four stars and bordering 5 stars. Chips- Awesome once again. And the red "Sauca" was as good as I remembered. My ONLY complaint is the fresh tomatoes that you get with the lettuce (that comes with the fajitas) are not that good of quality. They really need to connect with a local tomato grower... hmmm. P.S. Not a bone to be found in any of our food this time. Not a one. See? It really doesn't happen that often, so don't let it scare you away or prevent you from coming back if you do get a bone in your food. If that stops you, I am sad for you. So deprived.
(4)Neil Y.
Definitely some of the best "authentic" Mexican food in Utah county. The fajita chicken is moist and spiced perfectly. Huge portions to boot!
(4)Jason P.
This place is hands down the best Mexican I have had in Utah and rivals some of the best I have had in Cali. The Al Pastor tacos are to die for! The array of flavors that just explode in your mouth is wild. After finding this little gem last week my wife and I have been there so many times I'd be embarrassed to admit it. The Guacamole, Jalapeño salsa is the bomb, ( it packs heat and flavor) we even bought some to bring home. The carne asada is also killer, reminds my wife and I of some of the great carne asada we had in Little Havannah. Everything we have had there is great, the prices are well worth the food. Last night we were there and my wife mentioned how funny it was that just down the road Cafe Rio was probably jam packed, while this little Gem lay hidden to most of the community. That being said this is authentic Mex, none of that Tex Mex business.
(5)Tony G.
These are by far the best tacos I have ever had. There isn't a place that compares! I always get tacos al pastor and carne asada tacos and I am impressed every time. It is a very clean place with very friendly staff.
(5)Monica T.
My boyfriend and I stopped in here to grab take out for his family (and us, of course) as we were headed over there for lunch. This place is in the same area as a lot of the stuff they pick up for such lunches, and we passed by it on a previous occasion and I remember all the glowing Yelp reviews. So this past weekend we were able to satisfy my curiosity. As far as the atmosphere goes, this is your standard kind of hole-in-the-wall-ish Mexican joint: sparsely decorated with signs that aren't always grammatically correct, with a soccer game playing on a TV. We even got to see someone score a goooooooooooooooooooooooooal while we were waiting for our food. Anyway, we were ordering for seven people, so we got a couple of burritos (chile verde, and whatever #1 is. I believe it contained chicken, bacon, potatoes, and other goodness), a couple of tortas (carnitas and the one with sausage and potatoes) and three taco combos (two al pastor, which is the specialty, and one shredded beef). The total came out to a little bit more than you'd expect from a hole-in-the-wall Mexican joint, but still not unreasonable. While waiting for our order, we filled up little cups with samplings of all the salsas. Overall, everyone enjoyed all the stuff we brought in. That #1 burrito was probably the favorite of the group, followed by the shredded beef tacos and the sausage torta (my personal favorite). Oddly, the tacos al pastor seemed to go less quickly than the others. I know I'm not as big a fan of al pastor in general as most people, and this may be the case with my boyfriend and his family. Still good, but I think we liked everything else better (especially the ones with more unique flavor combos). Everyone was also a big fan of the salsas, especially the salsa jalapeno (I think that's the name. It's the green one not named salsa verde). It definitely had some heat to it, which is not super common among Utah county Mexican joints. In summary: the food was tasty and also delicious. Do try it sometime.
(4)Bud H.
I absolutely love this place. In fact, my wife and I hit it up almost every single Tuesday night. Sure, it's a small hole-in-the-wall, but that's just part of it's charm. The tacos are really good (e.g., al pastor, carnitas, etc.). The chips are great (home made and usually served warm). The nachos (carne asada) are awesome, and trust me, I'm not a big nacho guy. Super tasty, super cheap, and nice size portions. And perhaps the best thing they've got is the spicy, lime-green colored condiment they serve over by the salsas. Holy cow that stuff is great. That sauce/salsa wih the nachos is a flavor combination you simply can't find anyplace else.
(5)Brandon R.
Delicious, authentic food at fair prices. Good and quick service. The atmosphere is pretty casual, nothing fancy there. Probably because the food makes you forget about the atmosphere. Their carne asada and pastor tacos are fantastic, and I also really enjoyed their chicken enchiladas. Their horchata (made in store) is the best I've had anywhere in Utah Valley. Their fish tacos are just ok, and their salsa bar could use some more variety. I will definitely be returning.
(4)Danny G.
This place is bomb. Carne asada burrito will fill u up. And since im coming from Los Angeles, CA. Mexican food stands is high im my book and they nailed it. Not to mention their customer service is right on it. Happy camper
(5)Clay A.
Mystery red sauce was too much. Ordered tamales with red sauce, expecting brown enchilada sauce, but got a bright red sauce, redder than cholula. Lost my appetite and walked away. Beans and rice in the combo were nothing special. Will not return.
(1)Alexis F.
Best quesadilla I've had! I got the carne asada quesadilla. I didn't think I'd get too full off of it at first. But it's so rich and flavorful, I was stuffed. The steak had an awesome flavor and there was so much cheese! Salsa bar was pretty good. The chips were just average and almost every table needed to be bussed though. Overall a great place for good Mexican food, definitely will go back to try more!
(4)Jeff B.
I love this place. I go there a few times a month. The salsa bar is fabulous. If you can take the heat, there's a habanero cucumber relish that's excellent. You really can't go wrong with anything you order, although the fajitas come out a bit too greasy. My favorites are the tortas. My son and I go often, eat chips and salsa and split a torta. Definitely plenty for lunch. The people there are nice, and even when it's busy, they do a good job getting the food out.
(5)Amber D.
I went here with a group of my extended family. Their food was very good, a lot of flavor. I was not impressed with the Nacho's. I was expecting something glorified like Betos super nachos but, it was just meat and cheese. There was plenty of food to go around though and the price is good.
(4)Dustin T.
Carne Asada burrito was one of, if not the, best burrito I've ever had. Exceptional.
(4)Lance H.
My rating of 4 stars is based upon the authenticity of the tacos and their flavor. This is not a 4 Star restaurant for its ambiance or gourmet cooking. Based upon other reviews I did a taco plate with 2 Al Pastor and one carne asada taco. The al pastor ones were very good and I'd go for them again. The carne asada one was decent. The beans were fair. I wasn't a big fan of the rice. The horachata again was decent, but I've had better. The salsa bar had a some nice choices. I'd go here again easily just because it was pretty darn authentic Mexican food which is what I want when I go for Mexican.
(4)Brett S.
Best Mexican Food in UT County That about sums it up. They have a smoker out front that they cook their chicken in so I recommend anything with chicken. They have daily specials that vary but I'm pretty sure on Friday they have a chicken chimi and a drink for like $6...I'm drooling just thinking about this place. Their salsa bar includes a "jalapeno sauce" which is basically a runny guacamole with a bit of a kick and I like to put it on everything. My wife always orders the chicken sope which is chicken and beans piled on some fried bread, kind of like a mini navajo taco and it's only $3. Recommend: Chicken Chim, chicken sope, chicken bacon burrito (can't remember the name), carne asada burrito and wednesday special chicken nachos
(5)Bill K.
Great authentic Mexican food! I enjoyed the jalapeno sauce. My tacos were great and the best part? No American cheese in sight!
(5)Joseph T.
I guess I got the wrong thing. Salsa bar: average, chips: tasted store bought, smothered shredded beef burrito: I guess it was okay...the jarritos mandarin was good though...
(2)Russell C.
This place is super tasty. It is pretty cold inside and drafty but the food is worth the pain. It is so good. You have to get the El Pastor Tacos or anything El Pastor. Tasty tasty tasty.
(5)Katie D.
Use to live right by this place and now I am a half hour away. I miss the al pastor tacos! Might have to make a trip down to AF. I never get anything else because I cant stray from tacos!
(5)