I don't understand the hate that Pedro's has been getting on here. What do you expect, people? It's a taco stand that sells greasy, cheap pseudo-Mexican food. Just because it doesn't have a vegetarian menu or super good homemade sauce doesn't mean it's terrible. Give 'em a break, won't ya?
Pedro's is the kind of place that appeals to surfers, skaters and locals that want cheap, greasy, good food. I've been going here as long as I can remember, and it's always been good. My favorite is the potato burrito, which is a bean burrito with hash browns added in. Their rolled tacos are also good, and their quesadillas are quite tasty also. Most menu items are under two dollars, and it's perfect for someone who is on a budget. They have some more expensive fare, like large burritos for around four bucks, and they are also delicious. Do know that you may have to pay for extra condiments like guacamole and pico de gallo.
I honestly like the location of Pedro's. It's along a very busy road, so it does get crowded but the line moves quickly. They pump out food very quickly, and I have very rarely had an order so messed up I have to return to get it fixed. Most of the people that work here are very cool, and have a laid back Southern California attitude.
Any flaws? Well, the car line can get ridiculously long, and can back up traffic on El Camino Real. I've also had an occasional bad burrito where something was a tad bit off, like it wasn't super fresh. But nothing worthy of giving it a two star review.
And I still cannot believe that they put a Pedro's in Boston, Massachusetts. I am going to have to visit that location when I move to the East Coast.
I spent a week's vacation here in San Clemente, and heard about this place online. 5 out the 7 days I was here, I ate at Pedros for lunch. The burritos are amazing. It's right off the highway, so if you are just passing through, it's easy to get to. Not far from T street, so after a day in the water, it's easy to just go up the hill to get here. The prices are cheap, service is fairly quick, and there are some tables so you don't have to eat in your car.
My next trip to southern California will include a stop here.
This is the famous Pedro's Tacos. I believe this place become famous because it was the only place available for an extended period of time in the Orange County, Inland Empire area. When I hear people say they come home to eat here I weep for their taste buds and say a prayer for their intestines.
I recently ate here for lunch, as the cafeteria at my work was shut down for the day. I ordered a Horchata and a chicken quesadilla. The cost of the meal was clearly advertised and not excessively high for the area.
The food was greasy, an indicator of using cheap cheese. The chicken was average quality but the vegetables that went along with it were either old or extremely overcooked. The green peppers looked like old lettuce, and the onions tasted and look like pasta noodles. I was very disappointed with my meal.
I will not be returning to this location, or this franchise until I hear of some sort of groundbreaking menu or ingredient change.
Absolutely love this place! Â I almost make a point of it to go completely out of my way when I come home to California and drive the hour plus it takes to get there and indulge on some Pedros Tacos!
I always order the Carne Asada Burrito which is completely filled with warm meaty goodness and a small amount of guac and salsa just to add flavor. Â And I then also order some of the rolled tacos (taquitos) and they are out of this world. Â Making me wish I was home right now to get some!
Best Taco stand!
Shocking this place doesn't have more reviews! Â
I've been coming to Pedro's since 1995 and a loyal fan! Â I live in San Diego but travel up to L.A often and rarely do I head up north without stopping off for a burrito. Â
The first time I went a friend took me out to try the best carne asada burrito and I have to say he was right!
One of the many great things about the food is the portion. Â These aren't half pound burritos but rather just the right size for a good meal without feeling like you are going into food coma after eating a heavy Mexican meal.
As I stated, the carne asada burrito's are the best and well worth the drive. Â Another favorite of mine are the bean and cheese. Â If you've read my reviews, you know bean & cheese is a favorite of mine and Pedro's ranks up in there in the top 5 for bean & cheese. Â
This shop is located VERY conveniently right off the 5 freeway and you can get off the freeway, pick up a bag of burritos (I'm usually buying for my friends who also know how great they are) and get right back on the freeway with very little of a delay in your travel but SO worth the stop.
There is no indoor seating and I don't really know if there is any outdoor seating. Â It's pretty much drive thru or walk up window. Â I decided it was time to review Pedro's after visiting for many years and was happy to see there is a new shop opening closer to my home in Vista! Â
By the way, the prices are quite good! Â No $6 burrito here! Â If you've never tried Pedro's do yourself a favor, get off the freeway and treat yourself.
I think their go to taco hands down is the potato taco. A deliciously, crunchy hash brown stuffed inside a tiny taco packs the perfect punch to satisfy one's hunger. Dont get me wrong when i called it a tiny taco, it's a pretty big taco. This place is cash only, with a ATM they strategically place next to the ordering window.
Review Source:I like this place a lot and used to go there all the time until they became "cash only" a few months ago. Is this 1995? This is such great food but how many people under 40 carry cash anymore? With modern tendering services like Square, PayPal and other affordable credit card options, there's no excuse for such outdated payment methods. If I have the extra time and forethought to go to an ATM, I'll go back and buy the potato taco I just missed out on for not having cash when I tried to pay.
Review Source:Seriously, I dream about their food. I dig the burritos, taquitos and anything else with beans and tortillas! Where else can you get a kick ass burrito for under $3. I know they are famous for their fish tacos which are tasty, but I'll take a burrito any day of the week!! Party in your mouth for sure!!
Review Source:I only tried the Shrimp Tacos, but they were delicious. For 2.99, that taco was stuffed! Gotta put both hot sauces on it, if you like some heat that is. Big chunks of shrimp, so you can actually tell theres shrimp under the salsa, cabbage, and dressing.
They dont take cash, but they do have an ATM right next to the window. Service was fast, but then again there was only one other group at the time I was there.
Seems like it would be an awesome spot to go to after hitting up the beach. I cant wait until Im in the area again to sample the rest of the menu!
I ask for 2 fish tacos , it was hard to find the fish fillet with all that cabbage and pico de gallo , then i found it only tobe disappointed its like a artificial or weird looking fish ,
i mean you eat it cause your hungry , but far from 5 stars fish fillet taco , i also ask for taquitos and they were better , the shredded meat was better but  the packaging is terrible, you have  to lick the sour cream and guacamole off the foil,YUCK!!!
Parking is horrendous here!! Ordered 2 Fish tacos, quesadilla, Horchata, and California Burrito. Â I thought it was pretty pricey for simple mexican food. Â I live in La Puente, and we have much better and cheaper mexican food out here. Â Everything totaled to about $17. Â The quesadilla is not note-worthy, but it is the cheapest thing on the menu ($1.39 or so) and the horchata tasted alright, but the california burrito was meh. Â The fish taco was pretty good, and the fish inside was a rather large piece. Â Overall, it was okay but wouldn't really go out of my way to come back. Â There was also a lot of people when we went, so the waittime was about 20 mins for our order.
Review Source:Let me preface with: I LOVE POTATO TACOS.
I have come here many times over the years driving up to LA, or SF, and Pedros is always a stop on the way up north. I always get the potato tacos as per suggestion of my best friend that I usually go with. The potato taco is a hash brown patty, cabbage, salsa fresca and a creamy sauce. I am vegan so I get it without the creamy sauce. The tacos are $3 each even though it usually says potato tacos .99? Confusing.
The tacos themselves are good, nothing spectacular but its more nostalgia of all my road trips with my bff. The hot sauce it come with is in a packet. WTF salsa in a package? They don't even make their own salsa?!?!?! Again I repeat a local, family owned taco shop in southern california that doesnt make their own salsa. Something is not right here. Last time I went they gave us the usual hot sauce in a clear packet and Heinz brand hot sauce. WTF ketchup company makes hot sauce packets? EW. Skip the hot sauce packets and enjoy the tacos without it, it ruins the flavor.
We've always loved Pedro's and been loyal customers at multiple locations. Their food is fresh, generously portioned, inexpensive, and yummy.
However, recently, we went to order a combination plate and asked that the rolled taco toppings that come with the plate (guac, sour cream) sit to the side of the tacos instead of on top in our to-go box. Kind of makes sense since you're driving home to eat in a bit and don't want crunchy rolled tacos getting soggy under wet condiments.
They told us they'd have to charge us to put them on the side. Thinking they misunderstood what we wanted, we clarified, we don't want separate little containers on the side--we just want you to put them in the box to the side of the tacos rather than on top--no extra containers.
They still said they'd have to charge us to do this. Are you KIDDING me? We told them, thanks, but we'll take our business elsewhere. That's absurd customer service. I wonder if it was worth it to them to lose a number of future food orders over what, maybe the $.75 charge they wanted to levy to make to-go food convenient for customers to eat?
Guess what? There are a lot of Mexican places--we're not going to shed a tear over going elsewhere where they don't charge customers for something that already comes with a meal. Classic small business mentality that sends people in droves to chain restaurants. Pedro's, have fun charging people for ridiculousness!
We were driving down from Santa Barbara to San Diego and decided to stop in this area for lunch. We passed by Pedro's Tacos and saw a good amount of people sitting outside and in line at the drive through so thought it looked promising.
My family orded two fish tacos, a carne asada taco, an order of rolled tacos, and a carne asada burrito. First off, I don't understand what is so special about these fish tacos. They were mediocre, at best, and nothing special at all. The rolled tacos barely had any meat in them. I felt like I was just eating fried corn tortilla with a bunch of guacamole and a tiny bit of meat. The carne asada taco was decent, but the burrito was much better. I regret not ordering the carne asada burrito for myself. It was much more worth the money and decently delicious. After eating the rolled tacos and fish taco, I was still hungry. I realized when eating that everyone around us had burritos besides one family which all had their fish tacos.
It was also interesting how they kept calling out the full orders for people to pick up versus using a number system. It'd probably be much easier to use a number system.
Word of advice: They charge for tap water.
Long story short: Order their burritos. Their tacos are nothing special and you can find much better elsewhere for cheaper.
Yummy authentic Mexican food in South OC. Prices are great and food tastes wonderful. Service was a bit rushed, but it is a order and go kind of place. Parking and the drive-thru can be a bit of a hassle though. Also, only outdoor seating area, which is fine, but it might be filled with young surfers with bare feet.
Review Source:If you just want a fish taco this place is probably fine - they were decent size and tasted good but nothing special. Don't stray far from that on the menu though. Â We had a chicken quesadilla that was so gross that I didn't finish my half, Â and I was still pretty darn hungry. I'm not even sure you could call it chicken... - rubbery pink lumps pasted into greasy cheese and soggy onions. They also lost a few stars based on the lousy service, highish price, and cafeteria-quality taco sauce. And for some odd reason they were unable to give me a receipt.
There were quite a few people out front (which is usually a good sign) so I figured it was a good "locals" kinda place. Â Guess I was wrong.
My basic advice and Pedro's, order the fish taco or the california burrito. Â It's the side of the road taco stand so don't go there expecting fresh gourmet mexican food. Â I would rate it above your basic Rubio's but not on the freshness category as a Baja Fresh. Â Again, it's a side of the road taco stand that has been round for 30 years. Â Personally, I think the carne in cali burrito is tasty. Â The fish taco has a nice sauce with some crispy cabbage. Â
As I fly by on the 5 heading back to San Diego, it's an easy stop for a quick quality fish taco...
jake
This is an awesome spot to quickly satisfy a taco craving! I'm actually not a huge fan of fish tacos (unless they're served up by my Dad), so I was hesitant to order this famous fare of Pedro's. Fortunately, the fish tacos here are as killer as I was told they would be.
Granted, just because you may indulge in these magical fish tacos, don't think you can easily avoid the "this is so insanely unhealthy" guilt trip of taco consumption just because its stuffed with fish, as opposed to chicken or carne asada. The fish is battered and there is a copious amount of sauce adorning it. Nevertheless, this meal really satisfied me, especially as I washed it down with an order of Horchata. Ughhh...So. Good.
When my boyfriend and I ate lunch here, we also split an order of rolled tacos. Which are basically taquitos. Just lettin' you know, because I had no idea.
I'm happy to say that my meal here silenced this raging Mexican food craving that had been quite an annoyance to me for some time. If you're in South Orange County, or if you're a South Orange County native, make it a point to visit!
Just a note: These guys only take cash. And there might be a wait. But it's well worth it.
I can see why some people hit this place pretty low now. Â Especially if they get what I got. Â I swung by some time in the last 2-3 weeks doing MACH-6 down the 5 FWY and got some pretty hideous cartilage in the chicken taco. Â WOOF!
When they are on their game it is great "Surf-Mex" chow.  It is very "SoCal" with  locals and "Inland Surfers" who commute to the waves.  Has a great taco shack/beach vibe and I previously rated them higher, but their quality of food is too incosistent for four stars. Â
Do not avoid the place, but be ready to be pleasantly suprised or underwhelmed, because either could happen.
This is a walk-up window restaurant (they also have a drive thru) with outdoor seating. It is inexpensive and the tacos are pretty good. My favorite are the fish tacos (just as an fyi, the fish is fried, sort of like a fish stick, but better), followed by the carne asada. My least favorite was the chicken taco, it was hella messy!!! This place is very inexpensive and is a decent spot to drop by. Â
FYI, they accept cash only!!
Not sure I understand the hype my friends were raving about- ordered the fish tacos which were huge in portion but smothered in creamy mayo sauce and fried. It was a bit too much sauce and batter for me. I
was trying to figure out what kind of fish was in there but it was difficult due to all the batter. Actually I think it's a fish stick inside. The overall taste was good but I was just a bit confused about what exactly was in my fish tacos. : /
If you're looking for awesome Mexican food and a laid back atmosphere, look no further than Pedro's Tacos. Located just off the 5 Freeway in South San Clemente, Pedro's is the best spot around to grab a quick bite of some delicious Mexican food after a long day at the beach. They have a drive thru window as well as a walk-up window with outdoor patio seating.
Pedro's is famous for their fish tacos, and I personally think that they're the best in the OC! They also have tasty carne asada burritos as well as a full menu of killer Mexican food! If you're in the area and looking for some quick and tasty Mexican food then get to Pedro's!
I recommend grabbing your order to-go and heading down to World Famous T-Street Beach! A five minute drive from Pedro's, the bluff offers beach access, bench seating, and an amazing view. On a clear day you can see all the way north to Dana Point as well as south to Cotton's Point!
Hope my review has been helpful, ENJOY!
This rating is referring to the Fish Tacos! Get it and you won't regret it. It's the best fish tacos I've ever had. Accompany with a horchata of course.
The parking is a little hard and I had to settle for some street parking. Friendly service and hope you don't mind sitting on picnic tables outside.
Confirmation that you should always consider joints with "only" 3.5 stars.
I spent two weekends in San Clemente this summer and found Pedro's as I departed the final time. Â I wanted to get something quick and was pleased to see a taco place was nearby. Â I was settingling for a 3.5 star place due to the urgent need to EAT.
Pedro's over delivered against my meager expectations. Â I ordered three tacos:
The carn[e] [a]sada - my least favorite hence the brackets as I don't want to add to the positive counts
The fish taco - a fish pattie served in corn tortillas, but overall good flavor
The potato taco - still not sure if I got two fish tacos or if one was a potato as I had ordered - it had a goldent fried exterior and a soft middle... I was pretty hungry so it was good
The salsa which is served in packets and is a true sauce (well-processed) was surprisingly good.
Haha, such a mix of reviews on this place. It's true, if you went out of your way to try this place, it's whatevs, but if you grew up surfing all day, and then getting picked up by your parents to stop off here, it's godforsaken heavenly and you have a place in your heart for it.
Without our parents, we'd scrounge up enough change to get a gloriously oily, doughy, straight cheese quesadilla. For a splurge three decadently crunchy rolled tacos with a dollop of guacamole and a healthy sprinkling of cheese.
Exactly what you need when your arms are wobbly, your nose dripping of salt water, and legs shivering as the fog rolls in. Good memories here.
The only grub stop en route to SD.
Shaun B. introduced me to the shack a couple years ago, and I've been a fan ever since.
We were on our way to SD for the day and I specifically told Deana I. not to eat breakfast. Being a fan of tacos, I had to enrich her palate with Pedro's.
55 miles into our trip we took El Camino Real and made the stop. She ordered a number 4 with all rice (2 Carne Asada Tacos) and I ordered the Chicken Fajita Burrito.
Both of our orders were stacked with fresh meat and veggies, hers had some fantastic guac. Also, the rice was just right- tasteful and not drenched in oil.
We were happy road-trippers after that meal.
I've been coming here for years as it's kind of a post surf sesh staple after catching a bunch of rides at Old Man's.
Brought Christopher M., of Boston Yelp notoriety, here after our brutal dawn patrol session courtesy of a swell via Tahiti. Â It was his 1st day out in the soup and he caught on real quick that Mexican food is what cures a surfer of his hunger brought on by hours and hours of paddling ; )
CM ordered the carne asada taco plate that came with beans and rice and I ordered the carne asada burrito with sour cream. Â They served me this jalapeno hot sauce with it and I proceeded to douse each bite with this excellent concoction of spicyness that had me sweatin' hella gross like.
I don't think I've once been disappointed by this place. Â Even though this place can have lines out to here, I've always received fast service, tastey nibbles, and a satisfyingly bloated ride home.
But if anyone from Pedro's is reading this, Christopher wants to know who you dethroned as having the best tacos in 1986. Â That's all him, not me : )
Pedro: Do you think people will vote for me?
Anthony S.: Heck yes! Â I'd vote for you.
Pedro: Like what are my skills?
Anthony S.: Well, you make sweet tacos. Â And you're really good at burritos too. Â Plus, you're like the only guy in town who makes potacos.
Anthony S.: If you need to use any one of my skills. Â I can do whatever you want.
Pedro: If I win, you can be my secretary, or something.
Anthony S.: Sweet! Â Plus I can be your bodyguard too, or like secret service captain or whatever.
Pedro's Tacos is a great little taco stand on El Camino Real in San Clemente. Â I was so hungry on my way up to Venice Beach on Sunday that I was beginning to digest my own stomach and needed some food, STAT. Astrid and I found Pedro's by accident while searching for food on the navigation system in the car. Â We didn't want fast food, heavy brunch or seafood...so tacos seemed like the perfect option.
They have a very limited menu that consists of tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Â That's it. Â We kept it simple, two fish tacos, one shrimp taco, one order of three rolled tacos and a carne asada taco. Â The fish tacos were pretty decent, cabbage, fried fish and salsa. Â They were good but they were slathered in too much dressing. Same for the shrimp taco. Â The rolled beef tacos were crispy, crunchy perfection coated in fresh guacamole. Â The carne asada was really tasty. Â A good carne asada should stand on it's own and Pedro's is near-perfect. Â The meat was well-marinated, tender and it had incredible flavor. Â It was definitely the winner of the taco battle hands down. Â Instead of fresh salsa you get pre-packaged packets of hot sauce. Â It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.
If you're ever driving on the 5 and get hungry, Pedro's fits the bill quite nicely. Â So, if you vote for Pedro's will all of your wildest dreams will come true? Â Maybe not, but you won't try to take a bite out of your dashboard again.
VOTE FOR PEDRO'S.
Who doesn't love eating out a good fish taco? Especially when it ends with sauce all over your face.
The fish tacos at Pedro's are pretty good as well.
Been eating here since my wee grom days. Said tacos are filled with a large crispy fried fillet, cabbage and a white sauce. Order 2 of these ($1.89 each), Â a gooey cheese quesadilla ($.99) and a horchata ($1.29) to call it good game.
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