Whenever I get Mexican, it's between Taco Rico and El Rodeo. Taco Rico is a much smaller family restaurant. El Rodeo offers more of the typical ambience of a Mexican restaurant. Also, Taco Rico does not serve margaritas, so if you're looking for that, head over to El Rodeo.
What I do love about Taco Rico are the tacos, go figure. The carne asada and chorizo tacos are the best and most traditional I've had in the area. Make sure to get them with onion, cilantro and lime, the traditional way.
If you're looking for a small, laid-back restaurant with some good tacos, Taco Rico is your place. If you want margaritas and a party atmosphere (and good food also) try El Rodeo.
We've been going to Taco Rico since they were across the street in a tiny restaurant. Â
My kids love their sopes, my husband loves their tacos, and I love their potato flautas. Â Yum yum.
The red and green sauces are fabulous. Â I think the green compliments the potato flautas just right.
Their prices are cheap and we've always had good service. Â It's one of our favorite places in Lafayette.
A year ago we moved away from Indiana... and my husband and I still talk about a couple of eateries that we miss. Â Taco Rico is one of those places.
It was cheap and good. Â And to be honest... probably one of the best places I've had Mexican food. Â In fact, we still have yet to find another place like it. Â
We tried a number of the dishes over the years and liked many of them. Â But the classic crunchy tacos were probably my favorite. Â They just did it right. Â So many places seem to not be able to make a good simple taco. Â Taco Rico can.
The biggest thing that we miss... the red and/or green sauce. Â It was funny because one visit we'd both be fans of the red hot sauce, then the next visit we'd love the green hot sauce. Â I think they make the hot sauce in house and some days it would be spicier than other days. Â We like spicy. Â And we loved this sauce! Â I am not ashamed to say I would totally call Taco Rico and ask them to ship some to me.
So yes, a hole in the wall kind of joint. Â Great cheap, quick, delicious basic Mexican food. Â Go ahead and try it!
So far one of the best Mexican food restaurants I have found around here and according to my friend way better than all the other Mexican restaurants in the area. The service was friendly but since they were kind of busy a little slow.
I saw this in one of the reviews just now and I must agree that it's not very obvious that you seat yourself and you have to go and pay on the register. They should have a sign so you at least know to seat yourself.
I had the carnitas torta and it was very good. The meat was juicy and flavorful while the rest of ingredients tasted fresh and it wasn't overloaded with cheese or sour cream. The price was fair and the portion size wasn't bad at all; I was totally stuff at the end of my torta even though it didn't look that big hahah
Overall; a very nice, clean, friendly, and well priced real Mexican restaurant. You know it's good when you step in on a Saturday evening and it's pack with mostly Mexicans. I'm looking forward to try the rest of their menu since everything looked so good and the have so many dishes to choose from!!
Taco Rico is the best Mexican food I've had in Indiana, and some of the best that didn't involve flagging down a truck to get it. It's one of my favorite lunch places on the East Side. Clean, inexpensive, and always has something new to try.
Service is okay, better at lunch than at dinner, but okay. Noise level? Well, if you want a library, eat at home. Bandemax and futbol rule the TV as you'd expect.
But so what? It's about the food. It's pretty darn good all the way around, but more importantly, it's consistently good. Once the staff starts to recognize you, you'll start getting hints at the good stuff too. TR has a wide menu.
If you want the All-American fakery of Don Pablo's or a fine dining atmosphere, this isn't for you. But if you're there for the food and appreciate a hard-working, humble outfit that has a lot of pride in what they do, TR never disappoints.
Probably the best mexican food in the Lafayette area. Â Reasonably priced and service is usually quick. Â The chips are thick and fresh and the salsa has very good taste. Â You seat yourself and go up to the register when you are done to pay which is not obvious. Â I always get the burrito and it is very good, and my husband gets the steak tacos which are also good.
Review Source:We've eaten here a few times and every time their chips have been nice and fresh and the salsa has a little spice to it. They have an extensive menu and everything I've had has been good. We had the Camarones ala diabla, the shrimp quesadillas, and the steak quesadillas (along with 3 soft drinks the bill was $27) and we all enjoyed our meals.
The waitresses have always been friendly, but it is true that it isn't obvious that you seat yourself and pay at the register when you leave. They are often busy and the clientele tends to be mostly Mexican.
Your standard Mexican restaurant in every way. The menu selection is decent, the food is decent, the price is right and the interior decor screams Mexican restaurant. It is good enough for me when I crave a taco or burrito!
Some say this is the best Lafayette has to offer, that could very well be true. I do like it very much.
So Good!!! I am from California and LOVE my mexican food and ever since I started going to Purdue I have looked for an authentic mexican restaurant and this is it! My boyfriend and I go here all the time and love it!!
Definitely get an order of guacamole, and I usually get the steak tacos and love them. The best part is its really cheap!
Decided to check them out since they have a lot of buzz. At first were quite dissapointed with their stale grocery brand chips and the salsa had a funky flavor. Was worried about the rest of our meal. BUT no need to be.....everything else was amazing!
Had a chimichanga and it was the best I have ever had; could not stop eating it. Their rice was so tasty.
Huge portions/great price. Just need improvement on their chips and their service.
Let me lay out my credentials: I am a gringo who grew up in Northern California, where we have almost the same amount of Mexican restaurants as we do wineries (coincidence? not at all...) I ate Mexican food at least twice a week for the 28 years of my life before moving to Lafayette. I know my rice and beans, homie.
I'm not going to say something like "Taco Rico is the best Mexican food in Indiana!" because I don't know that. I don't even know if it's the best in Lafayette (But I'm guessing it is). It's also not even close to the best Mexican food I've had in California. What it is, however, is very authentic, very reasonably priced, very consistent, and very good. This restaurant would stay in business in California. Everything about this place reminds me of all the restaurants I ate at when I was a kid: language barriers, cheesy decoration, televisions with Mexican soap operas, FREE CHIPS AND SALSA, etc. etc. And I LOVE IT. That's a real Mexican Restaurant. If you are complaining about these things, go over to Don Pablos where you'll feel more comfortable.
Food: I've had most of the stuff on the menu. It's all very decent, some better than others. Nothing should be avoided. The Chile rellanos are as good as any I've had, but I'm not a big chili rellano fan. The tortas are great for lunch. The burritos are probably my favorite thing to get. They're very filling and stuffed with all the goodies.
The fact that whenever you go here, it's always full of Mexicans should tell you something.
Hands down, consistently the best Mexican food in the Lafayette area. I don't know why anybody eats Mexican food anywhere else. I've given other places a try (see Freddy's--actually, don't) and will consistently come back here for their value and quality.
My favorite meal here is the two item combo. You get a generous helping of beans and rice along with two items of your choice (taco, sope, etc.). It's only around $7. They also serve fresh chips with limes and a bowl of salsa for each person at the table. If you want more traditional Mexican food, they also offer those options on the menu at reasonable prices.
The service seems a little hectic, and some of the servers have trouble understanding orders if they need adjusted--but it's never a problem for someone to be found to help out. The TVs are probably the only thing I dislike about this place, but even those add to the ambiance of a traditional Mexican eatery.
I just ate lunch and already this review is making me crave some sopes...
Taco Rico appears to have become even more popular, but they haven't let success go to their heads. Â The quality & choices have improved and expanded, respectively. Â Chile rellenos are the best in town, and the refried beans are surprisingly yummy (I don't usually care for bean sides; it must be the lard). Â And now they have horchata! Â And nopalitos!
Service remains harried. Â And on occasion the TVs are on the loud side (usually during futbol). Â Otherwise I'd happily give them 5 stars for filling my belly with fantastic food.
Taco Rico is an experience. Located in a strip mall where half the shops are unoccupied and is tucked away in a corner of the town, it is a gem of a place.
This place serves authentic Mexican food (not the Tex-Mex variety). You are treated to corn chips with thick, chunky and heavenly salsa as you sit down. The menu is extensive...from burritos, enchiladas, tacos, quesedilas to full entrées. From where I was sitting I could see a full basket of ripe red chillis and I realized that they really use fresh stuff to make food.
The portion size were huge and worth the price. They provided more chips and salsa when asked for. Service was quite good and I have no complains on that part...even though they were not very fluent with english we had no problems communicating our needs.
The food was excellent and I had a steak and grilled onions with sides of guacamole (fantastic), beans, enchiladas, lettuce and corn tortillas (a must have!!). I was quite satisfied and would definitely recommend a visit. Its one of those places where you would want to leave a tip :)
I have eaten take out from here several times. Each time it was delicious, well prepared, and consistant.
I most often get the chicken or pork burrito, but I have tried several other menu items as well. I have not been dissatisfied.
Another plus: very cheap!
Compared to chipotle and other chains, taco Rico holds its own and then some.
I came through Lafayette in late August while on a road trip and the friend I was visiting brought me to Taco Rico. Â I had the Mexican style tacos (soft corn tortilla, cilantro, onions, lime). Â The carne asada was good but way too salty. The complimentary chips and salsa were delicious. Â My friend had the wheat tortilla soft tacos and he enjoyed them quite a bit. Â He ordered four and could barely finish three. Â Overall this isn't the best Mexican I've had but it's pretty decent.
Review Source:I love this place. Family owned by the nicest people, the food is incredible. Authentic Mexican home-cooking at it's best, I eat here a little too often. Fresh veggies, fresh bread, fresh everything. Walk in and pick your seat, the server will be with you after you sit down. Order and you'll have your food quickly. Not to mention - very well priced, super affordable. Don Pablo's lovers can stick it where the sun don't shine!
Review Source:I just visited this place for the first time this week after hearing little murmers about it from various friends for about a month or so. The decor is a little clunky, but fun, and they had really good contemporary Mexican tunes playing. It put me in the mood for a nice Negra Modelo.
The service was quick and helpful and the food was REALLY GOOD! First they come out with real tortilla chips and good salsa. It was zippy but not too hot. I went for lunch with a friend and we ordered the guacamole.
You never know what you're going to get with guacamole -- some places it comes in a tiny nut cup, some places they serve you something horrible out of a jar. Taco Rico's guacamole is the best I have ever had outside of Mexico. It is a very generous portion for something like $3.85 and comes heaped on a bed of very finely shredded lettuce. We couldn't stop eating it until it was gone and would have eaten more, ruining our lunch.
I ordered the pollo mole (never met a mole I didn't like) and my friend had chicken enchilladas. Both of us liked our meals very much. The plates came with super-generous portions of rice, beans, and lettuce. My chicken was served with my choice of flour or corn tortillas -- I chose corn, of course. The chicken breasts were hanging over the edge of the plate. I'm not a fan of giant portions, but when the food is delicious, it can be good to take some home.
When we were done eating we had enough food left over to take a nice meal home for my wife. Too full to try the flan, but maybe next time... I would go back again and again for the guacamole alone!
While driving back from Ohio to Chicago my wife and I started to get hungry so I pulled out my cellphone and used Yelp to look up a local spot that wasn't going to be a chain. Taco Rico came up with the highest reviews, and I have to say I'm surprised by this.
We first walk in and there is no sign saying to seat yourself but also no one came up to greet us. After a minute or so we tentatively walked towards a table when a server walked by and we asked if we could sit, she nodded yes. The decor is quite cheesy. It's covered in sombreros, cacti, neon signs for Corona, and odd murals of Mexican landscape and Western American landscape. Also, the four TVs playing Mexican soap operas became annoying after awhile.
We had the chips and salsa which were very good. My wife had the chicken quesadilla which was nice and I ordered the chicken enchiladas. When ordering the server asked if I wanted the green or the red. I asked which was spicier (as I didn't know what the difference was) and she shrugged her shoulders saying they're kind of the same. I went with the red and it had a more smoky flavor. Not a bad dish but nothing amazing either. I also ordered a horchata which had a nice flavor but had a powdery texture to it making me think it's made from a mix.
One big plus is the place is very cheap. However, we couldn't tell if we were handed our bill or went up to a register to pay. After waiting five minutes I finally asked and she brought us the bill which we then went up to the register to pay. Can't say I'll be coming back here again on the road trips.
Cinco de mayo, the salsa is really good but the chips were not fresh. I had a chrizo taco that was FANTASTIC! But the service and my enchaladias were horrible, I didn't even want to eat my food because it was so bad. I'm not sure I would ever go back here this is not authentic mexican food maybe I just order the wrong thing on the wrong day. It's a small dinner and has a nice setting and other people really like so you might too,
I've had way better mexican and I'm sure there has to be something around here that's better then this place like taco bell even though that place is gross I think I would have had a better experciance there.
Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars, actually. Decent chow, cheap and authentic. Very much like Mexican street food, not fussy, no frills. Am not wild about the salsas. The regular red was a bit runny, the hot red was uncomfortably hot (and I love hot sauce), and the green was ok. Tostada was excellent, tacos ok. The guacamole was a bit on the stringy side. Chips were greasy. Order a few carry-out appetizers, drive down to the end of the strip mall--there's a package liquor store that sells 24-oz. cans of Corona. The whole mess will cost you less than $20.
Review Source:The reviews for this place could not be more true. Â Although its location is a bit off-putting (in a strip mall next to temp employment places), the food, atmosphere inside the restaurant, and service couldn't be better.
My favorites are the chorizo tacos - delicious. Â You know it's authentic when they serve chorizo (among other things I won't mention to avoid scaring the not-so-adventurous). Â And apparently, they make a good non-alcoholic pina colada, but I'm not a coconut fan.
The best part is the GREAT prices. Â You can get a 3 item combo (taco, gordita, sope, or tostada with rice and beans) for $6.99! Â They of course give you chips and salsa with lime to munch on before you get your meal as well. Â A+
The horchata is SO good here. I went here with a friend of mine and was ever so pleasently surprised by the food here. The fact that it is in a strip mall led me to think that the food would be less than stellar. Â This was totally not the case. The food is good and the ingredients are fresh. Yum!
Review Source:We've been eating here about once a week all summer. Â I'm addicted. Â Steak, al pastor, carnitas tacos with cilantro and onion, a little lime juice and some salsa verdes. Â Then there are the chicken enchiladas verdes....which you can get with dark meat. Â That is like the ultimate comfort food. Â The burritos are gigantic and awesome, but not my first choice. Â The camarones diablos are really good if you like spicy. Â The guacamole is awesome and you get a huge plate of it. Â You will definitely get more for your money here.
Review Source:I went to Taco Rico for the first time last week and I feel really stupid for not having gone sooner. It was nice to eat at a mexican restaurant that didn't have the same cookie cutter menu that many of the others in town do. There were lots of items that I haven't seen at other local restuarants.
The staff were really nice, and the food was excellent. I had a steak torta that was really, really good, as well as a few bites from my girlfriends combo platter that were also tasty.
For whatever reason, I expected less from Taco Rico. Maybe because it's in a strip mall. I dunno. Regardless of my initial thoughts, I will definitely be making it back there frequently.
I went to Taco Rico about a week ago with a couple friends, seriously craving some authentic Mexican food... and we were not disappointed- this place is so legit, they don't even serve queso dip. Â
I went with 3 dish combo so I could try some new things- I had a sope, a gordita, and a tostada for about $12- and it was way too much food for one meal. Â Anything you order comes with rice and beans, of course. Â At first bite, I was kind of worried that the food was a bit bland. Â But then I added some of the salsas roja and verde that they bring with your food, and that cleared up that concern. Â Damn, that salsa verde is good and hot. Â I recommend maybe getting a little guac on the side for your dish, because it's quite good here.
As for the dining experience in general, the waiter was not fluent in English. Â But that only mattered when I tried to ask what exactly a sope is (I'm dumb). Â The dining area was nice, if nothing special. Â But the prices! Â It was incredibly inexpensive to eat here- I got two meals out of that combo for $12. Â If you like Mexican food, definitely check this place out.
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