Taqueria La Vaquita

Probably the best Mexican food in Durham. Very authentic and beyond delicious. The cow tongue is incredible. There are picnic tables to eat outside, but this is a no frills establishment. There is a small market right next door which is cool to grab a few avocados on the cheap.

Best and most authentic Mexican food I’ve had in Durham so far. Ingredients are fresh and the food is not greasy at all. The tacos al pastor are my favorite– especially because the tortillas are amazing.
Point of interest: I’m very picky about my hot sauces because often times I feel like they don’t pack enough heat, but their red hot sauce is seriously on point. I’ve actually been thinking of stealing some to bring home next time.
Another dish I’ve tried is the red chilaquiles, which were alright but I definitely prefer the tacos.
Staff is very friendly and patient (especially when it comes to mispronunciation!). Authentic, efficient, no-​fuss atmosphere.

Best Mexican food I have found in Durham with out a doubt! First time been here, ordered the shrimp fajita burrito, and was very impressed. It tastes like everything was made just for me, I will come back again!

Absolutely no frills here. Be sure to bring your jacket if it’s cold, sit in your car if you’d prefer, or hang out on the benches. This is one of the few authentic taquerias in the Triangle. If you are looking for a little place that feels a little like Mexico, you may enjoy this spot. I get a lot of flashbacks to various taquerias I visited during different trips to Mexico when I’m here.

So good! I love their fajitas and the guacamole is delicious! The parking lot is small and kind of weird. It gets pretty busy around lunch time and on weekends. They are friendly and fast.

Love this place. Please go here. Price is right. Food is better. My full review at

loved this place, always go for the tacos! they never disappoint (: I had the pollo and carnitas taco and it was so yummy!

Though this place is recommended for lunch, we went for dinner around 5. This is probably why the meat wasn’t as moist as it could have been. The people I went with enjoyed their tacos and gordita. I got a chicken tamale, an empanada with barbacoa, and a taco with carnitas.
The taco meat was tender but somewhat dry and not much flavor. The corn tortilla was soft and warm, and the cilantro fresh.
The empanadas had a nice mild bbq flavor, and the meat tender. The chicken in the tamale was a bit too spicy for my taste.
All together, with a bottled water, my total was under $ 10. Overall, the food was authentic and I would return.

I was not impressed by the nachos supreme. For starters, what mexican restaurant doesn’t have queso fondido? that’s an expected menu item. The food stunk so badly, I could barely even get two bites.

Authentic Mexican food. Got the asada burrito and it was absolutely delicious, especially with the salsas they had out! We also liked the outdoor seating (which is the only kind of seating they have)! :) great food and atmosphere!

Stopped by for lunch for the first time. The menu has a lot of options for everyone to choose from. I had the burrito #30. It was really good, it had a very authentic home style taste. I plan on going back many times in the future to work my way through their menu. I just wish they had more seating for people.

I love coming here for a quick meal and authentic Mexican food. I usually get the barbacoa torta. The bread is really nice and the portion size is perfect. If you haven’t tried a torta yet, you are really missing out! Go get it now! Parking can be awkward during busy times. Also, they love to put ketchup on everything.

Had the beef cheek burrito again, but this time they accidentally gave me the salsa verde instead of the red sauce. It was good, but not as good as last time. Guess the red sauce really made it. Their salsa verde isn’t my favorite. It’s mild.

Anytime I’m close I must stop by and order some tortas. Food comes out quickly and is very tasty. A must try!

One of the great Mexican food spot in RTP. Empanadas with barbibu pork is great and wonderful and absolutely in loved. They have legit pork taco choices. Although I have never been a fan of taco, this time I bent down for those tacos. The pork is well seasoned and tastes with great smoothy textures. In addition, their spicy sauce is not too spice and with some sweet in it making it the great combo with taco.

By looking at this restaurant/​taco stand, you would NEVER guess it is the best Mexican food in the entire triangle! That’s my judgement after trying all of the highly rated mex restaurants in the area. 15 years of searching! Loved the cheese enchiladas, fish tacos, and tamales! Please try them and you will see.

Everything here is the bomb. The people who run the place are nice, and the prices are great. AND they have a giant cow on top of the building!
*It’s take away, but they have picnic tables.

I love the food and atmosphere at La Vaquita. It’s absolutely wonderful. I’ve brought my parents, and for a pair who loves to eat their own cooking as much as butter loves bread, they were surprisingly impressed. The atmosphere is just the right amount of rustic chic and the food with just the right amount of flavor and absolutely fresh.
So why only 2 stars? I recently brought a couple friends there, and I paid for the meal for all three of us. The price came out to $ 41.48, which for 2 tacos at $ 2.19 each, a plate of fish tacos at $ 8.59, and a 3 taco meal at $ 8.29, it just didn’t add up right. I didn’t think about it at the time, since we were all kind of giddy, and I just trusted the waitress. After I came back and looked at the charges on my credit card, it looked really fishy (no pun intended). Even after you add in the drinks (2 waters at $ 1.25 each [that we didn’t order] and a Horchata at $ 1.50), and a generous 10% tax, it only came out to $ 27.79, if you round up. I have no idea what kind of math the waitress was using, and it was my fault for trusting her, without giving credence to my math abilities, but it clearly wasn’t right.
I can’t dispute the charges now, since I’ve already signed for it, so I’ll just have to pat myself on the back for giving her a 49.3% tip (unless she decides to give herself a little bit more, since I prefer to see what establishments do if I like to leave the tip part of the check empty when there’s no service involved, and then decide if I will trust them. But that’s a whole another theory that I could expound later if anyone cares). This is just a heads up to everyone who goes there in the future: be sure to double and triple check the charges. It’s still a great place to eat and hang out with friends, but probably not the most trustworthy of places.

This is one of the hidden gems of the Durham food scene. I think it’s the best Mexican place in town, and very reasonably priced, too!
All of the food is made fresh. Their corn tortillas are homemade, which can be hard to find. They have tons of vegetarian options, and are willing to customize anything on the menu to fit your diet and needs.
I’ve sampled a few different things on the menu, and I think the veggie fajitas and veggie tacos are my favorites. They also have excellent hot sauce on every table that adds a nice kick.
The only downside is that there is only outdoor seating. But in a way that adds to the casual charm this place has, especially on a nice day when sitting outside would be the preference. It’s definitely not fancy, but this is definitely a place everyone should try!

You can’t miss the big cow on the roof even if you tried. Ha
The carne azada burrito is delicious. The azada alone has so much flavor and then you put it in a huge burrito? Yup, they sure did.
The chorizo taco is equally delicious. You can’t have one without the other.
It’s cheap. It’s good portions. And it tastes great. What more could you ask for?