Panaderia La Estrella

Great Mexican place. Practice your Spanish as little English spoken here. I was brought here by a work friend who mentioned a Mexican co-​worker had introduced him to this hidden gem. Definitely not fine dining but excellent authentic quality Mexican at super cheap prices. It’s believed this used to be a gas station before. Décor is not the focus here but the food is unbelievable. I had ordered treis asada corn tacos w queso. What came as three small tacos with a great mix of chopped beef. By the cooler they had a salsa bar with pico de gallo, japalenos, and a mix of other salsas and condiments. My work friend mentioned here they also have Mexican Coca-​Cola which is the real deal sugar (not high fructose corn syrup). Overall a solid meal. On the other wall they had a big selection of Mexican cakes, sweets and desserts. Lunch for three was $ 20 which is crazy cheap. We were the only non Latinos eating here. Many of the other patrons looked to be enjoying lunch which is a good sign in my books!

A cultural experience with awesome food to boot! Bring someone who can help you order in Spanish.

Great authentic fresh Mexican food and friendly people at a great price! Get past the atmosphere and enjoy the food.

La Estrella: Tacos and Tamales. .. . and pastries.
The question in evaluating little ethnic places like this is not «Is it authentic?» but «Who would appreciate this?» Yes, it’s authentic. It’s No-​hablo-​inglés authentic. These places have always been on the fringe on mainstream society, and often times they have the best tasting ethnic food going. I don’t just see a taco place that happens to sell Mexican pastries. No, I see a society in the throes of transformation. The two-​bit catfish and sodapop joints and the BBQ joints that dotted the South are slowly fading, and they’re being replaced by this: the Mexican taco store. From inside the store, the windows obscure the view of the sides of familiar buildings, but you can clearly see the rooftops, electrical wires and cellular phone tower. This could be anywheresville, not just Greer. The radio bleats on a Mexican canción, and for a while you feel transported somewhere else.
The menu is uncomplicated and direct like the flavors of the food: tacos, tamales, burritos, many pastries including pan de muerto, and a cooler lined with a plethora of chilled drinks – including Mexican Coca-​cola sweetened with sugar (not HFCS), Mexican aguas frescas and Red Bull. One wall is lined with a pastry case that is full of pastries I can’t even describe. They look nice. (I’m a churros fan. You like churros? Leave it to the Mexicans to improve on the cinnamon doughnut by making it into a stick.) There is a «fixins bar» near the counter where you order and pay – in Spanish – that has everything your taco desires to complete itself: pico de gallo, shredded cilantro, salsa verde and salsa roja (equally hot – not for wimps), and a container with whole green chiles and onions, a combination that spells a fiery, lava-​like death. I usually avoid that one. Yep. They sell tacos al pastor and carne asada: not the absolute best I’ve ever had, but not the worst, either. They came in a masa harina corn tortilla that crumbles easily in your hand. If all you’ve ever had were Taco Bell hard shells, then this will be a revelation for you. You kind of serve yourself and bus your table when you’re done. The place is pretty bare bones – hard plastic seats, plastic table, a paper towel roller on each table, ceramic tile floor.
I’m not sure I’d bring a date here. I’m not sure I’d bring anyone here. This is a place to end up, not to plan for. They offer some decent Mexican grub for little cost and less atmosphere. For $ 4.25, you can have 2 authentic tacos and a Mexican Coke and get lost for a half hour. What else do you want? This is a place to eat and forget your miserable life for a while. (You live in Greer, right?)
There is this irony of boundaries and how they separate us. On one side of the train tracks is the Greer City Municipal building, and on the other is La Estrella. All boundaries are more mental constructs than anything, meant to be blurred. So back to the question, «Who would appreciate this?» Which side of the tracks are you on?
Buen provecho.