Maciel’s Tortas & Tacos

This is one of the best places to eat on S Main St. We have been here several times, often after eating at much more expensive restaurants in the area, that empty your wallet and do not exactly fill your stomach.
The food is always made fresh, with good ingredients in a timely manner. Even when the line is backed up almost to the door. The owner, and the staff of Maciel’s are so welcoming and friendly. They do not do table service, but I would not expect it, or want it from this kind of place. They do however bring the food to your table when it is ready.
So far we have tried most of the menu, or favorites are the namesake, the Tortas and the Tacos. We like to get a Torta, and three tacos, one of each kind of meat. Even if we have not eaten dinner earlier in the night we struggle to finish. The Jamaica tea is the perfect beverage to wash it down. Don’t forget to order some guac to munch while you wait for your order.
With all the dining options in the neighborhood this one is my favorite. Heck it is one of my favorite places in the entire area, and that is truly saying something. I never hesitate to drive downtown, find parking and walk a few blocks for the best taco in Memphis.

been trying to get you to answer for 45 minutes… guess I’ll call someone else. We know you are there because we talked to and verified delievery.

SOOO glad I found this!
Cheap food, super fast service, and really really friendly employees.
We decided to try this place out after hearing good things about it and we were pleasantly surprised. I got the spicy shrimp taco and the spicy fish taco and they were great. I would recommend 2 – 3 tacos per person because it’s not super filling and you may leave hungry if you get less than that.
The place is small but clean and the guy at the register (he may have been the owner) was really helpful. When I asked if they could reheat the queso dip we ordered because we wanted it hotter, he was very polite about it and promptly did it (unlike some other DT Memphis places that make you feel like an idiot if you ever dare ask them something).
The price is great and it’s definitely a good place for lunch or a no frills dinner/​date night. I highly recommend it!

Wow wow wow! Came in on a Saturday for late lunch. The place was a little smaller than I imagined but there were plenty of seats available at 2:00. I felt like I was an honored guest in their home. The service was stellar & the cooks were very helpful in deciding what to get. Everything on the menu was appealing so we decided on splitting several things. The fried potato taco was my favorite! We tried the chorizo taco & steak huaraches too. I was having a tough time eating the huaraches and one of the cooks (or owner?) suggested that I should eat it like a slice of pizza. Then he suggested we try the soup so we each ordered a cup. The BEST in Memphis! Large chunks of chicken in a savory broth with rice, freshly cut tortillas, cheese, & chipotle. Delicious! All the sauces are fresh made & delicious. If you are a fan of white cheese goo Mexican that is so common here, this might not be the place for you. This is the real deal.

This place is legit. Almost as good as the taco truck at the corner of Summer and Perkins.

I was really excited when this place opened because I work downtown. Seemed authentic. The food looked amazing too. I ordered three tacos. Chicken, beef and pork. The meat was so fatty that I had to pull most of it out. Will not be visiting this place again. Disappointing.

My favorite Taco joint of all time! I love their food and the people are great!
What else could you ask for?

So thankful this is downtown!
–Received tacos and guac within 3 – 5 minutes of ordering.
–the quality of the ingredients is unmatched in Memphis
–the guac is my style because it is not all the way mashed and is so full of flavor!
–chorizo was awesome
–spicy chicken tacos were awesome
–unnecessary but The man at the counter gave us free drinks and asked us to try the homemade teas.
Date night for $ 24 on a Saturday!
I’ll be back again for lunch/​dinner soon!
BYOB with no fee!

This little shop was within walking distance of our apartment. It was super fresh and the food came out fast. It’s not super cheap but cheap enough. If you are in the downtown area and in the mood for some street tacos I would highly suggest stopping in. The Tinga (chicken) taco was very flavorful and the steak and chorizo are also hits.

5 star w/​o hesitation. This place destroys las tortugas deli overpriceicana.
I had 3 tacos + guac. Fresh, flavorful, authentic. Good sauce. Good service. Ya, i’ll be back.

I’ve heard so many good things about this place. We stumbled in on a whim. We both got the steak quesadilla. It was pretty good. Service was good, too. We also got free chips with multiple salsas. I want to try their other food. The prices are inexpensive.

I’m used to DC prices and sloppy tacos… but in my three winter trips to Memphis this is the BEST Taco spot I’ve found so far. Order the torta cubana if you’re not in the taco mood.
A+ for service

Nachos. DELISH!
Service. FAST!
One thing though. Do not order nachos to go! They skimp you so bad I wanted to slap somebody. But seriously everything here has been amazing.

It was pretty good. They are quick with the service but they can get a little crowded during lunch.

I’m a pretty big fan of the food here. The atmosphere is almost diner-​esque with a small space and cheap seating and décor. However, I never judge a book by its cover.
My go-to’s are the Tinga Tacos or Tinga Quesadillas. I love food with a little kick, and this chicken has just enough to make you feel warm inside without bursting into flames. The tacos tend to be pretty heavy on the onions and cilantro, though, so I usually ask for it on the side. Warm, soft corn tortillas make for a truly Mexican style street vendor taco. Yum yum yum.
They have lunchtime taco deals that allow you to mix and match (which is my favorite way of trying new things!)…3 for $ 8! I have yet to try the tortas, but their nachos are pretty good… not too much, not too little.
My favorite here is the staff. They are not in your face or loud. They provide you with lunch specials or local favorites and then leave you to your own unless you ask a question. I like this a lot because I hate small talk!
Restaurant is clean and well kept and you can even watch them prepare your food. Definitely a great spot when you’re looking for something tasty and cheap! Downtown Memphis is decidedly lacking in the delicious Mexican food front, so I am really glad they’ve taken up residence on Main!

Soooooo happy this is 50 yards from my house!!!
I’ll be there regularly!!! Awesome food and happy owners!!!

I’m not much for writing reviews, but I love this place! I was expecting typical Mexican that I would be happy with from a food truck. BUT, Manual and his staff exceeded my expectations!
I had a number of items! Nachos were excellent! Great horchata! I asked him to surprise me and he did that with one of his delicious tortas. And usually I’m not impressed with tortas in general but the chicken was killer! I could go on but you need to see for yourself!

So happy this is located downtown! I imagine a lot of tacos in my future, and that’s pretty exciting.
Stopped in for a quick lunch and the place was packed. You order at the counter and though the place is small, it does have a good amount of seating. Menu had a good variety with salads, nachos, tacos, quesadillas and tortas. My husband and I decided to share 3 tacos (mix and match, around $ 8.) We ordered 2 chorizo and a spicy chicken and got our tacos is less than 5 min. They were both amazing and loved the 3 sauces they came with.
I can’t wait to try the other items and am so excited that I no longer have to drive all the way to Summer ave to get delicious tacos!

I hesitated to review this place because I want it all to myself — all the tacos, all the tortas. It opened two weeks ago and I’ve been there for lunch three times. Authentic and fresh food with friendly and efficient staff — you can’t ask for much more than that.
The word is out and folks are already lining up outside the doors. Today, pretty much all the tables were taken — it’s a small space with maybe (guessing) 10 or so tables along with a few spots at the bar. It’s a no frills, order-​at-​the-​counter system, which I love. Our group of three ordered ours to-​go and sat across the street in front of the One Commerce building (they have patio tables). I’ve tried the pastor, tinga and pollo tacos but today I opted for the chicken torta. Perfection. So far my favorite item on the menu, but rest assured, I’m going to try everything.

So good! It’s great to have this new addition to downtown. I got the tacos de lechuga and they were delicious. Chicken, steak, apples, cilantro and avocado. I also had to try the elote with crema. Everything was very fresh and reasonably priced. I’m pretty sure this will be one of my new weekly lunch spots.
FYI, there is seating for about 20 inside. It’s a little crowded when the line is out the door but worth the wait!