Mario’s Taco Shop

Nicole M’s review was soooo negative with about 100 «never-​evers», I don’t think I’ve ever read a more negative restaurant review for any place in any State on the map. I can’t believe that Mario’s rates such a nasty dissing, but maybe the cook was drunk or duck-​taped in a chair while an escapee from maximum security took over the grill for one night… So, I feel compelled to give my side of the story, which is very, very positive. My husband and I have been coming here for well over 20 years. The condiment kiosk offers better salsa’s, carrots and radishes than you’ll get anywhere in a 50-​mile radius, and it’s all free. The variety of salsas alone is enough to make you start drooling. I’m disappointed that they have discontinued their roasted jalapenos and onions. They were so damn delicious and it was very generous of management to include them with the other accompaniments on the cart. But, maybe it was too costly for them to keep providing it. I’d even pay to have it as a side dish, that’s how delish they were. So, if anyone from Mario’s staff is reading this – head’s UP!
We usually get huevos con chorizo or carnitas plate, but sometimes we order carne asada nachos to take home and have with cocktails. There was a previous cook who overcooked the chorizo and somehow always got the nacho chips soggy. But he must have got the sack because in recent months everything is done just right. Over the years the extremely reasonable prices have increased ever-​so slightly, which is understandable and forgivable. But the flavor is always there. It’s a hole-​in-​the-​wall, that’s for sure, but if you have a good sense of humor, check out the «dining room» in the back. Over the years we’ve seen it redecorated at least a dozen times, each time more laughable than the previous make-​over. This new incarnation actually is one of the better ones.
I’ve never seen this place empty. There is always a small line ordering at the register. I wish there would be Italian restaurant equivalents of Mario’s, where you could just walk in, go up to the register/​kitchen and order traditional Southern Italian grandma’s recipes at prices comparable to Mario’s. But, those days are long gone, and as Mexican food and eateries get more upscale, as they are in Chicago, they’ll be long-​gone here, too, and then everyone will be sorry they didn’t chow down for cheap while they had the chance.

best Mexican food ever. i love there pickled carrots and there rolled tacos. i go any change i can and i am never disappointed.

Came here a few weeks ago with my hubby tried their carne asada fries they were so delicious and they have good salsas as well we were satisfied with our food definitely Recommend if your in the mood for Mexican food!

I love mexican food and burritos, but the burrito I got was drenched in grease, I seriously almost puked

My girlfriend and I were hungry at about 11:00pm on a Friday night while we were staying in town at a local hotel. We stumbled onto Mario’s Taco Shop on 16^th Street and ordered to go some enchiladas, carne asada burritos and some soft tacos. It was just the thing we needed; so delicious! Also, the woman working the counter was very nice and friendly. Good job!

This place has the single best Carne asada fries I have ever eaten! No hyperbole, that menu item was glorious. We also had an al pastor wet burrito which s very good, but we have repeatedly come back for the asada fries. Do yourself a favor and get some!

My wife loves this place. Her family does to… they been going for years and years and will probably continue going.
But my experience the 2 times i went was horrible. Undercooked meat in steak burrito and chicken quesadilla. Soggy nachos after only 5 min drive home.
At leaast i saw a show on my visit. I was approached by homeless man in parking lot asking me for money and he wouldnt leave me alone. He even followed me into restaurant. And i saw a drunk guy in parking lot smoke out of glass pipe all on same trip.

Family and I liked the menudo we would go there often never had a problem but this past Sunday it had a nasty smell and a horrible taste. I spoke to the owner they claim its made fresh every Sunday but even the texture of the menudo looked old not fresh at all got my kids and I sick we will no longer go there.

Tried the fish tacos and beef tacos, both were excellent. The fish was grilled not fried with cabbage and a white sauce on soft corn tortillas. Shredded beef tacos was in a crunchy taco shell and very good. They also have an excellent selection of salsa. Don’t get to Merced very often but will make sure I stop by here again.

By far my fav breakfast burrito n town! Good nachos also but haven’t had much more than that

My dad hardly could choke his burrito down and he has hardly eaten in 4 days. He ordered a carne asada burrito and the whole thing was basically lettuce. The ceviche tostada WAS JUST HORRID. The taquitos tasted like they were frozen and they were so empty you could literally blow air straight through it. We are a caucasian and family and we can even produce better mexican food than this crap. Taco Bell would’ve been a better choice for Peet’s sake! My mom smoked a cigarette to cover up the taste of the food.
MY DOGS EAT EVERYTHING AND THEY WONT EVEN TOUCH THE FOOD!!!
This place sucks big balls. If you see Mario’s on the news on fire tonight, you will know why.
We will never go here again. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever.
NEVER AGAIN!

Best Mexican joint in Merced! My favorite stop while visiting! Their rolled tacos & salsa cannot be beat! Highly recommend.

As far as cheap, authentic Mexican food goes: this is it. If you go here expecting a Michelin rated meal. Don’t bother reviewing this place. Cheap, tasty, legit food here.

Mario’s Taco Shop serves up mostly above-​average Mexican fast food, but I find their carnitas super burrito to be exceptionally tasty. I like their carne asada burrito as well, but the carnitas version is too good to justify wasting money on anything else. The carnitas here is slightly over-​cooked — it’s a bit dry, heavily salted, and a fair share of it is wonderfully charred and crispy. With the additions of guacamole and sour cream, both of which Mario’s delivers in copious amounts, the dryness and saltiness of the generously-​portioned pork is counteracted to near perfection. The burrito may be wet and messy, but the flavors of everything meld so well I could hardly care less. And as runny as this huge burrito is already, I can’t help but augment each bite of it with a slathering of Mario’s tasty salsa. The texture and taste of this taco shop’s otherwise dry and sodium-​saturated pork is something I salivate over often, even though it’s been at least a year since I last ate one of their carnitas super burritos. Now that I’ll be visiting home for the holidays, I know I won’t feel fully satisfied with my short, cherished stay in Merced until I stuff my face with another one.

Wow! This place is awesome. We were driving between Sacramento and Bakersfield and needed a place to eat that wasn’t chain fast food, but wasn’t going to take forever. Downtown Merced was to sterile, so we wandered a bit and found this little joint.
Yes!!! This is what we were looking for.
The heavily pierced girl behind the counter was very nice and recommended enchiladas to my wife. My wife is a huge enchilada aficionado, and can be difficult to please. As it worked out, she said these enchiladas – one chicken, one cheese – were great. So far, so good.
I had the garlic shrimp plate, which was outstanding. Totally tasty. Plenty of garlicky goodness. It would have been easier to eat if the shrimp were tail-​free, but they weren’t. I was willing to work with it, given that it’s so great.
If you’re looking for a nice, clean place to eat, go elsewhere. If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food that is absolutely delicious, Mario’s Taco Shop is your place.

Your average taco shop. The first time I came here I shocked to se a small hallway like dining area, well it turns out that there is another larger dining room past the register to the left. This is good average food, at a low price. There menu is extensive and overwhelming if you don’t know what you want.

Well hey there. I’m late to reviewing this place.
We went to Mario’s on a whim, because we’re whimsy and that’s what whimsy people do. Immediately it was apparent that the prices were spectacular, because a bean and cheese burrito was like a dollar. So I ordered two.
They were acceptably average. The salsas though were in complete disrepair. There were a lot of choices, but they were all messy with flies everywhere and growths that looked like bacterial syphilis in petri dishes. The salsas were neither bad nor good. One of the green ones was above average, but the others were nothing, although it may be due to the mixing of ingredients from other salsas.
I didn’t mind my meal, so I’d probably give it a 4 under most scenarios despite the conditions, but the service wasn’t that friendly and my friend didn’t like her meal at all, so three stars it is.

I really like this place! The only thing i dont like is they only take debit:((And Cash of course) But the food is really good, the portions are big and the price is right on. They have a nice little spot with salsa and other things. And they have a nice seating area.

Mario’s taco shop, personally, is one of my favorites in the Merced area.
They offer great food and prices are reasonable.
I usually order the Carne Asada Tacos, the Carne Asada Plate (if i’m feeling a bit healthier), or their Carne Asada Chips; they also have prety good rolled Tacos.
Anyways, the service is pretty good, the food is great, the location is kinda shady, but overall this place is pretty authentic and delicious. Since this place is located right off the freeway, i find myself eating at this place if it’s still open after a long drive back to UCM from LA.
Overall this place is a 4 star establishment just because they offer comparable pricing and delicious and flavorful food,

I stumbled on this taco shop while driving around looking for breakfast. I ordered two burritos (chorizo and egg, bacon and egg) and briefly wondered if it would be enough for both me and my husband. I didn’t need to worry. Their breakfast burritos are huge and delicious. Great price, too, especially after coming from San Francisco where everything is overpriced. I’m not sure we’ll ever make it back through Merced, CA, but if we do we’ll definitely make a point to go back to Mario’s.