Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos

We ate here twice during our visit to Pescadero. Delicious, fresh, and inexpensive. What more could you really want?!
Ordered the Veg taco plate (black beans, rice, avocado, lettuce, onions — topped with pickled carrot and jalapeño, and even grilled onion and jalapeño).
The fresh squeezed juice was a welcomed bonus, and the orange carrot was just perfect.

Don’t judge this book by it’s cover. You’ll be glad you stepped inside to try their fare. Check out my carne asada tacos. 2 big slabs of steak, not your typical chopped up pieces. So tender and flavorful. Help yourself to their well stocked salsa bar.

I love this place! I get the Chile Relleno combo. Good Mexican greasy spoon hole in the wall. I usually see a lot of locals eating there. Very modest pricing.

If you head to Pescadero because you want the quaint experience of sitting outdoors at a picnic table and consuming artichoke bread hot from the oven this will not be the place for you. Sitting inside a well-​outfitted gas station convenience store simply cannot compare. But if you’re in the area seeking Mexican food? Here’s your place.
The fact that you’re inside a gas station convenience store is a little misleading without further explanation. Inside, there’s a designated dining area with about 8 tables, a clean, well stocked salsa bar, and AYCE fresh hot tortilla chips. Order and pay at the counter and a server will bring you your food out on a ceramic plate. The ambiance is 7 – 11 but the food is not.
A big and filling lunch platter runs $ 6 — $ 7 and that, with the unlimited chips and salsa, is an excellent value.
Sitting inside, I missed the charm that accompanies the other Pescadero lunch options but when the urge for good chips and salsa and quite decent Mexican fare is pulling at you, sacrifices are called for. In Pescadero, this is your place to satisfy that urge.

If veggie option means substituting meat for an outrageous amount of sour cream, then you will love this place. I have been here twice. First time, veggie burrito, overflowing with cold sour cream. Second time, super quesadilla, again overflowing with frigid sour cream. So much so that it is certainly the dominant ingredient. Gross! There are so many other ways to make veggie Mexican food, please get it together!
Two stars for the chips and salsa. (Disclaimer, veggie only review)

‘Eats fish from a cash-​only Mexican gas station’ is practically my middle name.
What can I say? I love questionable seafood dishes and if I can fill up my gas tank at the same time… Win.
Walking in you’ll notice that this stop has it all. Locally made tortillas and Mexican baked goods, cleaning solution, condoms, pickled pork bits… and all just an arms length from the register and kitchen that serves up some decently spicy camarones ala diabla and what others seem to deem rave-​worthy carnitas.
I came with my Dad and I don’t do meaty meats so we steered clear of the carnitas and condoms but we did get a plate of fish tacos, the aforementioned spicy shrimp, and an horchata, of course. The horchata was pretty watery and not super flavorful but it was nice to have alongside those devil shrimp, which are served with a side of rice, beans, and warm tortillas.
The fish tacos were ok. I liked that the fish was grilled but its def a super water fish and not exactly the most flavorful. I think some cilantro and citrus (who served fish tacos without lime?) would have done this dish a favor but it was exciting to try seafood from a cash-​only roadside gas station and none of us got the poops the next day so I’d consider it a success.

We had Thanksgiving dinner here after a day in the Redwood groves and it was perfect!
Our fish tacos were excellent. Rice and beans were delicious.
Pescadero is a really cool little town.

I’m a huge taco fan and who knew a small gas station on a deserted road in Pescadero, CA would have the best tacos I’ve ever had?
I had 4 super tacos — 1 carne asada, 1 chorizo, and 2 shrimp. They’re 3.99 each and the meat portions are huge. If you’re in the area, you have to give this place a try. Don’t be thrown off by the appearance, either. Some of the best food comes from the most hole-​in-​the-​wall places. Check it out! You won’t be disappointed.
There’s ample seating inside, but I’d recommend grabbing your food to go and eating on one of the benches on the beach! Those tacos + a refreshing drink + the ocean view were the best day ever.

This place is uh-​may-​zing. Incredibly clean, unassuming, and delicious. I tried the chile verde super burrito. My taste buds were doing cartwheels – they were that happy. I could only finish half (had also been stuffing artichoke bread from down the street), but when I sat down to finish, I fell in love all over again. Can’t wait to go back and try some other favors.
NB: They don’t take cards, but there is an ATM in the shop.

I would’ve never thought of stopping by as you think Quik Mart with a gas station… hmmm…don’t need a slushie, cigarettes, six pack, bottle of water or beef jerky… NOPE! then you walk inside and discover there’s yummy mexican food!
* Fish and shrimp tacos are the best around — lightly battered and fried white fish. YUM!
* Carne asada anything is just flavorfully delicious here
* Salsa bar — great to try a variety… SPICY please!
Great prices and delicious food!

I love the unexpected. A gas station that has a primary life as a taqueria totally fits the bill!
With no sign outside indicating food, you can only stumble upon this place unless a local clues you in. Grocery store meets casual hole in the wall dining. Fish tacos are what they’re known for so both my companions opted in for those while I indulged my carnivorous side and and had carne asada. Fresh chips and some killer salsas added great flavor.
I still think my favorite taco truck in the Mission is número uno for tacos but this place totally ranks for price, freshness and unexpected location. Worth a detour when you’re driving the coast looking for food and want something quick.
It was PACKED and the line never ended. I don’t know how much gas they sell but tacos/​burritos and beer? Hell yeah!

Authentic, hole-​in-​the-​wall, grocery store prices on beer, free chips. — The best Mexican food places are rough around the edges – this one doubles as an old gas station. Fill your belly and your car. The Shrimp Super Burrito was excellent. I’m a fan of shrimp burritos that aren’t the cabbage style. Theirs is beans rice cheese lettuce guac and sour cream. And plenty of shrimp. It’s also a grocery so you ca buy beer at grocery store prices to go with your meal. I wish they would’ve had limes, esp. to squeeze on the free chips.
RED SAUCE: Chunky and full of balanced flavor. Not too hot but not mild. Works well as a salsa for your free chips.
GREEN SAUCE: Less chunky than the red. Refreshing. Also not too hot but not mild.

So good! I had just finished a long bike ride and was starving for some food, particularly Mexican. I decided to give this place a try and I was NOT disappointed. I had a Taco Al Pastor (yum!) and a Chicken Tamale — suppppper yummy. Horchata was good, too!
Some thoughts:
1. Don’t be put off that it is located at a gas station.
2. Cash only!
3. Ask for a container for some chips.
4. Have those chips with the salsa bar (tomatillo salsa was amaaaazing!)
5. Food was a little spicy for my anglo-​palate, but in a good way — just be ready!
6. Enjoy!

How come you can go to the middle of a really big city and find little to eat besides McDonalds or Burger King (which I wouldn’t and don’t recommend that you eat), but you go to a little town like Pescadero and even the Gas Station is capable of making food worthy of a Zagat rating?
Go for the gas, stay for just about everything they serve. There may be a wait, but wait… you won’t regret it.

Came here last week for the first time and we are back again today! I got the carne asada super burrito with the sour cream and guacamole on the side. This burrito fits its name, it is SUPER and stuffed with meat, beans, rice, cheese and salsa. Completely satisfied my hunger and tastes great. Even my BF who isn’t a burrito fan tried mine last time we were here and has ordered one for himself today! Great food and nice and fast service. Good bang for your buck. I’d recommend this place to anyone! And we will for sure be back ourselves :)

Best. Tacos. Of my life (!!!). Well, comparable to Oscar’s down in San Diego /​La Jolla. The fish tacos are my favorite, although the carne asada and shrimp tacos were good as well. We also got a half carnitas, half grilled chicken fajita super burrito, and it was probably the best burrito of my life. I’ve literally never eaten beans in my burrito before because I can’t stand them, but I ate the ones in this burrito. What!!!
Plus, the people who work here are so nice & genuine, which makes Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos that much better. Note — cash only!

Combination gas station, quickie mart and taqueria.
Five stars?
Really?
The line stretched out from the counter to the door. Some people buying gas, some buying milk, some ordering lunch. It was disconcerting.
But they were very efficient and we were ordering before we’d even had time to have a good look at the menu. We ordered, and I was able to pick out a beer from the convenience store beer fridge to go with my meal.
We overhear a local complain about all the tourists. It seemed kind of funny because the waiting was so minimal, there were still seats available, and who laments success of a favorite local business (unless it keeps you from getting your own fix)?
The food was that good. Especially the carnitas, but all of it.
Come check it out. (Sorry, local whiner.)

I’m not sure what pulls me back to Pescadero time and again, but here I was when I had a recent day off, and here I was trying what must be the last remaining eatery on the downtown Pescadero checklist. Oh sure, I had the artichoke garlic bread at Arcangeli’s Grocery Store, the artichoke omelet at Duarte’s Tavern and the artichoke cream soup at Pescadero Country Store. Sensing a pattern? I didn’t see artichoke tacos in the menu here, but that’s probably just as well as they do regular taqueria fare pretty well here. I need to admit the reason I never tried this place before is that it’s in the corner gas station. Yes, that’s right, I’m a snob. I don’t demand finger bowls, but I like to pass by a place that doesn’t smell of diesel on the outside. Am I wrong?
But then I flashed back to all those road trips my dad forced us to take to discover America and all the times we ended up eating at the diners that were attached to gas stations along some desolate highway. My brother always handed me the car bingo card with Studebaker and Edsel on it, so I never won. Maybe those bitter vehicular memories are why I avoided Taqueria De Amigos until now. When I walked in past the pumps, I was pleasantly surprised that there was an actual dining area with booths and tables in here. There was a crew of three in the small kitchen making the food and the menu is pretty robust comparable to any Mission taqueria (photo:
). There was a bit of a line but that’s mostly because the mini-​mart customers pay for their beer… I mean groceries, at the same counter.
I was not hugely hungry since I was still recovering from a pork pancake I had that morning at the House of Pancakes up in the Sunset. But I did have room for what I read was a house specialty, the $ 2.75 Fish Tacos, two of them. So as I made my way to a table, I helped myself to the chip and salsa station (photo:
). While it was relatively sparse compared to a Little Chihuahua or Tlaloc, the ingredients were fresh and hit the spot. The fish tacos arrived, an I was surprised they were ladled with a fresh salsa. The fish pieces looked to be flash-​fried, and their abundance was a welcome sight. Messy but fresh and quite tasty (photo:
). The corn tortillas got soggy pretty quickly, so they were a challenge to pick up with gusto. At least I was providing entertainment for the beer guzzlers waiting to pay for their six-​packs. Hey, I have a car bingo card with your name on it, buddy.
FOOD — 4 stars… the fish tacos are as good as any in the Mission
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… well, it’s still a gas station and a mini-​mart, too… stop calling me a snob
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… not overly friendly but serviceable
TOTAL — 4 stars… it’s like getting a car bingo card with a Tesla on it… sorta

This place us a gem. A delicious, tiny gas station of a gem.
I stopped by at the recommendation of a friend, and in the next week stopped in two more times.
The food is really tasty and oh so cheap. A giant chorizo burrito is only $ 7 and you can grab a beer from the back of the store to go with it, if you please.
The food is served fast, and everyone is friendly. If you come in the evening, there are often a group of locals enjoying a movie overdubbed in Spanish on the small TV.
It’s charming and local and is everything you look for in a small place like this. Highly recommended.

My personal quest for America’s best $ 15 or less road trip adventure meal has two current finalists. One is a fresh pint of beer and $ 9 BBQ brisket combo at the Philipsburg Brewing Company in SW Montana (
).
The other is here, in Pescadero, at the famous gas station taqueria across the Main Street from Duarte’s. The near legendary Mercado that is still going strong.
There are various ways to do the math here, but my go-​to order is inevitably the same: 4 tacos and one 24 oz. bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, which you can grab from the cooler in the convenience section of the store.
The four best tacos imo are one of each of the following: pescado/​fish, al pastor/​pork, carnitas/​pork, and carne asada/​beef. Small but tasty bites that you can even share with a +1. The salsa bar has some great stuff: fresh radishes, a carrot, pepper, and onion pickled veg combo (the secret is the bay leaves), a roasted tomato salsa with medium heat, and fresh salsa with cilantro, white onion, and diced jalapeño. There’s nothing fancy here, but it’s all good,. Down to the radishes, really.
Toss in a few Mexican-​made hot sauces on the counter, throw in a scattering of locals and road trippers, pause to acknowledge the super-​efficient and unobtrusively friendly staff, and enjoy the Pescadero vibe while sipping that classic Sierra Nevada pale ale straight from the big brown bottle and smiling in pleasure at the devilishly good mix of savory, heat, and fresh vegetable flavors. Sabor in spades!
The bill last time? $ 14.88.
Heading back on old Stage Road, with clear blue Pacific vistas and lush green hills, you can’t help but think that the San Mateo coast is one of America’s hidden gems. Having a great and slightly funky taqueria thrown into the mix is simply salsa fresca on the cake.
Happy blue highway adventures in 2015! Hope the roads are open, the views are vast, the sun shines, and the salsa bar beckons.