El Maguey Taqueria

This is the spot I always pass by off 101 going to San Carlos and I say «I wonder if that spot is legit?» Today, my chicken super burrito answered that question – yes! Lol. It is a good size burrito and I probably wouldn’t have finished it had I not been really hungry. It is a little sloppy but that’s because I had sour cream and guac in it. If you like spice, add the green salsa and your tongue will be dancing for a minute. Is like to try the quesadillas and tortas next time. :)

This is my favorite lunch spot near work. Can’t go wrong with a supreme burrito. My new fav is the grilled chicken. This is a regular lunch spot for my coworkers and me. It’s busy during lunch time and parking is limited during this time.

Holy enchilada mi amgio! This is as good as it gets for mexican food on the Peninsula! Great burritos, great taco salad and a nice family that runs the place. Always prompt service, even during the busiest of times. Only downside is the parking, which can get full during the lunch rush. Right across from the San Carlos Caltrain station, no excuses not to try this place at least once in your life.

Since moving to the bay, I’ve not found a go-​to taqueria yet. But this might just be in the running. Their super burritos are stacked and filled with flavorful meat. Both the carne asada and the carnitas are great options.
And to top it off, who doesn’t love a great chip and salsa bar. Try their green sauce and you’ll be hooked.
I’d definitely recommend El Maguey Taqueria for a legitimate mexican fix

Good greasy tacos!
I guess if you’re a super health nut, their tacos would be a little too greasy for you but I am not that picky or health conscious. Their food tastes fressh and isn’t too salty.
The carne asada here is onother fave of mine and usually get it the same time for lunch
I stay fit and healthy for the most part and can eat a plate full of their tasty tacos and asada.
Friendly staff and fairly quick service.
BTW this place is very clean. I hate eating on a sticky fukin table. None of that in here.

Great burritos and salsa here. Try the ranchero burrito with red sauce on top. It’s a cheese overload and flavor full lunch.
I can’t really get into what I want to say because the spy’s are reading this. But needless to say… Queens were happy.

I went to try this place and order one pastor burrito, my wife ordered some carnitas tacos and my friend ordered the chile relleno and enchilada combination plate and we loved the food, food had flavor and the pastor was delicious and the carnitas was juicy
I would recommended this to my friends i dont get how people complain base on only one item from the menu guess that’s all they like to do in life
Im looking forward to try more food from this taqueria

When the waiter brought over my burrito on a plate, the burrito was already ripped open. It ripped open when the chef was wrapping the shell, but presentation is not a concern of theirs. It kinda negated the point of being a burrito if I have to eat it with a fork because everything fell apart before I even touched it. Food wasn’t good and never going to go back.

Just what we were looking for. Excellent chile rellenos, enchiladas, tacos, etc. Rice and beans are excellent, tasty salsa and chips.
I don’t know whether this is family run, but it feels like it. Simple, straight forward, no ambiance, but clean, prompt and consistent.

My friend and I work in the San Carlos/​San Mateo area and we are always on the hunt for the best mexican food. So far i’ve tried at least 25 – 30 different mexican restaurants in the Bay Area. With all the glowing reviews for this place, I thought we should give this a try on our next lunch break! I think I might have caught them on a bad day or we just completely ordered the wrong things but this place was bad. Like really bad.
I ordered the taco and enchilada combo plate and my friend had the «super» shrimp quesadilla. My dish first: the enchilada was like a solid block of streaky cheese. The taco was average. The worst part of this whole thing was the rice and beans. It was sooo horribly bland that by the end of the meal I felt I had just eaten a whole plate of tasteless carbs. I had to douse the entire dish with salsa in order to try and enjoy it. The funniest thing was the «super» shrimp quesadilla that my friend had ordered. It was a tiny portion. It was 2 tortillas with some melted cheese and some small pieces of shrimp in there. The whole thing was limp, had no flavor and no crunch on the tortilla, and it was a joke. A «super» quesadilla? It barely had enough to fill up the space between the tortilla.
Anyways, we were so disappointed. We just sat there staring at the food. But with all these other reviews about the arroz con pollo and the diablo shrimp. maybe thats what we shouldve got. oh well. on to the next one.

Wholly Guacamole!!!
This is by far one THE BEST authentic Mexican food restaurants in the Bay Area !
The food is always very delicious, and Chips and salsa are complimentary !
The chips and salsa are almost a meal by them selves!
I usually call ahead and order pick up around 11am –11:30 to avoid the long lunch lines. Dinning area can be tight at lunch hour, but it’s still a very nice experience !

Holy Moly.
The arroz con pollo is insane. I don’t think I will ever be able to eat any other combination of rice and chicken unless it’s here. I’ve also gotten tacos and burritos but the arroz con pollo will probably be the only thing I order from El maguey for the rest of my life. First time I tried it I ordered tacos and my coworker ordered Heaven’s Chicken and Rice, so I came back the next day to get my own order after I almost stole his leftovers from the work fridge. My plan was to cite a blonde moment, he’s lucky I like him too much.
There is so much chicken, huge portions, and there are sauteed mushrooms in there that completely make it. I don’t know what kind of cheese is on top but it is the meltiest cheese I have ever seen.
And the stuffed churros… Jesus. It’s $ 1.50 for 1 and $ 2.50 for two or something like that. TRUST ME on this one, just get two, maybe even four. You’ll hate yourself but you won’t regret it. You’d only regret NOT getting four.

I don’t normally give 5 stars, but this place blew my socks off! I have not had carnitas this good since before my grandpa passed away.
When I arrived, the large menu above the kitchen was surprisingly diverse with a variety of seafood, vegetarian (not vegan), and meat dishes. Since this was my first time, I decided to play it safe and order what I know: a carnitas burrito. As I waited, I took advantage of a very tasty salsa bar with a nice selection of mild, medium, and hot levels of heat. Once I go my burrito, this first thing I wanted to try were the carnitas. As soon as the first piece hit my tongue, my mouth watered. I was suddenly transported back to the small Mexican bakery in San Luis Potosi, Matehuala, Mexico that my family owns. It was just the right amount of oil, salt, and crispiness. I couldn’t hold back any longer, I took a huge bite of the super burrito filled with whole pinto beans, rice, sour cream, onions, cilantro, and of course the carnitas. I asked for no guacamole, but I should have gotten it on the side. I was more than pleased! I immediately got up, walked to the fridge as if I was at home, and pulled out a Pacifico. It was only $ 3.25, which is better than any happy hour price in San Carlos, and El Maguey Taqueria has it all day, so of course I stayed for a while.
The brilliance of this hidden gem is that it is steps away from the San Carlos Caltrain station. This place has set the bar for all other taquerias, and they have lived up to their name as they have certainly planted themselves firmly into my selection of premier bay area taquerias.

This is our go to place — at least 1x per week. There’s quite a few options between San Carlos and Redwood City… this is the best. Excellent tacos and salsa bar.
We’ve catered — great menu, free salsa (where Chavez would charge) and chips
Best of all, the folks are always kind and the premises are super clean.
Parking can be a PITA, try across the street.

El Maguey will love you like a brother, treat you like a friend, respect you like a lover, you could be that, never gotta sweat that. El Maguey always come through, the homie, the major, that imported flavor hencho en Mexico. I ain’t gonna front, for the longest time I’ve thought that El Maguey is Spanish for Miguel.
Maguey actually refers to various American plants, genus Agave, mescal, especially agave americana, century plant. This kind of mistake is why I will never be a full-​time food critic and is saving myself the embarrassment by writing on Unilocal because I exist solely on the internet.
Despite being a brick and mortar, the prices are very reasonable famalam. Free chips and salsa, like a good neighbor El Maguey is there! Best bang for the buck, California burrito is ay caramba. Haters stay sour with that diluted lemon juice. Guac is made to order, mad fresh and hearty. Truth of the matter is, Peninsula taco scene is pretty weak namean. Don’t even get me started on the zagat rated, overpriced venture in downtown SM, whose name shall not be named.
Contrary to being labelled «hole-​in-​the-​wall» from suburb creatures, this is a fine establishment located in a small plaza, way less sketch and caked out than say 24^th on Mission. This is a legit fiesta joint, so come prepared with a sombrero ready for the party.
In case you were wondering why mi espanol es muy bad, blame Mr. Worldwide aka Mr. 315 aka Miami aka FUEGOOOOO, that is fire, as in explosion, as in mi espanol blows. Que no pare la fiesta, uno-do’-tres– tacos! Wooooo-​ooooooo!

My pastor burrito was pretty meh. The pork was a bit too greasy and a bit too not-​crispy (soggy isn’t the right word). Less ok was that the burrito was wrapped in a way that made it come apart right away and it didn’t get a secondary heating so the shredded cheese within was still cold and unmelty.

After my life in Davis is now in the past (graduated, good bye college!), I don’t have a go to spot anymore for tacos.
Now that I work nearby, this is my new go to! I’ll admit it, I dont have taco cravings as much when I’m at work and I’m fed well but the is always my go to option. They had GIANT tacos. And by giant, I mean big. I thought I could scarf down 4 tacos but boy was I WRONG. I was full by the second one, sad by the third, and miserable by the 4^th but in the absolutely best way possible!
I love al pastor the way it’s made here (as it is in David Taqueria). I’ve now had tacos in Mexico City and I have to say, these still don’t disappoint.
Limited parking but chips, salsa, and an abundance of tacos makes me happy.

I got camarones a la diabla, which werent as spicy as I thought they were gonna be, but were really good. The prawns were a good size. Salsas were delicious. I wished they would have had fresh hand made tortillas .but overall it was good. Staff was nice and fast. Ill be back soon

Pros: great burritos, unlimited free chips, good price
Cons: limited seating, limited parking, long wait because business is too good
Came here with a Korean guy, Vietnamese guy, white guy, and Indian guy. We were by far the most diverse group there. You know it’s good Mexican food when all the other customers are, well, Mexican. We did see a black guy come in, though.
I’ve gotten the regular burrito (chicken) and Californian burrito. The Californian burrito was huge and delicious just like your mo–
Anyway, definitely recommend this place. The staff are nice, the food is great, and the salsa is free. What more could you want?

I read the reviews on here and decided to try this little hole in the wall. Often these hidden little spots are great finds.
First I ordered the chicken fajitas and they were out of chicken so I got the shrimp. They didn’t devein the shrimp and although the shrimp did taste fresh (reason for the one star) the entire meal was just a tasteless pile of cardboard.
The beans were just awful. The rice has zero flavor. The fajita sauce was even tasteless.
This is certainly no Nuevo Larado (Atlanta best of Mexican food).
What in the world people are giving this place a 5 star rating for is a mystery to me.

Los Burritos muy sabrosos
Tenía rato de no encontrar un lugar donde
hicieran buenos Burritos además la salsa
De Chile abanero es mi favorita lo recomiendo 100%