Xinantecatl

Had a great dinner. The huge Tamale was perfect. The Churrasquitos were fantastic. The Chicken Platter was great and we had some of the verde sauce too. A great experience!

Tortas are the best here. I’m from southern California with the best Mexican food and this place is legit.

Wonderful authentic Mexican food! A big thanks to Unilocalers for helping me find this hidden gem as most of the «Mexican» places around Philly are not truly Mexican, but chains or Americanized «Mexican» food.
First off, go here for the food! As others stated, it’s in the back of a Mexican grocer with only a few tables and chairs next to the kitchen (picture included). It’s more of a takeout place than a sit down and eat place, although you can certainly do so, but it’s not a full-​size restaurant.
Second, the menu is huge with entrée names in Spanish, so make sure to read the ingredients, which are in English, to ensure you get what you want. I wanted chicken fajitas, but had to order them individually versus other places where you order skillet fajitas and receive several tortillas on the side. Each fajita is $ 3.50. At first I was not thrilled about this idea as I like to put together my own fajitas, but they couldn’t have been more perfect! I ordered three chicken fajitas and each one was prepared with layers of refried beans, made-​to-​order grilled chicken, lettuce, real Mexican cheese, avocados, sour cream, and tons of flavor… better than I could have prepared and quite large (photo included). They have a mixed fajita entrée with chicken, shrimp, and beef that comes as one large order versus individually, but if you want all chicken (or all beef) like I did, you must order the individual ones. You will NOT be disappointed.
I found it easier to order our to-​go meal in person and wait 15 – 20 minutes for it versus over the phone as language barriers do exist. They make everything fresh as you order it, and it’s worth the wait.
I also ordered chips and a large guacamole to go, which was delicious. The guac was a bit spicy, but not too much and had no strong lime flavor, which means it was made fresh. Limey guac is never good unless you like the taste of it, but no thanks. :)
Their prices are reasonable and even better than the non-​authentic Mexican places around Philly, you can’t beat it for the taste. I highly recommend if you are craving REAL Mexican food!

Amazing, traditional Latin American food in the back of a bodega. Food was delicious, flavorful and cheap! Menu went beyond the standard Mexicali fare. Went on a Friday night and ordered in store for takeout service. It did take 45 minutes to get the food. Next time I’ll order ahead of time from home and then show up. It was fun to shop around the bodega and see different food ingredients and spices.

Thank you Unilocal Community for another solid recommendation. The Reverend Dr. Steak and I headed over to Xinantecatl for dinner while the NMT was at practice in nearby Harleysville.
As others have described, the Taqueria is located in the rear of the storefront Bodega. It is tiny, maybe 12 feet wide by 20 feet long, with maybe 5 utilitarian tables set up. You order at the grill. While we were waiting, other customers, some from SoCal, raved about the food. They were not wrong.
Everything here is cooked fresh, to oder, and it is so wonderfully noticeable. We ordered chips & salsa. 15 minutes before the chips were served they were normal tortillas. They were crisp, slightly salty, and quite good. Salsa was tomatillo, nice medium heat.
Both of us got our bellwether dish, the Chimichanga. I ordered it as described, with the unusual addition of broccoli to the mix. The Rev. got his without broccoli. Both were excellent, again fresh, not over fried, the broccoli I thought added a nice tang to the meal.
Service was friendly and reasonably efficient. We got our own drinks from the nearby cooler — everything from US drinks to Fanta to Mexican Coca Cola (yum!).
On our way out we picked up some chili chips for the NMT which he happily ate after practice. This is a no-​frills, authentic Mexican Taquiera, and one worth visiting again.

Surprise, surprise! First of all, this is in the back of a small store. Secondly, there are only about 4 tables. And lastly, yes I would go back.
I crave Mexican food on a monthly basis (yup) and I was born and raised in southern California where great Mexican food is on every corner. I’ve moved around a bit and it has always been a challenge to find any and all good food places that I’m used to. So, I seek them out. Following other Unilocalers, I came here.
I was a little skeptical on the food because the restaurant is tiny. But I gotta tell you, the food I ordered was pleasantly surprising. And very nice and friendly. Be forewarned though, READ THE MENU! It describes the food well. Don’t be surprised to find tomato sauce on your chimichanga because it is right there in the description!
I got tacos and I loved ‘em. Would I return for them? Si.

Came here today at the behest of my husband who has been dreaming about the perfect burrito for the last four days… He was not disappointed. This place serves up very authentic Mexican food. If you can get past the fact that the restaurant is at the back of their (Mexican) grocery store, then you have no problems. Very nice people tho. And of course very good food. Will be back again soon.

Asked Siri to find me a Mexican joint in the area and this is where she sent me. When I first walked in I thought I was in the wrong place because it looks like a Mexican bodega. In the back is where the magic happens. Great authentic Mexican food. Not some bastardized Americanized slop. This is home cooked Mexican food. I will stop there any time I am in the area. Highly recommended.

Have been here twice. Once carry out and once we dined in. It is delicious! And truly authentic! We had their tacos al pastor and try do not disappoint very filling. Also tried torta de adobada and torta Hawaiiana and they are both delectable!

Very good first experience! Got takeout. Burrito, enchiladas and a tamale. Authentic Mexican food. Like authentic, authentic. :) excellent, fresh verde salsa.

It’s a hole in the wall shop with very confusing décor and vibes, but very friendly staff. The service is slightly slow and it’s hard to discern the freshness of the ingredients at times, but all-​in-​all, it’s great.
The prices are cheap, portions are fair, and flavoring is on point. Would definitely recommend for lunch or family takeout.

GO HERE!
The only people who give this place a bad review are not very cultured people.
Very authentic and freshly made ingredients. I used to live the street over and was a regular for sometime!
Its a shame that its only open on weekends or else I’d be obese eating here every single day.
Love this place.

Their Pupusa are soo delicious! I don’t get my central American food any where else but here :-) The staff is very friendly as well

What the two of us first thought might be a gem hidden away through a doorway in the back of a small Mexican grocery didn’t turn out that way for us. That we were there with only one other couple in the restaurant on a Friday evening did give us pause. Our server was most pleasant and helpful to us first timers. The complimentary guacamole with chips was very good and seemed to be freshly made. Maybe we should have inquired more about the menu items. We each ordered differently. What we received was a tortilla filled with, we were not sure, ingredients. While not unpleasant, the flavors were not at all distinctive. Other than a side of green salsa, there was nothing else to accompany our choices. We had hoped for some side refried beans and mabe some sour cream and guac. This was a bit of a let-​down experience for us.

Ate here for the first time the other night. Got the chorizo tacos and the guacamole. Everything made fresh while you wait. It was incredibly delicious. Can’t wait to come back and try another menu item. Only downside is that they’re only open Friday-​Monday. A hidden gem I didn’t know was right under my nose.

Went in and thought I was in the wrong place. Went back out and in again and realized the back of the store is the restaurant. Amazing food. Had the Cuban Torta. Bread that is home made was just as fresh as it could be. Very good taste. Service and attention was exemplary. Will be back for more.

Great. I had the super burrito Al Pastor. I feel like going back today for the same thing. Great value. Great staff.

The best mexican ive ever had. Great guacamole, great tacos, and the baleadas especiales is like the worlds best breakfast food. I cannot wait to come back here. I wish they could seat more people, theres three four tops and one two top, so dont come here with a lot of people.

Loved it. Totally authentic, new foods I’ve never seen before, good and fast service. Priced right… $ 4.50 for 3 tacos, and it was more than enough food for lunch. Salsa Verde was amazing and had a good heat to it. Legit, fresh, soft corn tortillas. Very casual atmosphere and tiny dining area, made it feel almost homey.
I highly recommend this place.
Thanks fellow Unilocalers, you rarely lead to disappointment…

I felt compelled to write a review about Xinantecatl for two reasons:
1.) The food
2) The service
First and foremost, what this place has to offer is absolutely spectacular.
An adobada special burrito and three different tacos (biztec, adobada, and chorizo)– the meat was tender and flavorful and the spices/​seasoning was spot on.
I’m already thinking about what to order the next time I go visit.
Second, when we first walked into the restaurant, we were greeted with smiles and the service was excellent. I had a few questions about the menu (i.e. difference between al pastor and adobada) and the lady answered everything very kindly. It’s always a plus to feel welcomed and comfortable (especially when you want to get the order right).
Overall, five stars is what this place deserves. I can’t wait to go back next week.