Tacos La Rosa

Yass!
Drove about 45mins to get to La Rosa and wasn’t disappointed. Got the medium al pastor huarache ($ 8 after taxes) and left deeply satisfied. The meat was tender and juicy and I loved the taste of the masa dough. Like other Unilocalers mentioned, it takes awhile to get the food ready because they prep it right there and then but it’s worth the wait. When they brought out my food, I thought I wasn’t able to finish it but I underestimated myself and the goodness of the huarache and I got it all down in my belly.
It got a little messy but dirty napkins are a sign of yumminess. If it wasn’t so far from me, I’ll definitely be back! But if you’re in the area, be sure to stop by.

Honestly, this place has THE best tacos I have ever had. I will never go to another fast-​food mexican place again. The food is made right there fresh in front of you and 100% authentic mexican style. The workers have a hard time speaking english, but they are the nicest people and really try to understand customers. They have a menu above the cash register with pictures that show what each food item looks like so it is easy to order based on what your preferences! They will also work with what you want if you want to substitute anything out. The price is very cheap, and the food is relatively fast.
The restaurant is not in the nicest area… and it is a little divey. It mainly attracts the willimantic locals. Once you get inside though and eat their food, you will NOT regret it!!! You can also call in food and just pick it up to go if this scene isn’t for you! There is also a taco truck that caters. I highly recommend their special chicken tacos. that come with avocado, tomato, lettuce and cilantro. It is amazing. The green sauce and the red spicy sauce are great to add on.
If this place was in a better area, business would be booming for them. Overall, I have had great experiences there. The workers are unbelievably nice!!! A++++++ for customer service!!!

The fried pork huaraches are where it’s at! A large huarache for less than $ 12 could easily feed two adults at dinner. It does take time to cook since they cook it fresh to order so plan for an extra 15 – 20 minutes but it’s well worth the wait! Definitely a local gem.

yes, this place is a (little) sketchy, and the restaurant itself is a bit outdated. but keep in mind this is willimantic. and «willy» is a total dump so…
appearance aside, the food here is outstanding. pricing is fair and you get pretty hefty portions. never left this place hungry.
they do make everything fresh and you can watch them make it. it does take a while, so be prepared if you’re eating in. only real gripe that it’s pretty hot inside, and the ventilation is poor.
i recommend the chicken flautas — and the green sauce, while tasty, spicy, prepare yourself for a bathroom break.
and upon many recent visits i took a star away, thanks to the 2 year olds they bring to the restaurant to run wild, scream, yell. very sad.
edit –
** also really like their version of quesadillas. a bit different than your taco bell, american mexican quesadillas. steak, cheese, quac. one of the best. with green sauce of course.

Amazing FRESH authentic Mexican food. Between hubby and I, we had 5 different tacos. All the tortillas were homemade and the meats were flavored deliciously l. Also shared a tamale. A little dry but great and fresh taste.

Good food with good potions at a good price. Authentic Mexican food. Their Rice and Beans is my favorite.

This place is as authentic as Mexican food can get here in New England. Now understand that means authentic MEXICAN, not california style, not tex-​mex but actually Mexican. Family owned, divey inside, limited (BUT SOLID) menu items… when im going to be in the area… i always stop at Tacos La Rosa.
I always get the Hueraches, because they are delicious and so filling and ive become obsessed with them
The rice is cooked with chicken stock, which the owner was kind enough to tell me when i ordered with no meat. :) yay
Rolling my eyes so hard at reviews being annoyed about «uninviting interior» WHO CARES if your butt sits on a ripped seat when the food is so delicious.
I like to order and wait, but it seems like most people use this as a takeout place. It takes make 10 minutes to make stuff.

Great, fresh food, prepared well. We had the huaraches – both chicken and steak. Beef was cooked well-​done, flavorful and tender, with no gristle. We agreed this was the best Mexican we’ve had in CT. We’ll return again and again.

Best Mexican food around. They’ve expanded quite a bit since I first went there but their tres leches cake is still amazingly delicious. Try their tortas!

If I start thinking about this place, I HAVE to go within a few hours… It’s the best Mexican? Spanish? food I’ve ever had…
It’s a small family owned business, and so they only have 1 – 2 people cooking at a time, making service slow… But damn, who cares. I’d wait 2 hours for a huarache.
Freshest ingredients. Flavorful meats. And the hottest hot sauce known to man. Green sauce-​tolerable. Red sauce– already out of my league. Yellow sauce– holy mother of pearl… kiss your tastebuds goodbye and have 911 on the ready.

Had some excellent tacos here. Well worth $ 2.59 given the quality and quantity. Tamales where not available unfortunately. I would love to see a greater variety of steamed meats, but the tongue was very very good, so I’m happy to rely on that for now!

They have a small menu, but everything that I’ve tried from there is A+
I’ve tasted majority of the different meats for the huaraches, and each of them are delicious.
Their green tamales are a bit too spicy for me but excellent nonetheless, their red ones are absolutely perfect.
Their desserts are wonderful, the flan and the tres leches cake are never overly sweet. Also, the tres leches cake doesn’t leave a nasty film in your mouth.
Willimantic is a tiny neighborhood with a few diamonds in the rough, and this is definitely one of them.

The previous reviews are right on about the food. fantastic, fresh authentic, large portions priced cheaply. What could be better? Everything else. I know this is paper plate take out lunch fair but ripped upholstery on seats, overflowing garbage cans, faded signs with little decoration. and like the décor the staff has an unpleasant and unwelcoming demeanor. Is it so hard to smile, say hello, express thanks? I would love to give five stars but I was disappointed over all.

I enjoyed this place more than expected! I love places that are cheap and authentic and delicious. I expected high since the Unilocal reviews were awesome at 4.5. I was hesitant when pulling into the parking lot in front of the restaurant as it seems closed down from the outside.
Inside was better than how it appears on the outside! The must try is definitely the huaraches! And just go for a large! They make their own outer tortilla and for the torta bread as well.
For the huaraches, you can also choose two kinds of meat. They can do half an half! We ordered two of those and a torta bread sandwich and we were stuffed! Everything came out to be less than $ 30! No tip needed since you order at the counter but they bring the food to where your sitting! I love their tree decoration over in the corner where u can sit beneath the vines which I first thought were fake but it’s real! All from that one plant in the pot to the left of counter!
Would definitely love to go again!

CORN TORTILLAS. I managed to grab lunch here at least once a week this summer. Really cheap and delicious. Best spot in Willimantic for lunch.

Rarely does a dish go from «what is that?» to «I would willingly eat this every day for the rest of my life» but huaraches from La Rosa are such a dish. I get them with rice and beans only; it’s packed with tons of fresh vegetables and queso fresco. The portions are huge for $ 6.90. This is pretty much the perfect cheap lunch. I’m hungry just thinking about it now.

Love their food! Everything is fresh, which is very hard to come by nowadays. I usually eat here once a week and I am never disappointed. Love everything I have tried on the menu. The desserts are excellent. I read another review stating they were old. I have had them numerous times and yes they may have been there for the day but they are home made and superior to anything else you can find. The flan is the best I’ve had. Tres leches cake is excellent also, my family usually shares a piece at the end of our meal. On these cold winter days it’s perfect to go and warm up with a hurache! It is real food with quality ingredients at an affordable price. Much better than all the silly overpriced chain restraunts.
I recommend you stop in. This is another Willimantic gem.

If you love delicious Mexican food. GO HERE! Flavors… galore and very reasonably priced. Bring CASH as plastic is only used for the cutlery not for paying.
Sampled several of the menu items, both the red and green sauces and left very happy, with cash still in the wallet and full belly.
This is a simple establishment, mostly take-​out business, but the food fresh, made to order and awesome
The only negative for me was that there was no A/​C and the restaurant was too hot for my comfort.
I will be back. One taste and I am sure you will be too!

Tried them via the truck at the Coventry farmers market. Not really an authentic huarache, but delicious none the less.
The tamales are to die for. Would return for those alone…
Excellent food!

Stopped here with my girlfriend on our way to Hartford and found it to be a rejuvenating detour off of Route 6. The prices here are great and the portions are huge. That combination gets this place an extra star. The menu is simple, and although in Spanish, the staff was more than helpful in explaining what each item was and how it was prepared. This was indeed authentic as you have read in other reviews. We ended up ordering Chicken Floutas and 2 Chicken Tacos Especial. The restaurant has a liberal use of fruits and vegetables, including everyone’s favorite: avocado. The Floutas plate came with a mound of rice and beans, but these weren’t anything special and I ended up unable to eat most of them. The Floutas themselves were quite perfect, stuffed with tender marinated chicken. The Tacos came with good presentation, but apparently the cheese was «funky» according to my girlfriend (who could live on cheese alone). Overall, the food was good, with highs and lows expected of a cheap, local Mexican restaurant.
One thing I did notice that may turn some folks off is lots of dust on the air ducts and ceiling fans. Personally, I couldn’t care less as long as the food is prepared properly, but I wouldn’t say that the customer seating area is the restaurant’s #1 cleaning priority here.
TL;DR — Mounds of authentic food for 2 people for under $ 20.