El Mariachi Taqueria

Best crispy tacos!
Love the salsa choices, I can get whatever salsa fits my mood but I tend to go for the standard pico de gallo most of the time.
The owner is such a nice guy. He always has a smile on his face… I’ll miss this place.
BUT according to an article in the Davis Enterprise, he might sell tacos in the Spring at Picnic in the park.

Well I never reviewed it even though I had been there hundreds of times, so now that it’s gone, here goes. El Mariachi was the best Mexican restaurant in Davis, period. Which I will get to. For over ten years I had gone there a couple times a month to enjoy 1 or 2 of the many dishes on there menu, enjoy the chips that came with the entrée and oh yeah, the unrivaled salsa bar.
I am not sure if the owner knew everyone’s name, but he did know mine for ten years. That family owned restaurant outlasted 2 long term girlfriends, and even made it to see my wife and 2 year old.
I will miss the freshness of the food which was right in front of you being made, I will miss the prices, because Wingstop and that shitty Village grill are horrible values, I will miss lunch time and eating with co workers while watching sports highlights on the flat screen, but most of all, I will miss Vic the owner. He was good to customers and even better to regulars.
Thanks for the memories El mariachi!

This place is run by a bunch of really nice folks, who’re willing to chat you up if you’d like, and if business isn’t demanding. They have a great selection of slightly different versions of the same taqueria fare (Burritos, tacos, enchiladas, etc.), where they use things like whole wheat tortillas and cactus, which give it a unique taste in comparison to other taquerias in the area.
While unique and definitely good, sometimes the taste may not be what’s expected when getting a classic «burrito,» but it will likely win you over once you try it.
Despite some paint missing from chairs and tables, El Mariachi is also quite clean, and has fast service, and as such is a great place to get a quick bite to eat either for lunch or dinner.

The fish taco was weird, I thought it was beef at first, what kind of fish is that? The seafood taco is great and stacked. LOVE the gigantic selection of salsa! No complaints here honestly. Food came out quickly. Not 5 star taste, but still good.

Very friendly staff, food is made fast, and they have a variety of delicious salsas to choose from their salsa bar

Very friendly service is what set this place apart in my mind from other Davis spots.
I ordered a chicken super burrito with half the usual amount of cheese and my total came to about $ 6.30. I left a small tip and asked for a cup of water, to which I was told, «You can drink whatever you want, amigo.» Unexpected and pretty cool — I’m not saying you should count on this happening to you as I may have been with company that goes regularly (I’m not sure if they did or not honestly) but either way that was nice to offer.
The burrito was quite good and not too big to stomach in a sitting. Everyone else’s stuff looked good too. There are locations in Davis that provide a different product (i.e. El Burrito does bigger, more creative burritos but isn’t as friendly and I believe it costs a bit more; Chipotle offers a similar size and price but the ingredients seem «looser» and the burrito isn’t as cohesive in taste or in structural integrity). El Mariachi is a solid option and I’d come back.

Wife n I came by for a quick Friday night dinner since taqueria davis was to full and the mrs doesn’t like dos coyotes (gonna have to fix that) walked in and kind if empty uh-​oh, anyways ordered the carne asada burrito and fish taco the wife had the green enchiladas. Being an expert in mexican cuisine I have to give this place a lowly 2 stars. The quality is just a so-​so the food is held on a hot prep table which is fine if held to standards but my carne asada burrito, the meat was big chunks ½″ chunks and cheeewwwwyyyy. They need to be grilling my meat to order! Fish taco is grilled and strange with the black beans another pass. Wife’s enchiladas looked kind off green. Tried her refried beans they were solid at least. Salsa bar pretty nice selection. Anyways to sum it up we both went home regretting not going somewhere else. Should hit the local MIckey D’s love their well love their everything! Tummy ache followed us both back to the house. Boo:(
So sorry mr mariachi via con dios

AMAZING strawberry salsa! and the salsa bar in general is super good!
food is pretty authentic, tastes decent but not the best (kind of plain). Not too many food options.
Horchata is good.

2 stars because it had a good salsa bar. Ok salsas but at least it was a huge selection. The restaurant itself is nice and clean also in a very nice area. I ordered a super burrito carne asada n it had to be one of the smallest burritos I’ve ever had and most importantly worst taste. Sad to say we should have just ate jack in the box.

The food’s alright, but what makes this place special is their salsa bar. They have a very large variety of sauces with one that really stood out to me: strawberry salsa!

Maybe it’s not my thing, but I don’t like this place. My overal experience of the food is, it’s soggy, kind of greasy, and weirdly uses pinto beans with a lot of dishes I wouldn’t think. A rather sad salsa bar. I’ve pretty much had the same experience with the food both at the restaurant and at the stand during Farmer’s Market.
The whole restaurant looks rather sad, not a comfortable place to hang out.

This is a really solid & inexpensive option for lunch or dinner in Davis.
Ultra casual setting with a large TV to divert your attention should there be sports airing on TV.
Order at the counter, get served promptly, take your tray & find a seat.
The chicken tamales special with rice + black beans is very nice. Tacos are also good. Staff is also friendly.

I think I may be hopelessly biased when it comes to Mexican food. That would explain why I always tell people my grandma makes the best mexican food in Los Angeles haha, but I digress.
El Mariachi Taqueria is an okay place. Not super fantastic or anything, but great.
The tacos are great and come along with the typical things that tacos come with. Two small tortillas with your choice of beek, chicken, Al Pastor (more or less spanish BBQ Pork minus the BBQ. Weird, i know, but delicious), and steak. So if you’re in the mood for eating some tacos at a reasonable price, come on by to El Mariachi.
Without a doubt the best thing that I like about this place is the Tortas. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with it, a Torta is a sandwich made of French bread (Teleras in Spanish), filled with lettuce, onions, avocado, tomato, and your choice of beek, chicken, or steak. Each Torta is served with a plate of chips, which brings me to the next point…
CHIPS. SALSA
One of the things that I think El Mariachi has over many of the other Mexican joints in Davis is their large selection of salsas. LARGE. They have about 12 – 15 different salsas, each one varying on the chunkiness and spiciness. So if you’re a salsa lover, you are going to like this place.
In short, El Mariachi Taqueria is a good place for people who may not eat Mexican food to often. It offers a good selection of different dishes and the prices aren’t so bad.
For you Intermediate Mexican Food Lovers however, consider going to this place as a last resort.

The burritos are awful. Terribly low quality type of food here. This place is very inexpensive, but I did not like the food at all. The burritos are super dry. I had to use a lot of salsa from their salsa bar to flavor it up.
I can make better and tastier burritos in my own kitchen.
Sad… My quest, however, will not stop at finding the closest thing to being comparably homemade as it could get.

I love open salsa bars and especially theirs!
They have a variety of interesting salsas — from the original pico de gallo (spicy, mild, regular), salsa verde, slices of jalapenos, strawberry salsa, to pumpkin seed salsa, which is something new to me and I love the creamy texture and taste of it!
They have a good amount of selections on their menu, but I got my usual order of beef tacos and their beef is somewhat dry. It’s okay though! That is why the salsa is there to make the beef tacos more saucy and flavorful! They give you nacho chips with your tacos too!
The prices are reasonable and tipping is optional. You order and pay at the register. They call out your number when your order is ready. There are unlimited refills on fountain sodas.
The atmosphere to this place is very relaxed and chill.
One of the best taquerias in town!

I’ve been going to El Mariachi for quite a few years now and every time I go, I wonder why I’m not somewhere else. It’s ok, but not great. People love the salsa bar, which has about 20 different options. But none of them are amazing. I suppose the one major attraction is that it’s the only place that doesn’t make their beans with lard, meaning that it’s vegetarian-​friendly. This appears to be it’s main selling point.
And sticking to the vegetarian options is what I recommend. I keep on trying the meats, and they are not the best. I’ve been tending towards the a la cart burrito with beans, rice, cheese and guacamole, but even that has been getting old as of late. It’s definitely popular, and has it’s strengths. I’m just not a huge fan.

I am going to share my last 30 minutes with you that will hopefully take only seconds to read.
I was craving craving craving a burrito. Looked up somewhere where I can use my Aggie cash … this place pops up. Perfect, it’s super close, let’s go.
Long story short, my burrito craving was not satified): The guy that worked there though was SUPER nice and friendly. Unfortunately, my burrito literally tasted like tortilla and refried beans. I was a little sad after I ate it, not going to lie. BUT the guy was nice, they’re super cheap, they take Aggie cash and … yeah. It wasn’t horrible, but I think next time I’m going to get something else. Or maybe just get a burrito without beans…

Honestly, to me… the only good thing about this place is the salsa bar. The food is bland and boring. I’ve been here three or four times, and it’s the same every visit. I stop in here, buy chips and salsa, and take plenty of salsa. That’s it. I don’t waste my time on anything else here. Neither should you.
Clean place. Decent prices. Boring food.

Salsa bar is freaking AWESOME here! Strawberry salsa, pumpkin salsa, pineapple salsa. mMMmmMMm!
Other than that. the food and portions are just ok. Nothing extremely spectacular. It’s good, but not great. Super nachos at Guad’s are much more filling and satisfying.

i love the customer service here. They’re super nice, friendly, and welcoming. They’re also extremely helpful and patient when you’re making your food selection.
There’s a good variety on the menu. I always opt for the tacos.
(Note: there are beans on the tacos) o_​_​o it makes the food filling, though!
I love this place for the salsa bar, chips, and customer service. Other than that, other restaurants seem to better satisfy my taco cravings.