Escuela Taqueria

This place certainly isn’t the cheapest place for Mexican food, but they have a different take on the cuisine from the other Mexican restaurants in the area by using ingredients like branzino. I initially went there because I had a BBE coupon for a lunch special which was amazing– 3 tacos and guacamole and chips for only $ 10. Considering their tacos are usually about $ 8-​$ 10 for a pair, that was a pretty damn good deal. My coworker and I were totally grubbing and we loved the guacamole.
For the special we each got the bbq pulled pork (meat was lightly sweet and we loved the crunchy slaw that came with it), the carne asada (which basically tasted just like it sounds), and the bacon wrapped jalapeño which was by far our favorite (the heat from the grilled jalapeño, the cheese oozing out and of course the bacon cinched the deal for us).
I also at a separate time ordered their chicken tinga burrito which is a pretty decent deal– they give you a generous portion of seasoned chicken and avocados. Luckily the times I’ve gone is always after the lunch hour since I work late so I’ve never really had to wait. BUT their phone seems to always have issues– one time I called for takeout, their phone was disconnected and I had to call the Beverly location to see if I had the right number. I also tried to call them yesterday to order takeout and when I walked over after no answer– they were closed!
Hopefully they were only closed temporarily– even though this place is crazy town overpriced for the type of food it is, it’s not bad once in awhile to splurge. They should think about having combos and promotions once in awhile to promote since they’re always other mexican food options in the area that are more competitive.

Came to check this place out last week with a blackboard eats deal — $ 10 for 3 tacos, chips, and guacamole. I also ordered a soda and elotes (grilled corn with cheese and lime). You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. I had a carne asada, shrimp, and their OG taco. When they handed me the chips and guac it was a good sized portion, a little bit more than Chipotle. The tacos were a decent size also, but the fillings were quite bland and meats a tad dry.
I was stuffed after a few chips and 3 tacos when I realized they never brought my elotes. The girl at the register is very soft spoken and doesn’t seem to be very comfortable with English. I asked her about the elotes since I was already charged for it and it turned out they forgot. They just hurriedly made it so I could take it to go since I already paid. I ended up eating it the next morning and it was quite plain like the rest of the food.
Overall it was nothing special, I wouldn’t go again.

Came back to give this place another try and I can honestly say I will not be coming back. I walked in and the cashier told me the menu is on the wall. The menu is on a frame and don’t have much to choose from. I ordered a carne Asada burrito and an agua de jamaica. My total came out to $ 15 plus some change. Not worth it at all. The meat was very bland and not much flavor to the burrito. For a $ 10 burrito I expected something delicious. The agua de jamaica, forget about it, Something was definitely off with that drink. I would not order it again. As I got my order I asked if they had any chips to go. The waitress looks around and says no. But they take chips and salsa to the people eating there. There are definitely other places you can get your bang for your buck around the area.

Meh. Kinda super disappointed.
I get that this place is new and might need to work out the kinks but I think my experience goes beyond that.
Iced tea was served in a cute small carafe but once glance behind the counter and you see that it’s just china mist iced tea (same kind they serve at most fast food joints).
Chips and salsa + guac — chips were freshly fried and piping hot. Salsa and guacamole were also good and probably the best part of the meal for me.
Elote — nice touch with the manchego cheese but I prefer traditional elote to this. Also, they were served with 1 skewer poking out the back which couldn’t hold the weight of the corn so It broke off.
Pork belly tacos — in short, pathetic looking… literally 1 small ass piece of pork belly covered in pickled onions. While they were good, the meal was pathetic in size. Don’t use such expensive meat and fit it into a certain price point if it’s going to look so pitiful and make you feel ripped off.
OG hardshell tacos — good and what you would expect these to taste like. I don’t have any complaints about these but I also wasn’t wow’ed either.
Add in a coffee and we spent $ 40 without tip…
Price isn’t an issue if the value is there but I don’t feel that was worth $ 40 and neither did my lunch partner.
Note: $ 8 for a «mexican fruit salad» (aka fruit with chili). Anyone who pays $ 8 for that is either dumb, high or both.
Would I be back? Potentially but unfortunately this isn’t going to a regular stop for me.

7÷6÷15 update: Escuela Taqueria is closed. I think the food was way overpriced. Also vacant in Old Town are now: Jake’s Burgers, Bella’s Pizza, Spice Factory and New York Deli
Can Mexican food be dainty? It can be, if you’re eating at Escuela Taqueria. I’m really conflicted about this place. The high: GET THE CHIPS and SALSA. It’s straight up amazing. I get why this chips and salsa is not a freebie. The chips are warm, and the salsa is not some watery mess put thru a blender, nor is it a chunky pico de gallo style of salsa. It’s a very finely chopped salsa that is full of flavor and I’d gladly pay for it.
The low: my hard shell tacos were $ 7 for 2, and it does not come with rice, beans or anything. Just for comparison, a similar meal at Dona Rosa of 2 tacos with rice, beans, chips, and all-​you-​can-​eat salsa is about $ 9. The food is pretty good, but why does Escuela charge essentially 2x as much? (I’m calculating this based on $ 7 tacos + $ 3 rice + $ 3 beans + $ 3 chips = $ 16.)
The food gets 3.5 stars, but the value is 2 stars, so I’m giving Escuela Taqueria 3 stars overall. Escuela, you know there’s King Taco and Ixtapa’s lunch buffet around the corner, right?

I hate to give reviews like this but here go. Popped by today, excited to see they finally opened up since I do love my Tacos.
I got Carne asada Tacos, chips and Guac. How’s my bill looking? Try $ 16. $ 8 for two Street Tacos and $ 3 for chips and salsa adding on another $ 5 to get guacamole. The Carne asada was good but tasted dry and needed a salsa or sauce to give it an extra kick. $ 8 for chips and Guac and another $ 8 for two Tacos (check our my pic for the size) is straight robbery. The guacamole and salsa was a big portion and delicious, but for a quick lunch spot I don’t see how they can last with these prices. If it was an upscale restaurant I’d understand, but it isn’t. Perhaps doing a half size of chips and Guac for $ 4 would be much better for those eating alone.
People open up shops in Pasadena thinking it’s an upscale place with booming business but it’s really not (sorry to say). Being off Colorado Blvd with inflated prices won’t help. The food was good, but not amazing compared to other places I’ve had. If they can lower their prices I think they could survive, but if not then it’s really not worth it and I’ll have to stick to other taco spots in the area.