Taqueria El Nayarita - Authentic Mexican Cuisine in San Mateo, CA

Great Mexican food. Authentic flavors, good quality and prices are affordable too. Location is rather nondescript, entry thru a long hallway into a windowless restaurant. But don't let that all fool you. This is a legit place.

Taqueria El Nayarita is such a gem! The food is super affordable, and when you order extra meat, they really don’t hold back—it’s seriously extra and so good. The portions are super generous, and everything is packed with flavor. They have a ton of options on the menu, so there’s something for everyone. The service is honestly the best part—they’re so sweet and attentive, and they even gave us a crazy amount of chips and salsa (which were amazing, by the way). The whole experience was just awesome, and I’d definitely go back. Great food, great vibes, and totally worth it!

This is the only taco place opened past 10pm near this area. I’ve search high and low for the perfect midnight snack, trust me. We called in our order, 2 carne asada, 2 pollo asada, 2 Al pastor— extra meat. The menu said $3.50 for extra meat, so I assumed it meant $3.50 per taco. Instead I was charged the normal price for the tacos, and $3.50 per taco for extra meat. . We paid around $32 for 6 tacos which is insane to me but we hangry. Arrive to the restaurant and it was actually packed, they were still cooking a lot of meat so you know your stuff isn’t reheated. The food was already in a bag and ready. We got home and the tacos are decent size, not $6.5 decent but a good size. The meats are dry, but I figured since this joint’s rating is a little low. It helps if you have generous amounts of salsa rojo and salsa verde. O really 4 stars for being open past 10pm but there’s better tacos places, like where are my midnight trucks at ??

We love the food it was excellent very Authentic service was good and the wait time was reasonable

What a hidden gem! Delicious food, great variety, great service, open late! Will def be back.

I have been patronizing this place for 30 years. The quality of food and service has remained consistent all these years. I had the crispy taco & flautas combo. It was as good as I had it 10 years ago. A must If you want a taste of good ole home style Mexican cuisine.

Great burritos, no frills. Simple and clean atmosphere, and good prices. The staff and owner are all polite and friendly, while still focusing on their work. This is where the local latino crowd goes, and to me, that means the food is authentic as well as delicious. I’ve been here 15+ times and will continue to come here as long as I live in the area.

So, I've debated ever putting this review up. This place is so good that I considered keeping it to myself. But that would be wrong. After all, who am I to deprive you from the greatest Al Pastor taco this side of the Yucatán ? Do it. Go. They are open late. Also - great ambience when the jukebox is playing rancheras.....Staff is excellent! Always kind and professional