Ministry of Foodies Review
Cuisine: Mexican
Average price per person: 10€
Environment: 7.5/10
Food: 10/10
Service: 9/10
Other: Gluten-free options, Takeaway, Solo-dining
Website: N/A – Instagram
There hasn’t been a day that you walk by Takos al Pastor and there isn’t a queue all the way to the door (mind you it’s a huge space).
I was intrigued about all the people I saw waiting in line every time I passed by and I decided to try the tacos for myself.
Location/Environment
Takos al pastor is located near Plaza del Carmen at the center of Madrid. They moved to a bigger location on the same street about a year ago.
The restaurant has several stands and tables in a large space in a lively space with the sounds of Mexican music. This is not the place to sit and enjoy your meal for hours, there is a fast pace and a high turnover in tables.
Menu
The menu includes tacos, alambres, tortas and quesadillas with different varieties of fillings. I should note that all the tacos were priced between 1.2€ and 2€ and the most expensive item was the alambra which cost 8€ .
There are also Mexican beers, soft drinks as well as frozen Margaritas and Micheladas.
The menu is simple and allows Takos al Pastor to operate at a fast pace.
Service
The setup here is very particular. You wait in line (typically moves fast but you should expect minimum 15’) and place the order at the counter. The person that takes your order, will place it in the system, and start preparing any drinks.
You pick up your drink immediately and sit to wait for your order. It didn’t even take 5 minutes for the order to arrive. The staff will call the name in your order and will bring the food to your table.
Overall, the pace was very fast, and the staff was practically running across the restaurant. It is understandable since there was a long queue throughout my time there. I am uncertain how sustainable that pace is for the people who work there.
Takos al Pastor – Food
The tacos are small and are served in a perfect corn tortilla. You also get 2 spicy salsas with your food which you can opt to add.
The tacos were all excellent, full of flavor from spices and the tortilla contained all the ingredients without getting too mushy.
Although I have yet to visit Mexico, I have tried many tacos in my life including some authentic places in the US. The ones at Takos al Pastor were very similar.
Difficult to pick a favorite since I loved everything, but I would say the tacos al pastor and the arrachera were my favorite ones.
Conclusion
I don’t think I have ever visited a place that represents the term “value for money” any better. At Tacos al Pastor, you get tremendous value from their delicious Mexican tacos at prices that you rarely see at a food spot in Madrid. While this is not a place of luxury or somewhere to sit and leisurely enjoy a meal like for example Can Chan Chan, it is without doubt a place you should try.
It doesn’t close after lunch service, but I suggest arriving early and being prepared to wait in line.
Visit: May 2024
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