Don't go when it just opens. I really wanted to like this place and make it my new norm on Fridays. But when I went, they were not even open on time, took some time setting up(I'm on my lunch, need to grab and go.). Then when I placed my order it was wrong. I was short one taco, I tried to call back but had difficulties. Food wasn't bad, I enjoyed it, but with everything else, left a bad taste in my mouth(figuratively).
Mel M.
I've been eating for over 30 years so I am an expert. Besides, this is the internet so I have to tell the truth. Professional advice: Get La Govenador Taco! You're absolutely welcome! Tell them I sent you .
Joyce Y.
Big fan of Tavo, who owns and maintains the kitchen. This delicious Mexican place is inside the Trade. Trade has crap parking, but if you brave it, the tacos and flautas here are soooo good. My boyfriend usually get a loaded burrito and never complains. There's lots of complimentary drink places close by, but Tavo's has really good drinks, including horchata! Sometimes, I like to get jack fruit in my tacos and flautas to help me not become too diabetic. This place is close to where I live, so I will be continuing to support them! Plus: they have fantastic sauces.
Fred Z.
I ordered tortas with asada though Yelp ordering. I asked for add sour cream, cheese, and guacamole but they didn't. Lost almost 5 bucks
Olivia S.
Their specialty tacos is where they really deliver!! But every order I've gotten has been delicious. The workers are really friendly too.
Jamie K
We ordered the carne asada and birra plates. The meats were amazing especially carne asada. The watermelon Fresca was very thick like syrup and almost left a film in my mouth
Valentino Blancarte
Santa Ana or Anaheim may have hidden taco gems... and sure, my mom's tacos are unbeatable... But, in my unsolicited opinion, these are the best tacos in my tacoless void that is Irvine and surrounding suburbs.I was looking for a place with a simple street style taco. A tortilla with meat, add some onions, cilantro, and salsa verde. I found exactly what I needed here. The menu does have other items like fancy birria tacos and burritos, etc. but I did not try these so you're going to have investigate other reviews.Weeknights, during the dinnertime rush, is always busy. Since everything is made to order in a small place, plan to wait up to 30 min for your order. Exercising patience preemptively relieves unnecessary frustration.They don't sell booze here but fortunately they have a alcohol at a Center Hub bar just a couple steps away to drink your anxiety away.Street tacos are $3 normally, but only $1.99 on taco Tuesday. Both equally sized at little smaller than regular corn tortilla.Carne Asada meat is absolutely delicious with little to no "chewy grasa" (or what I recently found out is called "gristle" in English).Salsa verde is amazing and full of flavor and it does have a strong kick so try some on the side first.Service is good with a polite, friendly and helpful cashier.There is only one person taking orders and also sending out orders which may cause a missing salsa on the side here or there on busy evenings. I suggest you double check your to-go orders before you leave.
Matthew D.
Cool little taco joint with a decently priced taco Tuesday, but can't get a simple order right and in my opinion missing this key ingredient makes tacos just tortillas and dry meat... I asked for salsa on the tacos, as well as on the side, instead I get no salsa at all. Two stars. Update: found a piece of plastic wrapper in the chicken...one star
Alicia C.
This place is nestled into a shopping strip mall along side many other little restaurants. I must say the parking is small, and easily can get discouraged from eating here because of it. BUT there is a lunch rush, so I advise going slightly after 1:30 pm. So here are a few favorites of mine: lettuce wraps Al pastor, Taco Tostada, or the trio tacos with rice and beans and of course an horchata which is a rice water. Owner Tavo personally greets all his customers and even offers suggestions on new items he has. I recommend coming here and trying a Lil of everything. All are delicious but I must say, if you don't like spicy, BE SURE to let them know. My mistake once and boy their house salsa was muy Caliente!!
Crystal Serrato
The best Torta I’ve had. The meat is always well cooked and the bread is both crispy and soft, that it melts in your mouth like butter!
My wife and I ate here recently. We ordered the cheese enchiladas and a wet bean and rice burrito. Neither one of us enjoyed those orders. The enchilada sauce did not taste good and the cheese tasted funny. Great service and fun location.
Eddie H.
Awesome food! Had the steak fajitas and was better than the restaurants in Irvine! Great sauces as well, the spicy sauce is really good! Friendly and good service, definitely going back!
Arshad H.
Tavo's Cocina is located at the Trade food hall in Irvine. They offer street tacos, regular tacos, mulitas, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, and several plate options. I stopped by on a Tuesday as they have a Taco Tuesday special going on all day on street tacos. Street Tacos ($2 on Tuesdays, otherwise $3) - They have so much variety here with 6 meat options and 6 veggie options (cactus, Jamaica, tofu, cauliflower, Jackfruit, and mushroom/spinach). I ordered 5 of these, and each one was packed with so much flavor! All the street tacos were topped with onions, cilantro and their amazing hot sauce . I recommend getting the sauce on the side as some people may think it's too spicy. My order included carne asada, pollo tinga, beef birria and Jackfruit. The pollo tinga and Jackfruit tacos were my favorites. Overall I really enjoyed the tacos. These are some of the best tasting street tacos I have tried. The pricing is good, especially for Irvine. I definitely will be back here to get my taco fix!
Greg L.
Food is really good. Comes out hot and fresh. However, one way to ruin the experience is super cheap flimsy plastic ware. You can't pick up, cut or hold anything and it makes the food seem cheap. Just a little better quality fork will go along way.
Elle D.
Chicken taquitos were the most AMAZING we ever had. Balance of salt, spice, mild sweetness from caramelized onions and cheese. Get it.
Don't go when it just opens. I really wanted to like this place and make it my new norm on Fridays. But when I went, they were not even open on time, took some time setting up(I'm on my lunch, need to grab and go.). Then when I placed my order it was wrong. I was short one taco, I tried to call back but had difficulties. Food wasn't bad, I enjoyed it, but with everything else, left a bad taste in my mouth(figuratively).
I've been eating for over 30 years so I am an expert. Besides, this is the internet so I have to tell the truth. Professional advice: Get La Govenador Taco! You're absolutely welcome! Tell them I sent you .
Big fan of Tavo, who owns and maintains the kitchen. This delicious Mexican place is inside the Trade. Trade has crap parking, but if you brave it, the tacos and flautas here are soooo good. My boyfriend usually get a loaded burrito and never complains. There's lots of complimentary drink places close by, but Tavo's has really good drinks, including horchata! Sometimes, I like to get jack fruit in my tacos and flautas to help me not become too diabetic. This place is close to where I live, so I will be continuing to support them! Plus: they have fantastic sauces.
I ordered tortas with asada though Yelp ordering. I asked for add sour cream, cheese, and guacamole but they didn't. Lost almost 5 bucks
Their specialty tacos is where they really deliver!! But every order I've gotten has been delicious. The workers are really friendly too.
We ordered the carne asada and birra plates. The meats were amazing especially carne asada. The watermelon Fresca was very thick like syrup and almost left a film in my mouth
Santa Ana or Anaheim may have hidden taco gems... and sure, my mom's tacos are unbeatable... But, in my unsolicited opinion, these are the best tacos in my tacoless void that is Irvine and surrounding suburbs.I was looking for a place with a simple street style taco. A tortilla with meat, add some onions, cilantro, and salsa verde. I found exactly what I needed here. The menu does have other items like fancy birria tacos and burritos, etc. but I did not try these so you're going to have investigate other reviews.Weeknights, during the dinnertime rush, is always busy. Since everything is made to order in a small place, plan to wait up to 30 min for your order. Exercising patience preemptively relieves unnecessary frustration.They don't sell booze here but fortunately they have a alcohol at a Center Hub bar just a couple steps away to drink your anxiety away.Street tacos are $3 normally, but only $1.99 on taco Tuesday. Both equally sized at little smaller than regular corn tortilla.Carne Asada meat is absolutely delicious with little to no "chewy grasa" (or what I recently found out is called "gristle" in English).Salsa verde is amazing and full of flavor and it does have a strong kick so try some on the side first.Service is good with a polite, friendly and helpful cashier.There is only one person taking orders and also sending out orders which may cause a missing salsa on the side here or there on busy evenings. I suggest you double check your to-go orders before you leave.
Cool little taco joint with a decently priced taco Tuesday, but can't get a simple order right and in my opinion missing this key ingredient makes tacos just tortillas and dry meat... I asked for salsa on the tacos, as well as on the side, instead I get no salsa at all. Two stars. Update: found a piece of plastic wrapper in the chicken...one star
This place is nestled into a shopping strip mall along side many other little restaurants. I must say the parking is small, and easily can get discouraged from eating here because of it. BUT there is a lunch rush, so I advise going slightly after 1:30 pm. So here are a few favorites of mine: lettuce wraps Al pastor, Taco Tostada, or the trio tacos with rice and beans and of course an horchata which is a rice water. Owner Tavo personally greets all his customers and even offers suggestions on new items he has. I recommend coming here and trying a Lil of everything. All are delicious but I must say, if you don't like spicy, BE SURE to let them know. My mistake once and boy their house salsa was muy Caliente!!
The best Torta I’ve had. The meat is always well cooked and the bread is both crispy and soft, that it melts in your mouth like butter!
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I ate here recently. We ordered the cheese enchiladas and a wet bean and rice burrito. Neither one of us enjoyed those orders. The enchilada sauce did not taste good and the cheese tasted funny. Great service and fun location.
Awesome food! Had the steak fajitas and was better than the restaurants in Irvine! Great sauces as well, the spicy sauce is really good! Friendly and good service, definitely going back!
Tavo's Cocina is located at the Trade food hall in Irvine. They offer street tacos, regular tacos, mulitas, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, and several plate options. I stopped by on a Tuesday as they have a Taco Tuesday special going on all day on street tacos. Street Tacos ($2 on Tuesdays, otherwise $3) - They have so much variety here with 6 meat options and 6 veggie options (cactus, Jamaica, tofu, cauliflower, Jackfruit, and mushroom/spinach). I ordered 5 of these, and each one was packed with so much flavor! All the street tacos were topped with onions, cilantro and their amazing hot sauce . I recommend getting the sauce on the side as some people may think it's too spicy. My order included carne asada, pollo tinga, beef birria and Jackfruit. The pollo tinga and Jackfruit tacos were my favorites. Overall I really enjoyed the tacos. These are some of the best tasting street tacos I have tried. The pricing is good, especially for Irvine. I definitely will be back here to get my taco fix!
Food is really good. Comes out hot and fresh. However, one way to ruin the experience is super cheap flimsy plastic ware. You can't pick up, cut or hold anything and it makes the food seem cheap. Just a little better quality fork will go along way.
Chicken taquitos were the most AMAZING we ever had. Balance of salt, spice, mild sweetness from caramelized onions and cheese. Get it.