El Taquero

If you're visiting here as like me, you're a fan of Solita, the food is nothing alike. Mexican to the core with the heat you'd expect. Fantastic food. The photos added along with this should give you an idea of what you can expect. Myself and my partner were unsure on how to approach the menu. We expected dishes to be served as a starter/main course but this was not the case. It was served as you would expect a street food restaurant or small plates, as they're ready. This isn't a problem for me at all but we did find we got a lot of food quickly due to the effeciencty of the kitchen staff no doubt. I did however notice (maybe because of this) the food wasn't as (cooked) hot as I'd have liked. It was still very enjoyable but it wasnt piping hot. This, as I say could be down to service or the fact we had a lot to go at. As a couple who was unsure of serving sizes, decided to try three of three along with a sharer. We did eat it all but we were very full post desert so this may even suit a threesome. Three of three (tacos) we thought was a good basis to get plenty food and plenty of variety. Definitely a place for people with a taste for meat but there were vegetarian options. As for taste and flavour, every dish was packed full without being overwhelming with a fantastic heat you'd expect from a good salsa (two varieties came with the food) and well seasoned meat. We visited late afternoon and the upstairs restaurant was to capacity but don't be put off as there are plenty of tables downstairs. I would probably recommend you book for larger parties or for evening meals on that basis. Staff were very friendly, warm and welcoming, helpful without being over the top. Very pleased overall and can't wait to return and try other dishes. The only let down as mentioned was the food wasn't piping hot but honestly, it wasn't a massive issue. Would definitely recommend!

The proper mexican food! It was so good I wanted to cry. The staff is super friendly and helpful. Tortillas/tacos are handmade from corn flour, so they are gluten free. I recommend this place with all my heart.

Great meal from start to finish. For my starter, my partner and I shared The queso fundido from which was a cheese lovers paradise. Mexican cheese fondue topped with pico do gallo and served with tortilla chips or fresh tortillas. At £5.90 and sharable for two people, this starter is not only delicious but inexpensive as well After that I went in for the Cangrejo Concha Suave - Deep fried soft-shell crab, topped with shredded red cabbage, carrots, sliced avocado & roast habanero mayo. Such a good taco this, pure crunch from the crab and a great combo with the habanero mayo. I was gutted this came as one taco, deffo could have eaten more . Finally I tooled into Chorizo con Nopales Chargrilled cactus, Mexican chorizo & melted cheese and topped with coriander. These spicy tacos were chosen by my Instagram followers in a poll and they did not let me me down. The smoky chorizo went great with the chargrilled cactus. Never had cactus before but it's good so maybe it should feature more in our cuisine. For more pictures see @robbie.reviews on Instagram

Fantastic menu selection for all tastes, spice levels and diets (brilliant for vegetarians and vegans) and fairly reasonably priced I might add. Really like that they bring you hot sauces so that if you're sharing with someone who doesn't want their head blown off, you can control exactly how hot you want it. Also was incredibly impressed by their bloody Maria, perfect level of spice for me and very well seasoned. I'd recommend booking if you know when you want to go as it can get full up quickly but definitely worth it.

I went into Manchester with my Daughter to eat yesterday without pre booking anywhere and we found ourselves struggling to get into the place we wanted to eat in due to long waiting times for tables. So we ventured into the murky backstreets of the Northern Quarter around Thomas Street with its overpriced bars. I've always been aware of hidden out of the way places to eat and drink and suggested we tske a stroll down Back Turner St. Which is dark and dirty but it does not reflect on the little places that are there. EL TAQUERO with its pavement level neon signs and a cook in his apron taking a break from his routine drew my attention. A small street level Authentic Mexican restaurant with welcoming staff. I said I know its not what we'd had in mind (we like Japanese & Vietnamese food) but at 8pm on a Friday evening we knew that was not going to happen and we were hungry. I asked the waiter on the steps if they had a table for two he took us inside and there were about 10 tables and only 2 empty tables for two. We made our minds up to be adventurous and it was a fantastic gamble. Not being a fan of Natchos or those other crispy messy tacos etc. We were given a table by a Mexican waitress who was incredibly helpful and guided me through a menu of things I'd never even heard of. To get into the wonderful laid back atmosphere I ordered drinks to set the mood, my daughter just had water she was driving, while I ordered a bottled beer called Day of the Dead I.P.A. 6.8% it was excellent but I also had a shot of 1800 Reserva Reposado Tequila not fiery smooth & warming. Food:- we ordered 2 Camrejo Concha Suave Grandes these are soft crab tortillas served with pieces of cactus cooked with the crab and thinly sliced red raw cabbage and a other greens with shredded carrot. I was amazed that this whole soft crab was so delicious which the waitress explained they were put on the menu as a special for one week and regulars begged for them to be on the main menu ! we also ordered Camerones Baja two fat battered prawns on small flat tortillas with a sprinkling of raw vegetables served with 3 small dips of different tomatoes flavours one being made from red, green & black tomatoes, stunning stuff ! Also ordered Chrizo Con Nopales on tiny flat breads which were mixed with cheese and very filling. We voided Guacamole & Crema off the bill so we could end with hot churros with melted dark chocolate and coconut ice cream. I think £43 and a £5 tip for a fantastic waitress who gave us her undivided attention was a steal, for what we were introduced to, from a very extensive menu which was heavenly. Will I return....you bet xx