El Chalateco
Mexican · San Jose
About El Chalateco
El Chalateco, located in San Jose, offers a taste of local specialty dishes with fast service in a welcoming atmosphere. We're open seven days a week, from 10AM to 11PM, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy your meal with dine-in, takeout, or delivery options. We also offer outdoor seating fo...
El Chalateco, located in San Jose, offers a taste of local specialty dishes with fast service in a welcoming atmosphere. We're open seven days a week, from 10AM to 11PM, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy your meal with dine-in, takeout, or delivery options. We also offer outdoor seating for a relaxed experience. With a 3.8 rating from 223 reviews, we strive to provide a convenient and enjoyable dining experience for everyone, including solo diners. Our restaurant features a wheelchair accessible entrance and parking lot for your comfort.
What Customers Say About El Chalateco
El Chalateco is known for its authentic Mexican food, especially the pupusas and al pastor burritos. Service is generally friendly, but can be slow or understaffed. Loud music and pricing transparency are concerns for some.
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Tip: Be aware that the music can be loud inside. Consider ordering for pick up if you prefer a quieter environment.
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Frequently asked questions about El Chalateco
El Chalateco San Jose Reviews
I love this Taqueria! It is very authentic in terms of food and atmosphere. I really enjoy that inside dining with the TVs and music. If you don’t like it moderately loud, then do not come here. The food is fantastic. I haven’t been let down once since I started coming here a few months ago. I think this place is quite fun! I highly recommend Flo de calabezs quesadillas. Also, their Chilada Michelada drinks are excellent!
Did not know they had more locations! Trying a few new dishes. Food was delicious and staff members cordial. They have a vast selection of foods and everything we have tried is been flavorful and great presentation!
Food was so good! Service was excellent! Young man who took our order( to go) was very kind and attentive ( it was our first time visit) Very clean place. We'll definitely go back. We tried Tacos and Pupusas( very good 👍) its like homemade food!! We'll take photo our next visit!!
Finally had to try this place out, the lady that served us was very polite and give us good recommendations. I ordered the alambre special and my mom got the alambre with chicken. Service was fast and easy. Plenty of seating inside.
I love this Taqueria! It is very authentic in terms of food and atmosphere. I really enjoy that inside dining with the TVs and music. If you don’t like it moderately loud, then do not come here. The food is fantastic. I haven’t been let down once since I started coming here a few months ago. I think this place is quite fun! I highly recommend Flo de calabezs quesadillas. Also, their Chilada Michelada drinks are excellent!
Did not know they had more locations! Trying a few new dishes. Food was delicious and staff members cordial. They have a vast selection of foods and everything we have tried is been flavorful and great presentation!
Food was so good! Service was excellent! Young man who took our order( to go) was very kind and attentive ( it was our first time visit) Very clean place. We'll definitely go back. We tried Tacos and Pupusas( very good 👍) its like homemade food!! We'll take photo our next visit!!
Finally had to try this place out, the lady that served us was very polite and give us good recommendations. I ordered the alambre special and my mom got the alambre with chicken. Service was fast and easy. Plenty of seating inside.
IF YOUR LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD!!!! I had the pleasure of trying an Al Pastor burrito supreme with avocado for the first time here, and it was incredibly authentic! You can tell they have a true passion for their food and a deep understanding of traditional Mexican cooking. If you're in search of genuine flavors that don't feel watered down, this is definitely the spot for you. The chefs here are exceptionally skilled, providing a wonderful dining experience with warm hospitality. It's a fantastic place for families, kids, and friends alike! Don't forget to leave a tip to help support their business! They uphold a high standard of professionalism and treat their customers with utmost care.
I've only ever ordered for pick up and had the super burritos. They are huge and delicious. Inside looks ok but I never sit inside. Theres outdoor seating also that looks nice on a sunny day. It's always slow there every time I'm there for some reason.
IF YOUR LOOKING FOR AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOOD!!!! I had the pleasure of trying an Al Pastor burrito supreme with avocado for the first time here, and it was incredibly authentic! You can tell they have a true passion for their food and a deep understanding of traditional Mexican cooking. If you're in search of genuine flavors that don't feel watered down, this is definitely the spot for you. The chefs here are exceptionally skilled, providing a wonderful dining experience with warm hospitality. It's a fantastic place for families, kids, and friends alike! Don't forget to leave a tip to help support their business! They uphold a high standard of professionalism and treat their customers with utmost care.
I've only ever ordered for pick up and had the super burritos. They are huge and delicious. Inside looks ok but I never sit inside. Theres outdoor seating also that looks nice on a sunny day. It's always slow there every time I'm there for some reason.
The pupusas here are pretty good as well, friendly service. There were some other menu items that looked delicious as well. The only reason this has a four star is because some of the utensils provided were kind of dirty.
Came here for the pupusas, stayed for the horchata. The pupusas came out super hot! I researched the dish before coming and most searches said 3-5 to be full, but I was pretty full after 1.5. I got the bean and cheese and the pork and cheese. The slaw really helps break up the richness of the dish. The horchata was super refreshing after burning my tongue one too many times. 🤣 They have a parking lot and it can get somewhat busy due to the laundry store nearby.
El Chalateco has just opened in the old KFC. They have take out and patio dining. Since they are just opened, they are still ramping up. However, the food was good and the service friendly and helpful. Currently they are accepting cash only.
The pupusas here are pretty good as well, friendly service. There were some other menu items that looked delicious as well. The only reason this has a four star is because some of the utensils provided were kind of dirty.
Came here for the pupusas, stayed for the horchata. The pupusas came out super hot! I researched the dish before coming and most searches said 3-5 to be full, but I was pretty full after 1.5. I got the bean and cheese and the pork and cheese. The slaw really helps break up the richness of the dish. The horchata was super refreshing after burning my tongue one too many times. 🤣 They have a parking lot and it can get somewhat busy due to the laundry store nearby.
El Chalateco has just opened in the old KFC. They have take out and patio dining. Since they are just opened, they are still ramping up. However, the food was good and the service friendly and helpful. Currently they are accepting cash only.
The food is reasonable and I must say good, however I don't like I feel bad when I asked for something. It's like they don't want to spend money on the customer. I asked for water and when asked If I want IcE 🧊 I got 3 baby cubes, like what's the point of asking me. I ordered street tacos, it came with no lemon/lime and wasn't offered, tacos with lemon that's a must, had barely any cilantro or onion, I must as well just ordered chicken only. When asked for more salsa, felt guilty for asking for more. I didn't even bother asking for alittle more chips. My last visit I wasn't even offered napkins or water. I know the economy is going through it right now, but when a customer chooses your establishment to spend money , don't show your pinching the penny, make them feel guilty asking for things that should just be offered 🤔 😉. Just saying. Improve quality of service 👌
The food is reasonable and I must say good, however I don't like I feel bad when I asked for something. It's like they don't want to spend money on the customer. I asked for water and when asked If I want IcE 🧊 I got 3 baby cubes, like what's the point of asking me. I ordered street tacos, it came with no lemon/lime and wasn't offered, tacos with lemon that's a must, had barely any cilantro or onion, I must as well just ordered chicken only. When asked for more salsa, felt guilty for asking for more. I didn't even bother asking for alittle more chips. My last visit I wasn't even offered napkins or water. I know the economy is going through it right now, but when a customer chooses your establishment to spend money , don't show your pinching the penny, make them feel guilty asking for things that should just be offered 🤔 😉. Just saying. Improve quality of service 👌
I usually get my pupusas from this chain. They make a nice tomato sauce and excellent curtido (fermented slaw) to go along with. Their Salvadoran tamales are ok. The reason I'm giving this location 2 stars was the horrible caldo de res I ordered from delivery. Had I been there in person I would have sent it back—something I never do. The problem? Take a look at the photo. Front and center there is, yup, a giant hunk of fat. The beef in this soup was all bone, fat, and tendon; the stuff you use to make the broth, not what you serve to customers. Unacceptable. (I only like tendon when I order it with pho, which is seldom. Surprise castoffs like this are thoroughly unappetizing.) Another factor in my low rating was the haphazard service when I did go in person. Inattentive and thoughtless. An employee mopped the dining room with a pungent cleanser while diners were eating and it was nowhere near closing time. Not pleasant
The food is good. Price fair to high-priced food. Music is really loud inside you can not hear the person in front of you. I recommend you pay cash. EDIT: On my recent visit, 12/11/2024 They are understaffed!!! Walked in, too, the restaurant, and no one was there to greet, I went and sat down. No one went and gave me the menu, I waited for over 5 minutes. I just stood up and got it myself. The man working there just kept getting phone orders and walk-in orders. While I just waited in my table. I had to stand up and tell the man I wanted to order, and he just told me to go sit back at my table. I will definitely reconsider coming back to this restaurant. Really bad customer service.
The food is good. Price fair to high-priced food. Music is really loud inside you can not hear the person in front of you. I recommend you pay cash. EDIT: On my recent visit, 12/11/2024 They are understaffed!!! Walked in, too, the restaurant, and no one was there to greet, I went and sat down. No one went and gave me the menu, I waited for over 5 minutes. I just stood up and got it myself. The man working there just kept getting phone orders and walk-in orders. While I just waited in my table. I had to stand up and tell the man I wanted to order, and he just told me to go sit back at my table. I will definitely reconsider coming back to this restaurant. Really bad customer service.
Run from this place unless you want to pay $11 for ONE pupusa First off, their in person menu doesn't have prices on it. When the cashier rang up two pupusas, each one was charged at $6.75 base + $4.5 for meat making ONE meat pupusa $11.25. The workers don't understand the restaurant system, and told me they didn't know the prices, so it seemed right to them. Eventually an off duty manager or someone understood that I was being overcharged, but still didn't know the right price to charge. He ended up giving me $2 off and offering me a free drink for my troubles. After all that, my price was still wrong but I wasn't willing to hold the staff hostage anymore. Receipts and menu prices are attached. They skimped on meat and beans after all that too. Run from this place, don't eat here unless you know what you're being charged and even then, their food is just okay. There are two ways to look up prices: The qr code you can scan in restaurant doesn't match the price they charged. The doordash/online order system prices didn't match either the cashier nor the website (in person is actually the most expensive). The workers don't understand how their system charges things, so it's very easy to get mischarged, and it's inconsistent between workers They didn't give me salad and sauce for my pupusas. I had to ask, and they still forgot, so I had to go back again. I would be willing to revisit this review if management reaches out and corrects the issue.
This place is the biggest rip off in the bay area. The quantity of food is abysmal. I got take out, the rice for $4.99 was like 1 tablespoon worth. The plantains for $14 were a total of 3 plantains. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. There are better places which serve actual edible portions for this price.
I ordered two tacos, I'm the only person in the restaurant. I believe this restaurant messed up my order on purpose I ordered two tacos one al pastor , and one carnitas. I open the plate its one chorizo taco and a dry brittle old chorizo, horrible. Bland unseasonably chicken overcooked rice for a burrito, and why is my whole burrito orange color? From what is that MSG??? This is a 1-star restaurant. Cannot mess up all 3x items. That I ordered, but they did. The first restaurant I've given a 1-star food rating too.
I think they changed cooks, because the food was burned and not edible today. Last time I went there were ladies cooking but today some guy was in the kitchen and it was not good. Not coming here again
I stop to this place today 😡fist of all I order 5 tacos and one quesadilla and I pay $31.12 this mini quesadillas was 15 dollars and how much your tacos come on plus One taco was missing on my order this is the last time that I buy from here. Also the lady on cashier was rude when I call to tell her that my order was wrong. I don't know if this is the correct price of your quesadillas or they make a mistake 🤔
Run from this place unless you want to pay $11 for ONE pupusa First off, their in person menu doesn't have prices on it. When the cashier rang up two pupusas, each one was charged at $6.75 base + $4.5 for meat making ONE meat pupusa $11.25. The workers don't understand the restaurant system, and told me they didn't know the prices, so it seemed right to them. Eventually an off duty manager or someone understood that I was being overcharged, but still didn't know the right price to charge. He ended up giving me $2 off and offering me a free drink for my troubles. After all that, my price was still wrong but I wasn't willing to hold the staff hostage anymore. Receipts and menu prices are attached. They skimped on meat and beans after all that too. Run from this place, don't eat here unless you know what you're being charged and even then, their food is just okay. There are two ways to look up prices: The qr code you can scan in restaurant doesn't match the price they charged. The doordash/online order system prices didn't match either the cashier nor the website (in person is actually the most expensive). The workers don't understand how their system charges things, so it's very easy to get mischarged, and it's inconsistent between workers They didn't give me salad and sauce for my pupusas. I had to ask, and they still forgot, so I had to go back again. I would be willing to revisit this review if management reaches out and corrects the issue.
This place is the biggest rip off in the bay area. The quantity of food is abysmal. I got take out, the rice for $4.99 was like 1 tablespoon worth. The plantains for $14 were a total of 3 plantains. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid. There are better places which serve actual edible portions for this price.
I ordered two tacos, I'm the only person in the restaurant. I believe this restaurant messed up my order on purpose I ordered two tacos one al pastor , and one carnitas. I open the plate its one chorizo taco and a dry brittle old chorizo, horrible. Bland unseasonably chicken overcooked rice for a burrito, and why is my whole burrito orange color? From what is that MSG??? This is a 1-star restaurant. Cannot mess up all 3x items. That I ordered, but they did. The first restaurant I've given a 1-star food rating too.
I think they changed cooks, because the food was burned and not edible today. Last time I went there were ladies cooking but today some guy was in the kitchen and it was not good. Not coming here again
I stop to this place today 😡fist of all I order 5 tacos and one quesadilla and I pay $31.12 this mini quesadillas was 15 dollars and how much your tacos come on plus One taco was missing on my order this is the last time that I buy from here. Also the lady on cashier was rude when I call to tell her that my order was wrong. I don't know if this is the correct price of your quesadillas or they make a mistake 🤔
Went for Taco Tuesday. The taco meat on the al pastor was DRY, it was like eating bacon bits, and the sprinkling of chopped pineapple on top did not save it. I don't appreciate that there are no prices on the menu, it's very dishonest in my opinion. I think it's a shame that the owner can afford very expensive clothes but not bring the same quality to their food.
Service was great!! However the food was terrible. I ordered pupusas and the masa was super runny and not cooked at all. I let my server know, he came back with the same pupusas cooked a little longer, but nothing could have fixed that but a fresh batch of masa!!
Came for pupusas. Not authentic. The Salsa tasted like it had some can tomato sauce in it. The curtido was just plain... No vinager... It was just not good. I don't know about the rest of the menu, but If you want pupusas go somewhere else. 👎🏼
Went for Taco Tuesday. The taco meat on the al pastor was DRY, it was like eating bacon bits, and the sprinkling of chopped pineapple on top did not save it. I don't appreciate that there are no prices on the menu, it's very dishonest in my opinion. I think it's a shame that the owner can afford very expensive clothes but not bring the same quality to their food.
Service was great!! However the food was terrible. I ordered pupusas and the masa was super runny and not cooked at all. I let my server know, he came back with the same pupusas cooked a little longer, but nothing could have fixed that but a fresh batch of masa!!
Every time I order pupusas via DoorDash, I pay an up charge to add pastor and chorizo and i only ever receive plain cheese pupusas. This place is a scam! Has happened more than once!
Came for pupusas. Not authentic. The Salsa tasted like it had some can tomato sauce in it. The curtido was just plain... No vinager... It was just not good. I don't know about the rest of the menu, but If you want pupusas go somewhere else. 👎🏼
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About El Chalateco
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955 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129
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955 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129
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