Tacos El Bandido Express

Favorite local spot! The birria is so good, prices are fair for good sized portions. I always get a California burrito, tortas for my husband and son, and bean and cheese for my toddler. Always grab a couple quesa birria tacos to share. I call ahead to order because I drive like 10 minutes to get here and want to grab it and take it right bank home! I appreciate that even when they’re busy, they never rush me on the phone and are always polite. Never had a bad meal from here.

Everything was great! Service was excellent food was amazing! The only thing is i wish there was more or better seating. Other than that everything was great!

Tried this place for the first time tonight. I was craving some good tacos and Tacos El Bandido did not disappoint!! I had the 3 taco plate and the taco meat portions were very generous and so delicious! My friend had the quesadilla gobernador and it was one of the best things we’ve ever had. The tortilla was hand-made and fresh. The shrimp was seasoned and full of flavor. I didn’t think about taking pictures until afterwards but I will definitely be back! My new taco spot for sure.

Love their tacos.. I've only tried the asada and chorizo so far. I've loved the so much it's been my fast, cheap, and easy lunch at least once a week. They offer delicious spicy red salsa and cucumbers on the side.

This place deserves more then just 5 stars! Food is always amazing very reasonable in price and workers are always super friendly. Thanks tacos El bandido

I think I just had three of the best tacos of 2024. I walked in here expecting things to be good l, but DAMN these were some delicious tacos. Quesabirria, fried fish, and grilled shrimp were unreal! Brought together with two perfect salsas, the tacos were flavorful, distinct, and filling. You don’t want to miss El Bandito.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Tacos El Bandido Express, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience! The food was absolutely delicious, with each taco bursting with authentic flavors and fresh ingredients. The service was quick and friendly, making the entire experience even more enjoyable. Whether you're a fan of traditional tacos or looking to try something new, Tacos El Bandido Express is the place to go. Highly recommended!

I just have to update my review. I wish I could add five more stars! I don’t know if I was just really hungry or what but I paid with what I thought was a five dollar bill and walked away. Marlene went after me to let me know that what I gave her was actually a $50 bill! And proceeded to give me the proper change. I honestly would not have noticed because I really thought it was a five folded up. Thank you Marlene for your honesty! It does not go unnoticed! And a big shout out to Chris, he’s always on top of everything. When he’s at the front everyone’s always greeted, the condiment bar is always stocked, and service goes so smoothly. This will always be our taco Tuesday Spot! Come here every Tuesday. They are always super busy. But they always get the order right and it always tastes good. Our Tuesday spot!

Solid Mexican food for a great price. Halal options include: 1) Asada 2) Chicken 3) Birria (including the consome) 4) Burger Prices are excellent and portions are big so you'll definitely get the bang for your buck.

I love the 3 Taco Combo especially with the Consumé. Good stuff.

Awesome authentic mexican spot with Halal options for birria / tacos. Not everything is halal, ask ahead to be sure. Everything tasted great. I preferred the crispy taco as the soft wa a bit too doughy, but I did eat it once it cooled a bit. Birria was good.

Taco Tuesday $1.50 Good tacos but nothing amazing. The meat quality is decent, great prices, flavorful. Asada has a nice Smokey taste to it with some avocado sauce Pastor - pretty good, it’s a ground beef texture with avocado green sauce Small location there’s a few tables in there and everything was clean. I’d come back again if I’m in the area

Great tacos. The booths and tables are very worn and the service was friendly but the food took a little long to come out.

This little place doesn’t look like a fancy corporate with a bunch of franchises but what it has is a delicious punch of flavor! Seriously yummm! The tacos are big and stuffed. The employees are very happy to see you come in. Plenty of seating and they offer a fully stocked self serve fresh salsa bar with two types of salsa, a green one and a red one (I love the green one), sliced cucumbers, sliced lemons, and a mixture of chopped cilantro and onions. Love the Birria tacos, the Taco Governador (shrimp taco covered with chipotle sauce and cheese), and the carne asada taco with avocado sauce.. Yummm.. The prices and the quality and the quantity go hand in hand. Plus, they also have great deals on Taco Tuesday. Thank you, Chris and Ivanna for the great service and consistency in all my visits.

Everything was delicious. We ordered the Bandido fries, birria taco, carne asada tacos, and the pastor tacos. Sauces were good too. Then they gave us a free large mango drink! Sooo good. Will definitely come here again :)

I was craving a quesadilla and this place did not disappoint! I got the one with the handmade corn tortilla without meat. The cheese was griddled and then added into the tortilla so it had a nice crispy crunch with pico de Gallo, sour cream, onions and cilantro inside. I've never had a quesadilla like this before and I would definitely come back! Service was quick and friendly. No bathroom that I saw on site. Salsa bar with red and green salsas, chopped onions and minimal cilantro as well as some pickled cucumbers. Card and cash accepted.

Brooooo! Im just gonna put it like this. Ive have tortas in Rosarito, ive had tortas in Tijuana, tortas in San Luis Potosi. These are the best mofo tortas west side of the mississippi!!! 15$ for the torta and the large horchata. On the real when i got my order i thought they gave me two tortas!! Its huge!! Red salsa is fire you have been warned!! Had me crying i aint gon lie on ja. Better torta than Cancuj Juice, better torta than Gallo Giro, bettet than Jugos Acapulco and better yhan Tortas Sinalo! Coming back fosho. YT: The Nava Tribe

There was a bit of a line when we got here but the food justified the wait. We ordered the Cali burrito, Queso Taco Birria with consommé, and carne asada tacos. Everything was fresh and delicious, best halal Mexican food I’ve had.

I had fish tacos and a tamarind drink. It was good. The fish was crispy, and the veggies were fresh. My friend is Mexican, so she definitely knows if Mexican food is good haha. She liked her food too.

Stopped by recently after the soft opening. Got some tacos and a mulita. Both were pretty good. Could have used more salsa at the bar, but excited to have a place with birria in town.

I recently moved to Tustin and was looking for a Mexican place to try. I decided to order a taco de pastor, shrimp, and birria along with an asada sope. The shrimp one was hands down my fav, super bomb flavors. The rest of my food was pretty good. I recommend consome for the birria since they put a decent amount of meat so the juice helps it not be dry. The sope was HUGE lol not complaining. I added some of the green sauce they have which I really liked (the red salsa is a lot more spicy). This picture is only 1/3 of the sope for reference. *update: actually took a picture of my tacos this time lol. Shrimp, fish, and bandido taco. Shrimp is still my favorite! Fish was good! Bandido was okay. (:

Imran A

Awesome authentic mexican spot with Halal options for birria / tacos. Not everything is halal, ask ahead to be sure. Everything tasted great. I preferred the crispy taco as the soft wa a bit too doughy, but I did eat it once it cooled a bit. Birria was good.

Alex Wong

Great tacos. The booths and tables are very worn and the service was friendly but the food took a little long to come out.

Kristina

Taco Tuesday $1.50 Good tacos but nothing amazing. The meat quality is decent, great prices, flavorful. Asada has a nice Smokey taste to it with some avocado sauce Pastor - pretty good, it’s a ground beef texture with avocado green sauce Small location there’s a few tables in there and everything was clean. I’d come back again if I’m in the area

Pacific Occupants

This little place doesn’t look like a fancy corporate with a bunch of franchises but what it has is a delicious punch of flavor! Seriously yummm! The tacos are big and stuffed. The employees are very happy to see you come in. Plenty of seating and they offer a fully stocked self serve fresh salsa bar with two types of salsa, a green one and a red one (I love the green one), sliced cucumbers, sliced lemons, and a mixture of chopped cilantro and onions. Love the Birria tacos, the Taco Governador (shrimp taco covered with chipotle sauce and cheese), and the carne asada taco with avocado sauce.. Yummm.. The prices and the quality and the quantity go hand in hand. Plus, they also have great deals on Taco Tuesday. Thank you, Chris and Ivanna for the great service and consistency in all my visits.

Weywantheawy Kang

Everything was delicious. We ordered the Bandido fries, birria taco, carne asada tacos, and the pastor tacos. Sauces were good too. Then they gave us a free large mango drink! Sooo good. Will definitely come here again :)

Krystal Nguyễn

I was craving a quesadilla and this place did not disappoint! I got the one with the handmade corn tortilla without meat. The cheese was griddled and then added into the tortilla so it had a nice crispy crunch with pico de Gallo, sour cream, onions and cilantro inside. I've never had a quesadilla like this before and I would definitely come back! Service was quick and friendly. No bathroom that I saw on site. Salsa bar with red and green salsas, chopped onions and minimal cilantro as well as some pickled cucumbers. Card and cash accepted.

Oscar Nava

Brooooo! Im just gonna put it like this. Ive have tortas in Rosarito, ive had tortas in Tijuana, tortas in San Luis Potosi. These are the best mofo tortas west side of the mississippi!!! 15$ for the torta and the large horchata. On the real when i got my order i thought they gave me two tortas!! Its huge!! Red salsa is fire you have been warned!! Had me crying i aint gon lie on ja. Better torta than Cancuj Juice, better torta than Gallo Giro, bettet than Jugos Acapulco and better yhan Tortas Sinalo! Coming back fosho. YT: The Nava Tribe

M A

There was a bit of a line when we got here but the food justified the wait. We ordered the Cali burrito, Queso Taco Birria with consommé, and carne asada tacos. Everything was fresh and delicious, best halal Mexican food I’ve had.

Anna Anoshina

I had fish tacos and a tamarind drink. It was good. The fish was crispy, and the veggies were fresh. My friend is Mexican, so she definitely knows if Mexican food is good haha. She liked her food too.

Tatiana Torres

Stopped by recently after the soft opening. Got some tacos and a mulita. Both were pretty good. Could have used more salsa at the bar, but excited to have a place with birria in town.

Wendy Velazquez

I recently moved to Tustin and was looking for a Mexican place to try. I decided to order a taco de pastor, shrimp, and birria along with an asada sope. The shrimp one was hands down my fav, super bomb flavors. The rest of my food was pretty good. I recommend consome for the birria since they put a decent amount of meat so the juice helps it not be dry. The sope was HUGE lol not complaining. I added some of the green sauce they have which I really liked (the red salsa is a lot more spicy). This picture is only 1/3 of the sope for reference. *update: actually took a picture of my tacos this time lol. Shrimp, fish, and bandido taco. Shrimp is still my favorite! Fish was good! Bandido was okay. (:

I love this place for tacos. They have birria, shrimp, pastor and more. The spicy guacamole salsa is tasty. Think great tacos and basic home in the wall booths. Clean! Friendly staff.

Very good carne asada cali burrito! Good price for now. The creamy green salsa is excellent and has a decent kick. I go here regularly and plan to continue to do so.

Gabrielle Windsor

I love this place for tacos. They have birria, shrimp, pastor and more. The spicy guacamole salsa is tasty. Think great tacos and basic home in the wall booths. Clean! Friendly staff.

Busy at lunch but worth the wait, good menu selection of standard Mexican food but they do have Pastrami Buffalo fries.

Their food is good. The cashier is friendly. Not as clean as when they opened. They let go of the booths, they are torn and worn.

This taco shop is great! They have a special on Taco Tuesdays, $1.50 tacos, they are street taco size, but the meats are great, and selection is good. I ordered a carnita, cecina, saudero, and crispy birria. The birria was a little more money but more meat, for sure. The menu es grande, so I will be back to try others. Update: I've been back several times since the review and brought my wife once and a coworker another. Both times, the food was great and no complaints.

Came here for the $1.50 tacos on Taco Tuesday I ordered one of each type of taco on the menu. There were about 7 different types of tacos. While I waited for my tacos, I loaded up on the salsa and other veggies at the self-service salsa bar. When my order was ready, I didn't shady kind I was eating since nothing was labeled, and they put the green sauce on all the tacos. The tacos are not in small tortillas, which was great. If you pay in cash, you get 4% off; there's a posted sign. Otherwise, you can pay by credit card. The place was a bit on the warm side when I visited. There was a line of customers after I ordered. Small, free parking lot.

Yes, it takes time. But that's because your asada is made at the time you order, makes a big difference in your tacos. Many places just keep warming and drying the asada, which is a no no in Mexico, that makes it fast but should be forbidden 🙊

Abdul Martinez

Yes, it takes time. But that's because your asada is made at the time you order, makes a big difference in your tacos. Many places just keep warming and drying the asada, which is a no no in Mexico, that makes it fast but should be forbidden 🙊

Michael S.

This taco shop is great! They have a special on Taco Tuesdays, $1.50 tacos, they are street taco size, but the meats are great, and selection is good. I ordered a carnita, cecina, saudero, and crispy birria. The birria was a little more money but more meat, for sure. The menu es grande, so I will be back to try others. Update: I've been back several times since the review and brought my wife once and a coworker another. Both times, the food was great and no complaints.

K

Came here for the $1.50 tacos on Taco Tuesday I ordered one of each type of taco on the menu. There were about 7 different types of tacos. While I waited for my tacos, I loaded up on the salsa and other veggies at the self-service salsa bar. When my order was ready, I didn't shady kind I was eating since nothing was labeled, and they put the green sauce on all the tacos. The tacos are not in small tortillas, which was great. If you pay in cash, you get 4% off; there's a posted sign. Otherwise, you can pay by credit card. The place was a bit on the warm side when I visited. There was a line of customers after I ordered. Small, free parking lot.

Food was okay. We ordered some nachos and they were soggy and didn’t seem fresh. For the price we expect good quality food

The guy who took my order was awesome! He was super attentive and informative. The food was decent. The mulita was so thick. So much masa. The one thing that really turned me off was how ripped up the booth seats were and also how dirty the tables were left. I was there for maybe an hour and they never got cleaned. The salsa station was an absolute mess. It just made it seem a bit gross. If they fixed up the booths and tended to the tables better they for sure would provide a more comfy space.

Abia San

The guy who took my order was awesome! He was super attentive and informative. The food was decent. The mulita was so thick. So much masa. The one thing that really turned me off was how ripped up the booth seats were and also how dirty the tables were left. I was there for maybe an hour and they never got cleaned. The salsa station was an absolute mess. It just made it seem a bit gross. If they fixed up the booths and tended to the tables better they for sure would provide a more comfy space.

This restaurants serve good tacos but they so small and they do have other foods like burritos, tortas and other stuff. They're parking lot very small. It's hard to find parking. There is little sharp in center. There and many other stars and restaurants. So it's hard to find parking. It's a restaurant is very small.

M. D.

This restaurants serve good tacos but they so small and they do have other foods like burritos, tortas and other stuff. They're parking lot very small. It's hard to find parking. There is little sharp in center. There and many other stars and restaurants. So it's hard to find parking. It's a restaurant is very small.

Service was great. I ordered a burrito de carne asada with everything. The order took a while to come out. The restaurant itself was somewhat unkempt. There were plastic lids and cups inside the salsa which I imagined ended up there due to their fan blowing so hard. The burrito itself was not that great. None of the flavors from rice, meat, or beans stood out. Onion not grilled, was hard and cut into big princes, the meat was hard and tough. The salsas were okay. Kind of bland and no pop in flavor. Agua de jamaica was delicious. I would not return. There are better options for Mexican food.

The upside was the service, the woman at the counter was super nice and informative. The sope had the right toppings, the beans had a good flavor and it was big, but the meat was not it. The carne asada was low quality meat and not much flavor. The Al pastor was only okay. We also had the quesabirrias and it wasn’t much to rave about. The salsa’s were good but I don’t think I will be returning. Went to the restroom and it was just dirty.

We've been coming here for taco Tuesdays for over 2 years now. It was good until recently. On Tuesday 7/29/25 evening, 6 of us went to get food there. The 5 of us that got tacos, cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc. all got very bad food poisoning. The person that got a burrito with no cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc. got a little sick. Of the 5 that got food poisoning, 2 had to go to the ER after having crazy diarrhea, a fever and vomiting all night and had to take days off work. I tried to call to tell them to watch the food they make/cook more carefully and to figure out a way for the customers to not contaminate the sides (cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc.) but they didn't pick up the phone. The ambiance is okay, service is decent but food is not clean. I would not get tacos here again.

6 people in our group got food poisoning after eating here this week, 2 ended up in ER. 5 got tacos with sides/sauces from the cart, I got a burrito no sides/sauces, so I figure it must have been something from the kitchen. Too bad because before today I really liked this place.

I came to this restaurant with friends on Tuesday, 7/29/25. Six of us ate food at the restaurant and also from the salsa and veggie bar. We all got sick with food poisoning and two of us even had to go to the Emergency Room, including a pregnant friend. Some of us had to miss work to recover. This is a restaurant that I have been to before and thought was decent but after this bout of food poisonings, I am traumatized. Not having sanitary conditions at a restaurant can be scary for the health of patrons, and this is what we experienced here. I thought the service was decent from the employees but will not be coming back to this establishment again after the health scare we all collectively experienced at the restaurant. I cannot recommend this restaurant as it is unsanitary.

My daughter had tacos here on Saturday 9/6 and got violently ill! Be cautious when eating here!

We expected this place to be a lot better and overall clean. When we got home and opened our order, we found the bottom of our cups had remains of food and blood stains from Raw meat. When I looked into the kitchen there was salsa placed on the floor, Freshly cooked meat was right next to a garbage can in a PLASTIC container. Raw meat was hanging off of the Grill, literally hanging. The cook did not wash his hands, no matter how many times he touched his face or whipped his hands on his apron, he used his anpron to clean the cups annd sides of the orders and plates he was selling and continued to process orders. When I reached out to speak to someone rather than write this review I was forwarded to Voice mail and when actually speaking to someone they did not care to listen to my concerns. I would rather tell the manager what went wrong than to write this review. Please keep your kitchen CLEAN and staff trained on proper operating procedure and practices especially when serving and handling any and all food.

I came here after getting my nails done. I was so excited to try their birrra tacos. I actually got the biers plate. Got home and was very disappointed. The Bierra was missing something and super salty as well as the consume. I ate one taco and left the rest. Mind you the beans and rice were not good. The beans had a flavor like they were Rosario canned beans. I could not. Rice was missing flavor too. The keto taco. A a big no the fried cheese tasted burned and salty as well. I’ve never had bierra that was not good. I really tried but will not be back. Then the reviews after people getting sick is very scary. As I was ate a few cucumbers while waiting for my food.

Went with my husband and 2 year old son for the first time last week. Ordered 3 Al pastor tacos which were cold and not very good compared to taco trucks. My husband ordered the Birria combo, which the birria was good, but no where near the best, salsa was also chunky and strange…. It’s supposed to be liquidy. Will not be coming back. It’s nice that they have a bar with unlimited limes, salsa, cilantro mixed with onion and cucumbers. But I asked for cilantro and apparently they ran out. What they offered at the bar was mostly onion and a little cilantro, personally I like onion but not that much of it vs the cilantro…

Olive Ninja II

Went with my husband and 2 year old son for the first time last week. Ordered 3 Al pastor tacos which were cold and not very good compared to taco trucks. My husband ordered the Birria combo, which the birria was good, but no where near the best, salsa was also chunky and strange…. It’s supposed to be liquidy. Will not be coming back. It’s nice that they have a bar with unlimited limes, salsa, cilantro mixed with onion and cucumbers. But I asked for cilantro and apparently they ran out. What they offered at the bar was mostly onion and a little cilantro, personally I like onion but not that much of it vs the cilantro…

Jen Meza

I came here after getting my nails done. I was so excited to try their birrra tacos. I actually got the biers plate. Got home and was very disappointed. The Bierra was missing something and super salty as well as the consume. I ate one taco and left the rest. Mind you the beans and rice were not good. The beans had a flavor like they were Rosario canned beans. I could not. Rice was missing flavor too. The keto taco. A a big no the fried cheese tasted burned and salty as well. I’ve never had bierra that was not good. I really tried but will not be back. Then the reviews after people getting sick is very scary. As I was ate a few cucumbers while waiting for my food.

Thinh Doan

We've been coming here for taco Tuesdays for over 2 years now. It was good until recently. On Tuesday 7/29/25 evening, 6 of us went to get food there. The 5 of us that got tacos, cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc. all got very bad food poisoning. The person that got a burrito with no cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc. got a little sick. Of the 5 that got food poisoning, 2 had to go to the ER after having crazy diarrhea, a fever and vomiting all night and had to take days off work. I tried to call to tell them to watch the food they make/cook more carefully and to figure out a way for the customers to not contaminate the sides (cucumbers, salsa, onions, etc.) but they didn't pick up the phone. The ambiance is okay, service is decent but food is not clean. I would not get tacos here again.