The Mexican Taco is the catering division of a Stanton restaurant family — its own About page says the business was first opened through Taqueria El Rancho as an authentic Mexican grill, and that the catering arm was formed deliberately as a separate operation with a younger crew.
What distinguishes it in this guide is the breadth of what it publishes. Eight packages are listed, from a seafood-inclusive top tier through a burrito-and-quesadilla bar to two party platters, and the company publishes two distinct cart experiences: a traditional cart where its staff cook and serve, and a Modern Self Serve cart with the grills and trays arranged so guests build their own. It also publishes a full fee schedule and cancellation ladder, which almost nobody in this category does.
Three service formats: the traditional staffed cart, the self-serve cart, and drop-off delivery for indoor events. Serving time is two hours, with set-up and cooking explicitly excluded from it, and the planning figure is three to five tacos per person — the company says service can be all-you-can-eat within the window by prior agreement. It can cater on 48 hours notice while recommending one to two weeks, and asks for the final guest count 72 hours out. Everything disposable is included: napkins, plates, cutlery, tablecloths and trash bags. The published fee schedule is detailed — additional serving time at $100 an hour on weekdays and $150 at weekends, a 5% convenience fee on card payments, a $150 surcharge for stairs disclosed up front or $300 discovered on the day, and a note that a service charge may apply to events between 10pm and 8am. Gratuity is not added to the total, and the company suggests 10 to 20%. The cancellation terms step from a full deposit refund at two weeks or more, to half at one to two weeks, to nothing inside a week, to the full bill inside 24 hours. The entrée range is considerably wider than the cart implies, and the company publishes it in three separate lists. The taco cart itself runs eight standard meats — carne asada, grilled marinated chicken, machaca chicken shredded with grilled vegetables, al pastor (which the company flags as its most popular), carnitas, chorizo, lengua and cabeza — with seven upgrades on top: chile rojo and chile verde on spare or short rib, marinated grilled shrimp in either regular or garlic seasoning, sautéed fajita-style shrimp, grilled fish, and portobello fajitas, which the company labels veggie tacos. A second list covers full Mexican entrées rather than tacos: enchiladas in chicken, beef or cheese with verde, roja or tomate sauce; chicken mole; chicken en salsa de tomate; barbacoa; chiles rellenos; costillas in chile verde or chile rojo; chicharrón y chile verde; camarones a la diabla and camarones rancheros; chicken or steak fajitas; tamales in chicken, pork, veggie or fruit; and menudo or pozole. The third is a breakfast list, which most taco-cart caterers do not publish at all — chilaquiles, eggs with carne asada, ham or chorizo, huevos rancheros, huevos a la mexicana, machaca, omelettes and arroz con leche — which makes this one of the few in this guide plausibly bookable for a morning corporate slot rather than only an evening one. None of the three lists carries a price. The company also publishes a long client list on its own reviews page, naming among others Disneyland, Coca-Cola, Target, Siemens, Home Depot, Verizon Wireless, Pacific Life, Marriott, Chapman University, UCI, USC and the Orange County District Attorney's office, and saying several have rebooked twelve years running. That roster is the company's own claim and is not independently verified here.
I had the pleasure of coordinating a wedding where the Mexican Taco had catered. Their service was outstanding, food was delicious, and their timely arrival followed by swift clean up and departure was the icing on the cake.
The cook for the event was Felix. Felix did an outstanding job. The food was fresh and hot and the 40 people we had at the party loved the food so much they went back for seconds and thirds.
We have had two massive events catered by this company and they went great. 150 people ate delicious food that was hand made and served with every option you can think of.
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Michele Leocadio creates restaurant content for Elev8ed Table. We decide who's featured on merit alone and never sell placement or ranking. Figures above are read from each business's own published materials and dated when the source is old.
