Uncover Madison's Mexican dining scene with Restaurantji's insights. Try the best Tacos, Street Tacos, Quesadilla, and more in town.
“This place is a true gem! Living in the southwest for a large percentage of my life, I have had a lot of Mexican food. However, since moving to the Midwest finding excellent Mexican food can be difficult. That is not the case here. This place is by far the best Mexican food I have had in Madison. They even have cactus nopales on the menu, which are cooked to perfection. My husband and stopped by for lunch to try this place as we have passed by it multiple times, but never stopped in. My husband had the carne asada plate and I had the enchiladas pollo con mole. These were mouthwatering delicious.“
“Excellent food and excellent service. I usually get a burrito or a bowl at Chipotle, so I figured I would try that. A very nice employee named Dantee (pronounced Dante) recommended the "machete" instead. No joke, one of the best Latin cuisines I've ever eaten. I've never had one before, but I can say in earnest that it has become my new regular. The corn tortilla was fried and reminded me of being at the state fair. You build the rest of it out like you would a burrito at Chipotle, but the quality of the ingredients is far superior. The chicken was hot and juicy, the veggies and cheese were fresh, and the pico de gallo was *chefs kiss.* The ambiance was friendly and quiet. Great for talking with friends or just enjoying a nice lunch by yourself. I normally only go to Chipotle or Qdoba, but Vaqueros has moved up to my number 1 spot. I would and will drive across town - passing at least 1 Chipotle - to eat here moving forward. 11/10 strongly recommended.“
“The food is the best Mexican food I’ve had! The flavors are subtle and complex! There are many classic dishes to choose from. The salsa (regular and spicy) is so flavorful and both are perfectly spiced! I always sit at the bar and enjoy watching the guys in the kitchen cook, and talking with Maria who is so kind. For me it’s like eating in someone’s home and being served with their wonderful home cooking. A classic gem in the heart of Madison!“
“Wow wow wow!!!!! Best experience and best food you’ll ever find! I was in town visiting a family member and we decided on having tacos for dinner. Couldn’t recommend this place more and I will be back every time I come to visit Madison!! Phenomenal!!“
“Two words... STRAWBERRY HORCHATA! And in multiple sizes omg so good. The sweet corn really hits the spot as well. So far everything I've tried is authentic and incredible! Super friendly service and was made and delivered within 30 minutes of placing the order. This will be my new weekly “
“An instant new favorite Mexican joint! Buy one get one free margaritas on Tuesday or was it half-price margaritas, either way absolutely delicious. Anything they have shrimp here is my favorite of all time. The Molé sauce, perfect sweet to savory ratio. The steak tacos, yes please! The husband and wife that own the place, family people with outstanding service and hospitality. Oh, and the best tamale I ever had. And the salsa is fresh, spicy, and delicious! 10/10!!“
“Absolutely love this restaurant. Been 4 times, and tried something new each time (except street corn, we always get the street corn). It’s not your common Mexican, much more authentic. Do yourself a favor and give it a try, the service and friendliness of the staff is also outstanding. Already one of my go-to places!Kid-friendliness: They understand the value of friendly service, and they try hard to do it well. Bravo.“
“Amazing tasting food! You can taste the tradition in this food. Everything we’ve had is fresh and perfectly seasoned. Cozy atmosphere and the dining room was a very comfortable temperature. Cheerful and professional service and delightful cuisine at affordable prices keeps us returning for more!“
“Stopped by at the end of happy hour to check out dinner and drinks. Sat by the window and had a view of King St festivities and the capital. Had the shrimp fajitas and birra tacos. The fajitas were a good portion size and flavorful. The tacos were good as well. Would recommend for Mexican food in downtown Madison.“
“This burrito has to be one of the best burritos I've ever had for the price. You can get as many toppings as you want and they didn't charge me any extra. With how much they put in there it barely fit in the wrapping. It also tasted super good and the blend of tastes was amazing. The service was also amazing. They were super kind and helpful.“
“We booked the El Grito Taqueria taco truck for our wedding and they were a huge hit! They were super easy to work with—very responsive and helpful, and reasonable pricing for the value they bring. Our guests loved the tacos at the end of the night! We definitely recommend them for your next event.Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options“
“Food was AMAZING! I should have taken pictures to post here because it looked great too. I loved the music and atmosphere and the speedy service. We got the fajitas and quesadilla. Just great stuff. I think anyone that's given bad reviews is just a hard to please person “
“I do a lot of traveling. I live in Texas. And Mexican food is my favorite. I have had great meals from all over the USA but I have to say that Senor Machetes is one of the best meals that I have ever had. I got the group beef 22 inch Machete. With fresh sour cream, fresh pickled onions, Street corn and amazing homemade tortilla. The owner talked with us and gave a brief history story behind the 5 years he has been here. I highly recommend this place if you are anywhere near Madison Wisconsin.“
“Service was prompt and polite, and the food was great. The menu features Tex Mex and regional cuisine, with a focus on complex seafood offerings. I think this is the kind of restaurant one underestimates at first glance... The menu may look a little less than luxe, but the kitchen delivers! I'll definitely be back.“
“Fantastic food, great people. I believe it was the owner who served me, he walked me through everything for my chimichanga and was very kind and made me delicious food. Easy to miss place, but highly recommend, they doordash as well if you're in range.“
“Girlfriend and I were doing little shopping and decided to stop for lunch. Service was quick and very friendly. Love the look of the place on the inside. Our server was friendly and spoke Spanish as well. He recommended lots of different types of drinks and new dishes they had. We ordered couple drinks and they were very good. We each ordered the three tacos and rice and beans option. All tacos were very good and rice and beans were great. They had a green salsa as well that was very tasty and had a good kick to it. Overall we enjoyed our food, had great service.“
“Upon entering, it was not busy and there was no one to greet us, took a couple moments but the bar looked fun. I can tell this restaurant is trying to make a statement - for me I say more more more. I was visually stimulated but could have used exciting music and maybe a water fountain. It is beautiful and I love that they are different. If you are open for business then be open, don’t put music on AFTER we walk in…first impressions matter.When we walked to the back dining area there was mostly beautiful furniture hand carved and colorful but some of the tables had work clutter on them which was distracting and I do not like to see that. I would recommend a separate area for work clutter that customers don’t see or maybe put a curtain up.The menu was well priced and lovely. Chips and salsa were served which was nice. Upon food arrival, the meat in my tacos was dry and over cooked but well seasoned and more salsa was required to get it down the hatch so to speak. I was disappointed they didn’t have horchata on the menu because that makes me happy. I loved the mole sauce but my friend said she wanted a green sauce option for her enchiladas. I would have preferred a meltier cheese inside the Chile relleno. I can tell the cooks here care and would like to try other things in the future.The service was disappointingly bare minimum which because it was not busy at all was extremely noticeable. This was upsetting to me and caused some minor irritation. But with time I hope that can be improved as customers need attention and to feel cared for. It would help business if the server could recommend menu options to customers with enthusiasm as it is a new restaurant. It would benefit if you passionately tell your story and your favorite items not just on the menu but through your servers communication efforts. I love to experience food that way.Unfortunately the bathroom smelled moldy and could have been wiped better. For the most part it was manageable.I give this restaurant four stars. I hope with attentive and hospitable service, moist cooked meats, organization/cleaning efforts, and maybe added menu specials, this place can thrive and welcome many guests on the West side. I wish your restaurant success! Thank you for having me.“
“We enjoyed several taco dinner plates for our 5. Carnitas were especially good. Absolutely nothing disappointing. I had Steak A La Brasa and was very happy with my selection. Pretty stuffed. Nap afterwards....will go again...nap to be determined.Kudos to my son for taking our family there for a post football late late lunch.Parking: We went in the afternoon after a game and found plenty of street parking. Possibly somewhat limited depending on day but available on an first come serve basis. Far-ish long walk if you choose from from Randall but very good selection and seating. Closer to central campus East of Double Tree.“
“My Wife and I Uber/eat from here while in recovery after delivering our first born child... it was delivered so fast the price was right and it tasted absolutely amazing. upon going home and coming back the next day for a doc appointment we decided to go dine in. The atmosphere gave true authentic Mexican dining the owner greeted us with a smile. I ordered the steak and shrimp quesadilla flavor and portion 10/10 My wife got Steak Tacos 10/10 I will recommend everyone I know. And for those of you reading..you will not be disappointed. Thank you again for the great food and great service!“
“El Pazon on S. Midvale Blvd in Madison has delicious food and drinks!I recommend:Taco De Lengua: 6 in. corn tortilla filled with toung marinated in salsa verde. Topped with onions, cilantro and lime wedges.Taco De Tripa! At El Pazon: 6 in. corn tortilla filled with tripe. Topped with onions, cilantro and lime wedges.They also have delicious margaritas.“
“This is the best food I have ever had in Madison, whether high end or casual. Hands down my go to place for lunch or dinner. I eat here almost every week. The prices are especially great compared to other similar restaurants. It's fast too - you can be in an out in a couple minutes if there isn't a line.“
“picked up food togo. tacos and burritos were great. don’t know about a hotdog on a cubano sandwich though. the staff was very nice. the variety in the market was quite nice. i will definitely return to try other choices on the menu and from the market.“
“ok so i went in and this place is legit got some meats and it was so awesome. went home and had a burrito night 4 dinner lol . ooo also there is like a restaurant in the back. Brooooo it was suppper good. had to get something for lunch well i was there :D i forgot what burrito i got but it was huge and yoo i will be back!!!!Parking: well there is parking but not always close to the shops so you might have to walk 50ft or more lol.“
“The wait staff is great, the food always hits the spot when craving Mexican food. The chips and salsa are one of my favorite things about Laredo's.There's a waitress there that always remembers my order and double checks to make sure I won't be ordering something different ?.“
“This is such a great spot in Madison and I think they have the best Mexican food in the city. It's perfect for lunch and very fastI really enjoy their quesadillas and tacos.The service is very friendly and quick.It has a hole in the wall vibe but it's very clean and nice.“
“By far one of the Best Restaurants in townParking: Free parking, sometimes parking is full but you’ll find a spotKid-friendliness: Kindness is in every corner of this restaurant, great food , very clean, they are very professional, walk in you’ll love it“