Taqueria Talpense

The best Mexican food I've had in Washington and as good as any I've had in SoCal where I grew up. The carnitas burrito is my go to, but everything I've tried is good. I'm so happy I found it, truly a gem.

Let me start off by saying my husband and I really wanted to love Taqueria Talpense. Moving to Washington after living in Southern California has left us with taco-sized holes in our hearts. However, we weren't blown away by this spot. T.T. can be found within an unassuming convenience store. It's kind of great because you can get additional snacks and have a huge selection of drinks to choose from. There is a seating area near the kitchen where you can enjoy your food. The restaurant staff seemed friendly. We ended up getting asada, pollo, carnitas and adobada tacos. Honestly, they were.... Fine? However there wasn't a lot of flavor. We depended on the salsas to add something to the tacos. Despite what some reviews have stated, neither of the salsa options were spicy. Maybe we went on an off day when the marinade wasn't great or the seasonings were off. We're going to give T.T. another shot in the future and I hope to update this review with some positive news.

These are great tacos. Hidden away in a convenience store off the highway. I had the Asada and Carnitas, both were excellent.

We are very lucky to have Jose and his Mexican restaurant so close. He does a beautiful job putting together some great traditional dishes at a very reasonable priceMy wife loves his veggie enchiladas plate and I enjoy his Carnitas Plate. We call ahead and it is ready generally in about 10 minutes. If you walk in and hear somebody happily whistling in the kitchen, that's Jose.

A taco counter hidden in a small convenience store/deli.Ordered 4 tacos, at $2.75 a pop, it's on par with other taco joints in the area. They are the smaller type of type of taco (on the double flour tortilla), so it's not necessarily cheap. Had the asada and the adobada, and the meat had the nice type of crispy char.Might be my favorite taco place so far in a 5-10 minute radius. Will probably come back!

The carnitas burrito and their red and green salsa are really good. I always get it when I come here. The bad part is that the restaurant worker always shakes the tip jar expecting tips whenever he hands you your food, making it really awkward. They are also really reluctant to give you more salsa when you ask for more.

Nestled inside The Top Market and Deli convenience store lies Taqueria Talpense, a vibrant food counter that brings the authentic flavors. This unassuming spot might be easy to overlook, but it's a mistake you don't want to make if you're a fan of genuine Mexican cuisine.

They took over Monte Rico which I loved but their food is good too! I'm happy to see another Mexican joint in the same spot. Love their carnitas and the crispness on the edges. Delicious food!

TL;DR: great and affordable food to satisfy your cravings! Taco meat is satisfying! The excellent food safety rating is definitely a plus! Great for dine-in for a quick bite or ToGo.The tacos are $2 each and I'd say about 6-8 are pretty filling for me. They come with 2 different containers of sauces, both were too spicy for my tastebuds but they were flavorful nonetheless. All tacos contain the meat of choice along with, chopped white onion, cilantro and some pickled carrot and radish on the size. I was really impressed with the meat flavors and texture. Each taco really didn't need sauce because the meats were salted and flavored enough -- just a squeeze of lime did the trick for me! The texture of the meats really wowed me -- slightly crispy on the outside and not burnt at all but still tender on the inside. Very satisfying! Also, big fan of the double taco layer to prevent rips and unnecessary loss of taco bowels.No Taco Tuesday specials because every day is special, haha.Parking: small shared lot with the gas station:Atmosphere: located inside the mini mart of the gas station, limited counter height tables and chairs.Service: order and pay at the front, your order will be called.Kid Friendly: no high chairs.Menu: located above the cash register and above the pick up zone.Horchata: was too sweet in my opinion. It also has dairy in it for anyone sensitive -- they used sweetened condensed milk. There was a hint of cinnamon in it but no ground cinnamon in the drink itself -- it was pure white. I'm assuming cinnamon sticks were infused into the rice milk instead.

This place is awesome! I have loved everything I've ordered. I definitely wouldn't stay for the ambience as it's in a convenience store, but the food is great!My only suggestion is that they find other containers to put food in because styrofoam is so horrible for the environment. I asked if I could bring my own Tupperware and the person said no. But the food is awesome!