El Taurino
Mexican restaurant · 1104 Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90006, United States · United States
★ 4.0 on Google · 5,466 reviews · View on Google Maps
Manipulation score
CleanCompleted Aug 5, 2026 · 73 reviews flagged
How this score works
The score estimates how strongly this place's review record matches known manipulation patterns, from 0 (no signs) to 100. Verdicts: Clean below 40, Suspicious from 40, Likely Manipulated from 70; Review Drive when the flags are mostly staff asking customers for named reviews. It rises with the share of reviews flagged and how suspicious each one is.
- Burst
- — an abnormal spike of five-star reviews in a single day compared to the place's usual pace.
- Low activity account
- — the reviewer has almost no other reviews, photos, or Local Guide history; throwaway accounts look like this.
- Duplicate text
- — the wording is nearly identical to another review of the same place.
Verdicts are statistical estimates based on public review patterns, not accusations. Full methodology, signal definitions and known limits →
Case conclusion
What the numbers say
1,000 reviews examined
- Google rating
- 4.0★
- Not-flagged average
- 4.0★
- Flagged
- 7%
- Coverage
- 18%
All reviews shown by Google
927 examined reviews
73 of 1,000
1,000 of 5,466 Google reviews
“Not flagged” means no configured Revdict signal matched; it does not prove a review is genuine. Data fetched Aug 5, 2026.
Review brief
What reviews not flagged by Revdict say
Reviewers report that this long-standing Los Angeles taco spot serves flavorful traditional Mexican dishes and standout house salsas. However, frequent complaints highlight long wait times, declining portion sizes or quality, and inconsistent staff service.
+ Repeated strengths
Salsas and Flavor
Reviewers frequently praise the delicious red and green salsas as well as the authentic flavor of the tacos and burritos.
3 supporting reviews
5★ · 2023-06-22
Love the "Salsa Roja." It's definitely one of my favorite taco places! 😍👌 The only thing that they could improve, it would be the burrito tortilla, which, in my opinion, is not strong enough.
4★ · 2026-01-07
The meat is good, but the sauce is legendary. I’m personally team Green Sauce, though my friends all love the Red. Docked one star because they missed my request for onions and cilantro on the side for my to-go order, but honestly, the food...
5★ · 2026-06-02
Here, you absolutely have to try the red sauce and the green sauce.
Late-Night Availability & Parking
Reviewers note that the restaurant is a reliable late-night destination that offers ample parking space.
2 supporting reviews
5★ · 2023-07-01
This is my go-to place for taking out of town visitors for a taco experience. It’s open late, and it’s usually busy at all hours of the night.
5★ · 2025-09-15
Open until 3 a.m., this place is legendary for post-night-out tacos. The carne asada has a nice char, and the salsa roja is fiery but delicious. The interior feels a little old-school, but that adds to the charm. It’s cash only, so bring bi...
Iconic Status & Favorites
Many reviewers enjoy classic menu items like the carne asada, ribs, and tortas, viewing the spot as an LA staple.
2 supporting reviews
5★ · 2023-05-20
Great tacos and ribs
3★ · 2026-05-31
Even though food is expensive but delicious, just a detail, if you want onion, beans or other selection say I don't want it, they don't pay attention to details.
− Repeated complaints
Long Wait Times
Reviewers report lengthy, unorganized wait times both for in-person ordering and phone pick-ups.
3 supporting reviews
3★ · 2023-05-21
The wait was 20 min and it was empty. This was after i ordered. I thought the wait would be less.
1★ · 2023-09-30
The workers here are something else. Waited 30 minutes for burrito and 2 tacos. Never called my number so I asked the security to help me. When I went up to the counter the worker was laughing in front of my face. Workers are trash here a...
1★ · 2025-07-05
DON'T COME HERE! First of all, this is the far worst taco place in downtown LA I have been waiting for my food! 😩 I have been waiting an hour for just tacos & I'm not only one here. Many customers have been waiting more than an hours for g...
Rude Service & Charges for Extras
Reviewers frequently complain about unfriendly staff members and extra charges for items like limes and extra salsa.
2 supporting reviews
1★ · 2023-05-23
Very disappointed with my last visit. Previously, these tacos were the best I'd had in Los Angeles, but today they were awful. When I got my order, the tortillas were cold, and there were only two limes for five orders. The cashier's servic...
2★ · 2026-05-07
We always eat at this place because we love the lengua and asada tacos. Unfortunately, the service is terrible. The employees are very rude and treat customers badly. They act like they own the place. If you ask them something, they answer...
Shrinking Portions & Inconsistent Quality
Reviewers state that portions have shrunk over time, resulting in burritos filled mostly with rice and beans or dry meat.
2 supporting reviews
2★ · 2023-06-23
My husband picked up a asada burrito for dinner but all we got was a rice burrito. They need to stop cutting corners and being stingy he paid about $8+ for rice.. it's ridiculous there's a reason why other companies are staying ahead of the...
4★ · 2023-10-29
I used to be a regular at El Taurino, have been for half a decade. Food was always great for relatively low prices.. However, nowadays the serving sizes have shrunk along with rising prices... Not to mention they are stingey with the hot sa...
Good for
- Late-night food runs
- Carne asada and al pastor tacos
- Flavorful red and green house salsas
Avoid if
- You are in a rush and need fast service
- You expect generous portions of meat in burritos without paying extra
- You are sensitive to unfriendly customer service
Review anatomy
Reviews per month
| Month | Reviews | Flagged |
|---|---|---|
| May ’23 | 20 | 0 |
| Jun ’23 | 30 | 8 |
| Jul ’23 | 34 | 1 |
| Aug ’23 | 33 | 3 |
| Sep ’23 | 35 | 2 |
| Oct ’23 | 32 | 1 |
| Nov ’23 | 28 | 1 |
| Dec ’23 | 24 | 1 |
| Jan ’24 | 32 | 3 |
| Feb ’24 | 20 | 1 |
| Mar ’24 | 22 | 4 |
| Apr ’24 | 30 | 2 |
| May ’24 | 30 | 4 |
| Jun ’24 | 32 | 1 |
| Jul ’24 | 39 | 1 |
| Aug ’24 | 24 | 2 |
| Sep ’24 | 26 | 2 |
| Oct ’24 | 23 | 3 |
| Nov ’24 | 32 | 1 |
| Dec ’24 | 28 | 1 |
| Jan ’25 | 17 | 2 |
| Feb ’25 | 23 | 3 |
| Mar ’25 | 28 | 1 |
| Apr ’25 | 23 | 1 |
| May ’25 | 38 | 2 |
| Jun ’25 | 20 | 1 |
| Jul ’25 | 31 | 4 |
| Aug ’25 | 20 | 3 |
| Sep ’25 | 26 | 2 |
| Oct ’25 | 28 | 1 |
| Nov ’25 | 14 | 2 |
| Dec ’25 | 20 | 3 |
| Jan ’26 | 23 | 1 |
| Feb ’26 | 14 | 0 |
| Mar ’26 | 19 | 1 |
| Apr ’26 | 25 | 1 |
| May ’26 | 19 | 1 |
| Jun ’26 | 20 | 2 |
| Jul ’26 | 17 | 0 |
| Aug ’26 | 1 | 0 |
Rating distribution
Evidence
- low activity account 72 reviews flagged weight 0.8
- generic account 1 reviews flagged weight 1
Flagged reviews
Showing the 10 most suspicious of 73 flagged reviews.
Sonia Lopez
186 reviews · Local Guide
★★★★★
2023-08-07
The service was good and fast, and the food was good 👍 😋
Mike Hwang
2 reviews
★★★★★
2023-06-04
Jorge Jimenez
1 review
★★★★★
2023-06-06
Elena Uriostegui
1 review
★★★★★
2023-06-19
yoselyn Serrano
2 reviews
★★★★★
2023-06-24
Bomb tacos and burritos
Jose Rosales
1 review
★★★★★
2023-06-24
Juan Jesus Martinez
1 review
★★★★★
2023-07-20
Ana
1 review
★★★★★
2023-09-02
Luis Muralles
2 reviews
★★★★★
2023-09-25
Mayel Marquez
1 review
★★★★★
2023-10-30
Good customer service
Report generated Aug 5, 2026. Reviews change — you can request a fresh investigation.
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