Taqueria La Vaquita
Phone: (919) 402-0209
Taqueria La Vaquita or "The Cow Store" as it is affectionately called, is well-known for the bovine statue that adorns its roof. But it's famous around these parts for its delicious Mexican food and beverages. They have a broad selection of tacos and meat options, cooked to perfection.
Cuisines
- Casual Dining
- Celebrated Cuisine
- Mexican & South American
Hours
Monday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Map
Google Rating
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One of the very best Mexican restaurants in the triangle. Tons of options and everything is high quality, authentic (as far as I can tell), and delicious. Service is fast and friendly. Outdoor seating only and you can find many street food style options that are less common in typical Mexican restaurants. An all time favourite of mine.
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I came to la Vaquita to film a school project on Hispanic foods and had a wonderful time talking with Antonio about the restaurant. The staff were incredibly kind and the food was incredible (must try the tamales!). I really appreciated that they were willing to share their experience and I loved learning how they keep their food authentic and fresh (which can be rare). Will be back for sure!
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I got the pollos taco meal and it was amazing. The meat was juicy and the onions were great. My only quarrel is that the bottoms of my tacos fell apart. It seems more that the juice just made it a little weak but it didn't effect eating it at all. Great food will come again.
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The birria was AMAZING—definitely the highlight. The salsa was a little too tomato-heavy for my taste, but still decent. Seating could be more comfortable (the benches were not as comfortable) but overall I had a great experience and would definitely come back!
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Taqueria La Vaquita, recommended to me by a friend and as someone who grew up in LA and went to school out in San Diego I had to give it a shot. I’ve craved tacos ever since moving out here and I would say this place was good but definitely not up to par to what I am used to.
Now the food isn’t terrible by any means. I got to try the al pastor, shrimp, carnitas, carne asada, lengua and the cabeza. By far my favorite was the cabeza. The chips and salsa were great!
Cabeza - crispy outside and fatty and tender inside.
Carnitas - good, solid choice. Not dry.
Carne asada- give that a go, it was like a steak chopped up, even had some sinew bits (I enjoyed that, some might not).
Shrimp - had a nice bite, not over cooked, pricey.
Al pastor - good, a bit dry and definitely not sliced from a spindle of meat (this is the chopped stuff)
Lengua - stay away.. did not have its signature meaty and tender combo that a well done tongue should have
I do have to agree with some comments as others put out about their service. I have two main comments-
- Wait time : waited 35 minutes for a burrito, 4 tacos, chips and salsa.
- Ran out of Al pastor for my burrito on a taco Tuesday.. and did not tell me until 18 minutes in. But I give an extra star because they replaced my meat with shrimp.
Aside from that I’d recommend checking in on your food at the 10 minute mark, then the 20 minute mark, etc. Of course you can order online, and maybe it’s Covid but I went during dinner time at 6pm, with 2 people ahead of me and waited 35 minutes total. So if you’re hungry get a drink, maybe ask for your chips first or you’ll get a little grumpy.
My initial review is a 3 because i would give the food a 4 and the service a 2. I would like to give this place a second shot though.
Update 4/11/2023
I finally came back to visit- some notable changes to the storefront is that there are now TVs for the menus. The food was also more expensive though I can understand that with the economy the way it is.
Ive come back to give the 4th star back because they were quick! But the feedback for the food above still stands; and some new ones below.
Chips and Guac - nothing special, though the guac seemed to lack some flavor, I had to add some salt, pepper, cilantro and onion (from my taco) and that made it better but it must’ve been mostly avocado. A bit expensive for what it is.
I tried the following this time and have an update only for the chicken taco.
Carne Asada - Still good, came with onions and cilantro
Cabeza - tender, fatty; still recommend this as one of my favorites
Pastor - good flavor, a bit of crisp; delicious
Beans + Rice - they get the job done
Chicken - Don’t recommend this guy, I finished it since it was a $3 taco but the meat was a bit dry, not memorable or worth your time.
Mexican Coke - Classic, refreshing; I got to pop the cap myself and found on the wood support next to the picnic table, the bottle opener is a bit worn as it seemed to barely catch my bottle but I got it open!
*I did see Birria tacos and want to come back to try those-
Nearby Businesses
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