Taquería Auténtica

Fine. Not great. Ordered take out which never shows any food in its best possible light. Chips were fresh and homemade but deep fried and a bit oily for me. Taco selection (chicken, pulled pork, chorizo, carne asada) was pretty average. Nicely cooked meat filings but not particularly flavorful and if the toppings were supposed to be included on the side maybe something was forgotten: we received lime wedges, green salsa and a great chipotle sauce. I would have expected things like pickled cabbage, shredded lettuce, slices radish, fresh cilantro, pico de gallo and avocado either on the tacos or on the side. We received none of these. Maybe try dine in. It’s probably better. All that said, I probably would go back to this place as the staff were courteous and the food was ready quickly and the issues mentioned above could probably be fixed by ordering some salads and salsas on the side and asking for extra chipotle sauce which was great.

Excellent tacos. Ingredients are fresh and dishes are made to order. Highly recommend.

Local restaurant that we always forget about. Stopped in at 7 on a Friday night and we were seated right away. Very attentive service. Delicious guacamole (more salt on the chips please!). The food definitely lives up to its name.
Yummy dessert of fried cheese. Need I say more?

Terrible service, food and atmosphere. Waited so long to be seated, I wanted to leave but my boyfriend wanted to give them the benefit and so we stayed and had to ask to be seated to eat. We then had to wait for service, and the food that came out was terrible. The meat was dry, and they put burnt pieces on the carnitas, I’ve had many carnitas and they don’t contain burnt old tasting meat. The chicken was very dry, my boyfriend sent back his food and got basically the same back. The music was terrible and loud and the place looked dirty. Will not be returning.

I was excited to try this place after reading the good reviews. I had also tried their truck and loved the breakfast tacos. However, the restaurant was a let down. I don’t mind a dive but the ambience was depressing and it was dirty. There was stuff floating in my water and a hair in my chips. The service was really slow too. They aren’t really set up for kids like many restaurants in the area. The menu is pretty basic and most items are quite spicy! I don’t recommend the enchiladas because they were soupy and soggy. I think you would be better off getting the food to go. The to go orders went out twice as fast as our our orders.

This was my third time there and I don’t know what happened tonight, I just know I won’t be going back. Besides having incompetent service, a screaming child playing video games and who seemed to have been related to someone who worked there, totally killed my enjoyable dining experience.

This place is AWESOME !!! Super friendly staff (seems like a family business) genuinely cares about your experience and comfort. Checking in at all the right times to see if you have everything you need. The food was pretty amazing also. We had the chorizo, carne asada and pollo tacos as well as the guac and chips and the special of the day (2 whole corn on the cob with pico de gallo, cream and queso fresca). the Guac had some nice seasoning and a subtle heat that creeps up on you. the corn was out of this world. I think i took a breath and ate the whole thing before I came back up for air. The pollo tacos were a little boring for me, but everything else was so good, it didn’t even matter.
BYOB. We went a few doors down to pick up a six pack. when we got back, the staff helped us keep our beers «Cold» by placing them in an ice bucket, and checking in regularly if we were ready for seconds.
Great staff, service and awesome food. Will def be back

Second visit here, and certainly not my last. Finding good Mexican is quite difficult in this area, so thank goodness for this place.
Chips are on-​point and a must with the guacamole (warning, they put fresh chiles in this so you occasionally might find yourself sweating). Chow down on these while you wait for your meal.
Chilequiles are my favorite here. Being from the southwest, most people in NJ don’t even know what these are! The chips are crunchy, the sauces very flavorful (go for half and half), and the runny egg on top! Yes please. We always order some to split.
Tacos are always amazing, especially the carnitas, asada, and the nopales. Do yourself a favor and come check this place out!

I wanted to like this place the menu sounded great unfortunately it’s small, dirty and loud not from the people but from someone’s iPod plugged into the sound system blaring the worst music ever. The chips and guacamole were very good and that was about it. The chicken taco was dry and over cooked, carnitas dry and burned, the steak taco which I had the privilege to pay extra for was decent at least but not enough to justify the added cost. The three dollar extra beans and rice tasted like something out of a box from the grocery store. The chicken skin special taco unfortunately had the same dry over cooked chicken on it and the skin tasted like the overused fry oil it came out of.

We love this place! I’m no Mexican food expert, but they really hit the spot when the urge appears. Warm owners, the cooking is done with care, and the flavors bright and concentrated. Way better than the popular taqueria in downtown Jersey city, where they act like they’re doing you a favor to serve you. Add to this that you can walk to Holsten’s for dessert, and a well stocked liquor store is also on the strip, makes this a destination worth driving to.

This part of the state is a desolate wasteland when it comes to Mexican food. The few qualifying restaurants in the immediate area range from sup-​par to objectively terrible (those who seek Mexican food on Bellevue Ave Montclair: turn back or despair). Taqueria Autentica sat here for a year and a half before I would even give it a chance. I’ve now eaten twice at their truck, twice at the restaurant and once for take out and can say it is exactly the type of restaurant that this area needed.
This is very simple food, that respects the ingredients being used. Of their standard tacos, I’ve tried the pollo, carnitas, mushroom and carne asada. I had a special tinga taco, as well as what I think was mahi mahi taco once at the truck. Not all of these were winners; the mushroom tacos were perhaps on the plain side (another condiment, onion maybe, would have worked here) and I remember the chicken tinga taco as being somewhat overstuffed and flavorless. The rest were simply sublime when judging by area standards: perfectly seasoned and expertly presented.
The real winner here is the carnitas. Their version consists of seasoned shredded pork (not chunks as would be more common I think) cooked down with orange and — when they’re bringing their A game — fried to a crispy state, presumably in pork fat as would be traditional. I put a disclaimer in about the frying because I once ordered the carnitas taco and it cameout less fried than something that would be more akin to pulled pork, seasoned in their normal way. I notice that comments below are rather polarized and I surmise that their preparation methods are, trying to be generous, a little unstable. Frankly I’d *much* rather endure a little inconsistency than subject myself to the unyielding mediocrity of anything else nearby.
The carnitas can be ordered in a torta /​sandwich which I strongly recommend doing for a couple reasons. For one, their torta is really on point: excellent bread that’s been lightly pressed with the perfect proportion of condiments to meat. Secondly I prefer the portion size and ease of consumption of the torta over the taco. Don’t get me wrong, the soft tacos are pretty damn good but I vastly prefer the bite on the sandwich.
I could probably go on for a while but I think I’ll save it for a follow up review down the line. Taqeria Autentica is striving to be what a Mexican restaurant should be; bright and flavorful. If you’ve been suffering through pale flavorless imitations, definitely give them a shot.

I’ve been here several times. I’ve stayed and gotten food to go. I was here the week it opened and returned a few times so as to check up and see if it changed. Sometimes I crave authentic Mexican food or even authentic Tex-​Mex. I order for a family of 4. They say that they are not for everyone, and that’s fine. I really wanted to love them, but clearly they are not for me. Yes, the space is awkward, but I can look past that and get the food to go, which I have done several times. I have nothing nice to say about the food, so I will stop here.

This tiny restaurant is so good! Great food that is very fresh, clean and authentic. I go there at least weekly and though I’ve tried and enjoyed most items on the menu, the chicken tostadas are my all time favorite. They are so good they are like a drug and I have to have my fix!

Far from «authentic» the food is a fair ³⁄₅ stars. It’s not bad but it’s bland for a place called Taqueria Autentica. The portions are okay but this place is definitely not worth it. You’re paying for location rather than taste. Drive another 5 min and visit El Matador if you want authentic at a fair price (without the yuppie 40% up charge!)

I’ve been to the Taqueria countless times and IT DESERVES FIVE STARS!!!
TA is the opposite of a tex-​mex rice-​and-​beans joint. They omit the filler and load on great flavor. The chilaquiles with the eggs and chicken together is a must-​have. Add a quesadilla and your appetizers are set. Follow that up with an assortment of tacos — you can’t go wrong — to round out a perfect meal. The steak and chicken come treated with their house-​brand rub that’s tantalizingly not offered on site for home use. …request a courtesy sample.
The classics are great, but Friday and Saturday night Chef Specials always keep it fresh and interesting. These nights get crowded so first-​timers might want to pick a week night to master the flow of incorporating the cash-​and-​carry just up the block. Mike, TA’s Owner is amazingly courteous and maybe even a little excited when customers show up with adult-​beverage assistance needs. Fresh limes and salt round out the perfect margarita and nothing beats a bucket of ice with tall glasses for a six-​pack of beers.
It’s the perfect dinner place for parties of four and if I worked nearby, my office would draw a lunch-​time-​wheel-​man at least once a week.
One more thing… Ironically, TA’s Unilocal info omits its greatest asset. They’re marked as not having a catering service when, in fact, spawned from a food truck they continue to offer some of the best on-​location food in the region.
They’re easily accessible for sampling at either the Summit or Montclair Farmers Markets. GIVE ‘EM A GO!!!

Fresh out of the gym my boyfriend and I decided we needed to eat some tacos. I open my Unilocal app and Taqueria Authentica pops up. I’ve had it bookmarked for a while and it’s very local for me, so it was the perfect place to go.
The place was dead (Wednesday at 8:30pm), which is fine by me. Very chill atmosphere — total stoner vibes with a little Cali feel.
They serve this tasty, spicy flavored popcorn to start. I also checked-​in for the free Guac and chips. The guac totally rocked. It had a kick to it. The chips were good too, definitely not light. I also ordered a salad to start. It was alright, nothing too exciting, but I enjoyed the pickled onions on top.
3 Tacos for $ 10. Steak tacos were $ 1 extra for each.
I tried a steak and chicken one. I really loved the simplicity of them. First off I’m still craving the tortillas today. Looking back I really, really liked them. Not salty and really great texture. The steak was cut up nice and the salsa verde was fresh ta def. The chicken taco was more loaded and very yummy. A little squeeze of fresh lime too — so good!
I want to go back and try the others!
Would love if they had fish tacos ;) *hint, hint*

We had never been here before. Nice surprise.
A little curious at first, as the menu had no typical dishes, like burritos, etc., but what we orderd was different and very good.
This place is not for the chimichanga crowd. It’s the real deal and totally legit.
I had chicken enchiladas with red rice and an app of chorizo, jalapeños and cheese. All good and super tasty.
My wife ordered a bean and pepper toast and two potato and rajas tacos. Again, never seen this stuff, but very good.
It has a small menu, but if you’re adventurous and willing to try new things, this place is solid and will hit the mark.
Very helpful staff, too. Laid back crowd and funky, cool place.

Can you say chilaquiles? I can’t but it hasn’t stopped me form ordering it many times.
Seriously though, this is an excellent place to get some authentic taqeria style food. Some of the menu options like the chilaquiles are not your standard fare and it’s all the better for it. The food is consistently good and expertly prepared.
I just wanted to add that I now have a serious addiction to tacos that did not exist before this place opened.

How has this joint flown under the radar for so long? There is a real taqueria in the burbs ladies and gentlemen… Not a faux taco joint… This place lays down the flavor, every taco has it’s own unique sauce and garnish
An article in the star ledger alerted me to the place last Friday… And this is my third visit since.
While the Duck tacos… Crispy chicken skin tacos… And Chorizo Taco round out my personal favorites, I must say… I have not had a disappointing morsel in this joint…
Each taco has a unique sauce, texture, dressing and garnish… And at 3 $ a taco this place a great value without skimping on flavor or quantity.

I can only speak to the food truck part of their service, but it was relatively good.
They sent their truck to our office today, and I had a chance to grab their chicken quesadilla. It was actually pretty good, and the hearty servings of jalepeno — along with their spicy salsa, definitely gave it a pretty good kick.
The folks at the truck were friendly, but the food did take a long time. Or at least it felt that way because it was hot as shit outside and a bunch of us were all standing around near the truck waiting for our food.
Based on my experience today, I’d be happy to check the restaurant out in the near future.