Nestled at the back of Habito, a community mall in the On Nut area, El Mariachi Taqueria represents the second coming for a Mexican joint formerly out on Soi Nakarin. Now, as then, the restaurant busts out Mexican favorites done well amid vibrant decor and the smell of aromatic spices.

For the most part, husband and wife duo Abel Coutino Castilla (from Chiapas, Mexico) and Donaya Siamwalla (from Thailand) stick to real-deal Latino food, with only the occasional North American twist. Taking up just one room——colorful plastic flowers, Mexican superstars framed on the red walls, old Latin music—the restaurant’s real strength is in the fact it makes everything from scratch, including the tortillas, and serves it all at friendly prices.

Start off with tacos like the barbacoa (B280/4 pieces), whose slow-cooked beef is tender and juicy, or a round of the battered fish tacos (B280/4 pieces)—not super crunchy, but well seasoned. The tortilla is really the star here, flattened out perfectly, soft to the touch and stretchy enough to support the heavy toppings.

The burrito mojado (B290) is our plato favorito, drenched in salsa verde (mild green chili sauce) and topped with melted cheese. Its rich combination of rice, refried beans, chicken, pico de gallo and sour cream is mushy but yields a good contrast to the grilled tortilla wrap’s golden crust.

The breakfast burrito (B225) tastes just OK—its layers of egg, sauteed potatoes, corn, salsa and chicken held together well but just not all that flavosome. The beef fajitas on flour tortillas (B18.95/per piece), though well-seasoned, are let down by beef that’s a little too tough.

They don’t have any dessert menu, so we recommend you wash all that food down with a horchata (rice water flavored with cinnamon, B50)—aromatic with just a light touch of sweetness.

Service is smiling, and the tortillas really are some of the best in town, making El Marachi worth a visit for any Mexican afficionados. 

This review took place in May 2018 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.