El Padrino - Salem

I have witnessed cockroaches crawling on the restaurant's kitchen equipment.

One of the best tacos I have had since moving to Salem. The meat is cut freshly, unlike other restaurants that buy it prepared. I will definitely be coming back again.

This man and his two sons are truly unprofessional and incredibly rude. I made the mistake of trying their food and had a bad experience all around. The food was disgusting, prepared in a dirty area and cooked on an even dirtier stove that looked like it has seen better days.

As one of the more noticeable taquerias in Salem, I 'm genuinely surprised there aren 't more reviews for El Padrino. #1) For years when this taco cart operated along Portland Road #2) it was low on the radar but known in the community. Fast forward a few years, it 's not quite a brick mortar, but a space for patrons to sit inside to enjoy their food while everything is cooked outside on a cart. The format isn 't for everyone #3), but it 's right up my alley.Beyond the colorful murals along the interior and spacious seating, this is still very much a dive. The place is open typically at night and the cloud of grease that permeates the room from all the fatty meats being grilled up. The ventilation is questionable and the seating fold up chairs and plastic tables) is hardly glamorous. I don 't know if I 'd have it any other way.For some folks, seeing certain taco meats sitting in a pool of lard fat questionable liquid might be an eyesore but once the grilling begins it 's a new ballgame. I enjoy almost all the meats, whether it 's their famous al pastor sitting on a tromp with a pineapple on top, or their variety of cecina, carnitas, cabeza cheek, mainly), barbacoa, and asada. There 's no guarantee of what they 'll have on any given night, so I 'm usually good with whatever they have available.The charred grill is also the same place for their tortillas, which are also fried in said lard, and give off this smokiness that might not be everyone 's cup of tea. I think their barbacoa, which is chivo #4) style, is really the best thing they have. The meat is incredibly tender, juicy, and full of flavor. It completely encapsulates their namesake in ricos tacos as one of their signature items.As always, it is cash only and speaking Spanish is a must. I 'm not saying it 's the best taqueria in the city, but for late night eats, it 's certainly one of ones to beat. __________ #1) Aka The Godfather #2) Twas another time: yelp.com biz taqueria-el… #3) Real talk: Most folks in Salem will likely never go to a place like this. That 's really too bad. #4) Goat, my amigos.

Best tacos hands down!! We literally drove here from Eugene to have tacos and quesadillas. But FYI. They are only open at night. Open at 5:00pm most days. Closed on Tuesday's.Food: 5/5