Taqueria El Fogoncito

This place has closed down. Just wanted to warn people because of Unilocal’s lightening quick speed in updating information even when you tell them.

While the space is pretty bare bones, e. g: a dive. the food is cheap, homemade, flavorful and served up by friendly owners.
Location is right across from Mayfair in what looks like an office complex.
If you are a chili hot head like myself, ask for the yellow pepper hot sauce they make in house (or what he calls.“the devil’s p***”…his words, not mine). Wouldn’t divulge much on the contents, but it had a roasted flavor with some hints of garlic. Amazing heat and is totally addictive. So good, I asked for a small solo cup of it to take home.
Great lunch spot and much better alternative to the Mayfair food court!

Very good Mexican greasy spoon with a simple menu but really tasty authentic Mexican food on North Avenue across from Mayfair Mall near the intersection of Hwy 100 and North Avenue. Menu includes enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and the like. The refried beans are worth special mention as is their house yellow hot salsa which is really good — but hot, hot, hot.
While other reviews call it a dump, it truly is a Mexican greasy spoon, if there is such a thing. With a décor last updated in 1984 showing touches from the 50s’ and 60s’, the place has character. And the gentleman who owns the place who made our food IS a character.
For travelers passing by on I-​94 or Highway 45, this place is well worth the short detour off the beaten path. It truly is a «Yelp Special» — good food, offbeat décor, and a friendly owner!
For those out of town explorers who dare to check it out, Taqueria El Fogoncito is located on the bottom floor in the middle of of a very plain, non-​descript tan 3 story office building called the Fairview Building on the south side of North Avenue located within a quarter mile of the Hwy 100 — North Avenue intersection in Wauwatosa. You may have to drive back and forth a couple of times until you spot it but I am betting you won’t regret it.

I came here by suggestion of a friend who said the pork tacos were outstanding. He warned me that it was a hole-​in-​the-​wall place but the fare was authentic. I have to say this picky eater was not disappointed.
The steak tacos with rice and beans was delicious. What I like about authentic Mexican food is that it’s not loaded down with a bunch of cheese, sour cream and salsa. Here, you could really taste the succulence of the meats in the tacos and I enjoyed every bite. While getting the meal was a little slow, I could appreciate that the slowness was due to the tacos being made fresh.
I was fortunate enough to visit on Monday when the tacos were $ 1.00! I ordered an extra pork taco because it looked so delish and took 3 more home for my neighbor to enjoy. While Taqueria el Fogoncito is definitely not fine dining, it’s clean and the waitress-​owner was very pleasant. I will definitely go back to enjoy other menu items.

Nestled on the ground floor of an office building and across the street from Mayfair Mall is the Taqueria. Ignore the horn honks and waving of fingers from the lovely mall shoppers as you parallel park on North Avenue. Slide across the hood of your car like Beau and Luke Duke to avoid getting mowed down (but I’m not bitter). The restaurant is small, but I think it is just right. It is setup like a mini George Webb, lunch counter and all. The taco combination seemed to be very popular. You get 3 tacos, that just have cilantro and diced onion. There was sandy, gritty, something or other in my tacos. I thought to myself, as I bit down on grit… what did I just ingest? Am going to die? Luckily, I did not. I also tried the torta, which is a sandwich. It has refried beans spread on a roll, with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, cheese and a taco meat of your choice. The torta was soggy and not something I would ever order again. You get chips and chipotle salsa with your meal and I have no complaints with that. The taco plate was tasteless. Luckily there was a salt shaker to save my meal. The food was uninspired and I just felt like they were just assembling blah ingredients. This review says nothing about the people running this place. It is a family run business and they are extremely nice people and they are very attentive to their customers. The «grit» feedback is in several reviews over the past year. They need to find out what that is and fix it.

Probably closer to 3.5 and definitely worth a try. I like tacos (who doesn’t?) and I really like hole in the wall places. I don’t require violently colored margaritas, giant pepper rides or any other such nonsense, so TEF is fine with me.
Here’s the breakdown:
Atmosphere:
Absolutely none. To say this place is «casual» is probably upselling it a bit. It’s tiny, dumpy and basic with maybe 4 tables and a further dozen seats at a counter. If that offends your delicate sensibilities you can get take out as several people did while we were here.
Service:
Again, casual — but very friendly. The sign on the door says they are open at 10am but the door was still locked shortly after 11am when we arrived for an early lunch. I could hear our order being freshly made through the kitchen window and our sever was super nice and offered suggestions on what was best.
Food:
Very authentic, very reasonably priced and very tasty! Green tomatillo salsa had a nice heat and the carne asada tacos were really good (properly served on 2 corn tortillas with onion + cilantro). Three with rice and beans will set you back a mere $ 8. Hubs had a MONSTER sized burrito — seriously, this thing made Qdoba burritos look dainty — which he said was delicious. For such a no– frills spot, I was pleasantly surprised to see everything nicely served on beautifully patterned plates.
Drinks: n/​a only here — no cervezas for you!
Verdict: it’s close to home, delicious, friendly and cheap. Not the place to take a hot date or go for a bachelorette party, but 5^th St has those needs well covered. I’ll be back!

I have to downgrade two stars.
C.C’s note is interesting. While I haven’t experienced foreign objects I and other diners with me have encountered a fair amount of gristle like substance with the steak orders.
The Tacos Al Pastor seem to be becoming primarily just pork. The pineapple has been slowly disappearing during my times there having no presence my last time there which is a disappointment.
Finally the hours seem to not be consistent. I’ve gone there to find it closed during mid day which could have been my mistake. I noted the hours before departing and came back during the listed hours on that Saturday only to find it closed again. I did ask what was up and was told that they closed around 9 because they ran out of items. Though I was there a little after 7pm and found it closed.
From my first experience up to this writing I find it to be slipping a bit overall. My initial review has removed the fifth star and this update should accurately reflect what you will experience.

Another local restaurant with two Unilocal!pages. It’s listed under Fogoncito (correct) and Fogencito (incorrect). Oddly, both have the same picture listed, of the awning with name spelled (correctly) on the facing.
Anyway, we ate there for lunch during work a few weeks ago. Showed up about twenty minutes after listed opening and found the door locked. We stood there looking confused and dejected for a few moments before the owner opened the door, ushered us inside, and assured us that he could feed us in time for us to get back to work.
Inside, it’s a pretty bare-​bones operation. Obviously, it’s not purpose built as a Mexican restaurant; think more lunch counter than taco palace. Shah Jee’s as opposed to Maharajah. That said, the size is perfect. The owner took orders, cooked for us, and talked to us the whole time about his family, his business, and his love for delicious and authentic Mexican food.
They have a very limited menu, three meats and a few different ways you can have them. Since he had just opened he didn’t have any chicken available, but I’ll rarely order anything other than al pastor if it’s available, so that didn’t really affect me at all.
I thought the tacos were good. The pork was a bit dry, which is strange for al pastor. I don’t know if it’s because we had gotten yesterdays batch or what. It was good, but I’ve had better in that neighborhood, which isn’t exactly a hot-​bed of Mexican cuisine.
The beans were phenomenal. I really really liked them. And the hot salsa provided was, as advertised, hot. I love hot. Lunch for us was a steal. I didn’t want to bother him to split the bill so I paid for the both of us and it was under twenty bucks. For three tacos, a chimichanga, beans, rice, chips, salsa and two drinks.
I was happy.
We will go again. The owner told me he’s open late to accommodate after-​movie crowds from Mayfair across the street, so that’s something to keep in mind if you still see movies there.

I stopped by this place after my friend recommended it. I go to Mayfair quite a bit and this place seemed to always slip past me. I am always looking for good quality Mexican food and heard this was the spot. So we stopped in and left full and happy.
Like most others, we were the only ones in there. They served us chips and salsa and left us with the menus to read over. The salsa was great, freshly made that day. I couldn’t stop eating it.
I ended up going with the 3 Tacos platter, chicken, steak and pork. They were all great. I honestly cannot tell you which one I preferred. All meats were juicy and flavorful with a nice onion cilantro relish on top.
I will be back to try something new, maybe Huervos Rancheros. I highly suggest checking this place out!

Simple, delicious Mexican cuisine in a quiet, unassuming location a few blocks from the hubbub and traffic of Mayfair Mall.
Everything is fresh and cooked to order — and is fast, too! I recommend the taco combination plate — one each of tacos al pastor, pollo, and carne asada (A). Served hot in double corn tortillas with a healthy sprinkling of onions and cilantro + lime (A+), these hit the spot. A side of Mexican rice and beans (A-​) were vacuumed up in record time by this reviewer. There was the perfect amount of spice in the tacos al pastor, with a hint of pineapple to boot. Add in the warm tortilla chips and two varieties of homemade salsa (A+) and you’ve got a winner!
Owners George and Mary were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and great to chat with during the course of my visit. Special kudos for their treatment of my dining partners’ (fellow Unilocalers Jess O. and Tony P.) 10-​month old son — they really rolled out the red carpet and spoke about other diners who had brought children because it was such a good atmosphere.
The actual space is smaller than I thought — literally a lunch counter and a few tables, but you’re right next to the kitchen/​grill so you can smell the delicious offerings as they’re cooked up. This is not like other taquerias I have previously visited, which have often been fast-​paced, bustling, and have so many options for food your head would spin. Taqueria El Fogoncito has a simple one page menu and also offers their food to go if you are in a hurry. I already have my favorite, but I will definitely be back to try their burrito and the huevos rancheros.
Yum yum yum — if you’re looking for a more relaxed place for authentic Mexican cuisine, TEF should be your jam!

We ventured to Taqueria El Fogoncito at the suggestion of fellow Unilocaler Colin A.
Upon entry, we were greeted by George and Mary, the owners. We had brought our 10-​month old son, and they immediately got him situated at a comfy chair and served him up a big bowl of rice, then got us drinks, chips and salsa. Both varieties of salsa — red and green — tasted fresh and flavorful.
After glancing at the one-​page menu — I asked Mary what she recommended. Without hesitation, she told me to get the carne pastor. She said it was marinated with pineapple and peppers, and the flavor was completely unique to their restaurant. I was sold. My companions got the huevos rancheros and the taco combo platter.
The carne pastor tacos come served on double tortillas with cilantro, onion, and lime wedges. The spice was spot-​on. There was sweetness from the pineapple in the marinade and just the right amount of heat from the peppers. With a squeeze of lime, the flavor profile was out of this world. I piled on rice and salsa and did nothing but eat and make yummy sounds for the next fifteen minutes.
My husband thoroughly enjoyed the huevos rancheros — and Colin declared all of the offerings on the combo platter to be extraordinary — but the pork tacos were so good that he ordered two more.
The atmosphere of the place is incredibly homey — situated in a small diner-​style space with a long lunch counter mere feet from the open kitchen, we were able to talk food, kids, and sports with George and Mary while they prepared our food.
Cheap prices… incredible food… and warm, welcoming atmosphere… this place is a winner.

Since I moved back from Madison about a year ago, I have been mourning the excellent Taqueria Guadalajara, and looking for something similar. It’s true that the south side has a plethora of seemingly authentic taquerias, but somehow I haven’t found a place that I can’t wait to go back to for the tacos.
A few months ago, an acquaintance mentioned off hand that there were some good tacos in a diner-​like joint in an office building across the street from Mayfair Mall. The reference stuck in my head, as my pediatrician was across the street from Mayfair Mall when I was a little kid, and I vaguely remember having a soda in a little lunch counter there back in the day.
It turns out the space that is now the humble Taqueria el Fogoncito is the same old lunch counter, and not a lot has changed (in the space) since the prior reincarnation. (There are some colorful paintings of haciendas on the wall — those weren’t in the diner). The space is very simple, casual, and small, and service is friendly but not professional (not a problem for me, but a turn off for some people I gather).
The menu is limited and includes standard Mexican taqueria fare. Order tacos, Mexican style with cilantro and onions. Great tortillas, al pastor pork, salsas, great rice and beans, etc. Everything was fresh and delicious, and the family who runs the place was very nice. Prices are great. While we were there, it was moderately busy, and there were pretty regular carry out customers.
I don’t know anywhere on this side of town where you can get similarly authentic Mexican food. And in my opinion, these tacos are better than many of the highly regarded south side places (El Cabrito, El Rey, etc). I hope they make it.

JAMAICA TEA. This maroon colored tea, pronounced «ha-​ma-​ike-​ah», is available at Taqueria El Fogencito. The owner was kind enough to let my dining partner and I sample a glass. This was my first experience with jamaica.
Taqueria El Fogencito is a bare bones, no frills kinds of place where you can find cheap tacos and get them fast. I found the steak to be better than the pork and chicken offerings. I also found the house salsa to burn the ever living shit out of my mouth.

UPDATE — Downgrade from five stars to three. Lack of consistency will kill you every time. Went with a few co-​workers for lunch and it was almost a completely different restaurant. The service was fairly abject. Case in point — we had to ask for water. Not only that, when the first two people asked for waters — he still proceeded to ask the rest of us if we wanted it as well. I’d be willing to let this slide if this was my first visit, but last time I was there the service was excellent.
The meal was completely different as well. The complementary salsas begged for additional salt and generally weren’t very good. The tacos were dry and skimped on the onions and cilantro. The chicken for the tacos lacked any flavor at all. That’s probably what surprised me the most. It looked it was marinated and spiced, but there was absolutely no flavor to it. Still a little shocked. And a little embarrassed considering that I talked this place up so much during the week only to have it disappoint. If that was my only visit I’d probably be fine with never going back, but now I feel obligated to give it one more shot to see which experience is the norm. Both the pork and steak tacos were perfectly fine.
I’ll withhold my recommendation to this restaurant due to the dramatic fluctuations I’ve experienced in the quality of food and service.

Great food and hospitality here. I had a chicken burrito to go and got chips and salsa as I waited. Very friendly staff and fun music too!

Hm. not quite what I expected. I was pretty excited to try the tacos here given the number of 5 star reviews it received. My fiancé and I went into the restaurant and we could tell right away that it was kinda run down, not much has gone into renovations since they bought the joint. But we didn’t care– whatever, we’re all about good food.
The complimentary chips and salsa was delicious! The red salsa had the perfect spice for our liking (medium?), but the green salsa was wayy too spicy (extra hot!). We ordered 4 tacos (2 carne asada, 2 pork) and a beef chimichanga. The carne asada tacos had a bit of cilantro, can’t remember if there were onions, but they were okay. The pork tacos were not appetizing — it didn’t have the bang and mouth watering flavors I was looking for. The chimichanga was the obvious winner — but it was dripping with frying oil. For my last bite of it, even after I blotched it with a napkin, I would say ¹⁄₃ of the bite consisted of grease.
I also couldn’t get over the smell of the place. I realized that it was from the waitress wearing cheap perfume. It was really distracting!!!
Bottom line– if you are desperate for authentic tacos/​Mexican food near the mall, yes this is the place to go. But, if you want REALLY good tacos, you’ll have to go elsewhere… I’m thinking Conejitos.

The best Mexican food you’ll find. The owner is from Cancun and his food tastes how «real» Mexican food should taste. We’ve been looking for a good Mexican restaurant since forever and we finally found something. The tacos are cheap and tasty. Their free chips and salsa (s) (you get a salsa roja and a salsa verde) are delicious! I’ve only written two reviews… and ONLY if the food is AUTHENTIC. Sad to say, but it’s hard to find great «ethnic» cuisine in my area.
The restaurant is more like a hole-in-the-wall…small with 4 tables that seat 4 and a counter that seats about 15, but it’s really clean and the service is great. They do cash only, but from experience, lots of cheap good restaurants tend to be cash only.

This is our new favorite taco place after moving to MKE from LA. Tacos on par with the best in Southern California for sure. Onion, cilantro — check. Great flavor for the al pastor and asada which ought to be the wheelhouse of any Mexican restaurant. Like the other review said, each taco is under $ 2, too.
The presentation is nice as well as all the food is served on nice, clean plates with colorful, Mexican-​style patterns on them. The owner, George, is very nice, has built a family in Wauwatosa over the past decade and remembers you the next time you come in.
As for the hours which are not listed here — we think it may be closed on Mondays, but George said he stays open late on weekends to get the movie crowds from Mayfair Mall.
It used to be a diner so it still has the feel of a place you mozy up to the counter, order a Denver omelette and sip your coffee. So it’s probably not the best idea for a first date. You can order to go, sit at the counter or at one of 5 or so tables for 4. You might miss this place pretty easily — it’s in the 1^st floor of an office building opposite an entrance to the Mayfair Mall. There is parking in back if you turn south on 104^th.

Fantastic tacos and salsa at an even more fantastic price.
I recommend the tacos for under $ 2 each — we tried the pork and steak. Really amazing salsas served with the tacos. Perfect service, family run. Cash only.

It is a small little restaurant with an amazing menu. It is a very simple place with about 10 items on the menu. They do everything well. The food is fresh and tastes great. They cook it fresh for you and the service is quick and efficient.
Do not expect the salsa to taste the same everything as it is homemade. I am impressed by the overall restaurant. The service is friendly and affordable. My fiancé and I went to eat dinner there and we paid with $ 20 (which included a 20% tip). The place is affordable, it never seems to close and the food is great.
Whether you want to sit at the counter or cozy up at a table, I would absolutely recommend trying this place out.