La Lupe Restaurant

Solid 4 stars.
I’ve been here a few times and they have never failed me. Burritos are great, chips and guacamole are very good, and all for a good value.
Service is nice enough, I don’t expect a ton of attention in these places. But good enough for me.
Atmosphere is very casual. A chill place for a casual date or a quick lunch.

$ 5 burritos on Thursdays (possibly Wednesdays too?)? yes, please!
This a pretty damn tasty and huge burrito for $ 5. Well, $ 5.40 to be exact. It’s a little weird that they put sour cream and guac on top, forcing you to eat it with a knife and fork unless you want Mexican condiments all over your hands. Keeping it classy, I suppose. The al pastor was really good, with nicely-​flavored pork and delicious pineapple pieces.
The service wasn’t great, but the lady was very nice and brought us stuff when we asked for it, which seems to be de rigueur at small hole-​in-​the-​wall ethnic places. The potential is there for a bit of a language barrier, but that’s all part of the adventure. I will most definitely return for taco Tuesdays, because how can you beat $ 1.50 tacos?

I really like La Lupe. It’s on the same block as the big wig cheese steak shops Pats & Genos in South Philly. Many times I’ve gone down to have a quick steak and found the lines wrapped around the corner. Not being much in the patience department, I found myself leaving the line and looking for an alternative. I found La Lupe. I ordered 2 soft steak tacos and a side of the Mexican red rice. The tacos are served with Queso Del Frier cheese instead of Queso Freso which is a really nice little salty change of pace. The red rice is solid. They have flavored drinks from Mexico that put a bubbly smile on your face during the meal (I like the Pineapple and Mango if you’re buying). Go check them out and keep a solid, family owned restaurant in business.

TL;DR Authentic Mexican food but not worth the wait.
Went on a Taco Tuesday around 5 pm for their $ 1.50/ taco special. Ordered Enchilada, Pastor, Chorizo, and Chicken tacos. They come with cilantro, chopped red onion, and guacamole.
Boy am I glad I got 4, though. Nearly 80 minutes passed from when we ordered to when we got our food and we were the 7^th, 8^th, and 9^th people in the restaurant.
Good tacos but not worth 80 minutes. Go to El Jarocho at 13^th and Ellsworth for comparable tacos (if not better!) for a similar price and ¹⁄₂₀^th the wait.
La Lupe is a BYO with large glass garage doors that they presumably open when it’s nice. It’s better suited for a lazy summer afternoon of drinking El Presidente, munching tacos, and injuring eternity.

These are the best tacos I’ve had since moving here a few weeks ago. Fantastic. I had al pastor, chorizo, chicken, and carnitas. I’d say the Carnitas were the best. Not one thing on these tacos is done to less than perfection. When I was done with my order of three I had to order more.
It’s also never super crowded. It’s a very casual atmosphere. I was there on a monday night and there were maybe two or three other people. Do it up!

Not great! After reading the reviews on Unilocal we decided to try it. We waited 45 minutes for eggs. Finally my hubs was so angry he asked the waitress what was taking so long and they told us they were waiting on the eggs to be delivered. Are you kidding me? How long would we have waiting before the delivery? Service and that experience make this a Never Again!
Not to mention you have to ask for salsa, they don’t bring it. And the chips were horribly old. Yuck all around!!!
Sorry La Lupe, you failed on this one big time!

I went on taco tuesday. After sitting and waiting for awhile, watchimg others seated after me have their orders taken and receive drinks/​chips/​salsa, some random VERY young lady took my order (what was she? 12?). I ordered two cheese and two barbacoa tacos – an order she proceeded to get wrong while repeating it back to me four separate times. I was pretty certain, at that point, my order was going to come out wrong but as long as it was tasty I didnt care too much.
I waited a half hour until another waitress came over to let me know they were out of barbacoa. So I ordered two chicken tacos instead… she seemed confused when I tried to confirm I was still getting two cheese tacos as well.
Another half hour passed and I was seriously considering leaving at that point, several tables had come and gone and it never was that busy to begin with, FINALLY my food came. An older woman came out to confirm my order – like two cheese and two chicken tacos on taco tuesday is totally unheard of or something.
It was okay. It wasnt bad. When I was done I hear the waitresses behind the register (si, hablo espanol) trying to remember what I had ordered to properly ring me up. Really?
I’m probably not going back which is a shame because I live nearby and love me some tacos. Oh well.

Usually went there for every taco tuesday.
Waiters were always friendly, except one lady with no smile whatsoever. Food is always great. Freshly cooked and quick. The place closed at 12 o’clock. At 11:30PM, my friends and I came and they still served us. They went through great length of cleaning after our mess. That shows that they are really dedicated to show their great service to their customers.

The portion size, the price, the relaxed atmosphere is just right.
La Lupe Especial… YUM! So are the goat tacos.

It was actually my first time eating here earlier this evening and I will make it a point to go back when I can. We waited on and served fairly quickly and given homemade tortilla chips as we waited. Though I cannot remember the Spanish term, I ordered the salted beef taco and my friend got a bacon cheese burger. Both were pretty decent and not to mention. you get Mexican Coke which is way better for you as it is made with sugar. On my next visit I will definitely be ordering a lengua burrIito. I feel assured in them now.
Great food for under $ 9 from even better people is something I can’t pass up.

My wife and I stopped in for a quick bite on a Saturday night. This was our first visit and we chose to give La Lupe a shot as opposed to going to Taqeria Vera Cruz.
I short, poor service and decent food.
Service — place was empty. Never saw server. Ordered 8 tacos no onions. Received 4. Asked for my other 4 and eventually received them … with onions.
Food — decent. Better than most. Not the best but above average.
Price was extremely reasonable.
I am not sure if I would go back.

This is a great place for summer time because there is outside seating. You can also BYOB which is a plus. The only downside to this place is their service is super slow, so if you are really really hungry, don’t go there.
But if you are a fan of beef tongue, they make the best lengua tacos/​burritos ever. I always go there for their Horchata (drink made of rice, almonds, cinnamon, lime zest and sugar). Their salsa verde is also A+.

La Lupe is my favorite mexican place in Philly. I used to live about a block away so I went there frequently.
The tacos, nachos and plantains are great (this is what I get every single time so I’m not sure about other menu items). The food is really great. Service can be a little slow at times, but they’re friendly so I don’t mind.

originally planned to go to Pat’s or Geno’s for cheesesteak, but after i saw that they didn’t have non-​beef options, i left. (i know, i know. cheesesteak’s are supposed to be made with beef, duh. but i was hoping they would have another option since i don’t eat beef).
anyways, my cousin and i were starving so we just went to whatever was near, so La Lupe it was. staff is pretty friendly here. there was a guy who was working there that talked our heads off.
i ordered pork enchiladas verde. i was surprised to get some good and authentic tasting Mexican food in Philly. not that im an expert, but being from California, Mexican food flourishes. and i kept hearing that its hard to find good Mexican food in the East Coast, but this place was pretty good.

I’m giving this 4 stars based solely on the chorizo burritos. Best. Food. EVER.
I’ve had a few other things here as well, but that burrito is hands down my favorite.
I like the atmosphere also, particularly the glass front so you can see everything going on outside.
The service is meh. The waiters seem amused that non-​hispanic people are eating there, but that can be ignored. Also having your waiter only speak a few words of English can be frustrating when you need to make changes to your order.
Their delivery is so bad it’s actually funny. The delivery guy comes down on a bike and you’d better have exact change, as they don’t carry any on them (that I get. I wouldn’t carry change on me if I had to be a bicycle delivery person in South Philly either).
That’s a lot of complaints, I know, but the food makes it all worth it. It’s just heavenly. Hands down my favorite authentic Mexican Restaurant in Philly.

This is probably one of my favorite mexican spots in the city. Authentic, cheap, not too trendy and not trying too hard. They have simple, tasty food for cheap. I like getting some cheese tacos and some chicken and swapping the fillings around a little so I can have chicken cheese tacos!
It’s a BYOB which is also a plus on the financial scale. Great place all together — it always impresses the friends from out of town!
Reason why it’s not a 5 star? The service is sub par, I know they are trying but I’m pretty sure a adolescent boy took my order once… Hmm…

While I «get» the appeal of La Lupe — huge windows that open onto the street, and cheap food — it is by no means the best of your taqueria choices in South Philly.
What left a sour taste in my mouth was when I came here with three other friends for dinner and the service sucked. Why? Because they were cooking THE TAKE-​OUT ORDERS BEFORE THE SIT-​DOWN ORDERS. While everyone in the restaurant waited for their dinners, and I mean everyone — orders for the delivery guy were flying off the counter. That’s just stupid.
The food is all right, but it was far too greasy, and definitely not worth the wait. With so many new taquerias opening up and down 9^th Street, there are plenty of better choices. Just skip this one.

Right next to Pat’s and Geno’s, La Lupe proclaims that it has the best Mexican food in South Philly.
Indeed, their queso tacos are the best that I have ever tasted! Thick slabs of (I think) Chihuahua cheese topped with guacamole, cilantro, and onions served with limes, cucumbers, and radishes on the side makes for my idea of a perfect meal. Dinner starts with chips and super-​spicy salsa served in a syrup carafe. Make sure to ask for plenty of water!
I would definitely go to this place for their tacos — they’re really cheap, and even cheaper on Tuesday nights when they’re $ 1.50 a pop. Also a BYOB. They’re also open pretty late, which is great for drunk munchies!

First of all, people need to STFU about «authentic» it’s a hack phrase that doesn’t mean a damn thing. Every village in said country has a different idea of «authentic» and as with almost any foreign food you would not like the actual authentic gopher guts in cactus-​armadillo sauce. Secondly, chorizo will ALWAYS be good no matter who makes it. It’s salty, fatty, pork. I love it, I’ve never had bad chorizo anywhere. But that’s like adding butter to anything – it’s automatically good. I must be seriously not understanding Philadelphia tastebuds because this place is pretty mediocre leaning on bad.
La Lupe appears to be in a good location, with opened garage door indoor seating. The prices seemed reasonable and they had a few extra than usual tacos. I was feeling good, until I got the chips and salsa. Most Mexican restaurants take the 10 min to make their own chips. Not so. This place had cold bagged chips pretending to be homemade. Alright, I eat bagged chips at home, no big deal, right? I was eagerly awaiting my big bowl of salsa, when the waiter plopped some IHOP syrup dispenser on the table. No joke, they keep their disgusting salsa in syrup containers in the beverage fridge. Their salsa has no chunks of any kind, it is completely blended and obviously from a jar. It’s slimy and thin, with no flavor other than slightly salted baby food. The only way to save it was to mix Yucateca with it, which luckily they have 2 bottles of.
Salsa aside, maybe the food is good. Between 2 people we ordered six tacos at $ 2.50 each – Barbacoa, Enchilada, Steak, Chorizo, Al Pastor, Grilled Pork. The tacos were presented in a gyro-​like cone with onions, lime, and a tsp of guacamole. The shells were very thin and flour based rather than corn. They were decent, but I suspect they were also prepackaged. The meats were fairly average, but i couldn’t tell any of them apart, and neither could the waitress. The Al Pastor would have been ok, except for the bad quality pineapple which was mushy and disgusting. The meat seemed to be mostly trimmed of fat (although I still found some chunks), but decent fat-​content for a Mexican restaurant. The saving factors were the Barbacoa (goat meat) and Enchilada tacos. Both are taco types I don’t see in many places, and they were executed fairly well. The goat was tender and well cooked, and the enchilada was nicely flavored.
The tacos were just ok, but it’s not worth going back. I can’t get over that they could not even provide me with half-​way decent salsa! Perhaps everything had to be mild and flavorless due to its proximity to the tourist locations of Pat’s and Geno’s, but this was not nearly as flavorful as Mexican food should be.
Bottom line: Never trust a Mexican place that doesn’t have salsa!
Pros: Hmm… they have goat meat?
Cons: Salsa, chips, tortillas

In years past I might have given La Lupe 4 stars, but the quality seems uneven these days, so I’m inclined to only give 3.
I used to drive past La Lupe every week and resolved to eventually try it. The first time I ate there, I was not disappointed. People obviously don’t eat at La Lupe for the ambiance– it’s the food that keeps locals coming back. I was also a little suprised by the prices, which run from $ 9 to $ 14 for a platter, but once I saw the size of the serving and the quality of the food, I realized it was a bargain. Authentic Mexican tacos will run you $ 2, gigantic burritos are $ 6.50, and a fascinating array of soups, appetizers and salads run the gammut of price ranges. There’s interesting items such as Hominy Corn Soup with Pork, Cactus Salad, and for the brave and enlighted there is Oven Baked Goat Meat and Beef Tongue. This place is a far cry from Taco Bell. But if you aren’t adventerous, you’ll still find something on the menu that is familiar and delicious. La Lupe even serves breakfast; of course you can have pancakes, but what about eggs with chorizo, cactus or jalepenos!
I was overwhelemed by the choices but I didn’t want to be safe an try the tacos, so, I went for the house specialty. The first time I ordered the La Lupe Especial, #68 on the menu I was really pleased. It was awesome and only put me out $ 10.75 and fed me for two delicous meals. Two delicious spiced porked cutlets smothered in cheese and cremoso Mexican sour cream and a sunny side egg was served with a side of beans topped with Cotija cheese, rice, and nopales (cactus.) The creamy, delicious Mexican sour cream and the sunny side egg really bring this platter together and make it something especial! Subsequent times I have ordered it hasn’t always been as good as it was that first time (it’s that the way it always is after the first time?)
If you’re looking for cheap eats, you order take out tacos and you can eat for about $ 6. If take a table inside, with tip, beverage and a platter (or a sandwich and one appetizer) you’ll plunk down about $ 18. I recommend enjoying a whole meal with the benefit of friendly bilingual service!