Chalateco

"Me and my partner first came across El Chalateco at the Alum Rock location down the street across from the Mexican Heritage Hall when I saw a Taquero outside grilling Al Pastor. I can’t resist pulling over to get some tacos when I see that lol. Fast forward to more recently when they closed down that location and focused on the Jackson at Alum Rock location in a former Carl’s Jr space. They still have a Taquero, but in the evening starting from Friday through Sunday. There are other Chalateco locations, however, the Jackson location seems to be the main location. They have many dishes on their menu, including pupusas, enchiladas, tortas, Birria, and much more. But what I will keep coming back for are their Al Pastor Tacos. The tortillas are nice, thin and double layered. The flavor has that nice bit of tanginess and oily meat to go with the chopped onions, cilantro, and flick of pineapple. The quality of their tacos is higher from Friday until Sunday when the taquero is doing his thing. Some might find the prices to be off-putting compared to some of the other Mexican or Salvadoran restaurants in San Jose. Can’t say that I blame them. For my birthday party a couple years ago, the bill came out to quite a bit more than expected. So keep an eye on what you are ordering or it could add up fast. They finally got a card machine, so you don’t need to withdraw money from the ATM to pay if you don’t have cash on hand. Ultimately, they have the best Al Pastor Tacos that I’ve found in San Jose. Beyond that, the service, the cost, and all the other stuff doesn’t really matter to me as long as I can get my tacos."

"This cash-only Chalateco located at corner of Jackson Street and Alum Rock Avenue in San Jose, boasts a spacious dining area and plenty of easy parking. It actually has a pretty cool street view at night of traffic and nearby buildings. The bathrooms however could be cleaner and in better condition. Also, none of the menus have prices. This is a big turn off as it can lead to staff charging people different prices for the dish if they want. The service is stern and the food is okay. Overall they get an M as a grade. M is for mediocre."

"We love coming here for our pupusa fix! Our favs are the revueltas (pork, fried beans & cheese) with all the fixings and I love them extra toasty. We always order the Volcanes (almost like tostadas with cheese, choice of meat & loaded w/ pico de gallo) and they never disappoint. My husband loves the consomé de pollo - it's a must for him no matter what the weather is like. Just FYI - Cash only, but they have an ATM."

"Cash only spot, luckily there’s an ATM inside this restaurant. This place is really clean inside. Unfortunately I was not impressed with their food. We ordered the bistec ensebollado, chorizo and potato pupusas, and a michalada. Perhaps other menu items are tastier so my review is based on these items I ordered. The food was okay, not super flavorful to me. I also have a high bar for Mexican food so keep that in mind. Worth trying out this spot if you live nearby."