El Gallo Taqueria - Mexican, Petaluma

1367 North McDowell, Suite 140, Petaluma CA 95954
(707) 763-7111
Parking: in shopping center

Last Visited: June 3, 2006

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$$

El Gallo Taqueria just opened up in the new Kohl’s shopping center in Petaluma. It’s bright orange and sunny décor is inviting. The large panes of glass in the front of the shop stream in lots of light. In the rear is a large flat screen tv. This evening and during my second visit, it was showing the soccer game. There are rooster figures on the wall and a large glass rooster containing garlic and other decorative foods. The open kitchen allows the aroma to come to your nose. There’s a salsa bar in the middle of the restaurant with lime pieces, various salsas, and vegetables.

The local radio station was raving about El Gallo Taqueria, so I thought I would give it a try. Upon our arrival, we received warm chips and were told to help ourselves to the salsa bar. Service was friendly.

- Super Burrito – I selected chicken, but other meats are available. A good sized burrito comes in a soft flour tortilla. Inside were sour cream, guacamole, rice, beans, and salsa. The overall flavor was good. The chicken strips inside my burrito were freshly grilled. Good. I wouldn’t expect anymore for the price. $5.95

- Fajitas – Shrimp – The fajitas are available with shrimp, chicken, or steak. They’re served with pico de gallo, guacamole, rice, refried beans, and three tortillas. The shrimp is grilled with green peppers and onion strips. It’s grilled after ordering and comes out steaming hot. The rice is perfectly moist, and the refried beans have a fine consistency. All was very good. There were only seven shrimp, which was a bit disappointing that there weren’t more, but overall, the flavor was terrific. The only point of improvement is being a little more generous with the shrimp. $10.95

Most items range from $4.50 to $11.95 in price. The typical item menus are included – enchiladas, burritos, tortas, tacos, and even burgers. They also have kid’s plates available. I will probably try one of their combination plates in the future (prices for those range from $5.95 to $6.95).

During my second experience, the service was not quite as friendly, though close. The place is somewhat empty for a Saturday evening, so the location may not be so good for drumming up clientele. The lack of signage from a side view is likely hurting them, but the food is still good. This time, there wasn’t any pico de gallo in the salsa bar which was a little disappointing, but some came with my dish.

- Enchilada and taco combination plate – Choice of meat for both items is available. The shredded beef enchilada came in a very soft tortilla topped with sauce and cheese. Great sauce. The taco is available with a crispy shell or soft. The crispy shell is drizzled with a little enchilada sauce and lightly sprinkled with cheese over the center. The taco comes with lettuce and pico de gallo. Since breast meat is used, it can be a little dry. This combo plate also came with rice and refried beans. Since the items are not made to order, it’s more like hot plate, warm food, but still good flavor. $6.96

- Taco Salad – With a choice of meat, you receive a tostada shell (very light and flaky) containing refried beans, rice, lettuce, meat (I selected shredded beef), pico de gallo, two dollops of sour cream, and two dollops of guacamole. There’s a light sprinkling of cheese on top (dried, not fresh). The meat is fresh and warm and the salad is good. The only thing I would improve is adding more lettuce and using fresh cheese. Great flavor though. $6.95

The chef was very sanitary – he took our order, and visibly washed his hands before beginning to cook. Not every place does this. The only thing I would change is the air circulation. Since the kitchen is open, it’s hard for the fresh air to be circulated. They try to accomplish this by keeping the door open, but I don’t know what they do on a cold or rainy day. Nevertheless, it’s a great place to try out. The ingredients were fresh, the service, friendly, and the chips warm. If you’re interested, they have tamales that are Central American style that are wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. So far, all of the dishes I’ve tried have been fresh and good. Need I say more?