Reviews Emmanuel's Taqueria And Panaderia

O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Our quest for good Mexican food in Rhode Island continues, and it takes a decent step forward with Emmanuel's Taqueria. Cruising down Dyer Ave. with no intention of going out to eat, we found ourselves powerless to resist their tractor beam of a logo: a large mound of pork meat being cooked al pastor style on a spit.

Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a pastor spit inside (at least not up front in public view), no meat rotating next to the flame, with the juices from the pineapple dripping down and mixing with the guajillo chile marinade. Most of the fillings for the tacos and tortas that populate their menu sit cafeteria-style in hotel pans, waiting for you to order.

While disappointing, I know there are plenty of restaurants that do the same thing behind the closed door of the kitchen. And I actually think it works for a taqueria - because most of the fillings are slow-cooked for hours anyway, so to have them continue to marinate in their juices only makes the flavor richer. (And it certainly beats waiting for 45 minutes for your food at the Rancho Grande, only to find they got your order wrong.)

At Emmanuel's, the food comes almost instantly. We had several types of tacos on our visit - Carne Asada, which my wife enjoyed and reported were flavorful. Carnitas, which I found tasty but a little dry. Lengua, which was heavenly and soft, and really delicious. (If you think the idea of tongue sounds gross, I plead with you just to try them). And of course, Al Pastor, which did have the right amount of bite and sweetness, but like the carnitas were a little dry.

Besides tacos and tortas, Emmanuel's also offers Salvadoran food like pupusas, as well as some Guatemalan dishes. My wife had a cheese-filled pupusa, which was pretty good, but not exactly the way she likes them (and trying to locate good Salvadoran food in RI is another of our quests). I finished the meal with a rellenito - a Guatemalan dessert of a sweet ripe plantain mashed up and filled with mashed black beans, sweetened with cinnamon and topped with a little sugar.

A few other notes: this place is immaculately clean, and very well-lit. They don't serve alcohol - but it's unclear if you can BYOB. It is very family friendly, with plenty of high chairs and toys for kids to play with.

The staff is friendly, and there are non-menu items listed on hand-written papers at the service counter, including sopa de res (a hearty beef soup) which is available on the weekends. They open at 9am, but it wasn't clear to me if there is a separate breakfast menu or different items offered in the morning. Almost more importantly, they stay open until 11pm, so if you have a late hankering for Mexican food, check them out.

Also, it is connected to a small grocery that offers Salvadoran, Guatemalan, Mexican, and other Latin American food staples - including a good amount of fresh farmers' cheeses, a variety of spices and chiles, and even corn husks and banana leaves if you want to make your own tamales, etc. at home. The grocery is also a bakery and there seemed to be a fair amount of pastries and breads - as well as house made tamales - for sale there, which we noticed after we were already full!

Emmanuel's has only been open about 3 months, but our meal delivered good flavor and great value, so we really hope they stick around for the long haul!

The best tacos and pupusas, I love this place so much I have been coming here since 2016 when i moved to providence and the food is always tasty, always delicious, on point and the customer service is amazing, they are always nice to their customers, I LOVE THIS PLACE. 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

Pupusas were soo fresh and good; I ordered each kind. Even the rice and beans were great! They make you feel at home. Stop in here and you will likely leave a little happier.

Someone here said that the portions are small for what you pay, must definitely be a mistake. I have been coming here for years, i can easily split a quesadilla with a friend and we walk out very satisfied. Food is authentic and the portions are extremely generous Excellent value excellent food!