Tortilleria Sinaloa

When my realtor took me to see the house I would end up buying, he stopped the neighborhood tour at Tortilleria Sinaloa. I’d be lying of the close proximity didn’t play a part in my decision to buy in Upper Fells Point. While the seating situation leaves a little (a lot) to be desired and sometimes (all times) it is unbearably hot inside, it is always worth it. Dos tacos de lengua and a Jarritos de toronja (THE BEST FLAVOR EVER) is all this girl needs.

This place provides food that is unbelievably scrumptious. The only thing I enjoy eating more than this food is ur nan. The employees were also very kind and allowed me to 420 blaze it in the store with a product other than their own and didn’t even complain. Also the kids in the basement were absolutely silent when I was there. I wouldn’t have even noticed them had I not fallen through the floor.

Give me taco kisses! Leaving Southern California, I didn’t have high hopes for genuine Mexican food in Baltimore. Much to my surprise, this place is better than most places in LA. The tortillas are excellent, as are the tortilla chips. Everything here is gluten free! Check their hours before you make the trip, they close early.

It is so hard to find authentic Mexican food in Baltimore. But low-​and-​behold, The Weekly Unilocal came through and lead me to this little gem. The pictures were enticing enough to bring me across town and I’m so glad I did. The previous reviews and pictures paid off!
The flavors of Tortilleria Sinaloa brought my taste buds back to my days of devouring Tijuana street tacos at every cart and shop I stumbled upon. The flavors were perfectly fused and served in a manner consistent with the genre. And the Salsa Verde is the best I’ve had on the East Coast. I highly recommend the pollo and barbacoa?
This place is small, which gives it its charm. In fact, there are only about a dozen stools around two edges of the inside with bar style counters. There is another location for this restaurant about half a mile down the road and appears to be much larger. I’ll be checking that place out soon…

Wait. Doesn’t «barbacoa» imply «meat?» Or am I completely missing the point somewhere?
I’m so confused. I ordered the baracoa tacos. And received 2 warm, moist torillas, triple stacked, filled with… vegetables? I had two small bowls filled with rice and beans… But DONDE ESTA LA MEAT?!
I’m quite confused. The tortilla chips were good. Not hot, but good. The bean mixture thing was fantastic. But I’m largely a carnivore. I could not stomach the tortillas without MEAT!

BEST tacos and spicy sauces in Baltimore and maybe even MD. Some of their employees don’t speak English but just use your best Spanish or use body language. Worth a try for sure!

I am a big fan of the tiny shops who are just doing their thing, pleasing regulars, strangers and tourists alike without being pretentious. Tortilleria Sinoloa is tiny; no tables, and no room for them. It’s counter service and if you like your tacos «for here» there are 8 stools and a small counter height bar surrounding the entrance.
The menu was only in Spanish — although a quick Google translate or a chat with the ladies at the counter and you will know what you are ordering if you don’t know your proteins in Español.
I love love tacos… Have I mentioned that before? We ordered three tacos — pescado, lengua and barbacoa. They all came on one plate with lime wedges and a side of pico de gallo and two different spicy sauces. I loved the pico here — everything was crisp and tasted like it was newly picked from the garden — seasoned well with salt, lime and fresh herbs.
The tortillas are made in-​house on this monster size tortilla machine. I think they could supply enough tortillas for all of Baltimore. They make fresh ones every single day and sell them by the kilo. I would have liked if they had hit the grill and toasted them a little them before they filled our tacos, but they are a tasty.
The fish taco was so perfect — grilled fresh, served simply with a lime, cilantro and a few onions.
The barbacoa was tender, but could have used a little more flavor, the pico and the lime helped. Same is true for the beef tongue. The meat didn’t have much flavor on its own. I liked these, I just can’t figure out what the fillings were missing. Whatever it was, the fish had it. Nevertheless, I will be back for the tacos and will probably do most of my tortilla shopping here.

I went twice within a week of finding this place. First time, I got the three tacos in the pictures I previously posted: lingua, chorizo, & al pastor. The return visit I stuck with 3 tacos al pastor. (I like the little pops of sweet pineapple mixed in with the savory meat.)
Each time, they were all very tasty and tender and spiced right, albeit a bit dry. I don’t normally add the lime juice to my tacos, but they needed a little bit of extra moisture here. I also tried the two sauces they provided, and decided to stick with the salsa verde.
One note: I generally find that the homemade corn tortillas are usually too thick or grainy to enjoy; if there is a choice between flour & corn, I go with the former. However, the corn tortillas here are probably the tastiest I have had, hence the justification for the return visit within a couple days of the first.
I believe I accidentally saw a sign for another location opening up as I passed by a building one day, so I will try to find that again & try their products as well.

This is a hole-​in-​the wall restaurant near Patterson Park. Every thing about this place screams a certain grittiness to it. I went with a big group of 7 – 8 friends. We asked for water, which came in this half cut soda bottle that looked unwashed and quite old. They had tap water in this soda bottle which they poured us. In all honesty, as ghetto as it was, I didn’t mind — it was almost part of the charm. Haha.
Otherwise, we each got a few tacos, and they were all quite excellent. It’s $ 3 dollars each, super affordable. The meat is quite tasty and juicy and it’s topped with fresh salsa.
I would say this is an easy go to for tacos in the city. Would recommend it!

This place has ruined tacos for me forever. No place will be as good as Sinaloa. The tortillas are transcendent, and made in house every day. I love their tongue tacos (it’s delicious– don’t think too hard about the fact that you are basically french kissing a cow as you eat it). The taco toppings are divine, and oh-​so vibrant. This is the kind of food that will change the way you look at tacos forever. You have been warned.

BEST MEXICAN IN BALTIMORE – HANDS DOWN!
I’m from Los Angeles and went to college in San Diego, California so trust me when I say I know Mexican food.
Tortilleria Sinaloa is absolutely delicious and every employee that works there is so pleasant.
My personal go-​tos are the barbacoa tacos and the pork tamale. The chorizo tacos are delicious too.
The best part about this place is the tortilla chips. They are AMAZING. They make them in-​house and are just heavenly when warm. Just dab a bit of salt into the bag and shake it around and you will be in a state of bliss. It’s tempting not to get full on them because every time I eat one I just want one more! LOL
This is one of my favorite places to eat in Baltimore. I’m a regular customer now.

While it’s not the best sit down environment, this is my go-​to place for taco takeout, especially for groups. I usually order a pound each of chicken, sausage, and carnitas, which comes with a tubs of red and green salsa, diced onions & cilantro, and slices of lime. On top of that, I’ll get a kilo of tortillas, a med bag of chips (which are thick and crunchy, but not too hard) and a medium tub of guacamole. I don’t know how they make their tortillas, but I do love them. They’re not as easily breakable or as granular/​dry as some other corn tortillas I’ve had, and they are pretty sturdy in holding the contents together. Their salsa is great — both are spicy, but watch out for the red, it definitely has a strong kick. Meat is quality here too — my favorite is definitely the carnitas, which melts in your mouth.

I had probably the best tamale in my life here at Tortilleria Sinaloa. It even beats the abuela-​made tamales that my roommate’s dad would fly up from Brownsville back during my Notre Dame days. That’s how legit this is. I tried three things:
~tamale con pollo y queso: standard chicken and cheese in a corn husk
~tamale oaxacalan: seasoned pork-​belly tamale wrapped and cooked in banana leaf
~homemade guacamole
While Tortilleria Sinaloa is known for their fresh chips and their tacos, they need to be put on the map for their tamales. Especially the Tamale Oaxacalan.
Tamale con Pollo y Queso (Chicken and Cheese tamale)
PROS
–moist and not dried out like Trader Joe’s frozen ones
–meat was also moist, good quantity
CONS
–couldn’t really taste the cheese but overall was good for a tamale
–slightly small for $ 3 when I’ve had ones the same size for $ 2 in Chicago. Then again, those were sold off the bed of a pickup truck so I suppose this isn’t really a con if you factor in rent and utilities as well as labor.
Tamale Oaxacalan
PROS
–best tamale I’ve had in my life
–pork belly was so full of flavor: fat melts right into the masa
–banana leaf adds a nice tropical scent/​flavor but is not overpowering
CONS
–not the healthiest: tamales are made with lard so the extra pork fat doesn’t help with the cholesterol
–I didn’t order two of these
Guacamole
PROS
–Fresh
–can order different sizes
CONS
–not as chunky as I would like it. I like nice big chunks of avocado to scoop onto my tortilla chips.
As mentioned before, I am so sad that I discovered this gem of a place only 2 weeks before I head out of Baltimore. I love it so much I may actually come back and order six tamales for the road. Pictures here:
Enjoy!

As I prepare to drop Baltimore as one of my frequent haunts, I owe Tortilleria a review. This place has been a mainstay of my lunching routine for a decade. Sure prices have gone up, but whose hasn’t? This place churns out homemade tortillas with delicious taco ingredients. In have stuck to the tacos, which I have had all flavors. The pastor and chorizo are personal favorites. The little green and red sauce accompaniments, fantastic. The space is small, so when busy the crowd can be suffocating, especially on a hot day and the tortilla machine running. However, on a quiet afternoon this is a perfect place to unwind, reflect on your morning, eat some tacos and Mexican bebidas and prepare for the afternoon.
I will miss coming here and hope they stick around for another decade.

I was told by a friend that these were the best tacos in Baltimore — and was not dissapointed.
The tacos melt in your mouth. Wrapped in two corn tortillas and filled with meat, cilantro and onions, they are amazing. They give you two salsa toppings to put on as well.
The guac is AMAZING here! The give you so much. For 5 dollars you get a medium and it was filled past halfway to the cup. We could barely finish it between two people. The chips were thick and crispy.

Have been wanting to try this taco joint for a while so I ordered a few chicken tacos to go. If you plan on eating in be warned there is limited seating.
The tacos were simple (in a good way!). Fresh grilled chicken double wrapped in homemade corn tortillas and topped with cilantro and onions. Add heat to your liking with the 2 salsa options they offer. I appreciated the fast and friendly service!
Next time I will need to try the guac and homemade chips. The menu is quite limited but what they have they seem to do well.

Everything I read about this place before coming to Baltimore was right. It is so, so good. Really.
At first, I was hesitant about Tortilleria Sinaloa because 3.50 for a taco is about a dollar more expensive than it should be, in my opinion. But, fuck it, these are worth it. The tortillas were fresh and hot, and the green and red homemade salsas were a perfect accompaniment to the taco. I ordered one taco and the huevos con chorizo, which was, without a doubt, the best I have ever had. Came with a bunch of fresh, hot tortillas. My boyfriend and I sat at the counter and looked out the window while we ate, savoring every last delectable bite. Meat was perfectly seasoned too. Oh man, this place was so good. Next time I come to Baltimore I know exactly where my first stop will be. Right. Here.
Also I bet the horchata is really good, I’m kinda sad I didn’t get some. But you should go for it! Rice milk with cinnamon, ugh it’s so refreshing.
DO NOT MISS!

Quesadilla (tasteful), guacamole with traditional style homemade chips (mediocre/​good), friendly service.

I got a kilo of tortillas. That, was so so happy. They came warm and moist and I ate nearly all of them the second I got home.
I like that they give you sauce/​salsa in little pitchers when you eat there.
I like that they double tortilla.
I loved how delicious their tacos are. DELICIOUS.
I would go for anything cow on their menu, but the tongue tacos were so unbelievably delicious.
However.
My friends were very unimpressed with the guacamole. And for a mexican restaurant? That’s a two star dock.
They said it was bland, tasteless, and boring. I told them they all meant pretty much the same thing, they told me to say it in my review anyway.

WOW! I had to give this place a try because of all the stellar Unilocal reviews and I am so glad I did.
Upon walking in I noticed a huge machine behind the counter that was cranking out fresh tortillas and I knew I was in the right place for tacos! It was very hot in there and very small and quaint and had the family owned feel, complete with toddler running around all over the place! Lol.
I ordered a chicken and pork taco, a chicken tamale, and a side of guac. Total was $ 10. The menu was small and everything is ala carte, which made it easy to order honestly.
There were already about 5 people inside waiting for their food so it did take a long while until I got my food. And with the amount of tortillas they were cranking out and wrapping it made me think that they probably sell them to local restaurants in the area… so be aware that other Mexican joints you may go to probably got their tortillas and/​or chips from this place. Because they also sold their chips by the bag.
Anyway, the food was AMAZING I was in taco heaven. The pork was my favorite with a huge dollop of guac on top. The tamale was also delicious, little overcooked on one end, but it was so much food that it didn’t affect my meal at all.
FYI, it is cash only! There are only 10 bar seats available and it is super hot in there FYI… also their hours are short, so best for a to-​go lunch!
Cannot wait to go back!!! BEST TACOS IN BALTIMORE!