Have you seen Nikko’s Taqueria Mexican Grill? Most people have probably never seen or heard of Nikko’s Taqueria, located on El Camino Real in Redwood City, California, but some may have seen the Seven Eleven to the right of it.
Nikko’s is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that happens to be very good. The few times I have been to Nikko’s they have never had more than three employees working, which can make service slow at times. However, the food is worth the wait.
The location of Nikko’s Taqueria is not very appealing, and the outside of the restaurant does not appear very clean or extraordinary.
However, the appearance of the interior is the exact opposite.
There are small wooden tables each with wooden chairs, and a small retro Coca Cola refrigerator with a larger 7-Up one next to it along one of the walls. The grills can be seen from the cash register so customers can watch as their food is prepared if they stand near the register.
The food at Nikko’s has a smell that you can taste before the food even reaches your mouth.
I ordered the chicken quesadillas which is presented in an organized fashion with the quesadilla cut into four slices and guacamole, sour cream, and salsa in scoops on the side.
My quesadilla had just the right amount of cheese perfectly melted inside along with flavorful grilled chicken. My favorite part of this meal is always the guacamole because it almost has a cool, spicy taste to it.
Senior Isabel Zwass, who joined me for lunch, ordered the nachos from Nikko’s and received a decent proportion of chips topped with spicy salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
Both Zwass and I ordered horchata to drink as well. Nikko’s horchata has a very authentic taste to it which is what makes it so good. Horchata does not look very appetizing, simply because it is just rice water with cinnamon, but it tastes so sweet and unique that it makes you want to drink it all in one gulp.
Nikko’s has three different flavors of horchata and plenty of options for food.
Carryout from Nikko’s is easy to take to a park or house to eat it with friends, which is what Zwass and I did. It can also be relaxing to sit and eat inside the restaurant, but I prefer taking it to go.
Service at Nikko’s gets a three out of five and food gets a four out of five. I would recommend grabbing a bite at Nikko’s Taqueria.
3.5 / 5 stars
