Reviews Templo Del Sol

My first restaurant post of the New Year is about one of my favorite places to get tacos… Templo Del Sol in Riverside. I opened with almost the same sentence when I wrote about Josie’s Tacos in 2014. Why? Because when Josie’s closed, the recipe for my favorite tacos al pastor transferred over to Templo Del Sol.

Inconsistent Service but Who Cares?. Service while non-Mexican can be the most impressive trial of your patience ever. You're likely to pay for more extras like salsa, chips, and more soda than someone who speaks or looks Spanish or Latin.

All that ugly aside, the food is superb. The flavors are well developed and mature. The spice is complex and integrated, not just jammed on to make it hot. Truly awesome food.

I'm not sure I'll eat there again however. I've been there a few times and the only time I was truly wowed was when I've had a Latin friend with me. Not only is the service better but the experience is cheaper. I do everything I can to be respectful and polite. I always say thank you and I always tip so I'm not sure if they simply don't like me or they simply don't like non-Latin.

Either way, I find the quality of the food good enough that if I were with anyone with Latin looks or the ability to speak Spanish I'd eat there again. Otherwise I'd find somewhere else.

If you like astounding Latin food, go ahead and try this place but be aware, your experience may be different than someone else's.