At the corner of Old Middlefield Way and Rengstorff Avenue in Mountain View, Los Altos Taqueria has been cooking Jalisco-style Mexican food since January 1997 — long before Google, Intuit, and the rest of the tech-campus skyline reshaped the neighborhood around it. The name references Jalisco’s Los Altos highlands region, the origin of the family recipes served here; the restaurant itself has always operated in Mountain View, not the nearby city of Los Altos. This guide walks through what makes the food genuinely Jalisco-style, what’s actually on the menu by category and price, and why so many regulars — from Google engineers on a lunch break to families headed to Rengstorff Park — order direct rather than through a delivery app.
A Family Kitchen, Not a Culinary School
According to the restaurant’s own About Us page, the recipes here weren’t learned in a professional kitchen — they were learned in a family kitchen in Jalisco and brought to Mountain View in 1997. Nearly three decades later, the daily-prep habits haven’t changed: tomatillos are still peeled in-house, carne asada is still marinated overnight, and guacamole is smashed fresh daily rather than shipped in pre-made. The restaurant markets itself explicitly as “no Tex-Mex” — a direct claim to authenticity over the Americanized version of Mexican food more common in chain restaurants.
The Menu, By Category and Real Price
Every price below is pulled directly from the restaurant’s current menu file — no estimates, no third-party listings.
Nachos. Regular Nachos run $12.48, Super Nachos $14.56, and the standout Carne Asada Fries — crispy fries loaded with marinated steak, melted cheese, guacamole, and crema — are $15.60.
Quesadillas, Tortas & Tamales. The Regular Quesadilla is $6.24, Super Quesadilla $9.36, Quesadilla Suiza $12.48, and Super Suiza Quesadilla $14.56. A Torta runs $12.48. Tamales Plates are $15.60, with a Veggie Tamales Plate at $14.56.
Burritos. This is where the menu goes big. The Regular Burrito is $13.52, the Super Burrito $15.60, and the signature Super Wet Burrito — smothered in house red sauce and melted cheese — is $18.72. The California Burrito and Shrimp Burrito both run $18.72, while the Veggie Burrito is $13.52 and the Kids Burrito is $8.32.
Tacos. A Regular Taco is $3.64, Taco with Cheese $4.68, Veggie Taco $5.72, Fish Taco $6.24, and Super Taco $6.24. A full Taco Plate is $11.44.
Mas Tacos. Crispy Tacos and Sopes are $5.72 each, Tostadas run $6.76, Chimichanga is $15.60, and Taco Salad is $16.64.
Seafood. The seafood section is one of the deepest on the menu: Camarones a la Diabla, Camarones Rancheros, Camarones al Mojo de Ajo, and Mar y Tierra are each $22.88, Mojarra is $22.88, Cocktail de Camaron is $20.80, and a Ceviche Tostada is $6.24.
Combinations. Fajitas, Enchiladas, and Platillo de Asada are each in the low-$20s (Platillo de Asada $21.84, Fajitas $21.84, Enchiladas $21.84), with Chicken Milanesa at $21.84, Flautas at $16.64, and Chile Relleno at $15.60.
Beverages. Domestic Soft Drinks are $2.08, Imported Drinks $4.16, Imported Beers $6.24, Agua Chica $3.12, and Agua Grande $4.16. Fresh Juice runs $8.32 (20 oz) or $11.44 (32 oz), and a Michelada or Margarita is $11.44.
Weekends Only. Menudo — traditional beef tripe soup — is $13.52 and served only on weekends, a standing tradition covered in more depth in our dish-education spoke below.
Why Order Direct
Los Altos Taqueria’s own site is blunt about this: third-party delivery apps charge both the customer and the restaurant significant fees. Ordering directly through the restaurant’s official online ordering system supports the family business directly and, per the restaurant’s own messaging, gets customers the best price and priority service — a meaningful difference for a lunch-rush order or a family dinner run.
Built for the Neighborhood Around It
Los Altos Taqueria’s location at Old Middlefield and Rengstorff puts it within a few minutes of several distinct crowds: Google and Intuit employees grabbing a fast, hot lunch; families visiting Rengstorff Park; concertgoers on their way to a show at Shoreline Amphitheatre; and office teams at The Crossings ordering a Taco Bar or Burrito Box for a meeting instead of cold sandwiches. The restaurant also offers customizable catering — taco bars, burrito boxes, and protein-packed salads — for office lunches, birthdays, and family gatherings, with over 25 years of catering experience in Silicon Valley.
A Neighborhood Fixture
Nearly 30 years in the same corner of Mountain View is rare in a region defined by rapid change. Los Altos Taqueria has outlasted multiple waves of tech-campus construction around it while keeping the same daily-prep habits it opened with in 1997. That consistency — not a seasonal gimmick — is the actual reason it keeps showing up on “best Mexican in Mountain View” lists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Is Los Altos Taqueria actually located in Los Altos?
A1: No. Despite the name, Los Altos Taqueria is located at 2105 Old Middlefield Way, Mountain View, CA 94043, at the corner of Old Middlefield and Rengstorff. It has served the Mountain View community since opening in January 1997.
Q2: What are Los Altos Taqueria’s hours?
A2: The restaurant is open every day, Monday through Sunday, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Q3: Is the Menudo available every day?
A3: No — Menudo ($13.52) is a weekends-only item, served as a traditional beef tripe soup with onions, cilantro, lime, and handmade tortillas.
Q4: Does Los Altos Taqueria have vegetarian options?
A4: Yes. The menu includes a Veggie Burrito ($13.52), Veggie Taco ($5.72), and Veggie Tamales Plate ($14.56), among other customizable items.
Q5: Does Los Altos Taqueria do catering?
A5: Yes — the restaurant offers customizable taco bars, burrito boxes, and salad platters for office lunches, birthdays, and family gatherings, with over 25 years of catering experience in Silicon Valley. Request a quote through the restaurant’s catering page or by phone.
Q6: Why should I order directly instead of through a delivery app?
A6: Ordering directly through the restaurant’s official online ordering system avoids the added fees third-party apps charge both customers and the restaurant, and supports the family business directly.
