When college students are considering lunch, they often look at what is the most food they can get for the least amount of money. For many, tacos are an obvious choice and the Great Mex Grill, down the street from Long Beach State, offers more than just quantity in tacos: they offer authentic and quality Mexican food at the best price.
In the Daily 49er’s Best of Long Beach survey, students voted the Great Mex Grill as the city’s best Mexican food.
It has a great variety of Mexican dishes and combination plates that are decently priced for college kids. The most you’ll spend to fill you up is about $7 to $9.
To put it simply, their tacos are mouth watering. They offer soft taco tortillas cooked to perfection with chicken or carne asada, cilantro and onions. You can also order breakfast items such as breakfast burritos, omelettes and burritos as well as the more traditional foods like enchiladas, nachos, chimichangas, tortas, quesadillas and salads.
The dining area is relatively small but comfortable, and there’s always a positive energy in the restaurant with friendly staff and cozy decor with dim inside lighting and painted walls with colorful photos.
Great Mex Grill’s version of Taco Tuesday happens on Tuesdays and Fridays, where crispy, soft or mexican tacos are only $1.50 without tax.
The location makes it a no brainer for students, as the restaurant’s Atherton location is only about a 15 minute walk from the parking structure near the Walter Pyramid, or a four minute drive from the same structure.
Other than their well done carne asada fries topped with pico de gallo, cheese and sour cream, another favorite item to order is the guacamole because it’s always fresh and seasoned perfectly, a little chunky with the avocado and tomato but smooth enough to slide your chip through without it breaking — all you need to do is add a little lime for perfection.
Another great thing about their guacamole is that you can grab different size orders of guac from a small scoop up to a 32-ounce container. A 16-ounce size was enough guacamole for a week.
It’s a great hangout spot to enjoy with your friends and family not only because of the music but also because of its lively environment.
If you’re craving a refreshing horchata to go with your tacos, Great Mex Grill also serves glasses for $2.20. They’re sweet and chilled and always a nice addition to your visit. They also offer different choices of beers like Modelo and Pacifico. If you’re looking to catch a sports games, you can sit and watch your favorite team while eating salsa and chips.