Best tacos in Treasure Valley? This restaurant won our poll for a second time

Lucio “Coach” Prado didn’t plan on joining the family business.



He grew up in the world of restaurants — washing dishes, cooking on the line and slinging drinks behind the bar — but that wasn’t his dream.

“I have the background because of my father and my family, and that’s where this whole thing started,” said Prado, the owner of the Boise-area Mexican restaurant El Gallo Giro. “I was privileged to have a great life and live in a place where I was able to chase my dreams,” he said. “My dad told me when I graduated from high school, ‘When you bet on yourself, you never lose.’ ”

El Gallo Giro was crowned the winner of the Idaho Statesman’s Treasure Valley Taco Bracket for the second time since 2023 after five rounds of voting.

It beat out Amano in Caldwell, a recent James Beard Award winner, and Calle 75 Street Tacos in Boise to take the title.

How did Boise-area Mexican restaurant get its start?

Prado’s father, Lucio Prado Sr., opened the first El Gallo Giro in the Treasure Valley in 1997.

The local restaurant chain, which has locations in Garden City and Meridian, aims to highlight traditional Mexican cuisine, specifically from the Prado family’s hometown of Tacatzcuaro Michoacan in Mexico.

The Prado family and their friends also operate a food truck and catering service.

Before joining the family business, Lucio Prado attended the University of Idaho and Boise State University, earning three bachelor’s degrees in Spanish, English and journalism.

In his college days, Prado’s mother would send him burritos in care packages. With his backpack doubling as a “convenience store,” Prado would sell burritos and cigarettes at parties and to members of his fraternity.

Eventually, Prado earned a master’s degree in sports coaching at Gonzaga University in Spokane.

“I came home after I was about to graduate, and I told my dad I was no longer going to help him in the restaurant business because I’ve been helping him sporadically throughout the entire process,” Prado said.

Prado followed that path for a while, racking up 17 years as a football coach across Treasure Valley.

Prado thought he’d said goodbye to restaurant life for good but in 2019, he found himself managing El Gallo Giro in downtown Boise.

“My dad has this ability, for whatever reason, to get the best out of people,” Prado said with a laugh. “I wasn’t ready to be an owner at that time, even though I thought I was. I learned a lot throughout that experience.”

Prado and his family had to close the Boise location in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He opened a location in Meridian that same year.

“My dad and my mom (are) very stoic people. They took it on the chin,” he said. “They said ‘We’re just gonna continue doing what we do. Whatever you can sell, sell and figure it out.’ ”

Fortunately, he said, “The community responded,” he said.

“I’m still shocked to see how much they care about this place,” Prado said of El Gallo Giro. “It’s neat to know that we have a following in the Valley. We’ve been in the Valley for 28 years with this brand — creating memories in the Valley for a long time.”’

What’s the secret behind best tacos in Treasure Valley?

According to Prado, El Gallo Giro prides itself on offering “great food, great service.”

“We originally started as a little hole-in-the-wall taqueria (and grew into) a-full service restaurant,” Prado said. “We still try to stick to the same recipes and try to do things the way he (my father) did it.”

However, he acknowledged, “Some things have changed over time.”

Tortillas, which were once produced in house, are now purchased from a local bakery, and the restaurant buys pre-shredded cheese instead of shredding cheese itself.

However, produce is still sourced locally, Prado said, calling El Gallo Giro a “scratch kitchen.”

“With every new allergy and new food, we try to make sure that we can feed everybody,” he explained. “So we’ve had to modify some of our recipes for that reason.” he explained.

Prado says the restaurant is well-known for its street tacos.

“We were always famous for our street tacos,” he said. “I think people overdo a taco. They try to do too much. if you have a really good tortilla, and you have really good protein and you have really fresh produce, you’re gonna have a great taco.”

El Gallo Giro’s birria tacos are also gaining popularity.

“We worked through that one” to find the perfect recipe, Prado said, trying four or five different cuts of meat. “One of the secret touches is we cook it with an avocado in it.”

“Our recipes come from basically working on them and then leaning on family,” he added. “We’re all from different parts of Mexico.”

Where is El Gallo Giro?

El Gallo Giro is at 5286 North Glenwood St. in Garden City and 1435 North Eagle Road in Meridian.

What’s on the menu?

El Gallo Giro’s menu includes street tacos, authentic enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos and chimichangas.

If you can’t decide on an entree, you can order a combination platter.

Combo platter prices range from $10.45 for one item to $18.65 for four times.

You can three street tacos for $8.95, four for $11.95 or five for $14.95.

When are Garden City and Meridian locations open?

El Gallo Giro in Garden City is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11:00am to 10:00 p.m. It’s closed on Sundays.

The restaurant chain’s Meridian location is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.