Love this place! My favorite are the ahi tuna and cauliflower tacos. The ambience and decor is amazing. One of my favorite all-around Mexican restaurants when you consider the food and ambience which are both really important to me. If you're looking for authentic Mexican this probably isn't your place, I would say it's more upscale Mexican. I've been here a number of times and each time the food is delicious and the service is great! 5 star experience in my opinion. read more

This was a great and reasonably priced Mexican restaurant. There was lots of room inside and outside so the wait was not long at all. Tacos were amazing, although the one complaint I would have is that there were no mainstream options such as chicken or ground beef. The tacos themselves were very good and definitely a fun place to try out for the adventurous eater! Wait staff was nice and atmosphere was very pleasant and summery. read more

Al Pastor - in order - pork belly tacos w/ pineapple salsa, crispy fish tacos w/ pickled cabbage, & bbq brisket w/ jicama slaw - Mexican Near Me - Exton, Pennsylvania

I planned on going to Nudys but I guess it's now closed so I just went here to pick up lunch takeout. I ordered the carne asada tacos they came to $10.60 with tax. When I received them I was shocked to see that they did not come with any sauce or cheese or to go silverware. They tasted ok but as fancy as this place looks I think Taco Mayo or Buho is much more flavorful and cheaper. Maybe they are just getting things together because they are new. Whatever the problem I hope it gets better. read more

Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Exton, Pennsylvania

Really good service and a nice layout and design for the restaurant. Unfortunately the food was only mediocre, which is causing the low rating. The tacos could use a little more flavor and would probably taste better on flour tortillas. The salsa is too thin and either too spicy or not spicy at all. The guac was pretty good though. Overall has the potential for 5 stars but needs work on the food. read more

Al Pastor - Taco Combo. $2 upcharge to sub 1 taco for an equally priced taco. - Mexican Near Me - Exton, Pennsylvania

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I know people like their reviews short and sweet, so let me summarize my review before I go into further details: The food was excellent, the place was great, and I'd go again in a heartbeat. Now, for some of the details: Our table ordered a whole bunch of appetizers, and I think we got the nachos texanos, the tacos al pastor, the ceviche yucatan and the huaraches carnitas. All the dishes we got were really colorful and bright. For example, the tomatillo salsa with jalapeno and cilantro had a beautiful green spark to it, especially next to the dark red salsa. We also got a bright yellow mango habanero hot sauce, that I was particularly fond of. It was super spicy, and went really well with some of the dishes. The evening that we went, the chef was actually handing out a bunch of empanadas that were made from fried plantains, as opposed to corn, and filled with either pork or a vegetable mixture containing zucchini. I kept dipping those empanadas into the hot sauce and it was a great combo. Just the fact that the empanadas were made of plantains though, was really cool. I also enjoyed the huaracha carnitas, which was super smoothly executed if I don't say so myself. The meat was tender, the bread had a soft but chewy texture to it, and it was seasoned just right. I didn't try the ceviche, but my wife is a big foodie, and she told me that it was just like she had had it in Mexico. I'll try to put up some pictures of the food, if I can figure out how to do it (this is my first review on yelp). read more

I like the food and want people to support this local business, but I'm hoping the owner takes to heart some constructive criticism. First, the staff is very young, which is fine, but they don't appear particularly well trained. For example, we were a party of 5 and they sat us at a 4 seat table even though there was plenty of other seating or a 2 seater could have been moved over. Next, our waitress was extremely inattentive to replenishing drinks. Once the order was taken, she was very scarce. Also, the fact that you can't customize an order is perplexing. Someone at our table wanted a chicken burrito with cheese and rice. Very simple, but the response was no can do. With some basic tweaks, this restaurant can be awesome. Instead, it's just good. read more

While I welcome a local eatery and had a great time with friends the food was mediocre. The nacho plate to start was tasty and the three dips they provided were good. In fact the lime cilantro dip was great. I had the 4 taco combo which included pork belly and octopus.I will say that I realize this morning I forgot all about the sauces that came with the tacos. None of the tacos are compelling but I do recommend this place for a local hangout. Service was exceptional and the atmosphere was perfect. read more

Overall I was less than impressed with Al Pastor. Given all the hype over the opening of this restaurant, along with Bella Vista, I was really optimistic regarding the dining experience I would have here. Unfortunately, my expectations were far from met. I'll start by saying I made a 8:00 pm reservation. When I arrived, the hostess informed me it would be another 5 minutes before the table would be ready-okay- NBD. The 5 minutes turned into 20 minutes. Not a fantastic start, but still willing to look past it. Next, after ordering drinks (the traditional margarita and the blackberry mojito) it took well until after the appetizer arrived before we even got it. The bartender's excuse I kid you not, "Sorry about the wait, we had trouble finding the mint leaves". If you're going to make an excuse at least make it seem like a valid one. The drink was also quite skimpy for the price that was charged. I ordered the Baja tacos ($14) and my partner ordered the spicy octopus tacos ($13). The waitress did warn us that the entrees do not come with rice and beans, which I appreciate, but myyy was I still quite hungry after both the app and my entree. The taste was also sub-par and I've had more enjoyable tacos at Mexican chain restaurants, which should tell you something. I consider myself a foodie so I'm under the impression that paying extra for better quality food is always worth it. At Al Pastor, the food and drinks are just overpriced for no good reason. The server was extremely friendly and attentive, however, so i cannot say the whole experience was a flop. read more

My family and I have a special tradition of going to happy hour at Al Pastor whenever my sister and I return home. So, Al Pastor is close to my heart. We always have a great time there and think the value and quality of the happy hour is one of the best in the area. Between the $5 wines and margs and the $5 nachos, quesadillas, and flatbreads, we basically have a complete meal (and not too hefty of a check). The nachos are always a highlight to me as they make them with some sort of chipotle ailoli which is so yummy. I could eat a whole plate by myself! In addition, the service has never let us down at Al Pastor (despite the waiters and waitresses usually being local high-schoolers) and the ambiance is quite fun. We will keep coming back! read more

Good for vegetarians n GF - went w 2 people who aren't fans of mex food n they loved it - Warm breezy night we sat outside - there was some nice live music and a cute fountain. Nice ambiance. Food was good. Had the guacamole flight - great flavors - enough for 4 of us with 2 refills on chips! Also had the pitcher of al pastor margarita that was good too. Waitress n staff were super nice. We were 2 vegetarians - one gluten free - they easily accommodated - I had bean n cheese enchiladas w extra rice n she had corn tortilla quesadilla w mushrooms n scallions. Others had chx fajita and the combo of tacos. He loved the brisket. Nice place would be back. read more

When this place first opened, it was delicious. Pulled chicken on the nachos, great grilled chicken southwestern salad, good drinks. Over the last year, it has gone steadily downhill to falling off a cliff. The wait staff are not being trained. They no longer put chicken breast on anything, but cubed chicken thighs. The southwest chicken salad is gone. We ordered drinks and our apps came before they did. 4 people standing behind the bar, no one making our drinks. Mine was a glass of wine which takes 2 seconds... other people around us were having issues as well. Young wait staff and bus boys remind you of three stooges skits the way they bump into each other. Hostess had hair below her waist..went flipping it thru the restaurant...not sanitary...may even notify the Dept of Health on this one... DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY...GO TO THE BRICKHOUSE. read more

Just had awesome cauliflower tacos at Al Pastor! I'll be dreaming of these as they were outrageous! Really enjoyed their chips & salsas. Our waitress, Paige, was excellent! Can't wait to return. read more

We were debating where to eat and I was craving Mexican. Considering the lack of options my wife suggested Al Pastor. I really wanted to like it. We arrived on the first warm Friday evening in the spring and were able to sit right down, although near the back (restrooms). It took at least 15 minutes for anyone to acknowledge us after we sat down. He was very young and appeared very frazzled. Gave him our drink order (2 margaritas on the rocks with salt) as well as an order for the chili con queso and away he ran. After watching many drinks go by, we began wondering where our waiter and our drinks were. We noticed that they were in the weeds so we cut them a bit of slack. The manager was even behind the bar pouring drinks. Eventually the manager brought our drinks to us and thanks us for our patience. In his haste to get the drinks out, we think he forgot a couple things. First, no salt. Not a huge deal but we like the salt on the rim. Secondly, we think he also forgot the tequila. That's a big deal. We ordered a shot of tequila to split between the drinks, in hopes to make them better, to no avail. Good news, we weren't charged for the shot! Finally, we got the food. My wife had the Spicy Tuna tacos and I had the ribeye fajitas. The tacos were about a 3. Good flavor ingredients in an Old El Paso taco shell. The fajitas, well, they really missed the mark. No flavor on the poor cut of steak. Lot of gristle to work through. Had a couple onion slices and some thick red pepper slices. Also not much flavor. The side of rice and black beans weren't bad. I forgot to mention we had to ask about the chili con queso when the food order arrived. Must have forgotten it but it arrived in about 30 seconds after we ordered it the second time. Couldn't bear to try dessert. I really wanted it to be good, seriously. Last comments: Manager worked his butt off Wait staff either very young, not well trained or both Food quality was very suspect Loved the open space on a warm spring evening. read more

We eat here often and really enjoy the food and atmosphere. It's refreshing to experience Mexican food that is a little different than the typical. read more

Had dinner here for the first time tonight. Restaurant walls open to bring the outside indoors. Great community atmosphere, live music, water fountain, games, and lighting. Great family place to eat as well as happy hour seating for 30-40 somethings. Good food too :) read more

Their happy hour never disappoints. The el pastor margarita for $5 is the best I've ever had! You also cannot beat their happy hour menu. The quesadillas are a great order for anyone. The food comes out hot and fresh. The guacamole is phenomenal and the chips come out hot! Staff has always been accommodating and friendly. I have been here once when it was not happy hour and the prices were a bit high for what they serve and their happy hour items are different but BETTER than their regular menu items. If you're going to go, head there for a happy hour! read more

Great food, setting and service! Lovely place to dine outdoors in warm weather. Really miss the Southwest Tater Tots! Please bring them back!!! read more

First time visit 1/6/17 for dinner with my wife. I had mixed reviews but that may have been mostly based on my expectations. The food was excellent but I found the ambiance lacking. Interior is more a spruced up Chipotle versus a hip "center City" esque dining experience like Lolita in the city. I think I was hoping more of that was coming to the burbs Food: foremost that is what you go to any restaurant for and it did not miss. My wife and shared the guacamole which was fresh and tasty and plenty large enough to share. If it was made tableside there might be some additional flare to it. For entree I opted to the Taco Mixto and received a pork belly, adobo chicken, carne asada, and cauliflower. All were unique and delicious with cauliflower and pork belly my favorite. I would recommend double tortillas as towards the end they were falling apart, but that is expected with corn. I would love to see a mix and match taco option or more entree specials down the line. Price: Taco Mixto was $15 for 4 tacos, which is a bit more than El Tio in Berwyn or El limon in Malvern ($2-3 a taco) but otherwise was a cost effective meal. Beer Wine and Cocktails are appropriately priced. Atmosphere: This is where I was disappointed. Maybe my expectations were off. Its a small space which is fine but it comes across as bright and industrial. Sort of like a fancier chain versus a hip modern space. Again, being picky, but the lighting was off. There are fun warm Edison bulbs that are totally offset by they bright LED recessed lights in the ceiling and bar. I think if they dimmed the lights it would have more charm. I also dont think the space invites much of a happy hour/bar scene. Service: There was a manager there who was very attentive and working hard to keep things running smoothly. The place was packed and service speed was perfect and timely. It appears to be staffed by mostly high school kids so you do lack that "professional" waiter experience. Overall food and price were good so we will be back. My expectations for a center city place in the burbs might have me a bit off so try it out and see for yourself. read more

Cauliflower tacos are to die for, and the nachos are incredible! This restaurant is the "el vez" of chester springs (aka my favorite place ever). Thank you to the kind and fun staff for always making my experience great! Check em out :) you won't be disappointed read more

I cannot understand why anyone would give this place only 1 or 2 stars, I wonder if they even actually have been here! Best enchiladas this side of California, Cold Modelo especial on tap, excellent service, I had a fantastic lunch here today! read more

Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Exton, Pennsylvania

I called about 4-5 weeks in advance of my husband's birthday to make reservations for about 20. At that time I asked if it was okay to bring a cake and was simply told "yes". Two days before the dinner I call again to firm up numbers, I again ask about a cake, and at that time I am told that it is a $15 cake cutting fee. Upon arriving to the restaurant, the hostess reminds me of the cake cutting fee, which I had resigned to paying since I only found out about the fee two days prior. When the checks came, A $3/PERSON CAKE CUTTING FEE WAS PUT ON EACH OF MY GUESTS' CHECKS. My husband and I were embarrassed as we assumed that the cake cutting fee would go on our check. Not only that, I had been too preoccupied to realize that the restaurant swindled $51 out of my party to cut an $18 Acme cake and the servers kept or threw out the leftovers. The incompetence regarding the communication about the cake fee is astounding and it seems as though the staff at Al Pastor purposefully divided the cake fee amongst my guests so I did not realize the outrageous cost. I would like to be contacted by a manager to rectify this issue. Had I been notified about the correct cake cutting fee when I originally called (or even two days prior) we would have gone to a different restaurant or not brought a cake with us. read more

Food is really pricey and service is slow. Ate here a few times the food is good but portions are small and really expensive.

The two stars are not for the food or drinks but for the waitress. We ordered 3 margaritas (very good) and the waitress never suggested a pitcher. We ordered another round and ended up paying 60.00 for 6 drinks. Found out that a pitcher, that served 6 drinks, was 38.00!!! She wasn't even apologetic about it. The nachos are very good. Would recommend again but buyer beware when it comes to their cocktails. read more

I am really trying to like Al Pastor. I live in the neighborhood and have been here 5 times since it has opened and I can honestly say I have only had one real positive experience with both service and food, the other times have been mediocre. I truly wish and hope they can master what it takes to provide good food and equally as important good service. I feel this restaurant has good potential, they just haven't been able to be consistent. I should start with stating I am a "foodie" and love going to great restaurants and experiencing new places. I have traveled to many many places around the world and the highlights are always around the culinary experience. I don't mind spending the money when I feel the quality, value and experience is aligned with the cost. With the above stated I feel as though Al Pastor is very over priced for what you receive. Case and point, my colleague and I went to Al Pastor this evening after a very late night in the office. I called first to make sure we weren't inconveniencing the kitchen/waitstaff since it was already after 9pm. The associate who answered the phone advised me the kitchen was open until 10pm. Perfect, we work 3 min down the road. When we arrived no one was at the hostess station therefore, we thought since it was late, it was a seat yourself. We sat down and it took a little bit for someone to come greet us. A very apologetic and embarrassed waitress made her way over to us while other associates in the restaurants didn't take notice. Pro's: Guacamole tastes great, octopus tacos were very good. I love octopus cooked the right way. This is all I have for pro's. Cons: Guacamole does not come with salsa, it was an additional $3.00 total cost for guacamole and salsa is $11.00 (ouch), Tacos are good with zero sides, my octopus tacos were $13.00 without a small side. I would have been hungry without the chips. The waiters made a mistake with my colleagues dish, completely wrong order and all the waitress did was apologize. Truth be told, she was upbeat I didn't feel she was attentive. It wasn't until I said, do you want her (the waitress) to get you what you ordered, the waitress only then offered to put in another order at no cost. My colleague didn't want to bother and settled for the dish she was given. The waitress seemed more interested in socializing while waiting for my margarita. I was already done with my tacos (I didn't mention above the tacos are small too) when the waitress arrived with my second margarita. Yes, the margarita's are good however i am putting this under cons due to how small they are. My first margarita had a plain rim, by second margarita had a flavored rim yet we were never asked if wanted a flavored rim. Our bill for chips, guacamole, salsa, two order of tacos and 5 margaritas (yes they are small) was over $85.00 before tip. To top it off, the waitress never offered to comp my friends meal or at minimum the guacamole for not giving her the right dinner. All she did was apologize and then stated "I hope you liked it" The service level, cost and value do not align. Again, I truly hope they can reel this in and provide the neighborhood with a good quality wth good service Mexican restaurant. I have been cheering for them however, as mentioned above my overall experience has not been overly positive. read more

This was our first visit. The food was average. Our guac flight was interesting but lacked spice. My husband had the enchilada trio, the bean enchilada was his favorite. I had the mixed tacos- I changed a couple of the tacos for a $6 up charge. I enjoyed the spicy tuna, cauliflower, and octopus tacos. They were all flavorful. Service was a bit slow. Receiving a margarita as our dinner plates were being removed wasn't exactly what we had in mind. I'm glad we tried the restaurant but don't feel a need to return anytime soon. read more

Very disappointed. Simple review. Atmosphere too bright, and the tables were uncomfortable barrels that your knees hit. Staff was young and inexperienced with no personality. Food average at best. My son and I had very dry tacos. Very expensive $$$$10 for a white wine spritzer. Taco bell would have been a better choice. read more

This place has such a great waitstaff!! The food is good, but I cannot get over how friendly all the people who work here are. Our server was named Jamie and she was not only super enthusiastic, but really knowledgeable and accommodating to our dietary needs. She could list every menu item that was gluten free (for an allergy) and even how to change the food that could be made gluten-free if needed! She checked in often and was always really nice. She also had recommended the white wine sangria, which my mom had and absolutely loved. Like I said, good food for sure, but the service was truly refreshing. Great dinner spot. read more

Dined here last weekend and can't wait to go back! Hostess was welcoming and flexible with offering us our choice of indoor or outdoor seating. The outdoor seating was beautiful and adhered to social distancing guidelines which was lovely and appreciated. Our server was extremely attentive and knowledgeable of the menu as we had some dietary questions. Guacamole, taco trio, quesadillas and nachos were all amazing! Cauliflower tacos to die for! Bartender sure knew how to make a cucumber jalapeño margarita! Everything was delicious. Affordable pricing and such a happy dining experience! read more

Not good at all. Very little meat in pork quesadilla, almost all cheese. Extremely basic and boring flavor in fish. Street corn was amazingly somehow burnt yet soggy. Cauliflower tacos were the worst of all, it was a pile of mushy fried cauliflower with chipotle mayo and that's about it. Just saw the table next to us return a dish too so yea let that speak for itself... read more

We've come back to this place over and over since they opened. If you are in the area and enjoy modern Mexican, there's no reason why you shouldn't give this place a try. Do they have off days like any other place? Sure, but we never come here expecting white glove service. There's always a fun and casual atmosphere. And our favorites still remain the same - the cauliflower tacos (I've swayed even the biggest carnivores to LOVE them), nachos, and the Al Pastor margaritas. They have great deals during HH or different days of the week. It's got a nice ambiance for the 'burbs, outdoor seating when the weather allows, and kid friendly. I can't go too long without at least a drink and a nacho fix here! read more

Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Exton, Pennsylvania

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Great dinner here- food was delicious! We had the guacamole sampler, I had pork tacos and my husband had fajitas. Everything was delicious and all the food coming out of the kitchen looked awesome. Great ambiance. Will definitely be back! read more

I'll, be to the point also, portions were miniscule, quesadillas come without any type of condiment except a slice of lime. The ceviches was bland , tiny and way overpriced. House margeritas were made with measured shots,and the restaurant was freezing . They say that their the new non big box spot but it certainly felt very corporate to me, " measured drinks" did I mention that the ceviches portion equaled approximately two loose tablespoons. Don't believe the hype. read more

This restaurant is amazing! The cocktails are great and the food is outstanding! I loved the chicken tamales and the guacamole and chips are excellent. Service was outstanding and the atmosphere is lively. The was live music in the square. Such a great time! read more

Second time visiting this restaurant. First time, tried the nachos with everything piled on, it was pretty good, maybe a 3.5 star experience. Yesterday, tried the chicken adobo (?) Soft shelled tacos. My son also ordered them. Immediately upon arrival we looked at each other as they had a certain smell to them. We looked at each other and said "there must be some kind of cheese in this" and started eating them. They were devoid of flavor and after several bites we called the waitress over and asked what kind of cheese they had in them. She said there was no cheese in them. We immediately told her they were just plain bad. In their defense, they removed them from the bill. read more

This place was very noisy. We had to wait about ten minutes even though we had a reservation. They squeezed us next to the kitchen and bar. There were waiters constantly walking by with food and we were afraid someone at the bar would bump one of them and get food all over us. I had the taco bowl which was ok, but didn't have a lot of flavor. My wife had the chili relleno which was fried in a fried chicken type batter and was not good. It came with retried beans which were soupy and tasteless. For dessert we had Limon de Maria which had no discernible flavor of lemon unless you count the candied lemon placed on top. And it was pretty flavorless. We're not planning on coming back. If you want Mexican food there are plenty of alternatives with better food. read more

Terrible setvice. We put our name in and went to the bar where we waited 10 minutes just to be acknowledged. One beer each and 35 minutes later, we were seated and then waited another 15 minutes with no acknowledgement. We left. Small menu, no draft beer all young slow staff. Neither of us had cell phone service while in the restaurant for some reason. read more

Awesome initial greeting, amazing service, and out of this world food and cocktails! We can't wait to go back and sit outside.

What worked- 1- Really good guacamole and crisp tortilla chips 2- Nice atmosphere with large windows overlooking the center square 3- Friendly and attentive staff What needs work- 1- The restaurant was uncomfortably cold 2- Chicken soft tacos were somewhat bland 3- Portions were very small and therefore, overpriced 4- No sugar/sweeteners on the table for iced tea (had to ask) I will try Al Pastor again ... the guacamole was that good, so I have hope for the rest to work itself out! read more

The food was disgusting! No taste. Plating was unappealing. I ordered the mushroom quesadillas. They were served without any condiments except for a few strands of slaw. Very dry and hardly any filing. No salsa, sour cream, etc. The fajitas looked like stew. Again no typical fajita fixings. The guacamole appetizer had not taste. The chips were good, surprise. I think the chef should go to one of the local Mexican restaurants, even Chilis to sample good food. One of our diners ordered the enchiladas. Again, a big plop of something difficult to distinquish. We did tell the server that it was inedible and it was taken off the bill. Of the four dinners, only one was eaten. read more

We went to dinner the other night and had a great time! Our server Nicole was wonderful and very knowledgable! All the food was amazing! We especially love the cauliflower tacos! We will be back very soon! read more