Great spot to come after hiking at capital reef! I love that you're greeted with chips and salsa at the table. The outside is a little unassuming, but once you're inside, you get great views of the mountains at distance during sunset. Casual dining area inside. The service was very friendly, and it was great that we could get some drinks, especially in Utah. Haha! I got the chicken chimichanga, which was good, but it did have beans (not mentioned in menu) in it, which I don't enjoy. I probably would've gotten my friend's enchiladas next time. Looked great! Overall a great place to go in the small town! Cheers! read more

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Wow! I was pleasantly surprised to find great Mexican food in Utah! After a day of hiking we were starving and the reviews for Chak Balam were too good to pass up. The food and service are excellent! They welcomed us with ice water, crispy chips, and a delicious garlic salsa. We ordered enchiladas and the tortilla soup. The soup was wonderful with fresh veggies and crispy tortilla strips! The enchiladas were full of chicken and the red sauce tasted fresh (not from a can). Everything came out hot and we didn't have to wait long. What a great little gem in Utah! We left happy and full! read more

Chak Balam - Chicken enchiladas in red sauce - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

Great place!! Our waiter Ephraim was amazing and so helpful! Stopped in for a Pacifico and shot of mezcal with chips/salsa! Food looked delicious read more

Chak Balam: A very strange place. When we first got there it was very busy, so the worker took us to an empty part of the restaurant that looked like an employee hangout spot. It was very run-down and had no curb appeal. The salsa and chips were delicious, and the queso was okay. When we go our food, everything was Overly cheese or under salted. The fish tacos were all breading and no fish, and not flavourful, the enchiladas were very cheesy along with the tamales which were both barely any meat. I had to spit out my bite, the cheese was unchewable and impossible to swallow. The only good meal was the tortilla soup. Delicious and warm, perfect. Would not recommend this place. Very nice people though. 2/5 for salsa, chips,and service. read more

Great food, homey ambiance with cute lights, good service, all in the middle of nowhere (not many restaurants in the tiny town of Torrey, Utah)! A pleasant surprise. I had the fajita on sizzling plate, amazing. Server was attentive, prompt, and friendly. The best part: they have mobile terminals! They would come to your table with a European style terminal (typical in Europe, rare in the US) to settle the bill. You'd give them your credit card and they'd insert it there right on the spot. Time saving. No more walking back and forth! No more waiting around. On the terminal you can enter tip as well. And it prints out a receipt right there. Love this. Don't be fooled by this restaurant's humble appearance outside (see my photos). So cozy inside! read more

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Great food! The place was full when we arrived but the staff was quick to turn tables around. We loved the chimichangas!

If there was any way to leave 0 stars, I would. Not only was our server extremely inattentive and at our table 20 minutes after we sat down, he got our order wrong and when it was brought to his attention, he didn't deal with me or my friend the whole rest of the night. He avoided our table like the plague. When I got my food, my rice and beans were cold. When my friend got her meal, it was all wrong and her rice (she didn't get beans) was also freezing. We told a different waitress about these problems and she got us new rice and a free chips and queso on the house which was very nice and appreciated. Now it's the next morning and I feel like I have food poisoning. I believe it's because of the food from this restaurant since I didn't eat much of anything yesterday but that. Needless to say I am extremely disappointed with this place. I was really looking forward to it because of the good reviews. Do not come here. read more

It was just ok. I have had many of the dishes and the carne asada is probably the best. The tortilla soup had great flavor but not good over all. They put the tortilla pieces in the soup before they bring it out. No good! read more

Chak Balam - Tortilla soup - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

So good, even my dad (who notoriously dislikes Mexican food) said he liked the takeout we brought back for him! I waffled between four and five stars. Is this the best Mexican food I've had in my life? Naw. Is this damn good Mexican food that exceeded all of my expectations for a tiny speck of a village in a touristy backwater? Darn tootin'. I'm erring on the side of generosity here, and I have no reservations about it. My al pastor taco was enjoyable, but not a standout. The fish taco, however, ranks up there with some of my favorite fish tacos I've enjoyed on either coast, and even south of the border. There's something truly special about biting into a flawless fish taco that features counterpoints of texture, temperature, and taste. It's the heat of freshly fried flaky fish against the crunch of a crisp, cool slaw. There's a harmony between a light, airy batter and a creamy drizzle of dressing. And much like syzygy, the timing has to be juuuuuuust right. Wait too long, and you'll miss that precise moment when each component is in perfect balance with its companions. Chak Balam is the kind of destination that I could see myself returning to again and again if I'm ever within reasonable driving distance. I haven't tried many other dining establishments in the Torrey area (not that there's an abundance), but I'd posit that it outshines its peers. read more

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This restaurant was amazing. The ambiance and decor reminded me of eating in Rosarito. Our server Aurora was very attentive! The food was deli ious! read more

I'm not usually a fan of Mexican food, but everything here was super good! This is one of those scenarios where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover because the views from the inside are stunning! There's lots of windows and natural light. Plus, it was also very clean. I ordered the enchiladas for $15, and if I could do it all over again, I would have made all three barbacoa. They also give each table complimentary chips & salsa, even if you're a table of one like I was. The salsa was soooo good. If you're visiting Capitol Reef National Park, this should be a must! It's good quality for the price, which is hard to find in remote areas like these. read more

Chak Balam - Chips & salsa - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

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Wow. We're from California and know Mexican food but for being in a hole in the wall town in Utah, this was a pleasant surprise. We knew it would be good because the line was almost out the door on a Tuesday night at 7. Got seated within 15 minutes and served quickly by ephriam. Someone just posted a one star review yesterday and we couldn't disagree more. We had the completely opposite experience, a full restaurant on a Tuesday with a line out the door at 7 tells it all. read more

Sorry. Wanted to have a 4-5 star experience and give a 4-5 star rating. Maybe it's me bc the place is busy and everybody seems happy with their food. Barbacoa and ground beef both were off tasting. Chips were store bought. Just not at all what I was hoping for. And the stunning views? I'm sitting here looking at a garbage-strewn desert. I'm really sorry to give it just one star but my God! It's NOT a charming setting, the stunning views of the beautiful cliffs and mountains are available anywhere in Torrey or the general vicinity. The property surrounding the restaurant is filled with the trash tourists have littered along Highway 24. It just doesn't deserve a rating above 2 stars and that's giving them the benefit of the doubt in case my taste for Mexican food is WAY off base (and it isn't since I've lived in the Southwest United States eating in Mexican food restaurants in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California and Nevada for the last 70 years.) On my way out of town, I stopped at the Philips 66 gas station and convenience store and seriously thought about buying one of the pre-made sandwiches in the refrigerated foods section. Thankfully, I resisted that urge. Okay. I'm done. read more

We tried 6 different types of tacos and each one was delicious. Service was excellent, salsa and chips were good. Reasonably priced.

Chak Balam provides excellent service. Forgot to take a photo of the food, but this is the view from the restaurant. The chili relleno was one of the best. The shrimp tacos were better than what I had had in southern California. read more

Chak Balam - View from Chak Balam - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

A great Mexican restaurant with fresh tacos, salads and some unique items too. Had shrimp and octopus tacos! Yum! Mom had a quesadilla with ground beef. Salsa was fresh & delish! Great service too! read more

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Solid good Mexican food. Very busy and lively atmosphere on a Saturday evening. I had the enmoladas (enchiladas in mole sauce) and the mole was delicious. The enchiladas had quite a bit of cheese inside along with chicken. The tacos all looked delicious and my friends enjoyed their food. read more

Do not judge this book by its cover as it will impress you!!! I honestly was not expecting much from this place considering that it is one of the few restaurant options in Torrey and its rougher exterior. But let me tell ya, I was blown away. The food here is incredible and was honestly some of the best Mexican I have had in years. While on vacation in Torrey we had to come here twice for dinner. We enjoyed the queso dip with added chorizo, the carne asada con huevos, fajitas, and enchiladas. Everything was amazing and the portions were filling even after we were starving from hiking 11 miles that day. Nothing hit the spot better after hiking all day than that queso dip and chips! read more

Chak Balam - delicious enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

great food. Efrain was our server, very attentive We enjoyed the music and is closed to town and good hours The menu is very good.

The queso dip was very good, but came out lukewarm. I had cheese enchiladas and I'm not sure if they were cheese or shredded chicken. If they were cheese, the cheese was not melted. Again, lukewarm. Our table was in the back and we had lovely views (NOT) of trash and abandoned items. read more

DO NOT LET THE EXTERIOR FOOL YOU. The inside is super cute, VERY clean, & staff was very friendly too. I ordered the steak fajitas which were pretty delicious and a large portion. Food came very quick too. read more

Chak Balam - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

This should be a one star review but adding a star because of the nice employees and because the dishes were nice looking and I liked the dining room. I visited after hiking for most of the afternoon in the local area, so I was starving. I always order chicken enchiladas on my first visit to a Mexican restaurant and have had them across the southern and western United States. If you make good chicken enchiladas, I will try everything else on your menu. The enchiladas served were likely the second or third worst I have ever encountered in all my travels. To start, there is no seasoning in ANY of the food. The salsa served with chips was simply blended tomatoes or even defrosted frozen tomato product; ketchup would have been a more authentic choice and it would have tasted like something. The beans were scooped straight from a can (No Seasoning of any kind and I could taste the "can"!) and the rice was poorly prepared, hard, "Mexican" boxed rice that you can buy from any store. Did I mention beans and rice are an extra upcharge? The enchilada sauce was off - seasoning was strange and the overall flavor left much to desire, and it lingered for the rest of the evening.... I think the sauce was likely from a can/bottle as well - very poor form, shameful even. At the table next to me I overheard a lady mention how bad her dish tasted. She requested hot sauce so I did as well, but it didn't help matters. Surprisingly, though, numerous tables seemed to be enjoying their meals, but they've very likely never had real Mexican food. read more

Always excellent. Favorite place in Torrey. Have had fish tacos (twice), fajitas, burrito with pork in green sauce, and chicken mole. Recommend all. Also, the Margaritas are wonderful. Service is prompt and thoughtful, and the room is spacious and comfortable. read more

Friendly service, fresh food with generous portions. Chicken fajitas were super flavorful, especially the peppers and onions.

To start the chips and salsa- chips had no real taste- cold, and salsa was extremely warm. 2-Chicken Tacos chicken was dry and chewy 2- Grilled fish tacos were not cooked well and we ended up returning for a refund. The quality of the food was awful. read more

Passing through Torrey and needed some dinner. I was a bit sus about the name of the restaurant (was it a hybrid Indian/Mexican restaurant?), and more sus when we pulled up.... Rusted tin siding with an "open" sign. Upon entering, we were warmly greeted and shown to a table. Only a couple of other diners in the place, but it was only 5:30. Nothing special about the interior, but the views of the Fish Lake National Forest to the north and south were stunning. Efrain, our waiter, promptly gave us menus and asked if we wanted to order drinks. I had a Negra Modelo and my wife had Jamaica. We were promptly served and were pleased to find out the Jamaica is made in-house. It comes in a pint, snap top bottle, and was so thick and rich, we cut it with about 50 percent water. It was delicious. The salsa was very fresh but didn't have the picante I like, so it's fine for Mormons and kids...LOL. I had the grilled fish tacos and my wife had tamales in a salsa verde. My only complaint about my tacos was the single corn tortilla blew out when I picked it up. The tortillas either need to be lightly fried in oil, or be double tortillas to keep them from getting soggy. Otherwise the fish was very tender and tasty. The tamales were excellent. Slightly too much masa IMO, but the pork was tender and jucy with a hint of cinnamon. The star of the dish was the verde sauce. Piquant and full of flavor. Very nice. By the time we departed, the place was humming and the parking lot was nearly full. First appearances are deceiving! Stop in and have a wonderful Mexican meal! read more

We live 3 hours from here but we always come once a year. It's always super delicious! My only complaint is the A/C blows right on you in several spots. read more

Very bland, imitation Mexican food. No spice or flavor. $48 for two orders of enchiladas. One with shredded beef (add $3) the other with Carne asada (add $3). The red sauce was very deep color and not good at all. The rice and beens were flavorless. The extra little salad was worse than the enchiladas with wat to much cabbage. The free salsa had no spice and was like canned diced tomatoes in a blender. Never again. Service was good. Glass of water was excellent, best part of the meal. read more

Wow! Great Mexican food in a small Utah town. Chips really good. Salsa ok. Tacos: carne asada, green pork, shrimp and fish. All super good. Flour tortillas and beans excellent. Yummy rice pudding. Others must love cause we had to wait for table. Ambiance cute. Service friendly read more

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Ate here after a full day of hiking in Capitol Reef with a friend. Coming from TX, my friend and I weren't expecting much, but was blown away by how delicious and authentic the Mexican food was! Service was great too! We both had 2 tacos each. I had the an octopus taco and a fish taco. She ordered a veggie taco as well as an al pastor taco. We shared the queso blanco. Would definitely dine here again! read more

The most delicious home made horchata I've ever had in a restaurant! It comes glass bottle and it's made from scratch! The service was also wonderful. I ordered a delicious veggie burrito and enjoyed every bite, their house salsa was also very fresh and flavorful! read more

Chak Balam - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

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This hole in the wall turned out to be great food with great service. The restaurant looks a little questionable from the outside, but is nice and clean on the inside with friendly staff and great food! I ordered some tacos with a side of beans and sour cream. The portions are massive. My brother got the steak fajitas. They came out sizzling and the steak was great! We then got some churros and fried ice cream for dessert. The churros were piping hot and had caramel on the inside. So good! The fried ice cream was huge and good, but it wasn't hot on the outside, so they must prep it ahead of time and serve it cold. Still great though! Prices were extremely reasonable as well. We would definitely go back if we were in town and craving some Mexican food. read more

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The food and services is excellent. Plus a friendly staff . I recommend this place to all my friends and family

I think being patient with this gem of a place is worth it - seems they haven't gotten into the groove of handling peak tourist season _yet_ - chips and salsa: comes with the meal, house fried chips - shrimp fajitas: quality of the seafood isn't great but they can cook with what they've got very well - enmolatas: I scraped every bit of mole off the plate the take home. SO GOOOD!!! read more

Chak Balam - Front: enmolatas Back: shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

Yum! Visiting Capitol Reef for a week and this place consistently had their "Open" sign flashing so we had to stop and check it out. From the outside it doesn't look like much, don't let that fool you! This place is awesome. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The food was delicious! Would definitely return. read more

Chak Balam - Gobernador Taco. Delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

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So, when we pulled in, we almost left but I'm glad we didn't. We had enmoladas and the mole was crazy good. We've had many types of mole and this was crazy good. Yes the building and surrounding does not.match but what's happening in the kitchen is magic. read more

Unique combinations and traditional favorites done to perfection make this a must-visit restaurant when you visit Torrey.

This is one of the best places to eat in this area , it can get pretty busy up to 30 minute wait , barbacoa enchiladas with green sauce were pretty tasty read more

No frills Mexican spot that was just what we needed after hiking in Capitol reef. A burrito I would order again and again, wish it had some heat and some sides that were more exciting but I was definitely happy with it. The chips and salsa are nice too but try not to fill up on too many because it's very easy to do. read more

Chak Balam - California Style Dried Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Torrey, Utah

The food was wonderful! I had the shrimp tostada and my dinner date had the fish tacos. That said, the music was way too loud and incredibly frenetic. It distracted from the good way too much. read more