The best thing was the $7 big bowl of Tortilla Soup. Jalapeño margarita with almost no alcohol & no jalapeños & no spice for $14 - sad face. Ceviche Shrimp's taste was OK, it was almost like some cilantro salad with shrimp. Good part is that it had lots of shrimp in it. Nice, big, clean place. Service was fast and our waiter was nice and funny. It is next to my fav brewery, so I will come try again. read more

See all

Don Gallo bills itself as upscale Mexican but the only upscale thing I noticed was the price. The Hardin Valley location had a nice sports bar feel and good service, but the food was just alright. I didn't get a chance to try the margs. All I could taste of the salsa was water and tomato, however the hot sauce that came with the tacos had a much better bite. I ordered the Tacos Clasicos, which has one carnitas, one chicken, and one sirloin taco with toppings of cilantro and onion and a side of beans (frijoles de la olla). I like that they lined the tortillas with melted cheese but all the meat was pretty dry and fairly bland. However put together with the hot sauce, cilantro, and onions it was a decent bite. The beans were also pretty watery without much flavor. For almost $6 a taco, it's not worth the price, but nothing was bad per se. Don Gallo basically means "Mr. Rooster", and I cock-a-doodle-don't plan on making it my top Mexican place in Knoxville. read more

Don Gallo - Tacos Clasicos - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Food was horrific. The carne asada was so dry, I felt like I was eating a shoe. I only took 2 bites and lost my appetite instantly. The waiter was amazing though and very nice. read more

Great Friday night crowd so go early enough to get a seat and their margaritas. Good chips with mild salsa so if you ask for something hotter, which we did, there is an up charge. Generous sized portions but served with only three tortillas to put it in so when you ask for more tortillas there's an up charge for that as well. They offer a military discount so that one way to offset the up charges that other restaurants typically don't charge. read more

The food was good! I have heard a lot of my friends rave about this place so I wanted to go with some friends. We enjoyed our time here. We each ordered something different. I ordered the cheesesteak quesadilla and it was very cheesy which I loved. I typically order quesadillas when I go to Mexican restaurants and this was one of the better ones I've had out. The margaritas were strong and tasted great as well! read more

See all

Hubby surprised me, and said get in the truck we are going to Knoxville. Ha, I thought it was shopping. No way we came here for a late lunch. It is a ways from home. But as long as I'm not driving, I do not care. I drive all week an hour each way to work. We were greeted upon entry, and sat right away.The place was not super busy, but picked up as time passed. Warm chips salsa and sweet tea came fairly quick. I pondered over the menu along time, and decided to get the Classico taco's.( Pork,beef,& chicken) each taco seasoned uniquely differently! It had sweet chopped onions with fresh cilantro. Beans and rice. It was some of the best tacos I have had in TN. Oh and hubby loves faquitas so he went with the chicken and steak. he was pleased with lots of red and green peppers plus the onions. He had pico and rice. The rice was so good, I love it when each dish is flavorful, and fresh. read more

See all

Service and ambiance were great, can't complain. Food was not good. We ordered fajitas and the chicken didn't taste fresh, our ceviche was ok, piña colada was bad (tasted like it was frozen and we were told it was home made). Don't know if we would return. read more

Nice place, modern interior, good food and friendly staff. The only downside is that they do not offer fajitas, other than that, amazing restaurant read more

The food quality has really gone downhill. Chips and salsa were fine -- fairly standard and nothing wrong with them. I got the steak fajitas. No seasoning on the steak and really flavorless. Not sure what the deal was with the tortillas but they were shredding apart. The rice and beans were lukewarm. But the worst was no fixins with the fajitas -- lettuce, sour cream, cheese, etc were absent. When we asked we were told that the fajitas only come with two sides. Pretty baffling really. So if that is how they serve their fajitas and they are tasteless anyway I will be choosing from a number of better options. A real shame but not intending on going back unless I hear that the food quality has improved. As a last note I will state that the service was good so no complaints there. read more

We've tried many Mexican restaurants since moving here . By far this is the best. The food was good, not over salted like most other Mexican restaurants back here. The service was very good with a friendly waiter and most importantly the restaurant was very clean. We will be going back. read more

Not sure why there so many negative reviews. Had a really nice lunch here Monday. server, Jorge, was very friendly, attentive and took very good care of us. I had the Mexican Taquitos (carnitas) which I found to be on point . My wife ordered Enchiladas Supreme, which included four different enchiladas. She shared tastes of each of these, all were also excellent. We only ordered water but bar had a great selection of tequilas and Mexican beers. I would have given five stars but I did find the salsa to be rather boring. Additionally, it was so cold that I wished I had brought a parka. read more

First time having the Tostadas Chonas (pictured). It was really good, and next time, I'll try chicken. The service was friendly and fast. Don's is one of HV's best; however, they currently close at 930pm on Friday (so get there before close). read more

Don Gallo - First time having the Tostadas Chonas (pictured). - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I found steak in my salsa!!! and there was a whole acp in the cheese sauce it got to saucy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!but..... our waiter and waitress was amazing. yay read more

Don Gallo - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

We are big fans of Casa Don Gallo on Northshore Dr. in Knoxville so we have huge expectations for Casa's second location in Knox County. The service was fabulous and I enjoyed the outdoor dining very much. The skinny margarita was not quite what we are used to nor was the fajitas as compared to the other Casa Don Gallo location. We are used to receiving lettuce and guac with this dish. We still enjoyed out time and food and to be clear we possibly have become so used to #1 Casa Don Gallo that we have "Drank the Kool-Aid". We will try again of course and you should too. We love this small Knoxville chain. read more

Where to begin? We have been in the area for six years. This location is always packed with cars in the parking lot but we have not been. We decided to finally give this place a shot on a Tuesday night. When walking in the interior was not what we expected. This is not a bad thing. I feel it is very industrial not the interior of a typical Spanish restaurant. We had to be seated by a host, not uncommon. What I found uncommon, was you had to be seated by the host for the bar. We asked to sit outside as it was a nice evening. The outside area had a covering on half of the patio. I did notice a table with a stack of dirty plates when we sat down, more to come on this stack of dirty plates. The menu has a vast selection to choose from, see pic. The waiter came over and got our drink order, beer and a margarita. We also ordered queso and chips. The drinks and queso were a little slow to come out, notice I said queso. He said the chips were on the way, five minutes later. We then sat there for about twenty minutes waiting to place our order. The waiter did pass by multiple times as we were sitting by the door to go to and from the outside to inside. We place our order, steak chimichanga and quesadillas. After placing our order the waiter picked up the empty chip bowl and asked if we wanted more chips. We said no, so you would think that he would take the empty bowl away. Nope. He set it back on the table, where it sat until we left after our meal. Anyone see a trend? The food came out and was very good. The steak chimichanga had great flavors and steak was tender. The sides of refried beans and rice were good. Rice was not dry. Half way thru finishing our meal, the waiter asked if we wanted more drinks. We both said no and a few minutes later, I got another beer. I guess he didn't hear me. As we sat there finishing our meal some other tables that had guests had left. Their tables never got cleared. As I looked around, I noticed a table that was not cleared and not had anyone at it the entire time we had been there. I also had sight of the bar the entire time we were eating. There were two different couples that had left the bar, their plates and drink glasses sat on top of the bar for 20 minutes. Finally the bartender cleared the plates but left empty drink glasses for the 15 more minutes we were there. I finally had to get the waiter to get our check as he had not stopped at our table. The food was very good but don't think we will be back due to the lack of service and the inability to clear the tables. Really makes you wonder what the kitchen looks like. Oh and that stack of plates on the table when we were seated, they were still there when we left after an hour of being there, see pic. read more

See all

Best Cheese Dip I've ever had! That Burritos are amazing! The server was on top of it and was so nice.

Cute atmosphere- really liked the outside area for a beautiful day. The food was literally the most flavorless Mexican food I've ever had ever. Salsa tasted like straight up tomato sauce and the chips had NO salt whatsoever. I got the chili relleno and my husband got the taco Tuesday tacos. He said they were pretty bad but he ate them bc he was hungry, the chili was ok at best- not inedible- but more tomato sauce "salsa" on top. Kid food was horrible too. Super dried out / over fried chicken and over cooked fries with 0 flavor. 0 salt nothing. The margaritas were weird. The "Presidente" tasted like dirty water and the perfect margarita tasted like it had nutmeg or some baking weird spice in it. Most likely won't be back- but we live close, so maybe. Was really hoping to find good Mexican food in TN. FAIL. An extra star for the server- she was very nice, Knowledgeable and sweet. read more

Wanted to go to Double Dog restaurant (see my review) on Friday around 815 PM. Was told it was an hour and a half wait so went a few doors down to this place. (BTW, about 10 minutes after I gave DD my phone number to put me on the wait list, they said my table was ready but we had just sat down at this restaurant. Honestly, did not want to go to another Mexican restaurant but my friends did so I went along because they could seat us immediately inside or out. We sat at a high top outside and they had lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Food was excellent, high quality and service outstanding. read more

I eat at Don Gallo a lot! I order it from DoorDash Delivery, I pick it up on my way home, I dine in. Every experience is great. The service is always pretty on point too. I had one experience where the server didn't write down our orders and there were a few small mistakes (like accurate sides) when the food came out, but she quickly got us what we intended to order. The restaurant itself is usually pretty busy. It's always clean and humming with energy. My favorite menu items are the steak and chicken fajitas. I get these the most. With a side of grilled jalapeño. They have a delicious beer batter they put on their shrimp for the tacos. And I really love their cheese sauce. I would give this place 5 stars if they were more consistent. Don't get me wrong, the food is always good. But sometimes we get just good food, and sometimes we get the best food we've ever had from them. I don't always know if the steak and chicken is going to be super juicy and tender (it's always flavorful, though.) All in all, I highly recommend Don Gallo. read more

Our server (Sonia) was very nice but sadly that was the high point in our very expensive meal. I have extremely high expectations while dining out and expect a high level of service and am willing to pay accordingly every single time but my wish is for special ambiance during my dining experience. I very rarely dine out and was looking so forward to having this dinner with family. I pay for excellent food/beverages but the AMBIANCE is something I highly prize!!!! I don't believe customers should have to wonder if/when their glasses might be refilled or their small basket of tortilla chips replaced with fresh and wait for a server (any server) to come by your area again. While the server was very nice, the food left much to be desired; unfortunately our party left most of our food on the plates. Perhaps more staff and better training would be the answer to this little restaurant. Hope this restaurant can make some improvements. read more

Got to-go for dinner and ate at the brewery next door. Food was delicious and the service was amazing. I ordered inside and they brought the food to me while I was enjoying a beer next door! Will be coming back often! read more

I've been eating here for almost 8 years and often. My family and I came in for dinner tonight. I've got two toddlers so we sat outside. Prompt service to get water and chips on the table, and I asked the waiter for two minutes more to get the kids settled and make up my mind. 10 minutes go by, and our waters and salsa are empty, and the kids are starting to squirm. I turn around and see our server through the window at the bar...he is clearly telling a story, very animatedly, to 3 of his coworkers. I think ah, he must be coming out here next. Nope, another 5 min go by so I stick my head in and ask the nearest waitress if she can please find our server. He finally comes out and takes our order. I'm clearly frustrated but we're hungry so let's do this. Ask for more salsa. He still doesn't refill water or salsa. Eventually, food comes out. I ordered a taco salad, start eating it, and get the taste of soap. Offer some steak to my husband, "does this taste funny to you?" He says no. Keep eating, more soap taste. Offer some taco shell to him. "Yep, there is soap on that." Yes, there was industrial soap on my food. Unquestionably. Food that I was sharing with my children. As I write this, and I really didn't plan on writing this, but over an hour later I can still taste it, and my mouth is bubbling and soapy. My husband went inside to get someone, and they almost instantly came and apologized and took the soapy food away. The manager came and was very nice and apologetic and took the taco salad off the bill. She also offered to bring something else out, but my appetite was gone. My stomach still feels off...oh maybe because I ate soap. I'm sad because I like to eat here often. But I am blown away by tonight. No way I can eat there again...I can't confirm that it was intentional or not, but how does that even happen? Not only did we get there at 1835 and not get to order until after 1900, my food had soap on it. Nope. Unacceptable in my opinion. Update: the restaurant contacted me and apologized over a phone call. They explained that after my experience they had a full staff meeting regarding the incident and gave me a digital gift card hoping that I will give them a second chance. I told them I'm still not planning to be back, but I appreciate the effort and gesture. I added one star to the review for this reason. read more

Trendy and food is on point! Their known for their tacos and margaritas, which we didn't try. We shared el especial don goyo which is all kinds of different meats with sautéed onions and peppers and meter cheese on top of a molcajete and it comes with rice and beans and tortillas. It was delish and very filling. The space inside is quite modern and just a great place to come for date night or friends night out for drinks. The server was very attentive too. read more

Don Gallo - El Especial Don Goyo - Mexican Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Going to become my local place for fiesta Friday! The staff is very friendly, we had one gentleman bring us his personal deliciously spicy salsa to try, and man was it good. The menu has plenty of options to choose from. I got the shrimp ceviche, my son got a Cuban sandwich, and the man friend had tacos. Good selection of tequilas! I had the casamigos anejo. Next time I'll be getting a cocktail for sure!!! read more

The cheesesteak quesadilla did not taste right to me. Chips were cold. Salsa tasted rotten. Rice and beans were fairly good.

We've always enjoyed the jalapeno margaritas but they were terrible on our last visit (9/25). We should have sent them back but we're too timid to complain to someone's face. The salsa and the service wasn't as good as usual and I left feeling really disappointed. We don't go out to eat very often and it was a treat that I'd been looking forward to for weeks. I'll give them one more chance and if it isn't better then I'll never go back. read more

Food was delicious and came out very hot. Our waitress was awesome and very attentive. The bathrooms were clean and so was the restaurant. We will definitely be back and the cheese dip and salsa were very good and some of the best cheese dip I have ever had. Oh and before I forget, the homemade hot sauce is so good. Very flavorful and the heat heats on the back end. :) read more

Food was mediocre. Service was terrible, at times erring on the side of rude. Don't recommend.

Good service food was good but not the best salsa was alright. It's not a bad place I love Mexican food and trying new places so that's why I picked it. I got the burrito gigantic it was good and had lots of lettuce on top of it but they could be a lil pricy but if you wanna try a new place it's worth checking out read more

We arrived at 6:30, and were seated right away. Don Gallo's has done a good job of expanding the seating options during the pandemic. They have taken the outdoor area and sealed it up which is a nice touch to help them keep tables full without crowding. Lots of places have forgotten that this is a service industry, not Don Gallo's, we were greeted at the front door by a nice young lady. Anyhow we ordered and it didn't take long to get our dishes. While the food was tasty it just wasn't hot. Who knows how long stuff sits in warming drawers waiting to be used. These places are all about getting your food to you fast. I much prefer it to be prepared fresh and hot. Overall it was good, not great. The salsa was tasty. My dinner guest said she thought they were making the taco shells because she said it tasted very good. read more

Very disappointed! We've spent a lot of time at the place and it's gone downhill. Tonight we ordered food to go and was told it'd be 30-40 mins. When I arrived around there around the 30 min mark I was told it was ready. 7 mins later I'm told that they made a mistake and forgot to put the order in and I'd have to wait. We'll I didn't wait and I will not return to the restaurant again. Did not even offer anything as an apology. read more

First time here, we got the fajita salad minus the cheese sauce and the supremo nachos. Both items were very good, the fajita meat in the salad was extremely tender (steak) everything had a nice flavor nothing to spicy. The nachos came with both ground beef and shredded chicken. I like the fact that it had actually grated cheese on it as well as cheese sauce which was very light. The margarita that I had was quite nice, it was a skinny margarita about $10.00 I would order it again. read more

This restaurant just went through an amazing remodel. They did a great job and we would like to revisit many times with our friends at Happy Hour. Unfortunately they do not have Happy Hour prices. The wine and beer prices are just too expensive and cannot compete with their competitors like Aubreys and Parkside Grill. We would like to be repeat customers with our many friends but just cannot afford this place. BUT, the remodel is WUNDERBAR! read more

This is a great Mexican restaurant! It's clean and new looking inside and the menu is greedy. They have good variety and the food tastes really fresh. The prices aren't bad either. The salsa is a little sweet for my taste but that's the only negative I had. The margaritas were great too! read more

I have been going here since I moved (8 years) and I always love it, I get the chicken faits with a sided salad with extra guac and its always so good, my mother and I always look forward to Mexican nights. Food always comes out fresh and tasty!!! read more

Ordered the cheese steak quesadilla because the menu said it was sirloin steak. When I got it home, it was obvious by the taste of it that it was roast beef, not sirloin steak. I will not be back. read more

Wowzers! This place was tasty! After moving from south Texas, the husband and I were craving Mexican food, but didn't want to drive too far. We took a chance on this place after reading the reviews and I was pleasantly surprised. I had the steak fajita salad and my husband had chicken with chorizo. We also tried the fried plantains which I am no obsessed with. It was a great atmosphere, probably making it a nice Friday night margarita after work spot. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Our waitress was excellent but the food was not good at all. It lacks flavor! There weren't even jalapeños in the pico de gallo. Like whatt???? Never heard of pico to Gallo not having jalapeños before! I will not go back. All the food lacked flavor. So disappointing. read more

It seemed great at first. Food tasted good. Service was good. Atmosphere was good. Both my wife and I ended up with nasty food poisoning after eating here. I will never go back ever again. read more

Don't try to call in an order . They will not listen. The worst sort of service . They will give you whatever the hell they feel like. When my wife tried to explain it didn't look right the bastards basically just said she didn't know what she was talking about. Even when we have gone into the restaurant it's generally been a poor experience. We have foolishly eaten there on several occasions because it's close to our residence, overpriced and poor quality all around. There are several other much much better alternatives within 5-10 min. read more