I really love this place. Years ago, when I first started working in Michigan City, this was my "go to " after a rough day. I recommend the Birria Tacos. They are pretty good, but I highly recommend the Carné Asada tacos with cilantro and extra onion . A coworker ordered flour tortillas, but I suggest sticking with corn. Simply delicious . We all got Patron Margaritas, which were excellent. As for apps, their chips and salsa are delicious, but stay away from the cheese sauces & queso . #NotGood. Despise that misstep, I am still a fan of El Bracero! Stop by for some delicious food when you're in the area! read more

ordered chilaquiles very good. Horchata was water and nothing but did not like drink at all.

Tried the shrimp tacos and was pretty impressed. The shrimp were cooked just right, nice and plump. I liked the mix of fresh toppings they put on, nothing felt soggy or old. The salsa verde was my favorite part, added a bit of heat without being too much. The place was busy but the staff kept things moving and were super nice. Prices are fair for what you get. I'll stop by again soon. read more

Driving home from vacation and it was time to eat. Since half of the famous gluten free Mexican food is a good choice. This restaurant wasn't far from the highway so we decided to give it a try. Nothing fancy, a little dated but they were busy which is usually a good sign. As we waited for a table I could see food computer of the kit. It looked good. We were seated promptly. The menu offers a wide variety of Mexican dishes at reasonable prices. We placed our order and our drinks and food came out quickly and were delicious. I don't remember the name of the burrito I ordered.Steak, Chicken, Beans and Rice covered in queso sauce and fresh Cilantro. I'm glad we stopped here on a whim. read more

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Divey old school Mexican restaurant with both authentic and Tex-Mex options on the huuuuge menu. The interior feels like a suburban time warp, but that is half the charm. Staff is super friendly. Food was excellent, nothing fancy but solid. Margaritas were a little lacking (both of flavor and booze) which is the only reason for a lack of a fifth star. Prices are super reasonable, especially considering the portion sizes. Would definitely come back sometime! read more

El Bracero - Mexican Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

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Used to be good something has changed no flavor in the food anymore been going here for years last 4 months been no flavor in the food

This place has a decent price point for the year '26.... That says so much alone. The food is fantastic! My husband and I are from New Mexico and always go here when visiting family. Service was good, quick and easy to order. Restaurant is fun and casual :) read more

We've been to El Bracero in Michigan City many times over the years. Can not complain and this review won't change the fact that we love the food, when eating inside. Hot, Hot Food a key to this review and plentiful. A warning to all. Don't expect the same Hot food and plentiful when ordering for pickup. I was there to pick it up at the 15 minutes mark that we told to pick up and returned home in 10 minutes. Food was lukewarm at best and not as plentiful as in house menu. We will continue to frequent the restaurant, just not do any pickups. I recommend the Jalisco Special and the Durango Chicken with extra chees for each. read more

The service was terrible !!!Not nice at all .The worst chilaquiles ever.From the host to our server

I grew up in Michigan city everytime I come back I to town I have to stop here and get the Jalisco special. They do not disappoint. Still the cutest little Mexican spot with the best meal. The portion sizes slim down a lot but it's understandable because their prices have not went up. Great service, great food I will of course be back. read more

El Bracero - Jalisco special - Mexican Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

Good food. Reasonable prices. Fast friendly service. The Jalisco Special will make me come back. read more

Great food, genuinely never know when they're open though. I've walked in at seven pm to be sat and then told that they close in fifteen minutes. Best queso blanco though, and I love the Laporte burrito read more

Stopped at El Bracero on a recommendation while driving from Chicago to South Bend. Definitely worth the detour! I had the Fajita burrito. As you can see from the photos, the burrito was HUGE. It was stuffed with steak, rice, guacamole, and peppers, it does come with tomato as well, but that's not my cup of tea. The burrito was also covered in queso and crunchy tortilla strips. Overall it was very very good! My girlfriend got the El Bracero fajitas, which she couldn't finish herself. Those included steak, chicken, and shrimp along with rice and beans. The rice was quite tasty! Best part was that we had enough to take home for lunch the next day. Oh, and last thing, the chips and salsa here are some of my favorite I've had! Definitely recommend this spot to anyone craving mexican food near Michigan City. read more

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It was a early Saturday evening. We stopped here after trying tow other restaurants (both had 45 minute wait). We walked in a was seated immediately (they were busy as well). Good drinks and delicious eats with big portions. What else can you ask for. read more

El Bracero - Mexican Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

I usually stop here for lunch or dinner whenever I am traveling through Michigan City. The food is authentic Mexican, the portions are huge and the prices are reasonable. The employees are friendly and service is quick and efficient. What more could you ask for? How about margarita specials? Yes of course, and these are not watered-down either. I recommend the spicy cheese dip. It really isn't too spicy but it is so smooth and melty that you just want to drink it. Just stir in a little hot sauce, or a lot. read more

El Bracero - Fresh salsa and delicious chips - Mexican Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

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ordered a taco salad (lettuce, chicken, sour cream, guac). Soon after finishing meal didn't feel well. Went home and dry heaved and spent all night on the toilet. Next day couldn't keep good down, many bathroom visits, and feelings of having to throw up. Food poisoning for sure! read more

The queso deserves 5 stars. It was amazing. The guac and salsa were good too. I ordered a chicken fajita burrito and my mom ordered lunch special #2. The burrito was HUGE. I was not really pleased with the burrito since they put the rice, lettuce, and guac that I would normally get on the side, inside the burrito. I've never had it like that and this is my go to order at lots of Mexican restaurants. I did not enjoy it. Mom said the lunch special was good. I'm not from Michigan City, but if I were to ever come back I would order something else. We came around 2:30pm and had really fast service so that was great! read more

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Got takeout and found a LIVE MOUSE in ny bag of chips!!!! It's now hiding somewhere in my house and I can't stop freaking out, non the less eat the food. It wasn't bad enough they were incredibly rude to begin with. I called an they said I was a liar! Disgusting! read more

Give them a try! The food is prety good, mine was a pinch too salty this time. Drinks are good as well. Try their melted cheese on a side with chips. Their menu is pretty big. Friendly and attentive staff. No wait, and social distancing is on point. Bring your mask! read more

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Pros are the flavor of the food, greeted and seated fast chips and salsa was good chips were warm did not like we had to pay for an refill of chips and salsa never seen that before at a Mexican restaurant. Restaurant was clean but it was cold. Cons. Our waiter wasn't very friendly a d when I went to ask for certain items on the side instead of inside my burrito he repeated himself a few times that all that comes inside when I told him I understand that he rolled his eyes ... so I decided I needed to write a review but I made it know I was doing so and surprisingly his demeanor got a little better smh other than this one waiter our first time experience wasn't bad the food saved everything... but the service is important to me hopes this helps oh and we came during lunch time it wasn't packed and we did not order the lunch specials.... read more

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It was really busy when we went to eat here. They greeted us as soon as we came in and were also seated quickly. We were brought our drinks and chips and salsa in a timely manner. Once we placed our order it took longer than expected, but They were busy. We got our food and the nachos were a little bland ( the cheese sauce was good though!). The burrito could have used more cheese sauce as well and looked pretty lonely with no beans or rice to accompany it. Chips and salsa were good and I can't remember the other dish with the 3 burritos, but it was good as well; the rice was needing more seasoning. Overall the service and the food were good and I will probably try it again (hopefully it won't be so busy, if I do). read more

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OMG, this place is so damn good. This may be the best Mexican food I've ever had. Prices are quite reasonable, and portions are large. The chips are salsa were fresh and delicious. I ordered the El Bracero seafood special. It was $11.99, It had amazing tilapia with shrimp, rice, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. It was really hard to decide what to order since everything looked so good, but I was extremely pleased with this dish. I would happily eat this several times a week. (I actually looked it up in Google maps to see how long it would take to get here to go for dinner, but 1.5 hours is a bit too far). The other orders included the Veracruz fajitas (looked amazing), the tiliapia tacos (looked good, but not as good as the fajitas), and the chicken burrito (looked good, but not as good as my food). I was impressed that they had clear descriptions of all of the dishes on the menu, and even pronunciations. They also had a clear vegetarian section, and mentioned that they cook in vegetable oil. This makes it easier to eat with vegetarians. Everyone was quite happy with their food, and the restaurant selection. The server was efficient, and helpful. He helped us make good choices, and was there whenever we needed him. I plan to stop here every time I'm driving through Michigan City. read more

Came in for dinner here on a Sunday night. Wasn't very busy. Got seated and our waiter came right away. I forgot his name but he was a good waiter for sure ! Sorry man I forgot your name ! He often came back and checked on us We ordered a pitcher of a giant margarita which was tasty and a pick 3 combo meal and split it. Came with plenty of beans and rice . We also got the normal white queso dip. The wifeys go to snack . It was very good .There was plenty of food for us to share. Good food good service good margarita and the food came out quick so no complaints here read more

El Bracero - Margarita pitcher and queso dip mmmmm - Mexican Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

My boyfriend and I went in for dinner, our first time last night. I ordered Carne Asada,David our waiter's recommendation. It came out perfect with lovely avocados on the side, very flavorful. My boyfriend got ribeye and shrimp which he enjoyed, and was cooked to perfection. I asked David to make me a margarita that was not the barTypical margarita sour mix, it was still a bit sour but still very good although we did have to order extra shots of tequila as it was not that strong. David our waiter was great and attentive and we will be back! read more

I read the Yelp reviews as there are several options to chose from. I didn't try them all but im glad I chose this one. It was great. Great food fast and friendly. The salsa was great as well. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant! Hands-down best chips and salsa I have ever had. I literally go there just to get the salsa to go. I use it on just about everything at home. The grilled shrimp tacos are my favorite. Actually just about everything at El Braceros is my favorite, I have never had a bad dish read more

My wife, sister and I traveled to Michigan City from South Bend, Indiana to meet relatives for lunch. We heard mostly good reviews and a few bad reviews of this restaurant. Ore experience however was positive. The ambiance was good albeit somewhat dated. The parking availability was good and the location was good. However you can enjoy these things and they add to the experience, but you go to a restaurant to eat primarily. There were 5 of us in our party and we all enjoyed our lunch. I ordered the taco salad. It came, like most, in a taco "bowl" shell. There were good portions of beef, lettuce, tomato's, and other usual vegetables and ingredients. When I ordered it I had visions of a larger taco with mostly vegetables and not much meat. I was pleasantly surprised to find this taco salad "lunch sized" with proportionate mix of ingredients. The taste was very nice. The obligatory chips and salsa was also served. I am happy to say that my taste buds as well as other parts of my mouth survived the salsa. It was tasty with the right amount of heat. Oh yes, the service was good and the food presentation was very nice. All in all, I would go back again when we are in the area. read more

I believe that with each place you go and eat, it is necessary to alter your expectations. You're in a new place, there are different influences, different palates that they are intending to please. I like good food, and that's what I got here as well as hospitable service and an easier drive the rest of the way to Chi-town. The story goes a little something like this. I was on my way to Chicago from Ann Arbor, and I still had about an hour to go in my drive. I figured that I would probably need to have a stop, just to eat and relax a bit before continuing on, because I had left the house KINDA in a rush and definitely hadn't bothered to eat. Probably just anxious about the drive by myself, so I decided to be a grown-up and take care of myself. I was thinking of trying to find the Panera that had been advertised on the freeway but instead ended up in this place. I walked into the restaurant, which was pretty dark and NOT romantically so, but within a few seconds someone met me and led me to a booth. A different gentleman would come and greet me, hand me a menu and bring me a water. It took me some time to choose because the menu was pretty expansive, but I decided on Chilaquiles with chicken and then an a la carte taco al pastor. Best decision I made, next to the AirBnB I chose for that 3 day-stint (you know what I am talking about they can be so hit or miss). I am going to admit that I am something of a food snob, I love good food and what I had there was solidly good, and inexpensive food. I thought I was making a quick potty stop, I ended paying under $14 for 1.5 days worth of food and a bottle of jarritos. Everything piece of food, the vegetables (onions, lettuce, tomatoes), the meat (seasoned pork and chicken), the tortillas, tasted fresh and flavorful and I would've stayed and indulged a bit longer if my tummy had had the room, but after 1/3 of the chilaquiles, I couldn't have anymore. If you're on a road trip and need to make a quick stop or if you're around the town, this place is definitely worth it. You will not regret it. read more

The food was delicious, cooked quickly, huge portions, and two of us ate for $30! Highly recommend. P.S. the cheese dip was AWESOME

I'd skip this place. Speedy Gonzales lunch special was fine, but waiters were not friendly, we waited much too long to be seated and the restroom was really dirty. Environment was cold, drafty and didn't seem clean. read more

This no frills, casual Mexican is delicious and cheap. You can eat at El Bracero for relatively the same price as Taco Bell, and almost as quickly. Their service is friendly and fast. Great spot to stop for a quick lunch or take out, or even hang out all evening with friends. The waiters are amazing! Not only are they hilarious, but they are good at what they do! Go here twice and they will memorize your order. Most important-- they don't cheap out when it comes to strong margaritas! read more

I really, really love it here. My in-laws like to meet us in Michigan City for occasional weekends, since they live in GR and we live in Chicago. Lately I get more excited to come here than to the casino (and not just because I don't smoke or gamble). I wish I was more literate when it came to Mexican food, so I can't tell you exactly what type of food this is. I can tell you it is NOT the standard deep-fried Tex-Mex extravaganza found most places I've tried in Chicago. Other reviewers have called the food bland --this is a good thing! It also lies flat on your plate, is not pleasing to the eye, and is completely without bells and whistles. If anyone knows El Arriero in Grand Rapids, I'd call this a close second place, which still makes this five stars in my book. Standard offering of 5 vegetarian combos, none will disappoint. No frills decor. Homemade chips and salsa. Funny, good waiters, all men. Dos Equis Amber on tap. Someone tell me where I can get this in Chicago. I've considered taking the South Shore here... and only to here. It's a four mile walk from the train station. I think it might be worth it. I effing love it. read more

pulled over from a long drive sat down ate chips and all of a sudden.... MICE POOP on the tables! we had 3 tables for our party! gross! we quickly notified staff and got out!!! read more

Great staff, great food, big portions. Margarita specials are awesome. Highly recommend the Fajitas Mexicanas (Steak, Chicken, Chorizo). Arandas Cheese Steak is really good too, but these are some of the best and biggest Fajitas around. The price is right too. Not the fanciest place, but it's definitely my go-to restaurant in Michigan City. read more

This place has cheap to fair prices. Fast and friendly service. The food quality is good. Lunch specials are a good deal. Atmosphere is pizza hut converted into a local chain, which is cool to me at least. Some sweet margaritas. One waiter working there is comic, and will talk to you in Spanish/English hybrid although he speaks only American known Spanish words to you, so it's not a bad thing. It is clever. Go here and support local business instead of Chili's. read more

If someone had a Mexican restaurant and gave up on it this would be it. On the surface everything appears to be all systems go, an expansive menu fairly priced with all your usual options but don't be fooled. Once the food arrives prepare for the mediocre/bland/unseasoned version of all your favorite Mexican dishes. It's only redeeming quality was my margarita which was very strong. Probably to help wash down the food I just ate and prevent me from writing such a review. If you find yourself at El Bracero order a few margaritas first then your entree. read more

First of all, the food was excellent. However, the service was bad. Neither of us are fussy people at restaurants, and can generally roll with whatever happens, but the service here was pretty bad. Our waiter didn't get our orders right (multiple times). He was genial, but vague, and did not communicate well. It was a bit annoying trying to get what you wanted. Had the service even been average this place would have been 5 stars, and all three stars I did give El Bracero belong to the food. It was a little sad to see such a good product and such bad service. My wife had a burrito and said it was really good. I had enchiladas with the green, red, cheese sauces, and they were pretty amazing. Large portions, so you won't leave hungry. If you just want some great Mexican food and don't mind the hassle, El Bracero is worth a try. read more

El Braceros offers great Mexican food at a great price. the wait staff is always prompt and friendly to guests. They offer vegetarian options and have great margarita!! highly recommend this location! read more

Tried El Bracero on a trip to the Lighthouse Place outlet mall. It's a pretty standard American-style Mexican place. The service was friendly and portions large for the price. El Bracero isn't great, but judging by reviews about good as any Mexican you can get in Michigan City. read more

I'm going to rate this on comparison to other so called authentic mexican restaurants in the area. My family and I have been visiting El Bracero's for several years now and have been mostly happy. I have never had a bad meal. My favorite entree is the Jalisco special, it's a combination of everything and I love it. It has chicken, steak, shrimp, rice, veges and their delicious queso. Also try the Pollo Mexicano which is two grilled chicken breasts on a bed of grilled bell peppers, mushrooms and onions. Here's one of the very few problems. A year ago or so they changed their shredded chicken and beef and it has a lot a black pepper in the chicken. The shredded beef isn't bad but I do not suggest the shredded chicken. Everything else I've ever had here is wonderful. Service is good all things considered. 9 times out of 10 you get your food really fast. The servers don't speak or understand much English so speak slow and clearly if you don't want your order made wrong. Also the fried ice cream and churros are very good. Once a week there's a 15% off your bill coupon in the News Dispatch on the front page. read more