Best Tex-mex in fishtown! Ofcourse that's a quote from a local friend, I personally haven't been around the area enough to say that but I was happy to accept such a thing as our food was perfect all around! Just went with chips and quac to start up, then I personally went with the chronic because, pulled pork, Mac and cheese, on a sandwhich together? The added toppings brought it all together and devoured every bite! Drank a Texas goldrush as well which was very tasty. Overall, great food, vibes and service. Check them out! read more

El Camino Real - Texas goldrush - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

The Good, the Bad, the ok and the Ugly. Good: came on a busy Saturday night and were sat right away in our choice of an outdoor table. I love that they have tvs outside and picnics benches, my kind of place. My mojito was so freaking good and if I just went for drinks they would probably get 5 stars. That's not the case. The Bad: We waited awhile for our food but no big because it's crowded. The nachos came without the pulled pork and were so so salty but lacking cheese and everything else. She did end up giving us the pulled pork on the side. The ok: our shrimp tacos were ok just seemed like shrimp and sauce in a tortilla but the flavor was good. Bbq platter was ok, e liked the bbq sauce and hot sauce choices. The ugly: after waiting awhile for our food to come out it was cold, the rice, the refried beans and the baked beans for the bbq were all cold not even a little warm. Our waitress was busy and hard to catch so we just left it. Ate what we wanted and left, they include 20% gratuity in the check. I'd go back because I like the vibe a lot just things were a miss tonight. read more

See all

I always love this place no matter what time of year or what I get! I've tried something new everytime I've gone and never disappointed! read more

El Camino Real - Margarita - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Great great notches. They were so good. My daughter was pregnant 40 weeks and she just loves nachos the same as I do what better item to eat while you're pregnant.. great service from the server very friendly the atmosphere it's not the first time I've been to this place. It's where we also had My Daughter college graduation party and it was like a party of 12 or 15. Such a great time at this place always every time we go they really do take care of you. They have a large menu you name it and I think they have it same thing with alcohol beverages I think I believe I had a margarita delicious. They have vegan dishes as well as gluten-free.. read more

Great for margs and apps--skip the full meal! El Camino has been a go-to happy hour spot for my friends and me for years. The margaritas are always solid, and there's a great variety of apps to share. I had the Hibiscus Margarita--perfectly sweet and strong! This time we stayed for dinner, and I tried the Cheese Enchiladas Rojo. They were just okay, though I did enjoy the fried egg on top. TL;DR: Fun vibe, tasty drinks, and solid apps. Recommend the hibiscus marg! Not the best for a full dinner. read more

El Camino Real - Cheese Enchiladas Rojo - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Came here a few times for a quick get together or meet up. The food is average, the service is consistent, decently clean restaurant, and decent drink options. The location is super convenient but parking can be a challenge. read more

El Camino Real - Bang bang shrimp taco - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

We haven't been here in years, but decided to hit them up when looking for a happy hour/bar vibes one Friday night a few weeks back. Their happy hour goes until 7pm, which was clutch for us as we didn't make it out until closer to 6. It still has the typically cantina vibes with wooden furniture, colorful flags/decor, etc. We sat at the bar and the bartender came over immediately to check in with us. Drinks wise, I initially got the Hurácan, but it didn't feel strong enough so I ordered a Strawberry Margarita which was a special on the happy hour menu; he got two margaritas - the margaritas were made well! Mixed well so the taste wasn't overpowering while we were drinking, but eventually we were feeling very nice. Food was pretty good. We ordered apps - Smoked Chicken Wings, Pancho Nachos with steak and Fried Calamari - and we enjoyed all the food. Good spot to check out and we will definitely be back again soon. read more

See all

Food was good service was great the atmosphere was even nice lightning was not too bright which gave a great eating environment and experience my only problem is nobody that with the wore a uniform n the waiters look like a random bringing my food I had to make sure it was them and not act stranger seeing me up for failure but in would visit again read more

The tortilla soup was fantastic and the frozen margaritas were delicious, strong, and come in several flavors. I had the blood orange next and I enjoyed that one a lot, too! read more

El Camino Real - Frozen margarita - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

While I was excited to try a new place over in the Fishtown/northern liberties area, I have to say that I was not fully impressed with the food experience at this place. It seems that most are attracted to coming here because of their great happy hour specials, but if somebody who doesn't drink, I am less inclined to prefer food that seem to be overly salty and lacking a genuine feel for cuisine. I tried the veggie wings, which were a nice option given that they were made with seitan, however, they were so crunchy and well done that my jaw was not happy. The passionfruit nonalcoholic Mojito I got was pretty tasty, so I was happy with that. My chips and salsa were stale and my friend who ordered their crunch wrap supreme was not impressed at how salty the brisket was in the meal. The server was pretty friendly and checked in on us, but when we were asked how our meal was, and we told him that the food was not up to par, There was nothing really done to make up for it. The vibe inside was like a typical bar, pretty loud and lively. I probably won't be coming back, but it was nice to have tried it at least once. read more

El Camino Real - Single Order Veggie Wings - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

My first time here and 10/10!!! And my waiter Gemma was the icing on the f****** cake. The menu gave me anxiety high key but she helped me through it. The atmosphere, food, and drinks were top tier. I'll be back soon. read more

I ordered a lunch special with pork tacos. They pretty bland IMO. Pretty one dimensional taste - no real flavor profile

I was really excited with the selection of trying El Camino Real on a Friday night. It seemed like it was a very busy, bustling hipster, Mexican restaurant unfortunately being at an outside table with a short staff team made for a challenging night. I ordered the guacamole and chips which was absolutely divine. Hands-down, some of the best guacamole that I have ever had, and the chips were perfectly seasoned For my drink, I ordered Cadillac margarita and unfortunately it was lime forward and was missing the Grand Mariner. Our server was hustling to get out the delicious Nashville Hot wings and fries. The wings were cooked perfectly, the sauce was spicy and unique, and oh the fries. That's right the fries were crispy and seasoned perfectly. Although the drink wasn't as advertised overall, the meal and the service was good. I will try on my next visit back to Philly again as the recommendations were high, and the vibe of the restaurant was very cute. read more

El Camino Real - Nashville hot wings - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

We came in for drinks and apps. Drinks are poor at best. We ordered chips and guac and chips were stale. They add a standard 20% gratuity, so the waiters do no extra effort to be nice. Our waitress was not accommodating at all, and looked rather annoyed. I would not recommend. read more

Me and my 3 sisters were told by the manager that there would be about a 30-40 minute wait which wasn't a problem. Everybody was outside trying to get something to eat on this beautiful day and that's completely expected! The problems began once we were seated. We sat for 35 minutes with no greet from a waitress. No acknowledgement from any of the surrounding employees and had to literally flag down our waitress. She then proceeded to play the "I'll figure out who your server is act." Even though she knew and my sisters and I knew she was our server. Because we were sat so long, we were fully prepared to place our apps and entrees. At this point, we're being told that half of what we attempted to ordered is sold out. And who knows if that might've been the case had we been greeted promptly. I am a server myself and all I can say is, don't put one of your servers out on the patio if she can't handle being double or triple sat. Had we been greeted or even told by our waitress "I'll be right with you," we would all have had a different attitude. Instead she walked past our table numerous times trying not to make eye contact and tend to the surrounding guests. 40 minutes for water. 55 minutes for an appetizer that she failed to inform us was sold out until WE asked HER about it. Please go literally anywhere else. read more

El Camino Real - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm back again, haha! Just had to shout out Noah--he was so great when my friend asked for food recommendations. He described each of his favorites in full detail, and you could tell he really knew what he was talking about. His personality made the whole experience even better, and my friend ended up loving everything he suggested. Give that man his props! read more

El Camino Real - The Amazing Texas Cheesesteak - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Dined here this past Saturday. Parking: very hard. Find a parking lot or take a ride share. Atmosphere: very loud Service: Tommy was good. He forgot to mention not that we see a sign notifying people that they include $20 gratuity. I did not like that. Drinks: tequila sunrise. It was good and had a little kick. They bring chips and salsa to the table. Food: 1. brisket birria Taco with consomme. They both lacked a robust flavor. 2. Tijuana 'Caesar' salad with romaine lettuce, crispy tortilla, pickled onion, parmesan, Caesar dressing, garlic-butter grilled Texas toast. It was ok. Overall, I was not impressed. I'm not sure if I'll go back to try something else. read more

See all

One of the first places I ever tried in Philly! Food is tasty and has great portions and the drinks are super yummy! The rotating happy hour and deals make it fun to come back every couple weeks and try something new for a lower price. They have outdoor and indoor seating, but I prefer to sit outside if its nice out. read more

New food menu has barely any vegetarian or vegan options now. Drink was good but, ordered the smoked wings. Horrible they were barely smoked and each wing was small as hell, disgraceful to put that on a plate and charge for it. read more

Whenever I go it's always a good experience. Great drinks, hot food & good service. I like that they stay open later than most and you can order takeout on the late night. Food is made to order so it's never cold read more

Waited over 30 minutes for 2 entrees. One entree was incorrect. We asked to cancel. They brought out the correct menu item immediately thereafter. We had already cancelled the order. The burrito is a joke. Never seen a slim burrito. It was more like a taquito. There was no comp to the check. This place is good for parties that want to get a marg pitcher. Smash and dash. Enjoy. read more

I like the food and have eaten in many times, but why a 20% gratuity added for takeout? Is that normal? I ordered chips and salsa and one order of shrimp fajitas. I ordered from the host on the side entrance and they said an automatic tip of 20% was added to my takeout order. I have never had that happen in another restaurant. read more

El Camino has been on my list for months. Thanks to one of my favorite podcasts (Between Us Girlies), I knew it'd be the perfect spot to check out before our visit to the Eastern State Penitentiary Halloween visit. We got the 64oz pitcher of Mango Margarita (it was strong and delicious), chips and guacamole to share (9/10) and our own entrees. Not only was everything super affordable but the portions were perfect. I got the Baja Fish tacos w/ complimentary beans n' rice and traded a spicy shrimp taco with my friend. Everything was so good, and the rice and beans were basic (not crazy flavorful). I can see why this is a Philly favorite and would love to come back to try their barbecue portion of the menu. read more

Service was great, ambience is great, right in the heart of no libs. The mexican food was an insult to mexican culture and food. Where do you want to start. Want a soda?Pepsi products but out of pepsi. Chips and salsa-tortilla chips drenched in old bay seasoning, pico de galo (not salsa), salsa verdi that must have used 20 limes to make. Taco salad-lettuce with vinaigrette obviously, no meat, no taco. Burrito-essentially a microwave 7-11 burrito, small, dripping, meat was unseasoned. Peep the health score read more

Food is solid but this place is great due to the fun vibes and ambiance. The server I had was also very on top of things. Would come back again! read more

We moved to Philadelphia a little over a year ago and we live in Northern Liberties, so this has been one of our go-to places since it's just a block away and the food is pretty good. The service is good too. As others have mentioned, they charge a 20% automatic gratuity here which they don't tell you about, so we didn't know the first few times we ate here and that's upsetting. We were giving 20% gratuity on top of the 20% gratuity that we didn't know they were already charging us, so we were giving at least 40% gratuity. read more

Well, overall big NO. Service, food or anything. We thought to give it a try but we got a extremely overcock short rib that felt like microwave warm, cuz the inside was cold. Coleslaw salad that felt expired. And service that took forever. First and last for me. That's for sure. read more

El Camino Real - Dry short rib - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here with some friends to enjoy the Taco Tuesday specials before the 76ers game. We were delighted by the Margarita pitcher deals and $2 tacos. The beef taco came out first and I had immediate flashbacks to being at a Taco Bell (not a good thing). However, once the next two came (chorizo, calamari) out, I was surprisingly pleased. Pros: strong drinks (I'd recommend the Blood Orange, don't get anything Mezcal related unless you are into your drink tasting like a Smokey cookout) Cons: salsa, frighteningly quiet waiters, and being charged for an extra pitcher that we didn't order read more

See all

Food was good and the service was ok. Ambiance is always great. The happy hour isn't that great but Id go again since I know what to expect. read more

See all

Came here to grab dinner to go and had a terrible experience. Cons - they don't take to go orders over the phone or at least they strongly discourage you to do that. Instead you are directed to use their online pick up service - this online order system provides super inaccurate pick up times. I show up and waited 20 minutes with my 2 kids...then after 20 minutes they bring out the food and the chef runs after me and asks to wait longer because they forgot something. So we waited a grand total of 30 minutes!! - food portions are tiny. I ordered the fried avocado tacos and I felt like I was eating more of the fried batter instead of the avocado. - the inside of this place is dark with interesting drawings on their windows...definitely not a kid friendly place The worst part? They automatically tack on a 20% gratuity for a pick up order. I was shocked. So I'm tipping them for making mediocre food and extremely poor timing? Great. The only great thing about this place is their queso is so good. Not sure if it's worth me coming back for that though. read more

El Camino Real - Queso - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

The food is inconsistent. The same items are great one night and bad another. The enchiladas are consistently bad. The atmosphere is nice and so are the staff. And quiz night is cute read more

After not being able to get into another restaurant for Taco Tuesday, my friend and I gave El Camino Real a try. Around 6pm there was a 30 min wait for an outside table for 2 - since it was a day it wasn't a big deal. Apparently they need to scan your credit card to 'lock in' your outside table in case you dine and dash...can't believe that happens. After reading the reviews, I was expecting long delays in ordering food, receiving it and drinks, delayed waiter check-ins, etc but was pleasantly surprised that it was all good!! No complaints with service. I ordered the Nashville Hot fish. It's a nice servicing of fish and I'd say that it had a good kick. Overall I'd say it was good but it wasn't great. They were very stingy with the ketchup (that seemed to be mixed with bbq sauce and franks red hot?) because they used small disposable sauce containers filled about halfway. When it was time to head out we remembered that the restaurant automatically adds 20% tip to the bill. Thought that was interesting! Id be up for going back and trying something else! read more

El Camino Real - Nashville Hot Fish - $14 - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here because surprisingly there weren't many other options to choose from around the area. The food was OK and the service was above-average. It seems like they're going for a Mexican/BBQ theme and while not a bad combo, you're not getting authentic Mexican or authentic BBQ in my humble opinion. The best comparison I can think of is that this place is probably closest to a Mexican Chili's except this place does not give you free chips and salsa. In fact, they charge you $5 per person for chips and salsa! I've never seen that type of pricing before for chips and salsa and it's pretty egregious in my humble opinion. Maybe it's a tragic move due to inflation but still not cool. We got the Texas Chili, Nachos, Brisket Tacos and Short Rib Birria Tacos. The chili was $15 and not worth it at all. Skip at all costs. Nachos were pretty good...the crema was a nice touch. Brisket Tacos were also good if you like brisket. The Birria Tacos were not good or prepared the traditional way. I could see myself coming here if the prices were a bit lower, but at the current prices, I can't see myself coming here again. But it is a decent option for the area. read more

I give this place a "4" overall - a "5" for the concept and vibe and a "3" for the food. This is a drum, festive place in the heart of the NoLibs neighborhood and has a Mexican/BBQ fusion menu. Again the vibe is great and the food, while not awful, could be better. I got a "bbq mixer" with pork shoulder, pork belly, and sausage. The sausage was quite good but the other two meats were rather dry. The decent sauces saved them somewhat but was hoping for more. We did get jalapeño poppers as an appetizer which were quite good. A lot of potential here, just gotta focus on some of the smaller things read more

El Camino Real - BBQ mixer platter with sausage, pork belly, and pork shoulder - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The menu is a bit confusing but look past it because the food is really good! I got a spicy skinny marg that was perfect, and the chips and salsa that included a pico de gallo and a tomatillo salsa. The plain quesadilla actually came with a good amount of veggies and beans, which I loved. The service and vibe were great. read more

El Camino Real - Quesadilla - Barbeque Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Finally I had the chance to dine here. We were greeted by a friendly hostess who seated us in a safely spaced seating area. They adhere the social distancing guideline as each tables has nice space in between. Appetizers: my favorite is the elote. Corn is sweet smothered with creamy flavorful topping sprinkled with cojita cheese. Special for that night was smoked salmon pastrami tostada. Beautiful presentation. It comes with 2 fried tortilla chips with slices of smoky salmon pastrami with spicy slaw. So good. I hope they make it as permanent menu. Guacamole was fresh with plentiful chips. Our table ordered fried pickles and stuffed jalapeños. They didn't disappoint. Main course: Texas chopped salad with goddesses dressing. I added shrimp. I love everything about this salad. It has chopped apples, crispy fried Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, pumpkin seeds that gave the crunch. My husband had fish sandwich. The fish was big and perfectly cooked. Dessert: tres leches. At a glance it looked like a tiramisu due to the cream cheese frosting with cinnamon dusting. Cake is moist and not overly soaked. Not too sweet and enough sweetness in the cream cheese. The best I've ever had. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. The cocktail drink was not too boozy and not too sweet either. Great balance Dessert: read more

See all

In with a coworker this evening for a very late lunch/dinner. The neighborhood streets are terrible parking is scarce. Potholes large enough to lose a person in. We sat at a table in the back corner against the wall in the Christopher was out bartender/server. He greeted us promptly with a great smile. read more

I hate to leave this because El Camino was one of my spots when I lived in Philly 10 years ago. Having just moved back to the city, I was excited to bring my husband to my old stomping grounds but was left questioning if El Camino was as good as I remembered it or if it had just gone down hill since the last time I was there. The nachos are still good but that's the only thing I'd suggest here. Definitely better Mexican (or TexMex) food to be found in the city. read more

Gave it 3 trys disappointing everytime. Drinks are watered down and all come from draft even margaritas. Food bland and burnt. Service horrible. read more

I generally try not to give bad reviews with all that's going on in the world these days, but my last visit here really left me needing to say something. I went in to buy a gift card. I told the bartender the amount I wanted. She added a 20% tip surcharge to the gift card (which isn't reflected on the gift card amount, it's just a separate tip) and told me AFTER she charged me. It wasn't worth the money to argue at the time but the more I thought about it, the more messed up it seemed. Either: 1) the bartender stole tips from the waitstaff who will be working the table when that gift card is used or 2) they double dip on the tips from gift cards since most people wouldn't realize the tip was "prepaid" on a gift card if it isn't on the base amount. Neither is acceptable. They have good food & happy hour specials. Outdoor seating area is nice. I've been in a few times but won't be back because of this. read more