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    El Catrin Mexican Kitchen

    4.0 (44 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    EL CATRIN MEXICAN KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Carnitas
    Melissa R.

    Food was amazing! Service was mediocre. Hard to get the waitress attention and lots of waiting. On to a better note... the food and drinks were great! 10/10 for food. Ambiance was nice good music and nice decor.

    Birria tacos

    Very mixed feelings. Mrs. Margarita was a fantastic wonderful amazing kind sincere waitress and highly recommended her to anyone and everyone to ask for her when they go in. Unfortunately that same customer service isn't the same for the rest of the team. The birria tacos were good very deep marinade. The Carne asada was very tender and good too.

    Beef Tongue taco
    Bee L.

    El catrin is THE spot to go for mexican food in the area. It eats up all the other mexican spots, right when you walk in everyone is so extremely friendly. The ambiance is amazing for a mexican restaurant, it is so nicely decorated and extremely clean. The drinks are very authentic and if you miss REAL mexican food from places like California, you will not regret coming here. The food is always consistent and packed with delicious flavors. I have ordered a lot off the menu and everything has been delicious. Try this spot if you're craving delicious mexican food!

    Supreme burrito steak

    Service was nice and welcoming. The food was pretty good as well but not 5 star worthy

    Burrito crazy
    Jaclyn R.

    Our food was Absolutley delicious. Best burrito I have ever had. I had the burrito crazy and subbed chorizo for shredded chicken and highly recommend it. Unreal.

    My family has lived here for years now and when we saw the OPENING SOON sign, we couldn't be more excited! It's a running joke in my family that we only go out to eat at Mexican restaurants (we're Mexican) and El Catrin quickly became our go to! All of our birthdays, dates, celebrations, and other milestones have been celebrated here! They know my dad by name, and we have never had a bad experience here in the dozens and dozens of times we have come to eat! The food is amazing, the servers are all so lovely and sweet, the environment is welcoming, they happily accommodate our large crowd for birthdays (16-23 usually) and even when there's a big group of us, we always get our food quickly and it's always wonderful! My favorite is the Cammorones Chipotle, Enchiladas Blancas or Tacos Diabla! They also have fantastic churros!! My favorite place to eat in all of Onslow County!!

    Mexican chocolate lava cake! Not a true lava cake, but soooo delicious. Real vanilla bean ice cream too!
    Moriah L.

    We've been here several times, and it's quickly becoming our favorite place to eat in Swansboro. Wonderful welcoming atmosphere, greeted in Spanish by the kindly owner each time, and they are starting to learn our names and are super accommodating and friendly. The complimentary chips aren't too greasy, and have a pleasant crunch which is essential, and the salsa is full of flavor but mild enough to let the kids eat their hearts out. Every dish we've had has been superb! Normally rice and beans are nothing to speak of, but they are tasty. The homemade pico has a flavor kick but it's not too spicy which is nice. My husband got some chilaquiles that were almost too spicy, and he loooves spicy things and he said they were to die for. We've had some of the egg dishes, carnitas, fajitas, chili relleno, sopapillas, and several of the desserts and everything has been very tasty. Our kids know it as the purple restaurant because it's painted purple inside. The music is nice but not too loud, and the ambience is relaxed, fun, and family friendly. When we have friends or family in town, we bring them here now!

    Jalapeno and mango margaritas are boozy and large.
    Jamie M.

    Nothing but good things to report about Swansboro's newest Mexican restaurant, El Catrin Mexican Kitchen. After a half dozen visits since their opening, the food continues to impress us each and every time. Start off with one of their boozy margaritas, featuring your choice of top-shelf tequilas. The Jalapeno Margarita is a crowd favorite. The Coctel de Camarones is one of the best shrimp cocktails I've ever tried - a spicy blend of tomato juice with cilantro, onions, tomatoes and loads of shrimp, topped off with creamy slices of avocado. Our hands down favorite entree is the massive Molcajete El Catrin ($24) that arrives table side in a huge stone mortar, overflowing with charred delights including skirt steak, pounded chicken, bacon-wrapped shrimp, lots of chorizo sausage and plenty of grilled zucchini, squash, cactus, green onions and plantains. This huge caldron is topped off with a plank of cotija cheese and is big enough for two people to share. The Chicken Mole is as authentic as it gets - the meat, typically three chicken legs and/or thighs, comes bone-in for extra flavor and is offered up with a side of rice, guacamole salad and homemade corn tortillas. The mole is very, very flavorful, with a perfect hint of bitter chocolate and warm spices. Their classic Street Tacos come three to a serving and you can order everything from birria (meat stew) to lengua (beef tongue) Breaded or grilled shrimp and fish are also options. The tortillas are house made and sturdy enough for the proteins and all the fixings. End your evening with the classic Fried Ice Cream, served up in a sweet and crunchy tortilla bowl and topped with chocolate and a cherry.

    Our drink bloody Maria with Modelo
    Nico F.

    Great food and good portions Service was great and attentive Ambiance was good with a new crisp look

    Steak Quesadillas

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    11 months ago

    Fantastic food volcan fajitas are the bomb!!!! My family and I love coming here. Prices are decent as well.

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    1 year ago

    Ordered takeout for cinco de mayo - the food was fresh and delicious and they hooked me up on the hot sauce !

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    2 years ago

    Food and service has been great every time I've been. It's our new local go to Mexican spot.

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    2 years ago

    Good food and great service! El carton special is great! Their drink are very good as well!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great menu, great food excellent service. New restaurant worth your time to try. Nice to have back entrance if you have to park in back

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    2 years ago

    My husband and I ate here and it is the best Mexican food around! We will be back a lot more!

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    A MUST for great food and service. Today was out first-time visiting Boro. We were doing some…read moretraining with our dog, Vinny and wanted to see how his first experience would be. The host and other employees quickly took to paying him LOTS of loving attention. They provided water and ice for him. They even have a dog menu - he loved the grilled chicken. The clam chowder was better than any I ever had in New England - definitely will have another serving. Hannah doubled check to ensure I had no specific dietary requirements after I made a request for no back on top. I ordered the beet salad - it was a perfect serving for lunch - it came with mixed greens instead of arugula, but that was not a big deal for me. My spouse ordered the flounder with a side of asparagus and coleslaw - all good portions. The batter on the flounder was light, which was appreciated. Service by Hannah was TOP NOTCH, very attentive to us and our furbaby. Checked on us several times, answered all of our questions about the food, shared the specials and also inquired if I wanted tea to go. It's the little details of customer service that makes a HUGE difference for us. Thanks Hannah for the EXCELLENT service - we will be back!

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    We recently moved to the area and chose Saltwater Grill to celebrate a special family occasion,…read morehoping it would become one of our new favorite restaurants. Instead, it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences we've ever had. From the beginning, things felt off. Our server was wearing basketball shorts, which seemed completely inappropriate for the atmosphere and setting of the restaurant. The wait for our food was excessive, and when it finally arrived, it was almost entirely inedible. The food was cold, the broccoli was essentially raw, the rice and risotto looked and tasted nothing like they should, and every meal at the table was disappointing. For a bill of over $300, not a single person in our party left satisfied. To make matters worse, we noticed the restaurant had a B sanitation rating, which certainly didn't inspire confidence after the quality of the meal we received. The waterfront location is beautiful, but that's where the positives end. When you're paying premium prices for a special celebration, you expect quality food, attentive service, and a memorable experience. Unfortunately, we got none of those. We won't be returning, and I couldn't recommend Saltwater Grill to friends, family, or anyone looking for a nice meal in the area.

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    El Catrin Mexican Kitchen - tacos - Updated October 2026

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