They gave me all the water and chips before I even got food. Hands down the best staff I have ever met. Haven't eaten yet but I am sure I will love it. read more

El Charrito - Mexican Near Me - Molalla, Oregon

We had another Birthday in our family. So a great excuse to drop in again at El Charrito's ? This time though was for my son in law Boris and of course the entire family came along too! Like last August 2024 when we were last here it was for another Birthday my Daughter in law Elena! And like last time then no one left hungry. Their food is terrific and plenty of it. Service is very good and servers are also polite I need mention? Next family Birthday will be in July so we will see? 5 stars*****! read more

We went there tonight, giving this restaurant a 3rd try because the first two times the food was pretty bland. No surprise, it still was. But today the food tasted like CHEMICAL CLEANER! We let them know and they remade the portion that was obviously contaminated with chemicals, while still leaving it on the table. I just sat there and looked at it, and thankfully the waitress realized the whole plate needed remade. So there I sit with two plates of food instead of one once everything was remade. End of the meal comes and they still were going to charge us for it! My husband had to ask to be compensated for my meal after the terrible experience. It was never even explained or anything, they just spoke in Spanish instead of being forthright. After my husband asked, we did get compensation for my meal, but only after jumping through a hoop. Once we got home we realized we left my son's new Carhartt sweatshirt. My husband returned to the restaurant and asked. They stated they never saw one. My husband goes to our table and looks between the edge of the booth seat and the wall and it had been shoved behind the booth seat and almost under it. Like it was being hidden until someone could take it home... my son certainly didn't do that. Absolutely baffled by this experience, and most certainly will NEVER be returning. If I could give negative stars, I would. read more

We kept chugging all the water and he kept bringing more laughing with us as he brought the third pitcher

This is a great family run business. They have some good soups for a cold rainy night. A "must visit" for Molalla.

I love this place. Having lived many years in areas close to the Mexican border, I can say without reservation that the food here is just about as authentic as anything I've ever had in any town in Mexico. The food is tasty and well-made. The beans and rice are as delicious as any abuelita would serve in her own house. For people who are looking for spicy food, this might not be your place but if you're looking for food that'll make you reminisce about your last trip to Baja, this is your place. (Traditional authentic Mexican food is flavorful but isn't necessarily very spicy.) After being seated, chips, salsa, bean dip and glasses of water are served almost immediately. As many times as I've been here, I've never had to wait long to get my order taken or to get what I ordered delivered to the table. Oregon is still under pandemic protocol mandates (wearing a mask, social distancing, etc.) and El Charrito is one of the few places in this little town that is still practicing those protocols. For that reason alone, I'll be supporting this little local Mexican restaurant... but it's a good thing they have good food, too. Oh yeah - I think the margaritas are especially good and are a great accompaniment to whatever authentic Mexican food you're ordering. If you close your eyes for a minute, you might even be able to picture yourself sitting on the beach in Loreto or Rosarito, toes in the sand, sun at your back, listening to the people around you chattering in Spanish. I really do love this place. read more

El Charrito - Chalupa, cheese enchilada, refried beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Molalla, Oregon

Service was good. It was very slow early on a Sunday. Food was merely mediocre at best. Wife had an upset stomach after eating a burrito.

This is American Mexican food but there is something really really great about this place. First things first- a full bar! Rare for Mexican restaurants. Cozy booths and here is the thing: what is it with those beans???! They are the best in the world! I have gotten it out of them that they put lard in them and that is what every Mexican American restaurant did until 1990. I can't get enough of them and if I die of a heart attack .. well isn't that better than cancer? My favorite is a Cadillac Margie and carne asada if I'm hungry or chili rellno with lots of beans if I'm not starving. Cozy warm and not crowded because people in Mollala take for granted the beauty of these beans! read more

This is our favorite spot to eat in town, hands down! The food/service/drinks are always on point

The service was good. The place was really cute. It's just that the food was very bland. Didn't have much flavor and I'm very picky about chili Relleno and this was one of the worst I've ever had. It was nothing more than a scrambled egg wrapped around a pepper with no cheese at all whatsoever in it maybe a little cheddar so not the cheese the egg was scrambled and chewy like an omelette, wrapped around a pepper and the sauce was not the proper red sauce but it's what I've come to expect from just about every place in this town. Nothing has flavor and the food sucks everywhere. read more

El Charrito - Chicken, shrimp and steak fajita mix just OK not much flavor - Mexican Near Me - Molalla, Oregon

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Servers are nice. Food comes out fast. My taco salad was bland (edible still!). Husband really liked his chimichanga though. Margaritas were delicious but it's lime and tequila so I hope that would have taste. read more

El Charrito - Taco salad with patron margarita - Mexican Near Me - Molalla, Oregon

Extremely super bland! Ordered chicken fajitas and they looked like they'd have some sort of flavor, but they tasted like boiled chicken meat. On top of it the onions and peppers were not cooked enough at all. I could make way better fajitas at home for a lot less money. Feel ripped off and disappointed. read more

I was out in Molalla and craving some good Mexican that some of these smaller towns have. :-) El Charrito appeared to be the featured Mexican restaurant right on the main drag so I decided to check it out. It was a Sunday before the dinner rush and it didn't look like there were many cars in the parking lot. When I entered the restaurant there was only one table occupied. I was seated immediately in a booth. The waiter pointed to a booth and provided me with a menu. I already knew I wanted enchiladas so there was no need to review the menu but it was very lengthy and there were many many options. I ordered the two enchilada combo, one chicken and one Carne Asada, refried beans, rice. I ordered an ice tea. I was then provided with warm chips, with salsa/refried beans to dip them in. Nice! The refried beans had no flavor but the salsa and chips were delicious. Within a few minutes I received my dinner. First thing I noticed was there was no sauce on the enchiladas... They were dry with just cheese on top. The flour tortilla was dry on the ends. Interesting! I've never had enchiladas served without red, mole or green sauce on them. I smothered them with salsa since the waiter never came back by to check on things. The Carne Asada meat was good... it was grilled. The chicken enchilada was not that great... It tasted like boiled chicken very bland. The ice tea tasted like plastic so I could not drink it. I never saw the waiter again and literally had to ask for my check. Finally a woman came by who was not extremely friendly and finally provided me with my check. left confused and thirsty. :-( I won't make a special trip to come here and if I ended up here I would probably order the Carne Asada by itself. read more

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Great food, Great service If you are in Molalla and you want good quality Mexican food, this is the place! read more

Great food, good service. Been coming here for decades and always enjoy my time and the food.

I have it four stars because of the speediness of the service. I ordered off the lunch menu the charrito burrito food was decent but got me in and out in less than 20 minutes... Food decent, speediness awesome. read more

I'm giving them 2 stars... I think that's a tad high. We arrived 1PM... we were seated party of 5. It took a few to get our drinks... We ordered food... which we waited an hour+ to get. Our server didn't come to the table much. Didn't warn us that it was taking so long. When we reached the hour later we were antsy and ready to walk out. Our server had come by to tell us they had a really big "To-go" order... I'm sorry but people in house should be served first. Not "to-go" orders. There were about 5 other tables in the same boat. By the time we got our meals our tostado was awful. It was literally thrown on the plate with beans and rice... so much beans that the tostado was wiggly. When we requested a different one- it seemed like an inconvenience. I ordered Carne Asada... by the time I got it I was just not interested. This was my first time, I wouldn't recommend going. & I won't be returning. We didn't take photos because we were burn out from waiting forever. Also, no apology either for waiting/ taking so long. read more

I have been going here since I was born. My parents were one of the first customers. It is absolutely nothing short of a great restaurant. The food is always fresh, the waiters/waitresses are always on top of everything and it's a great deal. It's amazing to have a restaurant like this in the small town of Molalla. I have never had a bad experience here! Friendly environment, great for groups, or small parties. read more

The service was quick and the workers were friendly. All the servers were patient and cheerful. They adapted for our large group perfectly. I enjoyed my meal and it came in a large size. It was a little bit pricey, but it was worth it! They had plenty of choices on the menu and it was an overall great experience. read more

El Charrito - Mexican Near Me - Molalla, Oregon

They have excellent Mexican food & Cadillac Margaritas. The server I see mostly & adore is a tall, thin gentleman. Forgot his name. Remembers us which means a lot! Very caring & cks in on us & always so thoughtful. read more

Service is ok. I say this because I'm 1 of 4 people here and I waited forever for a water fill.yes, I'm drinking a margarita as well. I appreciate the side of refried beans along w/chips n salsa. I ordered a chili relleno Ala carte. I have to say, I judge a Mexican restaurant by their chili relleno. And by far the worst I've ever had, . I liked the crispness of the chili, but the sauce was like eating pizza .I ate it because I'm starving and haven't eaten all day and I'm traveling. I visited this place every time I travel. it tasted like marinara out of a jar. Really weird for me . Not at all what I expected. The Cadillac margarita was on point! Thank you for that. I've been here a few times before and each time it gets worse and worse. read more

Margaritas here are top notch! Love Aeros con pollo, the owners, and the music! It's all pretty great. Been coming here for years and NEVER have we been disappointed! We love it all! read more

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Hidden gem, great burritos great prices and the best tortillas you'll ever have! I will always stop in when I'm traveling down the road

We love this place! Every person I have invited to lunch at El Charriot from family to friends loves this place. The food is fresh and the taste is amazing. The people are wonderful. I do not enough word to describe the amazingness that you receive from your dinning experience. Their chicken fajitas are the best. read more

Excellent Mexican food (add jalapeño peppers LOL). A regular stop for the husband and I on "Date Night" because the food is great, the staff is friendly and attentive, and the prices are right! Great place for the entire family because they have an extensive menu to choose from. Only downside is that the portions may be be too large - you will never leave hungry. We LOVE it! read more

We were very disappointed with our experience at El Charrito. The service was extremely slow. The food was under seasoned. The salsa was extremely watery -in fact, I would probably say it was mostly tomato water. The chips were not fresh and tasted stale. Our orders were incorrect as well, so that didn't add to our confidence in the place. Overall, I give this place one star. read more

Not sure why they don't have better reviews... found myself out in Molalla on a motorcycle ride and saw this place on Main Street. We stopped in for dinner, 15 minute wait at 7pm (covid had every other booth closed) immediately greeted at the table with delicious chips, salsa and bean dip. We ordered and in less than 15 minutes had our food. I thought the food was very good. Price was on parr for what you received, and the service was very attentive and friendly. I will be coming here again! read more

Consistently great food and service. They take pride in their business! Thank you for providing a wonderful dining experience.

As a San Francisco native who by freak accident ended up living in Molalla, I had much trouble satisfying my food needs. Pretty much all restaurants in Molalla are sketchy and poor quality, except for El Charrito. Growing up in the bay area I was spoiled with Mexican Food. Although El Charrito may be as authentic as Chevy's Tex Mex, I never leave disappointed and am always overly full. I take all of my family and friends that visit me here, and all of the out-of-towners love it. El Charrito gives you huge tasty portions for reasonable prices. Being a vegetarian, I also always find that I can tweak the menu to my needs as they are fairly flexible. You get an endless bucket of their restaurant made chips (which are so addicting, fresh, and NEVER stale) and salsa and bean dip to accompany. Although I assume that the beans do have lard in them, it is added for flavor and they are SO GOOD! Our favorites include the fajita burrito (chicken or vegetarian), the quesadillas, vegetarian burrito, enchiladas, fajita salad, and margaritas which are oftly strong. As for the decorations, they are only intended to make the place feel more like a fiesta. Also, the service is fantastic. This is part of the reason why el charrito has 5 stars. I have never had an order "messed up". They are always watching your table to see if you need more beans, chips or water (I don't think this should be used against them). I have NEVER had to ask for anything, they are always so observant. They are on top of EVERYTHING! They are friendly and know us by face. I always feel good supporting this restaurant AND eating their food. Overall, lots of food for the price and very tasty. Good customer service and the ONLY restaurant in town that I trust and frequent. Check it out! read more

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Went here for dinner with a friend and his family and my girlfriend. It was Mexican food. Not much else to say about it. It came out hot, and there was plenty of it, with decent prices. I've had better, but I've had far worse. My new go-to is Chile Colorado burrito. Here, that option is two smaller burritos. They were pretty decent. The place is somewhat small, but well laid out, and the service was pretty on top of things, even with three small children doing their best to destroy the table. All in all, not a bad option for Molalla. But not something I would drive out of my way to go to. read more

El charities is not as good as it used to be the food we ordered was bal, the steak had no flavor . The servers were great doing there job serving us. I'm thinking chef Ramsey needs to come and visit them . Lol read more

Always a welcome place for great food and a nice drink. Hot fast and great food. Love the salsa and the family staff that are some of the best people you can meet. read more

Great food and margaritas!! Very clean and very socially distanced!! Love this place and to be able to go out again! Highly recommend fajita burrito and a Cadillac margarita read more

First and foremost, I want to note that the owner of El Charrito, Sergio, has done so much in giving back to the Molalla community that I will always think of this restaurant in a positive light. Now, regarding the restaurant itself... The Carne Asada dinner plate is really good, but some of the other dishes I've tried were disappointing. Overall I'd rate the food on par with other gringo-influenced Mexican restaurants around (4-star quality and flavor). Unfortunately the service is sometimes not on par with the carne asada, but that is often because they can get quite busy during dinner service. I keep going back and forth between this and the other sit-down, gringo-ized, Mexican place in town, and after several visits to El Charrito, I find myself wanting to go to the other restaurant. El Charrito has the best Carne Asada around, no question about that, though. read more

I keep giving this restaurant another chance hoping that it will be better, but there really is no flavor to the food, it is all bland. The salsa for the chips and salsa taste like straight up tomato sauce. I do like their margaritas and their customer service is good read more

Best margaritas in town. Friendly staff and very efficient. Food is good with a lot of variety.

The food was very average and the prices were high for a Mexican Restaurant. Nice, clean place. Service was great except for the nearly 15 minutes we waited for our check after they had already cleared our table. Waiters passed us so many times that we gave up and went to the register. Guess they like small tips! read more

As always the food is delicious and on point. My water glass is always full and the staff care about your experience. Have never had a bad meal. read more

Just what I was looking for...authentic Mexican cuisine. Surprised this spot wasn't busier.

Yikes. Carne Asada Burrito was an under-seasoned soggy mess. Chips were stale and salsa was watery. There were seven of us at the table and our food came out over a period of about five minutes. Pretty awkward. Water glasses remained empty most of the meal. Very disappointed overall and will not be coming back. read more