We have been regulars at El Corral pretty much since they opened. We go a few times a month because it is our family go-to that we all enjoy. Meeting up with friends and family there is always a great night. The food is always delicious, and I appreciate the diverse menu. There's a little something for everyone. From Mexican restaurant favorites like fajitas and chimichangas to more authentic, spicy dishes with complex flavors, they are all fantastic. The service is wonderful and efficient. Even on the busiest nights, we are well cared for and get drinks and food quickly. If something is wrong with an order, it's fixed quickly. El Corral is a local favorite for a reason. read more

Consistently good food and excellent service. A great place for lunch or dinner! I have lunch meetings here all the time and every one always leaves full and happy. It's quick and delicious! read more

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This is a regular for our family. We love the consistent delicious food. The staff is wonderful and service is efficient. This has been one of our favs for 20 years we have lived here. Pollo Fundido and carnitas are family favs read more

Great outdoor seating and quick service even when busy! I split a pitcher of margarita and got enchiladas - everything tasted amazing and there was leftover food to take home for tomorrow. Very reasonable pricing as well. read more

They're really nice here, and the food is good, but their prices are crazy and they don't have a lunch menu. There's lots of good Mexican restaurants around that don't cost $18 for a plate. read more

We love El Corral and have been coming here for years. We are vegans and we just learned that they put lard in their refried beans. They do have black beans, which are fine and delicious. Vegetarians and vegans beware that there is lard in them there refried beans (confirmed with the manager as well). read more

Best Mexican we have ever had. Been dining there since 1998. Servers are great, taste is excellent and portions are large.

That pineapple bowl was everything! Everything was cooked to perfection and also we had a friendly waiter

We had a party of 12 and were able to be seated immediately for lunch. The drinks were really good. Chips and salsa were tasty. I ordered shrimp tacos. The food came out fast. My shrimp tacos were really dry but they did provide sauce on the side which made it better. The shrimp was really good but the tacos themselves were super dry. The other people at the table enjoyed their food. The restaurant was clean and nicely decorated. Overall, good experience. read more

El Corral - Steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Fast and polite service. Nice little Mexican restaurant. Food was meh. It wasn't bad, but nothing special. read more

Outdoor seating available!! Service was good! So I stopped in for lunch. I ordered lunch special #10 (3 taquitos). That's not what they brought me. It was one giant flauta/chimichanga hybrid smothered in guacamole and cheese dip. The portions are very healthy. Regardless what my Franken-taquito actually was....it was delicious. their rice is good and their refried beans are above par...with actual flavor. The only detractor was the quacamole....it was too much like soup. Guacamole should never resemble pea soup! All-in-all, this is a decent solid 4 star Mexican resturant. Mystery solved...it was a chicken chimichanga....well, that's their story and they are sticking to it. read more

We came to eat dinner after a long day of moving in our college student - server was nice, food came quickly and was reasonably priced. We ordered arroz con pollo and a grilled chicken quesadilla. Arroz con pollo was good but the grilled quesadilla and guacamole was delicious. We'd come back in the future for easy dinners. read more

I would actually give about a 4.7, but that's not how it works. The food was very good. I had grilled chicken burritos and my wife had Choripollo quesadilla. Both were really good. Seasonings are better than most. The gold margarita was very good too, and we got a 1/2 pitcher, which was a lot of drink for the $20 price, and they didn't skimp on the tequila in it. I recommend this restaurant 100%. read more

Fast service, They greated me at the door and took me straight to a table. The waitress was almost behind me as I had a seat... I ordered the El cazuelon very good flavor and the portion well I couldn't eat it all. I Highly recommend this place, if you're in the mood for some real good Mexican food. read more

El Corral - El Cazuelon - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Kinda hidden in the side of a strip on hillandale rd. Have been here twice now and I think had the same server. Food and drinks come out quick and are hot which I like. I always ask for sliced jalapeños because I love spicy food. I ordered the queso with chips to start and a medium margarita with tajin instead of salt and on the rocks. I also split a plate with my husband of one steak and one chicken burrito with avocado salad. Very good and perfect amount to eat for me. read more

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Bean and cheese enchiladas were so good! The serving size was large and somehow I ate the entire plate. The sauce on top was really good. Sometimes with just beans and cheese it can be plain but these were flavorful with a size of rice and lettuce and sour cream. I had forgotten to take a picture and ate too quick! Waitress was great, ambience is standard Mexican restaurant vibes nothing out of the ordinary. The salsa had a marinara flavor to it so it wasn't my favorite salsa but it was still good! read more

We've been back several times now and each time had great service, piping hot food and great margarita's. Recommended! Tip: The MEDIUM margarita are huge. read more

Ordered take out & after eating a bit I found a dead bug in the plastic covering of my food. Just a warning that they don't properly check when handling food. Never will be back. read more

El Corral - Bug found in plastic covering - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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There were 12 of us on a Sunday and they were able to seat us right away. Im glad we got there when it opened because it filled up FAST! My shrimp diablo had nice firm large shrimp. While the sauce was spicy I did not think it was very flavorful. I normally LOVE refried beans but mine tasted off. It was a different color than my sister's also. Their chile rellano was delicious. Their salsa was bland and chips were thick. I would not stay away but I would not go out of my way to eat here again. read more

tl;dr Decent food and good portions Ordered: El Cazuelon Walked in for an early dinner. The wait staff was nice and it looked family owned which was cute. I ordered El Cazuelon which I recommend for a first visit because it gives you a sampling of the different meats. Overall the food was solid. Chorizo had a nice peppery flavor but a little salty. The steak was admittedly over cooked so a little rubbery but the ribeye flavor was there. I was most impressed by the chicken which was unexpectedly juicy for a thin slice of breast meat (innuendo unintended). While the food was decent the portion size was ridiculous. Along with the free chips I walked out of there needing a nap. read more

El Corral - El Cazuelon - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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El Corral knocks spots off any other Mexican Restaurant. I recently had dinner at El Rodeo on Duke St. and the food was soooo bland!. I would recommend El Corral for the food, service and drinks. El Rodeo is nicely decorated, but I don't pay money for bad food and good ambiance. Overall 5 stars to El Corral :) read more

Came here for the first time on a Friday night. It was fairly busy and kind of hopping. This is in a shopping plaza, so a good amount of parking is available. We were able to be seated right away and service was on point. The menu has a boat load of options and all looked good. Our server was excellent and recommended the shrimp and onion dish (of 3 shrimp entrees I was contemplating) --- it was an excellent recommendation. The shrimp was grilled perfectly and with just a sprinkling of a light cheese, just enough to complement and not drown it. My husband had the pork, chicken, and chorizo dish --- also excellent. This may well be our new go to Mexican place. We were in and out fairly quickly....and again device was friendly and on point. read more

El Corral - Shrimp and onion - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Absolutely delicious Mexican food! Amazing Pina Colada and steak fajitas. Service was fantastic and the ambiance was very authentic! Definitely recommend if you're in Durham! read more

I've had good service and great food Last night we had delicious fajitas. We picked up our meal and ate watching tv. Fantastic read more

This restaurant is the real deal. We came in on a Saturday evening and we're seated immediately and served delicious chips and salsa while we browsed the menu. We both chose the medium strawberry margarita and it was a generous size and so good! The beef chimichanga was amazing as well as the beef and chicken tacos. Do not hesitate to come here, the atmosphere is great and there is something for everyone on the menu. Enjoy! read more

TLDR: solid Mexican spot. No frills spot with big portions and good food. I could see this place becoming a neighborhood favorite. Plates are more than filling and drinks certainly hit the spot. They have my favorite, Lengua tacos, so A+ for that. read more

From chip & salsa to entree, everything very good. Blue margarita drink special not sweet but enjoyable. Rushed in less than 30m to closing & received Great service, thanks Vely, Food have flavor not a bunch of salt I definitely recommend read more

El Corral - Enchiladas EL Corral - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food was good, your typical Mexican restaurant. Service was good. Ceviche was different, in a good way.

The food there is very good and the service is ok.I liked the chimichanga there.the ambiance I feel good.

Lincho was a fantastic waiter and the shrimp A C is always to die for! Went to celebrate yesterday and every thing was on point as usual. If you like it hot, ask for the in house spicy salsa. It's not what you get at the table when you sit down, but it is fire in every sense of the word! read more

Our food was served hot and perfect- one of the seven in our party did have to wait a few extra minutes. We had good portions and left with four to-go boxes of leftovers. We enjoy the servers who always approach with smiles and kindness. Sometimes the restaurant is loud, but most are these days! read more

Highly recommend trying this spot if you like a more authentic style Mexican meal. Big portions, good prices ($12-18 mostly) and really tasty unlimited chips and salsa. read more

Great food, great service, great margaritas!!! I've been twice and I haven't been disappointed in anything!

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant and has been for the last 25 years. Food is fresh and fantastic. Service is fast. Portions are just right. We eat there about once a week at least. read more

We ate here many times before the virus!! My husband needs his weekly Mexican dinner fix!! So Sunday, to support our favorite restaurants during this time, he called in an order and went 13MILES to pick it up! My tortilla was totally burned!! We were hungry and to drive back was ridiculous so we ate-had I been eating in the restaurant I would have refused it-even though I know about sending things back to s kitchen!! I called the restaurant when we we're finished. The slacker who answer answered said to bring it back-THIS AFTER I TOLD HIM WHERE WE LIVED!! Well, when this is over we won't be going back!! read more

El Corral - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This might be my favorite Mexican restaurant ever. Like forreal, it's f**king delicious. 15/10 would recommend. They have indoor and outdoor seating (with heat lamps and the roof is covered). The service is great. The food is phenomenal. The margaritas are great and cheap!! And they have frozen margaritas, my favorite. And I don't get a hangover after having a lot. I literally can't complain about anything. I love them. My favorite is the half pitcher of frozen margarita for $11.99 and the burros a la roqueta... carnitas burritos covered in salsa verde and queso. YUM. read more

I've eaten at El Corral about once a month ever since they opened and I've never had a bad meal there. The service is fast and accurate and the food is delicious. The staff is polite and checks on your table several times.The fajitas are plentiful and can easily make 2 meals. There is nothing negative that I could mention about El Corral. Rafael (the owner) and his staff will take good care of you. read more

My go-to Mexican place for years. Friendly family-owned service and good prices make this a great choice for those craving some delicious food. My favorite dish is the Nachos el Corral. The chicken is marinated and so flavorful. But you can't go wrong here. Even the chips and salsa are great. read more

My family has been eating with Rafael and his family weekly for more than 20 years. They do a great job serving excellent tasting food with excellent service. I believe everyone who works at the restaurant are family members. I appreciate they have outdoor seating during COVID. I have the Arroz con Camarones, my dad loves the Huevos Rancheros, and my wife says the Carnitas are the best she's had. I've noticed that a lot of Hispanics dine here as well so I the food must be as authentic as any in Durham. Great family dining -- enjoy! read more

Been coming here for years...nothing really stands out, but the food is consistent and reasonable, and the service is always attentive and quick. read more