This is a place that locals typically take their out-of-town guests. I kind has that old west feel to it. The food used to be great...nice steaks and awesome prime rib. The best thing on the menu was the tamale side dish. But ever since the place got sold a few years ago, the food has gone down the toilet. Everything is pretty much the same...including the long lines...but the food has changed. tough steaks and dry to the bone prime rib is just the start. That tamale side dish is now some bland tasteless yellow thing on your plate. And what happened to the bread??? They used to serve hot buttered, yummy bread...now they serve cold white bread. read more

Wow what a disappointment. This place used to be really, really good.. It stared when the seated us right next to the bathrooms. We could smell them from our table. Then it took along time for staff to come by to get our drink orders which they got wrong. The silver where that we had to ask for was dirty. I needed a spoon which did not come with the fork and knife and again it was dirty with crud dried on it. The food took a long time and the steak was under cooked with no flavor the tamale pie was over cooked with the cheese being more like a tough plastic than the normal melty good I have experienced in the past. It was my Mother's Birthday and were all very disappointed. I will be taking my business else where in the future. Joel Peterson of Tucson read more

For the price it was mediocre. Ribs were fatty and the prime rib was cold. Waitress was great but definitely not worth the cost. Regular butter with the rolls where most steakhouses have the sweet butter. But if u do eat there the only thing that we had that was amazing was the tamale pie. Probably my first and last visit here. read more

Okay, I'll admit I'm torn by this place. The first time I went here, it was after a day of moving myself down to Tucson from Phoenix. It was hot and I was tired from all of the madness associated with moving. I went here with my friend and his family, and it was overall a lovely time. The food was pretty good, not great, but not to be complained about. The second time was a different story. I went with two of my classmates who had also moved down here from Phoenix. We all ordered different things: a salad, a steak, as well as fish and chips. And NONE of them were good. My friend's steak and salad were both completely underwhelming and the fish was...well, embarrassing. It looked like it was stolen from the scraps of Long John Silvers. And I know it was my fault for ordering fish at a steak place. My retort is that if you're putting something on your menu, you should be capable of cooking it properly. If it's not worth it, don't try and sell it. That being said, the beer is cheap there and it's pretty close for me. I'll likely give them another chance, but I can only be let down by a place so many times. We shall see. read more

Over the years I have become increasingly less impressed with restaurants who serve "the best prime rib", but my husband is a carnivore and he insisted we had to try out ElCorral on a recent Tucson trip. Our waitress was delightful--efficient, accommodating and friendly. The PrickyPear Margaritas arrived quickly and were the perfect start. We both ordered the prime rib and I have to admit that it was probably one of the best pieces of meat I've had in 50 years. It came perfectly medium rare as requested and didn't have a lot of fat on it. We were given knives but this meat was easily cut with a fork. It was tender, juicy and flavorful. Not only did I feel bad that I couldn't finish it (I ordered the smallest cut) but since we were spending the night in Tucson, my dog was deprived of the leftovers. This restaurant has been around for a long time. Western-themed and cozy, it is surrounded by beautiful cactus (lit up at night) and has a very welcoming feel to it. I can't wait to go back. I will, however, stop eating the day before so that I can check out the appetizers and try a dessert. read more

I came here tonight with a friend and his family and we had a terrific time. The food was really, really delicious and for the price, I can understand why this joint is so busy. We were a party of 7 and all had alcoholic beverages. My friend and his family got beer - they have a solid selections and I got a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which was simple and tasty. I got a filet and a baked potato. My steak was juicy, tender and really flavorful!! The baked potato was standard, but good. Same with the salad. No frills, but good. Service was polite and attentive but a little slow. This was at 545p so I was thinking it would be really slow if we came during peak hours. Don't know. Nice job overall, though! read more

We've eaten here twice before. I think we had the prime rib and enjoyed it. It's more family style 1950's style food, not fine dining. On our last visit we all had steak or filet mignon. One person's filet was too rare and tough and had to be sent back. All the steaks had way too much mesquite smoke taste. They tasted like they had been pulled through an ashtray. read more

We had an iffy experience the last time we were in but we're always open to giving a place one more chance. It paid off. We had an impromptu date night and, since El Corral is around the corner from us, we decided to give them another shot. Our server was wonderful - I believe her name was Annie or maybe Amy. Each course (apps, salad, mains) came at a nice pace, our drinks were refilled before they were half empty. Our server stopped by to check in on us while doing a great job with the rest of her tables that we could see. Food wise - yum. Prime rib for the better half, filet for me. Both cooked perfectly. The artichoke and spinach dip had a nice hint of green chile. So, they won us back. Before you say, "But it was a Wednesday! Of course you're going to get good service. No one was there", the restaurant was busy. Not weekend full, of course, but busy enough to where everyone was bustling. read more

I was excited to try this restaurant but we were underwhelmed with a disappointing meal. The seating is ample, the ambience is uplifting, and the servers are perky, but the food is a bit indifferent. Our party of 5 started with 2 plates of an appetizer comprised of chilies, steak, and cheese. The main problem with this dish is that food covered with hot cheese should be served immediately, so that the cheese is still hot. It's easier to spoon up and nicer to eat when everything's melted, versus slightly congealed. I saw a few things come out of the kitchen with this no-longer-appealing cheese top, including the tamale pie side. The other problem with this dish is that it's not chilies in the plural, but one large piece of chili, so that you have to cut up an appetizer that looks like it should be scooped up with chips. (It is not served with chips.) I tried the soup, which was clam chowder and not very appealing. It was too thick, and there was barely any clam in it. Not pleasant. The salads look OK. I ordered the filet mignon, medium rare, but it came out rare rare. Husband had his favorite, prime rib. He also ordered medium rare and got rare. He said the prime rib was tasteless. My steak, however, was pretty tasty. Another friend ordered the chicken, which he said was good, although a bit overdone on the edges. Of all the dishes we ordered, the full rack of ribs seemed to be the most pleasing. No one was impressed with the tamale pie, which was also lacking flavor. The little tubs of butter were nice. The food wasn't bad (well, I'd say the soup was bad; everything else was OK) and the prices aren't ridiculous but it feels like the meals aren't prepared with a lot of care, but thrown together by rote. Our server kept disappearing, although she at least provided us with ample carafes of water. At the end of the meal, she seemed gone for good and we waited a while before another server offered us a box for the unfinished ribs. It was still a while longer before I could catch the first woman's eye and ask for the check. read more

El Corral is a Tucson must! I have eaten here many times over the years. They consistently serve great chicken, ribs and steaks. One of my favorites is the prime rib. Never had a bad meal here and food is as good as it gets. Place is huge - so even if the parking lot looks packed, chances are you can get it! read more

My second trip about five years apart. The service was second to none, but the prime rib was chewy, My wife got the filet mignon and it looked like it was run through a Swiss Steak tenderizer. If I hadn't been with another couple we would have sent them back read more

Had dinner here last night with my mom and her beau. I haven't been here in several years, so was looking forward to some serious red meat! Host staff had my name on a list and took me right to the table where mama and her friend were seated. Very friendly and accommodating. Very attractive waiter appoached table as soon as I was seated and took my drink order. The pinot noir I ordered was decent, exactly what you would expect from this place. I ordered the prime rib and my mom and friend ordered the t-bone special. My mom had had a long day and hadn't eaten since breakfast so also ordered a side of tamale pie with her salad. Our waiter brought the tamale pie right away and it made my mom very happy. It was very pedestrian, something that a decent cook could have done far better, but it made my mom happy, and that's what was important. The salads were typical iceberg, red onion, and tomato things with very typical dressings. Crunchy, cold, but really basic. Our entrees got messed up in the kitchen somehow. I received my prime rib and we got one of 2 t-bones. Having been a server for many years, my guess is they forgot to make one of them because when all three arrived you could tell the difference. My prime rib was small, tough and definitely under seasoned. The "special" mac and cheese side was nothing more than Kraft with some bread crumbs. On the other side of the table, my mom's t-bone was beautifully cooked with wonderful baked sweet potato. Her friend's, though, suffered through being held under a heat lamp while they fixed the order. A beautiful piece of beef was ruined by someone's screw up. I was very disappointed in the overall food presentation. It was not what I remembered or what I wanted. Service was good, but not great. The manager who approached our table when there was a problem offered nothing to make things better. How about dessert to say we're sorry. Another in a long line of Tucson places that just don't get it! So, in closing, leave El Corral to the tourists and the seniors. For the prices, there's better food and service elsewhere. read more

The toughest ribeye I ever had. The table salad would have been much better if had not been drowned in too sweet dressing. The tamale pie was delicious as I remember. Beer & wine was great. I won't go back. read more

The prime rib was flavorless and tough, I had to literally douse it with horseradish. They serve margarine with the rolls and potatoes. The mashed potatoes come from a food service bag, as does the gravy. The Rocky Mountain oysters have never seen the underbelly of a bovine, more like something canned, not sure what that was. The service is the only thing that saves this place. These folks have to get it together, because no matter how long they've been in business, if they continue selling sub par food, they will not make it. What happened El Corral? So sad, all the good steak houses in Tucson are getting really bad or already closed, like O.K. Corral, best ribeye in town but it closed. read more

I've been coming here since I was little..it's really gone downhill. For the price of food you would expect perfection. Outback, Texas Roadhouse and Longhorn are better at this point. Listen up El Corrall. Invest some of those profits into better cook training and teach your bartender how to make drinks. We won't be back unless we're asked to go by a friend. read more

This restaurant has great ambience. Low ceilings and southwest accents give it a cozy and friendly feel. The waitstaff are attentive and friendly. The food was good but not as great as would be imagined by the history of the restaurant. The salads served with the meal were a bit disappointing as the consisted primarily of iceberg lettuce a few slices of under ripe tomato and some red onion. read more

Thought we would give this Tucson staple a try. Who it was average at best. My wife ordered a side of veggies that came out frozen. The waitress brought another and still frozen. If you go here stick with the steaks and prime rib read more

This is a fantastic place, and I think the best place to go to in Tucson if you are in the mood for steak/prime rib.. It located at the base of the mountains in an old ranch style house and they have tried to keep the atmosphere feeling like you're in the old west but the the corny-movie-old-west.. There are really only two bad points.. The wait can be really really long so try and get there early and the mash potatoes are not that great, I don't know how someone can make dry tasting/feeling mash potatoes.. Get the baked potato instead.. Anyway, Prime rib is what they are known for and they have a variety of cuts you can get from petite to massive, and its cooked to order and I've never been disappointed. The horseradish is strong and the side of Au jus is perfect.. If Prime rib is not what you are in the mood for they have other types of steaks such as Filet Mignon, T-bone etc.. They also have ribs, which are awesome and what I use to always get, tasty. They have some other items to choose from.. To start a meal it comes with salad or soup.. we always get the salad which they prepare table side, very good, not to heavy to start out a meal.. Also for Appetizers the best thing is the Sonoran chilis.. it is grilled green chilis topped with shredded beef, and cheese all heated up the topped with green onions.. so good, not very big they serve two people.. Dessert, usually don't have room for it, but heard they were excellent! read more

I ordered exactly what the menu recommended: prime rib medium rare with the tamale pie. The bf ordered his cooked rare. We also added the cheese onion bread as an appetizer. Starting with the latter, the texture of the bread was at the perfect point between soft and chewy without being mushy, but it really did not have a flavor. If one were to eat this blindfolded, they would not be able to tell that it was supposed to have cheese or onions, because it tastes like plain bread. As for the prime rib, I must have just had a cut from a cow that was a little more rambunctious than most, because mine was tough. At first I figured it to be from overcooking, but I think now it was just that particular cut. The tamale pie was nothing special. I've had better prime rib at Outback and at Texas Roadhouse, honestly. A side note which does not factor into the rating: the lady in charge of seating that evening accidentally crossed us off her list and we waited for an hour. She should have known that something was wrong after seeing us sitting there that long. I would have left, but the bf was starving. read more

El Corral - What the menu recommends: medium rare prime rib with tamale pie. - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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We had not visited El Corral in many years - the last visit was not very good, but we decided to try it again. This used to be one of the go to places in Tucson for all things beef - steak, prime rib, etc. We had reservations and were seated right away - a little before our designated time. Our waiter was right there to take our drink order - we had an ice tea & a sangria. Sangria was fantastic - great fruity flavor with white wine ! First part of order was appetizers - fried zucchini. It was ok - I have had the zucchini at other restaurants, this one is middle of the pack. We ordered our main course - 2 filets. When the steaks arrived - they were done just right, but seemed like a poor cut of meat. Nothing like a filet - kind of tough and full of hard, chewy pieces. The meal seems to be going downhill as it went on . . . One bright spot was the service - it was good most of the evening and helped save this 3 rating (the food would probably be a 2 without the good service). One other negative would be the prices - high for the quality of food you get. Sorry El Corral - unfortunately, I probably won't be returning in the future until I know the food has improved ! read more

An iconic Tucson establishment. A old 1930's? building that has been expanded several times, serving cowboy grub in a cowboy town. Simple mesquite grilled steaks and prime rib are their specialties. Nothing fancy here just meat and potatoes at a reasonable price. This place would never make a top 10 steakhouse list, but it has character and charm to it. If you like red meat prepared simply in a place where slacks and a polo would be considered over dressing then this is your place. read more

Been going here since the 1970's, and the overall quality control seems to have been cyclical. Often really good, with periods of mediocrity or worse in between. I had not been since 2010, and had admittedly heard mixed reviews from friends and acquaintances over that time, so with my visit last Friday night, I decided to go with the oldies but goodies to compare with past visits. - Prime Rib, El Corral Cut, finished on the grill. Came out medium, which is understandable given the grilling which adds a flavorful touch of mesquite smoke. The piece of meat had several chunks of fat to discard, but the flavor of the meat was as good as I remember it from years past. Horseradish was on the mild side. Overall I'd give it a B+, and would have no hesitation ordering it again. - Salad with the House Honey Italian dressing, prepared table side for everyone but two kids who don't eat salads. Good as always. - Baked potato, loaded. Decent. (Hard to mess up a baked potato, could have been a bit fluffier inside, but good overall). Has a bite of a companion's Tamale Pie as well, was also comparable to the few times I'd had it before. Service was prompt, friendly and timely. We had a large table of 12 in a private room, and our waitress was very accommodating and patient with our group that ran the age spectrum. Everyone I talked to afterwards enjoyed their meals, with three of them recommending the Baby Back Ribs. A couple of quibbles. I was the last to arrive, and my group had already been seated in one of the few private rooms there, but the two young hostesses were clueless about it and I had to find the room myself (which wasn't difficult, but still). Also, the waitress did not know the rotating tap beer or the names of all the beers on draught, so I stuck with my decidedly average iced tea. In today's craft beer golden era, that should be more prioritized in my opinion. Overall though, it was a good experience with the classic old-school Tucson ambience that I've always loved. I'm already looking forward to a return visit. read more

The worse meal I've had in years.We took out of town friends, who wanted a good steak dinner for their birthday. Here's what happened waitress spilled half my husbands manhattan & we had to ask twice for another drink. She (our waitress has been employed there 23 years) & was not friendly at all. I had to pick brown leaves out of my salad We ordered zucchini sticks & they were not hot, looked & tasted like Swanson frozen. As an aside, ordered some at Claim Jumper & they were fabulous ordered a side of green beans-awful, warm, practically still frozen. We split the 16 oz Prime, as did our friends. It tasted ok, but here's the awful part. The waitress brought the 2 plates of prime rib & couldn't remember which was med rare & which was medium. She figured the one which was "more red" was med rare. There was a problem with getting the baked potato "loaded" They did give my friend a slice of cake for her birthday Overall, an awful experience -Shame on El Corral read more

I've dined here many times over the years. They've had good times and bad times depending on the different chef's. I love the Tamale pie as well as the Prime rib. They've been a Tucson go to restaurant for years. read more

Been around a long time. There is good reason for this. Reasonable prices, good drinks, excellent food and service.

I am so happy I finally found prime rib. Well worth it, very reasonably priced, great food, drinks, and really good service.

I truly cannot understand how this place has been around for so long. I went with a group of 6 and we were all soooo disappointed with our food. I literally couldn't even finish my filet. The sides tasted like cafeteria food. Just all around a very memorable experience for all the wrong reasons. read more

I've been here a few times with the in-laws and the steaks are always pretty good and reasonably priced. The meat is tender with the right amount of seasoning. Their specialty seems to be the prime rib - they apparently do it right. I agree with some of the other reviewers' comments that the tamale pie seems to get greasier over time but I do still enjoy it as a nice change from the other options which is basically just potatoes, potatoes or potatoes (mashed, baked, or fries). We had the salad prepared tableside when we were here last night and I personally didn't care for the dressing. They call it Italian but it is creamy and very, very sweet. Everyone else seemed to like it, though. It's pretty much just iceberg lettuce with a few other greens and mushrooms (not many) so I'm not sure why people seem to rave about it. Basically this place has pretty average food and service. I think most people come for the character of the building itself. If you are into the cowboy culture and/or old western movies then you'll get a kick out of it. I love all the branded wood and cowhides everywhere. And the old black and white pictures. It's a nice place to take out-of-town guests who want a little AZ cattle ranch ambiance without going overboard cheesy like Pinnacle Peak. And the parking is decent and they can accommodate large groups fairly well. read more

Old Western ambience with a fire pit grill! I had the rib combo consisting of fall of the bone ribs and a nice Prime Rib w/mash and gravy on the side! The ribs were good but not the best I ever had, but the Prime Rib (med) cooked to perfection with an au jour sauce fit nicely. read more

El Corral - Mural - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The prices are good and they serve all kinds of meat. Steaks, prime rib, and baby back ribs start as low as $15, but can go up to $20 depending on how large of a cut you want. I ordered the sampler platter which had a lot of fried food, but only the onion rings were good. For my entrée I ordered the Rib combo which came with a half rack of baby back ribs and my choice of prime rib, filet mignon, or chicken. I chose the prime rib. The ribs were good, but the prime rib only decent. The mash potatoes and salad that came with my meal were nothing special. I'm willing to go back again to try the other items. Service was friendly and we got seated right away with a party of 4 on a Sunday at 5:30 p.m. I would eat here again. read more

El Corral - The Baby Back Rib Combo with Prime Rib and Mash Potatoes and Gravy for $19.99 - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My 1st time here and my oh my it was delicious. I had the medium cut of prime rib served medium rare...very tender. The tamale pie is very moist and delicious, I wished they served a bigger portion of it. Sourdough bread rolls tasty. The horseradish is very strong, pretty sure it's made in house from a fresh horseradish plant. The dinner salad is decent fresh mushrooms, sunflower seeds (nice surprise)and croutons. They use a variety of lettuce and the house dressing is good. I drank ice tea unsweetened it was average but fine. We ended with the mud pie for dessert, chocolate cookie crust with coffee ice cream and a thin layer of chocolate mousse topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry. The only thing that could improve this slice of heaven would be a home made chocolate sauce in stead of using Hershey's. The Service was great and I am a happy customer. read more

El Corral - Mud pie - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My husband and I had a great time tonight! My prime rib was was cooked perfectly. My husband's steak delicious. Our waitresses Carol and Jessy were super fun and friendly. Thanks ladies for making our date night great! Omg! The salad and bread yummy!!! Mudpie next visit! read more

We first went to El Corral almost 25 years ago and then quite often maybe 15-20 years ago but then we stopped going for some reason. We recently returned and I guess we expected more. Of course, the prices had gone up, but the size and quality of the prime rib was a bit disappointing as well. It is a solid three stars, but maybe our expectations were too high. It is a quirky place and, because it is a long-standing iconic place, everyone should try it once and make up their own mind, but I am not sure we would return. read more

1st timers here. We both ordered the smaller 6 ounce steak filet's. We both agreed the meat at Lil Abner's Steakhouse was much better quality and flavor. My filet here seemed to have been pounded to death. Maybe you get what you pay for. The prices are much cheaper here at El Corral. The service was great, from the moment we walked in the door till we left. We arrived about 4:40pm to beat the rush on a Saturday. This place always looks packed. Oh, I also ordered the Adobe Mud Pie for $5.25 thinking it must be large enough to split. NOT! This was one thing that was overpriced here. Tasty, but worth about $3.75. Don't think we will be back. read more

Wonderful recommendation. Don't quite understand how they make money. My filet was much better tasting and as large as the one I had in Phoenix two days ago for only 23? Tossed salad at table was delightful and prime rib perfect. Broccoli a little a dente, but so what. Our first time but we highly recommend and will be back! read more

Well they have it on longevity but the food was lacking. The prime rib was super fatty, the t bone steak was tough and the salmon was raw and undercooked. We tried to like it but this one was a huge miss for us. read more

I was so disappointed! For eight years living in Tuscan, we kept passing up this restaurant, wishing we had stopped to have dinner. We were with friends who had been there a year ago. Wonder what happened since that time? A great steak sounded wonderful. However the Rib Eye they put in front of us was terrible. We all ordered Rib Eye dinner. They were tough, grissly and a poor excuse for an expensive steak. We told the waitress how disappointed we were In the quality of steak they served us. read more

Great atmosphere, service pretty good, one of my two favorite steakhouses in Tucson where you can expect mesquite cooked dinner. We were excited to take first timers to this great place. Only 3 stars for several reasons, dinner rolls under cooked tasted like yeast, rib eye tasteless needed seasoning, and was mostly fat and nervy. My partners prime rib was also very fatty. Other meals at our table were excellent, the filet mignon and prime rib sandwich with fries. Dessert apple cobbler came served in a coffee mug, couldn't put a spoon in it past the ice cream to taste the apple cobbler, soon became a milky mess. Strawberry cheese cake excellent. Will maybe try again in future, I would like to be able to see this historic place have 5 stars. read more

We actually go here for our weekly treat. My dad and I take turns buying. They are awesome. We didn't go for a month due to health issues and when we came back everyone was all over my dad about how he was doing and he loved it. We do not provide our own transportation so when were in a hurry they always have the perfect prime rib out quickly to us. Love love love this place. Great food + great staff = great environment and restaurant!!! read more

I have been dining at El Corral for as long as I can remember. This restaurant was always my family's spot to celebrate good report card's or birthdays. The bottom line is El Corral could do no wrong in my eyes. I get filet mignon and a tamale pie everytime I go. I love the big family style salad mixed table side. El Corral is uniquely Tucson and I'm a forever fan! read more