Long time, old, old time favorite, but my understanding is the place has been sold and sadly the quality went south with the escrow papers. Three in the party, all of us had Ribeyes, the steaks were all ordered medium rare and were for the most part cooked to order' but the meat was tough and too salty. The Tamale pie was always my favorite thing on the menu, it was clearly something that had been re-warmed several times, was fairly tasteless and crumbled all over the plate while trying to cut through the cheese layer on top that was old-shoe tough. Chelsea was our server and efficient and fun and the salad and baked potato were both tasty. Too bad this place has slid backwards from outstanding to not-so-great. I actually had a little steak at CoCo's the other night for ten bucks that beat this ribeye hands down. read more

I've been coming to El Corral since the early 1990's. It was my father's favorite restaurant and we celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries and special occasions here. It has long been our favorite place for prime rib and many in our family always have the ribs. We've gone in large family groups and smaller family groups and the food was always the same... until 2021/2022. What happened? The food isn't the same quality, the service is sloppy and the people are rude. Recently, we have a couple family members with celiacs (an allergy to gluten) and we've called only to be told different things and people there actually laughing when we've questioned them about sauce for the ribs having gluten. This is not a laughing situation. As much as we have stood by your restaurant through tough economic times... I'm done. Somehow your staff has managed to ruin what used to be one of the best restaurants in Tucson. read more

El Corral is what it is-- A reasonably priced old-school steakhouse. No frills here, just a good old American steak and baked potato in a huge and very cool space. Don't miss their tamale side, it's awesome. read more

Had dinner here and there were about 25 in our party. The service was prompt and quick. The food was absolutely delicious. I had the rib and prime rib combo. The ribs were not the best I've had but still good fall off the bone. The prime rib was outstanding. I can not say enough about it on here. I definitely suggest the prime rib. read more

El Corral - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This was our first visit to this restaurant, and we thought it would be great to celebrate on our 13th anniversary, we go there and the first thing we got seated right by the restrooms, which was very just not OK. and then we get our service from a very nice waitress her name was Maria, and she did very good and we ordered our food but it just wasn't what we expected it to be. The food is overpriced I thought and there should of been things served with it for the prices. The baked potatoes are $2.99 and the Chicken Breast is grilled over mesquite which tasted wonderful but it was $14.99 just for a medium size piece of chicken, then my husband ordered mac and cheese which looked like it was microwaved and not fresh and his shrimp was on 3 little skewers and his plate cost $15.99 just for what he had got which he thought was OK but not the best, it could of been better. Then my daughter ordered the T-bone steak which hers was descent size and her plate cost $26,99 plus the baked potato was $2.99 so her plate was $30.00 dollars, she enjoyed her steak and potato but everything overall could of been better, her corn on the other hand she didn't like, but since it was our anniversary we did get a free dessert which was the mud pie and it was delicious, but I think this will be our last visit here. I thought it was going to be better than it was. Don't get me wrong the service was great and we really appreciated it, but when we were walking out we walk past the kitchen and you can smell the sewer which was disgusting and I felt sick afterwards. There needs to be some improvements to this place, and maybe some repricing on the food or serve something with the main dishes. read more

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Loved this bizarrely retro & fun steakhouse. They've walked the very fine line between staying retro, but not too old & staying current, but not losing their 'old school' vibe. And they have Prime Rib!! I thoroughly enjoyed the El Corral. I wish we all hadn't gotten the same thing, the Prime Rib, so I could give a more thorough review. But we all got the Prime Rib and it was good., probably even really good, but not great. The service was great, and everyone was very friendly. read more

I like a gristly, chewy, ribeye steak. ANd if you do too, this old-fashioned, cowboy-themed steakhouse may be the place for you, though my ribeye was a little too gristly and chewy even for me. For $2 extra, they'll serve it "Sonoran style," which means that, after the waitress has forgotten that you ordered it that way, she will rush off and bring you a small plate with salsa and bacon bits and onion, which you can spread over the steak and hope it doesn't fall off when you take a bite. read more

A Tucson staple, El Corral offers hearty portions at reasonable prices. I ordered the mesquite grilled T-Bone with the tamale pie. My fiance ordered the prime rib which comes with au jou and horseradish. I tried both and while I preferred the mesquite flavor of the t-bone, the prime rib was oh so tender. I highly recommend coming here if you're looking for a stripped down no nonsense menu and some sonoran flair. Oh, and did I mention the great service and western cowboy theme? read more

We had dinner there mid-week, so crowds should not be too bad, and the service good. The restaurant is very nice, authentic Western decor, lots of pictures giving a true Western feel. The food was good, and the selections varied. But the service was just SO atrocious! Not bad as far as time goes, but everyone seemed to just follow a script, from the greeter to the kid who took us to the table, and especially the waitress. NO attempt to establish any kind of rapport, just repeating her 'lines'. Took seemingly forever to get the check. SO sad, considering the good food and authentic restaurant. If it wasn't for the poor service, this would be 5 *****, but only one. read more

My husband loved his Rib-eye steak - large and cooked perfectly. But we agree that for the money, we did not receive good value and won't return ... 1) First impressions - the exterior appears rustic, cowboy and interesting ... essentially, it's what attracted us. Besides its appearance, we'd observed their parking lot was often full in the evenings and concluded this place must be good. We visited on a weekday just after 5 pm, hoping to beat the dinner rush. As expected, the parking lot and restaurant were fairly empty upon our arrival. Somehow, the wait time for our food was a LONG time. 2. ) Ambience ... The interior was large and offered different levels of seating - meaning, some areas looked nicer than others. We were shoved back in an area with fluorescent lighting next to the bathrooms - the wooden booth was uncomfortable, the temperature was cold, and we did not feel like a valued customers. 3) Limited menu - for steak eaters only. I like restaurants that provide vegetarian entrees for those of us who wish to dine out with our meat eating mates. This place does not. I ordered a $10 caesar salad - not a side salad - the waiter brought out a small plate with Iceberg lettuce drenched in some sort of mayonnaise "dressing" and croutons. I was disappointed that it came on the same size plate as my husband's SIDE salad that was included in his $20 steak meal. The wait staff rushed about appearing stressed ... our server was polite, but not friendly. As we were leaving, we noted that the nicer areas of the restaurant and bar were full of people. Perhaps their regulars? Hmmm ... read more

My family went to El Corral on April 14th to celebrate a Birthday. We had a party of 15 so there was a variety of food ordered. All the meat orders with the exception of the ribs and chicken in the salad was terrible! The steaks were cold and not cooked to order and the filet mignon had an odor to it. When we asked them to redo the order on the meats they simply threw them back on the grill for a few minutes and returned them in the same state they were in. El Corral used to have great food but even the Tamale casserole was bland and mushy. The service was not great and we felt we were a burden to the waitress. It is good to read reviews from Yelp and I did read them--on the way there! I will not return there and I'm sorry I didn't eat at Sullivan's a block away. It was sad to take a family to celebrate a birthday and have the meal so bad that we couldn't wait to leave. This place needs to read their reviews and make some adjustments!! read more

Cheap steaks and prime rib. You get what you pay for...flavorless, subpar meat. Tamale pie that everyone raves about was mediocre at best. Try the tamale pie at Poca Cosa, you won't regret it. Decor and price are this places saving grace. read more

Had a great filet. The potato was a little small. But the steak was great. The decor was a little old, but again, good stuff.

I am adding an update to my previous review. I was contacted by the customer care representative from El Corral who was genuinely concerned about my disappointing experience at the restaurant and was clearly committed to understanding the experience and working with her staff to make improvements. That speaks volumes about her and the restaurant in general. That's very encouraging and makes me believe that El Corral is worth another try. Thank you Casey -- El Corral is lucky to have you! read more

Read the reviews and you'll notice a persistent theme of uneven food quality and a general decline in service and satisfaction with the dining experience. Those are followed by a rubber stamped comment from El Corral's David R. promising to look into things, though the repetitive issues raised by diners suggests he's not had much luck changing things. We've always enjoyed El Corral, but we've noticed the management has been chipping away at the things that used to make the experience so pleasurable, like decent food. I suppose the economics of the restaurant business pose difficult choices, but this place is on a spiraling decline it seems to me. Here's a suggestion for them: I'm guessing the chef knows when he's blown a steak by overcooking it, so when they serve it anyway and hope for the best, they haven't fooled anyone. Yes, they'll replace it, but it does aggravate me to have to do that when they shouldn't have served it in the first place. So, my dinner guest and I ate our poorly cooked petite filets the way they came, knowing that there are other options in town. Oh well... read more

Service was good but the food was not. I don't mind spending good money for a quality steak but you won't find that here. You're better off going to Texas Roadhouse. read more

Love the old west cowboy theme of the restaurant. And the staff is friendly and very helpful. We only get to Tucson every couple of years. But, this is always one place we love to visit. The prime rib is very good and the tamale pie is a must. Of course, they have other menu choices. And, they're good too. Salads for the health conscious diners and grilled steaks and chicken for those with a heartier appetite. Can't wait to get back this way again. read more

I personally love this place!! I dont have anything bad to say about the food. Everything I have ever tried (over the past 15 years) has been great! The people who work there are amazingly friendly! The only thing I would say is I hate the wait there. If you don't know that you will wait starting around 5pm then your in for a long night. I would call ahead and ask for how long the wait is. They will take your name and put it on the list but there are no reservations so if you don't make it there before your name is called then you wait longer. read more

Growing up in the grain and beef capitals of the world, I have always enjoyed a good steak. I lived in Tucson for a year in the early 90's, and this was one place I tried to visit whenever I could afford it. El Corral is a sister restaurant to the more famous Pinnacle Peak on the east side of Tucson. The cuisine is basically the same. The ambience here is still casual, but less touristy and kitschy. One thing I recommend right off the bat is to get here early if you are planning on coming for dinner. The restaurant opens at 4:30 on weekends and 5 PM on weekdays. If you get here past 5:45 PM, you will probably be waiting, perhaps quite a while. We arrived just before 5 PM and were immediately seated towards the back. Complimentary rolls with butter were brought to us as we poured over our menus. I opted for the bone-in ribeye (my favorite cut of meat), my wife chose the prime rib (which is their claim to fame), and our daughter chose her favorite: maraconi and cheese. The steaks were excellent, period. They were cooked just like we like them, with great flavor. They do very little to season the meat here: mainly just salt and pepper. The mesquite wood does the rest. I got a baked potato and salad with my dinner, while my wife went for the salad plus vegetables. Something I especially like about El Corral: the prices are reasonable and the food portions are just right. Too many steak places these days are trying to cater to obesity by giving their diners way too much food and charging far too much. Not so at El Corral. Basically, everything was just the way we like it, right down to the service and our bill. This is one of my go-to places in Tucson and I recommend it to anyone who comes to town looking for a well-cooked piece of beef. read more

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A good value proposition or family place, but wouldn't go here for date night or a special occasion. HUGE portions for sure and the friendliest staff major pluses for me and the price is very reasonable, but the place just feels old and I've had better quality food elsewhere (though at higher prices). Was sat immediately and the food came quick big fan of the tamale pie if you've never had one you're in for a treat. Ordered a steak that was the size of the plate it was good but I've had better at texas roadhouse. I don't like putting steak sauce on my steaks but this one needed it. I know they're famous for the prme rib didn't try it though. Would come back, but with different expectations. A great place to be stuffed and treated very nicely or a good place to show an out of town friend an old fashioned western restaurant, but even then I'd probably steer them to the cracker barrel instead. read more

I have grown up going to El Corral as THE go to place for prime rib since the 1970's. Quite often(at least once a month) my husband and I make the drive from Green Valley when we want a good quality meal, with fantastic prime rib for me and yummy ribs for him. Ironically he actually worked there while in high school, and I grew up going there with my family and so he working there has always been a special connection to El Corral for us. It has also become my son's favorite place to go with his new wife for a quality meal too. A place I always highly recommend, but I will definitely have something negative to add now to what has always been a positive recommendation. Last night the 4 of us met there for dinner before going to a 9:00 movie. We arrived and checked in at 6:35, were told 20-30 minutes, seemed odd since there wasn't a huge waiting list, 2 sets of couples and a family of 6, but that's okay. Parties consisting of 3-5 arrived after us, waited and were seated before us. Finally after the fourth group of 4 were called ahead of us, and the time was 7:25 my son went to ask why we hadn't been called. The young girl got quite snippy saying we all came in at the same time....ummmm no. We were the only ones there for a good 10-15 minutes before others came in. He pointed out on the pad that we were way up there and the others below us had been called and crossed off and she promptly covered the call pad saying/mumbling something snotty. We were called about 5 minutes later, but as I was walking by the hostess stand she was complaining about us causing trouble. Very inappropriate...when all we did was ask, and nothing more. We were seated in the back and I was hoping it was our favorite server Carol, but servers went by, and again for a good solid 15 minutes we sat with absolutely NO attention. No water, not enough flatware, nothing. To add even more insult the table behind us, which was seated AFTER us got drinks and a server over to them. Finally my husband was able to get a waitresses attention and ask who our server was, and apparently no one knew...we were a "pick up table" and not assigned to anyone, each one assuming the other had the table when no one had the table...deliberately placed there by the snotty hostess I'm sure. We were ready to walk out, I was completely shocked at the out of the norm customer service. She quickly placed our orders saying it wasn't her table but she'd just take it and was very apologetic. She was fantastic, trying to make up for the bad beginning, even saying she knew we were "regulars " having recognized us. Manager came by, didn't care to hear why we were upset said she was offering dessert and walked away. We just wanted to finish our meals, and hopefully get to the movie on time, (tickets had already been purchased)and didn't have time for dessert. She walked away before we could decline or even voice why we were concerned/upset. Rude to say the least...she's been there for years and if that's her normal tact with customers no wonder things at the front are a mess. Yes, she was there when my husband worked there, so she has been there for a very long time. During the meal, the young snotty hostess kept walking back and forth to the restroom glaring at us, or just standing in the room looking at us which was uncomfortable, and very immature. Apparently she's a server and being a hostess was new to her...she has a lot to learn. Meal was great as usual, Carol stopped by to chat, upset to hear about treatment, said in the future just ask to be seated in her section, which we usually try to do, but with the time constraint we didn't, but I'm not sure when we will be back. Sad, because we prefer to stick to old Tucson favorites, keep supporting local economy and not big chain restaurants, but this has ruined driving 45 minutes all the way out there for the time being. Not a pleasant experience at all, very disappointing. read more

We came here based on a suggestion from a local. I instantly regretted coming here as soon as I came through the door. The decor is stuck in a time warp and not in a cute intentional kind of way. I ordered a lemon drop martini that was so watered down I was able to drink it like a normal lemonade. Our salads were served with dressing that was so watered down it wasn't even detectable on the salad. There is no mesquite grill here.. rather the steaks are marinated in some mesquite marinade that gives them an overwhelming inedible flavor. We only ate about 1/3 of what was served to us and our waitress who was completely clueless never even asked what was wrong.. avoid this place, there are plenty of steak houses in Tucson with good food and good service! read more

Yummmmmmy! The service was great and the food was perfect! I had a corn casserole that is a side speciality and it was a great flavor next to the chili chicken entree. read more

It's a cute little place with the whole country cowboy feel to it. Dinner was pretty good for the price. i like it how they tossed the salad in front of you. free dessert for birthdays! read more

Have eaten there three times. During the first two meals at least one person at the table's food was sub par. This last meal....ALL FOUR PRIME RIBS WERE HORRIBLE! Great atmosphere, good service, ok prices. But I go for the food. Simply put I had the worst prime rib I have ever tasted there. So sad. read more

Met friends here for dinner on a Saturday night a few weeks ago and was a bit nervous after reading all the negative reviews. I have to say we had a great server and the dinner was very good! Loved the spinach dip appetizer i liked the green chiles in it. My husband (who is super picky about his steaks)had a rib eye and it was cooked perfectly! I had a large prime rib, it could have been bigger for the price but it was really good and cooked perfectly. The tamale pie was tasty too. It would be nice if that had beer on tap though.... Good dinner and great service! read more

This is an ok place. First, it is big. Second, it is popular. Third, it is relatively inexpensive. It's claim to fame is prime rib, which I ordered and found it to have a washed out flavor, perhaps spending it's time in a water bath prior to serving. My gigantic lump of prime rib landed in front of me, perfectly medium rare, and I took a bite. I noted very little flavor and loaded the meat up with salt and pepper. Still bland. Part of the blandness stemmed from the fact the beef was not charred on the outside, so the prime rib here is not roasted but cooked in some sort of sous vide cooker. There's nothing wrong with this technique but generally it is combined with searing which greatly enhances the flavor of the meat. I should note here that my dining companions found the meat entirely acceptable, so take my comments with a grain of salt. One of my companions had the pork ribs and gave me a taste. The ribs were tender and served with a sweet sauce. They were basically meat candy with none of the smokiness and spice rub complexity I associate with great ribs. Another hard pass for me but my dining companion pronounced the ribs delectable. So, I am scratching my head here. My friends really liked this place. As for me, I am unlikely to return. read more

Cowboy steakhouse. Get the prime rib with au jus and horseradish. Everything else is a bit overpriced, but the prime rib is a huge win. There are multiple sizes; avoid petite, because you're at a cowboy steakhouse. read more

Pretty good steak place at moderate prices. Both myself and co-worker had the prime rib. It was good, not the best I ever had. Salad was average and the chicken tortilla soup was not finished by my coworker, he said it wasn't very good. The steaks are made on a wood fire grill right in front of you. They all looked good. Place is large and can accommodate large groups. All in all, not bad, but Not GREAT! 3 Stars read more

I'm really saddened to say that I went to this business that has a good reputation and food was said to be great to find out that I will never eat here! My husband has been before said it was great went with his co workers. We do deliveries for Grub Hub on the side for extra money and came to get the order. The hostess which she has dark long black hair never got her name because she was down right rude from the get go! We asked about the order which had two steaks and they didn't say wether it was kids or not so my husband replied that the total of $34 was a really low price for all the lady ordered making sure we were paying for the two big steaks to which she replied The Tbone is kids sized so he said oh ok just making sure. She never looks up and then he said well that's not all the order the customer has Stroganoff too she said well the order is correct we don't carry Stroganoff anymore and precedes to ask for payment and says is that all in a really bad attitude in which left me with a bad taste in my mouth! If she represents the Company they should consider how this affects their business as this isTucson plenty of Steak places to eat at. With this Pandemic going on there is not as much people eating out. Treat everyone that comes in with a happiness that they are there eating in your business. read more

I love this place. First, I think it is really a bargain with high-quality food. The ambience reminds me of old Arizona... The kinds of places that were more abundant when I was a kid. The prime rib could compete with any place in town, including restaurants that charge twice as much. The diversity of the menu ensures that you can bring pretty much anyone here and they will be very happy. I have always had good service and great food in a space that I enjoy, and for a good price. That makes it pretty hard to beat. read more

Looking for a steak dinner and was referred here. Steak was great and the service was attentive. Enjoyed the potato skins and green chilis appetizers and I got the blue cheese salad and ribeye, which was med well done and it melted in my mouth. GREAT place to visit and eat dinner. read more

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I have been going to this amazing restaurant since the 1970's when I was in high school on dates! It has NEVER disappointed me! Last night, we took two of our missionary friends to the restaurant and they were treated with nothing but RESPECT! Our server, Gabe, was amazing. The food is ALWAYS great. Their Tamale Pie is to die-for and I get it every single time as a side dish! We also had prime rib, minestrone soup, salad and stroganoff. All were quite good. If you are looking for a restaurant where you can take out-of-town guests, this place will not disappoint! It has my highest recommendation. read more

You must not miss El Corral! Best prime rib Best historical place in town ( Except Congress Hotel). Most attentive staff. Pam even shared the tamale Pie recipe with us. We will always go to El Corral when visiting Tucson. RB read more

i will be 81 This year and have been coming to El Correl each year for close to 20 yrs. always have prime rib med rare fries and a garden salad, i have never had a complaint in those years, i plan on visiting again in the near future for my birth dinner, the pnly complaint i have is the unevenness of the floors at my advanced age and have balance issues i do have to be very careful not to fall, but that small problem only adds to the pleasure of setting down to enjoy my meal.....see ya soon read more

This restaurant was recommended to us and the person said " it's terrific". WELL IT AIN'T TERRIFIC. I ordered a TBone steak and my husband ordered prime rib. My steak couldn't be cut, it was like the "bottom of my shoe". The waitress was not happy with me but she took it back. I asked for a prime rib and she brought it. It turned out that my meat was not as fatty as my husband's. We decided to get a dessert which was Apple Cobbler ala Mode. This thing comes in a small glass thing that you might put a scoop of ice cream in. I called the manager over and told her that we couldn't possibly share this in the vessel that was brought. She then sent over a larger plate with the same "sour puss" waitress. Again not too happy and came back and slammed the check on the table. Don't expect anything good from this place. read more

Cute house , good service, but the food was pretty sub standard. My small cut of prime rib was served nearly cold. It didn't taste like it had been smoked and there was no seasoned edges on the prime rib . My husband's large cut of prime ram had 4 are 5 large spots of gristle. The Green beans were very plain, no seasoning just beans. Everything Was very average. We decided to try the mud pie and again very average , nothing special . It appeared to come out of a huge sheet that had been probably served for the last to 2 or 3 nights.There wasn't anything necessarily wrong with the meal, it just wasn't what we expecting for a steak house specializing in prime rib For that price, we will look elsewhere next time . read more

First time visitor to el corral and was very impressed. From the classic western decor to the unique dining rooms. I ordered the Tucson chicken with a side of tamale pie. Both were outstanding. Our waitress was excellent too. Will return for sure. read more

My wife and I took my parents out for Father's Day dinner on Saturday evening. I hadn't been to El Corral for twenty years. I'm not sure if it was the time that had passed and fading memories, but my wife and I felt disappointed regarding our dining experience. The waitress seemed extremely rushed and was only at our table for five seconds here and there, which would have been limited to less than four appearances. It took a long time to receive our dinner salads, at least thirty minutes following giving our order to the waitress. Cold rolls were brought to our table after the salads had been delivered. The entrees followed salads with good timing, but the hot food was put on non-heated plates, which caused the steaks to cool too quickly. My wife's macaroni and cheese was room temperature at best initially. Hot food is supposed to be kept at 140 degrees minimum. So, I doubt the kitchen was following food safety guidelines. My ribeye steak was gristly and my wife's prime rib was mostly fat. In fact, both of my parents ordered prime rib and my wife mentioned their cuts were at least 50% fat. The cherry cobbler was a good desert. Overall, we were quite disappointed in the lack of quality and care with food preparation and service. El Corral may be a historical restaurant, but my wife and I will not be returning. We expect better from a restaurant with a legacy and prices that would place the restaurant near the category of higher-end restaurants in Tucson. I gave the restaurant two stars because it wasn't terrible but it failed to meet reasonable expectations of similar priced restaurants. read more

The prime rib that I ordered didn't have any taste. It reminded me of something that had been steamed, and not grilled. The waitress kindly replaced the tasteless prime rib with a fillet mignon that was hard to chew, and it looked precooked and reheated. The baked potato was OK. The bread was good. The salad was good. But based on the overall experience I will never return! read more