Still the best place to come. From the moment you walk up, you smell that delicious smoke. The ambience has like it always has been. It's a place where you come back into history, into nostalgia. They no longer make the salad at the table, which is disappointing. But the salad was fine enough. And it comes with every entrée. The tamale pie is the best and I would highly recommend it . Came with several people so we ordered prime rib, steak, a chicken Caesar salad with shrimp, and I ordered the poblano chili, which is stuffed with corn and possibly quinoa. All of it was delicious. The poblano is vegan, which is great. The bread was so good. El corral used to not have the greatest bread, just white dinner rolls. But now they upped their game. The bread almost feels like you're eating a biscuit. read more

El Corral - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Carrol was a gem & round two went much better than round one! The rib tips appetizer was substantial & quite tasty. I prefer not having leftovers, so when I make my way back again I'll have to remember "just the entree!" Once again, I didn't take pics of the salads, but they didn't look nearly as sad as they did during our first visit & only a single piece of wilted lettuce on the two plates. We both enjoyed our tamale pie sides. My dad wanted the St Pauli Girl NA, but he liked the Beck's NA enough that he almost ordered a 2nd one (but didn't want to fill up). I went with a Stella Artois with my appetizer & a glass of the Snap Dragon Pinot Noir with my meal. Now the Catalina cut is no joke, it was cooked perfectly & other than a bite or two, all went down quite easily. Carol made a great recommendation on rare vs medium rare & I'm thankful for it. Carol was attentive, but didn't hover. We both preferred the back room to the front off the bar, & with a second visit we didn't notice the wind whipping through the entryway like it was during our first visit. The wall art, decor & aesthetic was very cool & definitely appropriate for El Corral in Tucson. read more

El Corral - Entrance & signage - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Prime Rib and Filet mignon were Delicious! We were there on a Wednesday evening...Service was very prompt and our waitress was so kind and excellent at her job. read more

So I love great prime rib, but this wasn't a great prime rib. El Corral seems to be getting by on history and lack of other prime rib options. I had the Old Fashioned and the Boulevardier. The Boulevardier was good, but don't drink the Old Fashioneds here. It didn't have a Luxardo cherry and had too much ice. It was a watery mess of a cocktail. The rib tips were bland and tough. They tasted like fatty pork tips covered in sauce only. The sauce wasn't anything special and the ribs weren't soft. The tamale pie wasn't any culinary marvel despite high hopes. It was basically sweet masa with cheese on top. The prime rib seemed like it was cooked low and slow. It didn't appear to have a nice texture crunch of a properly cooked prime rib. The servers were good, but the products they serve are not. I appreciate the history since 1939, but it seemed to be the only thing the place had going for it. Unfortunately, this place wasn't good. read more

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Used to be very regular guests when we had out of town company. Had not been here in years due to repeated bad experiences. Had friends in town today and tried again. Service was excellent for an early 515 reservation. Food was good but portions seemed small for the price. Had the prime rib which tasted good. Unfortunately however there was a strong smell of sewer gas and or a natural gas leak. Eating dinner next to a sewer plant is not exactly the ambiance we were going for. Called attention to the manager who said "I will leave a note for them tomorrow". Not sure who "them" was, but the smell of sewer was not encouraging for return again. May try again in another 5 years. read more

I'm not a huge steak person but really enjoyed my meal here. We ordered a mix of things, the Sonoran chiles corn fritters, and a petite fillet mignon. I would say that the Sonoran Chilies were definitely 10 out of 10; the shredded beef on top of the chilies were very moist and packed with flavor. My meal came with a salad and choice of side. I chose a baked potato which was absolutely delicious. Our server was very friendly and attentive. The ambience was old Timey and relaxed. read more

El Corral - Baked potato - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I came here for my birthday. My boys had it planned without my knowledge. Place has a Western, rustic ambiance. Since it's a Monday, place was not packed. Service was kind of slow, but our server was nice. Although I may not be a fan of rustic design, food was good! And they even gave me a sundae for my birthday! I recommend the Mud Pie, it's really good! read more

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The food was great and server was awesome. I took a friend visiting from PA and she did too.

Our first time here. My husband and I both got the prime rib, medium rare. It was exactly that and delicious. We had drinks before dinner, which were also well-made. Our server was excellent. Our appetizer came well before our main course- which is often not the case. This is a large western themed restaurant- very casual except that the service felt very professional with a touch of class. Definitely recommend for the food and service. But if you are looking for a special evening, it may not offer the atmosphere. read more

Great Prime rib and loved the western ambience. Server was great very friendly. Wasn't very crowded and the restroom were clean and in good shape read more

Driving by this place it looked quant and when looking it up they claimed over 50 years experience in making prime rib so I'm sure something was right. Our server Lisa was very nice and attentive from the beginning. It wasn't busy at all on a Thursday night but upon walking in you feel like you're walking into the set of a western movie. The food was good, very simple, not over seasoned. The prime rib was the star of the show, the salad was very simple, green beans were done well, I could have passed on the mashed potatoes. The tamale pie wasn't what I was expecting thinking it would be closer to corn bread. We had a mud pie for desert and it was very good. Everything seemed fresh made which was great. I would return for the prime rib most definitely. read more

El Corral - El Corral Cut prime rib with the tamale pie, green beans and mashed potatoes. - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Attended a dinner with a large group, 12 plus. Unfortunately there was a monsoon storm which rolled through and the restaurant lost power, emergency lights came on. We were virtually in the dark for over an hour plus. Actually during the whole visit, other than when we ordered. Food had already been ordered and was served in the dark. We were all eating with cell phone lights propped on glasses. I ate my sides and did not eat my steak, I took my first and only bite which had some fat. I prefer to cut around the fat. $142 for myself and two others. I did take the steak home. Didn't expect a free ride, however, some consideration should have been offered, in my opinion. read more

El Corral is a Tucson tradition and I love it--that said, to match their meat winners, the sides are okay, but need to be improved.

Always great - friendly service and terrific food. The prime rib is always a winner. One of our favorites.

The prime rib really was good... Juicy and tender. I had tamale pie on the side and it was full of cheese and corn. The meal came with a salad (iceberg lettuces) and bread (tasted like sandwich rolls from the grocery store). Quality of them were ok. Hubby had a sandwich with some super tasty onion rings. We finished the meal with the mud pie. The waitress was attentive but the place was short staff in general. We made a reservation but still had to wait. Prices are very reasonable so I'll continue to support this restaurant. read more

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I went here for dinner last night and forgot to check my previous review first. I ended getting almost exactly the same things. The petite filet ($22) comes with a salad and one side. The ranch is really good. The petite filet was cooked perfectly medium rare and was very flavorful. The baked potato was good. The mac and cheese was too soft. The bread rolls were pretty plain. The corn fritters appetizer was really good. The veggies were just plain broccoli. The Cadillac margarita was delicious and so was there special dessert of the day the lemon cake. Order these! The waitress was really friendly. read more

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Good prime rib, friendly staff and a fantastic location. I've loved this place for years.

It had been awhile since we visited, so we were excited to celebrate a birthday dinner at El Corral. The rib tip appetizers were good, so was the half rack of ribs. Several folks in our party ordered ribeyes. The cuts were so bad. Hardly any meat on them and full of nerve and fat. Very disappointing. Our food came out at different times and we did not get timely refills on our water or drinks. I ordered the prime rib, it was just okay, a little overcooked. Not sure we'll be back any time soon. Too bad, we used to love this place. read more

A Tucson steakhouse legend. It's rustic all the way and perfect for a nostalgic night out. The food is good and my steak was cooked to perfection. It ain't fancy and they don't try to be. Go there to relax and enjoy a good meal, good drink and good service. read more

El Corral - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

It was the hubby's birthday so he choose a steakhouse. I had called earlier in the day to see about making a reservation and was told they don't take reservations. So we took out chances to head out for dinner on a Saturday night at 7pm. Fortunately, we were seated immediately by the hostess when we checked in. Our waitress, Ashley, was very friendly and attentive. Side note: I normally don't care to be called "honey", or anything else cutesy, but this waitress was just too sweet and I'm sure it is part of her nature. The ambiance of the restaurant isn't anything to brag on....it's very basic. The hubby had the Arizona Cut Prime Rib done medium rare with a baked potato and sauteed mushrooms. I'm a vegetarian so I ordered the Farmhouse Salad. The hubby said his steak was good, but I don't think anything to totally brag about. The Farmhouse Salad contained mixed greens, red onion, blue cheese, fresh tomato with a balsamic vinaigrette. It was $10.99 and while it was a big plate of salad.....it was overpriced. I had a glass of their red sangria, hubby had a glass of their white sangria. Very good! At the end of our meal, our waitress brought out a slice of chocolate ice cream pie for my hubby's birthday. Very nice! All in all, this place is historic so at least give it a try. Friendly staff, cozy atmosphere. read more

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I used to go to el corral every time I come in to town。 I have not been there for such a long time。this time I invited my friends from texas the service and the quality of food has not changed .it still perfect in every way。 read more

Super casual, very Southwest/cowboy themed Tucson staple. If you are craving prime rib amd uncut horseradish, this is the place to go!, The meals are copious and the prime rib is as delicious as I have had! Great place to bring out of town guests to experience a Cowboy steakhouse! read more

El Corral - Dirty Martini! - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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The only restaurant in Tucson that doesn't know how to cook a Medium Rare Filet Mignon!! I got a seriously over done piece of meat and when i indicated that it was Not Medium rare, they brought me a slab of slightly rare roast beef with no explanation of why it wasn't the filet mignon that i ordered and comped my meal, when I would rather have had what i had ordered! There was only one other table occupied so they couldn't claim that the problem was caused by the "rush" of patrons. That restaurant has been there as late long as the 22 years i have been in Tucson! read more

Full disclosure this was my favorite place to get a steak many moons ago when I went to college. I've been back to Tucson a couple of times over the years, but this was the first time I was able to have a semi lengthy stay. So it was on my list to hit up all of my old favorite restaurants. Sadly, many of those restaurants have disappeared over the years, but this one remained, and I think it says some thing about a restaurant when it's been in business as long as this one has. It speaks to the quality of the food and the service. I was disappointed to see that Yelp does not love this restaurant, but I sure do! I loved it 20 years ago and I love it still today. I dined on a Tuesday night around 645. They have a private parking lot and I had no trouble getting a space. I was promptly greeted upon walking in the door and immediately seated. My server Kelly was friendly and attentive. When I had trouble, deciding between a prime rib, which is their signature dish or the filet, she and I had a conversation about it, which led me to the filet. All steaks are served with a house salad. The salad is mostly iceberg with tomato and cucumber, but don't sleep on their house dressing. The house dressing is a honey Italian and it's really yummy. They also serve you bread with butter before your meal. One of the things that makes this restaurant unique is the mesquite wood grill and you can really taste the mesquite flavoring on their steaks, which is why I went with the filet. You get less of that with the prime rib. However, I remember the prime rib here quite fondly as well, and it is something they are very well known for so don't dismiss it. For my side, I had the tamale pie. This is another signature item of the restaurant and in my part of the world it taste a lot like corn pudding but it's really good and it has cheese baked on top and a little bit of green chiles flavor. My steak was perfectly cooked and my bill was exceptionally reasonable. The ambience reminds me of old Tucson and it's just a delicious, homey kind of place. 5 stars. read more

I really enjoy the vibe of this place. It is very comfortable. I had a nice conversation with bartender Shaun while waiting for my table. I appreciate the layout of the place; the tables are not crammed together and that is nice. The server answered questions and was quite pleasant. The pacing of the meal was awesome, we didn't have everything coming out at once or too close together. The food was very good. My prime rib was quite good as was the tamale pie. The steak was cooked as I requested and very good, but surprisingly not as flavorful as I expected. I wasn't disappointed, just expected a little more, everything was very good as is. I look forward to going back. read more

Fantastic dinner this evening, top shelf steakhouse. Prime Rib. Ribs and Fillets wow. Horse Radish was potent!!!! Battle Axe hostess keeps things in line. read more

We celebrated a birthday with a larger party which included a few kids. Our server was excellent at navigating our table and had a good sense of humor for us. I hadn't been here in a long time and was pleasantly surprised at the experience. It is a steak house so expect the prices and the Al a cart sides. However for the price of food just about anywhere I felt I got a great classic meal. The prime rib is what people come for. But people in our party got steak and ribs and were equally satisfied. The western aesthetic is also part of the vibe here. I'd rather support a Tucson classic than a chain steak house so we will come here again. read more

Been here twice. I love the throwback vibe and local history of the place. A simple steakhouse with affordable prices. The most recent visit was during the christmas holiday season. We had a reservation for six. Our table wasn't ready when we arrived, but they quickly found another. It wasn't the most festive room but it was quiet and comfortable. Our server was so sweet. A nice bottle of cabernet for less than $40! The corn fritters with prickly pear sauce were yummy. We have been to upscale steakhouses and this isn't one of them. The caesar salad was not a caesar salad. I wonder if they ran out of romaine as it was a standard mid iceberg mix with carrots and red cabbage topped with croutons and caesar dressing. Not worth the upcharge that I should have challenged. Only brown rolls were available and they seemed a bit stale served with whipped "spread" not butter. The t-bone was on the thin side but flavorful with the open fire mesquite grill. They were out of tamale pie. The foil wrapped baked potato was fine. I am growing weary of greens beans but at least they had a nice grill flavor too. No cobbler for dessert, they were out of that too. I enjoyed the experience, but my husband was not a real fan (he prefers upscale). I noticed every one cleaned their plates so I am guessing the food was enjoyable. Prime rib was the other item most ordered. Maybe don't go during a busy time as the place was not prepared with enough of the favorites! My son paid the bill and commented the charge for the six of us was less than what he would pay for two in Boston! read more

First time back here in many years. Service was good, and the dining area was very clean. Employees are pretty loud conversing with one another, but good to see employees having fun. The house dinner salad was amazing! Our steaks, and prime rib were nothing to rave about, and the salmon was way over cooked. Tamale pie hasn't changed in years, and still delicious. Mud pie dessert was awesome! Great place for tourists, but much better places for a steak. read more

This place is cool. Old, western/Tucson vibes, good food, and good prices! I thought this would be a perfect place for my family to celebrate my dad's birthday, as he loves MEAT, especially ribs. None of us had ever been and considering it's been around since 1939, we had to give it a try! We were not disappointed. We were very happy they were offering dine-I'm service during COVID and I made a reservation. Easy peasy. We were seated in the room closest to River road and after walking around the restaurant this is definitely the coolest room in the joint. It seems to be the oldest, most OG room. I love how they have so many different dining areas and there were some private rooms that would be perfect for special parties. Only complaint would be that drinks are a little pricy --esp compared to the food-- and they don't do a happy hour. I got the red sangria and it was very good. They're known for their prime rib so I had to try that. I don't think I'd ever had prime rib before and I really liked it. Each entree comes with a salad and the house dressing --honey Italian--was yummy. Wasn't a fan of the mushrooms on the salad though. Got the tamale pie as my side and yummmmmmmm! Probs my favorite part of the meal. Service was solid and I will definitely keep this place in mind for future special occasions. My family was very happy! Def check it out if you haven't already! read more

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I'll start by saying my expectations were likely higher than they should have been. It is a Tucson institution, however it didn't really live up to the hype. I had the prime rib, which was good, however not great. The side salad that came with the dinner wasn't much either. The star of the show was the tamale pie. The service, for a Tuesday evening, was OK, again, nothing special. The history of the place and the rustic feel was pretty cool. I just wished that it matched the food. read more

My family & I came here for my birthday. Jason was our server n he was incredible. The prime ribs n steaks were perfect. U guys never disappoint. Thanks again. read more

This place is really good, try the prime rib. But what sets it apart is its ambiance. The restaurant provides a truly southwestern vibe. Service is very attentive. read more

For years I have passed this place wondering how the steaks would taste. This weekend I finally gave it a try. I had 9 family member's come into town and made reservations here. The positives were it was a nice clean place with old western style decor inside. There was plenty of space and my party had a separate room that held the 10 of us very comfortably. The waitress was very nice and personable and attentive to our needs. I started off by ordering almost every appetizer on the menu minus one. Onion Ring, Pork Rib Tips, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, Roasted Mushrooms, Corn Fritters. All were a hit minus the dip. Our group ordered the prime rib, half rack of ribs, T-Bone Steaks, Petite Filet Mignon, Bone in Ribeye, El Corral French Dip, and of course all came with bake potato, salads, and some ordered the tamale pie. The main course was not a hit 8 out of 10 said that their steak was not cooked as they would like and 3 said the "well done" were burnt. Many alcoholic drinks were ordered, but three ordered the Cool Water drink. This alcohol drink came so strong that glasses of lemonade were requested to use as a mix in so the drink could be salvaged and not returned. We all did enjoy the atmosphere and the cost to me was $785 plus $120 tip. Would I return? Probably, but not my first pick for a steak. read more

My husband and I visited last night for our anniversary and let me just say.... YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. Service was 10/10, and the food was literally 100/10. Absolutely amazing. I love how they have not changed since I started coming here in the early 90's. The environment, the amazing smoky smell and being able to watch the pit masters work their magic just adds to the charm. We will be back very soon!!!! read more

Coming up to the restaurant you can just smell the amazing smoke coming through. Your mouth starts to drool automatically. We came with a large party and had reservations but were told they were not ready for us, we waited at least another 15-20 minutes before we had a seat. That made me a bit weary of how the meal was going to be. The hostess gave us an excuse but it still did not feel right. Once we got our seats the table were totally off balance and we spilled water and a beer. Another had a glass with their drink that was cracked and they were cut on it. Not cool. We got our meals and the prime rib was very good, was it the best, not really but I was happy and my tummy was full. Hopefully they can update some housekeeping and then I will return to give 5 stars. read more

The food was wayyyy to overpriced for a unsalted steak, and the indicator that tells you that the steak is unsalted is they serve it with a1 sauce. Which basically means there steak is to unseasoned to serve it by itself atleast make your own sauce that pairs well with the steak. Also the filet mignon was 28 dollars for 3-4 inches wide steak. For the chicken tenders meal, it came with I kid you not 7 fries and two chicken tenders that were smaller than the filet mignon. Also 4 dollars for a fountain drink, the smell of smoked campfire or whatever is very strong which gets sickening after a while. The place is kind of rundown for a expensive restaurant I get it may be the theme but this could still just be a cover up for not renovating the place. The service was not that welcoming the servers do the minimum. Overall, would not recommend. Also their was a hair in the burger. read more

Great meal on Memorial Day evening. Seated quickly and waited on right away. Paula was very pleasant and helpful. The Prime Rib was so tender and juicy. Watch the horseradish, though! read more

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

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Not my choice for dinner as I was here for a company function. Hence, only a couple of pics. El Corral is a lower budget steak house with a western theme. It's a large place with many rooms, which is probably why the event planners chose it for several parties in our group. The menu has some appetizers and main dishes steak, ribs, salmon, shrimp. Many of the items have a Southwestern flair. We ordered appetizers to share. The spinach artichoke dip was cold and lumpy. The shrimp cocktail was chewy and did not taste fresh all. Several of my colleagues took the dare and tried Rocky Mountain Oysters. I didn't feel the need. Not being a steak eater, I couldn't find anything on the menu that appealed to me. I ended up with a baked potato. I also ordered fresh vegetables and received some type of corn concoction that I did not touch. My colleagues who ordered steak were not pleased with their dishes. Some of them got sick later. Colleagues at other tables felt the same way. One said there was a hair in the salad. Take my advice, stay away. read more

El Corral - "Fresh" vegetables??? - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Wanted to try this place... looked interesting, so we did. DISAPPOINTED! Like many restaurants post covid, quality has dropped and not returned. Sadly, this was our experience with El Corral. Wife and I ordered the same item, filet mignon, "Well, Well done, no pink." My wife's was ok, mine, for some reason came with too much pink. After 3 tries, it was finally ok. Even as the meat arrived with my mashed potatoes, they were too cool to melt the butter... so guess what happened as the wait for 3 tries to get the meat right? The waitress schooled me on how I "should have requested" my meat cooked for next time... (won't be a next time.) The portions were tiny, in every case. No mention of adjusting my bill for the poor meal. I feel cheated. We don't recommend El Corral. read more