Service was excellent and the cocktails were awesome. The green Chile appetizer was the best thing we ate. The steaks were just okay, a little too smoky for my taste and was more medium than med-rare. read more

You can get a burger fry and a soda for $6 for the kids. You can also get a chicken tender fri and soda for $6. Or prime rib Fri and soda $6. That's better than any place in town. Even fast food. Let that sink in. Nice ambiance . Service was great. !! read more

El Corral - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Went here, September 23, 2024 for my 59th birthday with my family. There was five of us. It has been many many years since I've been here. I thought that this place was OK way back when. We had three different kinds of steak dinners we had, a shaved beef sandwich and the poblano stuffed chili. Everything was tasteless and bland no seasoning on anything including the green beans. We had to send one steak back. It was cooked wrong. All the other food My family ended up taking home, hoping that At Home they could fix the bland food and it would be edible. As far as I'm concerned, there's no ambience in this place. We were sitting at a table that was a fold up which kept moving and was rickety. Over $200 later this was just the worst experience and totally ruined my birthday! read more

Food was good, service too, but there was a periodic sewer smell coming from somewhere near our booth that was a real turn off. Wait person was aware of the problem, but why on earth they would seat anyone near there is beyond me. read more

We really enjoyed our meal here. Probably the best prime rib that I have had in a very long time. The service was very good and the waiter gave us great advice. read more

Okay so 2 stars equals 4 star service but 2 star food. Yeah yeah, I know that is an average of 3 but honestly, the food was "meh" and that is what you pay for when you go to a restaurant. Look, the location is historical and cool, the inside is decorated in a way that we really enjoyed. We had been here a few years ago maybe 7 and I remember the food being better? We were a party of six and our server was amazing, I don't even remember his name (bad on me) but he was an older gentleman who had a great sense of humor and was awesome. Most of the folks at our table ordered steak. My husband got the T-Bone, and had a few bites of someone else Rib Eye. He said that neither were very good and quite dry for medium. Also super fatty and hard to chew. I got the Tucson Chicken and it was decent thanks to the green chile and cheese but the chicken was dry so I stopped at a couple of bites. The salad... comical. Flat bottom of the barrel iceberg lettuce with rust on it. Tomato was mealy and my ranch dressing was literally water. Everyone's salads looked like that. The Tamale pie was really really good, so I will give them that. We ordered mud pie's for the table and they were just blobs of melted ice cream on a small plate. I must say that we are regulars at the Silver Saddle off of I-10 and in comparison El Corral should step up their game. read more

Can't beat 31.99 for a T-BONE and a baked potato. It so Tucson and I love it. Can't wait to go again

Waited 45 min which was to be expected on a Saturday night. Was informed that they do now take reservations though! Ordered a michelada while I waited. Don't do it. They just poured tobacco Bloody Mary mix into a salted rim glass. No spices to doll it up. Bleh. Our ribeyes were decent. Nothing to crave. The meat was pretty tough. Our son LOVED his ribs though and the side of fries. Our waitress, who was also the bartender was very nice! read more

El Corral - Ribeye with baked potato and horseradish - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

My wife and I stopped by to have dinner on her birthday. We both ordered T bone steaks cooked medium with baked potatoes. My steak came well done, cold and tasteless. My potato had massive bruising. My wife's came out medium and the potato was good. The salads were bland using iceberg lettuce with no fresh ingredients. Never again it was like the one I got was a return and they just passed it along read more

This was our first time dining at El Corral when we came here for Valentine's Day. It was a marvelous experience, great ambiance, fantastic prime rib, and wonderful attentive service by Paula. This is a great old Tucson restaurant that exceeded our expectations, we will be back ! read more

El Corral - Nearest is Tucson petite cut at medium well, across the table is my El Corral cut at medium - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Oh gosh, where do we start? We made reservations (early in the day) for Friday night, and showed up 10 minutes early like one does. They told us there would be a "short wait, just a few minutes," which we completely expected. Unfortunately, that "short wait" stretched to 25 minutes PAST our original reservation. In fact we are pretty sure they forgot about us, because when we went in to remind them we were waiting they looked really surprised (and we saw some knowing looks passed between the young gal and the elderly lady at the maître d' stand), and they had to scramble for a few minutes to suss it out. We were eventually seated by the kitchen, which is not optimum but we accepted with good grace, being a busy Friday night. Well, the cushion of my date's chair was soaking wet, which she found out WHEN SHE SAT IN IT. The area around the table reeked of clorox, yet there were used napkins, meat bones and other food garbage just under the table (see photo after I kicked it away). Despite all this we stayed and ordered our meal, figuring we'd have difficulty finding something else at that point. Our cocktails were very poorly mixed and placed in highball glasses instead of rocks glasses. I never got the lemon twist I requested in my cocktail, but both were festooned with maraschino cherries like Shirley Temples. We joked that the owner's 14 year old nephew must be behind the bar. In retrospect we may not have been entirely wrong... We both ordered the prime rib. I ordered the El Corral cut and my date got the smaller (and less expensive) Petit Tucson Cut. Both were ordered as medium rare. When they arrived, my date's order was LARGER than my cut, clearly a better cut of meat (though it did contain an unusually large blob of fat in the middle), and was an actual pink "medium rare." My El Corral cut was smaller, much poorer quality meat, a MUCH larger blob of fat in the middle with the rest being full of sinew, and clearly NOT "medium rare." The au jus was cold on both plates. See photos of the comparison between the two cuts. They were supposed to include the "famous tamale pie" but instead there was a corn fritter. The mashed potatoes were really good, at least. The rolls were bland. The salad was mostly iceberg with what seemed to be bottled dressing. Meh. Both of us left nearly half our "prime rib" on the plate, being mostly fat and inedible sinewy meat. On our way out not a single employee, most especially the ones at the maître d' stand, said good night or thanked us. We definitely felt like they could not care any less. We are locals and prefer supporting local businesses over chain restaurants, but sadly in our experience El Corral does not live up to the local hype; the meat is poor quality, there doesn't seem to be any consistency or quality control in the kitchen, the greeters and wait service were bad -- actually our waitress was pleasant enough but clearly inexperienced and too distracted to give good service. They said at the front that they were "short staffed," by way of explaining letting us shiver outside for just under half an hour, but that certainly does not excuse the rest. That's a result of chaos. We considered complaining but the general attitude of disinterested anarchy turned us right off, and frankly even if they offered us a free meal voucher as an apology neither one of us is terribly anxious to come back. Cannot recommend. read more

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A piece of nostalgia and history on the outskirts of Tucson. Went here recently on a weekday night to try this spot my (local) best friend had never been too. Wanted to try their signature meal (prime rib and tamale pie) they are so well known for. Not many folks in the place when we arrived, so we were seated right away. Server was extremely friendly and knowledgeable as we ordered. She brought out a complimentary basket of warm rolls with whipped butter as we sipped our drinks. Side salads came out first...pretty standard issue. It was mostly made up of iceberg lettuce with a few shreds of other leafy varieties thrown in topped with a tomato slice, cucumber slice and red onion slice. Next, it was on to the mains! The El Corral cut (8oz size) of the prime rib was tender and juicy, but not overly flavorful; it was served with sides of au jus and a super-spicy horseradish. The meat had nice marbling, but definitely needed both the depth of the au jus as well as the kick of the horseradish to give it any "umph". The tamale pie side dish was a mix of spicy corn and chiles topped with cheddar cheese...good, but again lacked any punch. I'm glad we gave this Tucson institution a try, but doubt we'll be running back anytime soon. read more

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I saw this gem only had 3 stars and think on the service alone it deserves 5, even more. Gabriel was very busy, as our hostess warned, but you would never know it because he had plenty of time to have fun with our table and provide excellent service. He is one of the best servers any of our party has had. Our party had salmon, prime rib, ribeye, and I had a filet smothered Sonora style. We all enjoyed our large portions and the delicious food. Highly recommend the smothered filet! The tamale pie is what they are known for, and a first for me, and it was tasty. The atmosphere has a cowboy Wild West theme going on and I can appreciate that. Thanks for a memorable meal and great service. read more

I have a little regret writing this review but I feel it's necessary to warn my fellow Yelp comrades. This place has slipped a lot and is really bad . I had the T bone and my wife the ribeye. The lowest quality of beef possible . We both agreed it was arguably the worse steaks ever . Waffle house quality , if they do have steaks. The other item to bring to your attention is the Tamale Pie . I'll assume it was at least a week old . You have been warned . There are quite a few other Cowboy Steakhouses in Tucson, randomly pick one and you will be better off . Sorry El Corral, not good at all. This was once a 'go to' in Tucson, not so much anymore. read more

As a Tucson native, I've been to El Corral countless times throughout my life. It's been a regular family favorite for decades. So tonight, I figured I would introduce my husband who have never been. First off, our server, Jason, was fantastic and had a true understanding of being attentive without being a pest- many servers have difficulty grasping that concept. His timing was spot on. We love a good prime rib, so I ordered the El Corral cut with tamale pie, while he went with the Arizona cut with baked potato. Our son went with the bone-in ribeye and baked potato. Everything came out piping hot and delicious. We ordered our prime rib medium rare, and both of our cuts were perfect. Tamale pie was also fantastic. My only complaint is about the drinks- while we were waiting for our table, my husband went to the bar and ordered us a cocktail- Cactus Wren for me and a Bloody Mary for him. The drink itself was way too sweet for me, but the real issue was the price. $11 for mine and $15 for his!! Outrageous! We will definitely be back, but we won't be ordering cocktails again!! Overall happy with our experience. read more

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I love this place...a bit of old Tucson especially in their Adobe-like building. The menu is short but excellent. You are going there for the meat which is darn-near perfection. Service is always good. For larger parties make a reservation. We go early to be assured no wait. read more

I love the table side salad dressed mushroom sunflower seeds etc honey mustard dressing at 'el corral' last time we went it was so watered down and sad. we went last week. disapointed. the tamale pie was deelish,service was good. read more

Very delicious and flavorful. We haven't been there in years. Still great place to dine.

Was in Monday it must have had left over reheated Prime Rib! It was pink but no juices, Dry as the Desert! You could not chew it. Sad for this type of restaurant. Service well When you are serving 6 tables at once you can bet there are mis steps! And last we were seated by the ramp going down to the restrooms and my guests smelled sewer gas! The furniture was uncomfortable and so out dated. Not a good dinning experience! I will make a formal complaint. read more

I hadn't been back to el Corral in years, mainly, because when I went there with my family 6 years ago, our steaks were not cooked properly and they were grizzly. Blah. So, when my family decided to go there as a group for a birthday get together, and they chose el corral, i was like, "oh brother." But I went, and Im glad I did because I was surprised. My drink was actually good, a martini with BLUE CHEESE Olives, and my food was excellent. I loved the tamale pie and my filet steak was cooked properly and good quality. Everyone had good food & a great time. We even went back for Christmas eve as a group (they ran out of tamale pie which wasn't good!). The next time I went back with my husband in January I had the salmon and it was really good (I didn't get it with the lemon). My baked potato was cooked properly each time and the desserts are very good as well. I love the mud pie !! so all in all id say yes to el Corral especially since I've been back 3 times since I went back in December. I don't have anything negative to say about the place and I hope they keep up their trend of serving QUALITY MEAT & food because if not it will be a sad day. As for the wait staff they ate really nice so tip them properly. They will even accommodate you when the number in your party is larger due to your mistake and you have to add more people. Lastly, the large Bronze statue inside the restaurant of the stagecoach, well I have one just like it, bought it years ago at Sanders Gallery, well apparently it was created by the Son of the people that own the restaurant. So there's another reason to like the place. read more

Yum. So good. Consistently good for prime rib since I first got to U of AZ in 88. The tamale pie and the deserts. Everything is excellent. This is not a steakhouse, leave your filet for Flemings or Sullivan's. This is a prime rib place and it's delicious!!! Service has always been great as well. It does get crowded sometimes so maybe make time for that. read more

Unfortunately almost everyone at our table said their entree was tough/ dry and/ or hard to cut.. Service was very good) (Tucson Cut/ salmon and prime ) read more

We went to El Corral for our Anniversary meal with six of our friends. The service is outstanding as our waiter was very attentive. The food was exemplary and we look forward to our next visit. If I had one complaint, it would be the parking lot which was difficult to navigate the evening we were there. read more

I've been coming here for years, and the last several times has steadily gotten worse. I mean, as a steak place, one would think they would concentrate on that, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It's really too bad because this is/was a Tucson institution. I will say that the salad and the house dressing is really good. Even the tamale pie, another thing they are known for, isn't good anymore. All that being said, the prime rib is not good anymore, at all. They must be getting a low grade of meat. Very unflavorful, no taste at all. I did take 95% of my steak (this was the 2nd one, because the 1st one was very over cooked) home to cut up in tiny pieces and made a hash out of it. The last was a special occasion dinner and unfortunately after many years of repeat visits, I can no longer keep trying to give them chances. It's very sad to me that I won't return as I have very fond memories here and a lot of family gatherings of special occasions. . read more

I ordered the petite fillet. It was literally the worst steak I've had at a restaurant in my life. The ingredients that they use in this place or substandard. So they put a bad piece of meat in the hands of somebody who does not know how to cook steak. Truly truly bad. If I was ownership I would be horrified that this food was coming out of my kitchen. I can say the corn fritters are very good. The steak not good at all. read more

My husband and I attended a retirement party at this Mexican restaurant. The room for the party was quiet and away from the main part of the restaurant. I glanced at the traditional Mexican decor in the main part of the restaurant; it looked cozy and nice. I believe this is a well-known, long-established Tucson restaurant. I had ribs and a salad. My husband had prime rib. The food was good. The restaurant appeared to have an employee watching in the parking lot and providing security read more

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we went last year and the food was great. Last night we were disappointed. My filet was over done and sent back. it returned cooked medium rare as I requested but it tasted like regular sirloin. My husband ordered the prime rib and rib special. The ribs were dry and prime rib was chewy even though it was cooked medium rare. The dessert was great and the server was great. Not sure we will return sadly. read more

I experienced what I now believe to be an "off day" at the restaurant... perhaps being a Monday... I discussed with the owner and he made everything right with me. With this prompt action and professionalism, I believe he will get El Corral back to where it was... a Tucson landmark restaurant. read more

I'm sure you've see in all the reviews about how great a place was years ago, but now it isn't. I saw all the reviews about El Corral repeating the same theme, but we still enjoy the food here. We started coming here around 2006 and the food was decent, but it did take a little decline after that. But the last few years, my wife and I had nothing but excellent food and service here. I have the mesquite wood fire half Chicken and it has always been cooked perfect and juicy. We like to start with the Sonoran Chiles topped with shredded Prime Rib, which has the mild chiles and melted cheese. Do not forget to have the Tamale Pie with your meal, its a corn and chile casserole topped with melted cheddar cheese and is delicious. We've been here at least 3 times in the last few months and have had a great experience each time! read more

El Corral - Steakhouses Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

This restaurant seemed to have a problem with cooking a medium well steak (at least when I was there). The prices were in line with an upscale steakhouse however, the atmosphere, (at least the section of the restaurant we sat in), had bright lights, as if I were in a cafeteria rather than an upscale restaurant. read more

This was one of the worst dinner experiences ever. We waited 45 minutes for a table when they told us 5-10 minute. We had a you child in tow but that wouldn't have been bad had we gotten our food in a reasonable time. Then when my food came out (no one else's came out), I waited for their food and everyone's was cold (if it came out). The server never came around so we couldn't even box it or send it back. The western atmosphere was cool but even though we live right down the street, we won't go back or recommend it. The food could have saved the bad experience had it been warm, served together and some more thought to flavor. But expensive cold food and half a meal that didn't arrive? Yeah no. read more

Love me some prime rib! Haven't been here since early 2000, but now that we work and live closer, this meat stand may just be a regular stomping ground. During our weekly date night we decided to come to El Coral. We were so hungry we were there 5 mins before they opened. Which was ok since the bar was open The place is a maze...multi room is ideal for large groups. We ordered artichoke dip as our appetizer. Nothing special and it was good. Now the entree, we shared the rib and steak combo with a side of bake potato. If you know us, you know we love to eat and this platter was enough to share 2 hungry hippos. Love the rustic decor and a clean and upgraded bathroom with a baby changing station! Therefore I highly recommend. read more

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Best Prime rib yeeehaww!! Steaks, steaks and more steaks. Excellent service! Everything you would want from a steakhouse. The decor is old west . This place is bigger that you think. read more

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Great steak & prime rib. Very good service. Sides could use a bit more variety. Atmosphere old& tired.

Was really looking forward to this dinner, but it was just short of expectations and a bit underwhelming. Ambiance is nice and cozy. The rolls were decent. Prime rib comes with salad and a side, so got the famed tamale pie, which tastes like cheesy cornbread. Prime rib should definitely be ordered medium rare (I got medium and it was too tough). My mom's Farmhouse salad was made up almost entirely of spinach (not "mixed" greens" and the kicker was that there was a good amount of slimy rotting spinach mixed in there...like when you leave a bag of spinach in the fridge for too long. read more

The service was fine but the steaks and side dish were lukewarm, the salads skimpy. The dining room chairs too small and the lighting harsh. Underwhelming. read more

***Save Your Money and find another Steak House*** To whom maybe reading this: I had dinner at this place on Nov 27 in the evening (for the restaurant industry, they busiest night of the week. With your top cooks, employees and management on the floor "you would think"... Im just going to do this in bullet points to make it fastish read. - The waitress was very nice. That was the only highlight. Food: - The Rolls came 1st. Tasted like they came right out of the refrigerator cold and dry and the butter was equaly as hard as a rock and cold. - 2nd came the Salad. Tasted like it came right out of a premixed bag. We might have even been served the bottom of the bag, Mostly the core was served. - 3rd Came out the Onion rings. Overly overly deep fried. -4th Mushrooms overlay cooked and socked in butter For the Main course: First off the highlight of this place should be a good steak, you would think they could get that right on the money. Not only did they miss the marker on that with me my wife and daughter and 2 others on the next table from us (we didn't know them but we all looked at each other in disbelief) We all sent the steaks backs due to them being wayyyyyyyy undercooked and still cold center, yes still cold. When we sent them back they came back overly cooked now. All bad at this point. I asked if i could see the manager. FYI Her name is Wendy She came out, but not to our table. She went to the other table gave them a full refund and even remade them there steaks. I was like that's amazing we will be next. (I was in earshot from the table and heard everything) Well that didn't happen. I asked to speak to the manager (Wendy she never came out) and i even asked the waitress if the manager was aware that we also had the same issue she said yes, but she said she was very busy and was not able to come out unfortunately (i was very very confused at this point as what's the purpose of a manager then). So we just paid the bill in full ($118.02) and didn't even eat as the steaks came back way over cooked as said prior. I just want to expose a bad restaurant and save someone else from this. I don't want my money back or even a reply. Readers just your money and find another steak house. read more

The food was great dinner rolls garlic and buttery yum. PrimeRib delicious 3 of us had filet mignon cooked to perfection! Waitress was attentive and served all our food at once! We were a party of 13. Awesome will definitely go back read more

Delicious prime rib ! Our server was very polite and helpful throughout our entire dinning experience. Will definitely go back when we visit Tucson next month. read more

I have been going to this restaurant since I was a child and always a stop when I'm in Tucson. Tamale pie is a must and table tossed salad. T bone is my favorite steak there. read more