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El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar

3.4 (327 reviews)

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar Photos

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Loud
Outdoor seating
Good for dancing

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Enchilada
Paul G.

This is a very eclectic restaurant with a cozy feel. It has a cavern type of feel with Mexican decore on the walls. There is a long and blue lit bar counter. Popular place. They specialize in drinks. The servers were pleasant. The Mexican meals are mainly tacos with rice but no beans for a side. The enchiladas though tasty and spicy were merely soft tacos folded on their side. Seating is casual. The spooky castle like stairs to the basement washrooms are cool! Good for groups. No private parking. The churros and lava cake were good! Recommended.

Margaritas
David D.

What an amazing experience. Mezcal, and Tequlia genius. The bartenders care and go off menu to please their customers

a woman sitting at a table
Siz L.

Finally made it out to El Cortez. First our waitress was friendly & helpful. Food came out quickly. Smoked queso cauliflower fundido as an appetizer. Menu says it's a coated roasted cauliflower but was actually more a deep fried sweet ball. The bulgogi tacos were heaping with meat and delicious. The chicken tacos were more dried spiced with a fleck of sauce.. Really could use more sauce, too dry. The sliver of fish in the Mahi mahi tacos was not only small portion wise but over powered by the coating of tamarind. You couldnt taste the fish. The coconut and mango margueritas were awesome...not sweet or thick.. Very refreshing.

Michela ! Yumm
Yazmin J.

We had a great server who was friendly and welcoming. We ordered the ceviche, steak skillet and tacos. Steak was super big, delicious. Not authentic but filling. Came with alot of corn tortillas which was nice. The ceviche was good, it reminded me a Peruvian ceviche. Music and atmosphere was great for a Friday out. Tequila is must. Decor really reminded me of Latin American country. It was homey

Janet K.

If you're in the mood for Mexican this is a great little place to go for dinner, drinks or both! If you're a cheese lover order the queso fundito, it was so delicious and perfect for sharing! The tacos are also very authentic and fun to trade if you like to food swap. There are lots of vegetarian options as well if you're not a meat-eater. Unfortunately I got there after happy hour but they have different deals during the week! This restaurant has its own unique style as well as a giant wall projector for movies or the big game. I believe you can rent out the lower level of the restaurant for private events as well.

Kristin K.

I'm downgrading my review to 4 stars from 5. I've been back several times since writing my last review and the service and food has been hit and miss. When it's good, it's GREAT. But when it's not good, and I drove 45 minutes across town and paid to park, ugh... I want a do over. The drink menu has changed and the Mexican Popsicle isn't on the menu anymore. We've had bartenders that can still make it and some that can't. Boo - it was the highlight here for sure. Fish tacos are EXCELLENT. If I could only make it on a Taco Tuesday life would be grand. I'm sure if I worked in the area, happy hour would be a regular stop for me here!

Exterior
Jonny M.

El Cortez has been around for the past two years with a couple of ups and down. I've been here a couple times now for both drinks and food - this place is bumpin' on Friday and Saturday nights. The outside is slick with a couple benches to sit at although I've never seen anyone out there. Maybe it's just for show? They've done a swanky job with the interior as there's lots for the eyes to feast on. Don't forget to walk downstairs into the cave where people dance on weekends. Heck, there's even a (hidden) patio for summer. Will try and sit out there next time. The menu is pretty concise with a modern twist on Mexican fare. Tacos, ceviche, quesadillas and enchiladas to name a few. They have specials every day. Tuesday seems like the best deal - $3.00 tacos! They even recently opened up for weekend brunch and Friday lunches. Happy Hour from 11am till 6pm? Yes, please! The water comes in cool bottles and this was one of the branded cerveza logo tables. We were seated near the entrance to the cave where a super random/bizarre film was being projected on the wall behind us. Super distracting to Bbops while we ate but it goes with the vibe here. - Modelo especial ($5.00) - they had a couple drinks on special but we both went with the Modelo. Can't complain too much for five bucks. Went down smoothly. - El Cortez guacamole ($8.00) - I've had their guacamole before and it's addictive! Normally $12.00, this was one of their Friday happy hour specials. Fresh, creamy and well-seasoned, this might be one of my favourite guacs in the city (not that there's that many alternatives). It comes with a mixed bucket of tortilla and potato chips. Perfect to get your dip on. - Mexicali poutine ($8.00) - bacon, smoked paprika and aioli. Normally $9.00, this was their other Friday "special". Yup, you read that right, you save one whole dollar. WOW. Talk about false advertisement. Taste wise, it reminded me more of papas bravas than poutine. It's nowhere near a poutine so that's somewhat misleading. I don't think I would get this next time as it's not worth the price tag. - Grilled pescado ($12.00) - grilled pescado, habanero aioli, crispy shrimp and a coconut tropical salsa. You only get two tacos - yup, you also read that right. Probably the priciest tacos you can buy, ringing in at $6.00 each! Yeezus. The house-made tortillas were lightly grilled which gave a nice, warm bite. I really like the addition of the battered shrimp, which gave the tacos another crunchy element. Are these worth $6.00 each? Definitely not but it's probably an easier pill to swallow if you order them on Tuesday. - Snapper and shrimp ceviche ($14.00) - serrano, lime, tomato and olive. The ceviche was fresh, light and citrusy. I would never have thought to add olives to a ceviche but that combination paired beautifully. Even Bbops was impressed and he is a picky ceviche eater. It also came with a side of tortilla chips - too bad we ran out of ceviche before chips. Guess that's a good sign right? El Cortez is a cool, hip little spot to grab a drink and bite to eat but prepared to dish out the moola. Our lunch worked out to $30.00/each including tip which is pretty hefty all things considering. 3.5 stars.

Christina B.

Love El Cortez and it's poppin' fresh menu !! The night vibes here are great, cocktails are fresh, high quality and creative. My favourite time to visit is Noon-5pm ~ Have lunch on the patio AND BRING YOUR FREAKING DOG! Yes, that's right Dog friendly patio right here in the YEG! We like to order a few dishes and share among the table ~ you can order for yourself and hoard your meal, it's all good ;) Today, there were several families w/ kids happily eating their tacos having fun, dancing to the music. If you want a colourful, fun afternoon / night this is your spot!! TIP: HAPPY HOUR MONDAY - FRIDAY Ps~ El Cortez supports MANY community initiatives !! right now they are rallying to add a beautiful mural for your viewing pleasure by 0KUDA SAN MIGUEL ~ check out their website, for details on how you can support !

Thursday is tequila night!
Poonam M.

I have ended up at El Cortez a couple of times and am always impressed. I've always just had appies and drinks but I really need to come by for either the brunch or actual food. Whenever I've managed to get here it's been either on Taco Tuesday or Tequila Thursday and really can you go wrong? Great tacos for a great price? Or, hello? Tequila???? If you've never had a good tequila - and yes there really is a difference between tequilas - this is the place to come and try. And, once you have tried a GOOD tequila you will never go back. El Cortez and the bartenders now their stuff. And, they have quite the range - everything from a $9 to a much higher price point but remember on Thursday's it's half price so you don't mind! This time around we tried the Pomegranate Tequila and at first I was not sure I would like it but I will get it again. What a great way to finish the evening. This time around I had the cauliflower which was a nice, filling treat.... I usually get the guacamole to share and it's my personal favourite! The atmosphere here is absolutely fantastic. You can walk in with a bunch of friends or with the kids (earlier in the evening - later it's more of a bar) and it's a fun place to be. Dimly lit, you can hang out as long as you want - no one will know just how much tequila you've had til you have to step off that bar stool!

Michelle H.

This place decor is really cool inside. We were there at 8pm Sunday and there was live guitarist singing. He was super! I had a watermelon salad which was awesome. Half order was plenty because I had churros for dessert. They were delicious. I wasn't thinking tequila caramel dip was going to taste good but I was wrong! Wow. The guys had corn tortillas steak tacos and Shrimp tostadas. Presentation was nice but seriously these tacos were skimpy for my 17 year old boy. Needed to order another item which really adds up$$$$ Queso was very tasty too.

Patio area  Food

Environment was amazing! The service was so helpful and welcoming! The taco Tuesday deals were amazing! Nothing but good vibes from here every-time I come :)

Sexy Margarita looks better than it tastes.

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2 years ago

Great food & great service! Highly recommend the paloma. But why serve beer in plastic glasses...?

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4 years ago

It is has great food with a great atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a New Mexican place.

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El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - cocktailbars - Updated October 2026

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