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    El Imperial

    4.3 (27 reviews)
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Full order of Nachos Imperiales
    John P.

    I just love their Nachos Imperiales. No one else makes them like this. A thick tortilla chip with picadillo meat and queso cheese are accompanied by lettuce, guacamole, and tomatoes. Set your taste buds to greasy spoon and you'll be delighted. Service is always quick and friendly. I've enjoyed eating at this hole in the wall Tex-Mex restaurant for decades.

    Pastor Quesadilla
    Travis J.

    Stumbled in here after visiting a medical office. Just wanted to place a to-go order and sit at the bar while waiting. Upon entering the restaurant, you're met by friendly hosts ready to seat you. When I mentioned the bar, I was escorted to the back area where the bar is located. It's obvious most folk don't visit the bar, but that turned into a good thing... I had the full attention of Carlos, the bartender who served me up 2 delicious margaritas while I waited for my to go order of quesadilla de pastor. Carlos also provided me with a serving of sliced oranges with chamoy and tajin... which were so delicious! While waiting I also was able to enjoy chips and salsa. The food, service, and vibe were all great!

    a plate of tacos on a table
    Chandler H.

    This is my family's and late Grandfather's favorite real Tex-Mex restaurant. Tastes just the same as the location on 1960. Looks the same inside too with the X-mas lights and brick. We love it. The food is delicious as always (and about a 3rd of the cost of Pappasitos). So many good plate options. I like they'll bring some cold plates (like tacos) first and then a second round of the hot plate that was in a broiler and is hot as shit. So glad, by happenstance, I saw this driving home after a round at my home course WindRose!

    Blackened Tilapia
    Jade P.

    I love this place ! I just started coming here this year and it's so welcoming. I will say I was a little weary because of some of these reviews but I can honestly say that everything I've had is delicious.Every time we come we are greeted by warm familiar faces. As soon as they bring you these big menus they bring you chips, salsa, and beans that are hot ! My personal favorite has got to be the parriladas! But I've been trying to eat a little of everything.

    They now have breakfast !
    Tabatha B.

    We came in Friday lunch time and it was dead. I was scared. But son was hungry and i wasn't about to deal with an hangry young adult I sat in the car reading the review and was like okay I guess we are getting food poisoning if we ever get the food. I WAS WRONG Food was not OMG it's like Vic and Anthony's but food was good. We were quickly greeted as we should have been because we were the only customers. Lunch time on payday and no one is here?!? -Hit sent prematurely. Apologizes. We sat down and chips came. Salsa could be hotter for me but nice perk was the soup and black beans that also came. We got chili con queso because yum cheese. It was def just a bowl of hot cheese but my 10 yr old enjoyed it so that's good. I got flautas because you can ruin flautas and the older adult son had tacos al carbon. Everything tasted good and temp was perfect. This place isn't going to wow omg you but service and food are good enough to where we would come back in we are in the area and hungry for Tex Mex. Our server was really good with the younger son. I like it when servers are scared of kids. And lunch specials all week long.

    Fudge brownie
    Abigail A.

    Wonderful restaurant!! My family & I go every week. The staff is awesome & food is very tasteful with reasonable prices !! Best Mexican restaurant ever !!! Highly recommend 10/10

    enchiladas and rice in a styrofoam container

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    7 months ago

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    3 years ago

    Great food excellent service. Would highly recommend. Excellent menu. Good service culture with all employees

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    3 years ago

    the qeso tasted weird the beef was raw the coke tasted weird it was no good.

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    6 years ago

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    6 years ago

    So glad this restaurant is back open it has been a family tradition and favorite for years

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    Julio's Mexican Grill - Chimichanga

    Julio's Mexican Grill

    4.2(304 reviews)
    6.6 mi
    •$$

    This was a return visit, and again I had the puffy tacos…read more These were San Antonio style. And hit and delicious! There is a happy hour until7pm, with discounts on their regular margaritas. These were good. Service was from Eddie and he took good care of us.

    In Texas - the Tex-Mex competition is fierce. Everyone has a favorite. This place just bumped my…read moreprevious favorite from its perch and became current favorite. TLDR: Thar food, those ritas. This place has become my most recent go-to when that little voice says - "pssst....Dave....Dave....i know you hear me....you want fajitas." Admittedly, I hear that voice a lot. In any case, I usually order the fajitas. They give you a decent quantity that tastes great. The meet is tender and flavorful and those tortillas had me at hello. I love this stuff! My son elects to go for the cheese enchiladas. I don't have to ask him how much he likes them because is a super picky eater and this is the one place where he actually cleans his plate. The margaritas are solid as well and when you glance around the restaurant, you'll see them on most tables. This place is a well oiled machine. There are plenty of staff and they all work unison to bring drinks / chips / salsa / refills / orders / food -- and that food usually comes out before I can feel guilty for eating chips, salsa, and queso. I found this trick that works for me. Since I 100% of the time feel guilty for leaving the place feeling so full, I started parking on the other end of the parking lot. This allows my to burn off 2.7 calories of the food that just ate so I feel 2.7 percent less guilty. On a serious note - this place is the real deal. While some of my previous favorites have either closed down or gone downhill a bit - Julio's has remained strong. ¡Salud!

    Photos
    Julio's Mexican Grill
    Julio's Mexican Grill - Complimentary chips and salsa

    Complimentary chips and salsa

    Julio's Mexican Grill

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    Natalitas - Chips and salsa

    Natalitas

    4.0(180 reviews)
    6.4 mi
    •$$

    We love NATALITA'S #3! Our food is always delicious. The service is great. And love the…read moremargaritas!! Great atmosphere and smiling faces. We're there every week and highly recommend it!

    I visited here during happy hour one day. I'd previously visited one of their other locations…read moreseveral years ago since I heard they had really great cheese enchiladas. On this visit I just wanted a drink and a small bite though. Upon walking in, the restaurant was nearly full and bustling. I spotted some seats over at the bar area in the back right so I sat there. There are happy hour specials ending at 6pm weekdays but the bartender told me about the daily specials and how the Natalitas margarita was stronger than the happy hour one for about the same price, so I chose that one. I ordered the large for $10.25 which comes in an 18 oz large glass. After looking at the menu, I settled on one of my typical orders at happy hour, the small (8 in) beef fajita quesadilla. This comes out after about 10 mins and it has the typical sour cream and guacamole on the sides. There is plenty there to be placed on all 8 of the quesadillas. This is a pretty standard tasting quesadilla, nothing really stood out about it. Same goes for the margarita. Keep in mind this is a discounted drink and made with pre-mixed sweet and sour from a large plastic bucket at the back of the bar area using a house tequila and a house orange liquor. I couldn't read the labels on either bottle since they turned them backward during my entire visit. Not sure if they do this on purpose or not. Either way, there are better quality margarita options obviously, using fresh juice they store in their refrigerator and a margarita that is actually shaken. The discounted ones are so discounted, they actually just pour the ingredients into an ice filled glass and ask you to stir it yourself when they place it in front of you. Either way, it is a convenient location and the prices of their entrees are reasonable compared to some other Mexican restaurants around town. I don't think I saw any dish above 18.99. Mondays look to be a good day to come for their Patron margarita special for around $10.99.

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    Natalitas - Dining decorated for Christmas

    Dining decorated for Christmas

    Natalitas
    Natalitas

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    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant

    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant

    3.4(209 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    •$$

    This is my favorite non-chain Mexican restaurant. From the over-the-top margaritas to the fresh…read morechips and salsa, we get the same thing every time we go, which is the paradilla fajitas. The service is always excellent. The food everything that I have had from here is so good all the time consistently. I have probably dined here at least 50 times in 16 years. And every single time it is so good. Best margaritas in town for sure. We also always get queso, the fajita is there so much that we used to get the fajitas for two and now we just got them for one because there's so much meat and the onions and peppers and you just can't go wrong at this place! Most importantly, get a margarita, the mango margarita I don't like frozen margaritas so I can get mine on the rocks usually rimmed with Tajin. The other cool thing is all of the servers expediters they help each other. I've been in the restaurant business a long time. Nothing in my eyes for front of the house then to have everybody working as a team. And if you stop someone, that's not your server and ask for something they just get it for you. Definitely try this place if you're in town. You won't regret it.

    This was my first visit to El Palenque in Spring. You get a friendly greeting as soon as you walk…read morein, this restaurant was packed and lets you know it must be good food. They have a really good salsa to go with their chips. I ordered Chicken Enchiladas with Queso Blanco and it was delicious, i'll definitely be back to order this again. If you haven't been here you're missing out as they have great Food and Service with an exciting atmosphere with plenty of staff that were very attentive!!

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    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant
    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant
    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant - El Palenque Mexican Restaurant, Spring Location

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    El Palenque Mexican Restaurant, Spring Location

    El Imperial - mexican - Updated October 2026

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