This was the first time that my wife and I had gone to this restaurant. We were greeted right away by a friendly waiter and were seated right away. He asked us if we wanted chips and salsa and we said we did. We were very pleased when he brought warm tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole. We thought it was a nice touch until we got the bill and found out the the chips and salsa COST $2.75 and the guacamole was an ADDITIONAL $2.50. When are chips and salsa not complimentary at a Mexican restaurant. We have never been to one......except for here. The food was good but not great. We both had the chicken enchiladas. The service started out okay but slid downhill as the meal went on. After the waiter brought our bill, we never saw him again. Another waiter brought me some more water and then he eventually took the bill. When he brought the bill back, he slapped it on the table without saying a word. We never did see our waiter again. We don't know he had taken a break or was just in the back eating expensive chips and salsa. read more

Really tasty mexican food. I especially like the carnitas burrito. It's somewhere in between a taqueria and a sit down Mexican restaurant. Service is fine, maybe a little lackluster, but the food more than makes up for it. read more

Almost gave it a 2, but after thinking it over my only real complaint is the price. For $10 i guess i expected an awesome burrito but you're paying for the location i guess. The carnitas is good, if a little uninspired. The service was good. read more

Looking for a delicious, fresh, and reliable meal? Here it is. My husband and I have been coming here every week for the last two years. We are absolutely head over heels for their burritos, chips, salsa, and margaritas. We have explored a few other things on the menu and found them delicious - but we always come back for the burritos. This is a very busy little restaurant so be ready to wait a minute or two if you come at 6 on a weekend. The servers are always thoughtful and polite, they know our orders by heart and are always quick to bring us extra salsa. We absolutely adore this little restaurant and will be heart sick when it's no longer within walking distance. read more

The food here is tasty in a more subtle way. Delicious Chile Relleno & Carnitas. Tonite I had a different Enchilada with carrots, raisins, potatoes & chicken and ancho sauce- tasty. Service is hurried & impersonal, but OK. Note that chips & salsa are additional cost. Delish homemade salsa. read more

I decided to try this place because of the good reviews. Upon entrance we didn't really know what to do since we weren't greeted and waited while the cook just stared at us. After grabbing our own menus and starting to walk toward a table in the back the waitress/hostess asked how many and looked away while we continued to seat ourselves. The menu was pricy compared to the portions, I order the Mexican Caesar salad that was a bed of romaine lettuce with some tomato, light sprinkle of cheese, 5 chips and a 2"x4" chicken breast for $12. We were charged for our chips and salsa at $3, most restaurant are free. This place was scam, at least the food we ordered. A plate for $12 that should have been $5. I could have gone to Trader Joe's for better prepared food at a reasonable price. read more

This review is for the carnitas nachos. So. Damn. Good. The carnitas is shredded to perfection - not too much, so you can see the actual grain of the meat. It's perfectly charred and has so much amazing flavor. The nachos don't go overboard on the chips or wet ingredients so they don't get soggy. The cheese is just simple, melted montery jack so it tastes like real food. Omg - they were a dream come true. I brought some home for leftovers and just had them for lunch cold and they were STILL amazing! Now I want more!!!! I had a margarita with my dinner last night and it was decent - pretty strong! New go to spot. read more

$2.25 for a side of sour cream? 2.80 per side of salsa? Small portions and not even prepared the way it was described on the menu for all 3 of our meals. Would've rathered chipotle down the road for 1/3 the price. Not impressive or authentic at all. read more

My kids and I love eating their fresh guac and chips. Their torta al pastor and their burritos are always fantastic! Great service and great quality Mexican food in Lafayette! read more

Yesterday we went in for lunch at 11:30. We did not get served even iced tea for over an Hour !!! The waitress said someone was sick but we saw multiple to go orders heading out the door and standing around waiting for their food. This is a restaurant, not a taco truck!!! Don't know if we will go back. Waitress apologetic but that didn't bring the food any faster. read more

This place is great and destroys El Charro on so many levels! Food is very good and fresh. the Veggie burrito with the grilled peppers is my go to. Portion size is spot on. Chips are always fresh out of the fryer and the guac and salsa are mighty fine. Wash that down with a Modelo Negro and you'll be a happy camper. I snag my son's rice and re-fried beans side dish too to top off the tank - so simple, so delicious! Service is quick and efficient. If you want to be fluffed and have to drop some serious coin, go next door to Postino. If you want a good meal, quick and to the point service, easy parking in the back and to support the little guy eat HERE! read more

Food is OK but pales in comparison to Dave's Buritto Shop at the east end of Lafayette.

Our family eats there every weekend! Sometimes both Friday nights and Saturdays for lunch. Great food, service, and employees! Love you El Jarro!!! read more

We decided to try this place for an inexpensive dinner on a Friday night. First off, it was pretty busy, but we were able to be seated right away, but it seemed there was one waiter and one bus-person for the whole place including the front, dining room and the back patio area, and he seemed very rushed. He asked if we would like chips, salsa, AND guacamole...thinking at least the chips and guacamole were complimentary.....NOT. $2.25 for the chips and salsa, AND $2.25 for the guacamole (which actually was quite good). I just wanted a chile relleno ala carte, but the waiter talked us into splitting the relleno dinner ($12).... When it came we both got a plate of one relleno each, plus rice/beans. I felt the food was mediocre, service was okay, but he was like a salesman, trying to get us to spend more.... When the bill came- ouch.... $33..... That was including splitting the relleno dinner, a beer, a glass of house wine, and chips/salsa/guac.... It definitely wasn't worth it.... read more

Ok, I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to Mexican/Latin cuisine and I've eaten at many differnent places from crappy "Roach Coaches" to very high-end joints in Mexico. This place rates just below the middle, hence the 2 star rating. $2.75 for Chips and Salsa is outrageous at a Mexican restaraunt and we said, "NO" to the waiter and he still brought them, along with the $2.50 Guac. Yes, the chips were fresh and good, but we did not order them. Strike 2. The waiter seemed to be a hard worker, but he also seemed confused and even took my mediocre margarita on a tour of all the tables, inside and out, before he found me. My fajitas were decent and my lady's mahi mahi was very good. The beans were good, but the rice was plain, white rice with what appeared to be a dollop of Pace Picante sauce. Not a fan of that. Overall it was decent, but I have had much better and at a much better price point. Yes, it's Lafayette, and I bet their rent is muy caro, but they missed on number of fronts and that was my first and last visit. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good. Oh, and last I checked, NO means NO in both Spanish and English. Sorry for the low tip amigo- take it out of the chips we didn't order.... read more

still love it, clean, good food. Salsa is some of the best around. i'd go with a torta, burritos are good to.

The food and service impressed me at this small Mexican restaurant. The prices are a higher than the typical Mexican joint but I felt it was totally worth it. Highly recommend the grilled fish salad. read more

Great food... Ugly and bad attitude of the Hispanic no hair waitress ... He is always mad or never ask the right way... I will never gonna back or order any food when he is there.... I love the food :) read more

Hands Down the best Mexican food in Lafayette! Reasonable , delicious, authentic. Take out service is always prompt and they don't nickel and dime you. Chips without asking!!! read more

first time here with a large group. free appetizers of greasy chip and dips. i ordered the veggie burrito since there really isn't any other option for non-meat eaters. everyone ordered something different. food was bland and lackluster. i poured the rest of my salsa from my appetizer on my burrito for some spice and taste. everyone else from my group agreed that their food was just mediocre. cozy place, family owned, service was fine. i love mexican food, but i had better meals at generic chain restaurants or food trucks. read more

This is the best Mexican place around!!! The food is delicious yet seems healthy. It's definitely our favorite.

Very disappointing at best. The service was poor, the food mediocre and the prices high for the size of the servings. You pay for everything here, which is complimentary at 99% of other Mexican restaurants. I can understand paying for quality chips and salsa, but these were nothing to write home about. Stale chips and watery, bland salsa that took more than 40 minuets to make to the table. The food tasted fine, but the servings were akin to the California cuisine movement (petite). We left hungry... If you venture into this place and you order anything with prawns or fish, do not expect more than 2ea. 60 count prawns and a small piece of fish, for an example. read more

I am so glad El Jarro is in such a great location! It is authentic Mexican with a great menu. I'll pay extra for the chips because they're worth it! And the "bad service" as some call it, is great, it's hard to speak two languages. Enchiladas Verdes and Mahi Mahi Salad are my favs! read more

Went to see the place next door about an upcoming special event and decided to eat lunch here. They accommodated my request for dairy-free enchiladas. They were so tasty! Vegetables and chicken with great sauce (reminded me of mole). We were seated in the back room where they have gorgeous stained glass windows. The staff were very kid-friendly and gave us just the right amount of time at each point in our meal. We paid and went out to the restrooms before getting in our cars. While waiting our turn outside (it's shared with nearby businesses) the staff brought out my credit card that I had forgotten in the payment sleeve (multiple children= fried brain). I was just very impressed with their service and will return if I'm in that area. The only reason I'm giving 4 instead of 5 stars is the back room got very warm. I run hot anyway, so eating in a warm environment is a bit uncomfortable. read more

If your ever in Lafayette or surrounding cities and in the mood for authentic Mexican food. Try this place. Service is fantastic, polite and quick I didn't not wait at all. Atmosphere is great and the food was delicious. I will definitely returning here! read more

The only reason this did not get 5 stars is because toward the end of our meal they started to clean up and you could smell the Pine Sol or whatever they use. Glad it is clean, but ...Fortunately, we were sitting outside so did not get the full effect until I went inside to use the rest room. Everything was good. We ordered the chips, even though they do charge for them; and the guacamole. All were really good, with the guac having chunks of avocado in it, just slightly mashed. Salsa not special but good. My companion had the shrimp and mahi mahi in a cream sauce that was really tasty and not too heavy. The rice, with just a little tomato and onion it, was a good foil. Fresh steamed vegetables, and a lot of them, were cooked perfectly al dente. I am guessing it was a Veracruzan dish. I had the sopes, corn cakes sort of like a thick tortilla, fried, but not at all greasy. They were cooked through, not heavy, just perfect. Topped with a choice of chicken or chorizo; lettuce, sour cream., and cotijo cheese. I had the chorizo--it was tasty, cooked well, not greasy at all, but not overcooked. It was delicious. Served with a side of sauce with just a little heat in it. For dessert we split their version of flan,l which was more like a cheesecake with the typical flan sauce. Since I am not a fan of cheesecake, I didn't care for it. I notice that service was criticized in some of the reviews but our server was pleasant, cheerful, friendly but not intrusive. My only criticism is that i had to ask him to wipe off the table from the lunch plates when he brought dessert. I wholeheartedly recommend it. read more

The tortilla chips are hot and very good, but they charge $2.50 for chips and salsa (free refills). Side of guacamole for $2.50 was about 3 tablespoons. Chicken enchilladas verde were probably the most mediocre I've ever had in 20 restaurants. Chili relleno was good. Price the same as most Mexican restaurants. I live nearby, but would drive to Juan's Place in Berkeley, rather than eat here again. read more

Have driven past it several times and mistakenly thought it was a bar. Was craving Mexican food so gave it a try yesterday. Good basic fare, very pleasant and fast service, and potent drinks! Only thing keeping me from giving a 5 is that some of the rice was very hard and chewy...suspect it had been sitting on a bain-marie for awhile. read more

The food and service was good, but they did not take the restaurant.com coupon that they were advertized to take. Beware if you have a coupon, they may not honor their commitment. read more

WOW! Really fresh food. I loved it. People very nice. Yes, hole in the wall but oh so good. Great place for limited time for lunch. Must have... read more

I wound up here on a Saturday night when El Charro was too crowded. No waiting for a table here, and now I know why. The food was unmemorable and the service was so-so. As soon as we were seated the waiter said, "Chips & guacamole?" and we said, "OK", assuming it was complementary as is usually the custom. When we got the bill I was shocked to see $2.75 for chips and another $2.50 for the guacamole. Mediocre food plus feeling like I had been taken advantage of = no return visits to this restaurant. read more

Two of our family's favorites are the Carnitas Burritos and the Prawn Tacos. El Jarro is a great value.

Decent mexican food and way better than the disgusting plates of food that El Charro serves down the street. Staff is friendly, and the prices are just right for the food they serve. Great place to try in Lafayette. read more

I concur with all other positive comments. service and food are excellent. prices very reasonable. by far the best in the area.

food is meh, but service was terrible. we had to literally flag down our server to get drinks. won't be coming back.

The rest of my family adores this place, but I haven't found anything on the menu that really grabs me. Friendly service and cheerful decor.

We love this place. Been going there for years. The chili rellenos are fantastic - almost surpassed by their banana bread pudding. Staff are busy but friendly and efficient. Highly recommend this place for a fun and delicious evening. A great place to meet friends for a casual evening. read more

Ordered vegetarian enchiladas and quite underwhelmed with the quantity of filling. The description sounds great but once the food arrived the enchiladas were not rolled with filling instead they were just folded over tortillas with sparse filling. The rice was just white rice with corn. Also was surprised to find that they charged for chips and salsa....For vegetarians I would suggest looking elsewhere for your Mexican fix... Also service was slow and not attentive at all. read more

loved this place! can't wait to go back and have some amazing food! thanks to the other yelpers we had the sopas - were very good pork carnitas taco - yummy! horchata - the best i've every had! (free refills too!) torta mexicana - amazing!! you do have to pay for the chips and salsa - but they are warm and delicious! seating is cozy - but we went early and sat in the back near 2 heat lamps and were great! enjoy!! read more

I had the Torta #2 and it was really good. I wish I wasn't so full so I could taste their other items. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone that is looking for good Mexican food in the area. read more