I'm not an expert on Mexican food, but I enjoyed my meal at El Maguey. I had a grilled cut of beef topped with a tomato type sauce accompanied by rice and beans and 2 margaritas. The menu offers a large selection as does the cocktail menu. The service is what stood out. The waitress checked on us as did 2 other gentlemen. Manager and owner perhaps? Having had over 40 years experience in hospitality and food service I've been more disappointed in the waitstaff than happy, and I'm not a picky or demanding customer. I'll be a repeat customer to El Maguey read more

Service is excellent. Food OK.!!Ambiance Mellow. Wait staff excellent. The fish (fried) taco is divine.

The food here is always so good no matter what you order. The service is always great and super quick. They serve traditional Mexican dishes and hand crafted mixed drinks/ beers. read more

El Maguey Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Pfafftown, North Carolina

I heard from a friend that this place has great and authentic Mexican food. It was really busy on a Friday night. My friend and I got a table pretty quickly and both of us ordered the street tacos. Four tacos: chorizo, chicken, steak, and another meat. They contain the cilantro onion and radish as one would expect. There is a half lime and a small bowl of a green sauce. The tacos are pretty tasty but not particularly traditional. The sauce is as hot as ketchup, which is probably ideal for most of the customers. It has a nice flavor, sort of like a creamy tomatillo. I did ask for some hot sauce and the waiter brought a small bowl of something red. It was hot but not unbearable. There were chips and salsa on the table, pretty standard. The waiter was bustling, but he came by the table at least once every five minutes. No issues. The inside of El Maguey is normal for a Mexican restaurant in North Carolina. If you've seen one, you've almost seen them all. Overall, what I had was good, but I would say it's fairly Americanized. Worth trying! read more

El Maguey Restaurant - Street tacos - Mexican Near Me - Pfafftown, North Carolina

Today was my first visit to this spot ( though I have eaten at Palaenque in Kernersville, and numerous times at Kiosco in Greensboro - common ownership apparently). This interior is a bit on the upscale side - bright & attractive, soft lighting , with colorful paintings on the softly painted walls. Untypical Mexican music was softly playing in the background, almost a classical sound, nice! I came especially to try their version of Huevos Rancheros - a simple comfort food dish often turned into "food messed about" in this country, by both Mexican and non-Mexican restaurants alike. For the non-Mexican places the dish has become a fad brunch item, lending itself to even further wild variations! I was quickly seated, handed the substantial menu, and my beer order was taken - Dos Equis Lager, the large (25 oz) for $4.99! I ordered the dinner portion of Huevos Rancheros (3 over easy eggs rather than 2 - the over easy description is from their menu) with sides of rice and refried beans, and corn tortillas (looked like flour to me) as well as a side of black beans (portion was huge!) - gonna being taking some home for sure! The order was out in just at 10 minutes. The Huevos Rancheros was prepared pretty much in the traditional format - just fried eggs and a spicy rancheros sauce - no onion, no cilantro, no cheese, no sour cream, no avocado, no pico - nothing wrong with these items if you like them, but each moves it further from the traditional version. Unfortunately the eggs were not over easy and they were not resting on crispy tortillas! Only the overcooking of the eggs and the amazing lack of the tortillas were missteps, albeit rather large ones, for me anyway. The 3 eggs were cooked together and then folded over before the sauce was added - the yolks were cooked solid - part of the inherent pleasure of this dish is the mingling of the runny yolk with the still soft white and the spicy sauce - was denied that aspect as well as the missing texture of the tortillas! Overall this was a good tasting dish, but overcooking the eggs & the missing tortillas took it down a notch or two. The sides were tasty as well, much more than just starch fillers - beans were combo of whole and mashed. The service was exceptional, both my server and the manager checked to see if I was satisfied, if I needed anything. I will almost certainly return, though not for this dish - too much missing! But I'm convinced there is much that is good here - service. value, ambiance. Dish was a 3, all else a five, thus the four. read more

See all

Literally the best Mexican food in Winston. Great and fast service. Owners have done a great job with the place. Best queso I ever ate.

After a long day, husband and I were too tired to figure out something to cook for dinner, so we decided to go next door to El Maguey. We had two baskets of warm chips with salsa on the table before we could finish getting in the booth and two large margaritas moments later. Service was excellent and very attentive, and everything we ordered came out very quickly. The super dip was really tasty, and husband very much enjoyed the street corn. I normally get the ACP Texana (which is large enough for at least two meals) but tonight i decided to get the taquitos, which were also tasty. The food here is solid Americanized Mexican, very consistent, and the service is always great. read more

El Maguey Restaurant - Super dip and Dos Equis - Mexican Near Me - Pfafftown, North Carolina

See all

Who doesn't love some delicious street tacos? What about amazing Sopes? Always friendly and polite service! To go orders are quick, fresh and hot! Definitely a popular Mexican food restaurant of mine! read more

We have been coming here for years. The staff and management are friendly and always attentive. We have never had any issues with the food or service. Today I tried the Matzatlan Chicken. The flavors were all on point. 3 thin slices of grilled chicken with Sweet red peppers, crispy bacon and topped with a cheese sauce. It was accompanied by a side of rice, beans and lettuce with sour cream. I passed on the tortillas because I have to cut down somewhere. I love this dish but the chicken was a bit overcooked, probably because they are thin slices and come on a hot skillet. My daughter got her usual ACP which is always a big hit. My son got an ACP Texano which is an upgraded version with not just chicken but also steak, shrimp and lots of veggies. I stole one of his large shrimp and it was savory. My wife got a shrimp burrito and had no complaints. I highly recommend this place. The Latin music is a plus in the background, it's not loud or low, just perfect background music. read more

See all

Food was pretty good. I ordered takeout and got a CHEESE ENCHILADA and BEEF TACO with RICE. I also ordered a QUESADILLA. I had requested shredded beef in the taco but ended up with ground beef. Wasn't to happy about that, but it was still alright and seasoned well. They included some free CHIPS and SALSA and the chips were fresh and so was the salsa! Wish the salsa had more of a kick, but still enjoyed it. The enchilada was probably the best I've had since moving from California. I'm starting to accept that Mexican food just isn't the same here. I think I tasted some queso in there, which bummed me out, but it was still good. The quesadilla didn't include sour cream or guac but I loved it! Had my own sour cream at home so was good to go, but heads up that they don't come with anything. read more

See all

YUMMY YUMMY FOOD!!!!!!!! great place to hang out with friends and family!! their food is delicious and comes out fast! read more

This place is amazing and by far my favorite Mexican restaurant around here and I highly recommend you eat here the food is amazing so is the service and the ambiance is amazing as well read more

El Maguey Restaurant - The decor is grate - Mexican Near Me - Pfafftown, North Carolina

See all

Cheese dip, ACP Texacano, quesadillas, enchiladas they are all good. I come here over and over again. Not sure how authentic it is but it is delicious. read more

Had not been here in years as it is a bit out of the way for me but used to have friends that lived nearby and ate there at least once a week! I was out that way on a cold Dec morning for an outdoor dedication and my mom really want soup after standing in the cold. We stopped in and ordered their chicken soup. Oh my gosh did it hit the spot!!! Hot, full of chicken and so filling. It is an enormous serving, left with almost a quart of leftovers! Chicken, rice, tomatoes, onions, avocado, etc. Highly recommend trying this departure from the traditional rice, beans and tortillas! read more

Delicious food with fast, friendly service! The atmosphere is welcoming, always clean & the noise level is reasonably quiet.

We enjoy The Guacamole and the chargrilled shrimp salad, however on our last visit, the shrimp were more steamed than grilled and not as good as normally. Bring back the char grill shrimp, please! read more

Clean, fast service, good food and friendly staff. A great place to go on a work night or any other night! Highly recommend!

El Maguey is a solid Mexican restaurant with the standard fare and some surprising specials. I've gotten something different on every trip and have been pleased each time. The salsa is some of the best in the area, and you can't beat the beer pitcher specials. A colleague I normally go with always has to point out an oddly-shaped spot in the checkout counter, which you can tell the hosts humor, but are sick of hearing about. Overall, good food, good people, good service. Give El Maguey a look. read more

Average / bland food - save your money better off at Taco Bell!! Nothing special / meat was dry and salad was like eating marinara!! Sad to call this good food - I've eaten better places ... sorry!! read more

We love Nico he is an awesome waiter and why we return. Delphino is also a very nice manager who always greets us.

Terrible terrible terrible. Did I mention terrible? If you're dragged here like I was just have a margarita and tuff it out. Enjoy the company you're with and then get the H-E-double-hockey-sticks out of there, and get busy having a better day. read more

Food is not that great! Service is good everyone is nice but their food just isn't it. It is not authentic Mexican food.

Came in and ordered, took a bit to get service, then it was a good bit before food came out. The taco that came with my speedy Gonzalez couldn't have been greasier if it had came off the Taco Bell dollar menu.... The enchilada wasn't much better, but not as greasy. I had looked into getting a meal to reward myself for a good week in sales, but what I wanted from the menu wasn't even available. I do not recommend this place at all. read more

Five of us visited the upscale Mexican restaurant during lunch. Service was excellent. Chips very fresh and warm. The menu is wide and varied so all of us found exactly what we each wanted! Ordered extra cheese and guacamole which was a great addition to the meals. Clean restaurant, good service, good food. Good prices. Definitely recommend a visit here. read more

No longer the quality they used to be when they 1st opened,...? I was customer # 4 the 3 in front of me were my sister & 2 nephews. When they " remolded"& redid their menu,... it went south & fast! Eaten there 3 times since the redo & had the rumbley tummy each time! Will NOT return there nor will I recommend it like I used to,... sad read more

After leaving a restaurant that seemed to not be able to seat customers properly, we found this wasn't far out of our way. Very busy after Church, but quick and organized seating. The $4.99 margarita must have been a cheap mix or watered down and the steak California burrito had little seasoning, but over all good for the price. Impressive customer service and smiles all around. read more

Great neighborhood Mexican food. Servers are very friendly and they make great margaritas!

I Got food poisoning from a shrimp chicken and steak grande quesadilla with the shrimp not being cooked thoroughly

Our favorite Mexican restaurant anywhere! We found this gem on a whim and it is our go to! Anything you get to eat you will love, chips and salsa are amazing and the staff is even better! Great quick service always a family favorite! read more

My only regret is that I gave this restaurant four chances. Each of the first 3 visits was mediocre at best. Table/wait service is a study in confusion and negligence, largely showcasing a staff lacking in professionalism and inexperience. As for the food, the servings are generous, but are utterly lacking in imagination or attention to detail. It was only because we met friends there each time that any of those visits were enjoyable at all. Each subsequent visit started with hopes that "perhaps this time will be better", but each new visit only reinforced the last. Finally, after my fourth visit I decided that I Will Never Return. Not Ever. My date and I went for a Valentine's Day dinner (her choice, to my surprise). The young waiter was polite, but seemed to pretend he could not understand us. We were seated right away, but the wait for our food that night was unacceptably long, and (apologies for the cliche, but) when the order finally arrived, it was wrong: she ordered a burrito 'no meat' and was served a meat burrito; I ordered a smothered burrito, which arrived looking like a dry dog bone upon arrival, and bearing absolutely no smothering sauce. The rice and beans had actually developed a hard, brittle shell...apparently during their over-long wait beneath the heat lamps, and the avocado slices had distinctly unappetizing black pits (not just spots). When I complained to the manager he made no genuine effort to make us happy. His efforts seemed patronizing and disingenuous. We were charged full price. Wonderful Valentine's Day dinner It. Was. Not. So, we're done with this establishment. If you're forced to come here, do yourself a favor: just snack on chips and salsa, and have the Texas 'Rita. read more

Best ACP I've ever had. Plus the have great veggie options for my wife. The manager ALWAYS comes by to check on you and make sure everything is great. Excellent service, excellent food!! read more

Always fresh, good, fast service. I live near the restaurant have been here many times usually take out. Good value highly recommended.

Great place to grab a quick bite to eat especially when you're craving some good Mexican cuisine. They have a beautiful hand-painted mural as you enter the restaurant. Check it out! My Margarita was sooooo good. read more

See all

There food makes me drool, like i love there salsa its the best salsa out there i could drink that stuff

I have been eating at El Maguey since I was a little kid. They have wonderful food and amazing service! Lately their portion sizes seem to have gotten smaller, but that is okay. I definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

I had high hopes because so many people had told me it was the best. Unfortunately, I did not have that experience. The chips tasted burnt, the cheese was not hot, the food (Pollo Chipotle) had no flavor. Not a place I would recommend. read more

Pretty consistent. Good service but they get really busy on weekends. Good drink refills. Nice variety in menu. One of the better Mexican places near Winston read more

The family and I have been going to El Maguey since the early 2000s. In those early days, I lauded this place because of its quality of ingredients, deliciousness, and affordability. It was our weekly or biweekly go to for family meals. As a graduate student at Wake Forest, I introduced numerous classmates to this place and it became our go-to Cinco de Mayo spot. You can see my previous Tell review here to see how fervently I supported this place. In recent years, their quality of food and service has fallen to nearly unacceptable levels. We recently ordered takeout from El Maguey, and in addition to leaving a lot of items out of the bag, several parts of our meal were greasy and barely edible. Additionally, the chips they sent had a pungent, rancid smell. We called Delfino (one of the brothers who owns the restaurant) and let him know that this was our last in a series of disappointments from his restaurant and that he lost a long-time family of customers that represents tens of thousands of dollars in past revenues. read more

Food and service on point!! Come for the food, not for the drinks. Margaritas aren't that strong. Well, they weren't the night I went. But! I will try them again - this place is awesome! Best Mexican food around! read more

El Maguey Restaurant - Steak Fajitas! - Mexican Near Me - Pfafftown, North Carolina

Patio Dining? 2.99 29oz draft beers? Looks like your advertising needs some updating. Beers cost 5.49 and patio does not exist.