Authenticity Rating -100% authentic (I am Mexican) Deliciousness Rating - 10 out of 5 stars (200%) Serving size - Bring your appetite or be prepared for take home left overs Service Rating - Outstanding From the outside it looks old but that is only a sign that it has been here forever for a good reason!!! read more

El Mariachi - Menudo and Pozole - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

The setting, atmosphere and service were great, as was the food selection. Truly enjoyed our meals of shrimp enchilada with chipotle sauce and the polo el Diablo. The tres leches portion was huge, moist and fabulous. read more

Tried to come support this local business after all of the terrible things going on in the area. However, the service could not have possibly been worse. Was there for over 2 hours and never got food, which is something that never has happened at another restaurant. Claimed to be out of chicken, steak, cheese, chips, salsa, and margaritas, despite them bringing all of these items to other tables seated after us. As a mixed race couple, it was hard to notice that this was not the case for the other tables that were being served, and I feel this may have had something to do with it. Save yourself the experience and try one of the many wonderful local restaurants in this area instead. Restroom also did not have soap or a soap dispenser. read more

The tacos are terrific! We stopped in for a quick lunch and were pleasantly surprised by the delicious pastor tacos. Enjoy.

The food is fire. The beer is cold. The mezcal and tequila is pouring. And that mf be spitting.

They used to have really awesome tacos a few years ago but then something changed, whether it was the kitchen staff or the ownership. In any case I ordered takeout from them a couple of times and they messed up my order on both occasions! It seemed as if they intentionally had done that, if they were out of something, they should have explained that to me! After over a year, I got takeout from them last week since I was working near the area. I figured I'd give them another shot since I had just gotten Vietnamese food the previous week. The tacos were decent and they were actually what I ordered. Still though, I just wouldn't choose this place again in the future. If I'm working near there, I'd MUCH rather spend my money at Pho Tau Bay. If I really wanted tacos, I'll drive over to Tacos Al Kevin. Three stars but I probably won't go back ever again. read more

I need to start this restaurant review talking not about the food but the volume of the music. It was so loud inside the restaurant you needed to shout to have a conversation with your dining partners. And your waiter. My wife and I went to El Nuevo Mariachi excited to try their mole sauce. I'm a bit of a mole junkie. It's the first item on their list of entrees (enchiladas rojas, verdes or de mole.) El Nuevo Mariachi doesn't seem to have a website, so I've tried to include some pictures of their menus with this review. We placed our orders for enchiladas de mole, guac, and 2 margaritas. The waitress came back in a bit and informed us that they were out of mole. Soul crushing. I changed my order to fajitas and my wife to two appetizer-sized tacos. Soon we received our margaritas and some complimentary chips and salsa. Salsa was spicier than you will find at most places, and I liked it. Margarita was large at a decent price, but the flavor was average at best. A large guac came out and didn't disappoint. Fajitas were average. My wife wasn't blown away by her tacos. We wanted one more drink before we left and ordered two Bohemia's. They were out of those, too. Back to the sound. On their menu they list "Karaoke de Jueves a domingo de 6pm a 1:45 am". We got there on a Friday just after 6. Thankfully, there were no karaoke performers, just oppressively loud music. To be clear, I had no issue with their choice of music, just the volume. It reminded me of when music has been used in psychological operations to torture people. They have about a half dozen tables outside, but unfortunately they were all filled when we arrived. It was perfect weather this July 1, so this would have been ideal. I did ask the waitress if the music could be turned down. She pinched her finger and thumb together and said "a little bit?" I said "sure." I'm pretty sure the volume didn't change. I think they were making it clear that if you don't like the volume, you shouldn't come here. My wife said she thought it was a cultural thing, but I disagree. We've been to hundreds of Mexican restaurants, and this was a standout. It was like they wanted a party atmosphere, just without many people. Ultimately it strikes me as a good spot if you don't want to talk with your dining companions. Perhaps for a risky first date. Or an afterwork happy hour if you don't really like your co-workers. read more

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Food was really really great. The salsa was super spicy tho, so just prepare. Still very flavorful. Definitely will go again. It's hard to find really good Mexican food in MN and this is really good. read more

We stopped by December 4th, a Sunday at about 6:30pm. They have free parking adjacent to the building. First thing I noticed was the volume of the music. Way too loud. I asked them to turn it down. They didn't. The employees seem happy & work quickly. One complaint was the employee at the register kept playing with his cell phone. The gal that took the order did not wipe the counter down.. We did it ourselves.. The strawberry margarita was ok. I had a Modello bottled beer. The entrees were expensive for what we got. The food came quickly. Too quickly. About 5 minutes. I had a burrito with steak & rice filling. The steak had a lot of grizzled & was a cheaper cut of meat. On top of the burrito was two kinds of cheese...the cheap stuff. Not real cheese. I would think that for $17.00, I would get real cheese & refried beans on the side, or the meal would come with chips & sauce. It came with lettuce & tomatoes on the side with sour cream. The ends of the burrito were crunchy, like it had been sitting a while. My date had Enchiladas Camaro Chipotle. $20.00. Filling but bland. We asked for some extra sour cream (a small watery dollop) & were charged $2.00! Portions were filling. You will be charged 9% tax. I left a $5.00 tip. They have napkins & salt & pepper at the bar area. We always sit at the bar. Overall, it was ok. We will not be going back. $61.00 is a bit much for what we got. read more

El Mariachi - Receipt - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

If you're looking for extremely homey Mexican food this will be the place for you. My boyfriend and I split the chimichanga and chicken nachos and it was more than enough food between the both of us. As you can see in the picture the chimichanga is massive. An absolute unit of a chimichanga. The inside was delicious but I personally thought the outside was so greasy and the tortilla was so thick that it held too much grease for me to handle. On the menu I thought it said the chimichanga came with rice and beans but they gave us ours with French fries which made me sad. The nachos were delicious and although I wish more. And with it I was not the most impressed by the spices on the meat. The reason why this dropped to a 3 stars was because of the service. The server did not give us chips and salsa and even after realizing that she had forgot she still never brought them out. Service was also quite slow throughout the dinner. The place was not very busy when we went so it was a bit disappointing. I don't think I would ever be back but I still think it's a decent restaurant if you're looking for lots of Mexican food on Nicolette. read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This is our second time here. The first time we came with a friend and the food was great so we thought would give it another try since we wanted Mexican and was in the neighborhood. When we walked in the server asked how many do we told her to adults and return children. She showed us to our table and then brought water then we I order a drink and we're not ready for our food order yet so we said a couple minutes but a couple minutes turned to probably 45 minutes of waiting. Mind you the restaurant was not busy and all the staff was just playing with their phones. It was shocking that the female wait staff didn't understand my request and so a make wait staff came to take our order. We were just about to leave since it was taking them so long to come by to take our food order but we didn't have enough cash to pay for my horchata drink. When we finally got our food order in, them it came out pretty fast. My husband had some enchiladas and I had the combination fajitas. The food was good and I like that they didn't skimp on the shrimp because most places will only give you the tiny shrimps whereas here it was the jumbo size. The flavor of the meat for the fajitas was good. The service was not stellar and so we would not come again. read more

El Mariachi - Steaming hot - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

They charge me stuff that I didnt even order nor did I even get. Horrible place. Should have read the reviews first.

This is a review of the grocery store and not the restaurant. Feeling the need to get taco wasted, I stopped by El Mariachi to buy some flour tortillas, veggies, salsas, and marinated meats. I've never visited this market before, so I didn't know what to expect. When I stepped inside, I immediately noticed that it is deceptively large and very clean. To the left, there's a robust, affordable, and fresh selection of produce that spans the entire wall. It includes a seemingly infinite amount of cilantro and scallions, which are, of course, essential for most Mexican dishes. El Mariachi also carries all the standard goods every Mexican grocery store should sell, such as various flavored powdered horchatas, dried and sugared fruits, and a hot sauce selection as diverse as the racial and ethnic composition of Central High School's student body. The meat? The pork, beef, and chicken looked like the animals got butchered within the last couple of days. They are much fresher than the Asian grocery stores I frequently visit. My favorite area of El Mariachi is the cooked meats section, since it carries tasty goodies such as the choles (marinated pork) and carnitas. Combined with herbs such as coriander and rosemary, the meats emit an amazing aroma. It permeates the air making your mouth water and belly rumble, instantly. I'm sure I stood there sniffing for about five minutes before I became convinced to purchase half a pound of choles and carnitas for my future feast. #bellyrumble. After collecting all of the taco necessities, I proceeded to the register where everything came out to only $20! This blew my mind considering I have spent a lot more than $20 at Taqueria La Hacienda or Taqueira Los Ocampo on late night taco binges. Over the course of three days, I made 25 glorious tacos and got super Mexican food wasted several times. My belly couldn't have been happier. If you love to cook Mexican food, take a chance and shop at El Mariachi. read more

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I write to magnify what is lost on most of you--this is a legit Mexican restaurant, and patronized as such. The food, beer, and entertainment are tasty, cheap, and loud--in that order. Pancho is where you would go if your grad school classmates, or sorority sisters want big, weak, margaritas and pictures in that stupid hat--i.e., the Starbucks of Mexican restaurants for people who really don't want a Mexican restaurant. When I want a jerk, I go to the jerk store. The last time I was there, the waitress had to grab another to translate--fucking legit, fucking authentic. For nomination in the Real Mexican Restaurant category, Five stars. read more

I drove past El Mariachi the other day and remembered I hadn't written a review from my visit last October. The passage of time hasn't impacted my ability to write a review - my visit there was memorable for all the right reasons. I took a Canadian there on a Friday night for a little slice of America, and El Mariachi is a quintessential independent Mexican-American restaurant. Spanglish menu, telenovelas and soccer on the tvs, bottled beer and cheap margaritas. I had the shrimp and peppers in a spicy garlic sauce, my date had fajitas. When I placed my order, the waitress gave a quick sideways glance at my pink skin and said, 'you like spicy?'. I said sure, I'll just have another beer. I thought nothing of it until about a third of the way thru dinner, when she stopped by again, noticed me sweating, and giggled a little bit. The heat of the sauce was perfect - just enough to gradually build up and be noticed, but so flavorful that I couldn't stop eating it. I sampled the fajitas as well and they were top notch. The four star rating could easily have been five, had karaoke not started so early - and so enthusiastically - in the evening. While it lent credence to the authenticity of the place, it certainly didn't add to the dining experience. I'll be back there again. Exceptional food, good service - an escape to Mexico without delayed flights and TSA groping. read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

I stopped here for lunch on a hot day without much appetite. I was driving by, and this place appears to have been here for a long time, so I figured it would be good. The patio feels authentic, like something you would see in Mexico. This is not a neighborhood Taco shop, and l did not have a lunch menu. The menu has standard prices. But they had tacos on the appetizer menu. The tacos al pastor were perfect! The price was reasonable. Two were just enough for a small lunch. It was just what I was looking for. Just a warning- the roasted chili that came on the side is quite spicy. read more

Entreees are excellent 10/10. Chips arrived stale but the rest of the meal was excellent. Service could be a little better but this is some of the best Mexican food in the twin cities read more

Very good food; the chilaquiles were bomb. The service was great and the atmosphere was fun!

My new favorite place for Mexican! I can't help but pop over for a taco or two when I pick up Mexican ingredients at Marissa's next door. The tacos are so incredibly delicious. I order the al pastor and carnitas. The al pastor was not off the spit, which is not ideal, but they were pretty good. They make their carnitas with manteca in-house. I think I will order the carnitas exclusively from now on. (TOP TIP: They sell the rendered manteca from the carnitas in the Carniceria. Add that to your tamale masa to take them over the top!) I loved that they give you a grilled sweet onion with your tacos. They are crunchy and sweet and not the tiniest bit harsh. This was a gesture that I had only experienced in Mexico. read more

El Mariachi - Tacos al pastor and carnitas. The al pastor is not off a spit but the carnitas is legit! And they have grilled cebollitas, too! - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Not sure how many employees actually speak English, as we were greeted in Spanish and then we think we were told to seat ourselves anywhere we liked :) Plentiful portion of chips and salsa... Ordered coronas (which didn't come with limes, so had to trouble our waitress for a couple).. The salsa that comes with the chips was spicy and delicious! We finished 2 rounds between 2 people! Entrees were plentiful! Great flavor! read more

El Mariachi - Chicken enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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This place does not have good customer service. It took a while to seat us down and when they did the waiters never came so we left. This is the second time they do this to us. I do not recommend read more

Had the fajitas. They were excellent. It was a Thursday night and it was karaoke night. It was loud, but the food was good.

Terrific food and huge portions. Terrific service as well. Will for sure continue coming. Had outdoor seating.

$17 for a burrito? No thank you. That's what I ordered today togo and I was shocked that it didn't even comes with rice and beans on the side. Nothing, just a medium size burrito that was not that good. I could have had 5 burritos at Taco for $10 and it would have been a lot better than that. read more

To be very honest this restaurant was by far the worst place I've ever entered and I'll tell you how So I walked up to the host area and after being there for about 3 minutes the lady showed up and I said table for one and she says just sit wherever, so I did, and I pointed out to her the table is dirty and really was dirty and sticky and so she cleaned it, then she left and after 20 minutes she returned with water and menus, then she left and back 30 minutes later to take my order After placing or I waited and waited and watched others who came after me get there food and ate and finished and I'm Still sitting there like they're coming be patient 1 hour later I asked where's my food and she replied the kitchen messed up your order and that's why I didn't get my food, so at this time I asked her can I pay for my drink so I can leave and she said yes , so while I was paying for my drink I said if the kitchen messed up order why she had me waiting that long she could've said something and at that point she walked away The worst place I've ever entered to eat they were like Soo recist the way they kept giving me looks Don't eat here unless you're Mexican period read more

Good hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in the Twin Cities! Good tacos and homemade chips and salsa that are bomb! Along with the food comes enjoyable music, and a space with tons of character and charm read more

Quick back story: I made friends with this lovely couple, Enrique and Marcy, both of whom love Mexican cuisine the way I love the ladies. So, yeah, pretty much con mucho gusto. So when they said "Jelonny, we need to hit El Mariachi" I was down, even though in the back of my mind I wondered if Enrique was using Mexican slang for some immigration hustle. Turns out El Mariachi is an authentic hotbed of Mexican culture. Music, foosball, buckets of beer (I'm a HUGE fan of their beer buckets). Booths you can eat in, a bar you can drink at. A Mexican grocery store across the street, and a Mexican bakery springing from the side of the grocery like Athena from Zeus' head. At least I think that's how the myth goes. I don't recall certain details as well after a decade of casual drinking. Collateral damage, I guess. I wouldn't trade a single delicious drop of sweet liquor to be able to remember Greek mythology. So there. Here's the extent of my knowledge of Mexican culture: when I was in 3rd grade in Oregon our very pale, sickly looking teacher painted a mustache over her lip, threw on an Aztec print poncho, and did some two-steppin around a sombrero in front of the class. She called it "The Mexican Hat Dance." It was for Cinco de Mayo. Our school wasn't too diverse. There was this one Indian kid in my class who was the only little brown guy in school, so the principal pretended he was Mexican for the day, and Dinesh got a free Coca Cola and a bag of Fritos in this awkward ceremony at lunch time. Dinesh got nervous from all the attention and peed himself. Eleanor Higgins pointed at him and blurted out "¡pantalones de pipí!" and everyone - even the teachers - laughed until Dinesh started crying with shame. Moral of the story: it's hard being Mexican in America. But I digress. Enrique, being the authentico member of La Raza he is, advised my taco ordering. Tacos are definitely the way to go at this place. THE MEAT WAS PERFECT! So soft, it was like eating delicious crushed velvet. Marcy is a gringa, but she grew up in small town Texas (she organized litter campaigns for the state government - such a pure heart!) so she knows the deal. She ordered some of the enchiladas, and they were terrific. Everything was beyond affordable, everything was tasty. Bottom line, amigos: this is an authentic, affordable, tasty Mexican experience. Quatro estrellas para los tacos mejor! ¿Me oyes? Claro. read more

You seat yourselves here, which we weren't sure about. The food was so good! I've eaten at hole in the wall Mexican Restaurants in California most of my life so I know authentic Mexican food. The tacos were excellent. I recommend the el pastor tacos if you're new to real Mexican food. The street style tacos are authentic in style. And no, street style tacos should NOT come with slaw. Sprinkle some lime juice on top, and it brings out all the flavors. I also had a carnitas enchiladas. Great flavor and the carnitas were actually moist, which many places serve too dry. This is my new favorite place! read more

What!?!? "adventure seeking"? Upset with it not having "vegetarian options"? Sometimes I check out the other reviews before I write mine. Just trying to get a sense of who is actually using this thing. There are strong undertones of racism to a lot of these reviews that appears to be framing the perception of this place It is clearly a mom and pop Mexican grocery slapped with a deli and bakery. I love it. You have to meet a culture where its at and in this case yes there are no vegetarian options because in spanish when you say "i don't want meat" it just means I don't want cow meat. Food consumption has deep connections to place and heritage and some regions specialize in certain meats and for many being able to regularly eat meat is an indication that the family as a whole is working its way out of poverty. For many poor folks in Latin America they are functionally vegetarian and lets be clear not by choice but because working for a dollar or so a day does not bring in enough to eat meat. When I moved from Los Angeles where you can get pretty much anything you want I was pleasantly surprised by El Mariachi because I was able to get a lot of the products I had been accustomed to when making the dishes that I grew up on. I love speaking spanish to those that work there. One thing I have noticed in general in Minnesota is that the mexican food is not nearly as good as that in Los Angeles and its also quite a bit more expensive. I still am not to sure why but I assume its because shipping in all the ingredients is more expensive here because the volume is not as great as it would be in a city with a larger Mexican population. That said I usually come here for the Menudo and its plenty good. read more

El Mariachi has no labeled vegetarian food on the menu. You can have them construct a taco or tostada but it won't be anything you couldn't have done at home with lettuce, tomatoes and a tortilla. Avoid the beans and rice, as the former is cooked with lard and the latter with chicken broth. Given their location on Nicollet, I'm surprised they don't even attempt to attract a more diverse crowd with vegetarian options or even a token "vegetarian" section on the menu with cheese enchiladas and avocado. While they do serve free chips and salsa, I found the chips to be overly salty and the salsa was more like a thick marinara sauce, rather than a fresh and light pico de gallo with tomatoes, onions and herbs. Come here for the bar and the music (which can get pretty loud, by the way). Their mixed drinks are tasty but quite expensive at $7-9 a piece. Better stick with a Corona next time. read more

A friend was in the mood for Mexican food and we were looking for a place that was within biking distance from downtown. I was curious about Pancho Villa but my pal said he wanted to try this place because it appeared to be more authentic and he had already eaten at Pancho Villa before. I have always sought out ethnic restaurants that provide more authentic food offerings. My immigrant parents always judge restaurants by the diners (i.e. a Chinese restaurant that is popular with Chinese people is probably a good sign). When we stepped in to the restaurant, there was very little English being spoken and we were just about the only people there that were not Hispanic. It was fun to watch people singing karaoke and the food was great. I had the enchiladas with rice and beans. The price was reasonable and the portions were huge. I left feeling extremely full. I didn't have any drinks but the beer prices were very reasonable and it looked like you could buy a bucket of beer at a discount. I would definitely go back to try something else. read more

I've liked everything I've had here. Clientele is mostly Latino, but staff speaks English. They moved from the back of the strip mall to on Nicollet itself so have a better set up now. read more

I'm no vegetarian, so finding something on the menu was not a problem for me! And honestly... lard is a pretty basic component of most Mexican food. That's what makes it so yumyum. There was a lot of seafood on the menu, which I can't eat, but everything sounded super good. I got the carnitas and my boy got the enchilada trio. They were both SUPER flavorful. No bland Minnemexican here! Even the rice was super delicious- usually it serves more as filler than anything, but they did not skimp on it at all. Anyways, for the food (including the free tri-colored chips!) I give it 5 stars! The -2 stars is for the atmosphere, which was completely dependent on the time we went - Saturday around 7:30 - KARAOKE night. At first we thought it would be cool, but they slipped into nightclub mode a little early. Everything was turned up SO LOUD we had zero conversation while the drunk girl was intermittently belting out the tunes and fighting with her boyfriend. 1 star is given back because the singing and fighting were in Spanish! The dudes were in cowboy hats! I was the only white person there! The menu lapses into Spanglish regularly! It's pretty freakin' authentic (which, yep, means they use lard). My boyfriend had been there previously and raved about the happy hour beer prices, so they got that going for 'em too. This is apparently a pretty new location for them, I'm not sure where the old one was or if this address is correct (still on Nicollet). But they have brand new TV's, nice booths, some beautiful tile-work, and some waitresses who are apparently new enough that they still need to learn to wear heels they can walk in while they're working. PS $3 margaritas made very strong? Yes please! They also had a raspberry marg listed, which I plan on trying. read more

Very cool place lots of charm good food and good service. A bit loud if you don't like that, I didn't mind it. read more

Here I am talking about the supermarket and the bakery section of this lace, as I never had food at the restaurant. In my hunt for ingredients not easy to find at regular supermarkets, I sometimes venture into ethnic stores of various type and El Mariachi is my go to place for some of those things. First they have beef bullion cube, which I didn't find anywhere else and are a necessary ingredient for good risotto (of course you should do the broth from scratch boiling bones and so on but who has the time?). They also have chicken (and fish) bullion cubes, which I prefer to the tetra-pack of chicken stock because they are much smaller to store. Then they have a wonderful selection of bread and croissants/pastries. Sometimes I go there just to get some bread and some pastries to eat in the morning which are quite cheap, very fresh and not too sweet. I think they also bake cakes on request. I have never tried it, but they also have a quite large butcher section mostly selling chicken. They also sell rotisserie chickens, which look quite good. Finally, they have a big selection of queso fresco, my BF favorite juices (I think he likes mango, peach and stuff like that), all things for cooking Mexican food including cactus, shells for tamales, pans, pots and utensils. My favorite bakery in the twin cities! read more

This review is for Marissa's Deli which is inside of this Mexican grocery store. If you like authentic tacos, this is the place. I've had Taco Taxi and Pineda and this place wins for sure. I tried the pastor, steak and carnitas. All outstanding. The pastor was the best. The atmosphere in here is great. REALLY clean, friendly staff, brightly colored walls and tiles. Please go here. I want it to stay in business forever. read more

Great authentic Mexican restaurant on eat street. I'm enjoying the menudo, definitely one of my most favorite Mexican dishes. Most of the menu items are $15+ so if you plan on just buying a simple lunch for yourself, expect to spend more than you've bargained for. Other than that, it would be a great place for two or more people. read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

This place has amazing food but slow service none the less I would definitely come back again.

This has been my first Mexican food experience since moving to Minneapolis from California, and it did not disappoint. I will be recommending this place to anyone who asks, and will definitely be coming back. read more

Excellent AUTHENTIC Mexican-100% We go here often....and the meats and corn tortillas are NOTHING like other establishments... Ambience is "local"...you won't see blue margaritas on happy hour and cheesy birthdays but you WILL HAVE the BEST food ever. Burrito-amazing Enchiladas-amazing Muendo-amazing (we've convinced our 24 year old this is "Mexican Pho"- he loves it). Beef, chicken, shrimp, carnitas---SOLID. Try it!...knowing "customer service" could use some improvements..... read more