We ordered 4 take out dinners,(not a fan of Mexican food),Company in N.Y.C. picked up the tab.One dish was wors't than the other,can't understand why its always crowded(people I guess will eat anything in N.J.).A lot of rip off out there,in general today. read more

El Meson in Freehold is the best restaurant, not just in Freehold but also in the whole world. The combination fajitas lamb and shrimps are so good. The chicken enchiladas with salsa ranchera are the bomb digity. Everytime i go there i have a great time. I recommend it 100 percent. I cant wait to go back next week read more

One step above Taco Bell with luck! People go cause they have a beer license. But the real issue here is that this town is very small and there must be a minimum of 9 Mexican restaurants. It's incredible. One star. They should try better. Read the reviews. Everyone talks about the BYOB. And the food? Who's asking about the food? read more

Ate here tonight with family for my sons birthday. The food here is ok . We all had the chimichangas. 3 steak, 1 chicken, 1 pork, and two lambs. The lamb was very tasty. My only complaint is they are a bit slow here. But there is a sign in the front when you walk in, please excuse them for being slow. They are trying to prepare fresh food for you. The food is over priced like many have said before. read more

Consistent, good Mexican food. The restaurant is usually crowded. I had their whole fish, which was tender and seasoned well. Can't go wrong with tacos or fajitas. Quality food on Main Street in freehold. read more

Went to diner with the wife and kids. Third time we've eaten here. Food is always good and authentic. Tonight I had the Mexican steak with peppers. It was pretty good but could gave been better if the sauce from the peppers wasn't drowning the steak. Other than that I enjoyed it. Everyone else enjoyed their diners also. Guess it will stick to the basics! read more

Ordered steak tacos and they literally had no taste, I sent it back and asked kindly for a chicken and cheese quesadilla. I asked for the sour cream, cheese, and lettuce on the side instead of in it. I look at the receipt and everything is itemized and an additional cost (mind you it comes with it on it, what is the difference?!) so I bring it to the waiter's attention thinking it may be a mistake; he couldn't understand what I was saying due to the language barrier. So I asked for a manager; conveniently on a Saturday probably one of the busiest nights, in the summer none the less THERE ISN'T anyone there! So a guy named Carlos comes over (another waiter) I guess who understood English a bit better; and says "What's the problem" so I explain everything to him and he gets extremely rude and nasty with me. I then proceed to tell him that it's our first and LAST time we will ever go to this restaurant, and his response was "OK GOOD, don't " I told him as a "fill in manager" he was doing a TERRIBLE job and that this was probably THE worst customer service I've ever seen in my life and he still proceeded with "OK GOOD." So for the $68 it was for the disgusting food I will NEVER EVER go back. read more

El Meson - "Butter" aka Oil for $1.99 that wasn't touched because it tasted disgusting. - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

What is mexican about zuchini carrots and broccoli in a fajita??? Frozen veggies might I add with absolutely no flavor at all it was way over priced as well and all the descriptions on the menu just say a meat and cheese it was weird and I would never recommend the service was fast and server was nice but this place is a joke read more

Mexican is definitely one of my go-to restaurants on a Friday night where I don't want to be bothered with work-related mess and those craving something tasty weekends. Well, this restaurant can totally put up with that. Very friendly service and beautiful authentic ambience. Great for a date night or night out with the kids!! Now to my favorite, and what my review is for...FOOD!!! Delicious salsa and hot and ready chips. My favorite is the steak burritos. Nice and tender steak that will leave you wanting more. Refried beans and rice that are perfectly cooked and not sticking together which is always my pet peeve at a restaurant. This is deservingly one of my favorite restaurants in Downtown Freehold read more

Ventured back and have to say that it was an excellent meal and well served. My party got a variety of menu items and from the salsa to the final bite we were very pleased. read more

Best Mexican in Monmouth County! Staff is very friendly, service is reasonably quick. Plus it is BYOB! Would highly recommend El Mason for any occasion. read more

The food was excellent. One of the best Mexican fare I've ever had. My date had the tacos and I had the tamale. Service wise, I don't know if it's because I visited during lunch, but we had great servers and had a very pleasant time. I would drive over an hour to eat there again. read more

El Meson is one of my favorite places in the area. Fresh food, pleasant service and BYO. Would give it 4 stars but for the fact that it is a bit on the pricey side - I am of the opinion that spending a little more for a sure thing is better than taking a crap shoot on an unproven eatery - if you agree then you will not be disappointed. read more

Decent for East Coast Mexican. The chips and salsa were pretty good - first bowl is free, then about $3.95 for more. I ordered enchiladas with salsa verde and chicken. Delicious! My boyfriend ordered a carne asada plate. Not as delicious... Boyfriend's little brother ordered a chorizo burrito, which he gulfed down in a heartbeat (like any average 12-year-old boy would, I guess). He said he really liked his burrito. All of our plates came with sides of beans and rice. The beans were very good, but I think their rice can use a little more work. Overall, the food had plenty of flavor (and the salsa verde is one of the best I've ever had). However, whether that flavor was spot on authentically Mexican or not is a different issue. We may or may not come back. The money and the drive are just not worth it for me. Much better than Tortuga's Mexican Village in Princeton, though. read more

I love el meson!! They have the best salsa with the chips I can't find anyone other place that has salsa that is comparable. I love to pick up my food from here but I have eaten inside & outside in the summer. Inside they have a bunch of sombreros one over each table which is a really cool setting. Outside is just patio furniture because its not year round but in recent years they have had a garden of fresh herbs and veggies that they grow and use in their dishes which is a first that i've ever seen at a restaurant. It can be a little pricey because they prices on the website aren't updated and they don't serve lunch on the weekends :( I wish they did read more

The Best Mexcian food around! There's a reason why they got the Zagat Award for the #1 Mexican restaurant in New Jersey. It is authentic, I've met the owner, and everyone who works there you can speak Spanish too (which I find fun). You get QUALITY food, as in a quesedilla that isn't as flat as a pancake, the best meats and sauces too. read more

If I could give it a 3.5 I would but I can't so up to a 4 it goes. We stumbled upon this place looking for a different restaurant on the same street that was no longer there. So we decided to try this place. The wait was not long at all. 25-30 mins for 5, first available, they have outdoor and indoor seating, on a busy Saturday night. They gave us chips and salsa which was not horrible but nothing to go crazy over. We did devour three refills due to our hunger and the loooong wait for our food. My father ordered the veggie borritio, my aunt the steak enchiladas, my husband the Chile relleno, my mother and myself the chicken chimichungas. My plate as well as my moms was delicious! My father enjoyed his too. My husband said his was okay and my aunt complained to us about her steak being chewy. I don't know what she expected, this is not a steak place. While my food was great and the waiter did a good job keeping the chips and salsa coming here is why I would have given 3.5. THE WAIT FOR THE MAIN MEAL! It did take very long. The sodas are out of a can so of course refills are not free. That should probably be changed if the kitchen is going to be slow. read more

El Meson - Chicken chimichungas - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Steak tacos were ok and enchiladas not bad. Can probably do better or the same somewhere else... unless you like spending close to $20 for a plate of Mexican food. read more

Love, love, love! Fresh authentic food. Best salsa anywhere. Their salsa verde is also amazing. Everything on the menu is excellent. Once they had chichen tacquitoes on as a special...seriously the best I've ever had! Wish they would put it on their regular menu. read more

Love El Mason. Nice service delicious authentic food. Even have great specials over the weekend. Surprisingly they make a juicy flavorful duck. Love dining outside when the weather is warm. Even my children and grandchildren really enjoy this restaurant. read more

I always wanted to try this place out, I heard great things about it. We went tonight which was a Saturday night and usually there would be a wait but we got right in and were seated right away. The place was crowded as well with plenty of people sitting outside and also indoors. The inside was nice with a lot of bright colors, art, murals, and sombreros. To start, we were given chips and salsa and that was very good. I decided to order the chicken quesadillas. They came with a side of rice and beans and some sour cream. The meal was delicious, the quesadillas were packed with chicken. I finished the whole plate. I just didn't like how everything was all together on one plate because the beans would be by the tortilla and some of it would be soggy. But overall it was terrific. The service was really great as well. I'd definitely be back again! read more

I have been going here for almost 20 years and the food has always been consistent. I think they excel at their salsa verde the most. The chicken is always well cooked along with the steak slices. The servers are friendly and hard working. It really is one of my favorite places. Deserves more stars than it currently has. The food tastes authentic and is a lot better than other places. Only thing i wish is that they open up more locations. read more

Went here based off a referral from a friend. It was the most authentic mexican food ive had ina while. Can't wait to go again! Expensive but worth the occasional experience. read more

Not bad. I've been here twice and its always crowded. The medium salsa is great as are the chips and guac. Its very tight and cramped and pricey for the amount you get but its good. I wouldn't order poem again though. Just didn't like it read more

First time here and it was a decent experience. It was puzzling to enter the restaurant and walk all the way to the back to meet the hostess. Inside of the restaurant was extremely hot. Ordered the Cinco de Mayo burrito and it was flavorful and spicy. Meat was a little dried out and I wasn't a fan of the rice because of the heavy cilantro. Waiter was decent, however we were sitting for over 15 minutes in an empty restaurant trying to pay. Was a bit overpriced for just a burrito with rice and beans. Worth the trip. read more

Very very crowded. Took forever to pick up an order. The prices are outrageous. Charge me two dollars extra for sauce and sour cream. Maybe the food is good but it's not worth the price I just have to pay. read more

Pretty good mexican food. Prices are not bad, and the atmosphere is nice. I ordered the chili rillenos and it was pretty tasty, although I have had better. read more

Sat outside on the patio in early fall for an early lunch. Very nice atmosphere for being right on the street like that. Cute little garden. Food was authentic and tasty. Service was good. Prices are about average. read more

This is quite possibly my favorite Mexican restaurant out there. The prices are low, the portions are big, and the food is excellent. My favorite is the lamb chimmichangas... the lamb is super tender and flavorful. The cream based soups (which vary depending the night) are all excellent. And oh yeah... it is BYOB. Only problem is it gets pretty packed and early, so you can almost always expect a wait. read more

We got in their warm chips and salsa were immediately served. We ordered 5 minutes later, waiter was very friendly, our entrees came 10-15 minutes later and was very good. Definitely recommend El Meson read more

Let me just say that i love el meson. The only reason it doesnt get five stars is because they can a little pricey with some dishes, especially the fresh guacamole. But i have to say it is worth every penny!!! Take advantage when they serve the crab cakes.....only a special and not an everyday dish. They give it such a great latin spin!!!! In case you didnt know, BYOB. read more

The restaurant is nice and cozy. It is divey, but full of spirit. The food is authentic and enjoyable. They have indoor and outdoor seating and the staff is very friendly. The food is a little overpriced, but that is the cost of running a profitable restaurant these days. If you want the best then you have to be willing to pay more. I just do not understand why they have a small grocery section in the middle of the restaurant that sells meats and other groceries, including toilet paper, hand cream and chocolate syrup??? read more

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love the salsa there, when my kids are getting sick i go pick it up and it is a great cure ..... nice people there and they grow there own fresh herbs there : ) fried ice cream is good too read more

Parents brought me back some food from here last night. I got the chicken enchiladas. The chicken was perfectly cooked and I really like the dish. It was different though from other chicken enchiladas I have had. It was more on a sweeter side which I still liked but I usually enjoy less of sweet dinner foods. The salsa that came with it on the side was very very good. The beans were okay, nothing special. And I enjoyed the rice. Large menu and good prices. I would recommend for someone who wants some Mexican in that area. Also try the amazing Tortuga's in the distant Princeton area. read more

Went for lunch yesterday 5/16/2011. Took a friend after eating here a few times in the evening... Lunch time.. the waiter was nice, but seemed pushy.. not many people were there at all.. NO lunch specials at all.. so we decided that since we knew the orders were big, we would split it... a chimichunga - The waiter said there would be a $3.99 charge for an extra plate.. which was freaking absurd.. Then they bought a SMALL plate. When the food arrived, the dish was not a dinner sized dish considering the full price. After ordering two diet cokes.. he brought us the CANS of SODA and charge us $2.00 per soda? .. Really? $2.00 for a can of soda? So, the bill was $19.50.. $8.00 of it was Bullshit. Screw these people.. they don't give a shit about patrons.. the service sucked and they stood around speaking in Mexican the whole time.. Since the bill was 45% bullshit.. I left no tip. I was here for Dinner once or twice and would usually recommend the restaurant.. but after that lunch.. screw them. The food was warm, undersized and not a good value at all for a lunch.. If you want Mexican food, you are better off at Taco bell. You don't mind paying for things is f the service is good and the food is good.. but I got a 2 CANS of soda for $4.00 and then charged another $4.00 for a freaking plate. This place can kiss my ass.. I will never refer them again and I will tell everyone I know that tey are a ripoff - read more

Where do I begin? This place has authentic Mexican food. It's by far my favorite restaurant in town. I get the same meal every time, the veggie enchiladas!! They don't have it on the menu, but they make it upon request. Great place to eat outside on a warm summer night. There's always a wait on those nights, but it's so worth it. read more

This place hasn't let me down yet. The food is always delicious and fresh. One thing that really bugs me about it is that the salsa bowl really does not have a lot of salsa in it. The bowl is not as deep as it looks. The menu says they charge for extra, but I have not yet been charged. Will keep coming back here! read more

I've always enjoyed my meal here. The dish I order the most is the camarones a la diabla. Super hot and tasty! The prices are reasonable and sit outside if you can, it's less crowded. read more

It's ok. Nothing out of the ordinary. The guacamole is pretty good, but the beef fajita was lacking in season. Wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. read more

Byob.....great service. Amazing food. Such great flavor and taste. Never had a bad meal here. One of my favorite places. Salsa is to die for too. Great place all in all read more