definitely one of the much better authentic Mexican restaurants in the area. Depending on what you get some things to be a little pricier than others, but it comes down to the taste is what you're paying for. We came here twice before I made this review to be fair. I ordered the white chicken soup to go and that's one. I would give a three out of five just because I feel like I could've had a little more flavor to it. I definitely had places where they were a lot more flavorful. We got the flautas which were super crispy super well done, and the tamales were also like homemade. I also ordered the quesadillas, which was very good portions were big, and the meat was the marinated pork which had tons of flavor. My mom ordered the seafood soup. I personally don't eat shrimp so I didn't try it, but everyone else on the table tried it and loved it. There was ample amount of seafood in the soup. The service was great. They were on top of everything and no one to check in onto their customers. Talking about the ambience it's very traditional and it's nothing glamorous when you walk in, which makes it very authentic . I personally came here for authenticity not for a great ambience, but instead great food. Definitely recommend read more

We decided to give this place a try after reading the reviews. We were looking for some place different to go to after work and this looked like the place to go. We were immediately seated after arriving. The restaurant is small and cozy, with white and green walls, a counter that's decorated to resemble Mexico's flag, and a dream catcher that hangs over it. A TV plays telenovelas by the entrance on the wall and packaged drinks are placed underneath it. Daughter ordered Huevos Con Chorizo, which is Mexican chorizo with eggs. This entree is her usual go to order. She said that it was a wonderful salt explosion and she loved it a lot . She also thought her entree was flavorful. Hubs ordered 3 Shrimp Tacos and thought they were good, but he was eating for dietary purposes. He saw what we ordered and was salivating and can't wait to return. He said that he loved the salsas. Lastly, I ordered Sopa De Mariscos/Spicy Seafood Soup. Hubs and I loved the soup. There was a fish head in the soup but he devoured it. The spiciness of the soup was perfect. Hubs ordered the Horchata and thought it was ok. Service was very friendly and quick. Hubs is already planning on when to go back to try other items on the menu. LOL. read more

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Went for Mexican food with mom on a weekday morning and there wasn't any wait time. We had chimichanga and enchilada, both very delicious. Top 3 Mexican food I have tried in the area. Worth another trip. Big enough portion to have leftovers. The service was okay. Interior design colorful + bright and fun. read more

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Food is good. Almost home cooked. Service was prompt Ambiance is kind of dive-like Affordable read more

Great food with large portions. Disagree with the extra 4% charged for using credit cards.

A little disappointed to write this review. I am always excited to try the hole in the wall spots especially if it's a family owned business. From looking at other reviews it looked to be a good, hole in the wall spot, at least pre pandemic. I will say 5 stars for the service - very friendly and attentive staff. Totally understand inflation hits hard on food and supply costs but was disappointed at the fact that we were not informed of the increased prices while looking at the print out menus and only at the end when we were billed the final amount much higher than expected. Empanada went from $3.50 to $4. But most disappointing was the order of al pastor tacos from $8 to a whopping $12! I was a bit confused on this pricing considering the pineapples itself were the huge chunks from the can so it wasn't fresh. Since we dined in we got tri color chips and some salsa which had a really good kick to it which I used for the other food we ordered. In terms of reviewing the empanadas - the chicken didn't have much flavor but the beef one was pretty good. Both came out to be super oily inside which can turn some people off. The size of one was enough to be shared but I'm glad we tried both varieties. I was impressed with the size of the 3 tacos. Though I've had better in other establishments this al pastor was still decent. It seemed to be missing a little kick or sweetness to it. The canned pineapple doesn't do the trick but again impressed by the size of the meal. Not sure if I will go back since New Brunswick area has better authentic Mexican places but it's not a bad place to stop by if you need a bite. read more

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I felt so warm and fuzzy dining here on a chilly/rainy evening. From the impeccable service to the delicious food, everything made us feel so welcome. Our waitress was a sweetheart - she kindly made sure they adhered to my restrictions as a vegetarian and that we loved our food. The veg nachos hit the spot. My one tiny wish was that their red enchilada sauce was vegetarian because I was craving some enchis and typically don't get green sauce, but the food was on par nonetheless! read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Veg nachos! - Mexican Near Me - Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

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Not so impressed with the taste of my steak tacos here. Almost tasted tasteless. I was very disappointed as i came here to enjoy my favorite food. I won't be in a rush to come here. Great service tho. read more

Incredible. The nachos were some of the best I've had and a good portion- definitely enough for two hungry people. The shredded steak on the nachos was amazing. The fajitas were fresh; the chicken had melted cheese so if you're not into that beware. Absolutely delicious. Can't wait to have food from here again. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Nachos with shredded steak - Mexican Near Me - Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

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Friendly staff, clean and cozy. The food was delicious. I got the black bean burrito and my date got the combination platter. We also got the pineapple water and guacamole. I would highly recommend. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Good overall just inconsistent. Sometimes this is good, sometimes that is good, sometimes this is cooked this way and sometimes.... You get the point. I'm okay with the changes - real food tends to taste slightly different each time, is just rather it always be good that's all. I hope this improves. In the meantime I prefer to frequent this local business (love the street style shrimp tacos - most of the time) over the chains in the area (or anywhere - support local!) read more

Didn't look like much when we got there! It's a small cozy place! Food was delicious. read more

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The food was so delicious and fresh! Not to mention the price was amazing! I only paid $22 for everything. I ordered the burrito and flautas platter. I got the burrito with vegetables as my choice of meat and it was so flavorful and cheesy. Also, the tortilla on the burrito was so soft. The chicken flautas were crispy and yummy. The shrimp tostada was soooooo amazing. I'm running out of adjectives to describe this food. You have to eat everything with the green salsa they give on the side, it completes the meal. AND THE CHURROS???? They are literally filled with caramel and crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. You definitely have to order from here read more

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Love their food. Tacos, enchiladas, burritos, chimichanga are all great. It's a small unassuming place. The staff is very nice.

The woman at the cashier was very friendly and sweet. We tried a little bit of everything here and it was just OK. The best things were the rice and beans and guacamole. The meat in the tacos, flautas, and tamales was tasty but very dry. The veggie enchiladas were stuffed with only onions and peppers. The empanadas were crisp but the filling was bland. They were out of mole sauce and the flan wasn't smooth like it should be. The search for a good Mexican place continues unfortunately. read more

I went to El Mexicano Restaurant yesterday for the 1st time. I never knew it existed and I'm in Old Bridge 20yrs!!! OMG.... delish!!! cannot wait to go back! Tacos, Rice&Beans, *THE BEST Guacamole I've ever had!! read more

Great place. Excellent food. Friendly service. Very casual inside. Seating is a bit lacking, but in the warm weather there is additional seating outside. I can't recommend this place highly enough. Wonderful family owned / family run establishment. read more

Enjoyed the food. I enjoyed the sope, rice and beans and flan Portion is good and taste is great. Priced just right. Will be going back more often. Friendly service. I even forgot to ask for salsa but it was already included. Picked up for take out. read more

Ordered takeout through Yelp on Friday night 3/27. Took a little longer than expected. Didn't mind. My husband went inside once. The order wasn't ready and the courteous young lady told him to wait outside and she would bring our order out to the car. She came out 15 mins later well protected with gloves. Ordered shrimp fajita, shrimp tacos, cheese empanadas and the loaded nachos. All were delicious and authentic. The homemade salsa was great too. Just the right amount of spice. We will definitely order again. read more

Outstanding authentic Mexinan place and Jesus the waiter, is the greatest ever. I would travel to get there.

First time here. Food was very good. Fast service and most of all courtesy. I feel the dood was authenticand fresh. Will be coming back soon

Based on the reviews we were excited to try this Mexican hole in the wall which is just a few blocks from our house. The food was unbelievably bland and we were very disappointed We had a little of everything: Empanadas were huge but barely filled. Two were burned to a crisp and the third was a greasy mess. Soft corn carnitas tacos were tasteless and dry and the taco shell was very dense, which I personally don't love. Flautas were also too crispy and the chicken was dry and tasteless Steak burrito was fine which is the only reason this got more than one star Sauces that were provided were a joke. Watery and again bland. The green was spicy bland the red was just pointless as it had no taste. Again, very disappointing because the reviews and the photos of the food were all so great. I will note that we ordered in and didn't see the actual restaurant. Not sure if the food would have done better In house. We won't be going back to find out read more

Al Pastor Tacos Carnitas Soft Shell Tacos Ground Beef Tacos Tacos Al Pastor The best tacos and soups in Old Bridge. read more

This place was great, and by far the best Mexican in the area (but that's not saying much). The empanada were properly fried and crunchy, with a good amount of filling. I thought the meat was a little boring, but that's just being picky. The chimichanga was perfect. Carnitas was really tasty and properly cooked. Tacos al pastor also really good- big flavors and well cooked meat. They offer simple Mexican tacos- onion, cilantro and meat, and a tex mex option with sour cream and some other stuff I didn't bother with. I was a little bummed with the guac. They left the avocado in chunks and didnt blend it smooth, so it was more guac salad and had a lot of tomato and onion in there. Decent flavor, but I'd prefer more avocado and less everything else. Final note, I got the taco tuesday 3 for $5 deal with chicken. The chicken was absolute rubber and terrible. Either they overcooked some old chicken, or threw some old cooked chicken in there. Either way, you are better off avoiding that and getting their fresh offerings. I'll be back. read more

This is my go to for tacos, at least once a week! These are some of the most friendly people that you're ever going to meet. They put love in the food. Next time you're in the neighborhood try the Flan! Tuesday is taco Tuesday is here, but I believe it's only the beef tacos. I highly recommend the pulled pork tacos ! The only complaint that I would have is that they never use enough cilantro. I know a lot of people don't like cilantro, but I do! read more

Thoroughly disappointed! Order Chicken tacos and the meat was not fully cooked. Had to throw the order away. The Al pastor taco were mediocre as were the steak tacos. As a lover of authentic Mexican tacos I can honestly say these were not great. Will not be going back1 read more

Was the the mood for Mexican food tonight so decided to try this new place out. The restaurant is small but clean. We ordered take out and they were made to order Steak burrito Tacos - chorizo, Al Pastor with coming corn tortilla Both were tasty and fresh, came with chips and salsa. Will come back to try other menu items. read more

Food was delicious and the delivery was on point! Only reason why I left a 4 star review instead of a 5 star is because we had a problem with differentiating which burrito was chicken and steak. I had to unwrap it and then I couldn't wrap it properly again and the entire burrito made a mess. Maybe marking the burrito with a C or an S would be beneficial. Either way the food was scrumptious! read more

So yummy. Love the nachos and the soups and their taco salad. Delicious! And always fast service. Thank you! Will order again soon

This was a real disappointment. The chicken in the tacos seems it was day old chicken that was fried today. The black beans have no taste. The beef fajitas were not fresh. I will never order from here again read more

The lady in the counter is very friendly and knows customer service. The food is good, very tasty. The pork soft tacos are good. Best bang for the buck especially the taco tuesday. read more

Food was wonderful. They make their tortilla in house! Portions were filling. Staff was helpful read more

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Excellent, authentic Mexican food for a great price. Everything is freshly cooked to order and tastes AMAZING!!! They're fast, taking around 10-15 minutes, and have very good customer service. I will be coming back as soon as possible! read more

Food was good, fresh, and inexpensive. I'd prefer more spice from a Mexican restaurant, but that is me. Next time I will request more heat. Went on "Taco Tuesday" and they have their three taco platter for $5. Tacos were amply stuffed and satisfying. Side of guacamole was made fresh to order. We got a taco plate, a side of guac, a chicken tamale, a chicken burrito, and two sodas for just under $20! The dining areas are small, but service was friendly and attentive. Will definitely be back. read more

Great food! Reasonable prices! Large portions! Very friendly owners! It's a little bit out of the way for me to drive to, but it's worth it to me. read more

Excellent Mexican food. We love ordering from here, the food and service has been great so far. We love that our food is always fresh and tasty. Nice family owned business with great authentic food. Can't go wrong! read more

I just got back from vacation and I needed to eat something other than fried fisherman's platters. After checking some of the reviews, I started craving Mexican. I looked at the extensive menu options and decided to give El Mexicano a shot. If I'm not being totally dishonest, this is my new favorite Mexican restaurant. The prices were reasonable, the portions were huge, and it tasted great. I got a combo with chicken tamales and a steak chimichanga. I'm a good eater and I almost couldn't finish. The dish also came with rice, salsa, and a cup of black beans. Even though I left very full, I know the beans will help me out tomorrow. Apparently, they have a Taco Tuesday special. I might have to stop by to check that out. The waitress was very attentive and checked to see how we were doing several times. If you like good Mexican food from a no frills location, check this place out. Oh, one last thing, they don't charge an extra $10 for the sour cream and guacamole. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Chimichanga and tamale combo - Mexican Near Me - Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

If you love Mexican food and have not tried this place, you need too. I have had various meals from El Mexicano in the past few months and every time I am truly satisfied and impressed. Don't judge the place by the looks. It is somewhat of an older mini mall but the place is clean and the food is drop dead fantastic!! I also enjoy the fact that it is consistent in food quality. I hate hit and miss places and this one is always a hit. Family owned and operated, they are just wonderful people. They give great portions,great food and great attitude. I wish them all the success in the world. Try it folks. No disappointments at this establishment. read more

My wife and I just moved about a quarter of a mile from El Mexicano and decided to check it out. We're glad we did - it's a small, family run restaurant with a nice range of Mexican cuisine. I got the stuffed poblano pepper and beef enchilada plate and my wife got a veggie burrito and flauta plate. Both were quite good and served with fresh guacamole and sour cream. The only negative that I can say is the restaurant does not seem to have air conditioning so it was a bit hot and stuffy. The food was delicious and affordable and we'll definitely be back. read more

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This was a great little find... It's quite very casual but it's obvious they care and they took time To give it an homey, authentic feel. Reasonably priced and BYOB! Will definitely go back read more