By far the best place to eat in this area. I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. Friendly staff and good food. Definitely will be stopping here more. read more

Amazing food. The service is very friendly and responsive if a bit slow. Would recommend

Food was pretty good, service was quick and very attentive. Large dining area. Looks like many locals eat here -a good sign of good food

This place should be 5 stars. However it is slow. I started to fall asleep bc of the long road trip and the even longer wait for food. Granted we were a party of 9 so I get it. But it seems speed is an issue with this place. Other than service time, food was not bad, I liked the free salsa and chips and all drinks come with one free refill! Yes you read correctly! ALL DRINKS COME WITH FREE REFILL! Legit! Horchata was about too sweet and more creamy; is horchata creamy? Well this one is not watered down for sure. And if it's got too much ice it's ok; there's a free refill!! Also good were the fajitas, the chile relano (sp?), the the camerones, beans, and rice. All the food was legit. Tho when expected a regular tamale, they drenched it in cheese. I say come and give it a try. Just don't expect fast food here. One of my party members think it's a bit salty. I just thot everything tasted yummy. Almost higher than a B+ read more

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Decent stop for lunch on our road trip through Utah. Located right off a major highway (very easy to find), lovely fajitas and chips/salsa, nice staff, clean and convenient restaurant. Had to knock off a star for very slow service, taco salad is a miss, and their prices are surprisingly high. We were seated right away and quickly provided with plenty of chips and salsa which were excellent! Salsa is just right on texture and spice level and the chips were nice and warm. Iced tea is good here also. Our party of 3 ordered the shrimp fajitas, the taco salad with ground beef, and a combo plate with beef taco and beef enchilada. The shrimp fajitas were the clear winner - good flavors, generous portions and lots of accompaniments. The combo plate was pretty standard and a good choice - my son loved it. I got a taco salad with ground beef and it was not a fave. It was so liquidy that it was almost like soup and that was even before I added any salad dressing. Also, the salad was completely bland - no flavor at all. So I definitely can't recommend it - but the fajitas here are a solid choice. Service is extremely slow. They appeared to have ample staff - they were even getting in each others way and the restaurant wasn't slam packed or anything so I'm not sure what the issue was. The table next to us was very upset and vocal - apparently they'd been waiting for their food for more than an hour. Luckily we didn't have to wait that long. We weren't in a hurry so it wasn't an issue for us - just be aware. I found their prices to be surprisingly high for the area and the quality. The fajitas were almost $20 and everything else was closing in on $15. Staff are very friendly however and everything was clean with relaxing vibes inside. They have some really fun Halloween window paintings too! Plenty of parking and clean bathrooms. read more

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The best Mexican food around!!!! Have tried so many things on the menu and it is all delicious!

Food was great! Service was very slow, server never checked on us other to take ordeliver food.

I have eaten at el Mexicano regularly once a week for years. I have tried almost everything on their menu. The food is consistently satisfying and delicious. read more

We just stopped here at this restaurant for a quick bean burrito. For some reason, it was extremely difficult to order. The reason is we wanted a bean burrito with no cheese. Because of that we had to get a combination because my husband who is a vegetarian wanted rice and his bean burrito. So when we got the burrito, it was covered with cheese. We took it back. They explained to me I shouldn't have bought a bean and cheese burrito. I explained we bought a bean burrito with no cheese. So I paid $14 for a bean burrito with rice inside. They were not happy with me so when I got my burrito they decided not to wrap it correctly and as soon as I picked it up, it fell apart before I even picked it up. It was falling apart. The service was very unaccommodating as it was our fault they put cheese on the burrito then they proceeded to say that burrito is trash and just threw it in the trash in frustration so needless to say I do not recommend this place unless you have lots of patience, and you don't order it exactly as it is on the menu. read more

Good food, very accommodating to our food allergies, friendly and patient server! The fish taco was delicious

This place is seriously a hidden gem. The food and the service was absolutely amazing. I was personally blown away upon arriving. I honestly did not expect much. It really doesn't look like much on the outside really doesn't look like much on the inside however, it is extremely well done food and amazing courteous service. Can't wait to visit and try more delicious meals. read more

I was staying at the hotel next door. I ordered a chile relleno and came back for seconds! I let the owner know it was the best I ever had and I lived in Los Angeles and have traveled to Mexico many times. The chips and salad were delicious. The salsa was amazing! My only regret was not eating there the week before. Thank you El Mexicano Restaurant! read more

Don't waste your time (took an hour & a half to get our food! No exaggeration) When we got our plates one was the wrong meat. No check in from our waitress so we had to get a hostess to fix it. When our waitress came she started to argue about what I ordered. Then she realized she did in fact write it down how I asked. The corrected version was terrible, the food is tasteless. Their salsa is like tomato paste with a few chunks of veggies but looks & tastes much like ketchup. Overall, the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever been to!! read more

My burrito was stuffed just the way I like it was pricey but well worth it it came with chips and salsa read more

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"Authentic?" Naw. I'm from California so I know authentic. Asked for a chicken burrito and got shredded chicken in a tortilla. No rice or beans in the tortilla. No cilantro. No lime. Server acted like she was collecting a paycheck. When I asked why there was nothing inside I was told I had to "order it." read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Meat in a tortilla. - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

This place is a hidden gem! Its in the middle of no where off the interstate. The place was very clean. Service was great! The food was AMAZING!!! read more

Their salsa is dull and watery Service is slow. The steak fajita didn't come with enough tortias. The problem is there are so few choices for restaurants in the area you're kind of stuck with it. read more

So for a random Thursday night we waited for 2 hours and never got any food besides chips and watered down salsa. We ended up just leaving and got Carls JR. I really didn't feel like waiting 3 hours for a burrito and fajitas. read more

We're from Southern California and we have a lot of good Mexican food. That being said, this food was just as good! I was surprised. Utah? We had the steak ranchero which was very tasty and they gave a decent amount of meat. The rice is flavorful, one of the best. The beans were good also. The pastor burrito was really good. It said it was spicy but it's not. They had Chile verde sauce and melted cheese over it. Tons of meat!! That's my kind of burrito. I wish I lived around here because I'd come here often. Also tried their chicken tacos. Again so good. The shells could've been fried a little longer but that's being nit picky. Fresh lettuce, tomatoes and nice amount of chicken. They gave us crisp chips with red salsa. Tasty but not much heat. read more

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After driving down the spectacular San Rafael Swell on I-70 and its 100+ miles with absolutely no services, El Mexicano makes for a well-appreciated and busy stop. Portions are generous and the place is packed with locals. The fajitas were hot and tasty, but a little on the greasy side. The menu has a full complement of Mexican (or more precisely, Tex-Mex) fare. Something for everyone here, even a small "American Dinners" section for those who insist on chicken nuggets or coconut shrimp. The restaurant is set at the side of a truck service plaza, very convenient to I-70 (or US 50, if you are coming off eastbound from "America's Loneliest Highway "). The decor is vaguely 70s-ish and well-worn, not particularly clean, but acceptable. The clientele looks mostly local, which was not a surprise given the sparse traffic on both I-70 and US 50 at the time of our visit. It was crowded, and I wondered what percentage of the local population was actually in the restaurant with us. At the time of our visit in late 2020, COVID19 was raging across Utah, but in keeping with the local sentiment as judged by bumper stickers, the only masks being worn were ours. Keep this in mind if another wave like Omicron or another variant is active when you consider a stop here. read more

Waited 45 minutes for a chile rellano. My date and I asked for waters, 15 mins later we got 1 glass of water and told to wait for the next one. No chips or salsa at the table until both waters were on the table. That took 25 mins to happen. When the food water finally brought out, it was cold. The red sauce tastes like tomato paste. Very bland. Total awful experience took over an hour. Slow service, awful service, bland, cold food. read more

The mix of 5 Star vs 1 Star reviews make sense to me. Our experience here was great. On a cross country drive from Southern California (where we know Mexican food), the last place we thought we would stumble upon some great authentic Mexican food was just off 70 in Utah. Food was on point. Delicious. All meals were enjoyed. There was a ton of staff when we visited on Saturday and they were prompt. Floor needed some sweeping for sure, but nothing unsightly. Going with a 5. Food was unexpectedly great. read more

As a traveling businessman, I have eight at hundreds if not thousands of Mexican restaurants by far this is my favorite. The portions are gigantic. Very flavorful service was outstanding. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We were in the area as a pitstop and found ourselves craving Mexican food and margarita. Great food. They provided chips and salsa to start. We were starving so we definitely devoured the chips! They were kind enough to bring more. Our food took a minute to get there. I'm assuming because it was particularly busy that night. I had the steak fajita quesadilla and it was delicious. The serving was huge as well. They had a variety of drinks but all are non-alcoholic. I got a strawberry lemonade which was amazing. Overall, great experience at the restaurant. Just a little packed for dinner rush but that's expected everywhere else. I will be back if I'm ever in the area again! read more

Mixed reviews of this place. It was a big restaurant in Salina, Utah For some reason we were made to sit away from the main area. The restaurant was dated and dirty. The cleaning lady didn't even wait for us to finish the food and started brushing the carpet and all the dirt n dust was coming towards us. The meat in the tacos were super dry and no flavor The servers were ok. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

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I've been to Mexico. Three times. I don't remember what I ate there so I don't know that I'm an authority on "authentic Mexican food." I have, however, eaten A LOT of Mexican food in my 58 years. I also watch Rick Bayless on YouTube and have five of his cookbooks. (I'm just trying to establish that I know what I'm talking about.) This place is fantastic because they know what most people want and they deliver it. Huge menu, lots of seafood options (ceveche, anyone?) and generous portions. I had the best carnitas I've ever had. Their salsa was a little soupy for my taste. Hit lunch hour and the wait was excessive compared to what I'm accustomed. Didn't bother me because I'm with dear friends, in a small town and not in a hurry. Had i been opposite all those things, I wouldn't have given a rat's ass because that plate was worth the every minute I waited read more

4 stars for these reasons: 1.) I'm from California and was craving Mexican food since being on a road trip leaving the Midwest. I found this one and I was very excited to find a Mexican restaurant off the freeway (even though restaurants off the freeway can be 50/50). So I took the chance. 2.) The servers were so sweet and awesome! The hostess sat us down as soon as we walked in and asked "how many?". It was semi-busy for a Tuesday night. 3.) They serve free chips and salsa when you get seated. After the 3rd round it's extra $. I asked the waitress to bring some spicier salsa out and I said Yesss pleaseee, I like the challenge. The salsa was 6/10 spice. 4.) The food was good for being in Utah and off the freeway. I ordered mixed fajitas and my boyfriend got camarones al la Diablo- spicey shrimp fry. Both came with tortillas. 5.) the bathrooms were a bit messy, but they were busy and during these post-Covid times people don't want to work so you can't blame the staff entirely. Especially in a small town. Give it a try!! Especially if you're craving Mexican food! I tried to get a photo but I didn't want to make it obvious lol. Also was too late to take one of my food since it was all gone. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Walking towards the exit. It's hidden on the left of this photo. - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

It was busy when we arrived on a Friday evening, but quickly thinned out over the next 30 minutes or so. After being sat, it took over an hour to get our food after ordering. Finally, after waiting, some of the dishes came out barely warm. Multiple mixups on the order details, like corn tortillas when flour were requested, and then a 10 minute wait to get the correct tortillas. Food tasted average. Will never be back. Check out Playa Azul or LA Gringa in Richfield. read more

Good Food! Was hard for us to find a good Mexican restaurant out here, we are from Cali! read more

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We stopped here in the middle of the afternoon for some lunch near the gas station. They have these funny caricatures of peppers at the front of the restaurant that are hilarious! So don't forget to get a funny selfie before you leave. We were able to sit in a booth and they gave us some chips and salsa while we waited. My husband ordered the combo fajitas that had steak, chicken and shrimp. And I just had a little shrimp ceviche for lunch. Their chips and salsa were very tasty and I got too full on them waiting for our food. When the food finally came, we both enjoyed our meals very much. So food -- great! Service -- very friendly, but slow... I also agree about the bathroom from what other reviewers had put. There was hardly any soap to use and I told the server the issue. She thanked me, but I didn't see anyone fix the issue in a timely way. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

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Great authentic Mexican food and dishes, the employees are very nice and polite, the inside of the restaurant is very neat and clean, I enjoyed the steak and chicken tacos with rice. read more

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Yes we have had to wait a bit, but only about 45 minutes while we waited to place an order. No big deal, it's worth it. Besides we had our basket tortillas and salsa replenished while we waited. A few years ago, our realtor highly recommended this place for lunch. We love it! We have found when the best time is to go for dinner and that is between 4-5. Lunch, pretty anytime without any issues. My favorite meal is their stake fajitas. My husband's favorite is their shrimp burrito. Just so you know, they are really good at listening to your feedback and they are pretty gracious about it. read more

I was so happy to see this Mexican place in the middle of no were! Because they have a good food and prices Totally recommend it read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - Chips and souse - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

Completely dumbfounded by how awful this place was. - Horrible staff service - Wait time about two hours - made us sick Full story: When we arrived, we had to wait ten minutes before they sat us. They just stared at us until finally someone helped us and sat us as they just listened to music and then left. We couldn't even get help. Ten minutes later, someone came and took our orders. Their attitude was awful and ruined our entire time. We had multiple people tell us our food would be ready soon throughout the two hours we waited. Groups of 6 and bigger got served before us and we only had three. We got chips and salsa when we got there but they made all of us sick. We walked out and they ran free us and forced us to pay for the chips. They would not let us leave until we did. Horrible. Will never be coming back. read more

Went there tonight asked for hot salsa never got after 2 requests... chicken fajitas had no flavor at all never know what your going to get because sometimes it's awesome food read more

Wonderful food! Loved the chicken enchilada and the flavorful beans. Spouse had the pork flautas, also delicious. Service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend this place! read more

My husband and I ate dinner here and we enjoyed the experience, The chips and salsa were good. Our food arrived relatively quickly and hot. We were both happy with our food selections. Thank you for a good, satisfying dinner. read more

Doesn't look like much when passing by and you know what they say about your first impressions, they are usually spot on. Got seated really fast but sat and waited for our food forever. At this point i was ready to save my food for breakfast, but don't worry they made up for the wait by putting a prize in our dinner. A hair for each of us, one in the rice the other on the second plate cemented into the taquito. On a brighter note the waiter we stopped and told (no not our waiter, we only saw her when she brought the check) he handled it very well and brought fresh plates out in under 4 minutes. Overall i'm sure this place is good because it did have good flavor and good portions, we must've just caught them on a bad night with the wait and the world record hairs. read more

El Mexicano Restaurant - the plate from first glance - Mexican Near Me - Salina, Utah

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Worst service ever. 1 hour for food and they claimed everyone came in at the same time. Dont go here.

I was staying at the Rodeway Inn across the street and decided to have lunch here before hitting the road. I was a little wary after reading some of the Yelp reviews, but my experience was not that bad at all. I had a really friendly waitress who greeted me and checked on my a number of times throughout the meal. Even though I didn't place my order immediately, she still came back about 5 minutes later. The wait for my meal was only about 15-20 minutes as well, so nothing outrageous. I ordered the caldo de mariscos (seafood soup), which my waitress warned would take a little longer (about 20 minutes), and it still arrived within the estimated frame. I also ordered one flauta a la carte, which still came served with guacamole and sour cream! You get complimentary salsa and chips, and though the menu says only the first set is free, I was asked later if I wanted more chips which makes it seem like you can get free refills. The soup was quite a large bowl and I had to take some as leftovers. But it was nice and hot, just the way soups should be! It had quite a few shrimp, mussels, crab legs, so a good value. It was a little fishy (I guess I should have thought about that before ordering seafood in the middle of Utah with no body of water), but the soup came with lime and honestly, as an Asian diner it didn't bother me. I'm surprised the soup didn't come with tortillas, although I probably could have asked for them; it did come with sliced avocado, a whole half of an avocado even! The flauta was great too. I had a very pleasant meal and better Mexican food and service than I expected from Salina, UT! P.S. The homemade hot sauce is excellent, and served with fresh chopped cilantro and onions! read more

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