Authenticity 100% !!! I had grilled goat. They have corn tortillas and chips. Wait staff is very attentive and friendly. Highly recommend if you are looking for authentic. They are the real deal. read more

El Molcajete - Chargrilled goat !!! - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

El molcajete is a okolona neighborhood Mexican eatery located off Preston Highway in Lousiville Kentucky. Me and the family stopped in here for lunch one day last week after picking our daughters up from school. Rather larger building but kinda in rough shape. Definitely could use some renovations. Upon walking in we were sat right away. Party size was 6 but they didn't have much large tables so we squeezed into a 5 top. The seats and table reminds you of your grandmothers kitchen. Old wooden chairs with worn in cushions that weren't very comfortable After sitting for about 7 min we finally had a waitress come take our water and then bring out the complimentary chips and salsa after another 5 min. The chips and salsa were very different. Very thick crib chips and more or a enchilada sauce and not a salsa. While different it was good and worked Well. My oldest daughter thought it was phenomenal. Another 5-10 min go bye (a common theme here is we had slow and terrible service) and our waitress took our order. Me personally I was torn between getting a chicken quesadilla or the Chori pollo (grilled chicken, chorizo, cheese sauce and rice). I believe I chose wrong. The chori pollo was not good. Very rough chicken over cooked and the chorizo and cheese mutated into a weird crust like. It reminded me of eating terrible homemade pork chops where someone try to get fancy with the breading. Just not very good. The rice on it was solid. My youngest for kids grilled chicken which they barely touched. My wife got a steak burrito and was also not a fan. Said meat didn't taste great and sauce had strange aftertaste. My oldest daughter had complete opposite reaction for her meal. She got the fish tacos and said they were maybe the best fish tacos she has ever had. After finishing our food it took another 20 min or so to get our bill. This place was empty and we spent over an hour time combined on a lunch time frame waiting on our waitress who gave us zero refills. Just terrible and inexcusable service. The place was falling apart and in bad shape and majority of the food was barely edible. The only reason I'm giving a 2 star is my oldest daughter loved her meal. Overall this place needs a lot of work. Okolona is home to a lot of Mexican eateries that fit the authentic hole in the wall feel. This place does not stand out among its competition. I'd personally pass on this place unless you are a fish tacos fan I guess. read more

See all

Primero que todo el servicio es horrible. Llegue al restaurante y las meseras no tomaban mi orden por andar en el celular después de 15 oh 20 minutos mi esposo fue a preguntar si iban a tomar nuestra orden Luego me atendió una mesera llamada Brenda llegó con una actitud muy fea se veía que no quería trabajar oh como que si me estuviera dando la comida gratis. El restaurante cuando llegas se ve sucio se ve que no limpian las mesas. La pared tiene un hoyo y la música la ponen muy fuerte parece cantina. Ay muchos borrachos. Y las meseras te miran como si les debieras algo. Nuestra expericia fue pésima. Nunca jamás volveremos a ese lugar y no se lo recomendaría a nadie. read more

Kind of hole in the wall type of place. Sign not easily noticeable and upon walking in not immediate into dining room. Having said that, food was really good and service was superb. The dining area is actually good. It has a pool table. Overall good experience and I would be back. read more

Sherry and I have been eating here for a few years. The restaurant is a very local, casual place. There's booths and tables, a small bar and a pool table. The chef smokes his own chicken here which is a delicious treat! They say if a Chinese or Mexican or Jewish restaurant are filled with the local ethic community, that's the place to go. There are families and couples, groups of friends and people getting out of a hard days work. The food is authentic and so good. We have tried nachos and burritos, menudo and seafood stew and the chicken. The staff speaks English and Spanish and we have never had an issue communicating. It's just like the many times we've been to Cancun. Everyone is friendly and helpful. We have never left hungry! Sorry no photos, I usually remember after I've devoured half of what I've been eating! Next time! read more

This little restaurant is a hidden Gem. If your looking for good home cooked meal this is your place. When I say home cooked I only say that if that home cooked is Mexican food. For those of you with an adventure side and wanting to discover new places. Then by all means please visit. Take out is your best option if you don't want to sit down and have the full experience. I do recommend the tacos de carne asada. They are yummy in your tummy. I enjoyed the tacos that I ordered and will be going back to taste the rest of their menu. I think its sometimes places like this that gives me hope for Mexican food as they keep true to the Mexican spices. Might I add that it smells so damn good in the restaurant during lunch. Since they are cooking all their food or doing prep. Chances are you wont find a seat open during dinner time. But lunch time people only stop in for pick up orders since I saw several people come and go while I sat and waited for my food. Now the location is off the main road but I never knew it was here and would never would have known had my friend not told me about it. The outside is kind of sketch and the inside is dated and well it just needs some TLC. The bathrooms are in need of an upgrade. I would not recommend using the bathrooms here. read more

El Molcajete - Outside in front of the building. - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

Food wasn't good. Chips and salsa were a disappointment. Would not recommend. Room was dark and not inviting

Delicious beautifully presented food. My husband did not look up from his whole fish entree until every bone was clean! The seafood tacos are divine! Courteous service. Well-priced. We had enough food left for dinner the next evening. read more

El Molcajete - Seafood tacos-absolutely delicious! Food presented in a manner worthy of a fine restaurant. - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

Ordered a carne asada burrito and it looked like beans and ground meat taste was nothing to brag about. I also ordered a lengua burrito it was horrible I couldn't eat it the lengua was very dry and still had some of the skin on it, I think a piece of cardboard would have tasted better. My food was to go, I tried calling both numbers after a half hour I gave up. The burritos ended up in the trash. Never again read more

Sarahi was a great waitress!!! It was good to see her! The food was fantastic. They give you super large portions of really authentic TexMex food (according to a friend in Texas) every thing that we ordered came out in a reasonable amount of time and each different dish had a burst of flavors! My food was spicy but not unbearably so. I will be back!!! read more

See all

If you're looking for authentic Mexican food, with a good atmosphere whether you're feeling social or just wanna bite to eat, El Molcajete is a prime spot. The servers are attentive but not intrusive, and will make sure that everything is good without staying in your face while you're trying to eat. The food is reasonably priced, especially when considering how much you get for what you pay. The only drawback for me was the French fries, that were stale and unflavored. Located almost in a hole in the wall of the bustling Preston Highway, it's worth seeking out for a good lunch or a great dinner. read more

El Molcajete - Tampiquena - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

Hole in the wall, the atmosphere is not my jam so I recommend carry out for authentic food. It may sound silly but this place had some of the best tasting rice that I've had. I ordered chicken soup and it wasn't exactly what I was expecting but good flavor. There was a really tasty green sauce at the table in a squeeze bottle so I'm assuming it's made in house. read more

See all

Great authentic Mexican food and it is inexpensive. The sauces are incredible. The Verde sauce is tasty. I got three tacis- lingua, chicharron, and chorizo. Lingua is my fav but both the others were excellent. On second thought, but she turned on may have been my favorite. It was soft/tender, juicy and flavorful! Chorizo was crunchy and spots and had great flavor. It may have been my second favorite or maybe my overall favorite. I just don't know, I guess I'll have to come back again, and again, and again! I was full at the end also. read more

El Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Best authentic food you can find hands down. Great service from beautiful servers. Also great beer selection to choose from. read more

El Molcajete - Beer selection - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

You know that saying, "don't judge a book by the cover?" keep that in mind when you pull into this place. I literally made us leave the place because I thought it was too sketch looking for me, but it was Nick's turn to pick dinner. I am THRILLED I listened and gave it a chance. There are not enough things I can say about this place to make you go to it. This has been by far the most authentic Latino food I have had since visiting Mexico last year. The menu is in both English and Spanish. There are options for everyone: seafood, pork and steak. There are several different options for taco meat including tongue, intestines and brain. I was not as adventurous as I could have been, but it was my first time so I kept it safe with BBQ pork, pork and steak tacos. I had my tacos deluxe (for $0.25 they add lettuce, tomato and sour cream). The tacos were massive and fantastic. In the future, I would only order 2 of them due to the size. The tacos are priced well at only 2$ a pop unless you deluxe them. We also tried their salsa and chips along with cheese dip with chorizo. Holy cow. The cheese dip must have had 2-3 different types of cheese melted together. The salsa was not what you will be use to at a typically Latino place in Louisville. It is not chunky or thick. It was served a little hot in temperature. Although it was not something I am use to, it was the best salsa I have ever had. Go here. Now. read more

See all

I thought this place was going to be comparable to the El Molcajete on 4th, but that was not the case. Please know that I am a service industry lifer and I understand things go wrong, places are understaffed, covid has changed a lot. I'm not the type to inflate a problem or nitpick everything to pad a review, that just sucks. We can in around 2pm for lunch, a friend and I. There were plenty of people in the kitchen, a table of 6, and two singles. One person came in for carryout. There was one woman apparently working the whole floor, bar, and register. Every single table (no exaggeration) was dirty, un-bussed, with plates of food and drinks sitting out everywhere. We asked if a table could be bussed so we could sit down, which she did. We were brought chips and salsa. The chips weren't like the ones at the 4th location- pretty sure they were Santitas in the big 2lb for $2 bag and girl, they were STALE. All of them. Every single chip was stale as f*ck, and the salsa was HOT. Like they'd just made it and it hadn't cooled, maybe. It was weird, it felt like eating marinara with chunks of press board. We asked for water and didn't get any. We gave our orders and sat for 20-25 minutes waiting for water or maybe the lady to come by and we could tell her the chips were super stale. We got neither. I can't review the food because we didn't stay. That second star is a guilt star. I feel awful for that woman, but there were like 3 people in the kitchen. Did everyone just go "123 NOT IT" when she asked fo bussers or runners? Idk. Good luck to this place, but I'll probably just stick with the one on 4th. They rule. read more

I came here to research ceviche for my blog but discovered a whole menu of flavors and dishes. The mixed seafood ceviche was large and a bargain at $12, it wasn't my favorite since they used catfish (which didn't work well) but thoroughly enjoyed the spiciness and flavors of the camerones de diablo. The portions here are huge and the prices very reasonable. The menu has a lot of seafood options and authentic dishes that I can't wait to try. The atmosphere is very casual and laid back. I can do without the super loud background music though. For dessert, walk over to Pinchitos next door for Mexican ice cream. read more

El Molcajete - Camarones a la diabla - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

The service here is excellent, as is the food! Everything is flavorful, and you get a large portion. This is definitely authentic Mexican, as they sell tripe, lengua and Menudo! We did not opt for any of that, but they have it. Three of us dined here for the first time, and we all very much enjoyed the food. They have pool tables and a julebox for customer enjoyment. Also, if by chance you're into drones, you might get to purchase one tableside! The horchata is the best! I love this bebida. And the salsa that they bring to the table with chips to whet your appetite is actually served warm! It has just a bit of spice and is tasty! Did I mention how nice are the servers? I really like the atmosphere of this place. We read reviews before going, and were sold on the place by other Yelpers, so I thank you all who went before us. Also, the ladies' room was clean and well stocked. I definitely recommend this place if you want a real Mexican meal. ¡Provecho! read more

See all

El Molcajete is a hole in the wall super authentic Mexican restaurant. I have passed this restaurant several times and never noticed it. One day I decided to look up Mexican restaurant on yelp and this one popped up. I was surprised when I arrived because like I have mentioned before I have passed this place several times and never knew it, you kind of have to be looking for it or it just blends in. The outside of the building is really run down, but that usually doesn't steer me away. I find restaurants like this are usually a diamond in the rough. When I walked in I noticed that the inside seems a little dark and run down as well. There was also a lot more room than I expected. There is a dining room and bar when you first walk in and if you turn to the left there is another larger dining room. There is also a pool table, fooze ball and a music box. My Daughter and I sat in the larger room and once we sat we were greeted immediately and brought chips and salsa. I did not care for the salsa, to me it had a bitter back taste and it was served warm. The chips weren't all that great either but weren't awful or anything. While my daughter and I waited for our food we played a game of fooze ball. We wanted to play pool too but the table was occupied. We had a lot of fun, but my only complaint is that the pool table and fooze ball table are a little too close together so we had to keep looking out for the people who were playing pool and make sure that we did not run into each other. Our food did not take long to come out and it looked delicious. I ordered the asada torta, and and my daughter ordered rice. My torta I though was very good, there was a lot of fat in the asada meat, but other than that it was packed full of flavor. My daughter said that the rice was amazing!! Over all I really enjoyed this restaurant and I do look forward to going back. I wish there were half star options because I feel that 3.5 would be the most accurate score, but because I do not have that option I am going to have to round down a little. I still would recommend this restaurant and I definitely want to come back and just try something different. read more

See all

El Mocajete is tucked away in a crevice of Preston Highway. If you're driving at night, you could almost miss it! I would definitely describe it as a hole in the wall place. Typically what that means to me is that I can anticipate some good food- I am not always right in thinking that. When I came in on a weeknight there were not many people. I didn't take that to be a bad sign because it was a bit past dinner time. Also, I got to sit wherever I wanted! I ordered a Horchata, which was not on the menu (I asked the waitress if they had any and she said yes) and an al pastor Torta. My friend ordered three chicken tacos. To be perfectly honest, the chips and salsa were very meh. The chips were good but the salsa was like canned enchilada sauce with onions and cilantro sprinkled on top. I had no desire to eat any whatsoever. My Torta was good but it was extremely messy and the lettuce was browning. It wasn't the best Torta I have had by any means, but it was acceptable. After visiting El Mocajete, I am not sure how to feel. On the one hand, my Torta and Horchata were okay. On the other hand, the salsa for the table tasted like canned enchilada sauce, which was a little bit unappealing. Salsa can be a dealbreaker for me. Unfortunately, I may find somewhere else to go for Mexican food. read more

Great authentic Mexican food. Try the street tacos, pollo asada and enchiladas verde! We live in Ohio hut atop if we're ever in Louisville.

There food is authentic and excellent some of the best in Kentucky, I'm a gringo transplant from southern california ate everywhere, east los Angeles, pico rivera, san Fernando valley, san Diego, Tijuana, baja California. This is the real deal don't get any better do yourself a favor and enjoy read more

The first AUTHENTIC Mexican place I've been able to find since moving to Louisville. Really good food and super fresh. The service was a little slow, and the music was really really loud. My husband and I were literally yelling to talk to one another across the table. I finally asked if it could be turned down a little bit, but it was still loud. The music was from a jukebox, so once the song that was chosen was done, it was fine. Other than that, it was a great experience and we will definitely be going back for the amazing food. read more

See all

This Mexican restaurant might become my new favorite on Preston Highway. How can one stretch of road in Louisville ky have so many great Mexican eateries when so many cities have none. This is a bar and grill. The bar is prominent in the dining room. Posters of bikini girls advertising I have no idea what and I don't care. This place has tacos. I almost got the ribeye with chili de Arbol but I went with tacos to try some different meats. The tripa was fantastic. Probably not for everyone. It's like pork fat that's been deep fried. The chorizo was spicy and salty and awesome. The al pastor was perfectly cooked pork, spicy and slightly sweet. Then there's the green sauce. Oh my gawd! Avacado crema with chilies! Fan Effin tastic! They give you a whole squeeze bottle so try not to hurt yourself. I got to see a lot of different dishes going to the construction crew next to me. Huge tortas, biggest empanadas I've ever seen, and ceviche. I will definitely be back. Probably tomorrow. read more

El Molcajete - Tacos al pastor, tripa, and chorizo! Awesome! - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

The most authentic Mexican food around. Drive by those chain Mexican restaurants and head right to this little joint right here!! It will not disappoint. Menus are in both English and Spanish. My husband and I have been reading the menu daily since our first visit trying to decide what we want to dive into next. Yes, it's that good. read more

See all

Basic neighborhood Mexican food. Nothing crazy amazing. I would only recommend if they made their own chips. The chips are definitely store bought. Would I personally go again, no. But if your looking for a quick bite, it's there. The chicken tacos was probably the best thing I ordered read more

Bam!!! Authentic and delicious. Aparently Yelp likes long reviews. It was better than you can imagine; better than food I had in L.A., TX and some places in San Diego. Be patient and order several entrees if you're not from the area; it'll be worth the extra money to try really good Mexican food in Kentucky. read more

Really great place! Don't judge it from the exterior, and it may take trying three doors before you find your way inside this bevy of amazing flavor. We had the shrimp and fish ceviche and the asada tacos. Definitely recommend if you are looking for a more authentic taste. read more

El Molcajete - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

See all

Yum yum yum Amazing food simple but quality at great prices. Ceviche was amazing, homemade guacamole perfect roasted pork. Only issue was i could not stop eating and left feeling overstuffed. Great portions brought home 2 big boxes of left overs. read more

Family of 4 and all of us had an amazing meal. Great flavors and prompt service. I highly suggest coming here.

This is my favorite taco place in town. They have the best green hot sauce ever! The prices are affordable and the service is quick, never disappoints. read more

Got 3 tacos , asada, chorizo, and pollo. Pollo was the best. Would have given it four stars but could not get over the tomato paste tasting salsa read more

¡Muy Auténtico! Best fish tacos I have had in ages. Homemade horchata and jamaica. Very, very good! read more

El Molcajete - Fish tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Hubby had the craving for authentic tacos and while we were out, we decided to stop in. He ordered the carnitas tacos and I the barbacoa and pollo. They are sold individually at s really good price! The tacos with just onions and cilantro are $2/each, while the deluxe (tomato, lettuce, cheese, and sour cream) are $2.25. Great prices!! They came with spicy sauces as well. The tacos were so good!! The meat was so flavorful!! My favorite part were the warm corn tortillas. They were fluffy and soft. We were pretty pleased with what we ordered and will stop by again! The waitresses that took our order were really nice too. It is an authentic restaurant with authentic food. You can't go wrong if you're in the okolona area! read more

This place is easy to miss, but it's definitely worth visiting. I am in no position to judge how authentic the food is, but i can say it was quite delicious and seemed more "real" than other places, if that makes sense. The food tastes great and they give big portions, what else could you want? I'll definitely be back. read more

I absolutely love this place. The food is amazing. I've tried almost everything on the menu and haven't been disappointed. Amazing authentic Mexican food. It's a go to taco and michelada spot at least twice a week for me. read more

Easily the best Mexican food in Louisville. This is a favorite of mine and my wife's, we used to live in the neighborhood and eat there all the time, but now have to make special trips. The service is always prompt and friendly, the prices are unbeatable, and the food is outstanding. Also they make the best Michelada in Louisville Kentucky. read more

This is what Mexican food is all about! The real stuff ! Forget el nopal and senior iguanas head over to this place !

This place is the real deal. I haven't had fantastic Mexican food like this since I moved from California. The prices are good, the food is great.... wow! I cant speak highly enough for how my Carne Asada burrito tasted. I am definitely going back, hopefully it's as good as my first time going there. Seriously Ive been dieing for a good Mexican place that is not the new mexico green chile style or tex mex... its just like California style Mexican food. read more

Food and portions were amazing not to mention the drinks. Service was excellent. Fish tacos were the best i have had in a long time. The only drawback was every dish i saw served to other customers made me question my selection........all looked so good. Will definitely be added to my regular restaurant rotation. read more