I had high hopes for El Molcajetes, and I think there is hope for them, but I have been disappointed whenever I've eaten there. The food is not bad, not at all, it's just very, very bland. We're in Palmetto, where there is a lot of Mexican people, so I was hoping the food would be a little more authentic tasting to appeal to the locals, but it appears as if the demographic they are trying to appeal to are the older folks, because honestly, this is how I would expect Mexican Night at a nursing home food to taste. Absolutely no spice in any dishes, all of them taste the same. This is a nice restaurant and I really want to see them do well, because they are so close to my house and with all the traffic going to Bradenton, it would be nice to have a great restaurant that's only a 2 minute drive away, but we end up driving to other Mexican restaurants, passing right by this one. Like I said, the food isn't bad, it will do if you are in a hurry or if your elderly relatives are visiting, but a little spice would be nice! I'll keep trying them, but after 5 visits, nothing has changed. read more

A great "during the week" venue. if you are on a budget but want to experience going out to lunch, Mondays are your best day. They have a special $1.75 Monday menu with a nice variety! Also, a Taco Tuesday menu, and a regular menu is also available every day. They serve Coke products in a huge, refillable glass. I am here regularly and the servers are consistently positive and efficient. The food is genuine...and during peak times of day, there could be a wait. The chips, salsa and guac are very good...and the aroma of the fajita plate is "calling" me. There is plenty of parking nearby. Check this place out....yum! With the prices so reasonable here, please remember to tip generously! read more

Another day in the doomisphere diving home watching the people in this world move faster than the meal I'm about to partake in as I see the restaurant signage and all that remains is locating it's strip mall designation. So I got a call and it wasn't good, big surprise there, so before the waitresses came over, I held up the picture of the Azul Margherita drinky in my left hand and flashed a single finger upwards with my right and with pronounced thirsty inflection and a rather pathetic forced plastered smile in-between. A "wine based margherita" as there's no liquor license for the tequila which has fast become my little guilty pleasure in the end days. But I'm not worried because I just read about the giant aluminum spiders that are in waiting to be released and they're programmed to help us save the world from it's many years of environmental damage. Prior to pounding said beverage, I told the waitress I was Outta Here like Vladimir - nacho chips shooting out of my mouth and shots of hot sauce going in to ramp up for my Big Burrito with chicken as the Coral Reef collapses and I'm not doing anything about it. And right on cue, now there's this happy family that got seated right next to me, they may as well have been all sitting on my lap, as loud and annoying as they were. Husband, wife and kids and they're so great and their world is so great and everything is so great I hope they choke on their meals. Now I'm eating the Big Burrito in my van on the highway reflecting on my life that I can't sit for a moment to decompress my mind with a margherita with tequila which is all I really wanted. I can't sit in quiet solidarity for a Mexican dinner by myself without a call that upends my life, again - without the perfect family under two feet from my ears and brain annoying me to the point I'm refusing to remain in my seat and contemplating waiting in the parking lot. But for now, for what it's worth I'm enjoying this very delicious burrito as the Doomsday Clock keeps on tickin'. read more

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Excellent food taste and great service at very affordable prices. Best Mexican family restaurant in the area. read more

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Great service and great food! So glad we stopped here on our mini road trip!!!!! It's a must!!!! read more

El Molcajetes - The beef burrito and chicken flautas everything had great flavor, came out fresh and fast! Great service! - Mexican Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

$5 beer, $5.50 margarita and food wasn't too pricey for what you get. I left stuffed and with leftovers. The employees are very friendly and the service is quick. I love how the restaurant is decorated, it's very cute. I look forward to coming back. read more

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Amazing Mexican food. Always tasty. The ambiance is colorful. Friendly staff. They have the best Mexican food I have ever tried.

El Molcajetes is a family-owned and operated mexican restaurant located in Palmetto, FL. We offer a variety of dishes, from traditional favorites like tacos, enchiladas, and burritos, to our signature molcajetes, which are sizzling stone bowls filled with meat, cheese, and sauce. Our food is made with fresh ingredients and authentic spices, and we have options for everyone, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and kids. read more

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Service was great food was even better had absolutely nothing to complain about 10 out of 10 best Mexican food in the state of Florida El servicio fue genial, la comida era aún mejor, no tenía absolutamente nada de qué quejarse, 10 de las 10 mejores comidas mexicanas del estado de Florida read more

First of all we were invited to dinner by someone who has been a few times so we tagged along. I purposely didn't read any reviews prior to going in. It is a very small and authentic looking restaurant that at one time was probably a great place to eat. The service was OK and one of the servers was rude to one of the members in our party. Our server never came back and asked if we would like more water so my friend asked another server. Her response was, " Do I look like your server!" And walked off. I have never been to a Mexican restaurant that did not have margaritas.... That should have been a red flag. It was not the best Mexican I have had but definitely not the worst. The beans and the salsa definitely came out of a can. The salsa tasted like unseasoned tomato sauce. The fajitas were very tasty and I was happy to have the shrimp cooked properly. All of the seats were filled before we left. I felt bad for the people that were standing there waiting because none of the employees went over to speak to them so they wound up leaving after about 15 minutes. At least I tried it. read more

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Watch your bill if you eat here!! We questioned the price of a kids drink of $4.49 for our granddaughter who shared a meal with her mom, their response was "she got a refill" we said I thought refills were free, any other time we have been here to eat refills have been free, she said nothing. We get in the car where we look up the menu to find out fountain drinks are free if you buy a kids meal and an adults drink is only $3.49 for a fountain unlimited refills! In fact I don't see a coke there for $4.49. The food itself is not bad but if I have to watch my bill and be treated as if I am dumb am not spending my money here read more

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I have been there twice. Once I had the Mole dish and another time I had a Chimichanga dish, they were both good. Service was pleasant. The place is clean. There are other places that serve bigger portions though. And the huge negative is their Margaritas are "wine based" not made with Tequila which is strange. Cheaper I guess for them. The reason I said the servers are "pleasant" is because they seem annoyed that people are surprised and disappointed about the margarita situation. The tables and decor ARE amazing. read more

Won't give you napkins when there's three people at the table they'll give you one this place is very bad and there's not too much waiters

Food was very delicious/flavorful and that's what would bring me back. But the service was very slow and we had to ask several time for water refills, our check, etc. read more

El Molcajetes - Birria Taco Platter - Mexican Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Good Mexican food and fairly fast service! This is super close to my parents new neighborhood so we came to check it out one Friday evening. Worth noting- it's beer/wine only, no liquor so no margaritas. I tried the sangria and I honestly couldn't drink it, it was like straight grape juice or sugar wine. However if you are good with a beer or soft drink, you are set! The queso was good, the salsa was very fresh and chips obviously homemade. My mom and I both had quesadillas (one spinach and one chicken) and my dad had the enchiladas. Everything was really good, Fresh, hot and fairly priced! We would definitely come back when we are in the mood for a quick Mexican dinner. read more

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Service was quick especially for our party of 7. The decorations are so cute! Food is average for a Mexican restaurant, nothing special. The portions of guac and sour cream were a little small. Fajita Steak was really good. read more

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When we pulled up there were only a few cars and I said to my friend this isn't a good sign. Then when we got a few chips in a dirty plastic bowl with the worst salsa (it wasn't even red it was clear/yellowish) I should have left then. The ice tea tasted like water. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce and double beans. The beans were salty and soupy and the sour cream sauce was thin as well with zero flavor. Not a garnish on the plate, not a sprinkle of cheese or lettuce and tomatoes...nothing. I've got the check almost immediately after the food came and the waitress never thought to ask about the food! The place was so bright it hurt my eyes. This is one place I wouldn't even give a second try. read more

Outstanding food! Super authentic deep flavors. Took my wife there for lunch and we were blown away. $25 for two people with enough leftovers to feed 3 more people. My new favorite. Excellent friendly service too. read more

I won't ever go back. I brought home a doggie bag of fajitas. I put the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Took it out tonight. There was a dead gecko in it. Never again. read more

This place was great! The customer service was great. We got multiple rounds of drinks and they delivered them all, quickly. We had cheese enchiladas, carne Asada, chicken fajitas, shrimp, a side of guac, all with tortillas, chips, salsa, 2 sides of chicken enchiladas, beans and rice. 2 Coronas, 2 Miller lites, 2 "wine margaritas" (they don't serve liquor), and 2 sangrias. All of that and our bill was $120.00. Delish! read more

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Pretty ok Mexican food. The only thing i did not enjoy the salsa. It was really sweet. The wet burrito was pretty good with queso on top. The service was good and the restaurant was clean and very festive. I may return if i have no other options read more

The place like ones really nicely decorated inside and the wait staff was friendly and nice but those are reasons for high ratings on a foodie platform. I order the shrimp fajitas and it came with a side plate of pica de gallo, lettuce, Spanish rice, guacamole and Charro Beans which were as runny as a spicy protein shake. The shrimp was seasoned nicely but it came with the tails still on. It is a little Pete pevy of mine as a former sous chef. The guacamole tasted like a preprocessed Guac. The shrimp on the skillet was laid out on a bed of onion only! Seriously only onions. No peppers where found anywhere. So this isn't anywhere I would go again as it was just average and nothing to rave about. read more

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Food is great and good service. Had the Fijita and they where awesome. The ambiance was very good.

Good very Authentic & Good ! you'll go away Happy & Satisfied A great selection at a gate Price Try them you'll be back sooner than you think !! read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch - I had the all American street tacos and my husband had a burrito. The portion sizes were good and included a side of rice and beans. The chicken was a bit dry and not really tasty. My husbands burrito had the cheese all clumped in one place towards the middle of the dish, leading him to comment a few times that they forgot the cheese. A bit disappointing for the money. read more

Went there once previously, food was ok. Not bad, not special - nothing to remember. Ordered some soup and was told yes they have it and to come in and get it. Got there within 15 minutes, and they told me they were "sold out." Wife had just talked to them - and they mentioned nothing about possibly running out or being low. They sold out within 20 minutes? There were two people in the restaurant, which I've never seen be very busy (we like Joey D's in the same strip mall). Young girls working there were rude, didn't seem to care at all that one of them basically lied to us and had us make a 30 minute round trip drive for absolutely no reason. This was miss-able for us already, but now we'll never go there again and make sure others realize there are much, much better options locally for Mexican food. read more

It's a simple, no frills Mexican restaurant that is convenient to where we work. It's not the best Mexican food, but its not terrible. If I had a craving for Mexican for lunch, this wouldn't be a bad spot. I wouldn't go out of my way to come though. The chicken fajita lunch special was some chicken, lots of onions and a few peppers. The refried beans tasted canned. The salsa is pretty watered down, but there is free chips & salsa which is pretty awesome! read more

El Molcajetes - Chicken fajitas lunch option - Mexican Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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As Mexican restaurants go, this one is pretty standard. Chips and salsa are good, but in the last few years they have implemented a new 2 bowls of chips for free, after that you have to pay for them-regardless of party size. We had six people in our party, and one couple order queso. By the time it arrived, we had already gone through our two small bowls of chips and they still wanted to charge for the next bowl. A little common sense here could go a long way- if the patron is only buying one drink or dollar tacos, then I get the chip charge, but a table of six people all ordering full entrees? C'mon. I got the chile relleno with rice and beans lunch special. It was flavorful and hot. The rice was a little on the bland side, but the beans were delicious. Overall, I am pleased with the quality of the food and if the most annoying thing is the chip charge, then I will return- just not with a large party. read more

Not quite sure how this place has such mixed reviews. We had takeout and the quality was great, service was very nice and the setup inside is cozy. Will definitely return when we can. Excellent. read more

Not good. The place is cutely decorated & the servers are sweet. But, overall, the place looks dirty. The table was sticky even though it was ready to sit at. The food was awful. Greasy & flavorless. They put mozzarella on my taco! Beans tasted like they came from a can. While salsa was good, it seemed to come from a can, too. I was very disappointed. I'm use to eating at Alvarez's where home made is real. I only stopped here because Alvarez's was closed. I'm sorry I did. $40 for greasy food that tasted as if it was a frozen dinner reheated in a microwave. read more

El Molcajetes - Beef flautas, - Mexican Near Me - Palmetto, Florida

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Server was nice and polite. The place was so dirty, though. Tables and floors. The bathroom was completely out of toilet paper. The food.. I couldn't even eat. Everything was a soggy mess. Beans looked like baby puke. Even the rice was oily. I got a taco, I couldn't pick it up without a huge mess. read more

Food was pretty good, service was good. Prices were pretty good. Was very busy and location is close.

Great authentic Mexican. Beautifully remodeled decor, very good service. The salsa can be watery and very mild. If you mix it with Pico it's much better. read more

Yummy and consistent. They always have a great selection and food is the Mexican dishes we have been waiting for in Florida.

Service is always friendly and good. Can always count on a great meal & good portions. read more

Very good food in a nice setting. Been going there for several years, and never had s bad meal

The food was just sad. The flavor was Taco Bell quality. I had to bathe my chimichanga with cholula hot sauce. The refried beans tasted like they had been burnt. The ice tea was almost flavorless. Music was loud. Staff was nice. I am from southern Colorado and enjoyed authentic Mexican food and this is so far from it that I would say it resembles hospital food. read more

I give it a two only because the server was pleasant and helpful and food was edible. Past that if you want mexican even pseudo-mexican or american-mexican, Taco bell has more taste. It was good for my friend who has a citrus allergy because no citrus here. I love lime, cilantro and a little kick. Salsa was bland-tomato sauce. Cheeses was very mild cheddar -no white cheese. No onion in the enchilada. Again just way too bland. Great specials read more

I went here for taco Tuesday. I only tried the tacos and the jalapeño poppers, so I can't comment on the rest of the food. The jalapeño poppers were decent, they looked like the frozen ones you buy at a supermarket. The tacos were not very good in comparison to other restaurants nearby that offer $1 tacos on Tuesday. The tortillas did not seem fresh. The beef tacos had excellent seasoning but that's the only good thing. They offer free chips and salsa, but I didn't care much for the salsa as it was watery and bland. I will give this restaurant another try, as I saw some of their other food being served and it looked very good. However, I would not recommend coming here for tacos. There are two other restaurants less than a quarter mile away that offer $1 tacos on Tuesday which are far better. read more

This is a typical Mexican restaurant serving typical American-Mexican food. I came in for lunch. The fajita meat was overcooked and tough with gristle throughout. The onions and peppers were practically raw and the tortillas were store bought. The best part of the meal was the Coke. Bottom Line: Go anywhere else but here. Not a good place at all. read more