If you're looking for authentic, flavorful Southwest cuisine, El Molinitos is a must-visit. From the moment you walk in, the service is warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming--it feels like a true local gem. The food is where they really shine. The tacos are some of the best I've had--perfectly seasoned, fresh, and packed with flavor. The carne asada is especially delicious, cooked just right and full of that rich, smoky taste you hope for. And let's not forget the carbs--everything from the tortillas to the sides is comforting, satisfying, and clearly made with care. Every dish has that homemade, local flavor that keeps you coming back. Great service, amazing food, and an overall experience that hits every time. Highly recommend! read more

Long established family restaurant with 4 locations in Tucson serving up fantastic food and great drinks. That have a full bar, lunch specials and are kid friendly. The chips were good and the salsa was the best with a little kick as not to be overpowering. I had the Molinito Asada Special a sizzling skillet of seasoned lean beef strips with green onions, cheese enchilada casserole with a side of beans and rice. A melt in your mouth feast and oh so flavorful.Husband's sampler platter was loaded with taco, mini chimichangas and almost every o much to eat. The margaritas had just the right amount of tequila and flavor.our waitress Carmen was the best and made the dining experience so much better. read more

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I've been to 3 other el molinitos but never newest in n oracle oro valley . Large newer building was big bar and patio area , 2 large dining rooms lined with booths & a few long tables that could be connected for large groups . Large menu with a very affordable lunch specials . We had the chicken chimichanga enchilada style w sour cream and guacamole and beans 12.99$ Also a taco and cheese enchilada w refried beans ( they are very good ) 8.99$ ( was 4.99 in " the day" times change ), Backstory ... I knew the owner whose parents started el molinito who told me his mother was from the Molina family ( casa Molina Et al ) and she & husband opened their own restaurant . #fyi always seem to win Best Of" awards for catering & more. read more

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Staying at the Fairfield next door for 11 nights. The negative reviews kept me away for the first few days. On night 5 I thought I'd give it a try anyway. I went early (4pm) so there was no wait as the place was mostly empty. Chips and salsa came right out as well as the drink. House salsa is HOT! Must be an AZ or Southwest thing as that was the case on my last trip to AZ. Anyhow, I went with my standard Mexican restaurant test of ordering chicken fajitas on the first try. Not bad. Huge portion. My only complaint would be that they only came with 2 flour tortillas. They were large and fresh, but I could have used another one. Service was decent. Ambiance is what I would expect from Mexican themed place. I might return for another try if I don't feel like driving anywhere. read more

El Molinito - Chicken fajitas with rice and pico. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Staff was very friendly as was bartender. This could be the worst mexican food I have ever had in my entire life. For sure the worst Mexican food in Arizona. I literally have no idea how this place stays open... The only thing I can figure is it's next to a resort that gets in a lot of people from the Midwest...If queso dip on a burrito to go with your premade taco shell holding ground beef is your thing... this is the place. read more

Not cold draft beer, not a full bar, bring your miter saw to cut the shredded beef enchiladas, my fork bent while cutting the enchilada to take a bite... deaf bartender. Ask 3x's for a beer, I looked around and other people have chips and salsa, white boy doesn't get chips and salsa.... they have four stores around figure that they would know what they're doing. I'm gonna offer my services as a undercover boss to straighten out this, Mexican restaurant food chain, at all costs read more

Food is good quality. The chicken is all white meat on the salads and tostados. Service is quick. Their enchilada sauce is the best!

I got the kids mini chicken chimis & beans, boyfriend got a sampler plate and we shared a cheese crisp with green chilies! I think both of our favorite item was the green corn tamale or the beans The tea wasn't great and taco kinda just reminded me of a white person taco. Service was great, booths are comfy, and there wasn't any wait read more

I am really surprised about the low star reviews for this great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. We love the food here and the prices cannot be beat! The $6 house margarita tastes like a Cadillac. My chimichanga was so huge and delicious. The ground beef was tender and there was so much protein stuffed into the wonderful tortilla. My mother's taco salad was EPIC! Huge and delicious. The other members of our party of 5 loved their entrees as well. We were given multiple baskets of chips and 2 kinds of salsas, many water and iced tea refills, as the service was fantastic. Ambiance is bright and cheery and parking is available right outside. My FIL eats here with his friends every week and they all feel it's the best Mexican for the lowest bill in Oro Valley. PS: the beans are SOOOO incredible. They are my favorite of all time. read more

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I didn't see anything special about their food. Nothing that made them stand out from any other Mexican restaurants. We came here for a company event and made a reservation prior. But when we got there. They seemed surprised and not even ready for us. We waited for the staff to put together our table while we were standing in the waiting area. Our server seemed rattled about our orders because she forgot my side dish. When I ordered for my drink, it was a disappointment. read more

I wanted to learn more about Tequila from a local and Carlos delivered an amazing experience. He was helpful, patient, provided examples, pictures, shared experiences and made great recommendations. It was just like wine tasting with this tequila sommelier: Tequila tasting like wine tasting experience Herradura brand Blanco no barrel Silver blend of Blanco and Reposado Reposado up to one year in barrel Anejo 1-3 years in barrel Anejo extra More than 3 years in barrel Cristalino 1-3 years but charcoal makes it clear On to his recommended Enchilada de la Casa. Can't wait. Thank you Carlos read more

Would not return. Service - was good until the food came. Did not check back to see if anything was needed. Water glass was empty over half the meal. Delay in getting check. Food - bland and not much flavor. Refried beans are fairly tasteless. Enchiladas were drenched in a bland cream sauce. Salsa for the chips tastes only of tomatoes. Where is the onion or cilantro or peppers. Price is on the cheaper sude but you fet what you oay for. read more

I was staying at the Fairfield hotel next door and wandered over for dinner. I ordered the shredded beef chimichanga. That thing was huge! It was very juicy and tasty and came with guacamole which was fresh even though it was near closing time, sour cream, and a salad topping. Rice on the side as well. Everything tasted great and the wait staff were very nice, friendly and attentive. I will eat there again next time I'm down there. read more

El Molinito - Shredded beef chimichanga after attacking about 1/3 of it. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Food is outstanding and service good. Staff is always helpful and courteous. If you want recommendations staff is always willing to assist

It's conveniently located near the Marriott Fairfield on Oracle Ave, Its not just about food which is ok it's also about expectations, everyone is under staffed, so I always appreciate the service staff who are working. The parking is easy and plentiful. The restaurant was clean and they also have a nice seating area.The service was fast and efficient. It seems to be very popular with local seniors in the area. It is Mexican restaurant that focuses on a older clientele. This is not a contemporary restaurant. It's limited spiciness with flour tortilla tacos with Shredded lettuce and tomatoes.. it has a very affordable lunch menu and of course has frozen house Margaritas. I can't criticize it.But I felt that the food that I had was not very flavorful, but obviously there were a lot of people there that liked it.So it's probably just not my cup of tea. As long as you have the right expectations, you won't be disappointed like I said parking was okay.Cleanliness was ok and staff were very prompt and helpful. read more

I have eaten here at least 6 times on different days and the food and service are always good. The carne seca chimichanga enchilada style is really good. read more

Went there last night for dinner had great margaritas. Chip salsa and guacamole, along with chicken enchiladas, absolutely delicious and the refried beans are even better. read more

First things first, this location is WAY cleaner than the ina location. It's worth it in itself to come to this location so you don't see roaches on the floor. The food is good but even though it's supposed to be the same owners and restaurants as the other location it is different. The salsa is good but super peppery. One thing that really irks me is that the mix grill only comes with one side, when the Ina location comes with two since it "serves 2". Service is okay, nothing special here but he nice. read more

Still delicious but prices are a bit higher. Prices on QR menu and physical menu don't match. The chimi still lasts me 3-4 meals Great service! read more

El Molinito - Lunch chimi with chili con carne and the works (enchilada sauce, guacamole and sour cream). House frozen margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Excellent Food - Plentiful Lunch Specials We visited the Oro Valley location on Oracle for lunch. Information on my phone said they have outdoor dining - they do not. We sat in a very comfortable room that might have been a patio area years ago, but is now enclosed with large windows looking out over the parking area. Fresh tortilla chips and a very tasty, slightly spicy salsa were brought to the table immediately. My wife and I both ordered iced teas. I do enjoy beer, but they have no beer on tap - only bottles and I prefer tap. The menu is quite extensive and there are Lunch Specials which are a buck or two lower in price compared to standard menu pricing. My wife selected the Beef Tamale and Cheese Enchilada Combo($7.99). I ordered the Burro of Choice With Works. I chose shredded beef as my burro protein and when ordering 'With Works', you have options to get the burro enchilada style (ranchero style sauce and melted cheese over the burro), guacamole side, and sour cream side - any or all of these. I got it all! All lunch specials come with either rice or beans. Unlike most restaurants where lunch specials tend to be a smaller portion of a standard menu item, these dishes were anything but small. My wife had an excellent tamale filled with an abundant amount of flavorful shredded beef. A perfect ratio of masa to beef. Her chicken enchilada was excellent topped with a bit of spicy enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. As the sauce was a little spicy for her, she asked for some sour cream. Out came a bowl with maybe a full cup of sour cream ($2.49 add-on) and was a perfect pairing with the sauce. The Mexican rice had more flavor than most. Centered between the enchilada and tamale was a small undressed salad. My plate could hold no more. A very large sauce and cheese covered burrito, large sides of sour cream and one of the best guacamoles I've had in Arizona. I also had some undressed salad. The refried beans were tasty, especially when I added some of the salsa. The burro is packed with shredded beef. No beans or other fillers. I brought home 2/3 of my burro, my wife did likewise with her enchilada, plenty for another lunch. We recommend this place for sure. Go hungry and you'll still bring food home. read more

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Let's get the good out there first. The hornitos margarita was delicious. I had 2. Smooth and delicious. Exactly what I'm looking for in my margarita. The chips were hovering around stale. They were maybe 4 hours away from gross. The salsa was SPICY, which I appreciate. It had a good flavor and was more on the chunky side, meaning you could see whole leaves of cilantro and pieces of green onion. It was delicious. I got the #4 with a cheese enchilada and chicken flautas. The cheese enchilada was honestly one of the worst things I've ever eaten. The cheese had all melted out and the tortilla was hard as a rock. It took some serious muscle to cut through it. The chicken in the flautas was seasoned well and still somewhat juicy. No complaints there. Overall, I probably won't be back. I was staying in the hotel next door, so it was easy. read more

El Molinito - Number 4 combo plate and Hornitos margarita. - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Food was good. Service was good. Liked the chips and salsa. Split beef fajitas. They were enough for two of us. read more

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Sit at the bar while Carlos is bartending! He is both attentive and professional! A lot of residents of Oro Valley come here specifically for him and his hospitality. Carlos is a man of the people and will make your experience as great as you treat him! read more

It was next to the hotel and I was surprised at how good the food was. Sat at the bar and the bartender was attentive.

01/03/23 Well little update. I have dropped it to one star. My stomach is not doing well at all. As the night went on, my stomach got upset and gradually got worse and worse to the point where now this morning I have no appetite and I feel as though I will be sick at any moment . If I could give a negative star, I would. Anywhere that has such poor quality food AND makes you sick does not deserve a star at all 01/02/23 It's unfortunate, I really wanted to like this place due to the hype online. Sadly though this fell far far from the hype. My meal was "The Sampler" ( shredded beef taco, chicken chimichanga, beans , rice, green chilies. Strawberry margarita Iced tea Chips and salsa First bad impression is the salsa and chips. A basic thing when it comes to Mexican restaurants. The salsas had no salt whatsoever. I had to add salt and pepper myself as well as a little lemon to make it decent. Frankly they tasted like they came out of a can and into the little bowls . The chips also did not have any salt at all either. Already went to a bad start when your customer has to fix your chips and salsa from being so bland . The strawberry margarita was for a lack of better description. Harsh . It was pretty bitter and was very strong in the tequila they put. The mix also tasted as though it just came from a pre mix with a shot of tequila and 2/3 ice . I enjoy mine that have flavor from the strawberries and just a hint of the alcohol. This was mostly just the bite of the alcohol and barely strawberry.which yes for some that might be fine with so much ice and alcohol taste but not my cup of tea when it's very little ingredients and ice is the main filler . The main dish itself, the taco was served on a bed of wet lettuce and rice which made the shell fall apart from how soggy it got. The beef filling itself was "alright" again lacked salt . The chicken chimi was all tortilla and just a spit of filling. Nothing but a little roll of very chewy tortilla. The filling was good but you had to remove almost all the tortilla to taste it . Beans were surprisingly good , nice flavor which was a nice little bit and frankly the only good part of this meal. Rice, undercooked, again lacked salt. The green chilies were horrific how bad they were . It had that out of a can extreme sour vinegar taste and i was a little shocked at how bad they were even when everything else was already iffy. Also to top off all the food. It was all room temperature. Nothing was hot . Just "warm" . As though it had been sitting under the hot light that wasn't working properly for far too long . Last is the service . Service lady was friendly but never once checked on us to see if we needed refills or anything else. We only saw her at the start and at the end of our meal. There was almost no one there and we still had to wait a pretty darn long time for our bill because no one ever checked on us . I wouldn't recommend this place sadly . Only reason it isn't a 1 star review is because it wasn't horrible . Everything was just VERY "meh" And tasted like it's all out of a can and very lazy. I feel you essentially come here if you're drunk because you won't know the difference. read more

El Molinito - The sampler - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

Food Quality: 2/5. Wouldn't go again probably Service: N/A. There's maybe 3 people working here. Would never recommend you bring a big group here, it would take like 2 hours to serve them Price per Quality: 2.5. Not awful but not good Other: The ambiance is alright, but very very empty Overall: 1.8/5 read more

El Molinito - Beef Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

We had a really disappointing take out experience tonight. Pretty simple order a number 2 combo: 2 beef tacos and a beef tamale and an order of carne seca tacos. Husband picked it up, got home beautiful tacos with shredded lettuce and cheese other container...2 cheese enchiladas. we immediately call explain the issue. We were told to bring the order back with the receipt . When my husband showed up they corrected the combo issue. My husband asked for fresh tacos as everything was cold . They weren't happy, but took it to the back dumped off the lettus and cheese and appeared to refry the tacos. All cracked...there was a small pile of lettus in the corner of the box . No cheese and broken tacos.....great move.Broken tacos dry meat no cheese or lettus. Won't be back there again. Terrible customer service. Do better...the Molina name used to stand for something in Tucson. SMH read more

The food was about as bad as I've ever had. The Spanish rice was tomato sauce and rice. The refried beans were vita mix style and looked like soup. The pork burritos had meat that was like rubber. The chicken taco had boiled chicken on a corn wet tortilla. No flavor at all. How does this place stay in business? Waitress took the order and never came back. A waste of money. read more

First off, The air conditioning was on but felt like 2 million degrees in there! Then the queso was a yellow color instead of a white. I ordered the beef burrito and the person beside me had three hardshell tacos, and had more meat than my burrito did! The service there was pretty dicey, but it wasn't their fault. The food was bad. I don't recommend and it was not worth the time. read more

the food was nasty and my burrito was half filled. And server was very nice but was horrible. Just overall was a horrible time.

Best Mexican food in Oro Valley, great selection of everything. Margaritas are excellent, and a great selection of beers on tap.

This was New Year's Eve, but I have been here a few times and it hasn't been bad. This past time was awful! I had been trying to call since 2 pm to place an order to pick up later that evening. I didn't have any luck so I decided to just drop in. There was about 5 other groups of people filling the waiting area and not a single person was helped. I found this out later. I went into the dining area and there about 3 tables there dining in. There was servers just standing around. I decided to get a server and see if I could just get some chips and salsa to go at this point. He said let me find out and then walked off. I never saw him again. My husband and 2 kids were in the car waiting for me. I told them to go to the store and maybe I could get a dozen mini chimis, chips and salsa. My husband was gone for about 30 minutes and when he came back waited another 15. This was not including the time I waited prior to telling him to go to the store. I cannot believe they didn't even try to help anyone. It wasn't busy in the restaurant at all. I feel like I could have asked to be seated to dine in and gotten all my food to go. After all this I don't know if I will ever go back. read more

El Molinito Mexican Restaurant has authentic Mexican food. Excellent bar tenders and waitresses! Here to serve you at any time you visit! There food is at most delicious! My favorite dish is the Enchiladas de la Casa! Served with 2 chicken breast rolled taquitos with a delicious white sauce and frijoles for only $11.89 Stop by you won't regret it! read more

El Molinito - Enchiladas de La Casa Plate rolled chicken taquitos servers with a white sauce with Frijoles! - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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I've been coming here for 6 years. I have always ate in but decided to pick up today. The food is great. But man the service was disappointing. I always get fajitas and always have to ask for extra tortillas because they give you 2 tiny corn tortillas with a large portion of fajitas. As I was paying I asked for the extra tortillas. She overcharged my card because there is a nearly 3 dollar charge for them. They need to either provide enough tortillas in the first place or reduce the portion and price. This used to be my go to Mexican spot. Now I will rethink that. read more

El Molinito - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Oro Valley, Arizona

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Very good. For the most part the staff were attentive. Very polite and helpful. Our dishes were good. The menu does little to describe what comes with your dish. Our waiter told us what accompanied each order. Very tasty. So much food. The place needs a good clean. read more

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"Trying the food at this Mexican restaurant was like playing a risky game of culinary roulette--except every chamber in the revolver was loaded with disappointment and regret. One bite, and I felt like I'd won the grand prize in the 'Worst Tasting Dish' competition. If blandness had a headquarters, it would be here!" read more

We showed up at 7:00 pm Friday night. My husband went inside to let the server know we were on the patio. After being walked past 3 times he was able to let her know. After finding a chair that was not coming apart we sat down, and waited. 40 min later a woman comes in waiting on her party of 10. We said we have been waiting, she looks at what appears to be her table, huge spider webs, she also needs clean chairs that she had to chase spiders away!! Her party shows up and we are all waiting. She wants to be outside beautiful night plus covid) finally her grandson goes inside after a while comes out in disgust saying " the patio is closed". Gosh it sure would have been nice if SOMEONE would have told us. They could see all of us sitting. We ended up going to a great place, gladly leaving a $ 50.00 tip because it was so well worth it. For a while we forgot how bad we had been treated by you El Molinito. We spoke with the manager telling him about this place El Molinito that lost our business and how grateful we were to have found a place that values customers. I've had my own business in Kansas City and you El Molinito just can't treat people this way. Very upsetting. Have had problems here prior. They were not busy, both times no excuse. Too bad. Fool me once, shame on you Fool me twice, shame on me There will not be a third time! read more

We did not look at the yelp reviews first. We were staying at the Fairfield after driving nearly 900 miles and just wanted a sit down meal. Uggghhh, where do I start? 1. Someone brought us chips and salsa right away, but it took forever to get someone to bring us water. If you are delivering food, would you ask if maybe we would like some water? 2. The "spicy" salsa is a gross misnomer, the non-spicy would have been fine if they served it on pasta. 3. No drink menus: I got a margarita on the rocks--tasted like Jose Cuervo mix, very little tequila. I was dreading looking at the price when we finally got the bill, thankfully it was only $6. 4. We got the mixed grill because the menu stated it came with grilled veggies. I really wanted something healthy after being on the road. It was just fajitas, it was called "spicy" chicken; again a gross misnomer. A better name would be tasteless shoe leather chicken. My husband had the beef from the platter, he said it was also dry and tasteless. The meat and rice and veggies were lukewarm. 5. It was 8pm and they were getting ready to close on a Saturday, service was pretty poor! read more

Horrible service! If I could give 0 stars I would! Just ordered food for delivery. We were missing one entree and one side item, we called and they tried to blame it on the delivery driver . Then they hung up on us! Terrible customer service! Will not ever eat here again! They dont care about the customer apparently. read more

Most of the food was good but the retired beans were like brown water. The waitress brought more but they weren't much better. Service was a little slow for the restaurant only being 1/3 full. read more