I ordered a chicken fajita salad. literally they didn't cook the onions or peppers. I had cold raw vegetables on lukewarm chicken. The salsa was simply tomato sauce. no seasoning so veggie chunks just tomato sauce. worst Mexican restaurant experience ever. read more

Everything was good and generous portions. Menu is very extensive, to the point of being somewhat difficult to navigate. Service was good. My only complaint was the bill. It was not itemized, just a total then added a fee to use a credit card. Really? read more

Awful service, cold food, and no apologies for either. Throughout my entire visit, we were continuously ignored, and insulted.

Disappointing. The salsa and queso are delicious, so I'll give them that. But everything else is mediocre-- the California burrito is literally just chicken in a tortilla with queso on top. No onions, rice, or peppers. Nothing. The enchiladas are bland. The refried beans are gross. (Service is also lackluster, but that never bothers me too much.) And an annoyance: we walked in on Friday night to see a sign in front that said "special: $1 margaritas pitcher". We assumed that's why the pace was so packed (see my check in) So we got a pitcher, obviously! That seemed too good to pass up! Only to find when we got our bill that it was a $15 pitcher. We mentioned it, and the manager said "oh that happens all the time. People mess with the board." He shrugged and walked away. No offer to honor that sign (wrong as it was) or to meet us in the middle. We aren't drinkers and never would have gotten the pitcher otherwise. My thought: if people mess with your sign and deceive your customers, you need to either honor the sign or take it down. Overall: wouldn't go, and I'm going to actively warn you guys away. Go to Mi Lupitas on Manchester. You'll eat better food and get better service! read more

El Nopal - The incorrect specials sign! How is a first time customer supposed to know that your specials sign is wrong? - Mexican Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

One check in. I have been here dozens of times but not since I started to Yelp. El Nopal is the typical St. Louis Mexican. This is not to be confused with Milagro or any other upscale Mexican. This is copious amounts of food for a great price. I ordered the "Grande" Special. Two plates of taco, Chile relleno, tamale, burrito, refried beans and rice. The food is served fast, hot and good. I really enjoy the Mexican cheese which is their version of cheddar but much more tasty. The crowd when we arrived the crowd was very young and vibrant. A table of 16 something year old girls having a birthday party. They were just darling. Another table of young college students having a night out. Then there was me moving the average age too far north. Very nice time tonight I really enjoyed my meal and company. read more

Food is delicious and staff is so amazing!!! Best tex mex restaurant in the area for sure.

This used to be our favorite local place, but the takeout service has been a complete nightmare. Here's how it works: place a curbside order an hour in advance, arrive on time, and nobody has any idea you even placed an order. It took 40 minutes after arriving to bring out two orders of soup, because they will make you wait in turn for their mistake. Why take orders if they won't be written down? Why punish faithful, long-time customers for the staff's error? This was not a one-time issue, but a persistent one. It hurts me to say we will be looking for a new Mexican restaurant after many years of loyal patronage. On a side note, we had no issues with El Jarocho, but by the time the soup came out from El Nopal, my torta was cold. One slip-up ruined the experience at both places. read more

Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 El Nopal is a humble restaurant with good food and great prices. After seating, they start you off with a complimentary basket of house chips and salsa. Chips are crisp and not stale and the salsa is fresh. I felt it was a little bland, so I asked for a bottle of hot sauce and added a tablespoon of that into the mix. Hit the spot. ;] They have an extensive menu which is a little difficult to navigate around- too many choices and options. For a first-timer, it's a bit overwhelming. While not truly authentic, if you don't mind Westernized Mexican cuisine this is the place for you. read more

We went here for a valentine dinner. The manager was very polite when I called and asked how busy they were. He said 15-20 minute wait. When we got there turns out he was right on the button. Too many businesses give too short of wait time to keep customers waiting. Doesn't seem to be the norm here. Once we were seated we were given chips, salsa, water, and menus. I got Huevos Rancheros while my daughter and wife split two smaller dishes. There was practically no wait from the ordering to our food getting in front of us. The Huevos Rancheros were good though the tortillas were a tad dry. My dinning companions enjoyed their dishes so much that the plates looked like they came out clean. The service was polite and attentive. Our drinks never went dry without being hounded for more all the time. read more

El nopal has been my favorite mexican restaurant for years and this time around I decided it was time to give their steak a shot, which was definitely a fantastic choice. I love coming to El Nopal because of the extraordinary service I receive when dining here, everyone is so friendly it almost feels like I'm eating in my friend's restaurant! One thing I really look forward to when eating at El Nopal would be the chips & salsa... you CAN'T beat it!! No other mexican restaurant has been able to even come close to their salsa in my books... Don't even get me started on their rice, as it's out of this world! everything was so full of flavor and our server Ricardo was such a nice guy with some great humor! Next time I eat here I may even ask for his service again. The meat on the steak was cooked to perfection and I will likely get this dish again. Thank you El Nopal this was another great experience. I'll be back tomorrow. read more

El Nopal - El Nopal Steak Garden Salad - Mexican Near Me - Valley Park, Missouri

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Last week, when I visited El Nopal, there was such a pleasant atmosphere. It is a family-owned business and in part, I felt that extended to me as well. The manager was so nice and even stopped by my table and chatted me up for a bit to make sure I was all good. The hosts greeted me quickly and sat me immediately. The cashier Danny made sure that I enjoyed my meal and asked for my honest feedback - which is rare these days. The owner even came in at one point and you can tell that an El Nopal is a staple in Valley Park. It was so nice to have really great food again! Will be back!! read more

Been going here for years. Love the food and waitstaff, especially Jose! My favorite items are the chicken quesadilla and the Caldo de Pollo (chicken soup). The soup is served in a huge bowl, along with 3 flour tortillas. Delish!! read more

I've eatin at El Nopal a few times, ordered take out a few times and tried to do drive up curbside. Their food is tasty. Their take out service isn't so great. Each time I've ordered take out it's taken a while and on top of that they say they will call when it's ready but they don't. I walk in 45 min after the time and my food was sitting on the table. I wish they had a better take out system or were on Postmates. read more

Our issues were addressed. We are willing to give them another chance. The food is very good and they have outdoor dining.

This has been my go-to place since quarantine has started. I've tried their shrimp tacos, their burritos, and their steak. Everyone I know raves about their quesadillas, saying they're super tasty and buttery, but I haven't gotten around to try it. Everything is amazing and super filling and delicious for the price! I've only been there once to sit down and eat and the experience was great. It's a beautiful, vibrant place to eat with plenty of seating. Staff is always kind and love to make conversation. Super happy to support them during this time! My favorite memory of this place has to be a year ago when I went to eat there with a friend for the first time. An employee was outside and told us "see you tomorrow!" I just thought it was a sweet farewell, and I love their confidence in their food. read more

They have good food. Not great but good. We did carry out and again our order was not correct. There is a language difference, but this is the second time they did not get our order correct. We have decided we will not order carry out from here again. read more

My mother, whom is 73 years of age, went to El Nopal today to order take out. She got three orders of cheese enchiladas and rice....not a hard dish to make. After watching five inning of baseball and two hours later, someone finally asked her if she had been helped. She still did not have her food. (Why she sat there is beyond me as I would have had some words and left) The person who tried to help her was told, by the original server, the order he brought was wrong and he would take care of it. She was given a bill and yet still no food. She continued to sit and wait and when she asked again the original server said the food that had been sitting, that she was told was wrong was hers was actually hers She paid her bill and said she would not be back. Here is the response she received..."Good". She then told him he lost his five dollar tip and he said "so". We, as a family, have not only been going there since they opened, we have recommended this restaurant to many. As a former restaurant owner and worker I am appalled at their lack of service and hospitality. This, unfortunately, will be our LAST visit to this establishment and we DO NOT recommend anyone patronize their business. read more

This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. I'm picky about what kind of Mexican we eat so I was thankful there was a good one by where we lived. Service is always amazing even if they are busy. read more

This used to be one of our favorite places to go for Mexican food. Although, after today, it was our last. We were seated right away, but I noticed the waiter and the guy that brings the chips were no where to be seen. After about 8 min. the chip guy came and then a a few minutes later the waiter, to get our drink order. We ordered 2 cokes and water, when he brought the cokes they tasted like flat water. We asked for new soda, and he stated they only had one soda machine? I have no idea, but I've worked in a restaurant, so if the soda is bad, you go change it. It takes a few minutes, but then maybe other customers won't get gross soda, right? The tall, bald, larger waiter of ours had no even simple courtesy. It was, are you ready? I asked how the enchiladas are, and he said OK, and what would you like with that. I ordered the enchiladas Mexicanas, and we also ordered the quesadilla fajita. During our wait for the food we saw no one. No one to refill the water, no one to switch up chips, no one to come and take an order for the cheese dip that we were going to get, NOTHING! I was still holding out hope. When the food finally came after about 30 minutes(which is not terrible, but longer usual), I assumed that I would be eating it and I could let everything else slide. I took one bite into the enchiladas and it tasted like tunafish this is supposed to be chicken enchiladas covered in queso dip. I could immediately tell that this was canned chicken, and not good canned chicken for that matter. It was at that point that I noticed the hair stuck in the cheese dip on the side of my plate. I have blonde hair, not black. In the meantime when the waiter set down our food I asked him if I could just have some lettuce, but 10 minutes later, and me having taken a bite of this disgusting food in front of me and noticing the hair, we decided to just get up and leave and go pay our bill. We paid for the entire bill and left all the food sitting on the table, mine was completely un eaten. The waiter said nothing, and instead of making a scene, I simply paid the amount owed, with no tip, and left. You see, It doesn't seem like anyone would've cared, even if we had said something. It's sad, but no basic customer communication, service, or quality. You could feel that the waiter didn't give 2 :$&@'s about it. Don't waste your time or money, absolutely appalled and disgusted! read more

We have referred to this place as the Miss Sherie's of Mexican Restaurants. Catering to elderly people with no spice in the food. I decided to meet some friends there after not going for 10 years. I had 2 beers 32 oz. each draft beers. Imagine my surprise when the bill arrived, and it was $18.42. for 2 beers. I had no idea that I was going to the Ritz Carlton for drinks. I would suggest you go elsewhere for an evening out. Ripoff!!!!! read more

Mediocre Americanized Mexican, with very slow service on the day we visited. Try El Jarocho Mexican grocery store in the same plaza for better food. read more

We called in a carry out order. We asked for the vegetables to be on the side. So for a Mother's Day supper for two. Turned into a supper for my wife. The food had no taste and was cold after they called and said my order was ready to pick up. In less than five minutes we picked it up and felt the containers and they were lukewarm. I had a bad experience once here before but I really wanted to give them another try and I was wrong. read more

God Bless America!!!!! If you like your Mexican very Mid-Westernized, you might like it. If you like your Mexican food to have some kind of authentic flavor, you're at the wrong place. We've been here 5 or 6 times and it used to be pretty good. For our last visit, though, we had the following: Chips and Salsa - decent but not special Guacamole - awful. Extremely bland - had to mix in hot sauce Cheese dip - okay Chicken Taco - pretty good flavor. Beef Tostaguac - awful - the meat was as bland as the guac Chicken Fajita nachos - Just okay. Green peppers were overcooked On top of this heap of mediocrity, they stopped having kids eat free on Sundays. Boo! read more

i ordered a taco salad with beef and it was raw, the alcohol drinks are too expensive and they were super watered down. the staff were really rude and they would not dismiss my complains really don't recommend. read more

My favorite part of this experience was the Margarita special-$8 for a 1/2 pitcher. The 1/2 pitcher is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen and is truly the perfect size for one person; if you're not driving, of course! Which I wasn't, so I indulged and enjoyed every sip. I had the Quesadilla Deluxe and added chicken. It was a little spicy, but I can barely tolerate spicy, so spicy for me and spicy for the rest of the world are two different things. It was good and I would order it again. My guy had the Quesadilla Fajita and said it was good. The chips were fresh. The salsa was spicy (for me), but not too much and I would have it again. The service was friendly from the host to the bus boy to the server. We got our food quickly. I'll go back for the 1/2 pitcher margarita :) read more

El Nopal is your average small family run Mexican restaurant. The margs are great and they have well priced 1/2 and full pitchers. Dangerously good! The food is average and averagely priced. I have always had good service and the place is clean. No negatives about El Nopal, but nothing makes it more than average. I consistently return to El Nopal when I crave Mexican food and am around my old stomping grounds. Keep it up El Nopal. read more

I used to LOVE this place! Every time I came to town for years the mushroom quesadillas were legendary. Those and a margarita were always GREAT!.....until recently? No idea when everything changed but the new menu should have been my first clue. The margarita was horrible...so bad that I sent it back. It was clearly a cheap mix that was reminiscent of formaldehyde. The mushroom quesadillas used to be super cheesy with onions and jalapeños, making them gooey spicy good! The mushrooms were prepared with what had to be garlic butter - their flavor stood on its own! Now, the mushrooms were plain, a small amount of cheese just lumped into one spot, no jalapeños or onions. No flavor. Very sad to see this place change. The sangria was tasty but served in wine glasses with no ice!? So strange. And the dishes sat on the table forever after we were finished eating. Too bad and so sad. read more

I thought the food was good. Me and my husband shared a Especial Fajitas. It was a double portion and was really big (we had leftovers). Flavors were good and my rice and beans were really good. I had a Jumbo Mango Margarita and it was GREAT!!! I felt the service was good also. We actually sat at the Bar so that is only way I can judge. I would definitely go back...even for just the Margarita ;-) read more

I'm so glad my husband stumbled upon El Nopal! Some of the best food out there! Take out is worth it as you will have to wait for a bit on weekends. But, seriously give this a try. read more

I won't be back. Servicemy the hostess was so bad. The young chick at the door tonight was condescending. I was putting on my mask as entering. And before I could get it on she was pointing to her mask saying I had to get it on. Almost hysterical. And rude. Way too pushy! She told us there was a 30 minute wait and that was ok. But she pushed us out and told us we had to go wait in the car with an attitude! Not an inviting place. We won't be back. And we are usual there a couple times a month or more! read more

The place has gone to hell - prices are much much too high and nobody speaks English anymore - our order was totally screwed up. Won't be back ever again read more

This used to be our main placed. The food is just okay now, the service is okay. We went during the day and there was no music playing at all, the restaurant was silent. We could hear the people across the room when they bit a chip, made it very awkward. We came back again, same exact thing and the food was gross. The chicken and rice and beans are so dry. Will we go back, probably not! read more

My family has been going to El Nopal for 10+ years. Always love it. Good price. Great food. We always ask for Jose to serve because he is great. Several of the servers have been there for years and are also great. read more

Definitely have improved on the food! Great update to the menu. Wish they offered seasoned shredded beef.

No complaints. I had two blue margaritas. They were good. Although I wished they would have served them in a frosted glass. Nice atmosphere. Booths are rather small. I would guess that if a person was around 300 pounds or was large in the middle they would not be able to sit at a booth. Overall not bad. read more

The workers were very nice!! I enjoyed my food a lot. The margaritas were great and they brought chips right away. Overall good experience!!

Our family really enjoys coming here. They have a really fantastic Mexican soup which you can get with chicken or shrimp (maybe beef - not sure, we always get chicken or shrimp). It's served with lots of veggies, fresh avocado, yum! The chips are nice and we really like the salsa. It's moderately priced, clean, fast and the wait staff is attentive - but not overly so. I'd definitely recommend. read more

Over the last few months the quality of the food has gone down hill. For example the last two times I ordered faitias the plate was not sizing, thus the meat was not very hot. Also, their cheese dip is now very running whereas before it was thicker. read more

Is this place perfect? No. Far from it. But the food is outstanding. Never had a bad meal. Great salsa and queso. Go tos are fish tacos and arroz con pollo. So good. read more

Food is good but checks are handwritten. Ours was $11 too high. Manager apologized but I'm not convinced it was one server's bad math. Beware. read more