After moving from Chicago to Buffalo, I thought I wouldn't be able to find comparable Mexican food, but this is it! I ordered a vegetarian combo platter with a quesadilla, burrito, and taco. The bean burrito was kind of one note, but the meal was otherwise very satisfying. And the best part: they have El Yucateco hot sauce on the tables! read more

Unbelievable, true AUTHENTIC Mexican food at a great price! Unlimited chips, friendly staff. Doesn't get any better than this folks.

I had a bad experience on my birthday. Me and my fiancé went to eat to try it out because I like Mexican food. But the food was rushed and cold and we ask for dressing for my salad they made us wait 20 mins. On top that the taco seemed already made and we told the waitress and she said we would have to pay for another small taco even though she seen we hadn't even touched it. Terrible I'll never go. read more

Enjoyed another excellent dinner there. However, they need more staffing there. They seem to seat you, give you chips & salsa(which are the bomb) and then forget you. Almost always enjoy their food! read more

The best Margarita in town... Authentic food and crazy decor

The good: Food is tasteful Free chips and salsa Large margaritas The bad: Small food portions Over priced Margaritas are pre made... And I question the amount of tequila they used. I got the big big one and didn't even catch a buz... The service: nice people... Very polite... Atmosphere is like a Mexican diner. read more

The first time I went here about four years ago I had a less-than-stellar experience. Tonight as I was deciding where to have dinner I thought, "well, it's been four years and they're still there, so...let's give it another go!" Bad decision. The food is good. No real complaints there. Nothing spectacular, but I lived in Chicago for a long time and got spoiled when it came to "authentic" Mexican food. As Mexican food goes, it's decent. It's better than Mighty Taco, anyhow. But the service. Oh, dear lord. We were seated pretty quickly as we arrived shortly before the Friday night rush which appeared to start about 15 minutes after we got there. Our waiter was friendly and attentive at first, our food came out in a relatively reasonable amount of time and then... My sister asked for napkins. Ten minutes later the waiter floated by...no napkins. She asked again. At that time I asked for a box to pack up my leftovers and a menu to order some takeout to take home to my boyfriend. Several minutes later he arrived with the box and the menu...but no napkins. We reminded him again. Finally he retrieved some. He came back a few minutes later and I gave him my order for takeout and then took off. After we'd been sitting there a while, my sister had finished her drink and wanted a refill, but where was our waiter? Fast forward 40 minutes later. We've been done eating for this entire time. My sister's glass is still empty. We see our waiter and flag him down, and he tells us, "oh, let me go check on your order." A few minutes later he comes back and says, "Ok, so I talked to the owner, and he says your order is behind a few others because he's cooking for the tables that are eating here, so takeout comes after that." We pointed out that there was an enormous crowd waiting to be seated and maybe, just maybe, if they cooked our takeout order we'd be able to leave and free up that table for some more "eating here" customers. But in the meantime, we'd been waiting the better part of an hour for takeout AFTER we'd already finished eating our all-important eat-in orders. Our waiter said, "I tried to tell him that, but he's like, 'no no no, I have to cook for the eat-in tables first." He then offered to cancel the order for me if I didn't want it. I said I didn't want to cancel, I just wanted him to make my order happen sooner than later. I felt I was being incredibly patient and justifiably wanted to get the heck out of the place. My sister flagged down another staff member and said, "I would like to speak to a manager. This is unacceptable; we've been done eating for over 45 minutes and all we need is our takeout order, which was ordered before we finished our meal, and our waiter tells us there are several tickets ahead of us, even though we ordered 45 minutes ago and that the manager/owner was "busy cooking." The staff member said the owner was busy cooking and couldn't come out, but that he would check for us. The second staff member came back and apologized profusely and told us our order was next and would be right out. Finally - an hour after we ordered it, my takeout order arrived. I promptly asked for the check and gave him my payment without even looking at the check. Screw it; I just wanted to get out of there. I looked in the bag - no hot sauce that I'd requested. Of course. I had to chase the waiter down for that, too. On the way out, my sister made an offhand comment to some people waiting in line that they probably had better ways to waste their time on a Friday night and they took our advice and left, too. After dinner I stopped at a retail establishment and in conversation mentioned that I'd just been out to dinner with my sister. The cashier asked where I'd gone, and I told her. She said, "Oh, I've never been there - how is it?" I told her the truth. She probably won't go. And you probably shouldn't either. Simply awful. read more

Yes, authentic Mexican, with small portions and prices. This is my second time, and I immediately remembered the service being very bad, which it was today, on all counts. I'll never go back just because of inattentive, slow, unknowledgeable, and surly wait staff. And then this: Check came to $9.77. Waiter took my card, but brought it back and explained to me the policy of no cards below $10. The policy is clearly stated by a sign on the counter next to the cash register, and among multiple jars of candy on said counter. I said make it $15 then, and that can be the tip. No. I have to pay cash or make it $10. The card gets run before the tip, so no. I say I'll go to the bank, get the cash, and come back. No, you have to pay $10 now. I say you're going to back us all into a corner over .23? Sir, I am not the manager. I am just the waiter. OK. I go to the register and have the same conversation with the owner, upon now seeing the policy for the first time. Same conversation. I have to make it $10, etc. Sir, what are you going to do? I don't know...I am not the owner and I am not the waiter, I am just the customer. Owner says just buy a piece of candy. I don't eat candy. Owner: then make it $10. Me: Make it $15, and give the waiter $5.23 for his tip, even though he never refilled my drink or otherwise asked if I needed anything, and took forever to bring the check. If I had the chance to order a soda, the bill would have been over $10, this issue would not have presented itself, and I wouldn't have sealed my distaste for this restaurant. Moral of the story: Don't make the customer nickel and dime you, while you're nickel and diming him. Total paid: $15. Tip line: 0. read more

The food is the exact same. My wife had a margarita the other day and they are extremely potent, could be a good or bad thing. They remodeled several months ago, looks much better inside. Weird static cling things on the windows that I don't understand, but the rest is a definite improvement. read more

Sorry they have gone down hill. A waiter dripped sweat right on to our table when delivering food. He noticed and grimaced but that was it !!!!!! We couldn't eat. He also carried plates on his bare arm and the bottom of the plates were sitting on top of our other quests plates. I hate and regret to say I can never eat here again after that mind blowing experience ewwwww read more

My new favorite Mexican restaurant! The food is delicious, quick and inexpensive. Make sure to get the cheese sauce for your chips. To die for! read more

El Palenque is a great authentic Mexican restaurant. We do most our shopping at Wegans on Alberta Dr and normally stop here on the way. We have eaten here atleast a couple times a month for several years now, sometimes for lunch and sometimes for dinner, and have never had a complaint about the service or food at El Palenque. read more

Don't bother. The people were not friendly, the service was terrible and the food just ok. Go somewhere else.

I had dinner there last night with my wife. The services is the worst I've ever experienced. The waitress took our order and then we never saw her until it was time for the check. I never got the water I asked for or the second basket of chips. I thought the food tasted good until I had to pull a 5 inch hair out of my mouth. I hate to think what may go on behind closed doors in the kitchen if they show such poor care towards the customer in the dining room! read more

The margs here are yummy and plentiful ... the food is hit or miss. It's generic Tex mex. Nothing was ever overtly bad, just bland and forgettable. But then another time it was pretty yummy so off day for the chef maybe. Who knows? Either way play it safe and order yourself a nice big margarita! ;) read more

Stopped by on a Wednesday night around 7 pm in early September. Restaurant was mildly busy but not full; there were open tables visible. There was a clear sign that stated "please wait to be seated". So I waited. I was utterly ignored and a server or host never made any sort of eye contact with me. A party of two came in after I had been waiting for ten minutes and was seated immediately. They were not meeting another party and this restaurant does not take reservations. I was unhappy and attempted to flag someone down. The only person I could find was a ten year old who was cashing customers out. Very unprofessional and possibly illegal. He was no help so I left. I have eaten here before and there are better choices for Mexican in the Buffalo area. read more

2nd time here, forgot the last experience was meh.. this experience was even less enjoyable. Long wait for service and food. Rice was flavorless and blah, as was everything except the old pungent onions. Regrets, I've had a few...coming here again is one of them! ;S read more

The food is good, for Buffalo mexican, it's pretty tough to find it... I think it's probably the best you can get around here. The service is fast, and the experience was over all good... though there are a lot better places to eat, this one is the best for Mexican and has a HUGE menu. Definitely family friendly. read more

have returned and just have to knock it down a star because everything seems increasingly salty, but more than that -- the burritos are terrible. They are just flour tortillas rolled around meat with salsa on top (no rice, no beans, no cheese, no lettuce- you get the picture). Not too distinguishable from their enchiladas, which are corn tortillas wrapped around meat with enchilada sauce instead of salsa. read more

I went to El Palenque for the first time yesterday. We arrived with a party of 6 and were greeted and seated immediately. Very fast service and friendly staff. I ordered the Pollo con Crema (grilled chicken in cream sauce) and it was wonderful. Everyone in my party enjoyed their meals. Nice atmosphere, clean and family friendly. read more

Word to the wise the marargitas aren't only the thing that's huge. The burritos are huge!! I only managed to eat half of mine. . . although in retrospect it could have been because my friend and I essentially ate a meals worth of nachos. Mmm! read more

The food at El Palenque Mexican Grill was fantastic! My friend and I each ordered something different from each other and both dishes turned out to be great. The restaurant was very clean and had fast service. There was a small language barrier, but with some trying I was able to remember enough Spanish to get what I needed. However, if needed, there were other wait staff that knew more English and there would be no problem if you don't speak Spanish! The tables and chairs were painted in a traditional Mexican-American theme which added to the whole experience and made dinner very charming. The price for the amount of food that we got was very reasonable. read more

It's the second best Mexican place in town (la tolteca being #1). Rumor has it that the waitstaff & cooks are all puerto rican, which if it is true would explain the good but not quite right taste here. I've always been satisfied with my meals at el palenque but I always LOVE my meals at la tolteca... read more

I've always loved this place from the first time I went. The food has always been good. Service depends on who you get, luckily I speak Spanish so I don't struggle. Only thing I would change about the restaurant is their decoration choices. It's nice but it should be updated a little bit. read more

Great service and pretty decent food, too, but nothing to go crazy over. The chips and salsa are free and unlimited, which is nice, though they're not great either. Love the classic red and green El Yucateco hot sauces as always, and the portion sizes are healthy. Worth a visit. read more

Had lunch here with my son and husband. it was great, we all had different dishes and every one was great. I had so much I was able to share with the others! The chips are not the fat ones that you often get in restaurants. After living in Texas for 10 years, this is a treat in the north! I will be happy to return when I visit Buffalo again. read more

Used to be my go-to Mexican Restaurant. Last visit was mediocre, to say the least. Tonight stopped in for just a take out cheese dip. Understandably, the dip was about $10. However, they wanted to charge me another $4 for the chips that they usually serve for free when you sit down to eat in before you even order anything. When I questioned this additional charge, the woman at the counter started arguing with me. When I said I no longer wanted it and began leaving the restaurant, the woman began yelling at me saying I couldn't leave until I paid for the chips and dip I no longer wanted, and did not take. Needless to say, I will never be stepping foot in the place again. read more

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in town. The prices are fair, portions are large, and service is quick. I strongly recommend beef chimichangas. read more

Horrible experience. Where do I begin? Our server didn't understand us and vice versa which caused errors from the very beginning. Wrong drink order(which another server has to fix), food that was too expensive for the quality and portion. Long wait for service or to even get napkins or utensils after the food was delivered. Dinner ended with server using an adding machine to total bill and kept adding extras. Each time I pointed out the error he would look at me because he didn't understand. Another server helped him get the right total and then he added more. I got too frustrated and just overpaid knowing that I would never be back. read more

Do not go here! Poor service! The waiter walked away and don't even ask one of the girls at the table what she wanted to drink! Cold queso. Margaritas are nothing great. Definitely not worth it. Wish I went to chili's down the street... read more

their jumbo margarita got me blasted!!!! tasy, cheap authentic mexican restaurant. best in buffalo read more

My father-in-law took me because we wanted some good Mexican, and we were not disappointed. Great prices with great portions. Hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did. read more

It was ok. My enchiladas rancheras were good but several others at our table weren't happy with their meals. The service was also pretty bad. I could have used a refill of my water at least once and never saw the server til she quickly dropped the check and ran. Our server also wouldn't split the check which made it difficult for a group of us to go out. I doubt if I will go back. read more

Making the rounds of the area's Mexican restaurants, I came across this place. Always willing to give one of my favorite cuisines a try, I ventured lunch here. The restaurant has a very diverse and extensive menu. My test menu item is always the chili rellenos. Sadly, El Palenque failed on a couple of counts. Usually chili rellenos are made with cheese--not these, beef. One would have to order the chili poblanos to get cheese. My lunch partner, a vegetarian had to settle for an enchilada--but not with the usual cheese. This one came standard with beef. Cheese enchiladas are $1 more. The beans were runny and the rice was unremarkable. It might have been an off day for our waiter, but inattentive would be an understatement. I love Mexican and after living in Southern California for more than 30 years I think I know a few good ones. This one doesn't meet the lower range of the one's I've eaten in. There are better places locally too. read more

Pretty nice place if you're bored on a Friday night. The food was very good but the service was very slow. It was decently busy but we waited an extremely long time for our dinner and our check. It's definitely a good change and definitely great for groups! read more

this place shouldn't be in business. Nothing worth waiting 50 mins for. I won't ever be back. Food didn't get to the table until an hour after sitting down. Every other table was served within 30 mins. Our waiter actually forgot about our table. We tried to give it the benefit of doubt but couldn't stand it. I left half of the syrup heavy margarita on the table and 3 tacos untouched. This place is a failure. I would go as far to say that this place is the worst establishment I have ever eaten at. Tell your friends! read more

Absolutely delicious and reasonably priced! Need a female for hospitality and more organization when checking out.

The chicken nachos and beef enchilada were delicious. The restaurant is very clean with a friendly, casual atmosphere. I'll definitely go back again when I get a chance. read more

I usually know what to expect from El Palenque... a fairly run of the mill Mexican meal with no surprises at a relatively reasonable price. Today the service was slow, the food was mediocre at best and downright inedible at worst, and I am convinced that their customer service approach is nonexistent. The waiter apologized for the slow response by telling us that the kitchen is "really busy." Gee, for a Saturday evening, that must have been quite a surprise. (Sarcasm) My dish included beef (thin and tough, over cooked and stringy), bland retried beans, and tasteless chicken ( also thin and overlooked). This may be my last visit there. read more

We were in the area and decided we were craving Mexican food. We looked this place up and thought we'd give it a chance. Definitely an old Denny's from the outside, but I think they did a great job transforming the inside. The menu had lots of options to choose from and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The food was great. I'm from Texas and there's good Mexican food and bad Mexican food there. This place made me happy to get some good food so far from home. The Chile Relleno was my favorite, but everything else was good too. I'd definitely go back. read more