I've been to El Palenque a few times now, mostly with a friend of mine who has an affinity for margaritas. To start on a positive note, the service has been consistently good. I've seen a couple other Yelpers complain about the service here, but I've never encountered an issue. As a matter of fact, the last server that we had was engaging, funny, and accommodating. He was definitely the best part of the evening. The food is okay. It's nothing spectacular, lacking in originality and real character, but it's tasty enough. I ordered the enchilada meal last time, and was disappointed to not receive any beans or rice on the side (Maybe I mis-ordered and thought I was getting something else - the enormous menu definitely makes this possible.). I ended up scraping most of the sour cream-soaked lettuce off the top of the enchiladas, which made the dish a lot better. The margarita slushies are passable, as well. It's pretty obvious that they come from some sort of pre-made mix that I could probably buy at Target. Still, they're big, well-endowed with tequila, and reasonably priced, so they are great after a long day at work. A small is $5, but the $7 one is twice as big for only $2 more, so if you're going with one other person I would recommend just splitting the larger size to save a few dollars. The last time I went in they had replaced some of the light bulbs with the "daylight" versions. The harsh too-brightness of them is terrible, especially after dark. I'm not deducting any stars for what is hopefully a temporary issue, but I really hope they switch them back to the softer, cozier bulbs before I go in again. Harsh lighting + tequila = headaches all around. read more

I have been here numerous times and the food is usually outstanding. Tonight the food was not so good. The tacos were very bland. Not much flavor and were served cold. Chips and salsa were very good. Waiter was very difficult to understand and he never came back after he delivered the cold food. We had to go to the counter for new food, refills and the check. I am hoping this was a fluke and I will give them another chance. The new decor is very nice. read more

The queso was cold and the guac watery and looked like it came from a tube. The salsa was wayyyy too hot and clumpy. We decided to leave without ordering and when we told them they still made me pay $4 for a soda. Ended up going next door to El Toro... not sure why we didn't just go there in the first place. read more

I do love the food here and will be back, again and again. Amazing carnita in chile colorado (slow-roasted pork in a mole-ish sauce). The salsa tastes fresh and the chips are light-flakey and yummy. Decor is Denny's cheaply done-over to look semi-mexicanish. Cobbled together mexican chairs, lots of corona blow-up decorations, everything is painted and colorful. Overall scheme is a bit off; the walls are painted "discount institutional light lime green" usually found in elementary school cafeterias. Cheap ass linoleum floor. Fiberboard backed booths. They serve negro modelos and flourescent lime green margaritas. I found the glowy hue slightly worrisome, but the margo was OK in a cheap-ass tequila kind of way. And they do mean "Jumbo". Service sssssssssssssssllllllllllllllllllooooow. Bring me my drink, already. Oh, wait, come take my drink order, already. Everyone there speaks Spanish (I hear you in the kitchen!), they respond to my *passable* attempts in English. Bah! Points off for slow service and super-kitschy cheap decor. It ain't fancy. read more

I've been to this place many times, both during weekends and weekdays, and I have to say: I've never experienced a restaurant so inconsistent before. The service is generally better on Fridays and weekends, where the more experienced servers seem to work. However, on weekdays, it's as if it's an entirely different restaurant. I don't normally give restaurants such a low rating, but the last time I came here, the service could use some improvement. The waitress was not really familiar with the menu and needed the number of the item on the menu and even then, there was still a couple of misunderstandings. Our waters were never refilled and our food was mistakenly given to us and an item was forgotten. I am understanding to new staff, if that's the case, but I did not notice any initiative. Apart from the service, the food is pretty run-of-the-mill. It's cheesy, it's hot, and it's good. read more

For the love of food will someone please open a good Mexican restaurant in this town!! This place is a dump. (which I wouldn't mind if the food was good.... It isn't.) my meal was really bland. The service was slow and the place seemed dirty. So disappointing. read more

OMG! I LOVE El Palenque! As a Hispanic girl who doesn't really indulge in Mexican food (mostly because my stomach has had terrible problems trying various REAL Mexican places in NYC lol.. if you know me, you know my stomach is very sensitive to people not washing their hands, dirty conditions, etc), I thought this place was amazing! I don't generally like Mexican food cause it's "easy-to-eat" food, meaning chopped up into itty baby size bites. SALSA WOW. Just WOW. The salsa is amazing! My boyfriend's family always come here to buy 2 containers of salsa to keep at home. They average around $8 bucks i think for a tall container...which is not bad considering a small jar of Tostitos salsa is like $6, plus this is WAY TASTIER! Also, the salsa is made FRESH every morning, so it will always taste slightly different, maybe more spicy, more cilantroy, etc. mmmm so YUMMY! FOOD I personally like coming during the Lunch Specials (Mon-Sat 11am~2:30pm) Because I like to order special #20 ($6.69). Chicken picao (chicken cut up) with rice, lettuce, guacamole, tomato, y ranchero sauce. I love the guac cause it tastes fresh and us Chileans LOVE avocados! The rice tastes great with the ranchero sauce, the tomatoes are good, and the lettuce is your typical iceburg lettuce I think. But it's alright, it still tastes good all together. MARGARITAS Woo baby!! I tried to order a small margarita but was easily convinced by the waiter to get a medium haha. Yup it was definitely worth it. I got mine in slushie form, but you can ask for it straight up if you're hardcore. If you plan on getting drunk here, either take the bus or get a DD. My boyfriend got drunk here in the middle of the day because he had to finish his friend's margarita as well as his own! lol They are quite large and are made with only the best tequila, PATRON! DESSERTS As far as sopapillas go, I'm sad to say, these are the worst I've had. NOT terrible/uneatable, I'd just say they are way to dry and crunchy to eat. Maybe if I tried it with the ice cream it would be better. I've just had way better from my mother. In Chile, sopapillas are more like a fried flat bread that when you bite into it, it's got a chewable bread-texture. Then we drizzle them in honey, or eat it with a tomato salad, spread some pate on it, it's got multiple uses! El Palenque's thin, crunchy sopapilla just doesn't live up to that. The flan is superb! They are served in a single portion, but I have shared one once. It tastes wonderful, and isn't too sweet. The nice golden brown color is perfect. As for the fried ice-cream and Xango, I have yet to try. I've never heard of Xango, but I'll try it eventually. read more

This used to be our go-to place for yummy on a weeknight quick Mexican dinner. Sadly it's been steadily going downhill. The conditions inside were so poor on our last visit that the hvac/ac was leaking enough to require a bucket. Service has always been meh, which was fine, but now it's flat out rude and awful. The food, if it ever arrives, is bland at best. Not planning to ever go back, which is sad as we really liked this place for years. read more

To start off this review, I heard from a friend that this place had great margaritas so I came here one night with 3 other girl friends to drink. And try some good Mexican food. I thought the atmosphere was great! Exactally what we were looking for. And the drinks were huge! We all ordered the Jumbo Margarita and it absolutely did it's job! As for the food, the menu is a little confusing. Like I said, it was us 4 girls, none of us have ever had real Mexican food so we were asking the waitress a lot of questions. The waitress was obviously annoyed and was very short with us. We finally just ordered something we thought sounded good. And it was! I don't know what it was, but it was very good. I think it was a good and fun experience and I would definitely go here again!! read more

Remember the first scene of Pulp Fiction? Two thieves are sitting in a booth at a sun-drenched LA diner, plotting a stick up of the joint. They debate the merits of robbing banks and stores, and decide that if they rob the restaurant they're sitting in, they can steal from both the cashier and the customers. Suddenly the female of the pair stands up and yells to the patrons, and then the credits roll. It's great. When I eat at El Palenque I'm reminded of that movie's awesome cold open, and, more specifically, of one of those old school Los Angeles diners. Maybe it's because the restaurant is a converted Denny's, with loud colors everywhere. Maybe it's because the margaritas and draft beers are served in glasses as big as your face that make you think you should be vacationing. Maybe it's because the Boulevard is as wide as the LA freeway. The restaurant just has that mid-century California vibe. It is at once out of a different era, and cool because of that fact. The food is also great. As soon as you sit down, they bring you a basket of chips and fresh salsa. The chips are not store bought. They are hot and, I think, tossed in the fryer for a few seconds. The salsa rocks. Don't feel bad if you finish them all, or finish the salsa. They'll keep bringing more. I think it's possible you could order a bunch of drinks and just keep eating the chips and salsa and call it a night (or afternoon) (or morning?) but I haven't tried that yet. That said, the menu is very extensive and I recommend you try something off of it. I've only had the enchiladas verde, but they were the best I've ever had in WNY. They're served with guacamole, which I dipped my chips in. The guac was good enough to eat with just a fork though. I think I've ordered the enchiladas verde four or five times. Next time I'll try something different. No five dollar milkshakes though. read more

What a tremendous disappointment this place is. The restaurant was filthy, the bathroom is a nightmare, the service was horrendous, and the food was COLD...not even warm. We ordered nachos and some queso dip as an appetizer...but guess what? My entree came out first. Why advertise "appetizer" if it is coming at the end of the meal? Oh, and the queso dip never came, but of course, it was on the bill. I ordered a glass of pino grigio. The waiter came back to the table, mispronounced it, and asked if I wanted a "mer-lott" I said, "you don't know anything about wine, do you?" Not that I was expecting great wine, but even basic knowledge would have been nice. My entree was cold. Not even warm. I asked the waiter to heat my food (heaven forbid) and he brought it back on a hot plate, but the food was still cold. I had a few bites but it was inedible because it wasn't hot. My boyfriend asked for no lettuce on the tacos that came with his combo dinner (the tacos had lettuce on them) and the waiter thought he wanted an additional taco, and brought that out with the food. My boyfriend is a big eater so this wasn't that much of an issue...but really... So we go to pay the bill, (I REALLY didn't want to, but I am too nice I guess) and he took the dip off. The waiter said, "you look disappointed." I said, "I am." He said, "next time you are in here, I will tell you what is good." I said, "you think there's going to be a next time?" DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. read more

Interestingly enough we got greeted by a cockroach in the entrance area in January in Buffalo. Good chance it came not from the outside..... read more

El Palenque - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Ate dinner here tonight with my husband. I ordered a combination with a beef enchilada, beef burrito and a cheese quesadilla. I didn't feel great after the meal and was nauseous all night. I ended up throwing up and feel I have food poisoning from something I ate at dinner. I will be avoiding this place from now on. read more

The good: - Pollo con crema - I thought it sounded interesting and was glad I ordered it, it was tasty - chips & salsa. mmmm. - price! 2 entrees and 2 drinks for $25? Thank you! - table service was ok. Fast. The guy at the register was really nice. The mediocre: - sizes were smaller than we expected for a Mexican joint - they were really strict on the menu about substitutions and seeing as I can't have beans or onions, that limited my choices (admittedly I didn't ask for a substitution, but it seemed quite clear that they didn't want me to) The ugly: - The interior - The "this was totally a Denny's" exterior - The parking lot (confusing, oddly shaped, and messy) - The obnoxiously too bright lights hanging over half the booths read more

Carne Asada. I am never ordering anything else at this restaurant. Grilled sliced steak, cooked with grilled onions. Served with a side of rice, beans, lettuce, guacamole & 3 tortillas. Thinly sliced tender steak. Perfectly flavored beans. A whole pickled jalepeno to cut up and put on everything. SO GOOD. Don had the Special Dinner - Chalupa, Chile Relleno, Beef Taco,Enchilada, Tamale, Rice & Beans. Plenty of food left over for dinner the next day. Love this place. read more

I've been to El Palenque several times since my first review. They've updated the decor a bit and it looks nice. (Still an old Denny's, but nice.) The food is consistent: Always pretty good and very inexpensive. They tend to get slammed on Friday/Saturday and the service can get slow during the rush. However, they do their best to keep up. I'd recommend them more of a Monday and Tuesday than a weekend, for sure. Great place for cheap eats. read more

Place sucks. Margaritas taste like a mix, food comes out Luke warm, chili relleno is breaded and bland. Go to the joint on Transit or Allen instead read more

There's a lot of contention as to what restaurants in Buffalo might (or might not) serve "authentic" Mexican food. I'm either qualified nor interested in weighing in on that - but what I can tell you, is that we like eating here. Apparently, a lot of other people do; if you show up at peak hours, expect to wait to get a table. The venue is actually a HIGHLY retrofitted former Denny's restaurant. It's now equipped with all the splendid ponchos, murals, and sombreros you'd expect--plus some really impressive carved booths and tables. On every visit, we've found the service to be great. The menu is pretty much what you'd expect to find at any Mexican restaurant -- all solidly prepared and tasty, in our experience. The big surprise might be the sheer massiveness of the large margaritas, which rival an aquarium tank in volume. I've never seen anyone fail to laugh nervously when initially confronted with one. All in all, a reliable, economical, and pleasant place to catch a Mexican meal. Plenty of vegetarian options, too. read more

Really authentic Mexican cuisine is somewhat hard to find in these parts. Is El Palenque authentic? Yeah, close to it. Is it really good? Ummm, not really. I've been here a couple times and the food is just Ok. The rice that comes with the dishes is a little on the dry side, and the portions of the main part of the entree is a little bland and light. I think the best features of this place is the quick service, the flavored margaritas, and the tasty salsa and chips. Actually the salsa comes in a small glass bottle that can be poured in the salsa dish or anything on your plate to add some extra flavor. For my last visit I randomly came here in the afternoon at 2 PM, which turned out to be perfect timing. Because 2-6 PM is happy hour $2.75 margaritas, and the lunch specials are from 11:30-2:30 PM, so they overlap for a half hour....how awesome is that! I ordered the chicken chalupa with rice...just ok, and a peach margarita....amazing! The margarita special is for a small, but it's more than enough, cause yeah they're pretty darn strong....woohoo! Glad I didn't order a large, cause I probably would've needed to call a DD to take me home, or most likely I would've taken a siesta in the booth I sat in and probably stayed for dinner too. read more

El Palenque - Colorful seating. - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I don't love Mexican food.... but I do love Tequila. I went here with my friends for National Margarita Day, and I was not disappointed. We each got a Jumbo.... literally a huge ass margarita for 9$... you cant beat it! Seriously. We were all pretty buzzed when we left. I got traditional flavor, because I really appreciate the original tequila and lime taste. My friends both got the strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed them. They also had mango which sounded good! The interior decor seemed traditional and authentic despite the outside's questionable look. They start you with free chips and salsa... the chips are very good but the salsa has a lot of cilantro in it (not my favorite). We also ordered the "cheese dip"... sketchy name but OMG SO GOOD. It was basically like fancier Moe's Queso AKA the best queso around. For entrée, I stuck to the safe side so I made sure I didn't waste my money on something I wouldn't like. I got the quesadilla appetizer, literally two chicken quesadillas with cheese, chicken, peppers and onions. The menu items don't have much description, but be weary if you ask the server more detail. Our waitress didn't speak much English and gave us incorrect info about the food. She also got one of the orders completely wrong. But the quesadilla appetizer was only 7$ and was the perfect amount of food. Upon leaving, one of our friends ordered chips and salsa to go for her mom. I was surprised when the waitress brought over a small thing of salsa and some chips and then charged over 7$... more than my quesadillas! A little confusing.... but her mom insisted! To make a long story short, yes for margaritas... meh for food. read more

Been to a bunch of Mexican-type restaurants around town.. this place is among my favorite. Although my fiance' (who's relocated from the West Coast) still cries that she can't find a "proper/authentic" taco in town, other than that, these guys rock! - Great chips/Salsa - Bottomless *bottled mexican sodas*.. (with actual sugar).. YAY!! - Great tasting food all around, for reasonable price Not a place to take a fancy date if she's uptight about a "fancy atmosphere" but for family, friends, or even a non-uptight date, I'd recommend this place for a good mexican meal :-) read more

I can't believe all these good reviews el palenque is getting. Clearly everyone reviewing has never had GOOD Mexican food before. I am from Texas and just moved to Buffalo. My husband and I knew we'd be giving up some awesome Mexican food when we came here, but decided to give it a try. The waiter who seated us hardly even said a word to us when we walked in. He just counted the number of people and tossed some silverware on a table. Then, after we didn't sit ourselves down (we were waiting for him to show us our table), he he looked at us and said, "Um, this is your table", all rudely. The food was a pathetic excuse for Mexican food. I ordered the "Special Texas" (chimichanga with a quesadilla). The meat was chewy and flavorless. The sauces on everything tasted more like (bad) Italian than Mexican. My husband said his burrito was horrible, too. And the portions were tiny for what I am used to. If this is the best Buffalo has to offer as far as Mexican food goes, then I guess I will have to wait until I visit my family in Texas to satisfy my craving. Not going back! read more

The food here is decent for cheap Mexican, and my friends enjoy the inexpensive margaritas and free chips and salsa. With that said, the service is atrocious. Fairly often the servers won't stop at the table again after dropping off the food, so no drink refills; it takes forever to order; and it's often a very long wait to be seated even if the restaurant is practically empty. read more

Had high hopes for this restaurant - the outside decor sort of reminded me of home. My friend and I ordered margaritas and they were both odd colors. Mine was lighter than hers and her margarita looked and tasted like juice. Our waiter was VERY nice, but not as welcoming as he should have been . When my plate was placed in front if me, the hopes went all the way downhill. The rice was bland, the chicken was dry, and the portion was way too small. I'm Mexican and I dont expect to eat at a truly authentic Mexican restaurant in Buffalo, but this restaurant should be "deflagged". read more

Stumbled upon El Palenque last summer after driving by and wondering why a Denny's looking establishment was serving Mexican. Best. Decision. Ever. The food is fantastic. While waiting for your order, salsa and chips are served. The salsa is quite delish - and addicting. (Be sure not to overindulge before your meal arrives!) As for my main course, I usually end up ordering off of the vegetarian menu and #4 is one of my favorites. The one thing I do tend to stay away from is anything with potato; I find most of those items a bit bland for my taste. I'm lactose intolerant which makes eating anywhere a pain in the rear-end at times, but the staff here is more than willing to make the menu work for you and your needs. The staff is Spanish-speaking which can sometimes make altering your menu choices a bit difficult, but if it comes to be a real hassle, just ask for the manager - his English speaking skills are a bit more advanced than the others. Overall, great experience. The staff is friendly, the food is delicious, and the price is just right! read more

Positives - food is pretty tasty, an attempt is at least made for authentic flavors. They have some adventurous items, like the mushroom burritos and their salsa is VERY flavorful. Chips are plentiful and decent. I like the atmosphere and the way they altered this former Denny's with beautifully carved and painted chairs and booths and other Mexican-influenced decor. The Meh - Service is just okay. Nothing fantastic, nothing terrible. People take their sweet time getting you stuff and aren't generally overly friendly, but they aren't so slow or rude you want to run out either. Negatives - Tiny portions for the money. I don't eat a lot (I have leftovers 90% of the time when I go out), but I never have leftovers from here and often don't even leave feeling full. They have extremely limited vegetarian options and their meat is hit or miss with quality. The hearsay - I had a friend who looks Chicana (Mexican for the uninitiated - she is actually Chinese, Pacific Islander and Italian) go here for dinner and get mercilessly hit on by the waiter, who wouldn't stop talking to her in Spanish no matter how many times she told him she wasn't Latina and didn't understand Spanish. It creeped her out and ruined her experience. I also have a friend who used to work for the health department who stated this place was repeatedly turned in for roaches and general lack of cleanliness in the kitchen, as recently as 2010. I don't know how pervasive these problems were, or if they are cleaned up. I personally never saw anything amiss with the cleanliness, but said gentleman is a fairly reputable source. read more

This is some of the best Tex-mex that I believe you will be able to find Buffalo. I am not saying that it is the best that I have had but it for the WNY region. It has a very "fun" and friendly atmosphere. The people that work there are very friendly and have always led me in the direction of a great meal. The last time I was there, I thoroughly enjoyed their fish tacos. I am willing to say it was the best thing I have dined on there. Of course you can not mention this restaurant without discussing the quality of their margarita. They are good and strong. IT is probably the reason I gave the tacos such a high review. If you go, you must try at least one but be very careful because they will sneak up on you. read more

This place is average at best. I've been here 3 times and waited forever every single time regardless of how many people were at the restaurant. Its poorly insulated and freezing as well. Food comes in large portions but is mostly bland. The waiter was weirdly touchy feely as well which really put me off and I will not return again. At least this is an option against Taco Bell? read more

El Palenque - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I came a second time because the first time my carne asada plate was actually pretty good, my second experience wasn't so good. The waitress was nice but the food was sad. My tacos were simply a little beef with some lettuce in a hard shell and my tostada was just as plain, a tostada shell w beef and cheese. No effort in this plate, my wife can make food better than this in her sleep read more

El Palenque - My food looks so depressing - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

Yuck! Not sure why I used to like this place. Had some decent meals there in the past but this past weekend was not good. I ordered the special margaritas...the description lost something in translation as I thought I was getting something in a shell or tortilla. What I got was a spoonful of rice, some shredded lettuce with a table spoon of sour cream and half a tomato slice all next to a spoonful of slop. The slop was peppers, onions some kind of white cream and probably no more than a half ounce of chicken. I located the minuscule pieces of chicken, ate them along with the lettuce and kissed my money good bye. Service was terrible. Waiter never came back to check on us and we had to beg for the bill. This will be my last visit there! Save your money...even Qdoba is better than this. read more

When this place first opened, I was excited to see an authentic Mexican restaurant near my house. I'm a Buffalonian born and breed, but sometimes you just want something a little more upscale than Mighty Taco...and this place was just that. The food was superb and very reasonably priced. My partner could typically eat dinner and be full for about $20. My personal favorite was the Quadalajara Special. Very good. However, the last few visits there (within the past few months) were less than stellar. The chips they serve were stale. The food quality seemed to have gone down. During the last visit, the staff stood by and watched as a line was forming. After 10 minutes of waiting, not a single waiter or host/hostess even bothered to welcome us or the other people in line. The staff just glared over to us once in a while and kept ignoring us. Very bad customer service. My partner and I ended up just walking out. I hope this place improves. read more

Great friendly service. The food was delicious! We will definitely go back when in Buffalo! read more

El Palenque - Chicken and shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

When did this place get so popular?! I've been eating here for lunch for years. Seriously, years. Their lunch menu is probably one of the best in the business. The food isn't wildly delicious, but it's better than any fast food Mexican place. And the servers are always great; super nice! The only reason it's not a 5 star is because I don't feel the value transfers over to dinner well. I've been there for dinner twice: once on a weekday (not too busy) and just last Saturday (it was crazy slammed and we had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated). Personally, I feel like the lunch and dinner portions are the exact same size but the dinner prices are $2-$3 more. So it's a favorite lunch stop; rarely acceptable dinner suggestion. I will say they've recently updated the interior. New booths, new tables, new wall murals. It's really nice! They did a good job. Be certain to stop in for lunch and check them out! read more

They have pretty decent food but I went with my friends family and they got mine and my friends meal completely wrong. Her mom ordered a coffee and she had to swap it for a water because the coffee creamer was bad and wouldn't mix or anything. And last, the employees were kind of rude. As I said, the food itself wasn't bad but the service was definitely unsatisfactory. read more

It's a really good restaurant! Small price big servings. Good close to authentic mexican place. Service is not very friendly. But good overall. They should however get yellow lights and do away with those cheap looking CFL bulbs. read more

Vivos El Palenque amigos! This is definitely a go to spot in Buffalo for Mexican food. Authentic? I'd say so, although my authenticity barometer is limited to the cilantro tacos I see on No Reservations... The food is made from scratch, which is always the best kind. The Margaritas need a separate paragraph... THEY ARE HUGE! Way worth the $6 for a medium. I didn't order it, but I'm pretty sure I saw someone order a swimming pool full of Margarita last time I was there... If you're like my crew and get out for some Mexican at least once a month, make sure this place is in the rotation. I tend to deviate from the crew and come to this place at least once a month by myself! read more

There is little doubt that the service is less than what Americans expect. But with that said, a restaurant is about it's product anyway and the food here is simply superb no question about that. Well priced, the taste is excellent, deep and superbly placed in the areas they are from. This is TRUE Mexican dining. read more

El Palenque - A grand start! - Mexican Near Me - Buffalo, New York

See all

The chips and salsa were great but the cheese fondue was awful straight from the can & the taco's and burritos I could have made better at home. They made me wait 5 extra minutes to pay my bill & I will not be back. read more

Ah, where to begin with this... Mexican food never disappoints me, so for me to give 2 stars is a pretty big deal. Walking in there was a sign on the door for "Buy One Get One Margaritas". Our waitress came over and I asked about the deal. Her sole response was "No." as she left our table, we watched her walk to the door and take the sign down. Most restaurants would honor this, due to it being their fault for not taking the sign down. We sat there waiting an extra long time for our meals, with empty drinks and an empty chip basket. Keep in mind, there was only 2 other tables in the restaurant at the time. The guacamole we ordered for the table was watery. I ordered the Vegetarian fajitas which consisted of burnt bell peppers and onions, and canned mushrooms - yuck! My friend ordered mixed fajitas which came with very burnt tiny crumbles of chicken, and small strips of dry steak which stuck to the bottom of the skillet. My other friend order enchiladas without cheese, which apparently meant they didn't put any of the enchilada sauce on it either. Overall, this was one of the worst experiences I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. I will not be going back to El Palenque any time soon. read more

It is tough to find decent Mexican food in the Buffalo area. However, my husband and I were quite pleased when we gave El Palenque a try. The exterior of the restaurant is nothing to look at. The parking lot is adjacent to a Dunkin' Donuts drive-through, and when we visited on a recent weeknight the grass out front was in dire need of mowing. Nevertheless, they have a great selection of Mexican style entrees and side dishes. We did not order alcoholic beverages on this visit, but I noticed they have draft beer as well as Margaritas. We were immediately seated by our waiter, who was pleasant and friendly and brought us complimentary chips and salsa. The chips and salsa were better than we have had at other Buffalo-area Mexican restaurants. I ordered chicken enchiladas with salsa verde, which is my go-to choice whenever I visit a Mexican restaurant. I was not disappointed -- it was really really good. The portion size was a bit smaller than I am used to (no rice/beans, just a delicious small side salad with guacamole on it), but it was more than ample. My husband wasn't sure what he wanted to order, so our waiter helped him to choose Los Tres Potrillos. It was unbelievably good and the portion size was large enough to require a to-go box for leftovers. We were on our way to get to a meeting and were short of time on this visit. We plan to return here soon, however, as it is the best Mexican food we have had in this area to date. read more