My kids and I took my Mom and Sister out for their birthday and they chose El Potro. We've been there before a few times. The food quality is always consistent, the prices are reasonable, and the staff is friendly. This time, I felt for our server, as he was running constantly didn't seem to have much down time. Our Mom sent her steak back, as it was a little overcooked, so she couldn't chew it easily with her dentures. The new steak came out right away and was perfect. When I was paying the bill, our server was chatting with my sister, he seemed genuinely delighted that she spoke Spanish, and thanked her multiple times for being so kind when she sent the steak back (gotta wonder how other people treat him when sending something back). Mom got a steak, and asked for fries instead of rice and beans, which they accommodated no problem, as well as a small margarita, as she really enjoys them there. Sister got a taco salad with chicken. I got a taco salad with ground beef and Dos Equis Amber. My older son got fajitas. My younger son got a cheese quesadilla. Everything was good. And we went in a little early to beat the dinner rush. The place was packed by the time we left. read more

Very Disappointing Experience The food was honestly nasty. We ordered the grilled fajitas for two with beef and chicken, expecting a good amount of meat. Instead, the plate came with more chorizo than actual beef and chicken. Unfortunately, the chorizo was disgusting and had a terrible taste. For the price, we expected much better quality and a proper portion of beef and chicken. Definitely not an experience we would want to repeat. Very disappointing. read more

Lets start with the good. They have strong to go Margheritas, that are not expensive. If I want a drink to go to enjoy at home this is the spot. The staff was very friendly. Unfortunately that was the good. I often can even tell if this place is open or not, I think it's closed much of the time when I drive by. The food was. Well I am just going to say it. It was very bland. Their solution for bland food is.....cheese sauce. Not vegetable, not spices, just more sauce. I don't want to drag this place, but the food was not good. I'll leave it at that. read more

Back in 2012 I lived in Troy, IL for a year. That's where I first found this place. I live roughly 30 minutes away now but decided to go back for dinner tonight. I can't say I remember what the salsa tasted like. However, tonight it was a bit bland. The chips were light and crispy so it was a give & take. I ordered a shrimp chimichanga and the hubby got the quesadilla hawaiiana. He thinks hot pineapple is delicious. I do not. Both of our entrees were delicious and flavorful. Almost forgot about my sangria margarita. Well it was kinda forgettable. Not sure if it had more than a table spoon of tequila in it. It was still tasty though a bit pricey for juice. The place was crowded and the wait staff was really hustling. If you live in Troy or ever have you know they heavily patronize local business. I used to ride my bike around town. Leave this for them. Don't make a special trip. read more

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I'm still not sure how this place is open. The food was in edible last time we went. My kids call it El Poopo. We left without eating most of our food. read more

not good , meat very tough . waiter was kind and friendly but food not good. I ordered a steak fajita and meat was tough and rubbery . I could not eat it . read more

Your standard Mexican fare here, but it just didn't have that "wow" factor and delicious taste. In fact, the food tasted rather bland and could have definitely used some more seasoning. My burrito didn't quite hit home like I wanted it to- was rather tasteless! But on the positive side: the chips were very good, salsa did the trick, and I certainly got full. If I came again I'd just try something different- I'm sure there are plenty of other options out there on the menu that would be great! read more

El Potro - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Troy, Illinois

It is one of the best mexican places I have had in a long time good tacos and whatever you ask for it is fresh

Our waiter was very attentive and friendly. Our orders were very tasty, hot, and came out in a very short time. Great value for the price.

I believe the name means "The Colt," though the staff had better keep the place clean, or the name will quickly morph into something less flattering simply by changing a letter or two. I'm going easy on them for several reasons: 5.) It's relatively new, having opened in April, 4.) The construction traffic at the nearby I-55 interchange must be negatively impacting their accessibility and visibility, 3.) Today's dishes, shrimp enchiladas and chicken nachos, were presented well and tasted good, 2.) The server was more respectful and friendly than almost anyone else I met on this hottest day of the year, and 1.) The guacamole was fresh, chunky, and full of cilantro. read more

El Potro - a mexican restaurant sign on a pole - Mexican Near Me - Troy, Illinois

Excellent food, service. Had lunch here and will definitely be back. Huge portions. Chips and salsa great with a little kick from Cholula.

Had a delicious lunch we will definitely go back the food was very very good I had the steak fajita, Darrell had the combination platter they were both delicious. The portion sizes was plenty read more

El Potro - Steak fajita - Mexican Near Me - Troy, Illinois

The food is good. The seating is not very comfortable, and the margaritas come from a mix. They are not freshly made.

Took a little while to get our food to the table but as always the food is terrific, my Margaritas were perfectly made. read more

El Potro - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Troy, Illinois

Sangria Margarita is a must try !! Service is always fast and friendly . Food is comparable to other Mexican stops.

Fast service despite there seeming to be only one server. Food is quite mid. Huge portions.

Friendly staff, average pricing, good food, and tasty margaritas keep us coming back. The tamales are some of the best I've had. Smothered in the cheese sauce with sour cream and salad mix, it was heaven when the mexican craving hit hard. I do remember their rice and beans not being that great, so I just skipped on them this time. The chips were thicker than I like but they were still good. And, the salsa had fresh cilantro in it which is a step up from most. It's good for a quick fix in Troy. read more

This review is based SOLELY on their tamales! Don't know if it makes for a "proper" review, but it's all I've got. I ordered tamales, minus the cheese sauce, which I think is wrong, wrong, WRONG. I'm originally from San Antonio, and tamales were NEVER served with cheese sauce. Anyways, El Potro's tamales have a very good ratio of masa to meat filling. VERY tasty. My one complaint is why don't any places offer anything besides pork tamales??? I need some beef tamales! I want some chicken tamales! WHY can't I find 'em? read more

El Porto did an amazing job with catering fajita meat for a graduation party! The food was excellent and we received so many compliments! Although there were a few issues, they responded immediately and resolved quickly! Excellent customer service! read more

Great little place to have lunch. Lunch portions are small, but the food was fresh and delicious. One waitress worked the lunch rush, so if your brining a group you may want to let them know in advance. read more

El Potro - Authentic seats. - Mexican Near Me - Troy, Illinois

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant, hands down! They have amazing chips and salsa and our other favorites include the Mexican dip, Queso fundido, chori pollo, chimichangas, and all of their fajitas. Their margaritas are delicious too! It's nothing fancy, but is super delicious and they are very friendly. Any time we go somewhere else, we compare it to the food here and nothing is as good! read more

Quick and Good The menu is not elaborate, but everything they offer is very good. The staff is very nice and strive to remember you we have been several times and look forward to returning. The building is like some old Fast food joint, so it's not big or fancy. They focus on the food and service instead. Go, the food, service, and reasonable prices will bring you back. read more

The food quality is different each time you eat here. Sometimes it's good and sometimes it's not so good. The last couple times we ate here, the chips tasted like old grease. Fresh tasting chips are a must for Mexican restaurants. Another thing that bothers me is the cleanliness of the restaurant. There are vents in the ceiling directly above tables that have years worth of dust on them. Makes me wonder what the kitchen looks like. read more

This place is great! Love the fajitas. We get the chicken and steak. Big portions and fast service. Tonight we carried out and it was great! Foil containers with everything we needed including chips. read more

It's kind of sad that the only good thing that you can say about the food having good taste is when you add the commercially produced and purchased hot sauce they have on each table and the pop that they have absolutely nothing to do with making. The rest of the food here is very underseasoned and bland. A little bit more time on seasoning the food and the place would've gotten a better review. the restaurant is clean and like most Mexican restaurants it's got it's own little charms but that doesn't help with the lackluster food. read more

The food was really good! It reminded me a lot of Si Senor in Granite City. The service was good and we liked sitting outside on the patio area. read more

Ventured out of the house to one of our favorite restaurants that we have not been to in a long time. Dined outside and it was very pleasant. Very good food and excellent customer service! read more

El Potro is Troy's newest Mexican restaurant. The place seems brighter inside than other Mexican restaurants in the area. The service was excellent as the wait staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was just ok. It was a little too bland for me. It was nothing to write home about. I hope they can improve their flavors and flourish in Troy. read more

This place seems in need of a Mexican cook. I have been there several times and everything I have ordered was bland and didn't really have any flavor. Usually Mexican food has some spice and great flavor but I don't think they even salt and pepper their meat. The salsa tastes like straight tomato juice and even after dumping more than a normal amount of hot sauce that's on the table its still below average. I would say that the staff is friendly but that's about it. I was really hoping this place would be a better place to eat at since the town is pretty small. read more

Would have given 5 stars, but for the somewhat tired building. Maybe, however, thats how they are able to provide such wonderful food in such decent quantities at such low prices. The salsa appeared to be made in house and was exceptional with the fresh crisp tortilla chips that graced our table as soon as we sat down. Try the chili rellenos. My wife and I both thought they were the best we've ever had. Service was excellent as well. Definitely recommend. read more

Food was excellent, service was great. Shrimp fajitas were perfectly prepared. Margarita was outstanding. Couldn't be happier.

Very Friendly staff. Cuisine was good. They will make it spicier if you request it! Would spruce up the décor if I ran the place. But, food was good. Pricing is reasonable. read more

The food seemed bland. The one waiter was nice but part of my meal, the refried beans were missing and they did not taste that good to me compared to other places I have eaten with same menu. I was the only customer there for about thirty minutes and only two other folks came in after I was served. The price was not bad but I think I will not return. Plenty of parking. No television. Seemed clean but I did not check out the rest room. read more

We use to eat at another Mexican restaurant all the time. We came here because we had a discount card that had discounted margaritas, (who can really pass up discounted margaritas?) Anyway, the food is great and the service is pretty good as well. It's not really crowded ever and they sit you right down. I think this is a hidden gem in the town of Troy. This is our go to Mexican joint now. Highly recommended!! read more

Poor Service- Poor Food- High prices. New menus again at El Potro, you know what that means price increase. Queso (cheese sauce) was like water as appetizer. Polo Zarape was dry had very little cheese sauce on it, had waiter bring more cheese sauce, to my surprise charged $3.99-for a dish that was to already have it- Wow! Not many people there still didn't see waiter but 1 time after food was brought. Been going there for many years, sadly no more. With as many choices in the Troy and Edwardsville area, they need to be careful of the choices they make. I know what choice I'm making next time. read more

Good!! Good !!! Excellent margatitas !! Excellent service!! And Excellent food !!! By far the best mexican rest !!!

This Mexican restaurant did not meet my expectations and did not have good food. While the service was adequate, the food did not do justice. The salsa had a very sour flavor, and the chips did not seem fresh, but rather the generic variety from a grocery store. When I received my food, the beans were lacking flavor, and it was messy overall. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone in Troy, IL, and one would be better off at Taco Bell. read more

awful. they kicked us out right after they closed and didn't let us finish our food. website said 9:30 not 8:30. terrible

Bland, and the fish tacos were made with crumbled up fish sticks. Good queso dip though

By far the best Mexican food in this area since I have moved back here from Texas.