Honestly El Rey is great! As a Los Angeles native, Mexican food is always a "not as good as California" affair, and with that bar, it's hard to find anything that holds a candle. But El Rey is good in its own right, taking familiar foods and flavors, with a bit of a fancier twist, and making a good meal that I love to eat and enjoy! Seating and service here is friendly and prompt. Even when it's pretty loud and seems packed, there are always a handful of open tables available, where we've usually been able to be seated almost immediately. Such was the case this evening. We were on a bit of a time crunch so we ordered immediately and our food came out so fast that the waiter for our table was surprised as the food beat him with our napkins to the table. We ordered the Tuna Tostada and the Yucatan Spiced Chicken Fajitas. Both were amazing! Good thing for our tight timeline, the food was gone as fast as it came. The waiter helpfully recommend the house hot sauce, which was certainly spicy and a good compliment on our fajitas. Overall, a great place to dine for Mexican-inspired! Laying aside my California bias, El Rey is a fun time every time we come. read more

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Valentine's Day magic at El Rey? Say less. The steak tacos changed my life -- and I stand by that. I hadn't been to El Rey in years, but we scored last-minute Valentine's reservations and WOW. The vibe was lively, warm, and perfect for a fun night out. - Let's talk about these STEAK TACOS . Perfectly seasoned, tender, flavorful -- the kind of bite that makes you close your eyes for a second. They were so good I came back two days later just for them. That's not a craving... that's infatuation. - The Chayote Salad completely surprised me. Fresh, bright, and paired with their homemade hot sauce? My palate was awakened. I even brought it home (with dressing and hot sauce on the side) and it still hit! Speaking of heat -- if you love spicy food, ASK for their homemade hot sauce. It's bold, fiery, and addictive. I genuinely want a bottle for home. Service? 10/10. From the manager to the hosts to the bartender -- everyone was kind, attentive, and patient. They even remembered me from Valentine's Day, which says everything about how they treat their guests. Bathroom Check: Clean? Yes. Cute ambiance? Yes. Great mirror for photos? Absolutely. And again -- CLEAN. El Rey, I'll be back soon read more

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Grabbed dinner with a friend at El Rey - was hard to find somewhere with it being marathon weekend but I'm so glad I stumbled upon El Rey! We were seated immediately when we arrived for our reservation and we were checked in on a few times, felt very well taken care of! The margarita del dia was a hibiscus margarita which is not normally my go to but I'm glad I tried it - super refreshing! The fajitas were very well cooked and delicious but the star was the guacamole trio - I don't have the exact names as they wet the daily specials but one had a Smokey charred salsa on top and one had Mexican Cocoa and strawberry mixed in. Seemed like a strange combination but it was absolutely delicious and fresh! Would go back just for the guacamole! Cozy vibe, great food and drinks and perfect service - a great spot in Philly! read more

El Rey - Shrimp and chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I've always heard about this place but never got around to coming! I was a little disappointed with the service as we were sat 25 minutes late and our server forgot our nachos, but he kindly took them off the bill which made up for it. However, my mango marg was very good and tasted fresh. We split veggie nachos which I thoroughly enjoyed. I always appreciate when all the chips are covered in toppings, and these were! For my main I got chicken enchiladas with white rice and black beans. These were very good and great portions. Love pickled onions and they came on top of the enchiladas wirh salsa verde and sour cream. Yum! I would go back on a weekday when they are less busy. read more

El Rey - Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A taco place meets diner vibes with a speakeasy? Say less. Came here for a quick dinner with friends on a Saturday. Loved that we could make a reservation online. Enjoyed a margarita, the nachos, and some enchiladas. Our server was so nice and funny to our different requests. Overall great place - can be a little loud but the vibes are fun! read more

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I came on a Friday for happy hour and the menu has lots of great cheap options. I got the margaritas which were great as well as corn, tacos and empanadas. the chicken taco was my favorite because it had the most flavor. The fish taco I probably wouldn't order again because of all the options it was my least favorite. The veggie empanadas were very filling and tasty. I felt the corn was too salty but otherwise pretty good. Our server was very kind and attentive. I asked for recommendations and he had some to give! I will definitely be back for a happy hour. read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I came for a quick happy hour meal on my way home. The restaurant was fairly empty on a Friday except for a couple of small groups. The happy hour menu had your typical food such as tacos, chips and salsa and of course margaritas. One of the pictures on Yelp from several years ago showed happy hour tacos for $1 each. Today they are $4 dollars a piece. I can't believe I didn't appreciate how cheap everything was several years ago. I ordered the quesadilla gringa and a margarita. The margarita came out quickly and was delicious. The quesadilla gringa is just barbeque chicken in a tortilla. I did not really enjoy it. It was very tiny and over cooked. Maybe next time I would go for tacos instead. read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

A lively, bustling atmosphere with good food and good company! The interior design is quite fun and matches the energy. Service was attentive and our food was prepared in a reasonable amount of time despite it being so busy. Drinks were good as well. read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First time trying this establishment, and I must say that the food was terrific. I had the Mahi Mahi Tacos and the Street corn. Both of these dishes were great. The Mahi Mahi was seasoned to the nines! Incredible flavor and just melted in your mouth. The street corn was just as good. All of the food was fresh, well-cooked, and seasoned. I also had the opportunity to try the salsa, which was the freshest I had ever tasted. I also had the guacamole and chips. They were great as well. Our server was excellent, professional, and humorous. The ambience was fun, loud, and everyone was happy! Don't come here if you are sad, but I recommend this establishment for great food and fun! El Rey, I will see you again very soon! read more

El Rey - Mahi Mahi Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Wants salt on all things. My wife and kids ordered fajitas, and the plates wasn't even sizzling. No sizzle fajita and no sizzle. There was too little protein, and was smothered in so much cheese onions and bacon? Less meat more bacon. There's way better Mexican restaurant in the Philly area. No senor y senorita no bueno. read more

This place became my best friend when I was living on chestnut for a month! Their Mahi mahi tacos are delicious, and you must ask for their spicey spicey habanero sauce. I was told there are like three families who run the whole kitchen and you can tell there is so much love put into this food. I've come back several times, and everyone has always been super friendly and made me feel at home in the neighborhood. Shoutout Anthony up front and Max the manager! You guys run a great place. Also, recommend checking out the Ranstead Room, the speakeasy in the back, for a good time (it fills up quick tho so make a res or make friends with the manager) :) read more

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Group of 4 came here before a night out not entirely sure what we were expecting. It was really dark inside the restaurant, not overly loud for the smaller space. The margaritas was tasty, although small for the price. Both Tacos were pretty standard -- surprising to see radish on the Mahi tacos, but did appreciate the grilled over fried option. Wish the tacos came with a side of rice or beans. The chicken burrito was relatively big (shared between two people). There was actually two other pieces aside from what's shown in the picture. Overall it was pretty standard, but we had a really nice server who gave us lots of recommendations for places to go after. If you're interested in a speakeasy ask about the one connected to the restaurant as they can add you to the wait list before even leaving the restaurant. read more

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Loved happy hour at the bar. The spicy hibiscus margaritas were delicious. Snacked on the dry run wings. Crispy and packed with flavor. Cute diner style bar with great mixologists. Like to try other menu items on my next visit. read more

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Very yummy Mexican food. The steak tacos rocked. Margaritas are great. Staff is so so. Sometimes you get a good one other times you get one who isn't that attentive. Good price point for food. read more

Man, I really like El Rey. What's not to like? They have a terrific happy hour menu, with both food & drink options for really good prices. I nabbed the hibiscus marg off the happy hour menu. Other folks got some street corn and tacos. I ultimately ordered my dinner from the "regular" menu, which were short rib enchiladas. Yummers. TBH, the star of the show was the chips & salsa. The chips were really crispy and crunchy and salty and delicious. The salsa, both green & red, were excellent (but especially the green). But what did I love most about El Rey? It is an old diner that has Xmas lights inside to create a proverbial hipster, dive bar ambiance and it is excellent. People are friendly. Prices are good. Food is excellent. Restaurant is fun. This place is a winner. read more

Highly recommend the Tumbada entree and the queso fundido app. Both delicious! And the vibe and wait staff are so great. read more

El Rey - Tumbada - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Visited El Rey on "taco Tuesday" for the happy hour experience. We arrived around 4:20pm ( few people) by 6pm it was packed. We ordered chicken tacos, fish taco, wings, chips n salsa , and margaritas. The tacos were good ( although I prefer cheese on my tacos ). The tamarind flavored margaritas were delicious! The decor is super fun with a kind of dive bar feel. read more

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Went for their happy hour. Tried their happy hour items and their paella dish. All dishes were AMAZING! read more

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The restaurant was SO incredibly loud, but had such a fun and lively atmosphere!! The server was also so so kind, so genuinely friendly, and the sweetest human being. We ordered the guacamole with tortilla chips, and the chicken fajitas. They were absolutely delicious!!!! The chicken was so tender, though I would have liked a more generous portion. Loved the little bits of bacon, onions, and peppers. Also comes with FREE extra tortillas, so ask for more if you're still hungry! There's a hidden speakeasy in the back! Tell your server you'd like to put your name on the waitlist, and they'll get you set up. read more

El Rey - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Decided to celebrate my birthday here and it really couldn't have been more perfect for the occasion. Great food, drink, service and ambiance! Love the funky, Mexican taqueria vibe! We had a 4:30 reservation and were waited on immediately and the attentive server was able to guide me through the large number of choices. We started out with the Nachos, which is served on a large pizza tray. Excellent but very filling, and it went perfectly with the $6 happy hour Tamarind Margarita! Long a fan of Mexican taquerias, I had my heart set on carnitas tacos; they arrived soon after the nachos and were very meaty and tasty. Their look and taste was almost identical to ones we had two years ago in Guadalajara. Our server recommended their Tres Leches cake for dessert and that is truly a must-have! It looks super rich but thankfully it's not ultra-sweet like most Tres Leches cake. Note: by the time we got to dessert, the restaurant had filled up completely and was becoming quite loud (approaching 90 db). So we're really glad we went when we did. A thoroughly great experience and we'll definitely be going back! read more

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I loved it! I love how unique the vegetarian options were - eggplant enchiladas with the hot sauce was delicious. Not super cheesy which I liked. The marinated onions on top were great! Also the sweet potato tacos were also great. My favorite had to be the rice and beans, super flavorful read more

El Rey - Eggplant Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I've been to el Rey a few times and food is typically good along with service. Today I went for HH, which was great until I asked for a to go food and paid in cash. Bartender told me they typically don't take change even though I paid in full. Just a little odd read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

One of the best Mexican restaurants in Philadelphia. The enchiladas were very tasty and cooked to perfection! The ambience was a bit loud but the server was very nice and explained all the specials. I highly recommend this place! read more

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Hailing from TX and as a mexican, I'd say this place is OK. Good atmosphere and great staff. A bit overly priced and you can get more authentic / bang for your buck elsewhere. Fajitas were solid. read more

Went here to celebrate a birthday with a friend. The prices are definitely on the higher side, but we knew that going in. The restaurant is cute, on the smaller side, which makes it VERY loud inside. We had to yell a bit to talk to one another. Our server seemed to be bothered that we were there, but he honestly took care of us very well. Refilled our drinks, checked in on us often, and brought everything out pretty fast. The food was good, but I don't think I'll come back because of the price. We had a nice meal and great drinks, but is much more of a special occasion price point than a typical night out one. read more

I had a pitcher of margaritas which were delicious. The table shared the guacamole and chips as well as the salsa and chips. They were tasty, but the portions were small for the price. For my entree, I had the eggplant enchiladas which were excellent. The biggest complaint I have is the noise level which was excessive. The staff were all gracious and attentive. read more

We came here since it was nearby and looked popular. We were told it would be at least an hour for a table so we decided to order the food for takeout and take it up to our rooftop terrace. We ordered the burrito, Chile relleno, and tacos. Everyone agreed it was different than standard Mexican food and was good, but nothing in particular stood out. It is a solid option, but would be more fun and better for the price at happy hour. read more

This spot feels genuinely authentic and absolutely fantastic for us, we went here on the recommendation of a friend, he highly recommended it to us. The staff here is great, the food is amazing and the drinks are just amazing. So if you don't know where to go on a date, then don't think and just come here. read more

Visited here for a birthday celebration. We had made a reservation 2 weeks ahead of time so they were expecting us. Our group of 9 was seated almost immediately on a Saturday night at 7:15pm. Inside, it was nicely decorated. It was dimmed lighting but it made it feel very cozy inside. We ordered a couple pitchers of margaritas, the guacamole sampler, chips and salsa, and I got the carnitas tacos for an entree. The margs were sweet and they took individual requests for margarita rims (salt, sugar, or spicy). The guacamole was good and they had decent proportions. The salsa was very tasty albeit slightly small. The carnitas tacos were juicy and tender. It comes with 3 but you could order an extra. They brought out hot sauces as well but I felt like tacos were good as is. We finished off with churros which came with a dulce de leche sauce. I prefer chocolate sauce but the churros had a good crunch! Overall, it was yummy food, tasty drinks and good service! read more

El Rey - Carnitas Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food was great, server was awesome with our small kids on a busy evening! The nachos were a definite order item--so loaded and delicious!

El Rey has a fantastic happy hour. The deals were great, and the margaritas and food were delicious! I highly recommend the tacos and the corn. The special app were these chips with beans and other toppings (similar to nachos). Though dimly lit, the vibes were overall good and I would be back! read more

El Rey - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food and service was very good, definitely be back! Very hip layout and crowd. Full bar and cool music.

El rey is a sister restaurant to El Vez in the center city area (both Steven Starr family). The margaritas are great (would recommend the guava flavor! Not too sweet with a bold fruity flavor). I loved the fish tacos (spicy Mayo, carrot slaw, avocado and cabbage). The staff was very kind and gave us one of the entrees free after taking longer than expected in the kitchen (we didn't even notice as we were enjoying our chips + guac and margs!). Compared to El Vez, the guacamole options are limited here (if you want gourmet guacamole you should go to El Vez instead). El Rey is the perfect spot if you're near the Rittenhouse area and want a casual meal without too long of a wait (always reservations available). read more

El Rey - Fish Taco - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pretty place for the gram and an interesting way to get into Ranstead Room. Yummy Tostadas but drinks were OK. Get the food but skip the drinks. read more

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Alright food. Needs salt on everything. My wife and kids ordered fajitas, and the plates wasn't even sizzling. No sizzle....fajita and no sizzle. Not enough protein and was layered with so much cheese onions and...bacon? Less bacon more meat. No bueno!!! There's way better Mexican restaurant in the Philly area. No senor y senorita...no bueno. read more

I bought the filtered showerhead kit from Drivse filtered showerhead online commercial. They only sent me the showerhead but no hose or connector-holder. I informed them of the mistake and they wanted me to pay again for what was advertised. What a scam. They should be shut down for false advertising. Don't order anything from them! They also wanted to sell me a monthly subscription for filters. They charged me 37.99 for a useless showerhead and I found it on ebay with the complete kit and 4 extra filters for 9.99.Order it from ebay. Stay away from Drivse! BUYER BEWARE!!! read more

Have come here for happy hour on numerous occasions and have always had a good experience. Something that really stands out is the service. I really enjoy chatting with the bartenders during lulls. It's a very social, fun environment but isn't too terribly loud. If you have a small group you might not even need a reservation. I've been able to walk in around 4 or 5 and been fine. For larger groups, you may want to call ahead, but I also did once bring a group of 14 people in at 4 PM and the cool manager was a little annoyed but made it work for us, which was really appreciated! The $2 chips and veggie tacos are an incredible deal, and 4-6 M-F is pretty much perfect for an early dinner. Definitely one of my top happy hour places. Great for a first date or casual bite out too. If you have a long wait at the speakeasy style bar around the corner, Ranstead Room, come here first for some tacos while you wait! read more

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We have to El Rey many times, but have decided to sign off from this restaurant as a good local place to go on a weeknight. Tonight we stopped in and were disappointed again. It was half full, but the noise level was off the charts. In fact, the decibel meter was often 100 and went as high as 105. Conversations are near impossible at that sound level. In fact, that sound level is considered harmful for employees. What happens when the place is crowded? The happy hour quesadilla gringa was very nice. But my friend's entree, the tumbada, was extremely salty, almost brine-like. Even the shrimp were overly salty. Half entree was left 9n the plate. The filling for my chicken fajita was a oily, greasy mess of fried/grilled onions with massive amounts of cheese. Overwhelmly fatty. Just dont want to pay for such a low quality meal again. On a positive note, our server was excellent! read more

Vibe: 8/10 Service: 10/10 Queso fundido with chorizo and poblano: 9/10 Carnitas tacos: 8.5/10 Chicken tacos: 6/10 Veggie tacos: 7/10 Zucchini flautas: 8/10 Total: 8.07/10 (4.04/5) read more

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We decided to give El Rey a try thanks to great Yelp reviews! Though we didn't have a reservation, we were able to quickly get seated outside. Didn't get to see the interior, but judging by the Yelp photos, looks like great ambience. We got great service, even sitting outside, and the server quickly came to get our drinks and orders. The margarita was strong and sweet! We ordered carnitas tacos and fish tacos, both came with three. Feels like a no frills type of restaurant, you get exactly what you ordered. The carnitas taco was well seasoned and cooked, but the fish taco was even better. Food was warm and fresh, and we quickly downed the tacos. We were surprised by how delicious these tacos were! Would recommend especially if you're craving some tacos! read more

El Rey - Carnitas Taco - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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