The food was just ok. Being from NY where cultural food is plentiful, I have had better. The chicken tasted like it had been cooked too long because it was dried out. I was the only one in there at that time and the television on the wall was super loud. The location of the place is a very inconspicuous as it is attached to the grocery store. It's equivalent to a whole in the wall type of place. I just wish it tasted like an Abuela, was in the kitchen cooking! If you didn't know better, you wouldn't even know it was there. All in all, I needed a quick meal so it filled a hole but I wouldn't eat here again. read more

El Rey - 1/2 chicken with rice and beans. - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Check your receipt. They charge you whatever they want so make sure it matches what is posted on the menu/label. The people are very rude as well. read more

This was really good stuff It is not the fastest place in the world but it was very good and the waitress was so kind read more

Servers very nice food, amazing employees at the store counter there are so nice they even gave me a free chip

I was actually looking for Latino Village across the street but ended up at El Rey first, so after reading its few Yelp reviews decided to try it out anyway. I'm glad I did! El Rey is a combination market/eatery. There are some tables/chairs with waitress service for dining-in, but I got my food to-go directly at the back food counter. There is a partial picture menu up on the wall, but more dishes if you ask (e.g. pupusas). I think they sent someone with English-speaking abilities to take my order when they saw me approach the food counter, and I believe I was greeted with "Hello," but when I ordered my sopa de mondongo with decent pronunciation, the rest of the conversation automatically proceeded in Spanish. I was even complimented on my Spanish by the same employee when I went up to pay later at the front counter, lol. I don't think my Spanish is that great, but we did chat about my having studied Spanish in high school and college, and that I was currently a medical student at VCU. Anyway, I ordered the tripe soup as I said, plus a pork pupusa. The soup stayed quite hot even though I didn't dig in to eating it until over thirty minutes later! And it was excellent, served with lime, chopped red onions, and a side of what were more like sopes (or unfilled pupusas/really thick tortillas). The pupusa was great too, and came with cabbage slaw. In total, my meal was only a little over $10! Definitely a steal for such authentic food, and as good as it gets in Richmond (hence the five stars). Can't wait to come back and try more off of their menu! read more

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This place is great! I come here for lunch quite often. Great prices! Amazing authentic food. Wonderful staff. read more

El Rey - Tacos Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

First time here. I got three tacos Pastor and a papusa. They top their tacos with onions and cilantro. I will be back! If you are looking for authentic food this is for you. Not a whole lot of places like this! Thank y'all and see you soon! read more

El Rey - Tacos Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Went for the Papusas. Yummy. It says pool out front but there is no table. Maybe was having a flashback to the good old days. Worth a visit. read more

In search of great pupusas, I ended up at El Rey, which is the Latin Market next to Mekong on Broad Street. I think it used to also be called Happy Mart, but on the menu and over the door, it says El Rey. Anyhow, it's like some of the other Latin Markets nearby where it's a grocery AND a restaurant. This is the real deal where you're lucky if anyone in the place speaks English and you almost feel transported to a Latin country. Because of the language barrier, it can be a learning experience when you go. I didn't realize, but they do have a waitress. I was supposed to sit down like at any other restaurant, and wait for my waitress to come to me, but I went straight up to the kitchen counter and placed my order, which I think is what you're supposed to do when you're getting it to go. Anyhow, my pupusas came right out, and they were delicious! The accompanying cabbage salad was also great. And who could complain at $1.50 per pupusa? Dinner and bottled water for $6! When you're finished eating, you pay at the grocery counter. And I think they prefer cash, but they will take a card. When I walked in, I was the only one there. When I left, the dining area was full. Popular place! Very nice people/service. I'll be back when I need another pupusa fix! They also have pool tables in the front if you're so inclined... read more

El Rey - Pupusas! - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I am a BIG Fan of "Hold in the Wall" places as sometimes you really get the best of International Food and how it is cooked. AND El Rey certainly lived up to it's name. I just discovered El Rey even though I have passed it many times traveling down Broad St here in Richmond. It seems many of the Central American Grocery stores have little Mom & Pop Restaurants in the back of the store and El Rey was NO exception. I ordered the Pupusas on the review of another Yelper. I found out however, they had to find a translator as I speak NO Spanish. The Manager came over to explain to me what I was ordering and he told me I should try one of each... He said the food cooked there is Native to El Salvador. OK, I was now anxious to try the food, as I have never had El Salvadoran food in the past. So, I ordered the Pupusas with Fried Pork; Loroco & Cheese; Beans and Cheese. It has a side of Pickled Cabbage on the side. He said the fillings was stuff in a Corn Tortilla as appose to a Flour Tortilla. He said it is like a Quesadilla but instead they use Corn. When the order came out, I thought I had 3 pancakes and I was wondering where was the stuffing. Upon cutting the cake open, I was disappointed in the small amount of filling inside the PUPUSAS. I guess, WE Americans are looking for large fillings. I was anxious to taste the Fried Pork and the Loroco & Cheese.... however because there was So little, all I could taste was the Corn Tortilla. In addition, I could not eat it all as it was too heavy in the oil in which they fried the PUPUSAS in. So, for my first time with the Pupusas... I think I will pass. However, their pickle Cabbage was excellent. I even asked for extra as it was SO good. I am really giving it a 3 1/2 Star rating for this visit. I know the next time, it will be better and I am looking forward to it very much. The people in there were really great, and the Owner thanked me for coming in. He said they had ONLY been open a year. I AM going back. I have their menu and I want to try other items on the menu. In addition, they do have some Mexican food on the menu for those who want tacos or a Burrito. So, if you get a chance, stop in and order your lunch/dinner if in the area. I am looking forward in returning again soon and once I do, I will update my review... read more

Latino bodega with a resturaunt in the back. They have a lot of big sandwiches for lunch options, and they have a a really good big great breakfast of rice beans eggs and fried plantains. So good on a cold Saturday morning. Food is consistently good. Service is what it is it's in the back of a grocery store. Not all the staff speaks English well, so be prepared for that. They have a good selection of Latin products and a small selection of produce, always the ripest Avacados. read more

I was excited with this place attached to a Latin market but it was disappointing from the moment we walked in. There were a few people at a bar and the rest of the tables were mainly empty. The table we sat at happened to still be dirty, which I was impressed she acknowledged and wiped it off, but on me. Asked for water and about 5 mins later she brought bottles of water - room temperature, not the ones from the cooler. Remember the place is pretty empty. Tamales came out first, basically were corn mush with dried chicken, it's almost as if they were steamed in plastic wrap but not corn husks, perfect round shape with no taste. Theses were also brought out 5 minutes before the rest of the table got food. My tacos a joke, just dried chicken with 1 radish slice on each. the other meal I will just say we left it. No chips are served, no rice or beans served, and the cheapest plastic ware utensils and napkins smaller than a tissue. read more

Really good and fresh food with a variety of nonstandard Mexican restaurant fare. Go into the market and head towards the back, order at the counter (in Spanish, Spanglish, or pointing and feeling like a gringo), and find yourself a seat in the dimly lit dining room to the right. Yes, it's not the "cleanest" and "brightest" place but you will forget about all of that the moment you get the food. We got the steak burrito, al pastor tacos, and pupusas with beans and they all hit the spot. The vegetables tasted really fresh, the rice was incredibly moist and flavorful, not to mention the steak burrito itself was cheesy, tender, and well seasoned. Pupusas were great. Tacos were good. You get some great salsa verde with your meal and it's on the spicier side (which honestly, is one of the metrics I use to tell what audience a restaurant is catering to). Will definitely be back, and next time to try some of the more exciting dishes on the menu. read more

I was impressed. although this restaurant is a real hole in the wall, the food was pretty authentic. My beef tripe soup was delicious, the chunks of tripe were big and grizzly, just how I like it :-) nobody spoke English when i was there so ordering may involve pointing. my buddy's steak was pretty good too. our dishes were $7.99 and $8.99, pretty cheap for a real meal. I will go back in the future because they had a lot of dishes on the menu I want to try next time. this restaurant is why I venture out, good find. read more

El Rey - beef tripe soup - Mexican Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The steak burrito is the b e s t. Cheaper than Chipotle and 100x better. Prefer this place over Latino Village any time.