I came here for the first time for lunch on a weekday. The ambiance is clean and welcoming and they have a lot of seating. We were seated right away and got our order taken too. The prices on the lunch menu were reasonable and they had a good variety of options for lunchtime. We tried the shrimp fajitas, quesadilla oaxaca, and quesadilla tijuana. Plenty of food for our party of 3. The quesadilla oaxaca was definitely our favorite but all food was great. They give complimentary chips and salsa too; chips were good but the salsa could use some improvement, perhaps more onion or fresh herbs rather than a tomato sauce like base. read more

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First time visiting after the move. Nicely renovated space, the margheritas are still top notch, but the food has changed. Still quite good and on the money, but new chefs and ovens have changed the recipes. Not a big problem, still better than Salsas or Puerto Vaillarta. Overall, still a top notch establishment read more

El Sombrero - Chicken quesadilla with original margherita. - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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We arrived (party of 6) the young girl at the front who seemed bothered that we even showed up told us it'd be 5 minute wait after having us wait a few minutes while she checked with other staff. We were sat in a round middle table that honestly might be a fire hazard since it's close to 2 different booths. The table has a "white" table cloth over it... it had crumbs and hair strands. Service was extremely slow. It seemed there was only 1 waitress for the entire place. The place was packed (its really small) so we waited and waited and waited. She finally came around to take our orders. The margarita was good. Chips & Salsa were delicious. Food: Grilled shrimp tacos 6/10 bland Cesar salad .... it's salad Empanadas 6/10 filled but lacked flavor Carne asada 4/10 The steak was thick but had NO seasoning, the rice was bland and a little hard and while the refried beans were not dry they had very little seasonings Arroz con Pollo - it's served in its own small rice pot. The idea of this meal is good except execution was not. It tasted borderline burned. Churros for dessert 10/10 the kids loved it. read more

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Terrible. Many, many years ago it was great. New owners, food does not compare to other Mexican restaurants nearby. Unfortunately, all other places were full tonight, so this was the only option. Never again. read more

Excellent - salsa & chips. Dinner was amazing, specifically the margaritas and the churros! I got the chef special "pollo ajillo" and it was so delicious, unlike anything I've had before! read more

Stopped for dinner one night for something simple and tasty. Got various tacos and they were all good. It was a casual spot and not too busy but service was pleasant. Reasonable prices, would likely return. read more

The food used to be so good when they were at Queen St. They have recently moved to a bar, pizza restaurant and the food is clearly made by someone different. It is very bland and is different than before. Very disappointing as it was my husband and I go to date night spot. read more

Best Authentic Mexican cuisine in the area!! Highly recommend!! Never disappoints and it's right on Queen St to enjoy the surrounding shops and trails. read more

Recently came here with my husband, it was not packed, they had live music which is always nice. The staff were very friendly, it's obvious they knew their clients as people walked in they were greeted by their names. The food wasn't that expensive, we were given chips and salsa. The chips were cold, it surprised me because in other Mexican restaurants the chips come out fresh from the fryer. We placed our order and it came out quickly, we started eating and I noticed the food needed more seasoning. My husband thought the food tasted great as for me some salt, sazon or adobo would have been welcomed. Overall it was a good evening since I was with the love of my life. I may visit again, maybe. read more

If you are looking for authentic Mexican, look elsewhere, but if you just want a nacho fix or if American Mexican is okay, then you could try it out. Even though I'd rate it average, I've been coming for years and won't be stopping any time soon. While the kids menu is extensive, the kids mac was dry and hard, and my daughter wouldn't eat it. The kids chicken burrito was shredded, so my son wouldn't eat it either, and my taco salad was on the smaller side compared to other places. It could DEFINITELY use a clean up as the rug and furnishings are beat, and the service was a but slow (although it was busy and I didn't see a lot of help). STILL, this will always and forever have my hands down FAVORITE SALSA EVER!!!!! I could eat it by the bowl with a spoon honestly, and I probably have in the past. Warning: if you like it on the spicier side, the salsa is not for you, but if you don't mind mild then you will be addicted, I guarantee it. There is also a fun entry way area where they host live music on the weekends which is always fun! Overall, if I wasn't a mom I'd probably be here for drinks and bar snacks more than actual meals. read more

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12/7/22 Here's a nice little authentic, mom & pop Mexican restaurant tucked into a strip mall in Southington on Queen Street (AKA restaurant road). I met up with old friends Dave & Patti N. for lunch at their suggestion, and I'm glad I did. They seem to know all the best little chow joints in this whole town! A bowl of nacho chips and in house made salsa were promptly brought to our table along with the drinks we ordered. The salsa was clearly made of fresh ingredients and was very good. I started with a bowl of their Mexican chicken soup that had vegetables, lots of rice, and Mexican spices that made it stand out from the run of the mill chicken rice soup. All very fresh ingredients, and just a nice hint of heat and flavored with fresh cilantro. I opted for the beef fajitas that came to the table with sizzling hot onions, green peppers and beef steak chunks served on a scorching hot piece of stoneware. Sides included the typical rice and refried beans, along with guacamole and sour cream. A very generous portion of everything and really excellent tasting. Patti had the chili con carne with a side of refried beans & rice. I sampled the chili...that'll be what I'll have on my next visit. It was fantastic and spiced just right for me (I'm not a fan of overly hot, spicy foods). Dave had an enchilada with the ubiquitous refried beans and rice that looked very tempting. We left the restaurant completely stuffed! I'll be back! read more

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This place is just not it. I tried a handful of different stuff and wasn't impressed with anything. Had to eat my tacos with a fork because the tortillas completely crumbled and fell apart. But besides that they didn't taste like anything special. The chicken was rather dry and bland for being "spicy" chicken. The rice followed suit and was also incredibly dry and bland. Refried beans although not dry, just didn't have any flavor either. Chips and salsa was probably the best part of the meal. The two stars are because the service was quick and friendly. But there's at least three other Mexican places within a short driving distance from here that have much better food. I think I'll stick with them. read more

This is my second time visiting El Sombrero and the service has been great both visits!!! I love the salsa. It has a little spice but it's not too spicy. On Sunday's they have $5 margaritas and they're delicious. I highly recommend them frozen! But you can choose between frozen or on the rocks I wasn't that hungry tonight so I tried the stuffed jalapeños and they were really good! I'll definitely be back read more

El Sombrero - Stuffed Jalapenos - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Went here for the the first time. Staff was very friendly and guacamole was amazing. We also really enjoyed the margaritas. I got watermelon with a spicy sugar rim. read more

Was craving fresh flavors on the way back from a day in Massachusetts and had been to this place back when it was El Sombrero! We'd stopped going there several years ago after a few disappointing visits. Noticing it was under new management we decided to give it a shot. The service was beyond 5 star worthy - super fast service, drinks and chip and salsa refills in a flash! The table-side guacamole we ordered was to be twice the $7.95 menu price due to the avocado shortage so we gave it a miss, and the guacamole sides were more vegetables than avocado but this was actually quite delicious and in times when a lot of restaurants are removing avocado from their menus we were grateful it was included at all. Our orders were chicken fajitas, steak quesadilla and the #Uno combination which was a beef taco, steak burrito, chicken chimichanga and cheese enchilada. Two beers, a hard cider and a soda came to a total of $70, certainly not exorbitant. The food was all great - the fajitas were smoking hot (temp) and the quesadillas included refried beans. The lost star is for lack of crispiness of the chimichanga, no pico de gallo with the fajitas although there was cheddar, and less spice in everything than we like. If you like very mild food this would be perfect. The chips and salsa were excellent - the salsa tasted fresh with just the right amount of cilantro and the chips warm and just a little salty! If you've not been here in a while you might want to give another try! read more

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Gabby is amazing, service excellent, and food was delicious!! This will be a weekly visit from here on out!! read more

El Sombrero - Drinks, guacamole, and 2 thumbs up for a great dinner. - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Wow wow wow, best Mexican food ever! Staff so polite and quick. Highly recommend Will not disappoint !!!!!! Yummy read more

Decided to give this one more chance this evening. It was truly the worst takeout I've recieved. The appetizer was wet and soggy when it was supposed to be crispy and the entree was so soggy it was inedible. We threw the entire meal out minus the free bag of chips and salsa and got food elsewhere. I was hoping they had improved from our last visit, but this was a huge waste of money. read more

This used to be our favorite restaurant in town. Before things changed, we visited almost every week and my sister even had her baby shower here. One of our favorite things was the buy one get one free lunch with drinks. My mother and I checked out the menu online and saw the deal still advertised and decided this is where we should go. There were only 3 people in the restaurant and it took quite some time to get our meals. The quality of the meals wasn't worth the wait. When the bill came, no discount. I asked the person who seated us about the buy 1 get 1 free lunch and he said his manager told him not to do it anymore. I showed him that the website showed the deal, but he still wouldn't honor it. Really disappointed in the food and the service. Definitely feel like they used false advertising to get customers in the door. read more

El Sombrero - Current menu as of 6/2022 - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

When Eddie passed & they became "Eddie Sombrero's", my husband & I's favorite Saturday night margarita place was gone & we thought forever! All of our favorite things were gone - they changed to a lime base for the margaritas (how can you have a raspberry margarita with lime base?!), the food wasn't the same (we were told all the chefs were fired or quit) & our staple waiter Gabby was no where to be seen. Needless to say, after 2 visits, we never went back. Then I heard that the restaurant was purchased by someone else who brought back ALL of the original staff, chefs & Gabby included & went back to the olden ways which were NOT broken. I was skeptical to say the least, but I figured why not? True to what I heard, the margarita base was back, the food was good again & Gabby, the man who knows your order & treats you like long lost family was right where he belonged but with a promotion! Woot woot!! Thank you for bringing back Saturday Night date nights at El Sombrero! read more

Service was very good. The wait staff was friendly and accommodating. We received tortilla chips and salsa at the table moments after we were seated. The restaurant was clean, no dirty tables or food on the floor. I love the Mexican music playing over the speakers, it makes me happy! Our margaritas were fantastic and I had no complaints about the way they were made. Our food, on the other hand, was bland and we did not enjoy it whatsoever. The sloppy nachos were greasy and flavorless, as were the chimichangas, enchilada, and taco. The rice was dry and tasted like nothing. We were so disappointed with our food. The best food on our table was the chips and salsa they give every table. I'd go back for chips, salsa, and booze. I'd skip the food menu completely! read more

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Okay so I was hesitant about trying this place because I tried it 6 years ago & it sucked! I'm Mexican (born and raised) so I know a thing or two about good Mexican food. When I first tried this place in 2011 I wasn't impressed so I never returned. Salsas southwest and grill opened up and I was hooked so I never even bothered trying this place. Well today my husband and I decided to give it a try because we had a coupon & im so happy we did. The service was amazing, very friendly staff. The chips and salsa didn't disappoint at all. We ordered the spicy chicken chimichanga & one of their chicken quesadillas. The chimichanga was delicious & the spicy rice was full of flavor. The rice was very spicy so if you can't handle spicy food then I suggest changing it to another side. The chicken quesadilla was full of flavor. This will be our new go to place for Mexican food read more

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Margaritas are good and strongggg the food is average but not bad. Service is good. This place used to be way better

HANDS DOWN THE BEST MARGARITAS AROUND!! The food is definitely not the best in the area- but id recommend an appetizer and drinks.

Always great food in a fun Mexican authentic atmosphere. Best Salsa and homemade hot sauce around!! Highly recommend!

What a fantastic atmosphere and a heck of a margarita menu!!! The staff was engaging and fully attentive. The food was authentic, quick to the table and delicious! Coconut margarita was on point!! Fish tacos were fresh!! Empanadas tasted homemade (just slightly too crispy/but flavorful) The table-side made guacamole is a must!! Perfectly seasoned!! Will definitely come back!! read more

El Sombrero - Coconut margarita!! - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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This has had a great uplift in food quality and friendliness. Flavorful food, great selections, and smiling service. If it has been awhile since you've been there, give it another try. New owner Chris is doing a great job trying to get this back into shape. read more

El Sombrero - Arroz con pollo was delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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This place rocks...Gabby the bartender knows what time it is..has been here forever and is still the front line face of El Sombrero..the freshly made Guac was on point with the right blend of avo, cilantro, tomatoes and so on...and the effin Margherita blend were en fuego...cayenne anejo jalapeños gran ma agave nectar...definitely a good stop on a long day read more

A nice alternative to the Mexican chains. One thing I didn't like about the place was the level of saltiness. Just because its Mexican doesn't mean you have to load up on the salt. The salsa that came with the chips was decent. My little sister devoured it. I'll be honest I didn't come expecting great food. I came in because I had one of those coupons that gets mailed out regularly. I thought I was getting a great deal but the minute I sat down he the waiter said the terms of the coupon changed and we had to purchase a beverage. No big deal but the non alcoholic beverage selection sucked! I don't drink soda and pretty much have given up sugar but for the sake of the deal sucked it up and ordered a lemonade. How about some traditional Mexican beverages? We went with beef and chicken taco because I was turned off by the sudden change of terms on my coupon. This darn coupon arrived in my mailbox this Saturday! Anywho my tacos were actually delicious! The rice was fluffy but way tok salty. When ordering out I thought you normally get three tacos? Well they serve two tacos here. Seriously if I was hungry this would not have been acceptable. $17 out the door with tip, I guess it's not that bad of a deal but I was eating like a broke college student. Staff was nice but definitely cheesy. It seems they were nicer if you came in as a couple. Do they think singles order less or don't tip well? Pffft! read more

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What a fantastic Mexican restaurant! The atmosphere is fun, the drinks are great, the attitudes of the workers are upbeat and lively and the food was wonderful!! The steak fajitas are AMAZING! If you're looking for some fantastic Mexican food, look no further as this place is worth the drive from anywhere in the state! I'd highly recommend El Sombrero!! read more

I miss Eddie. He was a friend and an all round great guy. The crew at Eddie's Sombrero are living up to the standards he laid down. The hospitality is wonderful. The woman who made the guac table side was friendly and made a great product! I encourage anyone to try it, it's excellent! read more

El Sombrero - Presentation of the table side guacamole! - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

I went there with my boyfriend on Friday, 4-21-23. We ordered Street Tacos. They were awful. The fish seemed like frozen Groton's fish. it was not tasty at all. The pork was gross. It seemed to be overcooked & flavorless. The price for three tacos did not match the quality or taste. I will not ever go back & I certainly do not recommend this establishment. read more

One of the best and most authentic Mexican restaurants I've been to in New England! It felt like I traveled back to Texas. The tacos were all delicious, along with the salsa, guacamole, and margs. So fresh and amazing. read more

Staff and food was great. Owner personally came to our table to introduce himself and informed us about offers and answered questions. very friendly guy. Food was delicious. I asked for hot sauce and it wasn't a joke how hot it was but it was really good. Warm chips and salsa was an added bonus. I recommend. One thing I hated was the bathroom. The smell was horrible, like busted pipes but you can smell that sewage scent out by the lobby right when you walk in. Hope they fix that issue read more

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Save me some salsa!! My family and I used to come here to dine occasionally. Now, we have been drawn back in... Drawn back by the salsa!! This is based on our first visit back recently to pick up the classic salsa and chips to go. We were driving past Southington, and remembered this restaurant and cantina, and its good salsa. We decided to take the easy trip off the highway and stop in. El Sombrero--now Eddie's Sombrero--still has the same decor and ambiance it always had. It's been maintained well. The staff was also pleasant and made our order easy and quick. And the salsa is still as delicious and crave-worthy as ever. Fresh and perfectly seasoned, not too hot with a perfectly balanced mix of tomatoes, lime, onions, and cilantro. If you get it to go--which you likely will after you have your first taste--you're given the option of 16 ounces (small) and 32 ounces (large). Now try and control yourself and get the small, unless you know those won't last too long and you'll crave more. Just make the trip back to Eddie's Sombrero. It's worth it for the salsa!! My family and I will definitely be returning to sit down and try the food again... If we have enough room after indulging in the salsa!! read more

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So first time there and honestly I was disappointed. I was hoping for real Authentic Mexican food and I felt like it was just another Azteca restaurant (not authentic). And definitely over priced. Servers were nice and quick, they first serve you chips with salsa (which was the best thing I ate). I had ordered a burrito and it honestly wasn't even a burrito..?? And the meat just tasted like basic seasoned meat. ( real authentic Mexi restaurants cook differently). I originally wanted tacos but the tacos were highly over priced which is why I got the burrito which wasn't even a burrito..., 3 tacos for $14? I could get at least 10 tacos for $15 at taco mi nachos in Meriden. read more

El Sombrero - The burrito. - Mexican Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

I came for the burrito lunch special and it wasn't what I expected. Food was not good at all. The burrito seemed like it came out of the microwave oven and the rice and bean has no flavor. Will not be coming back here again. read more

I will start by saying that I have been here numerous times before and usually have had an adequate experience. This time was different. We ordered our food and then proceeded to wait about an hour for our food. At one point, we watched our waitress look at our table and then run to the kitchen. She then came back and asked if we wanted more chips. Not a good sign. Eventually the food came. The server, as he reached around me, cautioned me that the plate was extremely hot. He obviously meant the rice and beans because my shrimp al queso was so cold that the cheese sauce had congealed into a clumpy mess. We asked one of the server to find our waitress. It took 10 minutes for her to come back. All she was willing to do was remake something for me. I asked if it would take another hour. her response was something like a quesadilla might be quicker. Never Again. read more

I'm not sure if it's the current climate or what, given restaurants have to prepare take-out orders for pick-up, but the quality at Sombrero has dipped, tremendously. The beans and rice that came with our meals were obviously old- rice and beans were both dry. My food arrived pretty much cold, not luke-warm... cold. And I live 5 minutes from the restaurant. We got enchiladas rojas (my staple, was best of the bunch but cold), street tacos (not sure why their regular tacos aren't on the doordash menu but these were smaller and not worth the $17!)... and their chips and salsa remain pretty good. But we won't be back a while. read more

Great food and service always a pleasure however the very loud rock music wasn't really that great for conversation over dinner