Coming from a Mexican... best authentic food in the area! Ran into this place on a trip to Smithville, TN. Staff is very friendly as soon as you walk in and it was a clean environment . We went in the middle of the week but food was hot and fresh to order. Top notch if not the best carne asada I have had that comes close to homemade mexican food, doesn't matter if it's in a burrito, tacos, etc. Margaritas had the perfect balance of flavors, size, and price. Definitely recommend to anyone who knows and has high expectations on authentic Mexican food. read more

What happened? Order 90 bucks worth of food that I showed up for 20 min later as told to. Still waited a Most 15 min ( this was after 2 pm. No crowd. Hardly any tables in use. ) Asked for a tea as It became apparent I was in for a wait. Changed for that.... Got food home. T salads, enchiladas etc. NO salsa. NO chips I guess I needed to order and pay for that too? There's a few New Mexican places in town. I think I'll try those. read more

I was passing through with a friend and we went to dinner here. According to my friend they ALWAYS have dinner here when they visit. I can understand why, Sparta is a small town so there aren't too many options and things close up pretty early so El Tapatio it is. One good thing about a small town though was that the staff was friendly, not sure if it was because my friend's parents are semi-regulars but it seemed like they were pretty affable to everyone. The chips and salsa were complimentary and bottomless, but it definitely came from a bag and a jar, not bad but noticeable. I was pretty hungry even after that so I ended up getting one of their combination dinners, the #11. A taco, burrito and refried beans and rice, beef for both. They were okay. The beef was pretty bland and while filling it could have used a little more seasoning. read more

Great servers. Food is great for East Tennessee food. Yes it's not west coast, get over it. You are in Tennessee now. Try the street tacos. You get to try 4 different tacos to find your favorite. Mine are the chorizo, so flavorful! Or just order the queso birria tacos and be happy. The margaritas are perfect. Our go to's are fajitas tacos or burritos. Chips are light and crispy. Lots of dips to try with them. read more

I moved to Florida about seven years ago. I used to love this place whenever I lived here in Tennessee. I have to say it is still amazing and does not disappoint even after all of that time highly recommend. I got the taco salad just to go. The thing is loaded and delicious. read more

El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Taco Loco Salad - Mexican Near Me - Sparta, Tennessee

Great all around good food and service thank everyone for the showroom love you still have a wonderful time

Ordered on door dash , my food looked just the like the picture on the menus and was very good , I got the chimichanga , service was great food was hot and fresh can't ask for more ! They even got my orders correct the first time ! read more

As a tired family of four returning from a multi-day camping trip, we sought out Mexican food for comfort and landed at El Tapatio. Location is good--central to Sparta, on a major road. Vibe and shop are low budget but, even coming in just after lunch rush, the shop and its bathrooms were clean. Super happy for that. Service was friendly but a hair slow. Huge win: they had a legit kids menu. Smaller version of adult plates, including drink for less than $5. That was enormously welcome. Food was...slightly disappointing in that it was more food-service supply based than most cookie cutter Mexican restaurants (most refried beans come from a big fan, but not all taste or look like they did...these did, as an example). The menu was appropriately sized, food was hot and presented fairly well...but nothing was particularly great. You will be satisfied but you won't be thrilled. read more

Great food and service. They are like family and the atmosphere is always welcoming. Very clean restaurant, organized with quick service!

This place is amazing! It is usually very busy so be prepared. It can get loud so try to go near the area right as you walk in to your right in the tucked in tables where someone is always rowling silverware or go all the way to the right in the he back. The first spot is the best. The food is always fresh and don't hesitate to mix it up. I always get my chicken breast shredded even though the menu calls for a whole chicken breast in the dish. They are really great about wanting you to get what you want. I will admit I prefer not to be waited on by the young guys. They really don't pay attention where they seat people and the serves does go down but it's only a couple of them. I'm thinking first time job so hopefully they will get better as they grow into working. The food is always fresh and served hot. I'm not a beer drinker or well an alcohol to be honest but they do have a nice selection from what I've heard other patrons explain. It's nice to have a dish with floor but still know you are eating what you are eating....lol. They could expand easily but I can only imagine how that would be! read more

El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant - a bowl of chips and a bowl of salsa - Mexican Near Me - Sparta, Tennessee

We ate here last night and the food was pretty good. The fajita veggies were too salty for me, but cooked well otherwise. I got the vegetarian meal D add fajita veggies to the quesadilla. My husband got the stuffed poblano (which is breaded now if you have a gluten issue). read more

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Being from Arizona i had very low expectations but this place blew my mind. Their green salsa/sauce brings just the right about of heat and their spicy red salsa is good as well. I did a build your own combo with a shredded beef taco and cheese enchilada and holy cow the taco knocked my socks off. The flavor was so complex and didn't lack anything. Our waitress was fabulous as well. As soon as she knew I liked things spicy she knew right what to bring me. We will definitely be back! read more

Excellent carnitas, fajitas and out of this world tamales as well as prompt, friendly service.

El Tap has been a go-to for the community for many years. Fast service, excellent food and a tradition of building customer value through consistency of service quality that draws consumers back. Highly recommend read more

Always a favorite when visiting from Los Angeles! Friendly, fast and delicious! El Tap is a go-to for a good meal when I'm visiting family in the area. Chips and salsa - yes please! The food is consistent and always hot and yummy. read more

The food is amazing. We got the street tacos and the torta. The pork street taco was the best out of the four- it was so tender! The shredded beef Torta was flavorful- the pickled jalapeños and the toasted bun were perfect additions to the sandwich. Staff was very attentive and friendly. read more

No... please stop! This is not Mexican food... and it's mostly not the restaurant's fault. They are just providing what sells.

As a traveler, I am always skeptical of random restaurants along my route. But I couldn't be more pleased with having stopped by El Tapatio after going to rock island state park. First off- I loved the salsa. For someone who doesn't handle spicy well this was perfect for me. It tasted like Mexican pizza sauce but in the best way possible with great chips. And I hail from Texas so... kudos. I ordered the mixed meat fajitas and my friend ordered the enchiladas. And we both were super happy. The fajitas had an awesome sauce that made me want to overeat. Portion sizes were very large for the price that I even got a second meal out of it. And incredibly fast and speedy service to get me back on the road. My friend thought McDonald's takes longer. All in all, support this local establishment. I think their recipes can be famous world wide. I wanted to order salsa to go. read more

Service is the best part of this place. The people there are nice and attentive but the food is pedestrian and flavorless.

Great food/ great value. Guacamole was outstanding and enchiladas very good. Unsweetened tea was fresh. read more

Very good food and service, at at good price! Normal , but appealing Mexican restaurant!

Great food, wonderful staff, friendly, big portions, this is the place to eat in Sparta read more

El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant - menu - Mexican Near Me - Sparta, Tennessee

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We absolutely love this place. The food is consistently hot, fresh & delicious! The servers are REALLY fast, smile, and act as if they are REALLY glad you came! I don't know if you've noticed, but in 2018 that's kind of rare! My favorite is the Chicken Chimichanga. Tender meat, perfectly seasoned with all the traditional side dishes! And the price for two of us if we drink water (which is better for us), is less than $20!! read more

This would probably be the absolute BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT that I have ever been to in all my life. It's so fresh. Mario; the waiter, is so charismatic and fast. I will definitely be back here. The price is a tad bit high but for what you get, so worth it. I'd recommend this place to anyone! read more

Best place to eat if you are in town and would like to eat Mexican food! The best chips and salsa. I ordered the chimichanga with all the essentials on the side (shredded lettuce, pico, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole)! read more

We came here originally because it was open. We were nearby on a birthday trip for my girlfriend, at the Fall Creek Falls state park. We did not realize everything in this town closes so early. Imagine our surprise when we found a delicious, authentic Mexican restaurant with unparalleled service. Five stars, in every way. The chiro pollo is highly recommended. read more

The food was really good... I especially like the queso and the street tacos were excellent. The restaurant itself could use some updating, but the staff was really friendly and efficient. We were just visiting the area, but I would go back if there again. read more

Locals seem to like this place, but my experiences were lacking. All their food seems to be the same grey color. After I watched a waiter dump the unused salsa from a guest table back into the container they were serving from, that was it for me. Still looking for zero stars. read more

Hands down my favorite restaurant. I love the food, the atmosphere and the employees! We must go pretty often, because they know what we want when we sit down lol. I recommend this restaurant to everyone. read more

Made a stop in this little town to rest after hiking. Found this little gem and we were not disappointed! I'm Hispanic so I'm definitely tentative on trying out "Latin" cuisine restaurants. This place is definitely worth while and I wish I lived closer so I could stop by more! The food was DELICIOUS, staff is very friendly and the restaurant is clean. The amount of food you get for what you pay is astronomical. If you're in Sparta, TN, stop by and try this place out, your stomach will thank you. read more

Outstanding service and food...was recommended and it didn't disappoint at all. Very tasty authentic Mexican....just the right mix!

This is a regular for me and my husband. The servers are friendly and quick and the food is uniformly great. When the host/hostess has a few spare minutes, they are cleaning off the menus. I've never seen that anywhere before! When I'm eating low carb, their camarones cocktail is excellent. At a lot of other restaurants, it's really soupy, but not here. Just nice fresh ingredients. read more

Excellent food and wonderful service. We are doing low carb abs the waiter remembered and accommodated all of our requests. The prices were great and everything came out quickly and hot. If we're ever out this way again, we'll be back. read more

Excellent food and service! The place was packed but we were seated quickly and the food was brought out quickly as well. They also carry a selection of local craft beers which surprised me. It was clean and comfortable. read more

This Sparta, TN location is sooooo much better than the two Cookeville locations. The wait staff are on the ball getting your drinks, chips and salsa to your table. Once you order its super fast to the table and very hot which makes it ten times better. Take the ride to Sparta, TN and try it for yourself. You will not be disappointed. read more

This is a really good restaurant. Service was really friendly and the food was good. I had the fajitas and was really great. The chips and salsa had a great flavor and we're fresh!! read more

Great nachos, enchiladas, tacos, fajitas, old beer, ECT, ect..... highly recommended in the small town of SPARTA!

This is authentic Mexican cuisine at a great price. It was recommended by the owners of Calfkiller Brewing Company. I usually don't like refried beans but these were so flavorful and smooth. A gem of a place in this small town. read more

My favorite Mexican Restaurant. The food is always amazing. I LOVE their cheese dip! The employees are always smiling and very helpful.

Incredible food and wonderful service! Loved it so much!!!! We go all the time. I got a rose for Valentine's day!