Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Tapatio

    3.7 (97 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:30 pm

    Order El Tapatio Takeout or Delivery

    El Tapatio Photos

    EL TAPATIO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - El Tapatio

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Cheers!
    Tay W.

    I am super hesitant to add a review of this restaurant. My rational for this is very selfish. I don't want to share this great little secret. This is a lovely small restaurant that serves some really really good Mexican fair. The customer service is always on point. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The decor is also simplistically nice....especially the engraved chairs and booths. We used to frequent two other local restaurants on taco Tuesday. However, we have found a new home for our Taco and Tequila Tuesdays! The guacamole is probably the best that we have had in this area. It's so good, we have ordered some to take home so that we can have Guac-Toast the next day. The rice and beans are also a home run. If you were on the fence about visiting El Tapatio, I encourage you to jump on over. You won't be disappointed. Happy eating!

    Apollo Pollo Loco
    Lori W.

    The lowdown: Good food, excellent drink specials, adequate service, Decent sanitation rating and having a coupon made it well worth it! Fun fact: They have a drive thru window! El Tapatio is Located at the end of a strip mall (next to Food Lion) with ample parking. There is uncovered outdoor seating (although it was rainy so we opted for inside). There were no empty tables inside (6:30 on a Tuesday) so we were seated at the bar. The bar is small, but seems like it doesn't get used that much other than people waiting for to-go orders. The barstools have backs but they sit kind of low to the counter(counter was just above my chest and made me feel short). Chips and salsa are brought out. Chips were decent, I was surprised that the salsa had a little kick to it. Ordered Pollo Loco(see picture). And Diablo Street Tacos. generous portions (I find this typical of Mexican comida) and it was served promptly. There was enough for the next days lunch! Overall a good experience and I would return if I had another coupon. For me personally, I'm not a huge fan of Mexican cuisine, I probably would not typically choose to eat here (or any Mexican) unless I had a coupon.

    Flight of margaritas
    Laura G.

    Delicious Mexican food in welcoming restaurant. I had the pork tacos with pineapple. There were three generous tacos and they had great flavor. Refried beans with cheese were a yummy side as was rice. I loved my meal. I especially loved the flight of margaritas. My favorite was the mango followed by the strawberry. This is a fun restaurant with sweet wait staff and delicious food. We will certainly return.

    Kathy W.

    We are trying this place for take out. 1. Chicken quesadilla- ordered for our son, he loved it 2. Chicken and beef fajitas - a bit heavy on the onion , but decent overall 3. Fish tacos - looks a bit burnt but tasted ok. I don't think I will order it again though. Overall , a decent alternative for Mexican food in the area.

    Ladies room
    Heather B.

    Great lunch spot. Service fast, friendly and the food is very good. Chips are a little too thick for my liking but the salsa is great. ACP was yummy, hubby enjoyed his fajitas. Saturday lunch portions and prices were great. Friendly staff and a few of their regular customers came in, nice to see a neighborhood place succeeding! Plenty of parking and good food!

    Tamale & Chile Relleno combo.
    Krista W.

    Super super delicious. My husband had the combo and loved every bite. The chicken and rice was so good! The cheese sauce had just the right amount of kick. As soon as we sat down I ordered my kid a meal and It came out within minutes! I was super appreciative of that. The drink deals are amazing. I had the pineapple juice and It was perfect! It was our first time in, but we will be back! Definitely found our new spot.

    Eating outdoors and a nice Sunday night at El Tapatio!
    Jim P.

    The best margaritas and chips and salsa in the area! Great food consistently made well and arrives hot to your table. Tonight I had the ribeye with onions and mushrooms in cheese sauce with beans and rice and tortillas. Great, super tender and delicious. My wife had the chili relleño al la carte: three chili relleños. It was great too. They have great table-made guacamole too.

    Lunch special chicken burrito and chicken enchilada with rice and beans
    Markiesa B.

    Came here on a Saturday for lunch. We literally was the only ones in the restaurant. I decided to get the 3.99 lime margarita and the lunch special which was pick two items and it came with rice and beans. Prices are really cheap as well. Food and drinks came out fast and everything tasted good. Only bad thing was we had to find the server to cash out and we was the only ones in there.

    Cheers!

    See all

    7 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mark L.
    1487
    1039
    11954

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    My go-to Mexican spot around Wake Forest. Easy online ordering and drive thru for pick up.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Good food, good service, and very affordable lunch specials! The restaurant is clean and the staff quick and friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great neighborhood restaurant with friendly, helpful service, good food, and amazingly good salsa. Definitely a gem in the Wakefield area.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Excellent food and generous portions. Takeout is available and timely. Staff is polite and professional.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    It was great! Food arrived quickly and was beautifully plated. Generous portions and generous pours! Great Mexican venue!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mr T.
    0
    325
    93

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bethany D.
    133
    54
    34

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - El Tapatio

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 11,094 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Tres leches

    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen

    4.3(128 reviews)
    16.1 mi
    $$

    Happy Mango Strawberry Mojito Monday!! Karla provided…read moreexceptional service!! The restaurant was clean and the food was great. (As usual) They have daily specials Monday - Thursday so come in after work and grab yourself some good eats and drinks.

    I don't usually leave reviews, but this was an all-around frustrating experience from start to…read morefinish. Right off the bat, we asked for a highchair and were told it would be brought over. It never came. After waiting, we had to flag down a server walking by, who eventually brought one--only for it to be broken. It then took another 10 minutes before we finally got a functional highchair. Throughout the visit, the staff seemed far more interested in talking amongst themselves than actually paying attention to guests. The overall atmosphere felt disorganized, inattentive, and unprofessional. The worst part came after we left. I realized almost immediately that I had left my wallet behind and called right away. Instead of any sense of urgency or willingness to help, the host who answered was incredibly rude and dismissive. Before I could fully explain the situation, she cut me off and told me to "call back tomorrow." When I tried to quickly describe the wallet--color, contents, anything that might help--she hung up on me mid-sentence. Considering I called almost immediately after leaving and was brushed off so quickly, it raises serious concerns about whether any real effort was made to locate it. I would hope any establishment would take something like that seriously. Between the lack of attention, the disorganization, and the way a simple, time-sensitive situation was handled, this place clearly has serious issues with customer service. I won't be back.

    Photos
    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Fresh Guacamole table side

    Fresh Guacamole table side

    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - Combo vegetarian

    Combo vegetarian

    Carajillo's Mexican Kitchen - La Mangonera Margarita

    See all

    La Mangonera Margarita

    Taqueria El Toro - @sujungchronicles

    Taqueria El Toro

    4.4(367 reviews)
    15.6 mi
    $

    Hands down the best tacos I've had in North Carolina. Just wow. The food is phenomenal and comes…read moreout really fast. They've expanded into a bigger space so there's a lot more seating available which is much needed because it's always packed. The line moves quickly and the staff works efficiently. They are pros. If you love tacos, try this place.

    Stopped by Taqueria El Toro last week after a few people had recommended this place. I'll admit my…read moreexpectations may be shaped by having a lot of Tex Mex style food in Texas, but I wanted to give this a try. When you arrive, there is plenty of parking around the building, and entrances in the front and on the right side. Once inside, you'll walk up to counter and place your order. Your then given a order number and it's open seating. Your number will be called out in Spanish when your food is ready and you'll pick it up at the counter. I ordered an al pastor taco which unfortunately was not good. It came out extremely cold and needed a lot of salsa for it to have any flavor. I also ordered a steak burrito which was much better and was served with melted cheese on the top. There were fatty pieces throughout the burrito but this was far better than the taco. Lastly, I ordered a horchata but it tasted like grainy and wasn't great. If I'm in the area again I may give this a try but I'd definitely stick with a burrito so your food is hot.

    Photos
    Taqueria El Toro - Best Sit Down Mexican Food! Authentic and made with love!

    Best Sit Down Mexican Food! Authentic and made with love!

    Taqueria El Toro - Pre-salsa bar

    Pre-salsa bar

    Taqueria El Toro

    See all

    El Tapatio - mexican - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...