This is a little hidden gem in Naples. My in laws are local and go here often. We were skeptical to go because from the road the place looks a bit off putting. But don't let that deter you. The food and service were excellent! This is true authentic Mexican. I think the word has spread so be sure to make a reservation. The place was packed when we were there and they wouldn't have been able to take us without a reservation. There was a high end chef dining there the same night we were there who said the barbacoa tacos are among the best he has ever tasted! One thing to note - they do use a lot of cilantro and I know there is a contingency of people who think it tastes like soap. So if you ate in that camp slip the cilantro. It will be too much for you. read more

The smaller the Mexican spot, the better the food. This place rocks. Server spoke english which usually isn't the case for the type of local Mexican restaurants that I enjoy. if i walk in and i am the only gringo, i know its gonna be a good one. Cannot wait to go back and try some more of the food and drink. read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Chicken quesadilla plate. - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

We had an excellent meal. This is the most authentic Mexican restaurant that we have found in south Naples. We will definitely be coming back. PS don't let the outside facade fool you, the inside is clean and the food is worth it. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Beef burrito - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

Probably the best meal we've had in Naples! Definitely the least expensive. I'm a foodie and spend a good amount of time researching restaurants. I love to cook and I love exceptional food. Unfortunately most restaurants fall short and I rarely feel like I get the best bang for my buck. My husband is a big fan of burrito's. He said the one he had here was the best he's had. I tried a chicken taco and a beef taco, both were amazing! Pico was also awesome! Don't be deterred by the outside appearance, it was fantastic! read more

As a first timer at El Tapatio Restaurant here I was excited to try out this hidden gem. Where have I been! Missing out on great authentic Mexican cuisine that's what! What makes this spot so spot on? Attention to detail: Especially true with our wait staff Mari. They have hired a fabulous waitress. She knows exactly when to check on us to see that our needs were getting met. She pointed ideas on the menu that made logical sense for what we were asking. She withstood high temperatures ( we choose to eat outside) here in August, she served our food with excellent expertise, polite , kind, and most importantly she had an innate sense when the best times were to check in on us. this is a skill that may take years to develop. Not this young woman. Mari has either been trained very well by the staff here or she is fortunate to have acquired an innate talent and is a natural as a waitress. of which is not easy in this area! Food: Excellent!!! We had for a late lunch. Served chips and salsa to begin and free. Crispy, thin, slightly salty! Salsa red sauce excellent! Perfection? We LOVED our Vegetable Fajitas. Huge portions of vegetables, rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole, cheese, chopped tomatoes, onions, and cilantro. Bravo chef! The vegetables were cooked 100 percent perfect! Crispy, not overcooked. Flavor of the fajitas, again, the perfect balance of spices vs too hot. Ambiance: We ate outside. Inside a little dark. Chairs are fun, and painted with the whimsical touch! Many booths and nice bar. Other staff: Welcoming, helpful, and great attitude. Price: $$ Value:$$$$$ read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - This is me along with my friend I dine out with. - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

Excellent fresh dishes. Perfect homemade nachos and salsa. We try and stop here every other week. No way do the retirees stop here. Only native latinos. read more

Don't let the location fool you. The food is fantastic and the service is wonderful.

Huevos Rancheros were good; Carne Asada was not. "steak" was paper thin and dry and not grilled, but pan fried like Cuban bistec palomilla but with zero flavor or juices. Cardboard. The air vents were black with dirt and the restroom was dirtier than a gas station restroom. Won't be going back to this dump. read more

My boyfriend and I were looking for a different taco place to try when back in my hometown. This place has amazing pork and steak tacos if you're looking for authentic tacos. The food came out fast and the service was amazing. Will definitely come by again when we're back in town! read more

Food was Greasy and disgusting not to mention overpriced, don't know why it had a $ sign when I bought a entree for enchiladas and a beer and it's was $40 I'm sorry but no. read more

Looks can be deceiving!! Don't let the appearance fool you. This place has outstanding food! Best chips and guacamole I've ever had! Service is very friendly. Possibly the best food experience in the area! read more

Authentic Mexican food. Good service. Prices fair. Will go back again. If your craving Mexican food this is the place to go. Friendly service. read more

Hypothesis debunked! I once said that the east coast can not produce authentic Mexican cuisine. I am so wrong . I'll be the first to admit. Who would've thought? An enclave of thriving Mexican community lives here in Naples. Tapatio reminds me of an eatery in the tiny streets of Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo. Amazing! My true test of a good Mexican restaurant is how they they rate on their menudo or pozole. Sure enough they have menudo and hot damn it is tender, flavorful and delicious. For the not so adventurous do not try it as this is tripe, a cow's stomach lining. Eeeew, yummy! There's also - lengua, cow tongue taco! Eeeew, yummy! I ordered the gordita- thicker corn flour tortilla with chicharon (crispy skin in stewed tomatoes) eeeew, yummy! And gordita with steak. Amazing! And for $3.25 each. One was actually more than enough. I was certainly delighted to find items they normally do not serve here in the US. Items that are reminiscent of street hawker fare of Mexico. They also have flan, which was homemade and spot-on. And agua fresca. Cheap eats. The service was friendly and fast! read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Menudo the soup not the group, aye-oh!delicioso! - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

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Best carne asada tacos in town and I've pretty much tried them all! Grew up in So Cal so I know Mexican food and this hit the spot. I'll have to try the enchiladas next time! read more

Went for the first time tonight after reading good reviews here. We all got different tortas, and they all were tasty. They were also very nice about us coming in so late. Update: After having gone back MANY times, just want to mention the MASHED POTATO ENCHILADAS! Have you ever heard of such a thing? I hadn't! They're great, of course. Vegan friendly, in theory... Also tried the nopalito (cactus) gordita! Tastes kind of like green peppers. read more

Stopped for an early dinner and the service and food did not disappoint. Staff were friendly and answered all questions. Place was clean and staff were following Covid protocol. Eat in or take out is available. Tables are spaced for social distancing and safety of both staff and customers. Our food came quickly and was very delicious. We will be back. read more

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Two stars bc the food was so great! However service was awful. No wonder they include 15% gratuity bc if it was up to their service... OOOF. We put in an order to go when we dined in, our waitress made sure to let us know the kitchen would close soon so we HAD to put in the order at that time. When we were finished with our food we waited for our to go order when we heard the staff making rude comments about us not leaving quick enough. We told her what we were waiting for and it turns out she never put the order in when we brought it to her attention she said that it would "take too long". Do yourself a favor and order out. read more

We were absolutely starving driving through the Everglades and we're looking for a place to stop and stuff our faces as soon as we entered Naples. We tried the pork and steak tacos, a chicken sope, a cheese quesadilla, and a cheeseburger. The restaurant has about 12 tables and at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon on a Monday was about 4 tables full. We waited about 20 to 25 minutes for our food to come out which I felt was a bit long but definitely worth the wait. Food was abundant, presentation was very nice, and service was very friendly. Not an upscale place but the food is definitely good. Sorry I didn't post any pictures.... I was too hungry to do so when it arrived! read more

Meh this place was ok. I consistently have problems ordering items with no cheese despite my clarity. no cheese! they had to made my food maybe three times? just saying... once I got my enchilada without cheese it was very yummy. Churro had this weird dulce de leche filling, we got it free with a check in deal. I would say overall a 2.5 but I will round up for authenticity and friendliness. Carnitas taco -1 Lengua taco - 3 Chicken enchilada - 4 Churro - 1 Service - 3 Coffee - 3 Atmosphere - 3 read more

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Best Mexican food I've ever had. Highly recommended to anybody who loves who made Mexican food. Very kind service and great people

Don't let the outside scare you away! Authentic Mexican food, reasonable prices, ice cold beer - what more can you ask for? I'm told the owner he's been there 20+ years. read more

As mentioned in other Yelp reviews, this re-purposed motel space is a bit odd. However, the food and service were great. We especially liked all the a la carte options. The guaco was great. The chips, salsa, and pico de gallo were great. The Carnitas Gordita was amazing. Sure wished we lived close by to try more things on the menu and to give this place our business. read more

Second time here with my family. I must admit, this is probably the best Mexican food I've ever had! I wish they had vegetarian options or maybe fish tacos. Other than that, a most stop place. Small and quaint. A hidden gem. read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - a plate of chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

We were a party of 2 and came into the restaurant at the same time as another couple. The restaurant did not appear to be busy, with only 4 tables occupied including us. We waited 45 minutes for our food while they filled lots of take out orders. The couple that came in at the same time as us had their food in about 25 minutes. So in between their order and ours the restaurant staff decided to fill all those take out orders. The food was very good once it arrived, but we'll never go back due to the awful service. read more

Came here for Father's Day. My family decided Mexican food, because we can't go wrong with guac anywhere lol. We sat down and ordered our drinks. I usually get the same thing at most Mexican restaurants, tamarind jarritos and the father of my kids usually get a coke in a glass bottle. We started off with appetizers like guacamole, pico de gallo and totopes (chips). The guac needed a little salt, but I like it that way, because I can season it up to my likings. Well, he ordered the torta de milanesa and a tostada de carne and I ordered two sopes de carne. Both delicious. Reminded me of childhood lol. My daughter only wanted a piece of flan, because she had already ate. The flan was delicious, too. I would recommend this place if you're craving the usual Mexican antojos. read more

Rude server. Food was lacking. Will not come again. There are plenty of Mexican places in the area where you get better food and service for the money (recommend Taqueria San Julian, Taco Lindo, Garibaldi, Chilakil or Amigo's Cafe over this place). read more

I went to this restaurant because of its high rating and reviews, however my experience was a nightmare. I asked the gentlemen working behind the counter if this restaurant makes carne asada burritos and I was told yes. I order chicken enchiladas and a carne aside burrito with sour cream and cheese. After waiting for 20 mins the female behind the counter was confused with where to put my sour cream. I said you can put it inside the burrito. Then I was asked, you want a burrito? i said yes that is what I order. So I waited another 20 mins for them to make my burrito and chicken enchilada, which they had not started making at that point. She confirmed, you did order the chicken enchilada? I said yes. In total I waited about 40-45 mins for two items and there were only one other couple who arrived 15 mins after I did and a elaborated gentlemen at the bar. The guy who took my order stated that he didn't hear me say burrito. I said I know what I asked for and if you did not hear clearly that is not on me. After waiting forever for these items that should have taking 15mins max, I was charged $1 for the sour cream and cheese $8 for the burrito and $11 for the enchilada. I ask the gentlemen who was ringing up my order and same person who got my order wrong, shouldn't you comp me for the inconvenience and the long wait, at least I should get the sour cream and cheese for free? He gave another excuse that he heard me say something else and said I'll get you next time. I advised him that there won't be a next time, this will be my last visit to this establishment. Bottom line I don't mind mistakes but admit to them especially in hospitality and dinning, plus it's better customer service if one shows the patron one is sorry for the inconvenience by reducing their bill or comping them something. I DO NOT recommend and I will not be going back. read more

As long as you can get past feeling as though you are eating at the end of a motel that rents by the hour this place is amazing!!!!! The guac is amazing and made fresh. We did all ala carte and everything was delicious. Tacos, enchilada and flautas. We'll definitely be back here for the authentic taste. read more

The worst Mexican food ever. Salsa is watery and they charge $4.50 for each cup after first complimentary cup. Would definitely not recommend!! I saw the cook wipe his sweat and make a taco with his hands - the health dept needs to seriously look at the cleanliness. Sorry but it's not what we thought from previous reviews. Tacos and Tequila is better. read more

This USE to be my favorite Mexican restaurant in Naples Manor. Tonight I came in for dinner and like always, have a cold beer and some chips before I order. When I asked for more chips before my dinner came I was told $4.50!!! NFW!!! NEVER AGAIN!! Sanctuary City Naples Manor! I was told by the snotty server she didn't care that they have "other" customers! MUST BE because i am NOT Latino!! read more

This was by far the worst Mexican restaurant I have ever had the displeasure of experiencing. I've lived in California for many years and I know what good Mexican cooking is all about. I think the owner must have a lot of cousins or friends who are writing 4 and 5 Star reviews. My partner had flautas and I had two BBQ tacos. The flautas were burned and my tacos were dry and tasteless. And to top it all off, although we weren't expecting a whole lot, the place was dirty. And to top that off it is connected to a closed Motel that I think was used in the movie Psycho. Stay far away from this disgusting place. read more

My favorite thing here is the Gordita! It's like a thicker corn tortilla with whatever meat filling you prefer or can be vegetarian. It's crunchy and soft at the same time - delicious. I ate it too quickly to take a photo but I think there are other photos posted of what it looks like. My other favorite is the grapefruit flavor Jarritos. All of the waitresses are very nice and attentive, this is the perfect little hidden place. read more

I feel like a broken record, but this truly is a great place. The food is worthy of china and crystal but that would ruin the Mexican home kitchen atmosphere. We started with homemade chips and pico de gallo plus hot salsa. My enchiladas were amazing, topped with a pile of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream and queso blanco. My husband's fajitas overflowed his plate. Even the beans and rice were good. We would definitely come back if we didn't live in Colorado. Come to think of it, this food could be worth the drive! read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Chicken fajitas. - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

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We have eaten here so often. Sometimes everyone else speaks Spanish but they do speak English. It looks like a place you would never stop at, but it is amazing how good and consistent the food is. I can often spot abuella (grandma?) cooking in the back. Amazing green tomatillo sauce. Camarones cocktail just like Mexico. Love this place luckily it is just down the street from us. read more

Don't Judge the book by the cover. Very good authentic Mexican food ( not tex-mex). Don't expect heads of guac and sour cream on everything. This is the real deal. Yelpers, don't forget to ask for the free dessert! Yum read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Yum flam! - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

This IS real Mexican food!! Holy Cow! Everything is good and the service is great. The steak tacos, the chips, the salsa, the hot sauce, the huevos rancheros... It all tastes like Mexico! Don't let the outside of the building scare you away! read more

Very good and authentic. Service is what you would expect. The guacamole is off the hook. Steak and Chicken Fajatias were great. We will be back! read more

Best steak tacos and churros I've had in the states. Will give anything you get in Mexico a run for their money. Pricing is very reasonable. If you don't want steak you can order your tacos with chicken or pork. Also very good but steak is my favorite. Friendly efficient service. Their Pico De Gaillo is excellent as well as their homemade chips. Love the chunky guacamole too. Don't expect a fancy shmancy place but you can't go wrong. The food is why you are there. It is outstanding. read more

Truly authentic & fresh made food! The best we've ever eaten! From the side of the road this place looks like a hole in the wall & the restaurant itself isn't anything upscale or fancy like most of Naples. But what gives this place 5 stars is service & the quality of food - absolutely amazing & so delicious! If you don't care about "fancy" & just want very affordable and great meal, stop there! You will not be disappointed! read more

El Tapatio Restaurante - Steak & chicken tacos! Yum! - Mexican Near Me - Naples, Florida

Fantastic authentic Mexican food! Real Coke from Mexico. Real everything! We'll definitely return often. If you want fancy then go elsewhere. This is not Americanized Mexican. read more