Service was exquisite. Waiter was very helpful and attentive. Food was filling and satisfactory. Chips and salsa were average. The environment was giving a very authentic mexican feel. Artwork around the building. Lavatory services were pretty much up to par. Overall, a pretty standard mexican restaurant. The food will not blow you away, and though it is not spotless, it is fairly clean. Not much bad to say about this place. What they lack in food, they make up for with service. read more

Not going back again. Stopped for lunch and ordered beef enchiladas. Menus were covered with salsa from previous diners. Beef was salty enough to be used as a deer lick. Enchiladas did not come with either rice or beans, just salty hamburger meat inside a tortilla, served on plates that were so hot they were delivered by the waitress with hot gloves. Assuming the food was frozen and then thawed in the oven on the plate.... The complementary chips and salsa had some kind of odd taste to it that I couldn't figure out, so stopped eating them. Decorations were over the top, and demeaning to women. read more

First our server got our drink order and then food. I ordered the Seafood Platter which was suppose to include tilapia, shrimp, scallops and crab legs in the shell. Well, the food came out quickly and no crab legs on my plate and no tarter sauce for the fish. The server did not come back to check on us until we were almost done eating. I asked about the crab and she said they didn't have it anymore. I replied that I should have been told that when I ordered it. They also did not have tarter sauce. What, the ketchup comes in a plastic cup with lid but you can't afford a $3 bottle of tarter sauce every month or two? I explained the same to the senior server/manager who was sent to our table. So, no crab legs and no $ taken off the bill and mediocre food. read more

My food was so burnt here I could not chew it. The place was not clean at all there was old food inside the menus. The Waitress did not come check on us at all during our meal.Do not recommend whatsoever will not be coming back. read more

Been there three times just trying to give it a chance.... all three times were the same, bad. I have had molcajetes all over the U.S. Cactus, beef, shrimp, chicken and a broth in a lava bowl varying in taste and ingredients but all have had one thing in common; they were all served piping hot except here. 1st time it was cold 2nd time was cold and asked to heat it up. Still cool. Third trip decided to try fajitas, cold also. But not just mine but everyone in our group of 4. Sorry, but 3 strikes, you are OUT!! read more

Food here used to be good but either my palette has changed or the quality has worsened. Just bland, flavorless. Asada is tough. Chicken is dry. There are better options in the area for this kind of food. read more

Horrible everything if you want a good experience you would be better off going to Burger King or Walt's across the street. nothing about this place is any good. Piss poor service and food. read more

Our order was taken over the phone for a pickup order. When I arrived to get it, they had no record of our order. I reordered there, all the while repeating my order 4 times. At least. When we got our order it was completely wrong. Missing items, extra items, no cheese. Would not recommend. read more

Really good chicken fajita's. The lunch serving is the perfect amount. The chips and salsa is fantastic. Can't stop eating them! I went to this place about 3 years ago and the chicken enchilada was so salty I couldn't eat it and didn't go back for a couple of years. I had it since and it is much better, but is still more salty that I prefer. Overall, great food. read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Willmar, Minnesota

There was food all over the ground, the bathrooms where horrible, the food was great, service was so so. The margaritas where awesome. read more

Really wanted to enjoy this place as it has the feel of places I frequent. Comfortable, family friendly, attentive service. With one major exception, it fit the bill. Chips fresh, salsa good (not great). Ice cold beer, second draft in front of me as soon as I finished the first. The menu had many seafood choices. I passed on them (this is Willmar MN, right?) and went with the safe choice - steak fajitas. While the flour tortillas were warm and fresh, the steak was like chewing on a shoe. I could not prepare a traditional fajita taco because I could not determine which pieces of meat would chew like a moccasin and which would chew like a boot. I was able to break down the moccasin meat but had to leave the boot meat on the skillet. I would return if I am I the area simply to give it a second chance. Will go with a pollo dish for sure. read more

Service was terrible.beans cold@! Not everyone got their food at the same time.we had to order our drinks whomever listened..did not even serve us a second round of chips!! They want to do too much with the menu and cannot handle it. Needed more staff and i think they donot communicate between staff and cook and other servers. WhaT a poor representation of what could be good food. They will not see me again and it is a poor representation of mexican food.. There are other restaurants in that town..taco bell would be better... read more

Dirty restaurant. Food was good. Margaritas from a bucket with a spout. Gross. How old was that stuff. Tasted like chichi premix. Had been here 10 years ago. Great place then. Nothing has changed Got very old. No up dates. Run down. No maintenance. Stuff left food out that should be refrigerated. Lazy staff however they are very friendly. I will say again food was good. But....I feel it might be a health risk read more

Best chips and salsa around! Also have never been disappointed after eating here! I would recommend getting their super delicious enchiladas but you really can't go wrong with anything on the menu! Love this small owned family ran business. Even though I am from the twin cities and have been to a variety of places, this still is probably my #1 favorite place for nummy Mexican food. read more

Ordered pickup and it was ready in less than 10 minutes. By the time I got back to the hotel it wasn't quite as hot as I would have liked it but even so it was still the best Mexican food I've ever had! I will definitely be going back again. Great prices, but they do charge $0.25 for pickup, odd. read more

Probably 3.5 stars but I will bump them up half a star. The staff was very friendly and cordial. Large variety on the menu and attentive service. Food came out quickly and was hot. I had the catfish fajitas which were decent quality. Dining area is a bit loud during peak hours and the chairs although very artistic and cool looking and not comfortable to sit in for very long. Not many choices in Willmar but this is one of your better ones. read more

Great food. We ordered take out. It was quick and close to the hotel. Would absolutely go back!

I went to El Tapatio per the recommendation of the hotel manager and I can see why he recommends it. The restaurant is decorated like a kids playground but don't let that scare you away. The food is great! I'm not going to call this "authentic Mexican" but it's better than your typical Tex-Mex. I started with the chips and salsa which were good. I don't like chips that are too flimsy and break into a million pieces when you bite into them (ahem El Rodeo). I ordered the Shrimp Fajitas and wasn't really sure what to expect with the shrimp but they were actually pretty good in size and they give you a fair number of them. I just ate them right off the skillet since I consumed almost the entire basket of chips on my own but the meal was still good without the tortilla! I had to take a lot it home (again, please refer to the fact that I ate almost the entire basket of chips by myself) and it still tasted good reheated the next day! I did find it a little strange that the waitress kept calling me "lady" but I chalked that one up to a cultural difference. I don't know when I'll be back in Wilmar but I'll be making a stop at El Tapatio when I do go back! read more

Food was good and fairly quick. Ordered a bottled beer and they even brought out a frozen mug with it! Perfect!! Only downfall was their outdoor sign showed domestic taps for $1.50 during NFL games. Pretty sure the NFL has been done for almost two months.....update your sign and bring back some drink specials! read more

On a trip out of town my husband and I wanted to try a local resturant. We stopped by and were not disappointed. The seasoning was excellent. The meat had a tasty char that added to the flavor. I have a weak pallet for spice heat and it was just right. Well done all around. The service as fast and friendly. read more

El Tapatio - Chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Willmar, Minnesota

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Wonderful variety and fast, friendly service. Delicious salsa. Everything was just right

All right the food taste good and good service. But I though it was Mexican food . It is so Texican food with ground beef tacos . I was just expecting acutal Mexican food. and the margriats are premixed read more

El Tapatio - Mexican Near Me - Willmar, Minnesota

I live 35 minutes outside Willmar. I head in about twice a month for grocery shopping etc. We stop at only 2 diff restaurants in Willmar whenever we have extra time to sit and have a good meal. One is G-mill and the other is always......El Tapatio : ) The service is always consistent, it's a well oiled machine.. lol. We always order the chicken/steak fajitas for 2.. delish! The prices are really reasonable anytime of day. And their portion sizes are quite large. Not to mention the awesome, delicious chips and salsa you receive before your meal. **The only small complaint is they serve you this Huge plate of food, but only give you 2 small tortillas per person. I asked for more my first time there and they charged me..(I can't remember exactly but it was about as much as a small pack of tortillas at a grocery store.) **This is my first review, so please bear with me lol..thanks! read more

We love El Tap!! The queso is amazing and I just tried el Diablo and it was the perfect amount of zip with a large portion of shrimp. Are server was great and we can't wait to come back. read more

Very consistent food and service. I would certainly suggest it if you are looking for a good tex-mex menu.

My husband had a conference in town and El Tapatio was close to our hotel. It was a Thursday nite. There were a few tables but not overly busy. We were seated quickly and the staff very friendly. Drinks and chips/salsa were served quickly. I ordered the enchilada/tamale combo. Portions were good size. Sauce over both not spicy at all (I prefer more spice). Food was ok at best. I can't even remember what my husband ordered but we agreed we wouldn't be back. I'm always on the hut for good Mexican food (which us extremely hard in MN). read more

Horrible service! Our waiter looked about 12 and he struggled even getting water to us. The salsa was Pace Picante sauce with bits of cilantro added. Some people were half way done eating before others were even served and others finished their meals before their tortillas were brought out. The food didn't taste bad but the meal was hard to enjoy. read more

They have amazing food if you LOVE Mexican foods! The service could be better but overall pretty good place to eat at!

I went here for work lunch. I ordered a beef burrito with rice and beans. my coworker ordered a chicken taco salad. The server was very nice and prompt to bring us our drinks. My meal was not seasoned very well not the typical Mexican food that i am accustomed to. The Rice was very bland and the beans were to the burrito was decent. My coworker was not impressed with her taco salad contained only a few pieces of chicken chunks instead of shredded chicken. One tomato was on top of the taco salad but no other tomatoes were in the salad. The service was good but I will not be eating here again. read more

We don't come to willmar that often but once in a great while. We usually go to Applebee's but the last two times we have not been impressed at all. Today we went to El Tapatio mexican restaurant and we were impressed. The food was good not spicy which I do like a little spice, our waiter was very attentive as well. The environment was tasteful not over done at all. Overall I was impressed and would definitely go back. They just need to ad a little spice to their food. Chips and salsa were delicious. read more

Great food, great service. Really good chips and salsa. Menu is very reasonably priced, almost on the inexpensive side.

It's not bad, but it's not great either. Very mid grade quality food and service. The inside is filled and decorated with cheap chinsy type decorations. The price is very fair and they really do load you up with chips and salsa. The service can be really good some nights and pretty awful other nights. Try the queso dip if you go. read more

Excellent food and great service! I tried the Puerto Vallerta Nachos and they were very unique and very good!

Love the chips and addictive salsa! Street legal salsa! The food is made to order , relatively quickly, and always HOT! (temperature not spicy) You can't help but take a bite even when warned. If you look around you will notice others showing the international sign of eating something temperature hot. "Hee! HEee! Haaa! Hooo! Whooo!" My favorite is the fish tacos, or Letter E. My honey loves the Steak Fajitas and the kids love the tacos and enchiladas. Love their rice, and if you can manage to fit in some dessert do it! The portions are large and worth taking home with you just to try the desserts. Fried Ice Cream or Sopapillas are both a family favorite. The four of us usually share a Fried Ice Cream as again, the portions are large. Totally worth the stop, and worth taking home the left overs as they are just as delicious re-heated. lol read more

Remember, you are in the middle of Minnesota. Authentic Mexican is a little hard to come by. But this place does alright! Best chips and salsa hands-down! Tons of menu options and reasonably priced. Decor is a little....bizarre, but that just makes it fun. read more

My boyfriend and I eat here all the time! Its our favorite place to eat ever! Every Ive ever ordered is amazing and the servers are always polite and fast! read more

Went for a late lunch on Cinco de Mayo! Great service! Waiter was super! Drinks were delicious and fast! Chips and salsa tasted fresh and yummy. I don't remember what we had, dinner plates with chicken of some sort. Very good! Way better than a couple of years ago. We will definitely be going again! Can't wait to try something different. read more

I read some hood reviews so i thought i would giveu it a try. Exactly what you would expect in a typical mn mexican restaurant. Do these mexican places get their food from the same store? Meh. Wish I'd gone to Persopolis. 5x better. read more

that was good place i like the atmosphere and service but most i like the food tastes good delicious and very asortimentic choice in menu! prices are ok .. an the funny thing the employes thought i am spanish they start talk to me spanish but i didn't loose my self i did answer in spanish too but as soon i did that they figure out i am not spanish and continued in english that was funny! i like the place !! read more

Food was great. As a born and raised southern Cali girl I was impressed for the area. Ordered the shrimp fajita salad~ full of flavor and not too filling. My husband got the carnitas. We were both happy. Not so happy with the margarita, otherwise it would have been four stars. read more