This place is huge, and unfortunately,​ that means slow service. The food is nothing to write home about. The food lacks authenticity, the beans and rice are usually luke warm. I do have to say the staff is friendly, and I do like the decor. The most frustrating thing is the staircase, which seems awfully long, if you're done with dinner and about to leave, you do have to watch for staff coming up with trays of food. Personally, I recommend visiting Tex Mex in downtown freehold instead. Authentic, family owned, and taste amazing. I've been here a couple of times now, and unfortunately will not be back. Being a business in Freehold, when things change, please let me know, as I will give Escondido another shot, I want to see businesses in my neighborhood do well!! read more

I've been eating lunch here for years. I love their frozen Margaritas and happy hour starts at 11:30 so it's perfect to have a Margarita with my lunch. I'm surprised their ratings are low because the ambience is lively and the food tasty. read more

I want to start this off by saying I normally never write negative reviews and try to only give positive feedback. That being said I was very disappointed by my experience here and feel I should share for others. First thing I noticed is that food and drinks shown in the photos the restaurant uploaded are NOT their food. I'm not sure where the photos are from but that is not their menu items, their plates, or even their restaurant. Found that interesting but not a deal breaker. What is a deal breaker is the quality of food in comparison to the price point. At most Hispanic restaurants you get quite a lot of food for what you're paying for. However here you get VERY little food for a higher price point. The cheapest taco plate is $13 for two tiny, and quite empty, tacos. The combo platters are about $4 to $6 more and you get roughly the same amount of food. We watched other food come out to other tables that looked to be along the same lines. The other disappointing aspect is the food itself. Compared to every other Mexican restaurant I've been to (and there has been quite a few) this food is definitely ranked the lowest. It wasn't bad but was most certainly not good. We only ate half our food and went to get food somewhere else. I would recommend going to a different place. read more

Food is good. Service is generally good. But we won't be going back for a while. Very disappointed that I went in for a takeout order tonight and in the 5 mins I was there, 9 staff members all walked by without masks. 3 in the kitchen, the hostess, a sever and 4 behind the takeout area. I was a little shocked since we were there last week and staff were wearing masks (at least the ones we saw that day). read more

Great food, shaken stawberry margaritas are delicious. Great fresh guacamole and beef burritos. Generous portion sizes for you and kids.

Don't eat here. They have redone the entire menu. Prices went up, quality has gone down. It was never awesome to start with but was always a fair bet. I ordered some "Gringos" tacos. The chicken tasted old. When I asked about it, the server said that they "make that in the morning." For over $9.00, I expected higher quality so I sent them back. My Iced tea was fine. My friend burrito was bigger than the sun. However, he said it was cold in the middle. This does not inspire confidence. So, yeah, don't eat here. -S read more

This is a long time favorite spot of mine and my go to for margaritas! The food and drinks are always great and the service is excellent! Our server tonight, Kikki, was exceptional and helped make our night out even more special! She was fun and provided great service even though she was very busy tonight! We will always come back to Escondido's and I hope we get to see Kikki there again! read more

They made us wait 15-20 minutes standing outside, When they were quite a few tables visibly available (and safely 6 feet apart from each other) so there was no excuse for not seating us right away. When we finally did sit down, it took forever to get our drinks (water) and even longer to get the food. The food was very mediocre, hardly any taste and the rice and beans were disgusting. It made me wish I would've just cooked tacos at home. We came for the outdoor seating and BOGO taco Tuesday special, but left feeling very disappointed (after another 10 minutes of waiting for our credit card receipt). We will NOT be back. read more

First time here and the service was great! Margaritas were delicious and worth the price.

Service is worse than bad. Waitress and runner service as poor as I've ever experienced. Food is ok. Mediocre at best. No napkins, no silverware, no water, no service! Don't come here. read more

Eh. Wasn't what I thought it was at all. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food this isn't it!

Tacos were ok, but way too expensive, even on taco Tuesday. Frozen Margarita machine was broken on a 97 degree day, no AC, Waitress was friendly but not as attentive, they had lots of tiny fruit flies, went to bathroom, it was extremely dirty, toilets Not flushed, trash with dozens of gnats flying out when I threw my napkin in it. I'm sure there was an infestation of them in this place, this says a lot about the cleanliness of the place, sorry but would not eat there again. read more

On a scale of "Hell no" to "holy cow" - it's an "ehh." Went with a group of girlfriends on a Friday. Nice atmosphere and super busy. Got seated within 20 minutes. Chips aren't great but the salsa was tasty. I got the veggie enchiladas. They were EHHH, and it took a little too long for the food to hit the table IMHO. The saving grace in this place is (1) the bar - the frozen margaritas were off the charts and (2) the service - our server was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and honored all requests in a timely fashion. read more

Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

I love Escondido. Their quesadillas are so good and the prices are very fair. The waiters are always nice and they bring you the chips and salsa right away. I've also had a salad from here and it is fantastic. I would highly recommend going here because it has the best Mexican food around. read more

food was bland, greasy, and sloppily plated. it tasted like someone made Mexican food for a retirement home. only giving 2 stars because the drinks were decent. read more

I went with my daughter and her two children. We were seated right away. I had a white Sangria, which I enjoyed. We ordered the nachos which we both thought were very good. However, I was disappointed with the fajitas. I ordered the steak and shrimp combo. The shrimp was okay, but the steak was terrible. I could hardly chew it and it was very overcooked. My daughter said her steak was good so IDK what happened with mine. They give you cheese, sour cream, salsa and guacamole for toppings. We had the fried ice cream for dessert which we both enjoyed. The service was also very good. I would try it again, but I would order something else. read more

Let me just start off this review and say that this place is good. The food tastes good and it can be quite filling. If you're just hungry and you your buds want to get so Mexican food , then Escondidos is good for that. The 3 stars is because of that , it's just good. Foods nothing amazing and the price are a little over inflated. But it's still something quick to eat. read more

Escondido - Specials menu - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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We always drive by and decided to stop by.. they said the waiting time was 15 min but after 20 minutes waiting they said was 50! So our mistake and ending waiting a whole 50 minutes. The food came fast and it was delicious, margaritas were ok and price is fair. read more

This is a great place to come for Mexican food. The Fajitas are great but I recommend asking for less onions. They charge extra for rice and beans and the portion of the R&B could be bigger. Overall it's a nice atmosphere and great location in Freehold. I've had the Enchiladas which were also delicious. Nice liquor selection and drink specials. I've been here a few times now and haven't had a bad experience yet. read more

Escondido - Chicken Fajitas are delicious, but I think they come with too many onions. Also have had the Shrimp Fajitas and they are fantastic to! - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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This is just OK for a Mexican restaurant! They need to work on the rice, the rice kernels are split and seem a little dry. This has been my number one complaint since they opened. The food is generally good here but I have had better. Guacamole is wonderful, pretty good drinks fun place! read more

Great service! Very fast and very tasty food. Nice outdoor space to enjoy your meals in a very clean and safe enviorment! read more

Escondido - Fajita Salad (veg) - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

Ended up here by accident the other night. Wanted to go to El Meson but mixed up the location of the two. Went to look up reviews on Yelp but had no service. Lucky for them considering the low ratings, I would have left. Figured we were here, we would try it. Strange at how empty it was at prime time on a Saturday night. Decor is so outdated, paint is bubbling and peeling off walls. Nachos were gross and barely anything on them. Food was like eating Applebees Mexican. Needless to say, won't be going back. read more

Good food and nice service. I ordered Fajitas Shrimp which was so so so delicious I love it so much. Also I got chicken taco. The chicken was so tasty! I will come back again. read more

Escondido - Chicken taco - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

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My grandson felt like having a burrito and since Escondido is close to home we decided to stop for an early dinner! Big mistake, the food was awful. I had a chicken burrito which was completely tasteless, almost as if it fell in dish water and they put it back on my plate. The accompanying rice and beans were one of the worst I've ever tasted. My daughter ordered tacos which she couldn't eat and my granddaughter ordered a burger which was more like a hockey puck. My grandson ordered a wrap which he did enjoy. The service was very, very slow even though there were just a few tables occupied. I don't like to leave negative reviews but their food was just not good. I have to say, the manager did take off those inedible dishes from my check. read more

This place has amazing food also has amazing service I recommend you guys try this place its so good and a chill place to sot down and eat I like the Chicken Quesadilla read more

I love the ambiance of Escondido. I enjoy Wednesday karaoke night and Saturday trivia night! The drinks are averagely priced $7-8 for a margarita that's mediocrely made by most of the bartenders besides Frank, he's great. There are a few things I would eat on the menu. One of my favorites it the chicken flautas tapas. The guacamole is pretty good but they can chill out on the onions. I recommend asking the waitress what is good because I've only enjoyed entrees that were recommended to me by the staff. Overall, I love Escondido mostly for karaoke night and trivia night. It's a fun place to go to with a group of friends. read more

This was probably the worst "hibachi" restaurant I've ever been too uncooked steak, lobster etc.. Over priced sushi I highly recommend staying away from this place at all costs. read more

Should have read the reviews before going here Taco Bell would have been a better alternative. House margarita was made in a small tumbler glass and the drink was mostly Ice and not much margarita. Service was friendly and fine. Food Not so much. Crab soup was all soup which tasted fine but no crab or shrimp to be found as was suggested on the menu and you would think for $9.00 rather than just ladle out the portion in hopes you get some they would deliberately add the shrimp and crab to the soup prior to serving. Beef Enchilada was overcooked barely any cheese or green sauce as it was burnt to the plate. Cant say much for the beans and rice either. Taco salad had all the protein an beans at the bottom of the salad rather than mixed in from the top which seemed odd and difficult to consume. No not a good experience here. read more

Looks cute on the outside and nice decor on the inside but I was incredibly disappointed with my experience here. Came in on a Friday night during peak time and was immediately sat (wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not for what was to come). Our server was attentive but nothing blew us out of the water - ordered our first round of drinks and there was a MASSIVE piece of jet black HAIR on the rim of the glass. To make matters worse, everyone working near the bar and the servers were all blonde or had light colored hair! We let the server know and she brought a fresh drink but barely apologized. Now, I serve in a restaurant myself and have for the past 6 years - typical protocol would be for the bill to be discounted or the drink to be taken off. Or, at the very LEAST, a manager could at least apologize?! We got none of that - just a mediocre "oops" from the server. Food was good, not great. Definitely wouldn't go out of my way for this spot, especially with the great customer service at Moore's right next door. read more

Escondido - Mexican Near Me - Freehold, New Jersey

First off...great service from bartenders to waitress. we destroyed the lunch specials with the coconut shrimp tacos, adobo chicken sandwich and chicken fajita wrap. all served in a super timely manner with drinks refilled before our glass was empty. (nice selection of craft beers as well). Our second time, we went straight to the heart of the menu. Shrimp bruschetta! top 5 ever. Dill Crusted Salmon highly recommended We also had the soft shell BLT which was tremendous. This place is highly recommended . Great busboys too. fast and efficient. Go here!!! read more

Excellent service and the food was great as well. The drinks were strong so that's a good thing. Chicken flautas are amazing. Will for sure go back. read more

The best thing on the menu was the beef empanadas.. Everything afterwards was Okay. I got the chicken and steak fajitas and my bf got the chicken quesadilla. They were both decent, and did not have much flavor to them. The fried Ice cream was pretty good too. Nothing spectacular, besides the atmosphere. read more

This is a review of their karaoke night. We drove an hour because we're big karaoke buffs. Excellent system/set-up and friendly staff/bartenders w/ cheap drinks. However, the host plays obvious favorites to his regulars, and it's a pain in the ass, as we routinely saw people singing 2-3 times before we were able to go once. Quite uncool. We actually saw a girl put a song in and sing within 15 min. while we were literally waiting an hour and a half btwn turns. When you call him on it, he gets all defensive and bent out of shape. At least if he took bribes, we could understand it, but he comes off as if he's straighter than an arrow. As a host, myself, a big thumbs down to this guy, as he takes the fun out of the night and it should be the other way around. read more

The food was really good but my chicken quesadilla with soggy and I was sad but overall I didn't get my sour cream.

Not that bad. Walking in at 5pm on a Tuesday l, the place was absolutely empty and eerily quiet. The manager sat us and had zero personality. Befell like it's reasonably priced. Our bill was like $54 and I got some taco salad (pretty big like $12), my friend got the chicken steak shrimp fajitas ($20) and between both of us we had one margarita and three beers. My friend said he always gets the chicken steak and shrimp fajita and absolutely loves it so he never tries anything else. I haven't been here in years so I got some taco salad thing. It just lettuce, chicken and in different spots of he salad there was quac, corn, olives, tomatoes all on top of some chip like later. The dressing came on the side which was pretty tasty; avocado ranch! It was just weird I didn't know really how to eat it (haha) but it was a pretty basic salad. The dressing was the best part. So it was an ok place!! read more

Great place as well as great food this hidden gem is a must hidden past freehold mall it is a great find and our server Douglas was excellent and very attentive read more

Well it is time to update my review now that I have been out to the new Escondido Mexican Cuisine & Tequila Bar. First thing you will notice is that this place has taken down all the cheesy we are a Mexican restaurant style flair and bright colors that were all over the place. The second thing you will notice when you open the menu is that they have replaced almost the entire menu with new entrees. The third thing you will notice is they are now going to charge you for the first two things you noticed. With Escondidos prices now they are saying they are a much nicer Mexican Style restaurant. I would say before they easily fell in the cheap range of under $10 per person and have now moved up to the Moderate range of above ten per person and depending on what you order you can get into the higher $20's per person. The prices haven't jumped up too much and you can still get an entree for $10.00 which is great in this day and age. I got the Enchiladas De Res which is only $14.00. They are the braised beef short ribs with Oaxacan chile salsa. They sounded great. Unfortunately the beef was very dry and the same sides you got at the old Escondidos are the same sides at the new one and just new entrees. My wife hates the rice here as it's a very dry yellow/orange Spanish rice and you still have your choice of beans black or pinto on the side. I have to say overall my family usually requests at least once or twice a month to meet us here for a huge family dinner. We all went this time and no one has asked since. I think we were all a little dissapointed with the new direction of the place. They do have a large selection of Tequila now that I did not try, but if you are interested they do have more than most other places would have. I will be giving this new Escondidos another try as I would like to see how the place is doing now that's it's been more than a few months since the changeover. Hopefully my second visit will be better than the first. read more

Service was good, clean place. Food was somewhat below expectations. Didn't really enjoy, sorry. read more

They should have to put "Mexican inspired American food" on the sign. It's not authentic Mexican, which is not surprising, but its not really all that good either. There's definitely a star for the friendliness of the staff in there. First, outside is a little weird. Poorly laid out parking lot. First impressions in the door is kinda cheesy drab colors. I would expect something a little more current looking because this place is not that old. I never take off points for decor unless it's dirty. This place seemed pretty clean. Hostess and a passing waitress greeted us warmly right away and we were seated in a booth by the bar. Our waitress, who i think was doubling as the bartender was super nice and did a great job. We ordered soft drinks so no bartending review here. Complimentary chips and salsa were good, which, as it turns out, was bad because we got our hopes up. We ordered the chicken flautas for an appetizer. My wife ordered a chicken quesadilla and i ordered the chipotle bbq ribs. (say chee POTE lay, not chil PO tay, makes you sound stupid) Flautas were just ok, but not very mexican. Side note, this place loves cream cheese. I'm not sure if cream cheese is a staple in Mexican cuisine, but whatever. The chicken inside is mixed with cream cheese. On the side... You guessed it, jalapeño cream cheese (and mango jelly). All put together it worked in a weird kinda stoner munchies way, but absolutely nothing Mexican going on there. My bbq chipotle ribs were falling off the bone. I can appreciate that as a cooking style, though I prefer them to have a little more tooth. The bbq sauce was alright but tasted nothing like chipotle. These were slow cooked or braised, and very tender, definitely not smoked. When "chipotle" is an ingredient featured in the name of a menu item, i expect it to be prominent and for there to be some spice factor. These were tame and kinda lame. I elected to keep the chipotle (there's that word again) cole slaw and to substitute blackbeans instead of fries. 2 of my biggest mistakes. The slaw was limp and tasted like it was a few days old. Just gross. The black beans tasted like they were plopped out of a can into the steam table. No salt, no onion, no garlic, no cumin... Some kinda cheese on top, but no flavor. My wife's entire plate was bland bland bland. Un seasoned refried beans.... Again i expect can plop heated and not seasoned. Generic school lunchroom tomato rice pilaf. The quesadilla had no mexican flavors at all. No cumin, no cilantro, no lime, no chili, nothing. Not even salt! Very depressing. I wonder if the clientele in that area prefer bland or if thats just who they attract with the blandness. I wanted to give 3 stars because the servers were so nice, but i can't. The quality of the food won't allow it. read more

Absolutley horrible, everything here is inedible. The fish and shrimp have that terrible fishy smell. The chicken meat was overly dry, the soup came out cold and when we asked for a warmer one they "nooked" ours instead of bringing new ones. Very disappointed, I hope they do something to fix this place. Because the decor is great they just need to make their food more up to par, read more