I eat at Joel's weekly. Ive always had a great experience with staff and enjoy all the diff foods I've tried. My personal favorites are grilled swai tacos, poppers, enchiladas, and taquitos. Joel is the best- always happy, helpful and calls me by name. I bring lots of my friends here for their first time to introduce them to the best hole-in-the-wall Mexican food here in Sandpoint. Never disappointed! See you Thursday Joel's read more

The food was amazing! The staff was short the night we went so the service was a little slow, but the staff was lovely! I absolutely recommend the enchiladas camarones! SO good! read more

Very noisy and terrible service levels. For a small town restaurant and my first restaurant visit on my trip here, I'm bitterly disappointed with my experience. read more

The mexican food here is as good as it gets! Everytime we visit Sandpoint, we make it a point to come to Joels. The machaca, chilaquiles and chorizo are some of the best my husband and I have ever had. If anyone is looking for authentic, flavorful mexican food in northern Idaho...come to Joels! read more

I love this place. The food is great and the employees are charming. If you call in your order you don't have to wait for them to make it. Get Rebecca's burrito extra spicy if you want delicious and filling. read more

I have had various friends mention how good Joel's is over the past few years. Finally had it for lunch today. Wow! I've lived in Southern California and Texas - this is the best place ever for Mexican food! Authentic, fresh, yum! My hubby works in Sandpoint and eats here three days a week. My two boys loved it too. The carne asada burrito was amazing! read more

Reckon being it's only one of two Mexican restaurants in town they don't have to try too hard. I was very hungry after a very long huckelberry picking hike. We got there right before closing time... 3pm. They folded up and closed down before we finished eating. They have their reasons. Just seemed strange to me. Food was ok. Wasn't hungry anymore when we left there. read more

Dear Joel, Your fish tacos are pure ecstasy to me. Every time I take a bite out of one of your juicy, crunchy, zesty spicy fish tacos my heart turns into a puddle that can only be mopped up by Gods perfect love. I'm not sure if this is possible but I think that your fish tacos could win an Olympic event. Like pole-vault or maybe street luge. I'm not sure, but their fit. Fit for my mouth. Sometimes I order two, but what I really want is three, or four. I can't stop putting those beasts in my mouth. I want you to know that your brain should be frozen so that we can have your genius brain the created those beautiful fish tacos for all of eternity. You're the chosen one Joel, the patriarch, the paterfamilias. Thank you for bringing light to a dim world. Love, a fish taco lover. read more

Good food, fun place. Eating at outside stand-up benches reminded me of my college days in LA, eating at the world famous Tommy's original location. read more

Great Mexican food. Great prices, service and quality for. What more could you ask for? read more

I'll preface this review by saying I grew up in Southern Arizona, eating in places where offal was on the menu, and you had to order in Espanol. So I am a little biased when it comes to food from south of the border. Having said that: This is the best burrito I have had outside of the Southwest. Even counting the Mexican markets of Phoenix, AZ, this is in my top five. The first time I went in was immediately after I moved to Sandpoint, and I was getting the shakes from carne asada withdrawals. I'd been to Fiesta Bonita on the recommendation of some friends, and that had gone terribly, so I wasn't super enthused about more Inland Northwest "Mexican" cuisine. I've never been happier to be wrong. The carne asada was grilled and seasoned to perfection, more tender than I've had in a lot of Southwestern establishments, with just enough char to give a great crunch. The pico and guac were great, mild enough to not overpower the beef, but but with enough garlic, chili and onion to bring the whole package together, and add a nice cold contrast to the fresh grilled meat. On top of the outstanding flavor, the size of the thing was great. So far, I've had about half of the menu, and have yet to get something I don't like. Two things to keep in mind. First; Joel's is busy. There will almost always be a wait. And second; Joel's doesn't take credit or debit cards. Make sure you have cash in hand, or no burro for you. Enjoy! read more

My first search for restaurants in Sandpoint, Idaho showed Joel's on Oak Street, but found it on Church Street. My quest for good Mexican food was more than rewarded when the quantity and quality of the food exceeded my expectations, and at a reasonable price! I ordered two burritos, one was the blackened salmon and the other was the chili relleno (only available on Wednesdays). My family of four were stuffed sharing these two wonderful burritos! We WILL be returning to Joel"s in our next visit to beautiful Sandpoint! read more

Loved how this a walk up and order kind of spot. It was decent tasting. However, I wished there was less liquid in my burrito. Otherwise very good! read more

Love this place! A great little local gem, the chicken chimichanga was delicious and the tacos are generous size. We ordered a few things and shared. Great lunch stop but would suggest arriving just before or just after the lunch rush - especially on weekends because it can get busy and the seating area is small. read more

Terrific family-owned business, truly great-tasting food and plenty of it for a great price. It does get busy around lunch-time, but if you have time it's well worth the wait. Personally I love the breakfast burritos, but everything I've had there is super-yummy. read more

ALWAYS our breakfast stop on our way up the hill. Their breakfast burritos are so dang tasty and plenty big to share. I prefer traditional breakfast ingredients - eggs, potatoes, bacon. Ya know, BREAKFAST. My husband on the other hand thinks the blackened salmon burrito is perfection at breakfast (it IS totally tasty), so whatever floats your boat. Just go. Call your order in ahead to pick up and crush on your way up to the mountain. Super nice people, super rad food. read more

This place is amazing. The burritos are awesome and the jalapeño poppers are like nothing I've ever had. The sauce that comes with them is a million dollar sauce. Never had anything like it!! read more

Excellent value! Always love the food, and the environment in and around this local hot spot is perfect. Keep it going guys!

Great service and very friendly. Good Americanized Mexican food but definitely not taqueria food. We would eat here again. Very busy! Constant line during the lunch hour but service was fairly quick. Tostada was crisply fried, plenty of tender shredded chicken, crunchy lettuce and cilantro. Chimichanga was loaded with shredded chicken and served with a very mild salsa. Rice was a bit dry but there was a good breeze and we ate outdoors. Beans were good. read more

Surprisingly good. I wouldn't call it authentic Mexican but I also wouldn't call it TexMex. Maybe a synergy of both? I don't know but who cares? It's delicious. Staff was super polite, seemed they really all enjoyed working there. Seating area was a little crowded but that is, I guess, proof that it's a resident and tourist favorite. read more

What can I say that hasn't been said by hundreds of people already. Joel's is one of those places I miss every time I leave town and rush back to every time I return. My go-to is the spicy chicken taco plate and jalapeño poppers on the side. Their poppers will cause major life changes for you. They are that good. Trust me. I also love the blackened chicken burrito, but honestly (and I've tried damn near everything on the menu after eating here at least once a week since the mid-1990s), everything they make is good. One time (in over 15 years) they made a mistake and gave me the wrong item but it didn't matter, since that was delicious too. Great staff, family-owned, fresh, quick and priced fairly... long live Joel's. Seriously, don't ever go anywhere or I might have to move. read more

Best fish tacos ever. Great prices. Delightful hosts. Clean establishment. I do not really think you can ask for more. We found this place and hit it for lunch 4 out of 5 days. We will be back every time we come to town. Count on it!!!!! read more

Super friendly, busy place with tasty real food burritos. Great variety and flexible options to take care of the specialty diets in our group. Great for quick dine in or to go. read more

Es may bueno! Best fish tacos in town. Burritos are large and good flavor. Bummed they're not open dinner hours but I adjust accordingly.

Best fish tacos in the area! It's a staple spot we must hit every time we're in Sandpoint. Easily comparable to coastal area restaurants like in Hawaii. Although there may be long lines, it's worth the wait! read more

Joel's is bland chewy tendony carne asada burritos. It pretty much tastes like Atilano's. You have to ask for salsa and it is basically mild pace picante. read more

This place was fantastic! Prices are so cheap and you get large portion sizes. Very good food. Planning on eating there a lot in the future. read more

I had never been to Sandpoint until just recently. A friend recommend that we stop at Joels restaurant in downtown Sandpoint. I asked what was best on the menu and she said " everything ". I ordered a chimichanga which came out piping hot and was exceptionally delicious. A friend ordered fish tacos which were out of this world. I was also turned on to jalapeno poppers, which were tasty and delicious. The sevice was top notch and they were caring enough to ask if I had any allergies to anything before I ordered. Bottom I will be back for great service and great food. read more

Fan-freakin-tastic! I love coming to Joel's for some great authentic food. The tacos are as good as any I've had in SoCal. Can't wait to try everything on the menu, starting with the mole. read more

Best Burritos ever! This is the reason why this place is always crowded. Food is good and tasty and better than the other Mexican restaurants around the area. read more

Let me start by saying this - Joel's has just been nominated for one of the top burrito joints in the country: http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/in-search-of-americas-best-burrito/ I was born and raised in Sandpoint. There's been a lot of change over the years. I remember back in the day when I would bike down to Joel's when it was only a stand, grab some grub, and take it down to the lake to enjoy. You can't ask for a better setting/meal combination. I would suggest that anyone visiting Sandpoint should do the same. Joel's put out a top product back then and continues to do so to this day. The family not only puts forth a wholesome, esteemed business, they are also thoroughly involved within the community that they belong to. Joel's has established itself as a landmark in Sandpoint and is loved by the locals. In fact, the only negative review I'm seeing here belongs to some pompous moron from California who probably thought Pend Oreille was "too cold and smelled like fish". Joel's is not only one of the best restaurants in Sandpoint, but it's now technically in the running for one of the best restaurants in the country. Patronize it. read more

Delicious burritos! We are visiting from Texas and are here twice. The Benedict is so flavorful. I recommend you try it!

Wow, incredible Mexican food 40 miles south of the boarder.....the Canadian boarder! This place is on my top 5 Mexican food places. I asked for the hot sauce and the girl at the register gasped and said "the habinero?" I nodded yes and the nice owner lady came running out of the kitchen yelling, "no habinero for you, no habinero for you!" I told her I really wanted to try the habinero, and her husband winked at me and handed it over. Mama's last words of warning were, "don't touch your face." Good but HOT. You must try the poppers. There are only 3 in each order save yourself some time and order several at first. We tried several fish tacos and the Ono was our favorite. Burritos were loaded and full of flavor. This place is a must if you are anywhere close! read more

Excellent Tacos. Had the grilled fish and the adobada chicken. If you like spicy they can heat it up for you. Very casual. Great prices. read more

Pleasantly surprised to find some good Mexican food while here. I am from San Diego, the land of great Mexican food. The quality of the carne was great. Burrito had all the right ingredients, all very fresh. The only down side was the quality I the wrapping. The burrito fell apart a bit. Also the two salsas are already adde to the burrito vs having the salsa to add as you go. read more

Why? Why do people like this place? Food was nothing better than average. Fish tacos were just frozen fish sticks, absolutely no flavor. The rice and beans came out of a can, nothing special. Burritos were bland, only flavor was the hot sauce inside the burrito. They charge you 35 cents for a refill... Really?! They also don't accept debit or credit cards. The fabric on the chairs were being held together by duct tape. Seems like the owner is very cheap. read more

The best Mexican food I have ever had. Hands down. I've been coming here since they opened here in Sandpoint years ago, my mom was obsessed. Never a disappointing experience, just amazing food and incredible service! Go Joels!! read more

Absolutely love everything we have ever tried here especially the poppers! Staff are very friendly and fast! Love this place. Only wish they were open longer read more

Joel's has hands down the best customer interactions I have ever gotten in any restaurant. Ever. Having had really great service before, what makes this stand out is Joel himself has not only remembered my name each time I've gone in (about twice a year) since I first went in 2012, but seems to genuinely care about all his friends/customers day-to-day lives. It's probably the equivalent of your grandparents seeing the same set of friends and family at their local bodega decade after decade, bonding the community just through where they shop and eat. Oddly enough, this really does seem to be the best Mexican food in the entire panhandle. Sandpoint has many things going for it, but honestly one of it's best is the man and his team behind the name Joel's. read more

Joel's is by far one of the best Mexican restaurants I have ever been too in the US. Besides the food being absolutely amazing, the staff is so friendly and make you want to go for breakfast, lunch and dinner! The poppers and fish taco are my favorite, although everything I have ever tried tastes fresh and homemade. If you're in Sandpoint and hungry, don't miss Joel's! read more