Awesome food! It was friendly and quick. Not much else to say...but it has to be 85 characters:-)read more

Decent little Mexican place in the Allison Hill section of Harrisburg. It is located on Derry…read moreStreet in a blue & red building with two satellite dishes (see exterior photo). The restaurant itself had a few tables, a frozen ice cream box, video chance games, a huge rack of phone cards and several pictures decorating the walls. Most of the pictures depicted scenes from mexico, such as poncho villa, zapata, rural life, cows, etc... one of the walls was covered in mirrors and had a sombrero hanging on it. They have standard tacos at 2.50 apiece, chicken, beef or pork. We tried several of them. There was also a Torta for 8.50 that was pretty decent. There was some type of hot sauce (Valentina brand) here that that we put on it made it significantly better. The helado de fresa or strawberry ice cream ($1.50) balanced it out. We also had the Bistek Ranchero: it came with 6 yellow corn tortillas, onions, cilantro, beans, rice & lots of beef, mixed with red pepper. That cost 14.00 pretty decent if you ask me. What makes this place stand out in my opinion is the " tostada ceviche de camaron " or lime marinaded seafood salad on a deep fried corn tortilla. This item is occasionally also available at competitors but not nearly as good. 5 Stars, incredible food!

Love this place Great store in the back…read more Amazing food Good service Can't wait to go back

From CA, on business in PA, coworker recommends this place for lunch…read more You walk in and the art and decor are mind blowing, simply amazing, literally took a photo of like every booth and they were all different. Then I get this humongous plate of piping hot fajitas, chicken and steak, literally haven't stopped thinking about this place since my visit, it has entirely ruined fajitas from anywhere else because this is the gold standard that cannot be beat!

For dinner, my girlfriend and I ordered the lunch birria tacos. The tacos came with rich, flavorful…read morebirria, queso Chihuahua, onions, and cilantro, along with a side of savory broth for dipping served with rice. She also got the lunch fajita burrito with steak and sautéed onions, topped with cheese sauce and sour cream, and served with rice and beans. To drink, she had a horchata--so good! They also brought out chips with salsa and a Mexican ranch dipping sauce, which I really enjoyed. Overall, everything was delicious. Our waiter was awesome--very friendly, attentive, and full of energy.

Great selection of authentic Mexican cuisine. We love their cheese dip . The food a service never…read moredisappoints.

We are literally obsessed with this place. We went twice in one trip traveling to and from…read moredifferent locations. And everything about it was phenomenal. The shrimp tacos are out of this world, they changed our life. The vibes were spectacular and the service was amazing and it feels extremely clean. We can't wait for our next road trip when we can stop back at El Rancho lol seriously! Best Mexican restaurant ever. Don't play.

Rita was a fantastic server ! She remembered our dogs name immediately and brought her some water…read moreas well. we had the shrimp fajitas and taco trio. everything was fresh, well seasoned and delicious!

This was a great find on our day trip to Hershey's The staff…read morewas great very patient with our big group The cocktails were amazing and the food was excellent We tried the seafood fajitas , We tried chicken enchiladas ,chicken quesadillas, mole chicken and we had a vegetarian group with us and they had a lot of vegetarian options. They all tasted good. Their corn was really good

I live fairly close to this spot and have heard good things about it so I decided to give it a try…read morefor a weeknight dinner with the hubby. Let me just start off by saying the place itself is beautiful, antiqueish like but also gave me Mexican culture to the max. Which I loved. I visited Mexico before so it definitely was nice to see that. Everyone from the host to our server were so nice and friendly. We loved our server, he kept us laughing and was great with his attentiveness to the table. The menu offers a lot! Lol from traditional plates to vegetarian options. I wanted to try something different so I picked the San Jose burrito. A burrito stuffed with chicken, rice, chorizo, beans and topped with a jalapeño cheese sauce.. it was beyond what I expected. It was so flavorful! Loved every bite lol if you come here, I highly recommend. Hubby got the Tacos Del Mar which came with three tacos. 1- shrimp, 1- fried fish & 1-seared fish. His plate came with rice too. Which I think is great for the price and the portion they give you. We also order table side guacamole because you always need to have some gua when you're at Mexican restaurant right?!?!! Lol. Everything was absolutely delicious. Friendly staff , very nice spot. Go check it out if you haven't.

What a pleasant surprise at noontime for lunch this Tuesday! I expected a decent lunch but received…read morea delicious meal (I was starving) and great service. Huge basket of chips and salsa to start off and then my (à la carte) chicken enchilada and lunchtime special Birria burrito were served. The enchilada looked the same as all El Rodeo restaurants, but my attention was to the burrito which looked like it was swimming in water. I was skeptical at first, but after taking a bite, I realize that this was delicious consommé without any grease, so it looked watery. The flavor was rich and delicious along with perfectly seasoned meat. I loved this meal and overall experience. Gonna have to add this back into the lunch rotation...

A classic Tex Mex restaurant to grab some traditional Mexican food. The staff and service are…read moregreat! Go for the enchilada, burritos, and nacho platter. You won't be disappointed !!

Best Mexican food I've had in a long time. It's a combo market and a few tables. Everything made…read morefresh, con cariño. Thank you for welcoming us.

This place is very small. There is literally one menu at the counter. It was a little dusty in…read morethere. Could use some sprucing up. But that being said, the Torta Sandwich was delish. I would never have went here on my own. I'm glad I tried it. But I was a little worried about the cleanliness factor. I would probably go back with a little arm twisting. 3/5

El Sol Mexican Restaurant is a solid, dependable option in downtown Harrisburg. It has the…read morepolished, franchise-style atmosphere you'd expect from a higher-end chain Mexican restaurant--comfortable, clean, and consistent, though not particularly distinctive. I tend to sit at the bar, where the service is friendly, attentive, and quick even on busy nights. The bartenders mix a good jalapeño margarita, and drinks in general are reliably well-made. The food is about what you'd expect for the price point and location: decent portions, fresh enough, and served promptly. It's a good place for happy hour, small groups, or casual work gatherings, though it can get crowded with business folks and local professionals during the week. When the weather's nice, the small outdoor seating area adds a nice touch. I rate it four stars mainly because, having grown up out West, my expectations for Mexican food lean toward more authentic regional flavors. El Sol offers the standard Tex-Mex fare you'll find in much of the East, tasty but not distinctive. Still, it's friendly, clean, and consistent, which makes it a dependable choice for this area.

My first visit to El Sol lined up with 3rd in the Burg, so I wisely made a reservation for 5:30…read more Turns out we arrived early and were seated immediately (maybe my "I'm starving" comment helped). Inside, the vibe is warm and festive: colorful artwork, low-top tables, a lively bar stocked with tequilas, and gorgeous Moravian star lights glowing overhead. The menu is extensive -- everything from tacos and burritos to rice bowls, full entrées, and massive multi-person feasts served in lava rock molcajetes. Most dishes land around $20, or you can snag tacos individually for $5.50. We started with the Mexican Seafood Dip and wow... game changer. Shrimp, bay scallops, crab, and mushrooms all swimming in a red tomatillo sauce, baked under a gooey blanket of cheese, and served with chips. Unlike so many "seafood" dips that are 90% cheese, El Sol delivers with generous amounts of actual seafood. It was piping hot, hearty, and plentiful -- enough that we happily took leftovers home. For mains, I went with a Birria Taco (plus a trusty Diet Coke). Juicy, cheesy, crispy perfection -- I could've polished off three more but restrained myself. Adventure Buddy chose Camarones A La Diabla -- jumbo Gulf shrimp and mushrooms in a three-chile sauce. Bright red, spicy but not overpowering, and loaded with shrimp that were actually jumbo. He was a happy camper. Our total came to $62 with tip, which felt fair for the quality and portions. Service was attentive and friendly, and the noise level low enough for both conversation and even a quick phone call. Parking is the usual downtown Harrisburg scene -- no on-site lot, but free street parking after 5 and garages nearby make it easy enough. Bottom line: great food, colorful atmosphere, and a menu that's begging us to come back. Next time, I'm eyeing one of those lava rock molcajetes.

I've had tacos from all over--from the East Coast as far north as New York City, midway in Virginia…read moreBeach, Virginia, and all the way south in Miami, Florida. I can't forget the Midwest, Southern Texas, and everywhere in between, like Austin. Now, the best tacos I've ever had in my life were at Lucy's in LA--but let's not talk about Los Angeles, even though I wish I were there with the palm trees and the ocean breeze, where I don't sneeze because of allergies! The second best I've ever had is at this Mexican spot right off Derry Street in Harrisburg, PA. As soon as you walk in the door, there's a beautiful yellow that automatically makes you feel like you're sitting in the countryside of a sweet Mexican village. Although I haven't been to Mexico yet, I can only imagine how it feels with the beautiful Aztec culture all around, the pictures, and, of course, those wonderful plants that tequila is made from displayed on the wall. When I order, I do it by numbers because I'm not fluent in Spanish yet, but hearing the staff speak Spanish makes me feel like I'm getting the real deal. I always get a Mexican soda or an imported drink so that every bite and sip teleports me right to where the food originated. Now, some people may shy away from this place because of the area it's in, but I guarantee you can call ahead to order or just sit inside. You won't have any problems--the food comes out fast, hot, and consistent every single time. I hope my review helps you pick where you want to eat next! If you want more reviews or enjoy a good story, please check out my YouTube channel: **@brandenleebutler**

The place is one of the nicer taco shops in the Harrisburg area, very clean-looking. Upon ordering,…read moreyou get complimentary chips and salsa. I ordered 5 tacos: 1 birria, because I'd never tried their version before and wanted to be safe; the other 4 were 2 carnitas and 2 asada. I also ordered a plate of rice and refried beans. The rice isn't your traditional yellow Mexican-style rice; at least, I've never had it like this ever before, and I eat lots of Mexican food. It had corn and pigeon peas in it but was still very delicious. The carnitas and steak tacos weren't my favorite--not bad at all, just not my favorite--but the birria was top-tier A1. Honestly, overall, every single thing was good and worth it. 25 bucks got me 5 tacos stuffed to the brim, a very generous serving of rice and refried beans, with a soda. And the service was great!

Absolutely fresh, flavorful, and delicious! Let's start with the chips and salsa: fresh chips,…read moresalted perfectly, not greasy, and the salsa had so much flavor and was so fresh. Next up, Fajita El Puente (chicken/steak/shrimp). FRESH corn tortillas (didn't even need to specify corn because this place is great), the flavor of the fresh veggies, the perfectly seasoned shrimp (did I taste some old bay???) and the perfectly cooked chicken and steak (not dry at all and so much flavor)....chef's kiss! We loved the smaller shreds of steak. The refried beans were awesome - not watery or overcooked, well seasoned. Everything was great!!! Service was outstanding! Chef (Ramon) is so attentive to his customers. All we were missing were fresh margaritas!! (Fingers crossed someday!) We plan to be regulars here. The restaurant is small and quaint with Mexican music and vibrant decor. Not a lot of tables and Ramon says they are BYOB! This place will become a local favorite!

A gem of New Cumberland. Great food every time and really nice people too. You'll plan your next…read morevisit mid meal. If you aren't eating in, order ahead of time as it's cooked/grilled to order and there isn't a ton of extra room to wait on busy nights or times.