While my family and I have been faithful customers for years, I am not pleased with how they handle to-go orders now. I called to place an order and was told that they will only do orders via online. So I ordered online, this is convenient if you do NOT have any substitutions or changes- thankfully we did not. When my husband went to pick up our family order we were informed that chips and salsa do not come with online orders. I have never heard of charging for chips and salsa, we were not asking for extra, just the regular side that usually comes with it. They no longer do that, so $7 extra for chips and salsa - won't be back for a while. read more

Absolutely the WORST customer service! I wish we could leave ZERO stars! We called ahead to make a reservation for a birthday meal for 15 people. They don't take reservations. OK, well then that probably explains why the service SUCKS so bad! We used to.come here 2 years ago, and quit because the service continually declined and we finally decided to stop enduring it! On this particular evening, we arrived at 5:15pm and waited minutes to get the table set up. The orders were handled fairly simple and straightforward. Several had issues from correct drink, correct menu items and two in our party had to wait until nearly everyone else was done eating to finally get their meals! But the real kicker was when it came time to pay! They took more than 45 minites to sort it all out before we finally decided to leave, telling them they could call the police, but we were DONE! Went home and wrote this in the hopes that we could save someone else from experiencing this hellish nightmare! We will NEVER go through this again with them! read more

We have been coming here for years on Friday for happy hour. Hell, my phone used to tell me it's only 10 minutes to El Arroyo on Fridays. The happy hour was always half priced apps and cheap margaritas. I recently noticed the bill was higher( I don't really pay attention if I like some place). Then, They let go of our 2 favorite bartenders and now the drinks suck. Tonight, I look at my bill and they clearly overcharged me for my margaritas and half price apps are no more. I wasn't the only one complaining. We just won't be back. La Cima or Mama Cucas is right down the road. read more

El Arroyo - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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Was excited to bring my boyfriend here since the last time I remembered they had good service and good Tex mex. was sat down immediately and all was going well until our food order was taken. Asked for grilled jalapeños (didn't get it) had to wait for over 10 min to get our drinks refilled. I got flautas Half beef and half chicken. The beef was slimy and tasteless, the chicken only tasted like cumin. My boyfriend asked for el muy grande burrito looked like a 5 layer burrito from Taco Bell. He asked no tomato yet was smothered in tomatoes. We weren't offered a dessert menu and the check was brought to us. I noticed we didn't get a check holder like everyone else but yet thought it would be ok to slam our card and receipt. There's only 2 stars because the chips and salsa was good. $36 very poorly spent. read more

El Arroyo - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Sheyenne was awesome!!! Even with a super busy night she made sure we had everything we needed and made sure our order was right :)

Went there tonight as we were too late for our usual Tex Mex up the street. Went here as it's been awhile. The outdoor patio was crowded but then went inside. I requested a table or booth away from everyone else, yet was taken to a booth along the windows where all the other patrons were lined up. Obviously the concern is not our safety but having us lined up for the servers. I noticed the folks in the interior bar were all crowded together having a great party. That was a concern as it appeared the dining room servers were going in there to get drinks. The waitress took our drink order as I was surveying the situation. Here comes the kid with the chips and salsa. He leans over the tray of open food and I notice his mask is off his nose and barely on his mouth. I told my wife to gather up her stuff and we left. Obviously the manager of this place has no clue about masks or social distancing. The health department needs to check this place out for proper covid protocols. Done. Never coming back. Wish I'd checked Yelp before going in. We usually do but we were so hungry and went right in. Had I read the reviews I'd have known it's a Covid breeding ground. The ownership and management is totally set on ignoring all protocols. read more

What an awful experience! We have been her several times but tonight was terrible. An off duty manager was getting drunk at a bar table next us, which is illegal per the TABC. The other bar patrons were over served and obnoxious. The manager who came behind the bar multiple times didn't even notice. The bartenders were a joke and didn't even realize that they continued to over serve people. This place is a complete mess. read more

Never again. I was disappointed from the moment I walked in. For beginners, the seats and tables were dirty. Had to get hostess to clean. Next, we ordered drinks, margaritas, ugh. The drinks were terrible. Ordered food. Fajita dinner for 2. Wow, didn't get much for the price. It was more like a single serving. Originally they didn't bring any plates to make the fajitas on, had to ask for those. Got them and they were dirty and wet. Had to go find someone to get us new ones. And on top of that, the manager (I assume that's who he was)was yelling at a female employee about something a male employee did, in front of paying customers. I had been wanting to try this place and wanted it to be good. But it wasn't and I won't be returning. read more

Great place for fun atmosphere Hubby and I like to set at bar- the inside bar is closed now but not the patio bar. The bartender not only was rude, didn't wipe down the bar when we sat down- 15 minutes later she finally comes to take our drinks Now the bar had only 2 other peeps who worked there off duty drinking- the man who brought the chips and salsa - napkins and refilled salsa twice before bartender served. Been in food service for years - this was blaten rude service. I tipped the chipped guy when I ask for new silverware because the one I got still had rice in the fork:( I'm not hating on the restaurant- but get real with service . read more

If you are concerned about your health do not visit this restaurant, they do no practice social distancing. The patio was packed and all tables were filled, I asked the server if the inside was any different and she said no!! Their manager Sydney Henggeler is only concerned with making money. Needless to say, I did not eat there read more

First time to go there was this weekend, even though I hear it's been around several years. We went for Father's Day, and at 11am on a Sunday, it's pretty empty. We sat inside because we were with the family, but we took a peek at the patio on the way out, and WOW. I cannot wait to go back for happy hour/dinner. I had a skinny margarita ($6.50 which is a lot cheaper than most places for a skinny) and ceviche. It was pretty good, it comes with crackers, which I find odd but I just used our endless basket of chips! I tried some bites of other people's foods - the chimichanga (delicious) and the brisket flautas (YUM!). They also have good salsa and also serve bacon-wrapped shrimps as a app (free small order with Yelp check-in currently!). I was really impressed, and I'm so glad there's another good Tex-Mex place to go to nearby and I am especially jazzed about some patio happy hours or Sunday Fundays! read more

Went to El Arroyo today to check out the happy hour. For some reason I thought it was $1.50 Margarita Wednesdays, but alas it was Thursday and there were still a few good specials. I got a lovely frozen 10-oz margarita for $5.50 and the happy hour quesadillas for $6.25. Yum all around. The quesadillas were a good size. First bite was melt-in-your mouth, oily (but in a good way), and the steak was tender. You can tell the tortillas are house made. It came with a two small scoops of guac and pico de gallo. The guac was creamy and good, and the pico de gallo was peppery and spicy. I liked it all. The margarita was sweet but gave a nice little buzz by the last sip. There's plenty of seating, as the patio is quite large, and the dining room extends pretty far. Service was solid. And there's free wifi, always a good thing! I can't wait to go back for Wednesday happy hour and to hear the live music they have on Thursdays and Saturdays. Solid happy hour place that's in a good location in Arlington. read more

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My friend had a piece of hair in her food. Sat on the patio. Enjoyed the fans. But it was still hot. Drinks we good and cold. read more

El Arroyo - What a way to hang out on a Saturday - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Food here is always great. The best El Arroyo is in Austin, TX though. You must try it. The atmosphere here in Arlington is nice though. You get a free shrimp Diablo just for checking in. read more

El Arroyo - Top Shelf Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Had the expectation of a big group; however we ended up with less than 10. Service was quick, attentive and polite. Drinks came out right away and the entree were served within five to ten minutes after ordering. For my drink, I opted for the peach swirl, upon a recommendation of our server. Was a good value as it was happy hour; however, it tasted like a weak frozen margarita with a splash of peach flavoring. The peach flavoring made the whole drink taste like dish soap and I wasn't the only one who thought that! We had all joined their email club and were each give a complimentary cup of queso. Turns out any of th freebies are one per table, which is completely reasonable. I ordered the combo beef and chicken quesadillas and asked for the pico to be be inside, so it would be cooked and not water logged. Food came out great and super fast. They included a side of pico, guac and sour cream, so it turned out to be pretty and tasty. Two friends split the combo fajitas for one and while they each had a hefty serving for dinner, there wasn't much to take home. I ordered the Pablano Enhilcadas to go, for pescatarin hubby, with black beans as everything else has meat. I was quite tickled when the waitress volunteered that the rice was made which chicken stock, which eliminated that from a side dish for hubby. He said the sauce was thick, almost like a homemade pasta sauce, with lttle kick at the end. Overall, patio dining was ok, but they had all of the tables and chairs squished so close it wasn't really comfortable. They did have a tiny smoking section, on the south side of the deck, which is nice for those who need it. So, to close,I would go back for patio ambiance, service and food quality. Not the best ever, but they sure do a great service to South Arlington! read more

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Please keep in mind: We ordered from Favor due to the reviews here stating there were no observation of social distancing or use of masks and gloves. First, there's no indication on the website or Favor's app that they're serving a limited menu. So, when our Favor driver got there with our order, he had to text us a picture of the menu so we could change our order (completely)! Second, the portions were so tiny! Two tacos on the taco platter?! Two rubbery enchiladas and small, salty tamales!? I thought we were ordering from the (albeit limited) dinner menu! Smh. Third: Except for the tamales, the food was cold. As if it had never been heated. Yes we ordered to-go, but we live 15 minutes away from the restaurant, in that amount of time the cheese shouldn't have re-solidified and the enchiladas shouldn't have become rubbery! This is the first time I've been truly disappointed in the food from here. read more

First impression here wasn't great. My wife and I walked in and it took what seemed like an age for the hostess to even acknowledge us. She was busy talking to one of the servers but not even a "hello, I'll be right with you". I was very close to turning around and walking right back out. They redeemed themselves a little when our server came. She was quick and fairly attentive. I had the free diablo shrimp as a shared starter with my wife. That was a nice bonus and we ordered the fajitas combo for two with steak and chicken. I thought I had taken photos but I guess they didn't save properly. Either way, they were ok but not the best I've had in the neighborhood. I had a couple of beers and my wife had a frozen margarita. The beer was fine. My wife said the margarita was weak. I'll take her word for it. This is her go to drink. Then there is the final impression, the check. Definitely overpriced for what we had but we wanted to give the place a try. It didn't help that on checking the bill our complimentary appetizer appeared to have been charged. They corrected it but let's get it right first time. All in all a solid 3. First and last impressions are important and they failed in both of these. read more

Nice waiters and waitresses! Delicious Margarita! My beef enchiladas were dry and I had to ask for queso to make it better. I'd return to El Arroyo but would order something different. Cool atmosphere. read more

El Arroyo - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

Food is bland not much flavor. Drinks are ok not that great but just ok. Service is great i have to admit. Little over priced but acceptable. Might come back might not. read more

Definitely don't recommend this place! Don't want to make this about race but we were treated poorly compared to the other customers who were mainly all Caucasian. We sat at the outdoor bar and the bartender walked up to us with a Bad attitude as soon as we arrived and helped everyone else except us. It was so bad we had to get the manager to help us and bring us the check. My husband and I wanted to try somewhere new for our lunch date and this was definitely not a good experience. Will not be going back and don't recommend anyone to come here unless you want to be discriminated against. read more

The caldo de res is not what it should be, likely reheated several times. The flavor wha not appealing and it is not what we are used to south of the border read more

This used to be tied with one other as my favorite place for TexMex. Sadly, I can no longer say that. The last 3-4 visits have been disappointing. I've kept giving them a chance to redeem themselves, but it seems like it just isn't going to return to what it once was. With COVID, we still get our food to go. Since most Mexican food doesn't travel that well, we set up a little picnic in our car (AKA: dashboard dining) and eat it right away. It does limit the options a bit- no more sizzling fajitas- but I'm not weighing that in my score as they don't have any control over that. The problems keep mounting up. One time, we were not given any chips even though we had ordered two entrees and a large queso blanco. My husband went back into the restaurant and was told that he would have to buy them because they don't come with take-out. We are already being charged for flour tortillas (which was never the case prior to COVID) and now we also have to pay for the chips? The tacos are consistently delicious, but the river of orange grease one must drain from them prior to eating is really off-putting. Last time, I got two normal tacos and one with only meat- no lettuce, tomato, or cheese. I didn't order it that way, but that is what I got. Ever been served an enchilada with no filling? Time before last, I was. It's not inedible but it felt like it was missing something... oh yeah, the filling! Even after asking that the quesadillas be toasted well, they were as pale and limp as a raw flounder fillet- and about as thick. Whether we pay extra to get chips or they actually provide them, they've quit giving us crispy, warm chips. I highly doubt that is how they serve them to guests inside, so perhaps it is just that they do not like preparing orders to-go. I'm thinking that I will respect that and indulge my Mexican cravings elsewhere. Recent experiences would rate 2 stars, but I'm giving an additional star as credit for previous dining experiences we actually enjoyed. read more

We had dinner here last Saturday. The food is OK . Great patio area. Our waitress was attentive and nice but when we got our bill I noticed there's an amount for Processing Fee. Meaning if you pay with a card there's a fee of $5.49. Along with sales tax,and alcohol tax. We've never had to pay extra anywhere else for paying with a card instead of cash. Seems like this place is trying to take advantage of the Corona Virus situation to make extra money. What's funny is we've been there before and there was never any processing fee. So I've contacted the Attorneys Generals Office to let the know and I advise everyone else to do the same. read more

Amazing service from a waiter named Brandon! He was funny, charming, and efficient! The food is great for the price range! The patio is lots of fun despite the heat - they have fans with water misters! Check it out!!! read more

El Arroyo - Here's that guy!!! - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

This is a Arlingtin classic! The patio is amazing. You will love the food it's so good. Prices are good for the sizes you get. Tons of drinks and friendly staff! Must try their margaritas read more

I used to like going to El Arroyo back when I lived in Austin, however it's been so long I can't remember what I used to eat there. So when we went last night I figured I was starting from scratch. We chose to eat on the patio because the weather was nice, and they do have a nice patio. Unfortunately, there was nothing really standout about the food. It wasn't horrible, just nothing special. The chips had a funny aftertaste, the salsa was so-so. I ordered a tamale / enchilada combo with rice & beans. The beans were ok, the rice had no flavor at all and what looked like frozen pea and carrot mix added to it. The enchilada and tamale were ok, the chili sauce covering them pretty standard. The cheese in the enchilada was real cheddar / jack mix. I tried a bite of DH's carne asada and it wasn't bad but did have a bit of liquid smoke flavor to it. I don't mind some smoky flavor but this was a bit overpowering. DH thought it was all pretty average too. Junior enjoyed his kid's enchilada plate but he's not exactly discerning :) The prices weren't horrible but weren't cheap either. I think there are better values nearby (like Estella's) or better food for the same price (Mercado Juarez or Chuy's). read more

I went here after my amazing brothers basketball game. We went here in a group of 16, the parking lot was full. As a (self proclaimed) professional yelper I see that as a good sign, that this restaurant is very popular. We got in after a 10 minute wait. As expected they took our drink order within 5 minutes. A few minutes after we get our drinks they hand us these menus saying we can only order from 5 choices. I have been here many times before, If I am being honest this isn't my favorite restaurant but my friends and family seem to like it. I do not think I will come back on my own. We got chips, the chips were not very good. 1.5/10, do not recommend but if desperate it is a little below fair, at best. read more

El Arroyo - the cater menu - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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Was really good! Decently price for the quality of food. We all cleaned our plates and not just cause we had spent all day at six flags.

Came for dinner.. no social distancing observed. Staff didn't wear masks or gloves. Tables were set closely outside. Meeting hostess was even worse.. people would not respect 6 ft distance. They'd be directly in front of you to get on list for table. Signs outside are deceiving. read more

We tired this place for my wife's birthday , food was okay but way overpriced . It's more of a grab a drink with friends and go. They didn't even sing happy birthday to her . Probably won't be back again. read more

I love this place!!!! It's sad that all these people want to bitch about masks and stupid shit. Awesome food, awesome service, awesome drinks, I will recommend to everyone!!!! They do get busy, but that is a good thing. They always make sure you are taken care of. When people get rude for something stupid, I just want to get up from my table and tell them to get the hell out of there and quit being bitches!!!! Keep up the good work you hard working staff!!! Glad y'all are busy and making it!!! read more

I was really looking forward to coming here because I drive by all the time and I've heard quite a lot about it. The chips aren't necessarily fresh or special. I generally prefer a thin, almost shatteringly crisp chip but these are a bit on the thicker side. Might just be personal preference so I am not basing my overall review on that but it is worth pointing out. They were kind of warm. At least some of them. The salsa is alright. It's definitely better than the tomato chunk nonsense you get at On The Border. It has some flavor, smokiness, and depth to it. Not much spice at all. I tend to lean towards a more heat packed salsa like you get at Chuy's or Abuelo's even. The queso....oh, the queso. It was velveeta and rotel. Or maybe just the pre-mixed and melted stuff from a jar at Walmart. I mixed some salsa in to try and save it but there is just something about that overwhelmingly artificial, almost plastic flavor in the cheese sauce that I just couldn't get over. It's like the gunk you get on nachos at a high school baseball game. My friends enjoyed their drinks for the price point as they do offer a happy hour on weekdays and specials throughout the week. I was literally afraid to try the food because THE QUESO IS VELVEETA. I will say that our server was very attentive and kind. He tried his best to make this a positive experience for us. At the end of the day, I come to a restaurant for the food. When I am presented with bland, bare minimum food for unreasonable prices, I leave unhappy. read more

We were giving this another try. The Food was poor, the Service was worse. We won't be back. Don't waste your time.

Love the taste of literally everything! I'm big on cheese and theirs is delicious. There are lots of yummy drinks/food options! I had a dirty plate when we sat down but other than that friendly staff and a great atmosphere! read more

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This place claims to be "top shelf" tex mex, but their queso is Velveeta cheese and their food has no flavor. 2 flavorless meals wasn't worth $30. :-/ read more

El Arroyo - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

I went there and had Marci as my server. She was super amazing. Definitely took care of us every way possible. I couldn't have asked for a better server. She was funny, nice, make sure to check on us. We just got drinks and chips and normally that's now what a waiter wants at their table (I would know, I've been a waiter for years) but she never broke her smile. She held great conversations. On the other hand. The managers seemed to be up her ass a little bit about us. It was pretty obvious. They seem pretty up tight. I guess I made the mistake of telling the manager I was ready for my check . So to her it looked like Marci wasn't helping us but she was. I had literally just thought about my check when the manager stopped by. Everything was great until they decided to be assholes to her for no reason. Y'all have a great employee. I'm pretty good about reading lips and I know y'all bitched her out about my table. She is doing great. I loved her. I would ask her again. I don't even go there a lot and I would go back just to see her. She was amazing and I couldn't say it enough. read more

Really love that during happy hour they don't give you the happy hour drinks ON PURPOSE. Ordered a margarita at 2:30p on a Tuesday and instead of giving me the 10oz $2 special or ASKING me, the waitress just gave me the $12 one. Dirty serving tactics for subpar food. read more

Revised Warning about El Arroyo. It was late last night when I wrote it. This is a warning for anyone that considers heading to El Arroyo on Cooper St to eat. We've eaten here several times but the last couple of times we could see it was going down hill. This trip was a nightmare. Sunday was my wife's birthday. This was a special occasion and we invited our daughter and her husband, granddaughter and her husband and our great grand baby. It's not easy to get 4 generations of the same family together. We arrived at 7:00 pm Sunday evening. The place was not busy and the wait staff and other employees outnumbered the patrons. It took almost 15 minutes for someone to arrive with the chips and sauce. Our wait person finally showed up. We gave our drink (non alcoholic) orders. The drinks arrived fairly quick and our order was taken. After ordering I asked the wait person to go ahead and bring some tortillas and butter for the table. She acknowledged. After over 30 minutes I finally had to go ask the wait person to please bring the tortillas. We didn't want them delivered with the meal. The meal should have already been delivered by this time. The tortillas were brought to the table but without the butter and were cold. One of my daughters went and found butter. Almost an hour had passed since we placed our order. When it came they didn't have 3 of the meals. The meals they did bring were not even hot. It is now passed 8:00 pm and 3 of us are still waiting for our meal. They brought those out and 2 of the 3 were made incorrectly and were tepid. I asked for the manager. It took over 10 minutes for the worst manager I've ever seen in a restaurant to come to the table. I wasn't looking for anything at this point but wanted to let him know. He walked off. He said the waitress was new but said the restaurant was responsible. After everyone started eating (I sent mine back because none of what I ordered was correct) we all just looked at each other. I asked to see the manager again. He was so arrogant in front of my family that none of us could believe it. One of my son in laws is a chef in a prestigious restaurant in Fort Worth. I myself grew up with a family owned seafood restaurant in Dallas. All the food was like warm or not made right. I still didn't have mine. They finally made it again and I told them I didn't want it. Only two of the six of us could eat our meal and that was only because they were so hungry they had to eat something. The incompetent manager WHO WOULD NOT PROVIDE HIS CARD OR HIS NAME offered 50% off. I offered him 30%. He said 50 was it. He could see the uneaten meals on the table. He said the bill was a 100.00 and he'd cut it to 60.00. I said that's not 50%. I left 30.00 on the table and he said he was calling the police. We got up and waited outside for the police. My wife however, stayed inside the restaurant and asked them to ring up the bill for us. This manager told them to add drinks to the bill. No one in our party ordered a drink during dinner and what we did order was on the original bill. My wife told the manager no other drinks were ordered. When the new and expanded bill was delivered the manager had added extra drinks on it. Oh My God! When the police arrived, the manager, our wait person and another lady came out. I explained to the officer the situation. She said the law says if we order it we have to pay for it or go to jail. It's a service and she didn't have a clue as to the Occupational Codes or Consumer Rights but I wasn't about to go to jail for 30.00 and the horrible treatment received. During this time the manager and the other two people couldn't even decide if our bill was 100.00, 113.00 or 130.00.00. The police said I could go to corporate. The only address affiliated with El Arroyo is the restaurant location. This is a warning to choose one of the other great Mexican Food Restaurants in our area. Adding insult to injury were several employees laughing at us. We weren't there for anything but to celebrate my wife's birthday with our family. I am a disabled veteran who served during the Vietnam War. This treatment was almost on par (not quite) with how those of us who served in Vietnam were treated upon our return to the United States. This manager of El Arroyo is the worst example of anyone in the food service industry and he teaches the younger people that work there that it's okay to treat customers with disrespect and that it's okay to incorrectly take an order and deliver food that's not heated, is okay. That's all. No response is required but heed this warning if your going there. They've completely lost whatever they once had. read more

We throughly enjoy coming every Wednesday for lunch and drinking margaritas. Love kelly, shes the beat Thank you. read more

El Arroyo - Mexican Near Me - Arlington, Texas

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I use to love this place, especially since I live close, and love the patio. Today, when we got our bill, they had tacked on the tip for 2 people. I don't mind giving a good tip, but this waitress was not good. We received our food, and we needed more salsa because they give such a little amount in these little bowls. Plus I wanted to ask for 2 waters. We finally got it half way thru our lunch. I don't mind giving a good tip, but not when it's not good service. Plus they add a CC charge if you use your credit card. They show another amount if you are paying with cash. 47.00 for lunch. Not going back!!! read more