Every visit at El Barrio is yummy and the service is amazing. I love that they're open for lunch and dinner. Many of their neighboring restaurants are dinner only and having access to their menu all day makes this place a superstar. The carne asada and queso get A+++++ read more

Five of five all day long. Queso dip es muy bueno. Y hot sauce también. Gracias amigos.

One of Birmingham's downtown gems. Food is consistently good. Always a relief to have their lunch hours. Easy parking.

This is a very busy place. Why? Food and drinks are amazing. The price for the meals are average. Definitely recommend the tacos which are my fave. The appetizers are okay. Soup is way better than the salad in my opinion. Drinks?! Hmm definitely yummy. I love love love the spicy margarita and the quick service at the bar is the go to spot when you are there for lunch rush. read more

El Barrio - Steak tacos...corn tortillas a must! - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Favorite brunch and Mexican spot in town! Great staff and great food! Always a wait to get in, it's no wonder because of how amazing it is! Love there seasonal margaritas and sopa Seca! read more

I can't really review because it was shut down at 11:30 today. We were coming for a birthday lunch, checked the website for hours, there was no notice it was closed for New Years on the website or on the door. Very disappointed. We went to TastyTown and it was delicious!!! I highly recommend it. read more

They take Covid very seriously. Tables spread out. Even at bar very spaced out. Bartender was very nice and attentive knew a lot about the menu and gave me suggestions which I had asked for. Food was spectacular. I would definitely come back here whenever I am in town. read more

El Barrio - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Absolutely amazing!!!!! Most delicious, fresh food!!! Loved their salsa, hot sauces, tacos, little cabbage salad. Everything is delicious and that is why there is a line!! GO!! read more

The food and drinks are amazing and the staff is friendly, but they make it incredibly challenging to eat there due to their strange hours, unreasonable waits (since they don't do reservations), and small capacity. Reservations would make eating here much more worthwhile, but for some reason they don't seem to agree. It's almost as if they like having the place unreasonably packed on weekends... For example, I've tried to eat there 4 times in the last month: * Wednesday 7pm: Closed for a private event. We were given free guac coupons to come back another day. Not sure how often they do private events, so we didn't mind and went elsewhere * Friday 5pm: 1.5 hour wait (crazy considering how early this is). We decided to eat elsewhere * Following Friday 9pm: We knew the waits were crazy on Fridays, so we figured we could wait it out and squeeze in at a later time. We showed up at 9:05 and they said they were closed and they couldn't take us. This is one of the most popular restaurants in Birmingham, so why on earth would they close at 9pm on a Friday?! Imagine how much business they're turning down! * Sunday 1pm: Closed all day. Thankfully we looked it up, but again, imagine how much business they're turning down by being closed on a Sunday! I could understand limited hours on Sundays, but again, I can't imagine how much business they're missing out on. Again, once you get a seat, this really is an amazing restaurant, so my recommendation to anyone is to go Tuesday - Thursday or Friday for lunch. I haven't tried Saturday for lunch, so that might be worthwhile too. Friday and Saturday evenings just aren't worth it as you're going to wait for hours and people are packed like sardines near the bar. If someone at El Barrio is reading this, please consider taking reservations and at the very least being open till 10 on the weekends. These small changes will significantly improve your customer's experience. read more

If your in the mood for Mexican food this is it! Great Service and the atmosphere was wonderful. Give it a try.

Quite possibly my favorite Mexican in the Magic City, but here's the funny thing - I don't order "traditional" Mexican fare when I go. I ALWAYS order the Chorizo meatloaf. It's absolutely AMAZING! The shrimp tacos are also delicious, and you can't get started without some guacamole. read more

First time in the area. Restaurant was highly recommend and did not disappoint with the flaver, price, and atmosphere.

Awesome Ambience Food People Drinks!!! A must visit when in B'ham....45 min wait is usual read more

El Barrio - Amazing Food and Bailey our Server was over the friendly!! - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Food and service was awesome! Great vibes! The food was great. It's kind of like a Mexican fusion restaurant. I had the shrimp quesadillas and a side salad. Those quesadillas were stuffed with so much shrimp. I could only eat half of my quesadillas. But all in all. Great food and great atmosphere. Definitely will come back! read more

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Best Saturday brunch in town. Unique flavors, great presentation and friendly staff.

Recently visited El Barrio with our daughter, her first trip...my second. I've always enjoyed eating at this restaurant. This was no different. We thoroughly enjoyed the Queso Fundido and chips, as well as the Gulf Shrimp Quesadilla. Delicious meal. Oh, and their margaritas. Can't leave a review without saying how tasty they were. We don't make it to downtown Birmingham to eat often, but this is definitely a spot to go back to. read more

Love this place and the service! It gets busy but the food was still out quickly with great portions. The wait staff was attentive, the bathrooms were clean and my left overs were even better the second day. It's one of my new favorite lunch places. I already loved it for dinner. read more

Amazing place. Great food, drinks and atmosphere. Get there early as there is always a wait.

I visited this place for the first time and the food was amazing. I orderedthe shrimp quesadilla and the cream sauce with it was perfect! Great service! Allison was my bartender and she was the best! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

This review was written during the COVID-19 Quarantine. I'm going to sing praises or el Barrio's customer service! What we ordered: Veggie, Quesadilla, barbacoa quesadilla, and their delicious salsa for pick up. We arrived and our food was brought out to us at the car. We left and 5 mins later got a call that they may have forgotten to pack our salsa and asked if we would turn around. When we arrived the sweet woman was standing outside waiting on us. To our surprise she packed 2x salsa, a delicious guacamole, a coke, a jarrito and some plantain chips! She apologized and we couldn't believe how she made up for it! Not to say that one should expect free food everytime, but they know how to make you feel like a valued customer. I had never had the quac or plantain chips but will be getting next time. All of our food was delicious! read more

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Plantains nachos. Just yes. Perfect balance of flavors. Amazing service as always. Stephen. Allison. Kate. Amazing bar staff. read more

El Barrio - Plantain Nachos with corn - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Delicious ! Great management!!!! They've really made a name for themselves in Birmingham AL !! read more

Delicious food! Creative menu. Multiple visits are required just to try it all. Attentive and friendly service. Handling all the covid adjustments with excellence. We were ultimately sitting on a sidewalk but did not at all feel like this was a thrown together situation. They greeted and served like it was their plan all along. Very well done. read more

Three of us at a late lunch. El Barrio as comfortable as ever. Veggie quesadilla and chicken enchiladas were great, but we've always like them. The Chicken Escabiche, not so much. The vegetables sides were very good. Although the dish was very "pretty", the sauce was tasteless, the chicken was pretty bland and very greasy. Never again on that one, which is unusual for El Barrio. read more

This place is extremely delicious. I love their chicken enchilada and I noticed their meals are so clean. I never feel bloated coming here.

Love the food and the community tables!! Any special is a good choice. Get the guacamole!! Fish Tacos are amazing!

Absolutely fantastic food. A little more pricey than the average Mexican restaurant, but as always, you get what you pay for. I had the chicken mole, and my friend had the stuffed pepper, and both were simply outstanding! read more

Food is delicious!!! Try this place you will be hooked. If I lived her would be a regular! Drinks were great!!! Service is excellent!!!!

Go to their brunch!!! We got there before it opened and there was a crowd waiting to get in. All of the people waiting are smart because this place has been open for only 30 mins and there is now a wait for tables and the bar is full. This place is hopping! I suggest the Paloma for two ($11) and you get to mix your own ingredients!!! I ate the shrimp and grits and actually could have used a bit more grits. Yes grits. There were about ten shrimp, plenty of grilled veggies (zucchini, asparagus, peppers, etc) all topped with avocado and fresh salsa. The breakfast tacos were good, and would have been great if there was only a way to keep the tortilla from getting soggie. read more

El Barrio - Shrimp and grits with the Paloma for two!! - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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My parents came to town for a rare visit to Birmingham, and I wanted to take them somewhere amazing. With such a great food scene in this city, picking an amazing spot wouldn't be hard to do; however, there was one spot that was on my mind for this special occasion, "El Barrio". This was my third time to this restaurant and every time it's been incredibly delectable. One thing I love is that their menu is full of unique recipes of tried and true dishes. From chorizo meatloaf to bacon quesadillas...and it's all great. This time I ordered Tacos Al Pastor after much debate. I really wanted the empanadas, but I opted for my favorite form of tacos. Their pork was seasoned to perfection and the addition of the pineapple was perfect. The corn tortillas were fresh and warm. I only wish there were more than three tortillas. You may want to preorder extras so you'll have enough. My daughter ordered the bacon quesadilla which I tried. Loved it! Dad got fish, wife got a veggie quesadilla, other kids ordered custom quesadillas with chicken and cheese). The one menu item that blows every other Mexican restaurant out of the water is their guacamole. I am known among friends to make the best guacamole but I think theirs rivals mine. I'm can't go here without ordering some. So delicious! The one drawback is their dining area is small and loud. It's very difficult to get a table and when you do, it's difficult to hear your dinner guests conversation. It's a sacrifice that's ok when the food is this good. We arrived right before it opened (5:00) and got a table because of this concern. This is one of the top 10 restaurants in Birmingham in my opinion. Come here...I promise you won't be disappointed. Happy Dining. read more

Food, ambience, gluten-friendly El Barrio is a favorite downtown spot to go before a show or just as a night out.

I'm very surprised this review hasn't been written yet. This place is simply put, amazing! If you are a fan of Mexican food and you haven't made it hear yet it needs to be your top priority. If you arrive during regular dinner time be prepared to wait upwards of an hour...but again it is well worth the wait. If you arrive kind of late during the week you should be able to be seated pretty quickly. During regular meal times it can be a pretty loud environment and you will have to talk kind of loud to hear each other. When you walk in glance to your right and you'll see a daily specials board that highlights the different specials they offer each day of the week. Waiting for crawfish tacos to make a return! Also, really wanting to try the ribs they have listed. Insider tip....follow them on Instagram to get updates as to what the specials are. Tonight we started with an app: Crispy, Warm Corn Tortillas with: Chunky Guacamole ($7.50) For the main course we went with the following: Vegan Tostada with seasonal veggies, refried black beans, crispy plantains & chipotle salsa ($11.50) Tostada Ahogada with slow roasted pork, bbq sauce, jicama slaw & pickled banana peppers ($12.50) - This was mine! Flavor of pork was some of the best I've ever had. Huge portion that was way too much to finish. Drinks: Paloma for Two 11 which is camarena reposado tequila, Lime, Salt, Grapefruit Soda. Have to admit first time ever having this....not the last! Try it if you like tequila and grapefruit. Service here is always good. The service staff is polite and attentive and always in a great mood. Side note, I love the décor here. Several large wall murals. Cool casual vibe that you can definitely not feel out of lace if you get dressed up too! This place is one of the highlights of Birmingham and you owe it to yourself to check them out. read more

One of the best restaurants in town. Service is always friendly and timely, great atmosphere, and the food is incredible. You will love everything you eat here. read more

Was simply amazing!!! The drinks were great and it was my first time trying Plantain chips!! The service was also great!!!

The best upscale mex I have ever had anywhere in the USA. No contest go if your in the area. The spicy chicken toasta is my favorite but you can't go wrong with anything read more

First experience here was for an early Valentines dinner. It was very good I must say, and worth the drive from Tuscaloosa! I enjoyed the barbacoa quesadilla as it was huge and the sauce accompanying it was jaw dropping. My girlfriend had the enchiladas which were also fresh and flavorful. Overall a great experience albeit a little pricy for Mexican food, still definitely worth it. read more

El Barrio - Barbacoa Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

A Birmingham staple. The food is consistently great and changes only twice a year, for a winter and summer menu. The service is also consistent - same staff for years, all good folks. MUST pick the right time to come as this place is insanely busy on the weekends. read more

10 out of 5 How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every day's Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right; I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. -EBB read more

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Now this is a place you go when you want some good food and beer in general. The Beef Barbacoa Quesadilla was nothing short of amazing. The beverage menu is just as great. Whether you're a beer drinker, wine drinker, hard liquor kind of person or somewhere in between, I promise you will not be disappointed with this place. The servers are even wonderful. They don't give you time to wonder where they are or why they haven't checked back in with you. And the atmosphere is definitely one for those who want a vibrant, yet chill spot to go on a date, spend some time with some friends/family/coworkers, or just to have a nice self care kind of day. This was my first time dining here, but I am definitely going to make this my bi-weekly after work cheat meal spot. 8/10 would highly recommend. read more

Among the best in Mexican-inspired food in Birmingham. Great ambiance. Hard sometimes to get a table during the busiest times, but the food and service is usually great. Dinner service/time to be seated would likely be a lot better if they took reservations or a virtual waitlist. read more