What a nostalgic experience! Dan and I are visiting family in Knoxville. Today, we drove to Oak Ridge where we used to live and had lunch at our favorite restaurant when Oak Ridge was home. I would love to move back to our Oak Ridge house. If we could move back, we would once again be regulars at El Cantarito and I will tell you why. I'm the frugal yelper. I love a good deal and I recognize value. That doesn't mean I like cheap food or don't enjoy fine dining. I just like value. That's what you get at El Cantarito. Their prices are fabulous and their food must be good quality because it tastes great. Dan and I each got a tostada lunch for just under $5. Dan got the tostaquac which included ground beef and sour cream. I got one with everything besides the ground beef and sour cream. Both had refried beans, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole. Delicious. That came with rice and beans. The salsa was delicious, just the right amount of kick. I made the mistake of ordering the large beer without asking how large it was. It was 32 Oz. Dan got one, too. That was way too much for either of us, so we left much of it. The large draft beer was $4.99. During happy hour domestics are $1.99 for a small and $3.99 large. Modelo is a dollar more. It has a Mexican diner feel to it. It looks authentic and very much is authentic. During lunch hour it is very busy and a little noisy. We recognized our server but she didn't remember us. The check just said she's #2. She didn't recognize us. #2 gave us excellent service. We couldn't have asked for any better service. Oak Ridge is so lucky to have this wonderful Mexican restaurant. I hope they appreciate it. read more

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When we lived in Oak Ridge we were regulars here for lunch. First time back in 5 years and were quite pleasantly surprised to find the same good food and very reasonable prices. They have lunches as low as $4.75. Most of the staff is the same. Our server even remembered us. Walls decorated with Mexican art among the TVs showing sports and news. Very large menu with many selections from which to choose. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Happy hour offerings. - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Been a regular here for about six years and am so caught up enjoying the delicious food that I've neglected to write a review...until now. El Cantarito serves the best chimichangas around. I usually order queso on the side and ask for an extra-crispy chimi that comes loaded with shredded chicken. It comes with shredded lettuce topped with pico, sour cream and guacamole and a side of rice and beans (unfortunately today they were barely warm and not hot like I prefer). No sooner than you're seated though, a basket of chips and salsa arrives. For the most part, the service has been top-notch. At lunchtime, when the restaurant most always is filled with hungry patrons, you might have to wait a tad for your ticket to arrive, yet the servers traditionally are fast and efficient. And the prices are right, especially on the lunch menu. The portions are a little smaller then, yet the food is equally tasty. The restaurant decor is simple, and the tables are bussed and wiped clean within minutes after they're vacated. This is our favorite Mexican spot. The chili relleños are some of the best as well and made the old-style way with the filling carefully stuffed inside a whole pepper and smothered in a yummy red sauce with melty cheese on top. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Chimichanga with rice, beans and a shredded-lettuce "salad" topped with pico, sour cream and guacamole. Queso is on the side. - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

This is my favorite Mexican restaurant in Oak Ridge and there are several good ones. The service is always excellent with generous portions and delicious food. The wait staff is professional and attentive to each customer. Kudos to Rl Cantarito read more

Speedy and affordable. This spot was hoppin,' even on a Monday night. Our to-go order was ready within 10 minutes of ordering and was packed well. When we got home, the order was not only correct (rare prize for to-go orders) and was hot and fresh. We ordered a carnitas dinner, a combo with tamale and chicken enchilada, a ground beef taco, and queso, salsa and chips. All of that was $25 (Oct. 2022)! This food definitely has a tex mex vibe, but was still tasty and both meals came with rice and beans. The ground beef taco was a good deal and they put a ton of meat and cheese in it. I was hoping for a homemade tortilla, but that wasn't the case. The tamale was good and had a meat (chicken?) inside and was topped with beef. Meat feast! The chicken enchilada was not my thing, as it was mostly big chunks of green peppers and onions. The carnitas was very tender. We did wish it had a touch more flavor but we would order it again. Hard to top La Casita Charra's carnitas down the street. The queso was good (with a few chunks) and the salsa was fantastic. Restaurant-style salsa, blended with the perfect amount of spice. We will be back to try other goodies! read more

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would come again next time we visit Oakridge. Good service, excellent prices and tasty food. The chips and salsa are some of our favorites! The menu has a great variety. My husband enjoyed the enchiladas supreme, and said the beef was his favorite. His only complaint was that part of the chicken was a little over cooked. I ordered from the a la carte menu and enjoyed the crispy taco, guacamole chalupa and large plate of brocolli - glad to add some nutrition to our filling meal! read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Popular place. Good food. Clean! They received a 98 score from the health department. I don't think it's real authentic but they sell what people are looking for. Loved the cocktails. I ordered a cheesesteak burrito. Nothing like a typical burrito but it was packed with tasty ingredients and it was really good. Our waiter was perfect. I don't live nearby but if I did, I would be a regular. read more

The food is great and reasonably priced. The staff are all very friendly and willing to make my visits enjoyable. I eat there at least one a week, sometimes more, even twice in one day if the opportunity presents itself. read more

You could easily drive right past this place because the exterior is nondescript! However, once you park and enter the restaurant you will see it is packed and that's for a reason. The decor is average but the staff is welcoming and fast! I sat at the bar next to two men who said the come once a week and that everything was good! They ordered fajitas for two and it looked delicious! I saw another customer order the garlic shrimp and he said it was excellent and the shrimp were huge!! I decided on the enchiladas suizas. The chicken was legit grilled and the toppings were plentiful and so so so flavorful. You get complimentary chips and salsa. I liked the salsa but the chips were average. The prices were super cheap/reasonable. I'm definitely coming back to this place!!! read more

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I ate here for lunch on Monday and Tuesday this past week. This place is FAST and DELICIOUS! Service was on point and friendly. We ordered off the lunch menu and were eating within 5 minutes. They include house-made chips and salsa. The Chile Relleno was huge and on point; The taco beef is perfectly seasoned; the Tostaguac lunch entree included delicious guacamole and a generous scoop of sour cream. The refried beans are excellent. My only minor quibble is that they could add a little more cheese to some of the lunch entrees. With sodas, chips & salsa and our entrees, plus tax and a generous tip, we paid about as much as we would have for two fast food meals. Why would you drive through McDonalds when you can have fast, hot, delicious Mexican food? I'd rather support the small local business than the corporate chain restaurant every day of the week. Next time I'm in town I'm aiming to try their happy hour margaritas. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Lunch menu - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Excellent service food and quaint lounge. Small restaurant not far from downtown. Food is excellent. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Fajitas and burrito - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Taco salad was good. I was really looking forward to the sopapilla and was highly disappointed with it. In the description,it should say that it's a flat tortilla fried, then cut into triangles, THEN drizzled w honey and cinnamon. Here I was expecting a huge air filled sopapilla like I get everywhere else and ended up w this. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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After working the last 15 years in Texas, and very close to "the valley ", I found this to be a weak imitation of Mexican food. The mole was thin, pale, and not house made. Guacamole was 80% tomatoes and filler. Rice was just so-so. And the lunch was served with store bought flour tortillas. Abuello would have turned his nose up at this. And so the search continues, for true Mexican food in Tennessee. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Sad plate with weak mole. - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Awesome food, excellent service! Thanks! Comfortable seating , wide variety of selections

Great price to quality ratio! Friendly staff. Very rapid service. It's a go-to for me when I'm starving and want a simple, yummy meal in a hurry. read more

Visited on Sunday night. Party of one. Incredibly slow service. Got chips, salsa, and beer in fairly good time, but length of time it took to get meal makes me think they got it directly from Mexico by bus. Would have walked out after 45 minutes , leaving cash for beer - but did not want to pay $20 for a beer. When enchiladas arrived they were bland and lukewarm, but there was a very generous portion. Could not finish it all and I had arrived hungry. Was surprised when my bill came at how inexpensive it was. Beers were only $2. Raised score to two stars. read more

Best Mexican I've had in awhile. Had the lunch chimichanga. $6.49 and what a deal! First time here, came with friends and definitely will return. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Chimichanga Shredded Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

I rarely bother to write reviews but in this case I felt compelled to explain why I left only a $2 tip. I've been a waitress/server many times over the years and I understand what a grueling job it can be. I am sensitive to the struggle. I went to eat with my son at the Oak Ridge location on his recommendation, as he had eaten there with friends once. I was looking forward to a good meal. We were both severely disappointed for multiple reasons... The food: I'll start with the positive. The portions were very generous. The sweet tea was delicious. But, there was little flavor or spices so it was all very bland. The guacamole seemed like just smashed avocado. The refried beans were flavorless. The queso "dip" was practically milk. The chicken inside of the burrito and enchiladas were not really shredded but in very large chunks I had to cut to eat. The Sopapilla had 1/2 spoon of whipped cream, barely enough for a bite or two. The service: He was pleasant, neat in appearance and took and delivered our order quickly. However, once he dropped the food, he disappeared for the duration of our meal. We sat with empty drink cups once our first glass was gone. It was unpleasant to eat a meal with nothing to drink. He didn't check back to see if we needed anything or if the food was ok. He didn't clear our plates, even when we ordered dessert. (Still no drink refill). We shuffled dirty plates around the table as needed. He didn't even interact when he brought the check; he just dropped it and walked away. I'll add that the bill was reasonable for the amount of food we received, albeit bland. I am normally an 18-20% tipper, but with the entire experience, I didn't feel it was even close to being earned. I also don't believe in "stiffing" servers bc you never know what someone is going through. I didn't write this review to trash anyone or the business. I write it so that the issues can be addressed and hopefully prevent this from happening again because at this point, I'm not interested in returning to this restaurant. I honestly hope this helps, but I'm not optimistic considering the other negative reviews with the SAME complaints going back multiple years. The owner doesn't seem to care at all. read more

Food always a plus some of the service is trash. Always a good time overall tho. Quick lunch spot

Since moving to Tennessee from the Southwest, it's been difficult to find authentic Mexican Food. A few days ago, we were in Oakridge and stopped at this restaurant. It happened to be lunch time. After looking at the menu, we ordered #6, the chili relleno and chicken taco plate. When it arrived at our table, it was a more than ample for a lunch. The rellenos were authentic and the chicken in the taco was moist and succulent. The prices are super and the service even better. This will be our go-to Mexican restaurant read more

Other than the salsa being a touch too spicy for me (and i do mean just a touch), the food is outstanding!!!!!!!!!!

This is the kind of Mexican restaurant we like, very authentic. Not fancy inside but nice enough. Server was very friendly. Good salsa. Glad we chose this place read more

My sister and I came here for the first time and will definitely be coming back again. This is the best tasting Mexican food I've had in a long time. Service was great and you will not be disappointed...even the restrooms were clean. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - I highly recommend this place. - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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Great food and drinks . I love this place ! It's my favorite place for happy hour and the service is always excellent! read more

The service is incredible. The food is always delicious. And they always bring it out quickly. They always have lots of customers but it is loud and packed most days. read more

AMAZING! The best Mexican restaurant I have ever been to! They were slammed. Not a single empty table. They were so fast and also the food was so delish! I will definitely be back here!! read more

The food not very good . Doesn't taste fresh . The water is terrible. I would not recommend. The service is slow and not friendly.

Meh- the food was okay the wait was not long for the food but it took almost 45 minutes to get the bill. The Long Island was strong and the salsa was fantastic. read more

This is one of the best Mexican places around. I love the staff and the food. Highly recommend.

The tamale is not traditional with the beef on top but solid. Chicken flautas are covered in cheese. Chimichanga was tasty. The bean and cheese burrito was okay. The table chips and salsa were good, the salsa seems homemade. I think the rice was maybe smoky, but not bad, just different but great texture. This is like Mexican food in italics. read more

The food is amazing and perfect. The price is right and the staff is amazing . I always go there with my family

Food is always good service is great people that run the place are awesome all the servers are very polite and familiar with the menu. Best flawless round read more

Great food, lots of options and good service. El Cantaritos food is very good and it's not break the bank cost.

The only reason I left a one star review is because It wouldn't let me leave any lower, the service from the younger guy is horrible.

I was expecting a little more. Average Mexican restaurant-nothing really stood out for selection. The items we received were OK. Service was slow. Would not make an effort to return. read more

The food was great. The prices were very reasonable. The service was good and friendly. Not the glitziest place I've ever been in, but when the food and service is good, who cares. read more

Amazing food, very good prices, the best Mexican I've had in Oakridge and Knoxville and I've tried a lot. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Pollo loco and fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee

We ate dinner here on a Saturday. It was busy, but we got seated fairly quickly. They brought us chips and salsa, but our server was super slow to take our order even when we told him we were ready. Our food was also super slow to arrive. Mexican is usually quick, so I'm not sure why one dish of chicken nachos would take so long. Then we sat more waiting for our check to pay. The food was good, though the salsa tasted odd to me. I wouldn't return because of the slow service. read more

Excellent Mexican food! Prices were also terrific. highly recommended. I had fajita quesadilla and wife had vegetarian fajitas. Both were full of flavor! read more

Victor and the staff make you feel like familia each time you come in the door. The food is always great and the prices are even better. El Cants is also a great supporter of the local community. I highly recommend the Pollo Primavera, Lunch Specials (as low as $4) and the Chicken Quesadillas are fantastic as well. read more

El Cantarito Mexican Restaurant - Sign out front - Mexican Near Me - Oak Ridge, Tennessee