This place is super hit or miss with me. My husband and I just moved to Mountain Brook and discovered it our first. While we waited over 10min (on a fairly slow Tuesday night) for a server to greet us, another worker brought us chips and salsa. I love chips and a good salsa, but unfortunately for El Cazador their salsa isn't in the "good" category. It tastes like they buy and pour it, rather than making it fresh in house. Chilis has better salsa than they do. Eventually our server made his way over to us but I still couldn't decide what to eat (the menu is way too long and complicated) so the server suggested the "Special Dinner" as it had a little bit of everything. That said, everything was little bit subpar. The chile relleno was the best of the dish, but I didn't even eat half of anything else on my plate. My husband however devoured his entire meal and loved the place. Which is why we went back for a second time. Apparently they have great drink specials on Thursdays, so we went this past Thursday and I ordered the fajita nachos this go-round. It was exponentially better than my first meal, but still left something to be desired. Yet again, our server (a different one this time) was MIA and rarely came by. He got a few things wrong (wrong drink for me, wrong beer for my husband) likely because he never wrote anything down and couldn't remember by the time he got to the bar. We would've ordered more drinks, but he failed to check back in with us. We ordered churros at the end, and he never brought them. They never made it on our final ticket (the bill) so it looks like he never wrote them down. Again, my husband absolutely loved his entire meal (notice a trend here) so he wants to try again in the future, but all in all El Cazador was a huge let down to me. I don't think I'll go back any time soon. read more

Pretty good Mexican place. Top notch margaritas. The tacos were really good. Really quick service. Cheese dip was on point. Friendly staff. Clean, organized, and busy! Food portions are perfect, & They have a HUGE menu! Get the margarita!!!! I got two read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Fantastic soup!! The soup had so much flavor and tender chicken! And don't get me started on the margaritas! Absolutely amazing!! And to top it off our waiter was so nice and super attentive; our food came out almost immediately! Definitely my go to restaurant now. read more

El Cazador - Chicken Soup and Strawberry Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

Decided to stop here since it was on my way home. Should have just kept on going. I ordered the 3 tacos as I didn't feel adventurous today. Got them and they were cold. Sent them back to be heated up. They came back & the plate was hot but the tacos were lukewarm. At least the chips were good. Won't be back. read more

We have eaten here for years- great staff and service. Food is always expected to be the same- never has an issues Last time we ate was on a Friday night. My whole family got food poising from the rice. Just a warning! It tasted off to start with so I didn't eat a lot. In the middle of the night woke up with fever, chills and my toddler screaming and throwing up.Took 4 days for everyone to return to normal. We saw our neighbor there the same night who had a family of 6 and they also suffered the rice food poisoning. Will never be back quality control needs to be higher. read more

It's been a long time since I've been here...why, I dunno, insanity maybe. The salsa actually has a bit of kick to it, though I like it spicer. But seriously, ask for their homemade sauce, it's delicious. I had the Camarones a La Diabla. It has a mesquite flavor, decent heat, fresh shrimp and lots of green onions. My husband had the mushroom supreme burrito. This never happens but yup, he had leftovers. I'm not sure yet if I'd say it's my favorite mexican restaurant but it is certainly in the top 3. read more

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This definitely isn't one of the better Mexican restaurants that I have been to. However, if you're looking for cheap comfort food, this will do the trick. There lunch menu is pretty cheap and the serving sizes are pretty large. Additionally, the service is decently quick so it deserves recognition for that. I got the chicken quesadilla on the lunch menu and it was decent. However, the shell on the quesadilla was pretty soggy (not from the cheese, just soggy) and the chicken was way too salty. The rice and beans were good, but that's pretty difficult to mess up so I don't know that this restaurant deserves special recognition for that. I would say go here if you want something cheap and quick, but I wouldn't say go here cause the food is amazing. read more

Pollo con Mole was delicious. The inside of the restaurant was very clean and table spacing for COVID was in affect. I was greeted and seated immediately. My food came out quickly and my order was correct. My server was knowledgeable and checked on me at comfortable intervals. I wasp very pleased with my experience and will definitely be back! read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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I came here one night for margaritas. This places is tucked away in Crestwood near Zaxby's. The decor is nice. A cute Mexican place thats a bit dated. When me and my friend got there, we were seated at a table and though not planning on eating anything we were given complimentary chips and salsa. Yummy! Their salsa is just the right touch of spicy, but we were so full from diner already I didn't have many. Smelling the food the other customers ordered and hearing the sizzling of the fajitas was amazing. They had so many margarita options it was so hard to choose just one! They gave my friend salt even though we asked for no salt so I had to take off one star. I like mine frozen and the options were Strawberry, Peach, Mango, and Pina Colada. Okay I want strawberry because it is pink and I know I like them. No wait mango!!! Because how often does a place have mango?! Every place offers strawberry. No wait Pina colada! I'm in a coconut mood. I finally decided on Pina colada and it was a wonderful decision. I'll have to be back to try the other flavors! read more

El Cazador - Pina colada margarita - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

I called a order to go of chicken soup and a quesadilla with monterey jack cheese with grilled chkn plain nothing on it or around it. I get there the gal says ok your order for chkn soup and yellow cheese and jack cheese quesadilla. I said NO I told the person on the phone several times grilled chkn and monterey jack cheese plain. She said sorry we make it over. I waited almost 15 mins for this quesadilla. I get home its a corn tortilla size quesadilla with white and yellow cheese and chkn for my 25 yr old daughter. Like kids size. I paid just over 26 dollars for soup and this quesadilla. So disappointed then I get my soup together in a bowl. Its clear broth like water. No flavor. Not good. I will never, never go back here. I do not recommend it. read more

The food was good. But the service spoiled the afternoon! Not once did our water get refilled or did we get checked on. I understand times are busy these days but at the time there was not a lot of people in the restaurant. We had to ask for our water several times after sitting there for about 5-10 minutes before even being approached for service. Chips and salsa didn't arrive until after or drinks came. Will not be back! read more

Excellent staff and service. The grilled chicken or grilled burritos are amazing as well as the salsa flavorful but not too spicy. My favorite Mexican cuisine in the Irondale area, by far! read more

I had a hankering for Mexican food and El Cazador looked promising with their great reviews and great prices. We go in and it has that pretty typical Mexican restaurant feel to it. It was a Friday night and I'd say the restaurant was at 75% capacity. We get sat at a booth and though the table is "clean" it just has a film over it.. and the menu as well. My menu even had a salsa stain on the plastic covered pages. Nevermind my general feeling of the place, lets get on to the food. Because some places that aren't impressive when it comes to decor and cleanliness can serve up some delicious food! We got our chips and salsa while browsed the menu. I guess this is how salsa got on my menu to begin with. The chips and salsa, though always a nice bonus, was alright. Chips were thick and the salsa didn't taste like it was made in house. If it was, it didn't taste fresh to me. I ordered the taco and chicken enchilada combination dinner with rice and beans. I was craving some refried beans and rice..! It was priced very reasonably and there was a ton of food, but again.. it was a bit of a disappointment. The shredded chicken was dry and lacked flavor. The rice and beans were standard. I don't know.. it just didn't really hit the spot. My husband got a meal with a little bit of a sad looking salad concoction that looked like the leaves had been overdue to be thrown out maybe 2 days ago. Overall, my meal here was a bit of a let down. They have a lot of different options and prices are very reasonable with large portions, but unfortunately I don't think I will be returning back. read more

I'm sad to leave this review since I have eaten at this restaurant probably 50 times over the years. It is a great little neighborhood hangout that has until recently been consistently good. However, the last several times I have eaten there the service has been poor, basically almost nonexistent. How can a restaurant think that ignoring a tableful of customers is the way to go? This has happened to me at least 3 times in the last month - do it was not an isolated incident. It is not a lack of staff; there are many employees standing around chatting and laughing and relaxing or standing with their faces buried in their phones. All while we sit there with no one approaching our table to even start service with drink orders. El Cazador - you are going downhill - get your act together! read more

Had an awesome experience at El Cazador this afternoon. Husband and I went at around 3:30pm and it was such a lovely day we sat outside. The waiter was prompt to bring menus and take our drink order. I ordered the Burrito Grande and he ordered a chicken quesadilla that came with a beef enchilada and rice. The food was amazing. Every bite was flavourful and the right amount of spice. Their complimentary chips and salsa were also really good I asked to take the leftover chips home!! We will definitely be back to try out the lunch specials next time. read more

First time eating in. I had a Togo chimichanga meal that tasted fresh and flavorful so I gave the restaurant a try. The chips, salsa, and queso dip were ok. Didn't taste different from other Tex mex Mexican restaurants. The service was good. Prices were reasonable. Vegetarian options were available. Meal wise, I split the El Casador. It has chicken, shrimp, steak and vegetables on the side. The chicken was good and juicy with good flavor, the shrimp and steak lacked flavor and was dry. I did also enjoy a mango daiquiri. Good flavor and the blend of alcohol was mixed in well to where it didn't taste too strong. Next time, I'll try something else on the menu. read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

The food was fair, not great. I not going to eat there again. Also they refused to even try to run my card as a credit card! What would they have done if I didn't have cash? I never carry cash, but I just happened to have at $10.00 bill on me this time. I reported them to my bank to see if they can talk some sense into them. The man would not even try to run my card as a credit. He gave some a feeble excuse of "This is new machine. It won't work." I asked him 3 times to try. But he refused. This is just bad business read more

3 stars is being kind. Great salsa but marginal food. Food arrived a room temp The guac is very thinned out with whatever they use (sour cream?). Hope they step up their game. read more

El Cazzy. That nickname is thrown around the house all the time. Been here once a week for the past month+ and has never disappointed. Their salsa it perfect. I could drink their cheese dip. Super friendly and quick service. Reasonable prices. Never a vacant lull. Can't get past the chimichanga because it's so damn good. Yeah, man, are they open now? It's El Cazzy time. read more

I'll give it 5 stars because it is what it is. It's kinda like mt brook lite. The 35 and under crowd are living in Crestline starter kits as homes( creWe always hit Thursday nights but decided to come on Sunday night as well to watch the patriots chiefs game and enjoy wonderful Americanized Mexican food (who wants authentic?). Anyways I went with Stamo and duplicated his order of steak nachos. They're wonderful, nachos are a top 10 food of all time and I need to remember that when I feel Chinese. Duty went with his standard pork carnitas (which is fine due to menu anxiety) he brought along tony who slammed down some chicken fajitas. Raubert ordered bean soup ( I know) but he wasn't himself that night as he celebrated his anniversary the night before. He was exhausted. The kicker was when Haulinz showed up and announced via picture of his daughter that he was having a son. I know the game was great, but nobody celebrated with Haulinz except me (I'll obviously be his Godfather) Ben was great. He's so happy about his new job. Glad tony and Haulinz met, Sad we missed Vance. read more

We recently moved from the Houston area to Birmingham, so when we decided to try some Alabama Mexican food, I was a little more than skeptical. However, this restaurant was absolutely outstanding and even better than some of the Mexican restaurants I had tried back home! The location is convenient and easy to get to. The staff is Latin American and will speak Spanish to you if you so desire. Even the decor is very authentic. My husband and I had nice Margaritas and my parents had Latin beers, which were wonderful. We then had enchiladas (with real brisket, none of the ground beef stuff), carne asada with lovely caramelized onions and your choice of either corn or flour tortillas, and a combination platter. The chips and salsa are never ending, of course. The prices couldn't be more reasonable for the amount and quality of food you get. I highly recommend this Birmingham jewel. read more

You can't go wrong with El Cazador. It is cheap, authentic Mexican food. And they even have sombreros for those times when, well, you just need tequila and a hat. Most people pass this place by thinking it's like any random tex-mex establishment- but they are wrong! For a go-to Mexican meal, margaritas, and a chance to feel like you're on vacation, take your friends to El Cazador. From the tortilla chips and queso to the homemade salsa and enchiladas, it's the real deal. And yes, the staff do speak Spanish, so feel free to practice (they are VERY nice about it- at least they were with me + my horrible Spanish accent!). Muy delicioso! :) read more

Does anyone else remember El Gringo's on Crestwood Blvd? It was the only bonafide Mexican Restaurant in the whole town (probably the whole state of Alabama) in the 70s and 80s. Actual hot salsa (like really hot), that would come with a spoon so you could put it on everything. The server named Rosa constantly teased my dad about eating too much. At one point there was a club at Mountain Brook High School called the "Mexicali Blues" that celebrated the beauty and wonder of this salsa. Handmade corn and flour tortillas. I had two favorite meals as a child: soup made by my Nana using vegetables grown on her farm and a simple bean burrito from El Gringo's. After living in New Mexico and now Texas my love affair with Mexican-style food (in its various regional forms) has continued. I pretty much love it all. Cheesy frozen enchiladas, quickie quesadillas, restaurant chimichangas, fresh fish tacos with handmade corn tortillas. Gimmie. This is probably the closest to El Gringo's Birmingham's going to get again. At least for now. It's not pretty - it's in an old Sizzler building in a neighborhood that's been sliding downhill for about twenty years. The atmosphere is simple - dark and decorated with lots of cheap Mexican tchotchkes. The servers are generally polite. I've never seen anyone have to wait for a table. The food is pretty damn good. And it's not all the standard Mexican-American cheesy greasy mess, though the cheese is a creamy white jack cheese, as opposed to the orangey cheddar. The chile sauce isn't too spicy but it's tasty. The salsa has fresh cilantro in it. There are lots of combination plates with every variation you can imagine. And big tasty margaritas. Thursday nights are fajita specials. They are really, really good. Overall, this is a good go-to place for Mexican food. Go here instead of Chuy's at the Summit. read more

This place is AMAZING!! It's located near my apartments. I was looking for a basic Mexican restaurant that was cheap and not Tex Mex and I came across this. I got cheese enchiladas. So good! Salsa and queso is good as well. Their margs are bomb. I get the mango one. It's so good. I will be back. They have a happy hour on Thursdays I want to check out! read more

We come here often as it by my house. This is a real good Mexican restaurant and the food is always good. The reason why I gave it three stars is that the speed of which the food comes out is inconsistent. Sometimes they come out quick, other times not so quick. The guacamole is average, but the salsa and cheese dip are really good! I usually get shrimp burritos or chimichangas. They don't cut your plates short and I always leave full. The food is balanced and seasoned well. read more

Unfortunately, you cannot count on them to get your order right. When they screw up your order they will not correct it. Luckily there are many good places to have Mexican Food in Birmingham. Sadly, this isn't it. read more

My goodness, we've had so many good experiences at this place since my initial review, I forgot I had given this place such a bad rating; actually forgot about our bad first experience altogether. Look, here's the bottom line. After going to El Cazador at least 12 times in the past 18 months, I can happily say that the food - while unremarkable - is delicious for the price you pay, and the service is great. They really must have had a horribly "off" night the first time we went. As far as Mexican food goes, we split our time between here and another joint in the area. We go to the other place more often simply because it's usually less busy and in my opinion has marginally better service and definitely better margaritas. But if we are looking for a more lively place with good food, we go to El Caz. It's much better for groups too. read more

This place is great. Best Mexican food I have had in a very long time. We are only passing through, I wish it was a little closer to my home. Lots of families here, attentive staff, a winner. read more

As a Tex-Mex connoisseur, I declare that this place checks out alright. It's not the worst Mexican food restaurant I've ever been to, the food ranks pretty high among the mountains of enchiladas, chips & salsa, fajitas, refried beans and rice I've dutifully consumed in my 18 years. Apparently, it's the only Mexican restaurant in the area, so enjoy it for goodness sake ! read more

The place is festive, busy, and lively. The waiters and waitresses are on point with service. The decor is typical Mexican restaurant, but it doesn't matter. Watching people is fun here because all kinds of folks dine here. I love seeing lots of Hispanic people in a Mexican restaurant. It is a good indicator if the ethnic group represented at the restaurant is present and eating the food. We went on fajitas night, which is a good deal on fajitas and margaritas. Delicious chicken and steak fajitas. The guacamole is pretty good and so is the Pico. All food is delicious. Love this place and it is inexpensive as well. $30 for fajitas night!! read more

El Cazador - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

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Cheap and tasty, it's been around for a long time for a reason. Had my favorite chile rellenos there. Old-school Mexican restaurant fare. Not exciting, just what you'd expect. The decor is dated, but that doesn't detract from the experience. They've added an outdoor patio, which is nice. Not my favorite, but I know people who say it is. (It's in my top 3 Mexican joints). read more

My favorite Mexican place in Birmingham. Great service and great food. The waiters and waitresses are friendly and want you to enjoy your lunch/dinner. Fantastic margaritas, too. Great all around place. Not to mention, the food comes out hot and fast. Have a wonderful time here!! read more

Yummy Mexican food with fantastic quest, but the wait staff can occasionally be very slow. Great prices and the lunch specials are fantastic! read more

Good food, good drinks. Great place for groups and parties. It is one of our go to Mexican places. My husband loves their wings and I have enjoyed everything I have had. Service is spotty sometimes, not bad enough to turn me away though. read more

El Caz is a great casual Mexican restaurant. It's a little divey, but that's how you know it's good! We go at least once a month. I love ordering the fish tacos or the fajita chicken quesadilla a la cart. It's plenty of food and I don't eat beans. My husband loves the fajitas and queso with chorizo. The margaritas are delicious and strong. The salsa is just spicy enough. The service can be hit or miss depending on how busy they are. However, they don't make a fuss when you have a big group and all want separate checks. They also have plenty of parking and we've never had a wait. It's a great option! read more

The food was delicious!!! Service was great! I will return. It's a must try and they have specials on Thursdays read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Birmingham, Alabama

My favorite Mexican place in town. The chile relleno is in the running for my favorite dish ever. Everything I've ever had here has been delicious, the service is great and it's very affordable. The only thing I don't absolutely love is The guacamole, which is a little runny for my taste. read more

Food is consistent. The waiters are friendly enough, yet over the years the service has waned. Still on our good ok' stand-by list and our go to for Mexican. read more

It was 12:15 lunch time and it was busy. 6 different people walked in front of us and would not seat us. Finally this guy takes us to the back and seats us. Another couple gets seated right next to us. Waiter comes and gets their drink order and totally ignores us. He comes back a second time gets their food order and when I say excuse me sir he just looks at me and walks away. Of course we got up and left. This place was the worst customer service I've experienced in a long time. read more

Food Poisoning: In what was my third visit, I sensed something was off with the chicken. The seasoning was not right, the meat had an unusual texture. Contrary to my gut feeling, I chomped away. Within a couple of hours my stomach is angry and still is nearly 18 hours later. read more