Go to on the island for Tex-Mex or anywhere in the surrounding area. After expanding they have a lot more seating and bar stools - along with our favorite seats with a view of the Lake Park BLVD action. In season it's like dinner with a show! Food is really good with large portions and reasonable prices. Service is always great as well. read more

The food was good - expected for a Mexican restaurant ! I feel like it was overpriced for what you get . The restaurant was in ok condition with some parts of the walls missing etc. I will say our waiter was very nice! read more

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We moved from out of state and decided to try it out. Sadly, I was very disappointed. Cheese on the chili relleno tasted like fake American cheese slices and the green chili had no flavor. Service was a bit mediocre. I had asked for a la carte tacos initially and was told "they don't do that." This place has such great potential in a great location but food was not appealing at all. read more

El Cazador is a solid option for Mexican food in the heart of Carolina Beach just a few blocks from the boardwalk. The interiors are spacious with plenty of seating in the main restaurant and the cantina off to the side. Menu prices are very reasonable and they have a lunch menu with plenty of options for a budget friendly lunch. Meals start with complimentary chips which is a great way to begin a meal. We went with an order of the chicken and veggie quesadillas. Neither was groundbreaking with regards to recipe, but both were fresh and flavorful, which made for a filling and satisfying lunch. Service was attentive and extremely friendly. I'd recommend El Cazador for a decent family-owned Mexican restaurant option when visiting the Carolina Beach area. read more

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My wife, two teenage sons (18 yrs, 16 yrs), and I enjoyed an informal dinner here in late March 2024. The fajitas were quite delicious and service was attentive on a Sunday evening. The word "el Cazador" is "the hunter". The interior of the restaurant plays on this theme visually. Location was great - in the heart of Carolina Beach's downtown with its own dedicated parking lot. I'm guessing it's a place that is probably crowded during peak season with a long line but in March 2024 (off-season), we did not have a long wait for a table! read more

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This is one of our favorite spots! We live out here and have gotten to know some of the people that work here and they are amazing! The food is delicious. Anything I have ordered has been on point. There are tons of fun drinks to choose from. They added a roof top restaurant this summer. It has a limited menu but you should be able to find something you like on there. The burritos are HUGE. Francisco is a king. We love him. Kristina is killer too. They are usually working upstairs. This is a place where you will get fast and friendly service with delicious food at a fair price. read more

El Cazador - Visit Francisco at the rooftop bar - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

This review is based on the drinks and 1 appetizer. My friend and I each received the jumbo frozen margarita. She got peach and I got mango They were delicious!!! We also shared the tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole dip. The dip was so fresh and yummy with lots of lime...just how I like it. They had a nice enclosed rooftop seating area and excellent customer service. read more

It was an okay spot with ok food ok service and ok ambiance but if you like Mexican it'll do.

Based on local recommendations, we ate here for lunch. The prices were reasonable and they also have a lunch menu. I ordered the lunch shrimp quesadilla with rice. It was full of shrimp and very tasty. The pico was unexpectedly spicy, but went well when mixed with the mild salsa. Our waitress was nice, but it took a while to get drink refills or check. We walked to the restaurant, but they did have their own parking lot. read more

El Cazador - Shrimp Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Very very good fajitas. The service is fast and friendly, also traditional the Mexican food won't disappoint if you are looking for tacos rice beans, the corn taco is delicious and guacamole. The ambiance is of a traditional Mexican restaurant. There were people waiting to get in that's how popular it is. It's in a good central Carolina beach boardwalk location. Free parking for those who will eat there and prices are good! read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I hadn't actually eaten in El Cazador in years but decided to go tonight and it was wonderful. Everything is better in a beach town during the off season. I got the Quesabirria Tacos along with a Cantarito and they were delicious. Our server was very nice and attentive and food came out quickly. Beer is .50 more expensive than soda so just drink beer read more

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Tried the quesabirria tacos and they did not disappoint. The tacos were super beefy, flavorful, and the sauce was the perfect match. I waited on the upstairs patio while my order was being prepared -great view of the Carolina Beach Boardwalk amusement park from the balcony. The servers were friendly and checked in to see if I needed anything. Would definitely recommend! read more

Came here on a Saturday night, and it was in a very convenient location near the beach. We were seated right away in the upstairs section which was cozy. I ordered the shrimp fajitas , which came sizzling and very plentiful with shrimp. Staff was attentive and restaurant was very clean. Good prices too! read more

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Amazing service. Great food. Everyone is always friendly. Never disappointed. A go to

Service was awesome! Food was pretty good but not great. We came back for a second time though

Food was great and so were the margaritas. The mole enchiladas were wonderful. Wish the salsa was spicier but everything was great. read more

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Pros: Good location, decent prices, sizable portions Cons: Service was so-so, same with the food, and we were seated upstairs where the AC struggles. Based on other reviews, this is the place for drinks, not quality food and we found this to be true. Probably wouldn't go again since there's better options in the area. read more

Really good tacos chicken tacos was on the menu for me tonight and the chicken tacos were delicious . Being from Chicago we know our Mexican food . And for me these tacos were delicious read more

El Cazador - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Even though it was a 30-minute wait the time went by super quick. We requested for outdoor seating ...a great view of the main strip in Carolina Beach. Chips & Salsa is always a starter but when paired with Queso...it's a Hit!! Our food didn't come out super quick however, it when it did....we devoured it and fast too. I ordered ACP and added zucchini. Compliments to the chef. I was lightly disappointed they didn't have additional veggies like squash / broccoli. My meal was still fine (I could've licked the plate). My family loved their food as well. Steak Quesadilla & Shrimp Quesadilla Pollo el Chipotle 2- kids meals. We all enjoyed our meal!!! Thank You For the Great Service , our drinks remained full ! read more

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Four of us had dinner here on a Sunday in November. It was OK, but I wouldn't go back. Food was mixed; service was neither exceptional nor bad. I had the mashed potato chili relleno, which I can only describe as mushy and bland. Black beans were also bland. SO had a burrito, which he customized; said it was good. Others got shrimp tacos, which they liked, and pollo something, which they didn't. Margaritas were ok. Overall, I'd call the whole experience bland. read more

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We got seated right away. This restaurant is in Susanville we ordered margaritas it was delicious very strong. I ordered chili Rihanna It was good. I love the rice and beans and tortillas gotta be my favorite So when we travel through Susanville this is one of our places we'd like to stop if you're traveling through Susanville it's a nice place to stop and get some Great drinks and Mexican food. read more

Food taste very white. There's no seasoning at all, the pictures are very deceiving. The drinks were good but that's about it. And the salsa was frozen and tasted like ice tomato water and the chips were super stale. Service was good, if only the food matched the service read more

This was the best meal we had while on vacation at Carolina Beach and possibly the best Mexican food we've ever eaten.

The service was great, the food was good but the salsa tasted like a can of tomato sauce with a little cilantro added. The margarita was very good. read more

This is the best Mexican restaurant on the east coast by far. I am never happier than I am when I'm at El Cazador.

Good Mexican restaurant in Carolina Beach. Right off the main drag, close to the boardwalk. The food and drinks here are solid. Nice margarita selection with different tequilas. Cheese dip and complementary salsa are above average. Chicken Tortilla Soup was very good. My entree, Mole Poblano, was not my favorite. I would not order this again. This is a mole chicken dish (shredded chicken). The mole sauce was sweet and I felt like I was eating a dessert. I will consider this bad luck in my selection. I'll try something else next time. Despite the mole issue, I would not hesitate in recommending this place. read more

El Cazador - Lunch # 1 - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Fast service, good food, priced right and good atmosphere. Be visiting since the mid 90's. It was on our calendar when coming to the beach!

My sister just moved to Carolina Beach and invited my family and I down for a visit. She checked out the reviews from El Cazador and decided we'd give it a try because we all love Mexican food. I'm happy to say we were not disappointed! I love that we got to sit upstairs because my son was fascinated with the balcony overlooking the patrons below and he was occupied, which is such a relief for a parent of a busy 5 year old lol. The Mexican rice was fluffy and well seasoned. The chicken chimichanga was juicy and delicious! I almost forgot to take a pic because I gobbled it down so quickly! The salsa and chips were also yummy. And for the little boy who could live off grilled cheese sandwiches he said that theirs were the best! read more

El Cazador - What was left of my chicken 1/2 Chimichanga and rice! - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I visited this location last weekend on 03/19/202, while visiting the local area for a beach getaway. After a long day of driving it was nice to enjoy a dining indoor experience, and to have some adult beverages to unwind. They where enforcing the COVID-19 pandemic precautions for their staff and customers safety. They are also operating on limited capacity and enforcing social distance between customers. The food was seasoned very well and both my spouse and I truly enjoyed everything we ordered. The first mixed drink was watered down, so we had to send it back. But our waiter quickly resolved this issue within a few minutes, and didn't charge us extra. I'd probably will return for another visit and tried them again maybe for lunch time...especially since they do honor a military discount to military members with identification. read more

We stopped here for lunch, thinking it was a restaurant we had was the total years ago. It was not. This was your typical Mexican restaurant. Unfortunately, the service was extremely slow for a Mexican restaurant, and there were only two other tables with customers in the entire place. There were plenty of workers, but it took a very long time to get a plate of tacos that we shared. That's also what is good with just the right amount of heat read more

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!! Got here early and sat in the Cantina section! Waiter was very attentive, considering such a busy day! As one of the 1st customers for the day, the guys got free t shirts! They were offering $5 basic margaritas , which were yummy, now ready for a siesta! I had 1/2 chimichanga with beans and hubby had shrimp quesadillas! Salsa with chips and queso dip was delicious! Prices were great for lunch and ambiance was great in the cantina! read more

El Cazador - Shrimp Quesadillas - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

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Excellent food and quick service. I visited this Carolina Beach, NC location January 2024 and it was busy but not full. I ordered the Fajitas Texanas and it was a tremendous amount of food for one person. It had a lot of a large shrimp with it along with steak and chicken strips. It came with three flour tortillas. While there the waitress offered their homemade hot sauce. It was fantastic and not very hot with just a nice kick to it. I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

El Cazador - Fajitas Texanas - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I was expecting a typical greasy spoon Mexican restaurant but this place was far from it. The food was fresh and didn't make you feel guilty after eating it. They had many vegetarian options and the service was excellent. Did I mention the portions were huge cause they are. read more

El Cazador - 1/2 Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Great, fast service, delicious authentic cuisine, friendly staff, refreshing margaritas read more

El Cazador - Birria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Such fresh awesome food. Staff is friendly. We did have to wait a bit to be seated but not a problem. They texted us when our table was ready and escorted us upstairs where we enjoyed great service and some of the best Mexican food. I will definitely go back. read more

El Cazador - Steak Quesadillas and margarita - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

I haven't eaten here for about 6 years and gave them a try again tonight. There was about a 30 minute wait to get in. We were seated a little ahead of that. They gave us complimentary chips and salsa. Our server came by and took our order. He was friendly but forgot our drinks (was very apologetic when we asked for them when he delivered our appetizer--we weren't upset at all but the chips made us quite thirsty). Our appetizer was the chorizo and beans. It was good but the chorizo was big chunks vs ground. Our plate of tacos came out and the plates were really hot, as they were probably microwaved? The rice was crispy on top so that's my guess. The tacos were crazy greasy. I could squeeze grease out and fill the taco holder. I was really hoping for a good experience today. It wasn't terrible but wasn't great. read more

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My family and I always come here because they have good food and it's affordable. Ask to sit downstairs bc the AC is struggling upstairs lol. There is one waiter who will forget you EVERY time but the others will pick up his slack. The food like I said is really good and never disappoints. The service is great and the waiters and waitresses are very friendly. The music playing is at a perfect volume where you can hear it and still carry on a conversation. Nice laid back atmosphere. I definitely recommend this place. Oh, I forgot, they just added a bar on the back side of the restaurant that is great while you wait for your table or if you just want to grab a drink or two. read more

I gave them 2 star for the place and customer service. I want to like this place and was looking forward to it. The table was empty just a napkin no seasoning or any hot sauce? Anyways the food look amazing but once we eat it and it was bland. I had the the Fajita texacan that has shrimps, steak and chicken. It was a huge plate! It came with a side of salad and refried beans. It was a lot of food and that's a plus I am just sorry it lack of taste? Maybe it would help if I can put salt and black pepper or hot sauce? I don't know? My husband had the chicken enchilada his look great too but he said it taste plain plus the shredded chicken was dry and over cooked. I get that because mine was also dry and over done. Sorry I wasn't amaze! read more

El Cazador - Mexican Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

You have to try the bean and chorizo dip!! I could go here for a margarita and that dip and be a happy girl! We tried a couple of the steaks and they were good but you get what you would expect for getting a steak at a Mexican restaurant. Next time I would go for a burrito. read more

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This will be my third time eating here. The service has always been awesome and they are friendly. The restaurant is pretty big with a lot of seating and lots of decor. The food has always been great. They have a good children's menu as well. read more

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