Found the food to be delicious served hot fresh, proportions are very good 7.5 of 10; the service staff very friendly going didn't have to ask for extra tea or anything they solve that you needed something and they brought it to you. 9 out of 10; atmosphere ambience very casual, very colorful. 8 out of 10. The restaurant is very modest looking but serves great flavor very warm atmosphere. read more

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The workers were super friendly and service was fast. Prices were great especially considering the area. They probably have the best rice, beans and nacho cheese out of all the Mexican places I've been to. Also, I enjoyed the decorations and darker ambience a lot! Definitely recommend the green enchiladas if you go!!! read more

Not good at all Ordered a steak fajitas This is not steak!! It's over cooked cheap meat with no flavor Everything was awful read more

We stopped bc it was across from our hotel and we love street tacos. They did not disappoint! They had yummy street tacos! Will stop by next time we are in Asheville. read more

We had a great dinner there! Loved the queso and the staff was so kind. Will always go there!

my favorite place in town :) love the food, service, and vibes. parking situation and location is also ideal!

This is my favorite Mexican place in Asheville! It doesn't look like much from the outside but the food is amazing and they're so fast. I get takeout from here once or twice a month and it's always ready within 10 minutes of calling. If you want to support a small, locally owned business try them out! The inside is small but they have some tables at the back for larger groups, a nice covered patio space you can use even in the rain, and smaller booths for intimate groups. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Outside restaurant sign on the corner of intersection - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Our go to lunch spot when we're in Asheville for a visit to the Biltmore. Conveniently located about a half mile from the Biltmore. Don't be put off by the entrance, the food is consistently delicious and the staff is always friendly and welcoming. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Lunch Chicken Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Good food and service. Stopped for dinner while on our trip to Asheville. Food was very good. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Vegetarian enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Best place to gossip with your friends and eat delicious queso. Fast service and good vibes, usually have soccer games playing on tv, etc.

I am so excited that they have reopened after Hurricane Helene! The restaurant looks great and the food and service was excellent as always. I had a seafood queso dia, it was great with large tender shrimp and lots of scallops. As with most restaurants, they are struggling due to lack of tourists. Please support them, they are a great family owned,local business. read more

How is this place not 5 stars? Great, tasty food served swiftly upon ordering and on hot plates. Most prices are less than $10, but all seem less than $15. Ordered a large margarita and was stunned at its size. I felt like a Roman emperor when I drank from this large glass. Service was excellent: swift to be seated, drinks ordered and served quickly, but not in a way that I felt rushed. read more

our favorite restaurant, we just hope they made it through the hurricane. Food is incredible and the service can't be beat!

Good Mexican food in Asheville! Hallelujah! I especially liked the combination plate, which we added a vegetarian enchilada. So good! We ordered this meal for takeout. It was delicious even though it cooled off on the way home read more

I don't understand the lower ratings on Yelp. Google reviews are higher 4.4 to 4.5. This place was awesome. Chips are fresh and crunchy and food was very flavorful. The pollo Fiesta had tons of chicken and fresh vegetables. Generous portions. Decor is old style Mexican with tiled tables. Would definitely come back. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Pollo Fiesta - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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I just had lunch at El Chapala today and it was darn good. I ate there with four friends and everyone agreed that it was cut above your average Mexican restaurant. To begin with they have a self-serve salsa bar with maybe 6 or 7 salsas. I tried 4 and all of them were quality. In addition to the salsas the chips are served with a bean dip which was great. They also have a very reasonably priced lunch menu. I went with the pork burrito and was pleasantly surprised by good it was. Service was timely and friendly and I feel that I very much so got my money's worth out of the experience. I would absolutely return. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - the dining area - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Very good restaurant. Prices are reasonable. Good service. Went for my 21st birthday as I was in the area and wanted Mexican food. A mess up on my order docks them a star, but the server was quick to correct it. Drink prices are reasonable and tasty. Had to ask to be sang to, but that's alright. Was given a free birthday treat and a song! Music felt a bit loud. Place was clean, but could have been cleaner. Overall, a good place to stop and get your fill of rice and beans! read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - happy birthday to me :) - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

If you want goooooood, authentic Mexican food, this is it!! Being Mexican myself, I can certify this spot is yummy. It gives hole in the wall vibes so don't be afraid to come inside! Anything you order is fresh and well served with good portions. Most recently, we stopped by for dinner. Their agua de piña (fresh pineapple water) and horchata were tasty and authentic. My picky 2 year old son had asada tacos (which he ate up fast!) with rice, I had a shrimp taco salad with extra grilled veggies, and my mom had a fajita quesadilla. We ate until we were full and we even had food left over! Lucy, our sever, was friendly and efficient. You won't be disappointed if you stop by for lunch or dinner here! :) read more

Great food - tamales were excellent. Chimichanga, pollo fundido, tacos and relleno all very very good Thumbs up recommendation!

Unfortunately we had a first time waitress who was really struggling. Food was okay. But I'm guessing would have been better if the service was better. Do no order the chicken fingers....more like chicken chips. Had to ask for refills on Coke's. Basically it was a disaster. read more

Buen servicio, lo malo es la comida pedí arrachera y me dieron diesmio, y mi pareja pidió bistek y sirvieron la misma carne , le dije a la mesera y dijo que el dueño da la orden de que sirvan la misma carne y obvio los precios son más altos para el dueño read more

Chicken was too dry. Margarita was very weak, it was as if I was drinking juice instead. I did not get the red bell peppers like the menu said and I got green bell peppers instead. Slow service. read more

I've been here so many times over the past few years, almost weekly. Great food and service that you can count on.

Great place and the most reasonably priced meal so far on our vacation! The service was friendly, helpful, and fast. I would definitely go back! read more

We arrived in Asheville on a rainy Saturday, downtown was packed and parking was a complete nightmare. We ended up here kind of by mistake (we found a parking spot and Yelp was hopeful about it!), and both my husband and daughter have been raving about this spot ever since! My husband keeps saying "it's the best Mexican I've had in years!" and my kiddo says this was her favorite restaurant we stopped in during our entire trip this year! High praise from them both. I honestly ordered completely wrong for myself. The menu is extensive, and I felt rushed to find something because my kiddo was hungry and I didn't want to delay the food any longer. However, despite ordering terribly for myself, there were gems in there (and my husband happily obliged to eat the food I didn't want, ha!). There is horchata here (yay!), and whatever they're doing with the free bean dip that comes with the complementary chips - wow. Seriously good stuff. The beans that come with the meal are way better than beans that are in the Mexican spots around here. It really does say something about a place that can make such a humble ingredient really shine! I have a feeling when we return to Asheville next time, my family will insist we go here again. I'll have to take a minute finding a better order for myself, and I'm sure they have something that I'll really enjoy on that menu! read more

El Chapala is your run of the mill Asheville Americanized Mexican restaurant. The service was good and they have a salsa bar which is something that I think is a must at American place. The booths were a little tight for 4 adults but we squeezed together. Everyone's food came out quickly and accurate. My rice was a little hard but still good. They did kept the free chips flowing which is always appreciated. Overall we enjoyed our food, it was very affordable but not the greatest. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - a street corner - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This place is great for what it is. It's a quick, affordable Mexican restaurant in a convenient for me location. They deserve a solid 4 stars. The service has always been good. The food has had a couple misses but the salsa bar is a hit. I really love their salsa bar. Good variety and great flavors it even has fresh chopped cilantro and onions; win! While this is not the most amazing Mexican food in town it's not bad either. When you order a dish with veggies they are fresh and don't get over cooked. The presentation is as nice as any of the other restaurants in their genre. I ordered the pollo fiesta which is arroz con pollo with veggies. I enjoyed the dish and would order it again. My companion ordered a quesadilla I did not steal any but it looked pretty. The rice had a good texture but was a little saltier than I like. All and all. A good place to eat very affordable and the staff is nice. read more

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Great service. Excellent and exceptional authentic taste! Variety of Salsas. Wonderful margaritas, plus authentic Horchata and Jamaica waters. Definitely recommend this place, I will be back when I am in the Asheville area. read more

Food is flat out amazing! Service was great, nice and clean inside, and crazy good authentic Mexican food

We love this place. Very prompt service and their food is yummy! Cheap beer! It's a weekly favorite for our family. read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Happy Saturday afternoon!! - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Occasionally I crave a specific type of food. Usually those cravings leave me disappointed once I get my hands on the food I want; however, today I was craving Mexican food, I was at my office on Biltmore Avenue and thought about my options. I chose El Chapala in Biltmore and I was not disappointed. About 10 years ago someone told me about this place and I ignored their wisdom. One day this summer, tired of everything I drove through Biltmore and decided to give them a shot. I get something different every visit and they have yet to disappoint. Today it was take out. I got the Shrimp Quesadilla. It came with lettuce, cheese, quac, sour cream and a flour tortilla filled with melty cheese covered in shrimpy goodness. I didn't count but I think there were about 10. My total was $8.03 and included the quesadilla and chips, salsa and bean dip. It was a tasty, inexpensive lunch. The next time you are in Biltmore Village check out El Chapala. You will be glad you did. read more

My husband and I were visiting Asheville for the weekend and decided to try this restaurant. We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in. We were brought chips and salsa shortly after sitting down. I ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas. My husband ordered the arroz con pollo. We enjoyed our meals! Everything was really delicious. I also like that they offer a salsa bar. The service was amazing! If you are looking for tasty, authentic Mexican food, El Chapa is the place for you! read more

I had lunch here today and this was a great pick for our work team. I have always driven by but never been in since it looks just like all the other Mexican places around. It is pretty standard Mexican food but a cut above most. They have a self-server salsa bar so you can try them all if you like. The standard salsa and chips are also server with warm bean dip that is very good. The prices are about what you would expect. I had the Carnitas Lunch which was very tasty and came with tortillas, beans and salad. I like when I get to make my own plate with everything on the side. Next time you need to Mexican I would suggest this place, read more

El Chapala Mexican Restaurant - Carnitas lunch - Mexican Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Food and service were great. Don't understand the bad reviews. Would definitely go back!!

I can only recommend this if you have lived in the South your whole life and don't know any better. It is relatively inexpensive for Biltmore Village if you are feeding a family, but i'ld stick to the Wayside if you're on a budget. read more

I think I just threw up in my mouth. No sorry that's just the velvetaed left over from this taco bell inspired restaraunt. Pre-packaged hard taco shells. No authentico. Too bad. Cheap beer though. NG. read more

the foods cold I had i hopes for this place but got let down-by the lack of communication

Excellent Mexican food! Stop in here in a wim and it turned out to be one of the best Mexican food meals I've ever had. Tacos are beyond excellent! Highly recommend! read more

During our last two years here in Asheville we have eaten at each Mexican restaurant & this one is the best by far. Awesome food and friendly staff! read more

I've been here twice, tasty pico de gallo, guacamole, and food. But I am pretty much married to one dish, the spinach mushroom quesadilla. Buttery spinach, mushrooms, tomato, cheese, and topped off with guacamole. Oh so tasty. I haven't really had anything else here, but the service is good and the spinach mushroom quesadilla is good, really good. read more