This is hands down my family's most favorite Mexican restaurant. They simply have the best tacos in town! We have been going to "EC" for over 20 years. My kids grew up in this restaurant. EC has such a wonderful, family atmosphere - it can't be beat! It pains me to see negative reviews from patrons who only seem to eat there on Taco Tuesday. I'm amazed with the cost of beef and produce that any restaurant around here can afford to offer deals during this crisis. We need to support our local restaurants - they are struggling! El Charro has terrific food and fantastic wait staff. I can not recommend them enough! read more

This is hands down my favorite Mexican restaurant in the world. I have eaten all over America and all over Mexico and I love their food and the service. It is family-owned and the staff makes you feel like family. If you like San Diego style Mexican food with fried tacos and such this is your place. read more

We go to El Charro all the time...friendly staff, good food and the best "Taco Tuesday" in town

My family and I have been coming here since the 1980's. Until recently we have always enjoyed the food and service. Lately the management has become less friendly. Last night was the straw that broke the camel's back. My fiancé and I were enjoying dinner and drinks. A young group was seated near us. They were very friendly and polite. They got along with their server well. It seemed as if they were regulars. For no good reason the manager approached them and was VERY rude and combative. Whatever the problem was, she handled the situation poorly. It seemed as if she doesn't like having the younger crowd coming to her establishment. I hope this isn't the case. These young people are your / our future. Continue to treat them this way and you (El Charro), will have no future. There are plenty of good restaurants in Montrose and adjacent. Joselitios to name just one. As for myself and family, we will no longer be patronizing your restaurant. Farewell El Charro's~ read more

The only good thing about this place is their tacos, and is the only reason I ever go. I never have to wait for a seat on Taco Tuesday (when I go closer to 7pm), which is a plus given their popularity on that day. I have NEVER had a positive experience with the older lady that seats guests and takes payment. She always seems miserable, and I dread having to deal with her, which is a drag because she's the first person you see when you walk in, and the last at payment. Not sure if she's the owner, but she is very unpleasant. Also, I got a bone in my chicken tostada, which made me lose my appetite and the reason I only stick with shredded beef tacos now. read more

Best Chile Verde I've had! I highly recommend if you can handle a little spice,) Also the Chile Relleno plate was excellent! Really good & spicy salsa, very good rice & beans too. We've been twice & we both ordered the same thing since it was so good. Will try something different next time, maybe,) Oh yeah the strawberry margaritas are really good as well. Check it out! read more

Taco Tuesday seems to be the best thing about this place (not fish). I've had okay Mexican food and horrible fish tacos here. The fish taco were so bad it warrants the 2 star rating I gave them. Before ordering the fish tacos, I asked one of the waiters, who is Mexican, if the fish tacos were good and he said yes. LIAR! They were the worst fish tacos I have ever had or seen. They used frozen breaded fish like fish sticks (not flowered) and put it in a tortilla with lettuce and tomato. REALLY!!! I choked one down. I have no trust in the wait staff if they say these are good fish tacos. read more

.. wow am I impressed everyone one was friendly and welcoming. Food was great and priced very well. Best salsa in town!

Not too happy, the food was sort of a waste of time. When I pay to eat food I pay to enjoy it. If i wanted to fill myself up id just unwrap a hot pocket or a 25c frozen burrito. I hate nothing more than ordering food and getting disappointed. Its like a knife in my gut. Anyway like many reviewers say its got 1.50 taco Tuesdays.. but if you want my advise go to the grocery store and buy yourself a 5 for 1 dollar frozen burrito and call it a day. read more

Went to el Charo tonight I've been coming here for over 30 years on and off the food tonight is not the same as it was 30 years ago but still good the problem I have is I ordered a double strawberry margarita it was all ice and strawberrys Pepe's makes the real one down the street learn from them el charo read more

I would love to give 5 stars but I can't. The food is good, and pretty consistent. The only thing truly worthy of 5 stars is the employees. But not the owners. They yell at their employees and about other people as well. And the whole restaurant can hear! This has been a beloved place for me and my family for years...I truly wish the owners would give their staff a lot more credit. They are the main reason we go back. And the weird air freshener thing has got to go...puffs of artificial scents fill the room as you are about to eat your food. Phew..yuck. I hope that they see this and take it as constructive criticism... for a place that's been around since 1955 they should have a little more pride about owning this landmark. read more

El Charro is a long time local establishment that definitely has an old school charm to it. The decor is a bit outdated, but don't let that fool you, the food and service won't disappoint. The salsa is medium hot, but for more kick, ask for the verde sauce to go with the chips. If you like spicy food, the chile verde dish is excellent, and the beans have a nice layer of melted cheese on top.For beverages, I recommend the grande margaritas.The wait staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

I usually go here on Tuesdays, or should I say TACO TUESDAYS!!!!!!!! Lol they have legitimate tacos, not the ones you get off the street, these tacos have a lot of good quality cheese and pulled beef, oh my god the meat is a m a z I n g. Go try the tocos then decide if you want to go for dinner, dinner can be a little dark and sad and unhealthy here so I don't recommend that. But the tacos are good! Ask for soft tacos too(I don't think they give a discount for those on taco Tuesday) read more

Order a Chili Verde Quesadilla (they will look at you weird for a second 'cause it's not on the menu, but they'll make it for you) and a double margarita on the rocks, and you will be writing your own 5-star Yelp review soon thereafter!!! Absolutely the best, ever!!!! read more

The salsa was good. The Chile Colorado was tasted old and microwaved. The beans and rice also tasted like it was made a week ago. No one at our table liked the food. Service was good. read more

This is literally the worst Mexican food I have had in SoCal. It's hard for me to understand how they stay in business. The place is dirty and the food is terrible. They must be mixing stiff drinks. read more

El charro is an old school Mexican restaurant in Montrose. It's on the corner, and its easy to miss if you're driving by. It's an old building, and the booths and furniture inside are just as old. I feel like I'm walking I to the early 80s when I enter the dining area. I've been dining here for years, and once brought a friend here, and she instantly said "you're too young to be coming here!" I looked around, and we were the only non-senior citizens in the place. I had never noticed that before, and truthfully, it's been like that every time I've gone there ever since. So if you're looking for a young, hip crowd, this is not your place. The servers are all pretty attentive. The chips and salsa are always offered and refilled for free, and its rare when we get a server who doesn't check in on us often enough. The prices are fair, and are even better on Taco Tuesday, which has 1.50 tacos. The food here is good. I mostly come here for the shredded beef tacos, because they are not only delicious, but they remind me of the tacos my mother used to make when we were kids. I've tried a few of their burritos as well, which were tasty, but nothing spectacular. We've gone to a lot of Mexican restaurants looking for good hard shell tacos, and always come back to El Charro. We've never left disappointed. read more

If their were no stars then that's what I would rate this place. Food portions are small and over priced, beef taco was huge only because it was filled with lettuce, tomato and cheese but hardly any beef so I asked the waiter if he could bring me a little more to put in my taco, salsa sucked, soup bowl was made for 5 year old kids.......i should've drove to the taco truck down the street on foothill that has decent food for the price! Very disappointed for Friday night out to dinner with the family! read more

Great food. I have been eating here for over 20 years. Food is still the same. Authentic Mexican food. Tacos are huge! Burritos are huge! Good rice and beans, great guacamole, even the hamburgers are good. Taco Tuesday - get tacos for $1.50. I have been to Mexico and I have eaten at a lot of different Mexican food restaurants, this place has the best Mexican food. read more

These guys may claim to have the original taco Tuesday, but the service sucks and according to the tacky sign on the table, they will charge extra for chips & salsa refills !!! The place seemed dirty, the tables kind of ugly green with crusty chairs... This place is as old and nasty as the old gringo's servin up this slop! El PASSO on the El Charro ... read more

Tragic...don't do it...established in 1955, this local restaurant is 50 years in need of a major overhaul. The servers were lovely, but depressed, with only 10 % capacity filled on a Friday night. The food was bland....I wish that El Charro will realize it's potential. Amazing location and an amazing space to create an extraordinary and exciting hopefully inspired menu. I wish them the best...but until then.....well you've been warned... read more

This is most favorite place to go on Taco Tuesday! Great food, friendly staff and a great old school Mexican feel. I always feel at home at El Charro. They have the BEST tortilla soup around. It is always so fresh. Everything I have tried on the menu has been great!! Highly recommend El Charro! read more

We were strolling along looking for a place to eat for lunch on a weekday and since my sister-in-law from Mexico was in town, we chose El Charro. Excellent decision. And I will say that I always seem to get better service and food when I go somewhere special during the week as opposed to the weekend. It's just too busy and crowded to expect much. It was very quiet when we walked in. I was surprised there was literally no noise in the place aside from patrons talking, not even soft Mexican music. I will definitely take that over too loud. We were given the customary chips and salsa and I really liked the salsa. But I didn't want to fill up on those. I chose one of the lunch specials, Chile Relleno. This thing was killer. I loved that they took off the stem and eliminated the seeds. The sauce was sooooo good. Came with beans and rice. My wife and in-law thought the beans tasted authentic, but not so much the rice. My sister-in-law ordered the chicken fajitas and I thought she was having an O, she loved it that much. She said it was true, authentic mexican food. She couldn't stop moaning and groaning, with joy. :) Service was also excellent. I will eat here again when I return to the area. read more

I have been coming to this place for 10 years plus! The best Mexican food in town! Authentic and very reasonably priced! The staff and management are top rate! I love to come have dinner and a cocktail in the community oriented bar. I see friends and people I have known (growing up n Montrose) and feel I am always in a very friendly, welcoming environment! My favorite food are the tacos, especially shredded beef and on Taco Tuesday, at $1.50 each, makes them even better! If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do. read more

I grew up in Montrose in the 1950s and early 1960s, and used to eat at El Charro. I ate lunch there yesterday for the first time in close to 30 years. The food was as uninspired as ever. I don't think I'd eat there again unless I was with someone else who wanted to go for old time's sake. It's just not good. read more

I created a yelp account specifically to review El charro. Not everything is fantastic here, but the enchilada suisas have kept my family coming back for over a decade now. I have moved to Madison Wi and when I get back to l.a. I always go here first thing. I can only vouch for the enchiladas, tostada and huevos Rancheros but u will be pleasantly surprised by all three! My friends who have visited l.a. and only gone to El charro once still say they crave those enchilada suisas!! read more

My wife and I have been eating here for about 4 years now. The both of us can honestly say that we've never had a bad meal here. I know that there is no such thing, but I classify their food as old school Americanized Mexican food. This place has been around for over 40 years. It is like the Mexican restaurants of the past and it is the last of a dying breed. The restaurant is quiet and dim and that's the way it should be. I don't wanna eat at a restaurnat that blares loud Mexican music and loads up drunk customers with Margaritas. I don't wanna get hit in the face by a flying Sombrero either or constantly here "Hola Amigos!" or "More Tequila Senor?!?" The people that have given this restaurant negative reviews have obviously been to Chipotle and Baja Fresh way too much and can't appreciate a place like El Charro. A true Mexican restaurant is not supposed to make you feel like you just got off of cruise ship in Cabo San Lucas!!! I do have two issues with El Charro though. One is that the entrance to the restaurant is a few feet from a bus stop and sometimes the people standing in front of the restaurant look a little sketchy. Second is the fact that the parking lot is not only for the restaurant, it is public parking for the entire area and sometimes gets filled even though the restaurant is half full. read more

This is barely an excuse for Mexican food. Everything I ordered came smothered in gooey melted cheese. This place is filthy and outdated to say the least. The service was poor and the margarita was tiny (they called it a double, LOL). By far the worst margarita I have ever had. Clark Griswold's cousin Eddy fits right in at this place. Save yourself the pain and indigestion and stay away from this heinous dive. Anyone that gives it more than one star is obviously very cheap (taco tuesdays) or extremely drunk (on cheap tequila). Go down the street to La Cabanita for a decent dining experience. read more

Looks are a bit deceiving. The place looks very run down (cut seats, dirty bathroom, etc.), but admittedly the food was ok. I had the carne asada tacos - they were good, no complaints. Unfortunately, the decor and general up keep of the place is a big concern, so most likely, I won't be returning. read more

This place is delish. The premise probably needs to be updated, but it doesn't seem like the place that is looking to make changes. This place has all the standard Mexican family restaurant fare, nothing too exotic (if you grew up in CA). I got the beef flautas. The rice and beans were really good. read more

The 4 stars is for the food. Shredded beef is bomb! My husband got the chile relleno tostada and was not impressed with an overcooked chile buried under all the other stuff. He could barely find it. The salsa is really good. The guy at the front desk is not an asset to the restaurant. We didn't feel welcome, there was no thank you, and he was grumbling the whole time to his friend that he was "stuck" there till 9pm. Super depressing. So, come for the shredded beef but don't expect an "experience". read more

Awesome food and service! You can get a table right away on a Friday/Saturday night. Taco Tuesday is always fun and a good price!

Its good and I've been coming here for years with my husband. Cheesy goodness and strong drinks. I love the darker atmosphere too. Some of you are just food snobs. read more

There are few Mexican places where I find myself raving about the beans. The beans are homemade and remind me of my grandma's. I had the tacos (one is a meal in itself). They also have Taco Tuesday's for a real bargain. Where can you go for a taco or two and a drink for less than 5 bucks?! In a word, DELICIOUS! If you want authentic Mexican food vs the many Americanized places you find littered through most cities, then you've come to the right place. read more

Redemption time: returned last night and the service was better than previously experienced. The margaritas are very ample on the pour but have a syrupy aftertaste. (The mix has corn syrup - not high fructose corn syrup - listed as the second ingredient so that may have something to do with it.) Had the fajita taco - surprisingly large pieces of chicken and a good variety of veggies but a touch on the heavy/greasy side especially on the onions. read more

Have eaten here several times but last night will be the last. Good: parking and service. Bad: Food and prices. We ordered a half order of guacamole and it contained so much vinegar it hardly tasted like avacado...worst guacamole ever. Three entrees - three bad meals. Beans were the best part of tacos, taquitos and chile rellenos. Worst part was that a 3 item combo was $15.95...crazy price for so-so food. Won't be back and won't recommend. read more

First and last time here. We were starving and wanted Mexican so thought we'd give it a go. Walked in and it definitely looked and felt like the 1950s not only from the decor but also because we were the only colored people in there and it took about 10 minutes to be seated! It was very EMPTY and there were only white folks in there, besides the cooks obviously. But aaaaaanyways let's talk food. We ordered the nachos w chicken to start, wasn't too bad, and the free salsa w chips were also good...but tell me why I ordered chili Verde and they were out...chili Colorado and they were out...the waitress also told me that we had gotten the last of the guacamole on our nachos. I was like now how the hell y'all run outta all this and it's dead AF in here??? Lmao! The burritos were hefty, the meat aplenty, but no flavor in sight!!! I'm giving y'all 2 stars because the old white lady was nice and the coke tasted really good for some reason (probably the crushed ice). All in all if you want Mexican food from the 50s, then come on down! read more

My family has been going to El Charro since they were established (my father grew up in this valley and raised his family here. I am also raising my family here and have been here for 50 years). El Charro is a solid 3 most of the time.....not great Mexican food but better than Joselito's. They do make great taco's though and their beans are good. We try to go to as many Taco Tuesdays as we can. Now with Covid-19, Taco Tuesday is now Take-Out Tuesday. Since they are now take-out and delivery only, you would think they'd lift their 10-taco take out limit and let people order in bulk to make some money.......NOPE!! So we had to split a 30-taco order between 3 people and pay with 3 different credit cards. We arrived and were almost charged 2 different prices for the same orders but my sibling caught on. Then we get home and pull out the tacos and realize they shorted up 3 TACOS!! That's $7 and we all tipped them for carry out!! I know everyone is struggling during these hard times but every dollar counts on both ends (customers and restauranteurs). By the time we realized the mistake, it was too late to go back as they closed early. That is the reason for the 2 stars vs the normal 3. We have felt that their customer service has been diminishing way before the pandemic came around. read more

This place is awesome!! I love the beans, rice and the green sauce, you can tell everything is fresh!! No doubt! Very good customer service! And of course you can't miss taco Tuesday! read more

My family has been going here since we were young kids, now going in my late twenties. I'm sad to say that the service and the quality of food have gone down over the years. My dad and I went there on Taco Tuesday last week and we waited over 15 minutes just for someone to acknowledge us and get us water. Then another 20 minutes to come back to even take our order. Finally when we got our food, it just wasn't good, food was very greasy and cold. It made me sad to see one of our favorite childhood places go down hill. read more