Four of us went here for a last minute dinner date .... Tacos were amazing especially the avocado and bean ones and the potato/mushroom enchilada was delicious. A tasty margarita and outstanding service rounded out the meal. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Potato and mushroom enchilada - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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The queso fries are a must try! the breading on them is super crispy, and the pico de gallo, onions, cheese, and capers make them so flavourful! Great place to dine read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

This is a very eclectic restaurant with a cozy feel. It has a cavern type of feel with Mexican decore on the walls. There is a long and blue lit bar counter. Popular place. They specialize in drinks. The servers were pleasant. The Mexican meals are mainly tacos with rice but no beans for a side. The enchiladas though tasty and spicy were merely soft tacos folded on their side. Seating is casual. The spooky castle like stairs to the basement washrooms are cool! Good for groups. No private parking. The churros and lava cake were good! Recommended. read more

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Wanted to go here but maybe fix your website hours? It is not open until 12AM as listed on yelp, it closes at 9:30pm. I'm from out of town and gathered a bunch of friends to meet me here only to get multiple text messages from different friends saying they were told by staff that it actually closed at 9:30PM. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Closed at 9:30PM on Thursday not at 12 AM as listed. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

What an amazing experience. Mezcal, and Tequlia genius. The bartenders care and go off menu to please their customers read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Margaritas - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

The ambiance is great - graffiti, neon, pop beats However the food was underwhelming My guest found the beef birria taco little more than greasy cheesy tortilla with "chunks of leftover roast beef" As someone with food allergies this is NOT a place I would recommend as the only protein I could have was sautéed shrimp The kitchen attempted to accommodate me but I received a plain unseasoned taco with slaw, peppers, and a scattering of shrimp Their prices are suitable for Whyte Ave but there are far better Mexican places read more

Finally made it out to El Cortez. First our waitress was friendly & helpful. Food came out quickly. Smoked queso cauliflower fundido as an appetizer. Menu says it's a coated roasted cauliflower but was actually more a deep fried sweet ball. The bulgogi tacos were heaping with meat and delicious. The chicken tacos were more dried spiced with a fleck of sauce.. Really could use more sauce, too dry. The sliver of fish in the Mahi mahi tacos was not only small portion wise but over powered by the coating of tamarind. You couldnt taste the fish. The coconut and mango margueritas were awesome...not sweet or thick.. Very refreshing. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - a woman sitting at a table - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Delicious value priced brunch. Great happy hour specials. Superb service. Hip lively atmosphere. El cortez is a staple on Whyte avenue. Providing a nice treat from the ordinary for atmosphere. Themed with the Mexican day of the dead decor. The space is dimly lit with chandeliers and Mexican trinkets all over the place. The booths are an outstanding fake pleather which really looks like snake skin. I have been seated on the uncomfortable bar stools before and the luxurious booths are where it's at. The thing that keeps bringing me back are the amazing daily specials. Everyday it changes...and they are always a great deal. Mondays for guacamole and chips with margeritas on special. Taco Tuesdays to try the wide selection of tacos for just $3 a pop. Tequila Thursdays with half priced tequila shots. And of course my new favorite sangria pitcher sundays with churros. All the specials usually are priced for $4 to $5 which really are good deals. The drinks are not heavily watered down so you do get your money's worth. Although I find most of their drinks are on the sweeter side loaded with juice. I have to admit the guacamole is the best here. Huge chunks of fresh avocado, cilantro and lime are perfectly complimented with the chips. Seriously they always disappear quite fast. And I do order them every time I visit. They are that good. Ohhhh and the cornbread is to die for. Buttery, sweet and soft. It did not have that gritty taste to them at all. Probably the best cornbread I have had in my entire life. It was the best $4 ever spent! But honestly brunch pleasantly surprised me. With 5 options to choose from all equally priced for $14 each. A great option for groups. (Super easy to split the bills). All the dishes came out looked small. But they were all so filling. So portions were large for brunch. I had the heuvos rancheros. A delicious open faced pork taco. Spicy and tasty it really was a perfect dish. The egg went so well with the dish and was cooked to perfection over easy. Literally too full for desert bit caved. I had to order the churros. Because they are my weakness. And el cortez does them right. Crispy and sweet they were a perfect ending to the meal. They also come with 4 peices and we're perfect for sharing. The caramel sauce was outstanding. I literally could drink it. It was done perfectly. And the red guava sangria was a perfect drink for sharing. Delicious and not overly sweet. Just be warned...those berries are loaded with liqueur. 2 glasses and I felt it. So I must end this review that the brunch is stellar. Served Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-2pm. It's a perfect time to catch the great happy hour specials too. The tuna ceviche I had on another visit was pretty good. Nothing spectacular. But I personally would stick with the items to share bc they are outstanding. Service was top notch and attentive. Everything provided for and attended to in a timely manner. In the evenings I find the servers to be a bit stretched out and too busy. Making wait times a little unreasonable. But for brunch, it was spot on. Definetly one of my top 5 brunch places in edmonton and quite well deserved. Delicious. My mouth is watering thinking of those caramel soaked churros and the delicious guacamole. read more

Horrible!!!! I made a reservation last month and was sent a confirmation. When myself and my out of town guests showed up, we were told the restaurant was closed for a private function and that "someone would of contacted you!". No one ever contacted me, and if they had, I sure wouldn't of wasted everyone's time going there!!!! The rude, unapologetic waitress told me that someone from management would contact me, but they never did. The next day I received a survey asking how my reservation was. I sent my complaint to them and again, no response! I will NEVER recommend this place. They completely ruined a special evening and I fully regret choosing El Cortez!!!! read more

We had a great server who was friendly and welcoming. We ordered the ceviche, steak skillet and tacos. Steak was super big, delicious. Not authentic but filling. Came with alot of corn tortillas which was nice. The ceviche was good, it reminded me a Peruvian ceviche. Music and atmosphere was great for a Friday out. Tequila is must. Decor really reminded me of Latin American country. It was homey read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Michela ! Yumm - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Great food & great service! Highly recommend the paloma. But why serve beer in plastic glasses...?

If you're in the mood for Mexican this is a great little place to go for dinner, drinks or both! If you're a cheese lover order the queso fundito, it was so delicious and perfect for sharing! The tacos are also very authentic and fun to trade if you like to food swap. There are lots of vegetarian options as well if you're not a meat-eater. Unfortunately I got there after happy hour but they have different deals during the week! This restaurant has its own unique style as well as a giant wall projector for movies or the big game. I believe you can rent out the lower level of the restaurant for private events as well. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

I'm downgrading my review to 4 stars from 5. I've been back several times since writing my last review and the service and food has been hit and miss. When it's good, it's GREAT. But when it's not good, and I drove 45 minutes across town and paid to park, ugh... I want a do over. The drink menu has changed and the Mexican Popsicle isn't on the menu anymore. We've had bartenders that can still make it and some that can't. Boo - it was the highlight here for sure. Fish tacos are EXCELLENT. If I could only make it on a Taco Tuesday life would be grand. I'm sure if I worked in the area, happy hour would be a regular stop for me here! read more

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I've eaten here 7 times so far. Each dish is better than the last. This is authentic. The drinks are a bit pricey, but I love the service and decor. Have you seen those bathrooms? We came in late on a Friday night to check out the dance scene in the grotto. It was insane! We were a little old to be in there, so we left, but I might be tempted to check that out again. I really like tequila and this is the place to come outside of Mexico. My only wish is that the patio was bigger. read more

El Cortez has been around for the past two years with a couple of ups and down. I've been here a couple times now for both drinks and food - this place is bumpin' on Friday and Saturday nights. The outside is slick with a couple benches to sit at although I've never seen anyone out there. Maybe it's just for show? They've done a swanky job with the interior as there's lots for the eyes to feast on. Don't forget to walk downstairs into the cave where people dance on weekends. Heck, there's even a (hidden) patio for summer. Will try and sit out there next time. The menu is pretty concise with a modern twist on Mexican fare. Tacos, ceviche, quesadillas and enchiladas to name a few. They have specials every day. Tuesday seems like the best deal - $3.00 tacos! They even recently opened up for weekend brunch and Friday lunches. Happy Hour from 11am till 6pm? Yes, please! The water comes in cool bottles and this was one of the branded cerveza logo tables. We were seated near the entrance to the cave where a super random/bizarre film was being projected on the wall behind us. Super distracting to Bbops while we ate but it goes with the vibe here. - Modelo especial ($5.00) - they had a couple drinks on special but we both went with the Modelo. Can't complain too much for five bucks. Went down smoothly. - El Cortez guacamole ($8.00) - I've had their guacamole before and it's addictive! Normally $12.00, this was one of their Friday happy hour specials. Fresh, creamy and well-seasoned, this might be one of my favourite guacs in the city (not that there's that many alternatives). It comes with a mixed bucket of tortilla and potato chips. Perfect to get your dip on. - Mexicali poutine ($8.00) - bacon, smoked paprika and aioli. Normally $9.00, this was their other Friday "special". Yup, you read that right, you save one whole dollar. WOW. Talk about false advertisement. Taste wise, it reminded me more of papas bravas than poutine. It's nowhere near a poutine so that's somewhat misleading. I don't think I would get this next time as it's not worth the price tag. - Grilled pescado ($12.00) - grilled pescado, habanero aioli, crispy shrimp and a coconut tropical salsa. You only get two tacos - yup, you also read that right. Probably the priciest tacos you can buy, ringing in at $6.00 each! Yeezus. The house-made tortillas were lightly grilled which gave a nice, warm bite. I really like the addition of the battered shrimp, which gave the tacos another crunchy element. Are these worth $6.00 each? Definitely not but it's probably an easier pill to swallow if you order them on Tuesday. - Snapper and shrimp ceviche ($14.00) - serrano, lime, tomato and olive. The ceviche was fresh, light and citrusy. I would never have thought to add olives to a ceviche but that combination paired beautifully. Even Bbops was impressed and he is a picky ceviche eater. It also came with a side of tortilla chips - too bad we ran out of ceviche before chips. Guess that's a good sign right? El Cortez is a cool, hip little spot to grab a drink and bite to eat but prepared to dish out the moola. Our lunch worked out to $30.00/each including tip which is pretty hefty all things considering. 3.5 stars. read more

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Love El Cortez and it's poppin' fresh menu !! The night vibes here are great, cocktails are fresh, high quality and creative. My favourite time to visit is Noon-5pm ~ Have lunch on the patio AND BRING YOUR FREAKING DOG! Yes, that's right Dog friendly patio right here in the YEG! We like to order a few dishes and share among the table ~ you can order for yourself and hoard your meal, it's all good ;) Today, there were several families w/ kids happily eating their tacos having fun, dancing to the music. If you want a colourful, fun afternoon / night this is your spot!! TIP: HAPPY HOUR MONDAY - FRIDAY Ps~ El Cortez supports MANY community initiatives !! right now they are rallying to add a beautiful mural for your viewing pleasure by 0KUDA SAN MIGUEL ~ check out their website, for details on how you can support ! read more

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I have ended up at El Cortez a couple of times and am always impressed. I've always just had appies and drinks but I really need to come by for either the brunch or actual food. Whenever I've managed to get here it's been either on Taco Tuesday or Tequila Thursday and really can you go wrong? Great tacos for a great price? Or, hello? Tequila???? If you've never had a good tequila - and yes there really is a difference between tequilas - this is the place to come and try. And, once you have tried a GOOD tequila you will never go back. El Cortez and the bartenders now their stuff. And, they have quite the range - everything from a $9 to a much higher price point but remember on Thursday's it's half price so you don't mind! This time around we tried the Pomegranate Tequila and at first I was not sure I would like it but I will get it again. What a great way to finish the evening. This time around I had the cauliflower which was a nice, filling treat.... I usually get the guacamole to share and it's my personal favourite! The atmosphere here is absolutely fantastic. You can walk in with a bunch of friends or with the kids (earlier in the evening - later it's more of a bar) and it's a fun place to be. Dimly lit, you can hang out as long as you want - no one will know just how much tequila you've had til you have to step off that bar stool! read more

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This place decor is really cool inside. We were there at 8pm Sunday and there was live guitarist singing. He was super! I had a watermelon salad which was awesome. Half order was plenty because I had churros for dessert. They were delicious. I wasn't thinking tequila caramel dip was going to taste good but I was wrong! Wow. The guys had corn tortillas steak tacos and Shrimp tostadas. Presentation was nice but seriously these tacos were skimpy for my 17 year old boy. Needed to order another item which really adds up$$$$ Queso was very tasty too. read more

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Environment was amazing! The service was so helpful and welcoming! The taco Tuesday deals were amazing! Nothing but good vibes from here every-time I come :) read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Patio area Food - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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It is has great food with a great atmosphere. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a New Mexican place.

This place has always had a reputation for being extremely extremely expensive... and I got to experience it firsthand the other day. When I asked them if they're going to have any happy hour specials or happy hour prices they said no because we need to recover all the money lost from the pandemic. That mentality is the opposite way of thinking about recouping your costs. The best thing a place can do is offer your loyal customers a great price for a beer or a shot or whatever you can come up with to get your money back that way. We can't be responsible to recoup your rent. We are all in the same situation and when we come out to support you you've got to support us back. Period. So far this is the only location on Whyte Ave who is charging exorbitant prices for beer and not having any drink specials or anything to support their customers. Even when I mentioned to the waitress what the other places on the ave are doing for example $3 sleeves, $ 4 lager, $5 dollar coronas etc. etc. It totally fell on deaf ears. They are not interested & could care less about what the customer wants. In terms of the margarita I had to add 500 mls of soda water and it was still barely drinkable soooooo sweet they're obviously putting fake syrup in it - was just brutal. Jon Taffer would be mortified. Even though the waitress could see that I was putting soda water in it to water it down because it was so terrible, never once did she say oh do you like your drink or do you need something else is it not working for you? Totally oblivious. I gave it 2 Star's because the patio is outstanding. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Sexy Margarita looks better than it tastes. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Really decent Mexican food in edmonton. Not exactly a family atmosphere. Maybe better for teens and up. Our server was pleasant and the food came out quickly. Everything was super delicious. read more

After a number of failed menu make-overs, El Cortez finally seems to have gotten the food and cocktail part of the business down flat; and it it seems to have taken a global pandemic to spark the transformation. The new menu is great. Sadly, the once best-in-Edmonton ambience and first-class service in the restaurant also seem to be have been made-over; and not in a remotely positive way. Good vibes, gritty film reels, old school West Coast hip hop and endless smiles seem to have been replaced by an incredible sense of blandness; icy and ambivalent service and Drake on never-ending repeat. We heard several tables in the dining room and in line register the same complaints - politely and not so politely. Time to bring back the legendary Mike Maxxis to reinject some much needed heart and soul into this place? read more

My boyfriend and I came here for the first time this past weekend, we ordered the fire roasted sals, and the Churrasco Tacos, and both dishes were amazing! It all tasted for fresh and was all very well prepared! To drink I ordered the strawberry watermelon margarita and it was so yummy, and had a perfect balance of alcohol. The atmosphere was really laid back, and casual, all the decor in El Cortez was really cool, all the candelabras and chandeliers really added to the place, and the huge projector wall was really cool to watch. The music was at a good volume and was all good music, including the music downstairs in the tequila bar, were definitely going back to go dancing! I 100% recommend this place; GREAT FOOD, GREAT SERVICE, and a GREAT ATMOSPHERE!! We cant wait to come back! PS. I took a few pictures of the food and the bathroom, (weird i know), but it was too cool not too. And i know the food picture sucks but trust me it was so good! read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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This place just off Whyte Avenue is a well known Mexican restaurant. I have been here a couple times but my most recent visit was on the fringe weekend. Our service was pretty bad but it could've been but this was one very busy weekend. They have outdoor sitting in the front and a really nice patio in the back They have a great selection of tequila, Other cocktails ,tacos etc. including a couple vegetarian options. It's a great place to go for Mexican and to go sit on the patio and people watch. read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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I've been to this place a couple of times and I can safely say that it is one of the best places I've ever eaten in since coming to Edmonton last year. The servers are all very friendly and nice, I had a conversation with one of them and he was super fun to talk to. read more

The food was ok, very pretentious sizes though. I was not ok with the choice of music that was played the night I was there. It was racially and sexually offensive, not the background tunes that is comfortable for a romantic setting on Valentines Day. read more

Ate here last summer at the bar had a few tacos pretty average. It's too dark inside and music is loud. It's just not my kinda place has a dance floor downstairs not sure what that like. Place for younger people looking to drink and read more

Tacos are a mandatory way of living. If I was president of the universe everyone could eat here for free, I would pay their bill until then save your money, eat here, be happy and fabulous with these state of the art tacos this is definitely in my top 3 taco establishments. read more

Loved the patio vibe with the live music and the service was great. That's where it stops the smell in the restaurant is musty and the smell was strong so it lingered onto the patio. It wrecks your appetite and you wonder about the cleanliness of the place overall. There was debris in the large corner of the patio that was an eye sore... if your trying to create a cool vibe why am I looking at a broken ice machine from the 80's and garbage. The food is mediocre at best and over priced. Sangria had no alcohol in it but the presentation was cool. Moral of the story if you want good Mexican go to Tres Carnales or anywhere but here. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for years but unfortunately lately it isn't what it used to be ,twice now I was part of a group dinner 1 personal (6 of us)and 1 work related with over 12 people and both times we were not advised of a 2 hr limit when first booking reservation or any mention of it we were ready to order desert and more drinks when our waitress told us we had to leave and quickly made us pay while others started sitting at our table this was horrible service since we were not aware and never prepared for this also the drinks had so much ice and the food portions were half size of the past we were handed the POS machine to pay not even receiving a bill unf I will not be going back and will be sharing this story advising people that there are other restaurants that will be happy to have you and not kick you out and treat you right Too bad El Cortez greed got the best of you! read more

I recently went here while I was in Edmonton Alberta Canada travelling from Calgary Alberta Canada with my friends for a bachelorette party. We went here and drink delicious drinks but they are expensive. We have the cocktails and in the basement is a very cool walkway that you go down to get to the club so upstairs is more of a pub/bar in downstairs is more of a club with loud music and dancing. read more

Interestingly themed Mexican place with a sort of Day of the Dead vibe; random candles and skulls, and a basement area themed like a gothic dungeon. They have a small but interesting menu featuring some traditional Mexican foods as well as some less so (like bulgogi beef tacos, or pork belly and cinnamon tacos). The taco places each contain 2 small tacos for about $12, which I found a bit pricy having recently lived in San Diego, but I don't know how it compares to other places in Edmonton. We tried a steak taco and the pork belly and cinnamon; both were good, but neither seemed particularly authentic. I'm okay with that however, as authentic typically means loads of cilantro in the salsa, and I hate cilantro. These tacos didn't have any cilantro at all, which is totally fine by me, though if you're a Mexican food purist and used to the real deal you may not appreciate this place. The fried cauliflower starter was delicious, and the churros for dessert were pretty authentic seeming. We were here on a Wednesday night and they were also having a $6 wine special which was nice. It was fairly quiet and we stayed almost 3 hours talking even though we switched drinking water after the meal since we had to drive, but they seemed totally okay with this and just kept refilling the water and didn't try to hurry us out of there. Maybe not the place to go for the most authentic Mexican, but it was tasty and friendly! read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Upstairs bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

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El Cortez has to be one of the best mexican places in town. Not only does it deliver on food and drink quality but it has a great decor and ambience as well. I really dig the day of the dead style of art, graffiti, and decor. Out back they have a nice little deck to eat and drink on during hot summer days. The downstairs part of the restaurant is also very cool as well. A winding stairway will lead you down there if you want to check it out. I have attended a few events that were booked in the downstairs space. So if you are looking to book and event I would definitely check it out as an option. I keep going to my favorite item the fish (pescado) tacos...they have been the best I have had anywhere. Everything I have tried on the menu has been fabulous though. Edmonton seems to have some pretty prominent mexican themed food establishments now. I would rank El Cortez as one of the best in Edmonton. read more

I don't recommend this restaurant. First of all they don't sanitize the tables. I know this because we were seated at a table that had food from the last customer on it. That put my safety at risk as I'm immune compromised. Secondly we booked for a special 18th birthday. We were told there would be a Churro birthday dessert but in fact there were no desserts available including churros. The menu online is not the actual menu at the restaurant which was not explained. We went on a Sunday at 6 pm. It was super quiet but they ran out of many items we wanted to order like mussels, Mexican street corn - 2 of our favorites. Some drink choices were also not available. A very special occasion was ruined. I called the manager to discuss this very politely because I didn't want to do a negative review. He promised to investigate and get back to me but he didn't. So I will now review everywhere I can find. So disappointed. Do not dine here! read more

As of late I've been to El Cortez more than 2 times per week. My go to spot to meet friends and clients. I most often bring my dog where they allowed him to roam free on the patio. I realize off leash in a dog friendly patio was uncommon but I figured if anyone had an issue they'd let me know. He's small and very friendly. They've even featured him on their Instagram. Tonight I came with my dog peanut. I sat at the back of the patio and peanut was minding his own business sniffing around. Out of the blue I hear "WHO's DOG is THIS?!". I casual lifted my head from my phone and said politely that he's mine. This power tripping manager chose to publicly chastise me. He yelled "YOUR DOG HAS TO BE LEASHED AT ALL TIMES!" I quietly and politely said "oh! I'm sorry, no problem." Then he doubles down, "YEAH KEEP YOUR DOG ON A LEASH". I said no problem. I kept my cool then kindly asked the server to cancel my food order then paid for my beer and tipped generously(it wasn't the servers fault). It's my opinion that if you're in the food/hospitality industry your people skills should be much stronger than that, especially management. I won't be returning. read more

I've been to El Cortex twice in the last month and have had the opportunity to try items off both the regular menu and their new brunch menu and both times I have been extremely pleased. Walking into El Cortez is like walking into a different world - The decor and atmosphere takes you to a far away place. Even catching one of their DJ's is a treat in itself/ There are many unique pieces of art in here, and the bathroom itself is worth checking out! Whoever was in charge of the appearance of the restaurant did an awesome job! And the food? Oh, my God. Chef Lindsay Porter has outdone herself with both menus. The Cinnamon Braised Port tacos are the tacos of my dreams. The combination of seasoned pork and the salsa featuring pineapple is delicious. And for brunch? You definitely need to try the Saskatoon French Toast! Thick bread smothered in syrup and berries? There's no other way I would want to eat it! I can't wait to come back to El Cortez - This is definitely my new favourite food spot in Old Strathcona! read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Saskatoon French Toast and Cinnamon Corn with Honey Butter and Maple Mezcal Strup - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

How have I not written a review for this place sooner is beyond me! I absolutely love this place! Whether you're looking for Mexican fusion eats or deliciously crafted cocktails this place has got it. I've been to El Cortez a few times now with 0 complaints. While I wouldn't consider their menu to be authentic Mexican, the food here is a delicious fusion of Mexican street food. With something to please every palate from shareable applies to hearty dishes that you may not want to share! The Chorizo "corn pops" are one of my favourites, a fun play on a corn dog these little bites are spicy and scrumptious. The best part about El Cortez are their cocktails! The drink menu comes across as a little daunting, but a little experimentation you're sure to find something that will have you asking for more. The bartenders here (Johnno is my fave) are creative and some of the best in the city! If you plan on visiting El Cortez I suggest making a reservation. This place fills up quickly on the weekend. I generally prefer to sit at the bar myself as I enjoy watching the action, so don't hesitate to pull up a seat and enjoy the view! read more

El Cortez Mexican Kitchen + Tequila Bar - Yum! Excited to try a new place! @elcortezyeg - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Edmonton, Alberta

Love this place. Last night I had the queso tacos. It's a fried cheese taco that will blow you away. It's has this slightly sweet aftertaste that is so good. We chatted with Lindsey, the head chef for a bit and she made a few awesome recommendations. We absolutely love the atmosphere and it doesn't seem at all like bar, in all the right ways. read more

Brunch at El Cortez. First off decor is uber impressive starting with the distressed wood doors that welcome you in. Very authentic Mexican murals adorn each wall and I instantly fell in love with the shiny snake skin upholstered booths, not to mention all the little trinkets scattered around including sugar head skulls. Serbia was superb but out server was a little too much of an eager beaver for my taste but my friend who eats out way more appreciated his enthusiasm. Happy hour sangria was only $20 for a pitcher and by gosh was it ever good. The guava juice makes it taste like a tropical punch and look out because it goes down like juice too. My suggestion don't be the DD so you can partake. For brunch I went with the French toast. It was two thick slices of corn bread with a generous spread of Saskatoon compote on each slice. A huge dollop of coconut whipped cream and drizzled with maple mezcal syrup, with a side of tropical fruit salad. It was super filling and satisfying. My dining partners all went with the heuvos rancheros. I got to try a few bites of the dish and it was a protein packed delicious dish with a generous amount of house made salsa on top. It had a nice heat but nothing that I couldn't handle. Since it was happy hour we finished our meal with the churro wish were 2 for $4. They crunchy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. Overall an amazing way to finish off a meal. read more

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