The food was delicious! The chips and salsa were good, guac quite tasty, and the combos were affordable. I got the taco, chalupa, chile combo and found it savory and filling. The waiters and waitresses were courteous. Very family friendly and nice interior. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Guacamole Dip - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Typical Mexican restaurant. Large menu with all the usual items plus some good specialities. Restaurant is clean and well kept with Mexican accents. Service is fast. They have a small bar area with good drinks and apps read more

Went for a quick dine in lunch during the week. Wasn't crowded. Employees were friendly and checked on us at a good pace. They had a large menu with lunch and dinner options. Decent prices. Good portions. Free chips and salsa, the salsa was really tasty. Lettuce and sour cream if am extra $1 or so. I got the fajita burrito which was good and filling. read more

Terrible food. Rubbery chicken. I couldn't finish my meal. Service was ok. Won't be back.

The best Mexican food I have ever eaten! The chips and salsa were on point! The shrimp fajitas were amazing! I'll go back!!!

I first happened on more authentic TexMex in undergrad. A group of us would go and get chips, salsa, queso, and the basics we had learned from the Taco Bell menu: tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. When most friends first went there, the spiciness of real salsa or nachos with chilies melted into the cheese was unheard of. Now it's table stakes. But El Dorado is part of a great group that has several local restaurants. All of them are cultural touchpoints - no one in the kitchen speaks English. The wait staff learns English gradually, but will also help you if you try to order in Spanish! I used to come to this place 20-odd years ago when I worked in RTP, and it's still great food, smiling faces, and fun Ranchero music. I had my old favorite 0- the Especial #11: a taco, an enchilada, and a burrito served alongside it enchilada style. I love the different textures and flavors between these seemingly identical items. Corn v flour tortilla, thick mole v red tomato and onion sauce, and even the seasonings inside are such a delight! Started off with the usual chips and salsa, ordered a house margarita, which was passable - I make mine stronger and use fresh limes, but this was great for the meal. Decided to go for the Trés Leches cake for dessert. I waddled out happy and full. read more

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This supposed to be a "fajita de pollo torta" and I asked for the chicken to be WELL DONE, there's no bell peppers, or onions, and everything is raw. Esperar tanto para que saliera la comida así, cuando no había nada de gente en el restaurante is crazy, dijeron solo 15 minutos, y se tardaron más de 20 minutos, solo puedo decir, pésimo servicio para ser mi primera y última vez agarrando comida de este lugar. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - "Fajita de pollo torta" - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Favorite local Mexican restaurant... I keep coming back for more! This place has your typical selections and full bar. Great chips and salsa and the best service of any Mexican restaurant around this area! read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Quesa Birria tacos... SOLID!!!! (Also came with rice and beans.) - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We ordered some food for pick up and I wanted to try something I normally wouldn't choose at a Mexican restaurant, only because I prefer authentic instead, but I had a taste for something. So I took the plunge and ordered the Ultimate Nachos which is chicken, ground beef and black beans. Covered with cheese sauce - right there I'm all in! Topped with lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes and grated cheese. I substituted refried beans for the black beans (I know, bad!) OMG, this was all so delicious! I could only eat half and had the rest the next day. They also included super fresh Pico de Gallo, which took the whole thing over the top! I don't know how I won't want this again for a take out, it was so good! My spouse got the Steak a la Tampiquena which is a ribeye steak grilled to to your specification with flour tortillas with all the fixings and rice and beans, which she enjoyed too. All I can say is - try the ultimate nachos! read more

It was a solid 2.5 stars. (I don't know how to give it a half star) . Chorizo tacos had good flavor however the carnitas were the worst I ever had. They were cut in cubes and had zero flavor, they weren't slow cooked and "pulled" like most carnitas are prepared. Very dry. Not good. Just my two cents. The people were nice though. read more

Ordered food togo and it was done in a timely manner but when I arrived to pick it up I was not greeted at the door by a host and had to wait a good while before someone asked me had I been helped. But my food is good though! I recommend the Tamales read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Very good Mexican food. They have delicious burritos, enchiladas, and tacos from their Combinations menu. I also had their chicken chimichanga and it was fantastic! I got mine a bit crispier than normal and it was perfect. The waitstaff are very attentive and friendly. Food service is quick and they never let you run out of soda or tea. If you're looking for a great place to eat, especially on the weekends, this is the place. They are busy, but not to the point of having lines out the door - which they would if more folks realized just how great they are! Perfect for a Saturday evening feast without waiting two hours to be seated. Give them a try: I think you'll like 'em. read more

Just had the most amazing Mexican food in the RDU area. Beer = cold Tits/Chips = two thumbs up Cheese sauce = on point Rice/beans = holy moly Mexican Cheesesteak = too die for 3 thumbs up read more

If you want your order wrong, by all means, go here! My husband ordered 1 enchilada and 1 burrito, got 2 enchiladas. I ordered the burrito fajita and the vegetables for basically raw. We sat at the bar, as we usually do, had to tell the bartender three different times no salt on our margaritas. She spoke very little English. We received margaritas that were 12 ounces each, and had so much lime they were disgusting, and they were $15 a piece!! Would not recommend this place to even someone I don't like! We work hard for our money and to receive an $80 tab after an extremely disappointing dinner and terrible drinks, nope, don't go here! EVER!! read more

SO sad and disappointed!! I think the delivery guy knew this food was terrible by the way he held the bag way away from himself and practically flung it at me when I opened the door as he was trying to leave quickly and didn't say anything to me, but I still managed to tip him with my go-go gadget arms. I ordered enchiladas and two tacos. So I thought. The tacos were cold and mushy and fell apart when I opened them, so I had to eat them with a fork. The enchiladas were a pile of mush with sour cream and (I'm assuming) melted cheese on top. The enchiladas were smushed to one side of the aluminum container and fell apart as soon as I stuck a fork in them. It's almost like eating enchilada soup, only not that good. Thankfully I don't live here and won't ever eat anything from there again. I just hope I don't get sick!! read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Not great, but good. The Carne Asada (for dinner) was quite lean and cooked properly and was served with (the ubiquitous) rice and beans and a small salad with an eighth of a sliced avocado. The Dox Equis draft was cold and served in a frosty chilled glass. I wasn't impressed with the salsa, which was the highly pureed stuff and didn't have much zing in it at all. The chips were warm and fresh and not stale at all. The service was good and the wait staff was clearly displaying a lot of "hustle" by taking care of drinks and clearing tables quickly. These guys moved the whole time I was there. Would I return? Maybe after I tried some of the other Mexican places in the area. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Menu at El Dorado - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I am amazed that anyone could this "Mexican" restaurant, other than a one or two star rating. I ordered the Chicken burrito and the "Beef" enchilada. I was dumbfounded to find my chicken burrito was nothing but wet, shredded chicken inside a soggy flour tortilla . . . No sauce , little cheese if any - no spices, no onions, peppers etc. I ate two bites and pushed it aside. Next came my 'beef' enchilada. Again, it was nothing more than ground beef, that looked like it came from Taco Bell; although that would be an insult to Taco Bell. No sauce, cheese, onions, just like my chicken burrito. Simply pathetic. I ate two bites and again, pushed it aside. It was disgusting. My grifted ordered the nachos. She said it just O.K., but nothing special although she could eat it. She also ordered the potato burrito out of curriosity. Again, plain potatoes with NOTHING else inside. Nothing. We were both really disappointed, as we hadn't been out for a meal in awhile - and were looking for a nice time. This really spoiled it for us. You can see the pics I took, if you think I am exaggerating. I asked to speak with the manager, Umberto. I unfolded both of my items and showed it to him. He asked me what was wrong, as if it wasn't self evident. I told him a sauce, onions etc would be nice. And oh yeah, some cheese too. He told me he would talk with the cooks. He did comp my order. **Also , the inside is plain drab, with no attempt to give it a Mexican feeling. And yes, you have listen to blaring Mexican Cha-Cha music. I will say our waiter , Jose, was very nice and efficient. read more

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Best Mexican restaurant in town!!!! Great service, great food, and great prices! The combinations come with so much food and the prices can't be beat. I always judge a Mexican place by their queso and El Dorado's queso is BOMB!!! Try the number 4. You'll be full for three days! read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Soft Beef Taco - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Went here on a weekend not expecting much since it's a chain but was actually pleasantly surprised by the food. The chips and salsa were delicious that they give you before the meal and I got the quesabirria tacos that comes with the beef broth and a side of beans and rice. It was so good and comparable to some of the birria I've had in LA, so was very happy about that. Also got a margarita and they do not skimp on the alcohol here, which I appreciate! read more

We've been here multiple times in the 17 months since we moved back to Durham and boy has it gotten horrible. We waited forever after being seated for chips and salsa but instead then the amount was a child's size. I even had to get up to see if someone was going to wait on us. It was filthy underneath the tables with trash and food. My partner ordered tacos and a burrito and the meet was burnt. When we complained the guy was a rude jerk saying the meat is cooked the same way for 26 years. Seriously, the meat is cooked exactly the same every night for 26 years. Anyway they took some money off. We are never going back there. I would rather drive 10 miles to the one at Brightleaf Square. read more

This place has some of the best Mexican style food that I have ever eaten. I'll be back...often

If you're looking for your Mexican food and alcohol fix then go to El Dorado.  Service was friendly. Received my chips, salsa, and drink quickly. The frozen strawberry  margherita was tasty. Every other table was closed for social distancing. Staff was wearing masks and I saw frequently cleaning.  Ordered the potato and steak fajita- good sized portion. Came pretty quickly too. Sizzling hot- the white melted cheese was delicious and the potatoes were cooked just right. Came with tortillas and the usual sides- beans, rice, guacamole, sour creme, and pico de gallo. Lots of parking, but you can order online on their website for delivery. read more

We were on our way to Eat at Uncle Julio's but they were too busy. We just happened to find this restaurant and we're so happy we did!! It's not a fancy place but we loved it. The food, prices and service was excellent. We definitely will eat here again read more

El Dorado Mexican place in Durham right off hwy 55. Lunch special and chips. Chips were bland and cold but the salsa was decent. Lunch combo looks underwhelming but the rice and quesadilla was delish. Taco was meh. Good prices. I'd go back... probably wouldn't be my first go to though. Still, thanks for the food!! read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - chips were highly lacking. Salsa was decent - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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There are quite a few mexican restaurants in the area and I've been here a couple of times. I've never had an issue with service and the food is okay. The restaurant itself is pretty spacious so it can accommodate larger groups (especially during the lunch rush). Parking around here can be pretty tight at lunch though since it is located in a complex with a few other restaurants and a food lion grocery store. The last time I ordered here, I picked a chicken meal (pollo a la mexicana) and the portion was pretty small. I only received what seemed to be about 2 oz of chicken. I've seen a lot of reviews mentioning the opposite about their portions so it seems like it might be a bit of a hit or miss. As with most mexican restaurants, El Dorado also serves free chips & salsa to hold you over while you wait for your meal. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - pollo a la mexicana - grilled chicken | veggies | rice | beans | flour tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I always get the burrito con roquetta and mostly on point because it tastes like they put the pork in a crockpot, sometimes it's not on point not gonna lie taste like they threw the pulled pork in the microwave. read more

The bar for tasty Mexican food isn't set that high and they still failed to clear it. Salsa was good but chips were stale. Queso was thin but flavorful. Margaritas were meh. My wife had a combo plate with enchiladas that were just ok--the sauce could have come from a jar. I had the Pork Chili Verde and everything on the plate was salty. The pork was delicious, so it was a shame to be swimming in salt. On food alone, I would have given three stars, but the service was slow as well. Our waitress was very friendly, but my food came out 15 minutes after my wife's--she was finished before mine arrived. For a sparse crowd, it took longer than necessary. read more

Ever go to a restaurant that's constantly packed, wonder what the draw is, and when you walk away, you're still wondering what the draw is? This place has it's good points and it's not so good points. Let's start with parking. El Dorado is typically SO busy, parking is very difficult to find - you'll spend more time looking for a place to park in this Food Lion Plaza than you will actually eating your meal. First thought that comes to mind "This place MUST be good if it's this popular!" Okay, now put that thought aside. The food - standard assembly line Americanized-Mexican selections, easy to put together to quickly get on a plate and get out to the customer. Seriously, though, it's not as bad as it sounds. I had a #7 combo - a chili rellano, beef enchilada with beans and rice. At first, the waiter brought me the wrong plate - I looked at it wondering where the poblano was. He quickly returned with the correct plate and took back the incorrect one. Tasty food for sure. While the food IS tasty, it's average fare at best and I also have to say the place is way understaffed as far as servers go. Our waiter was difficult to track down, in fact, he was so busy he never got back to our table to refill our drinks. I think he was trying to service 20 tables by himself in the section of the dining room we were in. So to answer the initial question - the draw is cheap food (but not bland or bad) with a fairly quick turnaround. What leaves one wondering is the perpetual lack of service despite the intensity with which the servers seem to be working. read more

Few of my coworkers craved some Mexican food so we stopped by for lunch. I ordered the Lunch Shrimp Fajitas. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the onions and green peppers were well seasoned. It was all good until I turned to my avocado salad with sour cream. I discovered a short strand of hair on my avocado salad. I've brought it up to my waiter and he grabbed the manager. After talking with the manager, he graciously took care of the bill for me which was a nice gesture on their part. read more

The fajitas are very tasty and available with either flour or corn tortillas. The staff is very friendly.

I honestly haven't really liked anything I've had here, except the chori pollo. But the chori pollo is so good that it's worth going just for that. Tacos, burritos, rice and beans, tostadas, everything is pretty mediocre at best. Except the chori pollo. Get the chori pollo. read more

Order lunch togo and our beans and burrito were in the same container and when i opened it, you wouldn't even believe we had a burrito with how all the beans were on top of it and it was soggy. We also ordered a large cheese dip and we received a little bag of chips that was half way empty and was not even close to being enough to eat half the dip with. I understand you can order extra chips but that should be advertised better when you order a large cheese dip and can't even eat most of it because you have no chips! And on top of that there is a takeout fee it's not much just .50 cents but we don't have any other options since all restaurants are closed for Dine in. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - a person holding a plate of food - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Extremely quick, kind, and welcoming. Everything I've gotten here has been amazing. Great prices too!

I'm a little more than addicted to Mexican food. My friends and I have a standing date on Wednesday nights to eat at Los Portales. My husband and I were out running errands and had plans to visit El Agave in the same plaza as El Dorado. El Agave appeared closed, so we swung in for a quick lunch here. The lunch prices were very reasonable... just five or six bucks for what seemed to be more than a half portion of the food we would normally get for dinner. I had the ACP (arroz con pollo) and it was delicious. For about a dollar more, I added the guacamole salad on the side...duh! It was also great! The wait staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and it was pretty busy. The bathroom had a funky smell to it that could have been removed with an air freshener or spray. read more

I can't say to much about these guys as the service is decent. Nothing extravagant. Honest I think I get a better experience from chicfila across the street. I love their shrimp salad. That's what brings me back. read more

So how much would you pay for 4 coconut margaritas plus 2 shots of extra tequila because you couldn't taste alcohol in your drinks and a side of guacamole? ~$69~ They up charged us $6 each on our second drinks! We could have fed a family of 4 with entrees and had 4 drinks for the same price somewhere else! $15 drinks and no buzz!!! Live and learn! Humberto was kind enough to refund us $10! And they weren't jumbo drinks! read more

El Dorado is a pretty run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant located just outside RTP. It's a very popular lunch destination for its quick turnaround, decent food, low prices, and pretty good margaritas (did I say that?). Even so, it's really no better than any of about a dozen other Mexican joints in the Triangle. I've never had anything that really stood out in the times that I've stopped in, but the service has always been quick and helpful. Given the similarity of this type of restaurant, I've found two items that are generally (not always) an indicator of the quality of the food: the salsa and the queso dip. El Dorado's salsa is decent, if not great, but a little bland. The queso, my favorite dish at any Mexican restaurant, is creamy and rich but also lacks much seasoning. I gave El Dorado four stars mainly because of its convenience to RTPers and the speed/quality of service. On its own, though, the food is firmly lodged in three-star territory. read more

When I lived in Durham from 03 -07 we went to this place practically every Thursday night for dinner. We loved the food was good and inexpensive and the staff knew what we wanted and served us as we walked in. Well back in town once a year since and I always go back. Love the bean dip - they use the white queso that we can never find in Austin The place isn't the fanciest. But still great food and pleasant staff with good service!! read more

authentic Mexican food, everything is super delicious. non-stop chips and salsa while you wait and service is the best. your food is hot and your drink glass is never empty. been eating here for 30+ years and never had a bad experience. Beto is the Best and always stops by to say hello and ask about the family. get there early on Cinco de Mayo for a fun evening. forget the other Mexican restaurants in the area and go to el dorato! read more

I love their food! The bar is excellent! Good food! To me is the most authentic mexican restaurant in the RTP area. read more

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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