This place recently updated the decor and menu. Also changed their name from El Fogon tacos and beer to "El fogon mexican steak house". Ordered items on the menu, were shrimp tacos and El Fogon Ribeye. For appetizers we had ordered ceviche with tequila! There was only one female waiter. Mind you this was on a Sunday Memorial Day weekend. Only 3 tables were occupied during the time that I arrived. Which was at approximately 4:00P.M. The female received our drink order and we also ordered the appetizer. She brought us our drink and forgot to ask us for our main entree. 5 minutes had passed by and she she returned to our table and asked us if she had taken our entree order. As she was taking the order. She did not speak much English. So we tell what we want. The main entree is served but we didn't receive the appetizer. Therefore we cancel the appetizer. As per my boyfriend, The ribeye steak was extremely tough and had a ton of tendons throughout the steak. For $30.00 I expected a softer more flavor infused taste. The steak came with a small portion of steak fries and a grilled veggies. I ordered the Baja tacos(shrimp) I wanted to play it safe and enjoy my meal. This was our first time since they made their changes and reopened everything because of COVID-19. My tacos(4) had 2 pieces of shrimp in each taco($13)and these were not full size shrimps. No sides. Honestly this is not worth the price for a place that is most likely under different management. I say that because they reinvented this place. Our waiter had asked my partner how he wanted the meat cook. She didn't know about the medium rare option and had difficult pronouncing the word in English. Folks if you go to a Mexican Restaurant expect most of the waiters not know how to speak English in this Town. You might get lucky if you get one that knows some English. It's like playing Russian Roulette when you go to a restaurant that has employees that knows how to speak English. Brownsville employees in most of the restaurants speak Spanish but it is disappointing that majority of the waiters in poplar establishments have untrained waiters. This is not good for business if they are trying to bring in American tourist that. Now that we have SpaceX here in Brownsville. I have been to restaurants from the North, South, East and West of Brownsville. South of Brownsville purely Spanish. Pablo Kisel Blvd. Mexican establishments are the same. The Franchsie establishment have English speaking people. I believe this is a problem if theses restaurants are trying to grow. read more

El Fogon - Menu - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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The ambience and the service was very good. Our hostess was very kind throughout the entire process. The food on the other hand was very very subpar. We left this place and ate at Taco Bell right after the frozen margarita was very good and I appreciated the presentation, but it was a bit pricey. They did try to make it better by giving us free shots, but nothing will take the taste of burnt skirt steak out of my mouth. read more

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My first time here. This place was recommended as a good "Taco" restaurant. IT HAS CHANGED! The menu only has 1 taco item! The atmosphere is good! Nicely decorated. It felt more like a night club than a restaurant. The restaurant is pricy! A soft drink is $3, Queso with 6 small tortillas (no chips) $9. If you order the Sirloin $14-$18 it doesn't include any sides. Each side would cost you and additional $6. The menu is very limited. You will do better at the Roadhouse! Sorry to say but I do not see this establishment lasting with this new menu. read more

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The only reason that I didn't give this place an enthusiastic 5 stars is that we didn't feel very welcome at first. When we walked in, it was a quiet Saturday afternoon. There was no sign saying "please wait to be seated" or anything like that and the employees that we saw didn't say anything when we walked in, so we attempted to seat ourselves. We were hurriedly backed up, since someone had apparently reserved half of the restaurant. After the initial irritation, however, I had little to complain about. My hubby said the beer was cold, I found the iced tea to be really good. They brought chips & a tray that had a couple of hot sauces, pico de gallon and limes (I thought it was weird that they charged us a dollar (without telling us) when they asked us if we wanted more chips, but whatever). My hubby got the Fajitas El Fogon, which he said was delicious. I got fish tacos that were really good. We got the perfect amount of food and the prices were very reasonable. It looked like they were getting ready to crank up a DJ booth, so we got out of there while it was still quiet (we're old - we don't do loud) We would definitely go back. read more

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This place is now called FAVE Steakhouse but same terrible service. Food was great, but the service was horrible. Waiter named Oliver never checked on us , forgot to bring me my drink & never did he remember the whole time i was there. When we asked for the check he also took a long time to come back to the table to charge us. Never going back ! read more

Went back after a over a year with my fam. The ambiance changed dramatically, to what we have no clue.- not Mexican anymore thats for sure. My wife's and my taco order was 100% cold as if none of it was heated before placing it in the plate and lacked flavor. The beans were lousy. The tortillas for my daughter's taco orders were stale. We asked the waitress if they had new owners, but she said no. I don't think she knows. I hate spending my time and money on terrible food. Especially in a city were great taco shops are a dime a dozen. WTF EL FOGON!!!!! read more

How about some tacos? Not just any tacos, at Fogon you have specialty tacos. This taco place is a full-service restaurant offering specialty tacos and beer. Just like any other taqueria they also serve your regular tacos; bistec, fajita, pastor and barbacoa, HOWEVER, why pay more for those basic tacos when you can try their specialty tacos. They have beef and seafood tacos; both types are worth having. My all time favorite tacos from the restaurant is theirNew York Strip (El Fogon Special) and Pastor tacos. El Fogon Special consist of New York Strip slices well-seasoned, and a special Mozzarella cheese crust. In our opinion, hands down to some great NY Strip tacos in the Brownsville area. Tacos Al Pastor are not easy to find in Brownsville or in general in the U.S., however this place has some decent tasting al pastor. Just a little background, as foodie travelers we understand and know al pastor tacos because we've eaten them in Merida Yucatan where they are king and in Mexico City. So any Mexican national coming to eat al pastor tacos here will appreciate this restaurant. Notice in the picture below it is the only stand alone red looking taco. Make sure to order the combo, they come with a drink and beans. read more

El Fogon - NY Strip tacos and pastor - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

The service sucks. Food is okay. The meat in the tacos was burnt/ hard.The guac was bland. The music is good. The food took like an hour. They brought my a second drink when I didn't order it. They got my friend's drink wrong. read more

My favorite Taco place in the valley. We always come for the 12 taco combo. They are very giving with the chips, salsas and condiments (avocado, onions and queso). Happy hour drinks specials! Favorite part about coming here is the spicy salsas that are ACTUALLY spicy! read more

El Fogon - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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This place has some AMAZING tacos. Had the tacos matamoros & WOW... When i say wow bitch i mean....WOW. They're so yummy & ive been having a hard time finding good ass tacos for awhile... Idk why...its the valley. But anyways.....these tacos...get you some. read more

I went two weeks ago and the taste of the food was weird. I went to the hospital based on food poison Never will back!! read more

Poor, poor quality food. When I pointed out to our server that our steak was extremely dry she stated they received a bad batch, no compensation, no deduction from the ticket. We couldn't order the drinks we wanted because they had no bartender. Don't waste your time and money. read more

Happened to pick this one since it was close to the hotel - it turned out to be a great choice ! I ate so much, I rolled out. read more

What happens when you mix a group of 14 people, dinner on a Friday night at 7:00, and El Fogon? I'd say the worst meal ever, but since six of our party didn't get their food before we gave up and left after nearly two hours, I don't think you can call it a meal. They ran out of Dos Equis. They ran out out of Blue Moon. They ran out of Tecate. They ran out of DIET COKE. And, six of us never got our food, just to circle back the main problem. The manager never came by to apologize or explain or even bring us a napkin, which would have been nice. How does this place have any stars? At least they included a 15% tip automatically. Only go to El Fogon if you are curious what Purgatory is like. Purgatory with mariachis. read more

A little pricey for tacos and they come in 4, but nonetheless delicious and flsvorful. The elote was alright, personally would not order again. Love the atmosphere it was very welcoming read more

El Fogon - Tacos al pastor - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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Pretty good. The sirloin tacos made the place for me. Everything else was ok. Next visit will order tacos First. Server was nice though. read more

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Best tacos I've ever had. No question. Cool atmosphere & eclectic menu options. Can't wait to return! read more

I found this place right here in yelp and since it was right across my hotel we decided to give it a shot. We ordered some tacos al pastor and bistec as well as their New York strip tacos. They all were very yummy but perhaps my faves were the bistec tacos, the meat was soft and flavorful. Tacos al pastor were good too but I wish they coulda have the pineapple on el trompo and have it on each taco instead of being served on the side. But perhaps the highlight of the night was their staff and our rock star server Abigail. She was very knowledgeable and was always eager to answer any questions that we might have had. Give this place a shot and you won't be disappointed! We will be back for sure! read more

El Fogon - Las chelas! - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

You won't find a multiple paged menu here but what they do have is delicious! They have taco combos that are very well priced. The tacos are awesome. They mixed up the pastor tacos with small bits of pineapple to give them a sweet taste. The frijoles especiales were delicious as well. The waitress was no good though. She said she'd bring us tostadas and never did. We had to flag her down for refills. However, the food and environment made up for the crappy service! Will definitely return and hope to get a good server. read more

El Fogon - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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I really hate writing horrible reviews like this but last night was easily the worst service I've ever had anywhere. What's worse is that I'm pretty sure they attempted getting away with overcharges to the drinks and food. Here's a list of everything that was wrong and unacceptable. 1. No silverware or napkins were delivered to the table. Even after asking and the food delivery. We got up and got paper towels from the restroom ourselves. 2. Our drinks took way too long to be made and server was unsure who ordered what. 3. After drinks were delivered, literally no chips were delivered until we asked. When the chips finally came, the black beans were not delivered. The salsa only came by multiple requests and was delivered in a dirty bowl. 4. Food order took nearly 2 hours. On top of that our order was wrong and appetizers and entrees were delivered in random fashion. The guac came last.. Again the server had no idea where any of the food went. 5. We were never asked for other drinks in the 2 hour wait for our food despite our very empty glasses. 6. Other arriving guests were asked to leave due to the service they were giving. They knew very well they were doing a bad job and couldn't handle more. 7. THEY ADDED GRATUITY TO THE ENTIRE TABLE. 8. They attempted to overcharge items on multiple checks. 9. We were nice about the entire process because we sensed a extremely understaffed shift (even tho it was dead) and was still expected to pay full price with a added gratuity. 10. Server needed to grab the menu to argue his reason for charging an item... After all that. I don't believe there was a supervisor on duty to compensate for the chaos. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone after that visit. read more

Oh Lord. This was a very nice place. Clean, friendly and comfy. The food was fresh and delish. Complimentary salsa and chips. Great salsa! Beers with nice and cold. Our server was really kind. read more

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Pretty good taco My favorite is the flour tortilla with cheese and steak! Super delish! They have tv here, so u can watch a game ! Great location near mall! read more

Finally tried this place last night and pleasantly surprised!! Beautiful decor not like the other taco places. Great food, delicious! Different hot sauces brought to table with chips and a "Veneno" bean dip. Relaxing atmosphere, great for dates. Definitely will return!!! Friendly service! read more

El Fogon - They brought this out for us to nibble on first! - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

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Been here a few times. Each time we've tried to order beer on tap and it's never working. Food is great but service could be better. No one acknowledged us when we walked in so we sat ourselves down, as soon as we were getting settled, a server asked us to move since that "side" of the restaurant was reserved. We ordered 5 beers which equaled to a bucket, server said we couldn't be charged as a bucket since manager was not available to overwrite; Ok, no problem!! We then noticed we were overcharged and server quickly said "let me tell the manager" soo was the manager available or not? Why lie? Bottom line, never going back again. read more

Excellent. Came in for weekend from San Antonio. This was great. We had the dozena, six pastor and six bistec. Came with grilled onions, and a plate of raw onions diced, cilantro, cotija queso and a few slices of avocados. At first sit down they brought out chips and salsa, with pico and pickled onions. They even brought out the best black beans I think I've ever had. Great flavor. We also ordered queso flameado, that was just ok. Congealed quickly. Awesome place and food. Will return next visit for sure. read more

El Fogon - The Dozena, we chose half al pastor and half bistec. - Tacos Near Me - Brownsville, Texas

Not super impressed. The service was meh and the food was ok but the prices seemed a bit high. Haven't returned.

Service was great. 12 tacos for 3 was enough food. The corn on a stick was juicy. Flavored teas and lemonades were refreshing and not over whelming with sugar. Desert papachurros hit the spot for everyone. Will definitely come back again. read more

Mediocre service, small portions. Weird flavors New , clean, well decorated read more

Overall I enjoyed this place! The service was good and the food was also good. My one complaint would be that the The frijoles a la charra were not great, they were very bland. However, the black beans that were brought out with the salsa and chips were better. The fajita/shrimp combo parillada was tasty. The shrimp tasted fresh. I would love to come back and try the tacos. read more

This is a completely different restaurant with the same name. This is more of a steakhouse and seafood restaurant. However, we ordered tacos. Pastor tacos and Don Rigo's tacos. They were both good but miss the original taco vibe and chips and salsa that used to be served. Service was good. read more

The worst dinner Me and my wife ever had. They took long time to pay attention to us and much later the food came cold and in very little portion very bad in quality. I'm so sorry. It wasn't like that before. We were very hungry but thanks any way. read more

Much better the second time I came around. Ambience was much more family friendly. Loved the live music and the background karaoke singer/dj; that was a nice touch. Wait time was much improved and tacos were still bomb! I recommend the bistek and norteño tacos. read more

The food is "ok" if it wasn't so overpriced it's would be good but for what you pay it's wayyy to much. Also the service took forever we were there for over an hour when there wasn't that many people didn't have our water refilled once. The atmosphere is cool tho so you pretty much paying for that. read more

I went there with my family. The food was alright, but the customer service was awful! The waitress disappeared for so long that I needed to catch up someone else to help us out to order, to get water, to ask for napkins, to request my bill, to request to go boxes, etc! So for these reason I give this restaurant barely a 1 Star! Sometimes this restaurants don't value the customer as they should! read more

I tried El Fogon on the Friday of its opening week for a late lunch. We walked in at 2pm and left almost an hour and a half later, having just received our food only 10 minutes prior. However, I will note that the manager was very open with us in why the wait was so long, so we appreciated that very much. He gave us round of beers on the house along with a queso flameado (a must try, so good!). We were fully stocked on freshly fried tortilla chips a and house salsas during our wait as well. Our order came out longer than expected but it was very tasty. The make their corn tortillas in house and they are perfect. Def give this place a try and order a little of everything! You won't be disappointed! read more

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Went excited for their steaks since they are now "steakhouse" & worse mistake ever. All we got was our money and time wasted. The service was horrible, and sadly it is not the servers fault. Only ones to blame are management. I watched how they continued to sit people while the servers had more tables than they can handle, bartender was backed up & kitchen was so backed up. My margarita took 35 mins and I had to stand up and go get it myself because the server forgot to bring it to me. It was watered down and honestly was mediocre. We ordered appetizers as soon as we sat down cause we were starving and those didn't come out till 45 mins later. Our food took an hour and half to come out. I was in a group of eight people and by the time I had gotten my food everyone else had finished eating. Their "truffle fries" were cold fries w parmesan thrown on them. They were horrible. Our tab was $155 WITH GRATUITY already included. When you're paying that much for a tab you expect good food, good drinks and good service. This place was way better when they stuck to tacos. I will never come back here to have my money go down the drain. read more

Great food. Super nice portions. Staff pleasant and happy to help you. All meals came with chips and a portion of black retried beans. The salsa tray also had fresh cut limes. I order this huge quesadilla with fajita. The fajita was the kind that is cut really small. Oh and definitely a winner is NY steak taco!! They have a bar but I just had a soda. Will be back. Oh and the furniture dinning table chairs all new and clean!! read more

Frijoles especiales were really good, but the tacos were not as good as the first time I went. Took about 10 min before we were given a menu, brought our food with no silverware, waited a while for a refill and they brought the wrong drinks. Also, the menu said the tacos al pastor came with pineapple and they didn't end up in there. Asked them why they didn't have pineapple in them and they said they ran out. Fine without the pineapple but they probably should have told us before just to make sure we were ok with it and to see maybe if we wanted to change our order. Food was still good/decent overall but the service was really not that great. First time I went was a lot better though so idk if it was just bad timing. read more

Good service. Black beans were good. Food just tended to be on the bland side. Nothing we had was bad and everyone ate there food. Just not a lot of flavor to it. Even the pickled red onions were flavorless. read more

The food is exceptional, but unfortunately they're always short staffed and they end up giving pretty crappy service. I can't blame 'em, it gets packed during the early evening hours. Your best bet is to go early. read more