Yesterday my workplace brought in lunch for 10 of us. There were a few details that were wrong, but overall people were pleased with their food. I had chicken soft tacos and a side of guacamole. I have a strong preference for corn tortillas, which these weren't, and in the online ordering there was no choice, but the filling was excellent. And I really liked the guacamole, which had an excellent texture and a mild flavor. Across the group there were several bowls, some crunchy tacos, and a couple burritos. It was a nice way to start the year. read more

First taste at this place and it made a positive impression. I had just come from another restaurant, so only ordered a single "spicy beef" (barbacoa) taco on flour tortilla and a horchata. Both were out of this world. I look forward to returning and trying more menu items. read more

El Fuego - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The staff moves the line quickly, so quickly that I wasn't done ordering before they were making the next order. They made my second order no problem. The food is ok.. the crunchy taco shells taste homemade, street corn is missing the authentic spices I'm used to. Chicken lime soup was bland in my opinion. I liked the big tables where you can sit with people who are also on their lunch break who you don't know, yetThis is a good place for a quick hot meal but there's better, more authentic Mexican food nearby. read more

El Fuego - Chicken lime soup - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I love stopping here for a burrito bowl when I'm in the area. The service is quick, and food is fresh. I noticed that the containers didn't look like they would support a good portion, but the bowls are filling. read more

El Fuego - Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fire burritos - coming from a chipotle regular. thinking of making the switch for good now definitely will be back read more

I have never had an eatery frustrate me to the ends of the earth the way this restaurant does. It's not a proclamation of horrid customer service or ingredients that are lackluster. No, the bane of my frustrations lies in the restrictive hours(11am-2pm most days) of the business preventing me from visiting in most occasions. Environment - Walk-in and you'll found cafeteria style seating and the fragrant scents of various spices. Since the opening hours are centered around lunchtime, typically you'll find a line that moves relatively efficiently. Food -Nothing short of spectacular. In a majority of my experiences I have settled on a bowl but in the rare instances I've settled on a burrito the freshness of the tortilla is immediately apparent. I've tried both the chorizo and the chicken with each being just a flavorful and well-seasoned as the other. THE SAUCE -You'd be insane or absent-minded to not stop by this restaurant if your travels take you to the Olde City section of the city. You won't be amazed with flamboyant decor or over the top plating. What you will find are pleasant individuals serving Mexican food with bountiful flavor that is sure to lift your spirit. Happy eating! read more

El Fuego - Chorizo bowl - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Nice ambiance when you walk in, with the high ceilings and big window. Food was excellent, and reasonably priced. Employees are very nice. The owner makes sure everything runs like a top. Will definitely return. read more

Amazing food, fast service, kind staff, and amazing food! Love their bowls. One of the few places I can find chorizo.. Been here dozens of times and I've never been disappointed. read more

The spicy beef quesadilla had great flavor and texture, though not as spicy as I was expecting. And the temperature held well as I walked back a few blocks on a chilly day. I really enjoyed it. The flan was a slightly different texture than I'm used to but maybe that was due to the container it was sitting in for a to-go order. Portion size for both were good. I ordered online and arrived during the lunch rush. The line was really long, but it was moving. I went up to the register to get my food, didn't see signage for pickups. Relatively quick considering how many people were there at the time. Staff was friendly and keeping pace with the orders. It's casual dining, nice spot, and seems to be pretty popular. I only had two items on this visit but I will go back to try more. read more

This should be your new go-to spot for tacos and burritos! The quality of food, cleanliness of the restaurant, and friendly demeanor of staff should make you never go back to chipotle! El fuego is everything you want from chipotle at the same price point. highly recommend - everything was fresh, quick and delicious. read more

Seemed like very run of the mill. Same set up as Chipotle. They gave me hardly any meat extremely 3 1/2 small cubes of chicken and maybe 4 small pieces of steak VERY skimpy especially not having beans or veggies to offset the skimpy meat. The tacos for someone else made after my burrito had about 5 pieces of steak on each one meaning closer to 15 pieces I would've done better to have gotten that!!!! I also can't stand once the meat has been in your burrito and they take it back out and put it back in the bin when they see it's 1 cube or 2 extra. Geez just leave it I always feel that's so chintzy and a little gross. I also felt extremely rushed and it was my first time there. No one waiting behind me. Just rude. I needed to get my bearings no time for that at all. The rice had hard pieces in it despite them mixing it up can't stand that would rather have no rice than crunchy dried out rice. Was really hoping to love the place. Not good enough to even think about giving it an extra try here. Dissatisfied. Sad. Wanted a new spot to be in love with. read more

Steak was hammered and not seasoned, ended up like cat food. Otherwise it's a rip off of the other place.

Chicken burrito is delicious. The alfajores is a must have here although mine is a little bit crumbly but perfect caramel flavor not too sweet. Friendly and helpful staff read more

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The food at El Fuego is really good - awesome burrito options, multiple protein choices, great stuff. I must say though, that they do not make it easy to be a fan - it is just absolutely inexplicable that they are only open from 11-2pm on weekdays with no weekend hours. I live nearby and would find myself going all the time if they would just open their doors to a wider audience. Please appease those other than the work lunch people! Summary: really like the food but limited hours make El Fuego tough to fall in love with read more

Had them cater a get together. The food was good, inexpensive and got rave reviews from our guests.

IM OBSESSED no joke I probably went here 3-4 times for lunch last week alone. They know my order at this point-- I walk in and they have the bowl ready and by the register. You can taste how fresh the ingredients they use are and the flavor packs a punch. The mushrooms are my favorite. Top your bowl or burrito with their table Tapatio hot sauce, and it's a 10/10. They're also pros at burrito wrapping :) El Fuego is generous with their portions and service is extremely fast. You can sit inside at one of the large tables or booths or take to the park just across the street. Just note that they are only open for lunchtime. Enjoy!! read more

El Fuego - Veggie bowl with peppers and mushrooms - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Best Tacos ever. Period. We stopped here on a whim after my son's doctor appt, and now ANYTIME we are in the city El Fuego is our go to spot for food. My son, daughter, husband and I all LOVED everything we got and that never happens. We all have Very different tastes so for one place to blow us all away you know it has to be Amazing. We live 45 minutes away and I brought my husband his tacos home to eat and he still was obsessed with them. The owner (I Think) is fantastic too, he made sure to wrap up the taco shells, put the meat in one container and the toppings in another container so that my husband didn't wind up with soggy tacos!! I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND EL FUEGO TO ANYONE!!! If I could give more stars I would!! read more

I still love El Fuego's chicken burritos. The one star deduction is for their foray into carnitas, which I hope they either take off the menu or rework. Good carnitas are super tender and flakey, ideally the result of many hours of braising and possibly frying after that braising. El Fuego's were not that at all, which I could see as soon as the were scooped onto the tortilla - instead they were rubbery and tough, like a microwaved and cubed pork chop. read more

A little heavy on the rice...a little light on meat. Service was great, ordered ahead and ready & waiting.

I had low expectations for the breakfast burrito given the other reviews, but was pleasantly surprised! They're serving them from 10-11:30, and you can add chorizo or steak for only $1 more ($8.80 including tax). I liked that there was a ton of chorizo, and that it was the hard kind; I think it's so much more flavorful and enjoy the contrasting texture, instead of soft potato-soft egg. They also grill the outside of the burrito, which is always a nice touch. I'll definitely be coming here again! read more

El Fuego - Chorizo breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Burritos are tasty, but I am tired of ordering a hastily prepared, super-expensive burrito that completely falls apart when I start eating it. read more

I went to this spot on Taco Tuesday for lunch during my lunch break from work. I was able to order ahead of time on their website. I got 3 steak tacos that were okay. I wish they would've came with hot sauce or some type of sauce because they were slightly dry with me just getting cheese, lettuce and beans. read more

Food was mediocre, nothing was super flavorful and the price was super expensive. I was hoping double meat would be a good portion but it was tiny, the rest of the food filled with rice. None of the salsas were particularly flavorful. Not worth the money, I'm not particularly into chipotle but would go to chipotle way before this place. Guys at the counter were nice, smiling while giving me an absurdly small portion for an absurd price read more

This place is clean- located near Jefferson hospital. The line was long but dont get discouraged it will go FAST. This is a chipotle style service. You go down the line and watch ppl make ur food. I got the Spivey beef. Was good but not as flavorful as chipotle. I don't feel satisfied. Chipotle has better rice and beans- more filling. But good location and yea for nice couches in the back. read more

El Fuego - This dessert is heavenly - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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meat was colder than my soul. You can find me at taco bell with an extra 5 bucks in my pocket as well.

Coming from Cali, looking for some real Mex food in Pennsylvania, not no fake Chipotle. We came across El Fuego, thank goodness. Great customer service and food! Muchas gracias! Mexicans know,, ha ha.... read more

Quick service and welcoming staff, but the food at El Fuego is anything but fuego (which means fire in Spanish). In fact, it was the most disappointing Mexican/Tex-Mex food I've ever had. My fiancé and I were walking down Walnut Street when we decided to pop in here for lunch. Our order consisted of hard shell tacos for him and soft shell tacos for me. The hard shell tacos come four to an order while the soft shell tacos come three to order, and you're allowed to mix up the meats. I really appreciate that since it gave us the opportunity to try a few different kinds. I chose chicken, pork and chorizo for my three tacos. They were so bland and the meats were all cold which I definitely wasn't expecting. Cold taco meat is definitely a no-go for me. The chorizo was probably the best of the three, but that's not really saying much. The add ons that were available at the time were lettuce, cheese, sour cream and salsa, and although I got all of them they didn't do much for me. Staff was nice and very quick. Both of our orders were ready in just minutes. The restaurant seemed clean, although I can't comment on the restroom because it was out of order when we were there. I can't think of any time in the future when I'll be visiting El Fuego again. Yes, the service is fast for when you're on the go, but I can think of so many other places in Philly to go to for not just a quick meal but a tasty one too. read more

Overall: 4.5 Food (flavor, presentation, portion) : 5 Service (the frequency of waiter/waitress, the speed of the delivery for food, the treatment of guests) : 5 Ambience (the view, the location, the interior atmosphere and relevance to food, any theme etc) : 3 Price (the portion size and price comparison, comparison of prices compared to other similar restaurant, the total of dishes and overall price etc) : 5 I went on a business trip with my seniors and are staying in the Hilton Garden. Food: I got the burrito bowl with black beans, sir cream, lettuce, rice and chicken. It was delicious and yummy. Reminds me of chipotle. Service: Fast!! It got busy quickly after my colleagues and I came into the restaurant. Ambience: it was loud and crowded. Good location for business. Price: good for the food. Overall, I'd definitely come back again when I'm in the area. read more

El Fuego - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Surprised by the low review ratings! This place is truly a great spot. Crushes Chipotle in every way. Freshnl ingredients make for tasty food and the staff is always friendly. Pro Tip: Chicken quesadilla is amazing. The guac is always fresh and on point! read more

Quick and friendly service at 1pm on a Tuesday! I ordered the chicken bowl with white rice, pinto beans, guacamole (extra $), and other house toppings. It was tasty, compact, and a bit spicy! I took it out and ate it at the adjacent Washington Square park, but the there is plenty of seating and the space is comfortable. Great spot for less than $10 lunch or dinner! Basic options of bowls, burritos, and quesadillas with flavorful toppings. read more

El Fuego - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Tastes just like chipotle but more expensive and smaller portion sizes. Very busy but not bad if you order ahead.

So I recently revisited El Fuego after a long hiatus; I use to visit at least once a week. Couldn't remember why it had been so long until I started eating at my desk.. NOW I remember, it was the rice with CILANTRO. Please, please provide other options for example rice without cilantro or brown rice.. PLEASE. While their food is fresh and they still get you out quickly, I can't get pass that cilantro. read more

This is where you'll go when feel fed up with the non-ending long lines at Chipotle! - Slightly pricer than Chipotle. - The same simple menu: burritos, burrito bowls, tacos and quesadillas. - Quick service. Still, I think Chipotle is way tastier, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Three Yelps read more

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I went in with a friend and asked to pay separately. Was called "cheap" in response. This made for an uncomfortable dining experience, especially as the staff proceeded to turn off the lights and close early without warning as we ate our lunch. Rude. Will not be returning. read more

I stopped by with excitement to try their food for the first time. I got the crunchy tacos and the quesadilla. When my order was being taken there was just one guy which I understand why he would want to be rushing, however the presentation of the food looked a mess, and the station was not clean. On top of that when I went to pay, they guy took the cash, charged me and he went back to get my quesadilla and touched it with the same gloves he touched the money with. Flavor of the food was okay. Most likely I will not be returning. read more

El Fuego - Crunchy tacos - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Really good burrito bowl that you can make into a salad and customize yourself. Think of this as Chipotle, if their ingredients were DELICIOUS. GREAT guac and chips. Solid casual lunch spot. Might be a line during lunch. read more

The food so good here. However I hate when I they ring people up, touch money, and use those same gloves to then touch the food. I'm sorry that disgusting. I know you are busy but you can not touch money and then go and touch food yuck read more

First time here! My first impression when looking at that menu was, "This is just like Chipotle." I ordered the chicken quesadillas but I don't usually get that at chipotle so I can't compare. It was good and filling. Instead of giving me a cup of salsa to go, the cashier gave me pico to go. -_- I was upset bc the quesadilla was a tad bit dry but it was still good. My friend got the chicken burrito bowl. He said it was more flavorful than Chipotle and the ingredients were fresher. I was also upset that a side of guacamole was $2.10, wth. Smh! I would try them again tho. read more

El Fuego - Chicken quesadillas to go - Mexican Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place is a great lunch option at an affordable price. Love this place.. However my review is really about something other than the food or service. As many places start to transition to new mask guidelines I feel that there will be situations that we'll encounter that will cause us to question the new paradigm. Unfortunately I realized that today my server had no mask on and I was hesitant to order. Why? Because as he started to ask what I wanted, I realized that he had to talk over the food which sits in a hot food table, and that spit droplets would project onto the food as he spoke. In a post-covid world many restaurants should reassess whether those who handle food continue to stay masked for sanitary reasons, including this restaurant. read more

What a wonderful find. All the fun of a chipotle but with fresher ingredients. I had the trio of tacos and loved that you could mix and match the different offerings. It was a very generous portion for the price, and the food was served quickly. I also appreciated the fact that it seemed to be a family run business. The wait staff was exceptionally friendly and accommodating. I also liked that they served Jarritos sodas. Certainly a place that I will return to if I find myself hungry in this society Hill neighborhood. Also note that this is very close to jeweler's Row if you need a break from shopping for diamonds. read more