First, the good parts. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. Seating was quick and reservations are not needed. The Jarritos was as sweet as always, and we were allowed to bring our own container of sour cream. The watery white substance that all restaurants (including El Gallo) are using and calling sour cream is a waste of $1.04. Now the not good. We ordered two dishes that we often get, that in the past have always been very flavorful and satisfying. I don't know how the chef did it, but the person managed to remove all possible flavor from our meal. We rarely use salt and apparently neither did the chef. Or any other spicing for that matter. The soft tacos are not hand held. they fell apart after the second bite. There are no and have ever been any condiments or hot sauces on the tables, austerity has it's limits, but they would not have made up for the blandness of the food from the start. On a positive note, now my wife and I get to try some of the other Mexican restaurants in the area.... One last thing; stay away from the 3rd booth from the front, unless if you like un-cushioned seat springs jabbing your bottom. read more

The food is always very fresh and delicious. Staff very attentive and friendly. A great vegetarian and vegan menu as well! read more

El Gallo - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, New Jersey

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Stopped in after work for a quick bite and the chef offered me a sample of a special he's working on. It's a beef and shrimp tostada. It was served with sliced avocado and lettuce. Hope this goes on the menu soon as it was delicious read more

El Gallo - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, New Jersey

Excellent experience this evening at El Gallo. The owner Rei took great care of us and both service/food were on point. This area is starved for great Mexican as Jalapeños in Glen Rock is a nightmare and La Hacienda in Paterson is closed for renovations. We started with the nachos with chicken which were excellent followed by enchiladas suizas and burrito bowl both top notch. This place is very welcoming and is a BYO (liquor store adjacent!), as well as offering delivery. Certainly our new go-to neighborhood Mexican. read more

I couldn't be happier for Hawthorne. I love Cinco de Mayo plus I love La Hacienda. But this place blows them both away. Ray, the young owner was obviously passionate about welcoming us and making sure our food was absolutely perfect. We made our own Margarita by bringing our own tequila. How unique! BYOT! Or, Bring your own red wine and they will turn it into sangria like magic! I give this two thumbs up for sure. I had the Fajitas w/steak and chicken. Willie had an 8 pound newborn burrito. read more

A hidden gem! So good and so quick!! The steak fajitas are amazing. New go-to Mexican spot

I was a bit skeptical but let me tell you, the food was emasculate! Shocking how great it was!!! Not to mention the chips were amazing.

EXCELLENT! Food delicious! Server (Edgar) Awesome! I had the Hawthorne Platter delicious and very flexible on everything what I wanted on the platter. Daughter had Enchiladas with made special for her, wonderful! Can't wait to come back! Byob! And we drove from Ringwood, NJ to try. Convenient street parking. Also the owner was very nice. Will definitely be back... Adios! read more

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Ordered from here yesterday evening based on Yelp reviews. The food did NOT disappoint! It was well presented, hot, contactless and timely to what they said the expected delivery time was. The food was ample and delicious! We ordered: Nachos (they were okay), chicken and cheese quesadillas (delicious), three tacos with carnitas, steak and chicken came with black beans and rice (fabulous) and fajita tacos with steak... absolutely delicious. Authentic Mexican! We will order from here again! read more

This place has THE BEST Tacos Banderas! The flavor is out of this world and that doesn't even include the side honey sauce you can drizzle on them. My son LOVES the Steak quesadilla and gets cravings for it. This is our weekly spot! read more

My son found it and read the comments so we tried it. Now both my sons like the food. I do suggest going there to eat as opposed to ordering for delivery. Much better fresh as most things are. read more

I have ordered and eaten at El Gallo many times and so far everything has been EXCELLENT. There wasn't one thing that wasn't perfectly prepared. I used to eat at Hacienda but since the remodel the prices went up significantly and it just isn't as good as El Gallo. Delivery is fast and it's the same quality weather you eat in or get it delivered the quality is the same. read more

I went here with two of my friends and we all agreed it was excellent! Service we excellent, and its BYOB! I went with the Chuletas Rancheros. The pork was cook perfectly, and was not too chewy or over cooked. Tasty! My friends ordered the Hawthorne Platter, and Churrasco, and both said the food was perfectly cooked and excellent. I also ordered a Papa Rellena and churros for home. Again, it was perfect and fed the food comforting need. Check it out! I will be revisiting or order take out. If I do take out I will update my review, on that experience also. read more

El Gallo - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, New Jersey

Went here on a recommendation of new places on Yelp. After a hike over Bear Mountain arrived here for early dinner. BYOB. Brought our own beers. Started with guacamole. We both had steak fajitas. Very good. Excellent customer service. read more

El Gallo - Nice early dinner after hike over Bear Mountain - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, New Jersey

The food was very delicious. We ordered the chicken burrito and quesadilla and they both were the best we've had. The service was great and the staff was extremely friendly and welcoming. We will definitely be back! read more

Food was delicious and quality. Highly recommend especially the rice, fajita tacos and guacamole

Found Wl gallo on yelp, order through the online yelp ordering & delivery. I was not disappointed. The food is amazing and a high quality. I've never eaten I. The restaurant but even with the time from store to my house the food is soooooo good. read more

I had three tacos, one shrimp, one chicken and one steak. All three were delicious but I have to say that the shrimp one was my favorite! The rice and beans on the side were also really good. read more

El Gallo - 3 Tres Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Hawthorne, New Jersey

This place has fresh and tasty mexican food! I ordered the Tres Tacos with chicken. The salsa and chips are really good. Definitely will return for more! read more

Ordered take out from here for the first time. Naked burritos with carnitas and chicken. Delicious!

El Gallo has a vegan menu and offers vegan cheese!!! This really attracted me and I wasn't disappointed. Thanks for thinking of "the rest of us" haha read more

I have just found this place. Both times I ordered for delivery. Both times great. Love the guacamole. Recent order had BLT quesadilla . It was really good. This place is wonderful. read more

Love this place--calling all my besties to come check this out. BYOB they'll make you pitcher of margaritas or sangria, food is delicious, parking nearby if not a place on street. Casual but really great alternative to the noisy, nutty place in my town. Mexican food done just right. My new happy place. read more

Excellent in every way, from the service to the food, the mole is excellent. I've ordered everything onvv NBC the menu and everything is very good read more

I wish I took pictures of the food but we take full advantage of the BYOB offer and forget by the time the food arrives. The service is fabulous, Maria is attentive and super kind. Having only been there twice she knows what we want. The food comes out super quickly and it's always well prepared and fresh. The warm chips and great homemade salsa are the perfect pairing to the sangria they offer ( if you provide the wine ) the prices are great and you get a great bang for your buck. Going back soon ... probably once a week. New gem. read more

Have been there numerous times and have enjoyed every dish we have tried-Great bring your own restaurant-ligour store 2 doors down can't get any better then that-We Love Ray wish him much success- Ariel our waitress made us feel welcomed and part of the family-All staff are amazing-looking forward to may more awesome meals ahead- read more

Waited here an hour tonight, place was slow when we arrived then it got busy. Arrived 6:05, asked about our food and got fed up at 7:08 since it never came. I used to go here often but that is unacceptable. read more

We ordered make your own chicken fajitas and ground beef tacos from El Gallo for my son's party and the food was excellent!!! Everyone loved it. Fresh and delicious. Even includes churros which were a big hit! Will definitely be ordering from here again. read more

Awesome nachos! Awesome churros and it was to go so even better! Nice atmosphere even on the hottest day of the year!

I will expect a little more for a Mexican restaurant every place is different I get it particularly me I like real tacos with some flavor my burger was good my wife order was decent I hope they do well I will come back definitely i will change my review i will till my next visit . read more

My favorite local spot! The food is so delicious and always fresh. The shrimp and steak tacos are to die for! Everyone is very nice and I love that its byob. I can't wait till when we can enjoy eating at this cute little spot again. read more

I stopped here for lunch. I had noticed it before but today i had time to stop and have lunch. I read Yelp reviews and someone leaving as I looked at the menu said it was great. It was. I had the lunch tostados and they were delicious. Chips and salsa were brought immediately and they were also delicious. Joseph was my waiter and was very attentive and friendly. I definitely recommend this place! read more

I stopped in here for lunch with 4 friends. The meal was great and the Rei was super nice. One of my friends has numerous food allergies and Rei was able to guide him through the menu to something perfect for him. I can recommend the Hawthorne combo or the fish tacos but everything looks good. read more

A really solid local spot for all of your Mexican food cravings. Love the steak fajitas and the salsa is a solid choice. It's a BYOB but there's a liquor store a few doors down and you can bring your own wine or other drink and they'll mix up sangria for you at the table. Nice addition to diamond bridge. Bonus is the super fast delivery! read more

I love this place!! I live nearby and can't go here often enough!! I'm here at least once a week. Everything I've had has been excellent!! The portions are good! The food is always fresh, and the service is great! If you dine in they are BYOB. You can bring a bottle of wine and they will make you sangria. You can bring some tequila and they will make you margaritas. I love their warm, fresh chips and salsa! Great fresh guacamole! Love the tacos!! Great fresh authentic Mexican!! read more

We have been here twice now and the young man who helped us the first time was absolutely wonderful. The manager or owner was there and was so attentive and kind. The food was great and was ready quickly, it was not that busy but still quick turn out. The second time was a bit busier. The staff was very nice and the service was good. Food was great both times. The one thing that was a little different was the second time the fries were not the shoestring (really skinny) fries and we really prefer those. The young lady serving us said they switch it up all the time. The one suggestion we had was to keep the skinny fries and ditch the other ones This is a Gluten Free Friendly spot & byob. There is a liquor store near by. The staff was cool with us having our drinks and served us water with the food etc. I do suggest this place. We WILL be returning. The churros are a great way to end the evening(not gf though) read more

I was in the mood for something different, so I decided to try this place for lunch/take-out. I ordered the Mexicali Wrap. I usually steer clear of wraps because they tend to be soggy, but I liked the ingredients so I thought I would give it a try. (It came with french fries also). The wrap was really good - not at all soggy. The fries were good too, if you like the thin kind. Also, the price is right. read more

Excellent Mexican food the way it's supposed to taste. Great guacamole, excellent chicken fajitas nicely spiced and very tender. The mole sauce is very authentic with a nice kick. And they make an excellent flan. Great food at a very inexpensive price. read more

I never write Yelp reviews, but I felt compelled to make an exception for El Gallo. Everything about my dining experience here was top notch. El Gallo is in a great location and has a warm, inviting atmosphere. My server, Andre, was friendly and attentive and the staff overall were welcoming and hard-working. Not all business owners work as hard as their employees, so it was especially nice to see how the owner, Rei, takes such an active role in supporting his staff and ensuring that everyone is having the best experience possible. The food was amazinggggg- I ordered a burrito bowl with chorizo. The flavors, the very generous portion of guac, the perfectly cooked meat- it was the best burrito bowl I think I've ever had. Chipotle burrito bowls taste like mulch compared to this flavorful dish. The chef and kitchen staff are very talented. I attended on a "Proceeds Night," where a portion of all the sales were being donated to Clean Ocean Action (a NJ based charity to clean up our oceans) and after following El Gallo on Instagram, I saw that they help fundraise for and support so many local non-profits, first responder services, and Hawthorne elementary schools. For a restaurant that's been open for just over a year to be so generous with donating portions of their sales indicates to me that they are committed to their community- and the warm, personal service and atmosphere confirmed this. It's rare to see strong community values take priority over putting money in someone's bank account these days, so I will happily continue to dine at El Gallo. 5/5 stars for the stellar food, service, and atmosphere. 1,000,000 stars for making me feel good about dining out when it's to support such a genuinely community focused small business. read more

I've been craving real good mexican food for quite some time, and this place def fulfilled that need. The cheese enchiladas came very fresh, nicely warm and just perfect. My server was very polite, attentive, and def knew the menu well in n out and catered well to my vegetarian needs. This will not be my last time coming here. read more