By far one of the best authentic Mexican food places ever!! Staff is great, food even better! If you're ever in the area this is a must!

First time here and the food was amazing. I ordered the chimichanga and it was INCREDIBLE. Fairly large portions for a decent price. Would recommend this place to anyone looking for authentic Mexican food. read more

Chips and salsa were excellent. avocados are prominent. Service was great. Got the tamales. 10/10. read more

Out of this world Mexican food. Had an incredibly big ahogado burrito smothered in melted cheese and some of the most flavorful verde sauces I've had. Also tried the enchiladas suizas in a freshly made red sauce. Perfection. And the owner is a great guy! Keep it up! read more

El Gallo Tropical - incredible big ahogado burrito smothered in melted cheese and some of the most flavorful verde sauces I've had. - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton, New Jersey

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This restaurant has delicious, authentic Mexican food. The menu was very extensive, with many options to choose from. The prices were very reasonable. The staff was friendly. I went with 6 other people. Everyone loved their meals. The portions were large. I had 3 Empanadas. They were delicious. I would definitely go there again. read more

I won't recommend this place to no one they are very expensive the food is nasty and no refund they are not on the customers side I try the tortillas and the meat was bad and it had pineapple inside making it a lot more bitter yuck who those that.i would never go there again read more

Ok, there is no other restaurant with as good of food a this place within 30 miles of this spot - I know, I looked. My parents have been going to this place since it opened because they knew about the one in New Brunswick (not sure if that one is as good), so they knew they liked it. We are Mexican, so if we think the food everywhere else is terrible, it's because it is, so I was pleasantly surprise with the taste of the Enchiladas de Pollo Verdes (chicken enchillada in green sauce), the Carne Enchilla con Nopales (beef steak "adobada style" with cactus), Bistek a la Tampquena (styles beef steak with all the works), Pollo Enchilado (almost like a slow cooked chicken in red sauce), all with rice and beans and HOME MADE tortillas! We also got Orchata, which was great, just like my mom makes it and the chips and salsa were great, none of that boring Pico de Gallo everyone makes now, but actually dry roasted pepper sauce, it was great! Anyways, I do not think I would any friends to any local Mexican restaurant, because they are terrible, but this place is okay and the owner is really nice. His daughter Masiel is also an attentive server, so we'll definitely be back. read more

Ok so I just got done my morning workout after skipping breakfast and ready for lunch i needed to eat. I am very familiar with the area and was not in the mood for fast food or Diner cuisine. So Yelp here I come. The first restaurant that popped up was El Gallo Mexican food. Was not in the mood for it so I kept searching. Again nothing drew my interest so I went back and read the reviews for El Gallo. My mind was made up after the first six reviews blew the place up, so off I went. Now I knew exactly where this place was I must have driven past it a 100 times. Its a three store strip mall and the front is basic no frills and really not inviting. In I go, the decor again no frills, three out of 9 tables were being used. Two TV's with soccer on and in Spanish. However people were in line for take out. I walked up to the counter and a waitress came out of kitchen and delivered two fish dishes to a table. The fish were whole meaning tail head and eyes. Now I knew this was not a fast food place. The counter female employee greeted me with a smile and was very nice speaking excellent English. Not knowing much about Mexican food I ordered a Chimichanga to go. A short time later I walked out with a bill of $11.34. I arrived home and was very pleased with the size and weight. Took my first bite with a little sour cream and the meat and cheese oozed. The fried topping was light and done perfect. Sorry people the place has little pizzazz but the food is right on. My Chimichanga was a great size, done perfectly and very delicious. Well worth the price, I was stuffed afterwards. I am hooked now and excited to try different dishes. I will return. The only reason why 4 stars is strictly due to curbside and interior appeal. read more

Surprisingly good. Had flautas chicken. And tacos beef. Some tomatillo salsa and a jarritos. I forget how much it was. I just kept throwing money at the girl (who spoke no English btw) becuz it was that good. I'll be back. Not too ghetto at all if ur scared of that type of thing. Wimp read more

Nice humble place. The volume on the TV was a bit too loud. However, the food is delicious. I had Chicken Tostadas. Don't be fooled by the picture on the menu. They are big enough to satisfy your hunger. I ordered extra aguacate (avocado). Had a natural Orange and Carrot juice. Perfect companion for my order. My friend ordered the Tacos al Pastor. More than satisfying and tasty. Hope to come back when I'm in the area. read more

Food-wise, this place is banging. There are some issues with the atmosphere, though, but the problems aren't huge enough to prevent me from going back. First - and this is minor, to me, anyway - the staff does not speak English, but the patrons seem to be predominantly Spanish-speaking, so no biggie. And, when we're dealing with food and money, usually the language barrier fades away. But I just wanted to mention it. The food was so good, and there were enough menu items that were unfamiliar to me, that I plan to take some time with Google Translate later, to make my next visit more productive/adventurous! Also, the take-out seems popular, maybe because the dining area could use a major hose down. It's not horrible, but it definitely could be cleaner. There was a huge pile of dirty dishes on the very first table yesterday afternoon (around 4:30), and it wasn't terribly busy when we arrived, and I counted at least 3 employees in the restaurant. I wondered why it wasn't cleaned up - but then again, I only caught a glimpse into this restaurant's day, and have no idea what they were up against prior to and after my visit. Normally, I wouldn't mention things like dishes, because I'm not particularly neat myself, and am not easily put off by anything. But my son was with me again, and he stood up, leaning on the table, and in doing so, the table tilted away from the one it was connected to, and the gap between the two tables revealed quite a bit of old food debris. Again, I feel bad saying anything, because maybe they were fixing to do a big clean-up, and the influx of business at the off-time threw them off? Mentioning it for the benefit of those with delicate sensibilities: maybe call ahead! In the interest of full disclosure, yesterday was my second visit, but the only one where we ordered food. The first time - about 2 weeks ago -- we said we'd like to do take-out, and the waitress gestured for us to sit anyway, and she'd bring us menus. It wasn't a typically busy time, for lunch, around 2:30, but the place got very busy, and several groups came in, and it felt like we had been forgotten. It could have been my own anxiety, and the fact I was there with my fussy 7-year-old. We didn't have time to leave, so we left. But the experience gave me insight, so things went better for us yesterday - I walked up to the counter, found a menu, and placed my order: the Burrito Ahogado, the top item on the menu, and it's pictured in their window, so I figured it had to be good. I sat down and waited while they prepared it. Several people came in during this time to pick up their meals, and I was glad El Gallo Tropical did such a brisk business. This stretch of S. Broad in Hamilton has seen better days, and it's been a challenge to keep businesses going. I'm hoping the new restaurants provide some stability and yumminess for many years -- and breathe life into the business district. But service was quick and friendly, and we headed home. It was so hard to wait while I got the dog out, and everyone squared away, before diving in -- it smelled SO DAMN GOOD! Inside my take-home box was perhaps the largest burrito I've ever seen! Inside, there was chicken, rice, and beans, and it was smothered with mozzarella, and a delicious, smooth green sauce, which I'm guessing is a blend of cilantro, poblano, garlic, and onions. It had phenomenal depth of character, and just enough heat to tease without doing damage to my mouth. The chicken was a mix of white and dark meat, and was moist and flavorful. The burrito was topped with perfectly ripe avocado slices. I saved half of the burrito for lunch today, which I just finished - hooray for leftovers! It was excellent! The food was good enough for 5 stars, even without sampling other menu items; with a few tweaks to general operations, El Gallo Tropical would definitely be 5 stars in my book. read more

This place is a great place to grab lunch or a quick dinner to go. It's not a sit down and enjoy your meal type of place. The main language is Spanish. So if you don't know Spanish, you may have some difficulty ordering. I have only eaten their tacos. I suggest the carne asada. The chicken has absolutely no flavor so I'd stay away from the chicken tacos or ask for some extra green sauce (salsa verde). The carne asada is flavored really nicely and doesn't require anything additional for it to be enjoyable, except you will encounter some chewy ligaments. Their price for the food is what makes this place worth it. read more

This is an amazing spot to stop and eat! The food is fresh, the portions generous and the taste is amazing!

I ordered the Carne Asada tacos. It was flavorful and Delicious. This is a small location. I would recommend for a quick lunch or pick up to go I don't know about a sit down dinner. Price is fair for the quality. The sweet plantains with sour cream is a tasty as well. read more

Great little place in Trenton. Probably some of the best Mexican/Spanish food I have had. I had the chicken Enchiladas with red sauce and cheese they are awesome. Everything here is made fresh so it may be a little wait for the food. Don't miss it when your in the Hamilton/Trenton area. read more

WOW this place is awesome! It's a hole in the wall place in a tiny strip mall next to an enterprise. The food is authentic, fresh and has a lot of flavor. They serve generous portions and is very reasonably priced. They make their own aqua fresca which is very good - a little too sweet for my taste but very good. The service is great and the people are friendly. There's a girl that doesn't really speak English but has no probably asking someone in the back to help translate. Definitely recommend! read more

I've been coming to this place for years. The staff is always friendly. They have a wide variety of authentic Mexican food. I have never had a bad meal here. You will see everyone from high school students to Mexican immigrants to state workers from Trenton come to this spot to enjoy some inexpensive delicious food. Get the tacos. They're the best I've ever had. read more

Great customer service and authentic Mexican food. The people are so nice and everything was delicious! If you want real Mexican food, you need to come and eat here. We drove more than 30 mins and it was all worth it! read more

We had a great late lunch here. My sons still rave about the chimichangas, and I had terrific tacos al pastor. Very nice small place, extremely reasonable prices, and an extensive menu. I had a mango licuado and my sons had Jarritos sodas, but they also have Aguas frescas and horchata. Definitely have to come back and try other items. They serve authentic Mexican breakfast items, like chilaquiles. read more

Authentic Mexican food was really good. Servers are polite and helpful with suggesting what's good to newcomers.

I called in an order by phone and they told me it was a 35 minute wait. I get there in half an hour and they tell me it's being put together. I was sitting, waiting around for ANOTHER 35 minutes before they finally got my wife and I our food. Mind you, it was not a big order, a regular chicken burrito and 3 gorditas, certainly not a 1 hour 10 minute project. The food itself was very good, but I'm not sure it was worth the wait. read more

If you are in the area, I recommend you stop by here! I always enjoy it because the ingredients are always fresh. The menu has a variety of authentic mexican food. The environment is relaxed. The family that owns it is welcoming. read more

We ordered the mixed meat tacos chicken, pork and beef it was not good all the meat was very dry I don't even know how that even possible to have all three different meat super dry. I have to even use the chip salsa to eat it. read more

Best around. This is my favorite spot to eat within 2 minutes of my house. Their menu is pretty big and I'm always trying new things. Ive never had a bad dish. I'd recommend for lunch to grab a Torta. I typically get it with the fried steak it's a treat. read more

Love the authentic food options. My favorite is the carne asada "street tacos". They also have tamales for cheap! Horchata is good too. It's good for take out. read more

Hands down the best authentic Mexican food I've had in the area. It's in a safe neighborhood with off the street parking. The menu is in Spanish and English and the front of house employees were courteous, professional, and helpful when ordering. If you don't speak Spanish, don't be intimidated.. it was very easy ordering and the employees have no problem helping. I would recommend calling ahead.. we went today and it was about a 25 minute wait for 2 burritos. Very very very worth it though. You can tell they put so much effort into their food. The salsa, sauces, and guacamole were all home made and the best I've ever had. No corners cut there! The portions were large and very well worth the price! I would highly highly highly recommend trying El Gallo Tropical! read more

I have been here once on a date, and tonight I just ordered take-out. I have had their enchiladas, empanadas, and their nachos. All were amazing! I can not wait to go back. read more

I go to El Gallo every week and usually get the cheese fries. Best tasting cheese fries I've ever tasted I definitely recommend this!

Excellent, authentic food! Love the tamales!!!!! And, the Tres Leche cake is incredible! Homemade chops & salsa are a must every time!!

Very authentic byob Mexican restaurant in Hamilton. Large parking lot. Waitress service was excellent and food was outstanding. Will definitely be back again soon. read more

I have eaten here a dozen or more times. The food is consistently good and they give large portions for the price. The guacamole is amazing! In a town of fake Mexican food (Taco Bell, Moe's), this is a refreshing change. The staff is not overly friendly but neither are they rude. I recommend the chicken fajitas, the chicken melts in your mouth. Although clean, the place isn't much to look at but don't let that deter you because the food is worth it. read more

Found this little place by accident after visiting the Abbot marsh in Hamilton. Family owned, everything prepared from scratch, it has only been open for 3 months. We had delicious sopas, chicken soup and freshly made juice. The salsa is wonderful. Portions are BIG!!! Will definitely be back next time we are in the area. read more

It was okay, I had the chicken with the green sauce and there was not much chicken in it at all. Chips were very hard. Was very disappointed. We have eaten here and it was much better. Took a long to prepare. read more

The food here is amazing and so authentic. The tamales are ace, the chicken flautas crispy outside juicy chicken inside, chicken soup in red broth is my go to when its cold out. My only 2 gripes are I don't speak Spanish well and the sweet girl who answers the phone doesn't speak any English so that is sometimes a challenge. Also everything is really really fresh so this is bitter sweet. It makes for some really flavorful food, but it also takes really long. I suggest calling about 45 min before your ready to eat or just know you could be waiting that long. Otherwise I can't say enough good things about the food, and language barrier aside everyone has always been extremely nice and helpful. read more

Food was good - restaurant was empty and the waitress was none attentive. Pained me to leave her a tip, service needs improvements if they are going to survive. read more

Very authentic Mexican food. You'll wait awhile to get your food because it's freshly made. I'd come again. Prices are reasonable.

My husband and I found this place when we moved to the area and were searching online for a local Mexican restaurant (we love Mexican food and wanted to be sure we found "our spot"). It had better reviews than the other restaurants in the area, so we went to check it out. The decor is bare bones, but let me tell you - this is some of the best authentic Mexican food around. The food is delicious and fresh, and we haven't found one thing we don't like - although the Burrito Ahogado is our hands-down favorite. The staff is always very friendly. We've probably been at least four or five times since we moved to the area (not including take-out 2x) and it's been great every time. We did make the mistake of ordering take-out one night forgetting that it was Cinco De Mayo, and it took about 30 minutes longer than I was told, but that does not seem to be the norm and certainly can be chalked up to it being Cinco De Mayo. Still haven't been for breakfast, but I hear the chilaquiles are perfect. We will obviously be back. read more

By far, this is the BEST of BEST food I've ever had. Amazing taste, cheap, incredibly delicious Mexican food. Nothing to do with disgusting taco bell or On the Border or any of those fake nasty food places. I recommend this food! 4 Thumbs up!!!!!!!! read more

You would think they would treat people better. Every business has to have good customer service in order to bring people back, even just for the friendliness. However, customer service in this restaurant is horrible. When you are serving a customer you should always greet them or welcome them to the business, but they did not greet me or welcomed me at all, which made me feel a little uncomfortable to be honest. On top of that , the waitress served me with an attitude. I said "okay I'll get passed that" and imagined they would at least say "have a good day" or something similar to that, but turned out to be the opposite. With all being said I believe they should fix their customer service and they will most likely gather more people. Other than that the food was okay. But will I come back ? Most likely not. read more

Man, this place has the best Mexican food hands down. The burrito, al pastor was delicious. the tacos are awesome and not soaked in oil. Recommend! read more