Love it here! Real Mexicanos cooking real Mexicano food my favorite place to eat in Medical Lake or Cheney or fake Cheney and it's not even close! read more

Fabulous food, great service! Our favorite Mexican restaurant! A small gem in Medical Lake!

Excellent, excellent Food!!! Authentic Mexican Food and excellent service. In downtown Medical Lake.

The best Mexican food ive had in Spokane! Very comparable to the old school Mexican restaurants in LA...the owner is always very nice and the restaurant is super clean. Takeout is quick and always good. read more

Loved. This. Place. I was in Washington for training with some friends, and one of my favorite things to do while traveling is to try some of the local restaurants. If you're ever in the vicinity of Fairchild AFB or even Spokane for that matter, this is a must-stop location. The place is located in the heart of a little town. Parking is plentily available on the street. Upon arriving, we were greeted promptly and courteously by the host. Service remained amazing over the course of our visit. After perusing the menu, we ordered queso to start. It appeared to be made fresh in the restaurant. Waitstaff continued to bring out complimentary chips and salsa to ensure that we would get our fill. The chips and salsa also seemed like they were freshly made in-house. The menu had standard Mexican-American fare, but the enchiladas verdes caught my eye. Interestingly enough, they were served with pork which made for a nice twist. The result was some of the most amazing and savory Mexican food I've had. The tomatillo sauce was absolutely fantastic, and there was enough to mix with the side of rice if that's your thing as well. As you can see, portions are generous, and pricing was pretty great too. Definitely check this place out! read more

El Ixtapa - Enchiladas Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Medical Lake, Washington

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Best mexican food i've ever had!! The food was seriously so amazing. 10/10 coming again!!!

Love this place. Go to for Mexican take out. I added an updated take home menu. March 1, 2025. read more

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great food great service! The quality of the food is very good. Their salsa is one of my favorites, the chips always hot, the water is clean, and doesn't have that chlorine taste! read more

Great service, great food. We went today with a big party and were seating right away with great service from our server. Big portions. Good for our kids. read more

Great service and yummy food in Medical Lake. It was busy and we had a large group, but were seated right away on a week night at 7pm.

There's a reason we've never visited this place over the decades, even though we live the next town over. It was one of those, 'I know how it's gonna be' events even before we walked in the door. Small town Mex. Not horrible, and certainly not memorable. You've been to places like this dozens of times. The one person we engaged with--who we believe to be the owner/host/waiter/etc.--was a nice fella. We were the only humanoids in the whole place during a Saturday lunch, and one wonders how they stay in business? But here they are, and they've been there for years. Medical Lake is not a place we usually visit, because it's just not in a direction we drive in honestly. Gotta disagree with people who've lavished high praise on this joint, though. Oh well... read more

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Definitely a hidden gem for Tex-Mex cuisine. The service was great with super friendly staff. The food was delicious and the price was just right! read more

Great food, very clean, and are always very friendly and professional. Lots of parking. Great for family gatherings. Big food portions with lots of flavor and many options on the menu. read more

El Ixtapa - Front area - Mexican Near Me - Medical Lake, Washington

The portion sizes are decent but food is average. Service is friendly and fast. Wish they told customers to pay at the front. Had to guess that when no one returned with the check. read more

Always great staff to great you and locate a table for You fast. The food is really good and quickly to be brought to your table, shortly after ordering. They have the best chips and salsa, along with this cabbage side that comes with the salsa. read more

This place was recommended by a friend who said they were the best Mexican joint around. So based on that we had to try it out. And even though I hate to agree with him, it WAS super good lol. It's not the most impressive outside but the quality of food made up for the lack of road appeal. The atmosphere was good, tables were clean and the waiter was friendly and attentive. One of my teen kids said that he liked the waiters' vibes so that's a plus. We ordered and the food came out quickly. I will say that we were having a late lunch so it was about 2:30ish and there were only a few other families there. It was a great time to avoid any crowd if that is what you are looking for. I ordered the chicken enchilada and Chile relleno and it was good. The chicken was moist and the gooey cheese on the relleno was what I went after first. Two of my kids and hubby had the carne Asada (which is their fave dish at any Mexican joint) and they devoured it. My daughter wanted just a little more char but it was well seasoned and flavorful to me! It came with some sautéed onions which were also good. In other kid had the Chile Colorado burrito. It was full of soft, tender meat in the sauce and he actually did a happy dance. (Imagine a teen boy wiggling around in his chair because that first bite was that good). He couldn't finish it because it was huge and he took the leftovers home. It was also consensus that the rice was probably one of the best rices we have had. Overall it was a great little spot in the small town I'd Medical Lake that I wouldn't have ventured to on my own. I'm kinda curious if they have a signature dish or anything that is a "must have". But next time we go (and we WILL go again) I will ask them to give me a house favorite. read more

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Food was not hot rice and bean you can not screw up service was good place is older needs update Go pay bill because they don't do it from table paid bill gave guy cash for tip and wake up this morning and they added a tip. That's wrong when you leave cash tip. Will not go there again read more

Been here several times. Typically the food is better. Today it was really bland. They brought my daughter's burrito out with enchilada sauce after we specifically said no sauce. The service is fast and they are friendly. I'll give them another chance and update my review if the food improves. read more

Food was good. Service was friendly. Ambiance was cozy like a good local mom and pop restaurant.

I took time out after the load up of the sound gear and went to El Ixtapa to have dinner. I ordered the Burro Acapulco and was pleased with how it tasted and how fast it was laid out. The waiter was efficient and brought a basket of chips along with sauce and some cabbage. The sauce was a bit too hot to suit me, but the main dish was great, complete with refried beans and guacamole and one other thing that escapes me. I am not sure if I should have had some tortillas but they weren't missed. For a Sunday night, the restaurant was not busy nor was it noisy. Overall I was pleased with everything and it was under $30 which is hard to do. I even thought my non alcoholic strawberry margarita was good and it lasted through the whole meal. While I normally might not drive that far for dinner on a normal basis, if I found myself in the vicinity and wanting to eat a meal, I would cruise in and eat for sure. But I am happy to say Ixtapa escaped from the fire damage so its high quality keeps on pleasing all who look for great Mexican cuisine. read more

Went off the highway to eat. Was supposed to open at 11. At 11:20 we left and went somewhere else. The :40 off highway and back on was not ok. There was someone in there but I called and didn't get an answer. read more

Exceptional Mex food at El Ixtapa in Medicine Lake. Wow! Typical AmericaMex menu, but every sauce was very flavorful. The Arroz con Pollo had lots of very fresh mushrooms as well as soft moist chicken (definitely not dried-out!) in lots of a rich sauce. Enchilada with mole sauce was a revelation: Chocolate was a minor spice, equalled by the cinnamon, instead of a too-thick syrupy mess... This was subtle! read more

El Ixtapa - Enchilada with a subtle mole sauce, Chile relleno with red sauce - Mexican Near Me - Medical Lake, Washington

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Incredibly good food, great service. I'd definitely go here again. Best restaurant in medical lake.

I'm always hesitant to order chili relleno. But this place has the best I've had. My husband and I shared the combination plate and had plenty to eat. The service was awesome. We were never left without chips or drinks. Loved the decor and placement of seating areas. Thank you for making my birthday dinner special. read more

Who woulda thought a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in little Medical Lake, WA would have some of the best Mexican food I've ever had???!!! This place is fantastic. It's not fancy, the AC was blowing pretty cold, but it didn't matter once the food came. My Arroz Con Pollo was simply the best I'd ever had. My son had the Chili Colorado and he said the same. I was hoping to go back at least one more time but my schedule changed and we weren't able to return. So if you are looking for a great, quick Mexican meal in Medical Lake, you've gotta go to El Ixtapa! read more

Good food, good service, good ambiance. It's a "go to" family restaurant for foodies.

I wrote a glowing review of this location back in 2017. I'd like to "amend" some of that, since things have changed enough where we no longer go there. I RAVED about their original Chili Rellenos. They USED to be whole chiles sliced open, filled with cheese, battered and fried. Now they're more like an omelet with chopped chiles. Not impressed. They also will walk right past your credit card on the table, so don't plan on leisurely cashing out while still comfortably seated. Now you get to figure their tip while they watch from the register. read more

Friendly staff, good margaritas, pricing is fair, and excellent food- you can't ask for better.

This place has amazing mexican food! Always delicious and consistent in flavor. Their salsa is yummy and the steak and shrimp fajitas are amazing. They are also on point with their margaritas. Service and prices are perfect. Thank you! read more

El Ixtapa - Mexican Near Me - Medical Lake, Washington

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I ate here with some coworkers the other. Ordered the chicken enchilada and chicken taco. This place is your typical midwestern Mexican restaurant. Very cheaply made food, Tex-mex flavors, and just not the most authentic flavoring. The enchilada sauce tasted like tangy ketchup. The tortilla chips were stale, and the meat in both the taco and enchilada was dry and flavorless. This will pass as good in areas not used to authentic cuisine, but if you're looking for a delicious Mexican meal, I would not recommend this place. The staff was very friendly though as a positive, and service was timely. read more

Amazing food. Prompt service. Seriously the best Mexican food we have had in a long time. Worth getting off I90 to visit!

Great local Mexican. Nicely seasoned, they pay attention to substitutions. Order ready in a timely manner.

Excellent service, fantastic comfort awesome food!!! Love their enchilada and chile relleno plate. The cabbage slaw, salsa, and chips are fresh and perfect. read more

We stopped by here for lunch after a Memorial Day hike with the family. We were driving to the store for some water and noticed they were open for dine in! We were happily surprised, nervous, excited- so many emotions haha. So we stepped in and noticed they had all proper social distancing in place and we decided to take the plunge into our first dining experience since early March. The food was so delicious, I had the enchilada and tostada combo and my kids and husband all went pretty basic ordering bean and cheese burritos. Everyone scarfed their food, we were all very happy with the service and the food. My 5 year old whispered "this is amazing" it was adorable. We will definitely be back- hopefully for dinner because it looks like their menu is a bit bigger for dinner, I see some pics of some really drool worthy shrimp fajitas and I can't wait to come back for that. Thanks for being open and ready El Ixtapa! read more

My parents and I always go here any time we go to dinner in Medical Lake. Absolutely Delicious! The Mexican Chicken Cream dish they have there is AMAZING! Highly recommend this place! read more

Me and my family go here weekly and never had bad service. The staff are very nice and friendly and the food is excellent. The wait is not bad even when they are busy. read more

Always awesome! Kind people and delicious food! I've coming here for years, the food is consistently good and it's nice to know that when I'm craving some Mexican food I can count on El Ixtapa in my little lovely town of Medical Lake. read more

We drove right by this place at first but circled around based on the reviews and this place didn't disappoint! I ordered the chili verde, my sister the camarrones, my mom the enchiladas and my brother in law, tacos. So we had quite the variety of food to try out. Everyone was amazed! My verde had so much flavor and the pork wasn't dried out which happens often. The shrimp had a good heat to it but not overpowering and my mom ate all her enchiladas (she eats like a bird) and my brother in law said his tacos were delicious! Highly recommend you trying out this hidden gem. read more

Located in the small town of Medical Lake, this is really the only Mexican restaurant here and included in a handful of restaurants around here. It is located right next door to the police station, so plan ahead if you plan on drinking the several types of tequila they have or you can always go next door and ask them for a ride. As always my husband is a plain Jane so he almost always orders the carne asada plate, which do not get me wrong it is good. Of course i always tend to order the camarones a la diabla and these were sooooooo goooood and soooooo spicy that i took the broth home to put on my food for later. IT WAS THAT FREAKING GOOD. I am sure they get busy on some days of the week but, were were mid-afternoon after swimming that we were the only ones there. It is a small area but the back room has a a lot of space. I'll definitely go back for my favorite dish and friendly staff. read more

El Ixtapa - Mexican Near Me - Medical Lake, Washington

We are from Texas and we LOVE this place. Kinda pricey, but amazing margaritas, good tex mex, and great staff.