Me and my lady stopped her for dinner tonight & as a proud Mexican from phx az this is one of those best Mexican's spots in Phoenix and it's super lowkey super clean great music and very nice ! From the sea food to the quesabirrias to the menudo everything tasted so fresh and well done and made with lots of love. I will definitely be coming here for breakfast one of these days their menu was great lots of options and I highly recommend this place. read more

I have been a loyal customer of this establishment for seven years, coming in almost weekly until I recently moved across Phoenix. The food here is unimaginably authentic and absolutely phenomenal--the menudo, chilaquiles verdes, and cucumber drinks never miss. Because I love this restaurant so much, I wanted to treat myself to breakfast here today after going through a very difficult financial time. Unfortunately, the experience left me incredibly disappointed. Over time, I have noticed a stark and frustrating inconsistency: the dine-in portions are significantly smaller than the to-go portions, despite costing the exact same price. Today, I ordered the menudo ($18.00). When the bowl arrived, it was filled to the rim with broth but was nearly empty of actual content--I could literally count the individual pieces of meat. When I went to the counter to address this, the employees working the morning shift spoke no English, making it impossible for me to communicate the issue. As a single-language Hispanic, experiencing a total language barrier at a favorite local spot--especially when trying to resolve a simple customer service issue--is incredibly challenging and frustrating. A few months ago, I had this same issue with a hollow bowl of menudo, and the staff happily and quickly corrected it. Today, because of the communication barrier, I couldn't get it resolved. Paying over $35+ for menudo, rice, and a drink is only worth it when the quality and portions match the price point. Right now, it feels like the restaurant is cutting corners on dine-in guests by overcharging and underserving, while their takeout portions exceed expectations. I will always have love for the flavor of this food, but ownership needs to address the drastic portion differences between dine-in and takeout, and ensure there is a way for English-speaking regulars to communicate with staff when an order is incorrect. I hope management takes this feedback seriously, as I would love to keep supporting a place I've called a favorite for nearly a decade read more

I've been a few times here and the food is amazing. Moving from CA, I wanted to find good Mexican food spot and this is a sneaky find. Small restaurant with friendly staff. I've had the carne asada burrito and costillas-both excellent. I need to try their al pastor. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Costillas Dinner - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Ordered the menudo blanco & it was amazing! reminds me of my families cooking. the service was great, they checked on me multiple times to make sure I was good. can't wait to come back to try other stuff on the menu. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - menudo blanco - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Small authentic Mexican restaurant. Appears to be family owned. Staff were friendly. Service was good. I was there early AM and had a breakfast burrito with tocino eggs and potatoes. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - breakfast burrito tocino eggs and papas. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great genuine Mexican food very tasty not only is the seasoning taste like grandmas cooking and very fast service read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

This place deserves more than 5 stars ! The service was impeccable, ambiance was great, and the food was DELICIOUS. I will absolutely be back. It's real, authentic, affordable, fresh Mexican food. Come check it out you won't regret it!! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Pozole Barbacoa Dinner Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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What a great place. Small clean, family run with Love obviously. Best homemade Red and Green Salsa anywhere. The Pazole Verde is out of this world amazing. Do yourself a favor and visit. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Chips salsa, Pazole Verde. - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

You have to hear this!!! My neighbor recommended this little spot on 32nd St. Wow!! I am quite picky when it comes to Mexican food because I grew up making it with dad. This place has me thinking twice about ever making Mexican food at home again. I ordered red chili chicken enchilada with rice and beans. My husband order chicken quesadilla with rice and beans. All can say go try it. I will definitely be back for tacos later this week. The food was excellent the staff was super nice and helpful with suggestions. We had a chance to try the Fresca (homemade) it was so refreshing. Yummy!! Highly recommend! read more

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Superb food. Finest mole in the country. This is my first stop always when I come to Phoenix. Handmade fresh corn tortillas. Friendly service. Such an excellent restaurant. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Chicken mole. Ordered salad instead of rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Maybe the best breakfast burrito I've ever had... that's a lot of burritos. Everything else smelled great, and looked delicious. Authentic stuff... super nice people working there. The kind of place where you're not going for the vibe other than a vibe of real world shit. Just great. Love this place. read more

El servicio fue lo mejor de nuestra visita. La comida también tenía su sabor auténtico pero el sabor no más no fue a nuestro gusto. El lugar no está tan grande pero estoy muy seguro que no batallarán encontrando mesa. Lo único que si les advierto es que los artículos del menú, como las bebidas, eran increíblemente caros. Creo que este lugar aún merece una visita y debes formar tu propia opinión, ya que esta es únicamente la mía. read more

Food: Very tasty. The closest to real Mexican food. Service: Great service by Magi (waitress). Ambience: The place was clean and most important of all (for me) the restroom was very clean. The only issue the entrance door read more

Craving some chilaquiles? Check out El Jacal! I arrived around noon. Parking is a bit tight. This seems to be a local favorite. I ordered at the check out. Took about 10 minutes to get my order. The chilaquiles was savory and filling. It came with rice and beans. I didn't like the small chunks of raw onion but other than that it was very filling. The chips were a bit soggy so maybe order inside the restaurant and not take out. That's not a downside but more of a heads up. Staff were nice. Looks like they were a bit limited on staff. There was only 1 waitress and 1 cashier. Be patient. I'd come again to try different items on the menu! read more

Excellent service. Great hot food. Very pleasant staff. Would highly recommend. Nice decor.

If you like a nice authentic Mexican meal, this is the place! We just returned from Hawaii off the Red-Eye. It was about 9:30am and we wanted a good Mexican breakfast. I read the reviews on this place and there were several references about how the food here reminded them of home in Mexico. The first thing we ordered was coffee. While drinking our coffee, we browsed the menu. I decided on a Verdes y Rojos chilaquiles and my wife ordered Huevos Rancheros. I don't think the server understood me because she brought me Rojos Chilaquiles. Oh well, I wasn't going to send it back. The chilaquiles was served with a little bit of refried beans on top of fried corn chips, topped with red sauce, and eggs. The red sauce had a deep red chile flavor. It could've used more salt. The rice and beans were good. The rice was moist and had a subtle toasty flavor. It could have used a stronger broth or more salt in my opinion. The beans were nice and creamy. I would certainly return here to try their lunch menu. Until next time! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros! Delicious! - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This review is for the soup alone, since I haven't had the chance to try any of the other soup here and even if I did, I might not because it would be so tempting to always order any one of the amazing soups! The birria is my go to, but I enjoy the menudo as well and I'll be honest, I am normally not much of a menudo kinda guy, but this is different. The broth has a nice clean taste and isn't overly organy and funky like some menudo can be, it's a great intro for those who may be skeptical about menudo, or organs in general. The birria was deep, complex, spicy and generous on the meat and it also came with a stack of hot, delicious hand made tortillas, and while I was full, I felt it was my duty to finish this magical bowl of broth, as it would not only be waste to leave behind a drop of this soup, it would be an insult to the establishment. Aside from the food, the staff was very friendly too and even though this seemed like a busy weekend spot, we got our orders fairly quickly too. Maybe one day I'll return and try their other offerings but if I don't, I don't mind because damn, they really make one mean bowl of birria. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Birria - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

GREAT FOOD! the service is really good and fast, they have hand made tortillas couldn't ask for anything better!

Small place with good service and food. Definitely good and simple. We will go back frequently. Location is a little difficult to access.

Came here for breakfast while at work on the recommendation of my co-worker. The restaurant has a very home style feel and our server was very friendly. Service was very quick. I ordered the chilaquiles which I normally don't do because either the chips are still hard or they are too soft. We got it with green Chile sauce with carne asada and eggs. The eggs were cooked the way I asked. I enjoyed the flavor a lot. I also liked the rice and beans which had nice flavor too. I would definitely recommend giving this place a shot. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Chilaquiles Verdes con 2 Huevos - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

A hidden gem in Phoenix. Their menudo is incredible. Staff is friendly and a clean establishment.

Great and quick service! The ambiance was lovely, and the food was delicious. The hot sauce pairs perfectly with the food, though it definitely packs a punch! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Asada Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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I came in for a quick breakfast and I left the plate clean, this meal was very tasty. The maíz tortillas were hot and fresh! The bathrooms were very clean. My server was attentive and kind. I would dine here again and recommend to anyone for good Mexican food! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We decided to try a Mexican food spot that we hadn't had before & based on reviews, this spot seemed to be the one. We have passed it several times going to the panaderia & was always curious. They are apparently known for their breakfasts & soups. We decided to go for a late lunch instead & wanted to sit outside since it was a nice Saturday to do so.....we walked in & we were immediately sneered at by the "host" when we asked if we can sit outside, to which she replied "are you sure? It's cold out there". It was 75 degrees so we were puzzled but sat outside anyhow. Unfortunately it was all downhill from there. I ordered the flautas de papa plate & my partner ordered the flautas de deshebrada plate along with some chips & guac. She took our order & then another waitress comes out & brings chips & a tiny ramekin of avocado salsa & said "try this first & then let me know if you still want me to make the guac". Puzzled, we look at each other & then confirm that we do indeed want guac. Weird, right? Then our entrees arrive & it's the flautas but only a la carte. No rice, no beans - only lettuce, tomato & cotija. Then the guac arrives after our entrees. We are kind of getting the jist that we aren't wanted as customers at this point, bec we ask where our rice & beans are & she said "oh you want those too?". Like what? We ordered the Dinner PLATE, not a la carte.... At this point I decided that it's time for us to just finish what we have & call it a day. I've never had a waitress debate me on what I wanted to order. It was bizarre. So I bite into my flauta... it was dripping with grease & had ZERO flavor other than grease. Even the guac was unappetizing. You could seriously get better guac at Ranch Market. It was awful, mainly because the tomatoes tasted rotten. Even the few sprinkled on my flauta were rotten tasting. It was really gross. My partner said his flautas were "mids". Also, they were tiny, about the circumference of a nickel & about 6 inches long, if that. We picked at our food, finished what we wanted & then waited for the check. We waited & waited & waited. Finally my partner goes in to pay & he said the tried to charge us for the plate versions of our food of which we never got bec she waitress tried to debate us on whether we wanted it or not. After a few minutes of debating back & forth, they take $3 dollars off the total bill, but that still wasn't the difference between the a la carte portions we go compared to the dinner plate portions. Frustrated & wanting to leave, we just pay anyhow, not wanting a fight over the $12 difference. As we walked to the car we agreed we wouldn't come back, even to try breakfast which seems like their specialty. It was a confusing interaction & experience & the food & service was terrible. Later that night I got very sick, obvious I had food poisoning, even tho I didn't order any meat. My partner did not get sick but he didn't eat the tomatoes as he does not like raw tomatoes. That's basically my point, the food is not good, like literally rotten. I was up all night throwing up rotten tomatoes & guac. I'm still sick this morning, which is what prompted me to write this review. When I say never again, literally you couldn't pay me to eat here again. We will stick to our regular spots from now on. Rosita's Place, Cocina Madrigal, Carolina's, Ritos, Gallo Blanco are all out go-to's & this place will never be on our list of places to return. read more

Mexican homemade ambience! Truly authentic (no t drowned with cheese) food. Service was friendly and efficient. Again food amazingly delicious! read more

I was thoroughly impressed by this place. Huevos con nopales a la mexicano add chorizo mixed in was a fire breakfast. Corn tortillas tasted homemade. I ate way too much and price was reasonable. Staff were very friendly. read more

Loved it, the menudo is authentic. It's spicy and taste just like my abuela made it.

Food was amazing! Service was great! We will definitely be back. Had the huevos rancheros. Delicious tortillas too!

Authentic as it gets !!!! I've tried so many places and this is the best you can find . Barbacoa was incredible

Californians here. Looked for an authentic Mexican restaurant for brunch and this place did not disappoint. Pozole verde was delicious and the service was amazing. Staff was nice and attentive. read more

Over priced and the service and food were not great at this place. I wouldn't recommend this place, unfortunately.

Fast and attentive service. Amazing home made food lots of flavor. Will definitely come back.

I loveeeeee their food! Customer service is great! Very welcoming! Kid friendly! I recommend this place if your looking for a fast, homemade meal! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Cheese enchiladas, Verdes Kids plate in the back, cheese quesadilla with red rice - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Mucho Wow!!!!! Food was great, for reals! Alot of places say authentic...No!, this place AUTHENTIC! Service, excellent! Nice atmosphere, people were very nice and fiendly! read more

I've lived in PHX for nearly 30 years and can tell you this is the BEST Mexican Food in town. Clean. Friendly staff (brush up on your espanol!) and the freshest most authentic plates in town and for a reasonable price. Amazing. read more

Authentic, Reasonably Priced, and Delicious. I was in the mood for some Mexican food and was craving and found myself at El Jackel Mexican Restaurant . The entrees at El Jackel are fresh and natural tasting. The ingredients are simple, but complex in flavor. These entrees are light, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. On this visit we had tacos, enchiladas, and everything was delicious to the very last bite and the Agua Frescas we're so refreshing, light, and flavorful. If you're in an area you have to stop by and give this place a try you won't be disappointed. read more

I'm a night shift nurse that happened to stumble upon this gem one early morning after work. This place serves some real authentic Mexican food! I've gotten the chorizo, egg, papa and light bean burrito a couple of times now and I never make it home with it. I always dive right in as soon as I get in the car. After working 13 hours, it doesn't stand a chance in these hands. The green salsa is good but you can't beat the red one. It's spicier and has more flavor in my opinion. Almost a smoky taste. I also ordered the grande pozole to go and had it once I got home. The meat is tender and the hominy isn't too soft or hard. Reminds me of my dad's pozole. It comes with homemade flour or corn tortillas too. Remember, support your local businesses and give these guys a try. I know I'll be making my weekly stops there! read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - Half of the red pozole grande because I already ate the other half - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This review is specifically for the red (rojo) Menudo. It could take forever searching every little shop in the Phoenix area for a satisfactory menudo. I love a good bowl of stewed tripe served in red chile broth filled with aromatics and starchy hominy corn and tortillas. Aside from stewed bones and cartilage being good for your joints, hair and nails, menudo is long known as hangover cure. However, curing your hangover with menudo if you are not already addicted to the flavor of tripe may have the opposite effect. I stumbled upon El Jacal after another place was closed for a holiday weekend. Another reason to like this place! Some of the issues I did not like with other places: big bowls of cold soup, what seems to be old or overcooked soup with not much tooth left in the hominy and flaccid meat (heheh). Flavorless broths, fatty or poorly cut meat, layers of grease floating on top, overly starchy broths (almost like a New Mexican style carne adovada), and low quality broken corn tortillas. You make like some or all of these points but they were strikes for me. My menudo came piping hot as it should. The first thing I noticed was a non-greasy broth with a very beef and onion forward flavor. I found the broth to be more complex than others. I love to add oregano, chopped fresh onion, and lemon, however, I am more limited with the garnish here so as not to dilute the broth which is the base of my pleasure here. Everything else is additive. The meat is abundant and neatly cut in lean single bite portions and retaining a good amount of chew. This is complemented by an adequate but not overpowering amount of non-al dente hominy. I found it the right amount and kept the broth substantial but not starchy. I had the corn tortillas with my meal. They too were served piping hot. I believe they are handmade. They were thick, held the heat without drying out or crumbling. I like to pour salt on them and roll them tightly for dipping in my menudo. The broth combined with the salt, the hint of lemon and the very fresh starchy chew of the tortilla makes for a substantial and satisfying bite and you quickly realize they are more filling than they seem. I've seen some complaints about the service. Was it slow? That's relative. Like I said, I've had menudo at places nearby and received a large cold bowl of tasteless broth. So I do not mind at all waiting just a little bit longer for an appropriately steaming bowl of comfort to start my weekend. Most Phoenix breakfast joints require you to don your snacks and water bottles while you put your name in and try to find a place in the shade for them to call you so you can wait again because the kitchen is slammed. So yes, I will take this all day. I never had to wait to sit. It's a small mom and pop with a small kitchen and a lot of take-out orders in the post-pandemic era. So excellent and consistent product that fills me with nostalgia and warmth will always win out against any perceived slights. I've never experienced rudeness. Maybe not some of the syrupy hospitality like other places where they call you "Hon" then mess up your order. My order has never been messed up and has always been satisfying and consistent. I would like to try the mole and rice next but the menudo always calls me back. read more

Finally a place I can say has authentic flavor. The beans were amazing and I know what your thinking. They are just beans!! Let me tell you 90% of the so called Mexican restaurant here in The Valley don't even make their own beans. It's all can, these were homemade and were delicious. I had the birria caldo with a side of rice! The flavor was on point and so good. My husband had the machaca a la Mexican plate and that too was really good. My daughter had a carne asada quesadilla and man they are huge. The agua de pepino (cucumber water) was so refreshing. Place was clean and so were the restrooms. I read reviews on the staff being rude but I honestly think it is just her persona. She was nice but at first did come across as rude but after being there I could see she is just like your average Tia doing her job and making sure things are taken care of. Overall the food was amazing and definitely worth coming back for. read more

Oh WOW! The salsa is perfect, both the red and the green. The babrocoa is amazing, super flavorful.. The chilaquiles are like heaven. The service is amazing. How many times can you say amazing and get away with it? I travel almost every week and live in CA where mexican restaurants are plentyful. I eat at different restaurants almost everyday. The point is that the mexican food here is top notch! This place deserves to outgrow its location to a bigger place. Come eat here for sure! ....update.... i came back the next day and had Carnitas, they are spot on too. read more

El Jacal Mexican Restaurant - 2 plates combined- Barbacoa and chilaquiles, without the beans and rice. So so good! - Mexican Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona