El Jalapeño Mexican Food Restaurant in Trenton, NJ, has quickly become one of our family's go to spots whenever we're craving delicious Mexican cuisine. The food here is always fresh and flavorful, and you can really taste the quality of the ingredients in every dish. From the vibrant salsas to the perfectly seasoned meats, every bite is great and you can tell the care and authenticity that goes into their cooking. Whether you're in the mood for classic tacos, hearty burritos, or something more unique, you can't go wrong at El Jalapeño. Highly recommended! Some of our favorite dishes are, mixed grilled plate. Whole fried fish, their tacos. All great. read more

Being a Texas native, I thought that nothing in New Jersey would ever measure up to the highly prevalent Tex-Mex cuisine. Not only was the food amazing, it was some of the most authentic and tasty food I may ever have. The art around the restaurant (and even the bathroom) brought the place to life more than the outside could ever let you imagine. The service was friendly and had a lot of spirit, and I will definitely be coming back! read more

El jalapeño - El Tablazo - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

As always - delicious fresh food and warm service with a lively musical atmosphere. Highly recommend the Burrito Divorciado and the Taco Salad. Two simple dishes done right. read more

El jalapeño - Taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

See all

Our go to place for authentic Mexican food. The service is friendly with all walks of life visiting. A down to earth place with beautiful murals of Mexican culture. Fairly priced but worth it, it's always a delicious read more

See all

When you walk in the artwork is amazing it definitely catches your eye and you can see the people working well together as a team. It's really refreshing to see everything with the open kitchen and you can tell that they have a very good presence in this neighborhood, they have many bags organized to be ready for pick up and the chef is Working diligently. You can see them, which is really nice to see them cooking. I personally enjoy when I can see the Chef working and creating their delicious dishes for the customers. Everything is spotless and you can tell that the staff enjoys where they work. The menu is plentiful and has amazing amounts of selection. There are things that I cannot wait to order at another time when I can bring my husband and my mother back to enjoy our meal this place is in the shopping center so parking is very easy and navigating in and out is very safe and the walkways are very wide, so my mom who has mobility issues can have no problem. They have a wide range of a selection for beverages and appetizers and their menu has things on it that I definitely can't wait to order. read more

El jalapeño - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Ordered through Doordash so can't speak on the in-restaurant experience. Steak quesadilla - comes with sour cream and guacamole as well as either a side of fries or rice and beans. I chose the side of fries which were reasonably well done, fluffy insides, standard cut. The sour cream was that slightly watery type. The guac was very fresh. The steak was slightly chewy but overall rather authentic experience. Would order again. read more

El jalapeno is a very artful decorated restaurant. I really enjoyed the Chile Releno which is a stuffed pepper with beef and mexican cheese covered in egg batter and fried. It is covered with a tomato sauce that I asked to be spicy. highly recommended read more

El jalapeño - Chile Relleno - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

After 6 years and an overdue rediscovery of this place, I have to say they've earned the 5th star. It was an old Yelp friend who alerted me to their version of Gorditas. I am happy to be living in an area that has several great Hispanic places to chose from, and this is surely one more. In my recent visits I have had the aforementioned Gords, thin but sturdy crispy shells filled with your choice of meats, very good! Empanadas both chick and beef, good, flautas very good, and tostadas also very good. Chili rellenos are out of my zone, but I tried em and liked em. Maybe my favorite recent choice were the sopes. These were probably 75% larger than any I've seen, cups really! The al pastor had char and a lot of flavor with very little fatty pieces. That sat on a pile of tasty black beans, not a smear of paste, whole beans. As a lunch I could only eat 2. Since my original review, a large screen TV has been added and more decorative tables and chairs. It's a clean and casual place to eat in. Customer service has been friendly and helpful. And I have to add, points were given in their choice of sturdy green reusable takeout bags. Some area businesses try to charge you for these, not here. The Jalapeño is now in my rotation again, and I hope to try more things from there. read more

See all

We've been hitting this place on an irregular basis now and then for several years. It's close to my wife's office, and it makes for a good spot to meet when she has to pay off on a bet to me (we wager who has to pay for tacos--nobody really loses that way). The owners invested in a remodel earlier in the year, so there's more seating now than was available before. Our favorites are the Gorditas with Al Pastor and the Tacos de Lengua. They don't scrimp on the fillings, and the flavor on the al pastor was killer good in a way to make you say out loud, "Man, that's good!" when you take the first bite. The enchiladas, sopes, and chilies relleno are also tasty. An important note is that the Gorditas take extra time for the preparation, so go with tacos if you're in a hurry. Don't forget to get your Mexican soda (Jarritos or a hecho en Mexico Coke) from the cooler. The bottle opener is located at the register. Also, they are 100% Mexican now--the bagel/taco hybrid is no more. They do serve breakfasts, but I've yet to remember to give them a try. read more

See all

Every time we ordered was wonderful. I look forward to going back and trying something different.

My favorite place to order lunch from. Super flavorful, great portions, good quality! Sometimes they forget to include my utensils. Really great prices though!! I've never been to the actual restaurant just ordered delivery. I just with they had carnitas!! read more

To be frank, It did not taste like anything authentic in any of the Mexican, Cuban, or Spanish restaurants we used to go to in Texas. They tried serving the food warm, but that's all I noticed. They tried serving service was good, though, not since one goes for the food, and not just the service, I ended up going to the next door restaurant: Persis--which gave both outstanding service and kindness along with fresh, hot, delicious spicy meals with variety of choices and spice levels prepared with halal ingredients. That truly matters to me. read more

Amazing food Friendly staff Great music Reasonable prices If you want great, authentic Mexican food, this is the best place in town. read more

I have heard alot of good things about this place lately especially about their empanadas so I ordered a chicken empanada. When she told me 15-20 min for that I decided not to order anything else too long if a wait. when I got my empanada it felt heavy in the bag. when i opened it the box was loaded with soggy lettuce and tomatoes the empanada was covered in it. So the empanada was now very soggy. when i cut open my empanada it was a very thick shell with very little chicken. All you can taste is shell, the chicken was bland with no taste. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

El jalapeño - The thick shell. - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

See all

This is our go to place after hockey and gymnastics. It's right next to our sorts complex so it's super convenient. The food is great and the service is super friendly. They give you homemade chips and a spicy red salsa and a flavorful green salsa before you order. I love their shrimp in spicy sauce, chilaquiles, mole sauce and juevos rancheros. I would highly recommend it if you want good Mexican food. read more

See all

The birria taco is fantastic! Best in Hamilton. Service is great and the dining room is clean and colorful.

We went with our next door neighbors cause it was her favorite restaurant and after eating there we agree. We will definitely be going back. The food was very good and the staff friendly and efficient. They had a very nice selection of dishes, the usual and the unexpected. It's BYOB. read more

I ordered Steak Taco? It was with steak chucks, with cilantro, pico de gallo,roasted hot pepper side of cucumbers, lemon and had their hot sauce!!! It was on Spot!! It's a great spot, chairs and tables with heritage designs beautiful!!! read more

El jalapeño - Steak Taco (Asado) - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Friendly staff, tasty food, and great value for the money. The salsas were a highlight for me -- perfect spice level and very flavorful. read more

El jalapeño - Chile Relleno - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

See all

I used to love this place. The pork platters, the Al pastor tacos and the kids loved the quesadillas. Over the last few months the food has changed. The sauces are still very good. But the platters are not as good anymore dried overcooked meat. Even tacos were a disappointment. Chile rellenos was the only thing that has not changed. read more

Haven't been here in a while but have wanted to go. This little authentic mexican place is in a strip mall with a lot of different eateries. The staff here are very pleasant as always. Once you walk inside, you can seat yourself and a server will come to your table and provide complimentary chips and sauce (I say sauce more than salsa, as it seems to be just the red and green sauce). The menu is pretty extensive. We originally ordered the el pastor gorditas, but was told it would take a half hour to prepare. We didn't have that kind of time so we got the al pastor tacos instead. The platter comes with three tacos, rice, black beans, a jalepeno and scallions. The tacos had so much flavor. They were very enjoyable. Lots of rice and a little bit of black beans. I took a pic, and noticed it looked almost identical to someone else's picture! That shows they are consistent in their preparation of food! read more

El jalapeño - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

The place is definitely authentic Mexican food. However, it was missing some flavor. I asked for veggie tacos with cilantro and onions and didn't get the c&o. The tostadas were good but didn't have guacamole. I guess is not safe to assume that it will have guacamole just because it's "vegan". So overall I wish for more vegan options than what I customized. The drinks didn't disappoint. Authentic jamaica and tamarindo juice. Horchata is my favorite but it wasn't there. read more

El jalapeño - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

Another strip mall fast feeder that I stumbled into by way of a happy accident. It doesn't look like much but punches way above their weight. Excellent tacos, really tasty enchiladas and a very American cheese omelette if authentic Mexican fare isn't doing it for you. No heat lamps here, everything is fresh and ready in a flash. Don't be scared of a little strip mall, El Jalapeno may make your day. It made mine. An easy five stars. read more

By far the BEST birria tacos I've ever had. Lots of meat in each one and very filling. The rice and beans are also SO good!!! And the prices are very reasonable! This place is a hidden gem read more

Food taste great and the place is beautiful!! Service is great too!! The furniture is artwork that you can sit and eat on.. read more

The Tall Man and I were craving a snack after dropping off some laundry and dry cleaning. Our eyes immediately fixed on El Jalapeno, which was in the same non-descript strip mall. Unassuming strip mall Mexican restaurants are some of our favorite finds, so we figured we would certainly find something. El Jalapeno sells an unexpected combo of bagels and Mexican food with a decently sized but sparsely decorated seating area. It was the middle of the afternoon, so the place was pretty quiet save for one family and the TV. After salivating over several menu items (and reminding ourselves we were not there for a full meal), we finally settled on side orders of tostones and guacamole with chips. All were made from scratch on the spot, which took a few extra minutes but was totally worth the slight wait. The tostones and chips were crispy and not overly salty nor greasy, while the guac had a great creamy-chunky consistency. (No tomatoes or cayenne in this version, which was a plus for my nightshade sensitivity.) We're not in this area that often, but these side items were so on point that we hope to come back for an actual meal. read more

El jalapeño - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

The food is good, but I came on a bad day, which was cinco de mayo.. to prepare the food was 40 mins.. what was I thinking

The most delicious biria tacos ever!!! I will definitely be returning to eat these again and to introduce new friends to biria tacos. The sweetest ladies work here. They were very kind hearted. This is definitely not a place I would typically go to, but it happened to be close enough to where I was so I randomly gave it a try. I'm very glad I did! read more

El jalapeño - Birria Beef Biria Tacos Platter - Mexican Near Me - Hamilton Township, New Jersey

This used to be a bagels shop. Now it's a Mexican restaurant with a Bagel Shop. My coworkers and I came here for lunch often. The food is good, service is quick, and the prices are good. It's about 2/3 the price of Chipotle and more authentic. read more

Never go to this place! Mind you the food is mediocre at best. The worst of it is the service. We put in and order by phone and they said 25 mins. We went to pick it up and they stated they never received it. They then looked and found the order we place that was never stated. So had to wait another 30 mins for it to be done. Now when the food is done they rang us up and they stated the card machine was not working so then we had to pay in cash. I get home and I just wanted to check my account and there is was another charge they said never went through. So I go back and said I want my cash back and the woman said no since the card transaction didn't go through. So I waited till Monday and the bank said the transaction went through. So if you do go there be careful. read more

Service was slow like a slug..had to ask for water twice (in Spanish)..beans were bland, tacos were greasy (tortilla). Can't honestly recommend..waitress was not helpful..bad service for so-so Mexican food. read more

See all

Placed a GrubHub order 48 hours in advance. Order was cancelled about 1 hour before expected delivery time. You're on my shit list.

Food is good, but service is slow. Steak tacos and platters are good options to try .

5/5 for flavor, value, and friendly staff! So glad I found this hidden gem! I was looking for a place to get takeout for my birthday and found El Jalapeño on yelp. You can order online but I decided to order by phone. Food was ready at the time I requested for pick up. We ordered the beef lengua tacos (soooo yummy. Highly recommended), shrimp tacos, burrito special, vegetarian nachos, and chile rellenos. All were delicious ans flavorful. They give you a green and red hot sauce and serve the taco platters with rice and beans which are delicious as well! Will definitely go back next time I'm in town. read more

Had the chicken fajitas. They were amazing! My wife had the chicken burrito and said it was quite tasty as well!

Headed over to Jalapeños with a friend who's visiting from out of town. We were craving tacos badly. I ordered an Al Pastor tacos platter, which comes with cup of rice, an ounce of black beans, a jalapeño, and a small lettuce salad with one slice of tomato. Overall, I enjoyed my meal, because I was hungry. My pescatarian friend ordered "fish" tacos but received tacos that consisted mainly of lettuce, tomatoes, and minimal minced fish held together by two tortillas. It didn't have the typical white cream that boosts the taste, so she added a some of her beans and drenched them with the salsa to make the most of it and give them taste. The server stopped by to ask how the meal was, so I shared and showed her the lack of meat, she went to the kitchen to communicate our feedback and came out to say that he said that fish is expensive. I'm so many words, he didn't care. I was expecting an apology at least or for the chef to come out and talk to us. We weren't expecting anything else. Am the server came by again to ask and I couldn't lie. I said I was disappointed and felt bad for my friend. I could tell she was embarrassed that she couldn't do much. My suggestion is to charge less if you choose to skim on costly ingredients like fish. read more

See all

Good food, well prepared I'm happy. Authentic Mexican restaurant. Will be back to try more.

We had the chimichanga and grilled chicken platter . Both are fresh and very good tasting. The person at the counter works fast and is very polite. The restaurant is clean and well kept. We'll be back again. read more

Giving this place 5 stars is easy. Came here for dinner looking for an inexpensive, but flavorful food experience. That is exactly What my fiancé and I experienced. My enchiladas were full of flavor with a wonderful mole sauce poured on top. She ravaged an extremely large plate of nachos with Carne Asada. Simply show up, place your order at the counter and wait to be served... So, after hearing that there roast the chicken was very good I decided to come here for lunch the very next day. I was very impressed and thoroughly enjoyed my roasted chicken with a nice crispy and brown skin. I was able to exchange the salad for sweet plantains.. the food here is just awesome! read more

we absolutely love this place we have been coming for breakfast and lunch . the french fries are my fav snack they are fresh cutted . they also have the best black beans and yummy rice . the steak with shrimp is great they serve big juicy shrimp . the staff is really friendly ! this place makes me feel at home . read more

See all