Always great service and delicious food! I usually nibble on chips at other places... but here, combined with the chunky salsa! I ask for seconds! read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

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We returned here after a bad experience post covid. We won't be going back. The issue a few years ago was lukewarm food and a server who could have cared less. She blamed the kitchen and did not offer to heat up the food. Fast forward to last Friday night. Once again lukewarm food. I don't know what the problem is. There was only one other party there so no excuse for the kitchen serving lukewarm food. The absolute deal breaker was the ladies room. The toilet bowl looked like it had not been cleaned in weeks. There are tiles missing from the wall. Overall it just wasn't very clean. The service was also pretty bad. I don't know why they can't get their act together. The food is really good. It feels like a lack of care on the part of the owners. read more

Stopped in for dinner on a rainy night. The restaurant was empty. There were plenty of seats in the front of the restaurant, but the host/waiter sat me towards the back of the restaurant. I wasn't sure what I was in the mood for so I told my waiter I needed a few minutes. Well it was at least 10 minutes before he came back. If this place serves complimentary chips and salsa I was not offered any. I ordered chips and queso and was very disappointed. The chips were salted perfectly, but the queso was runny and bland. I also ordered the chicken enchiladas verde. The enchiladas were served with rice and beans. The enchiladas were okay, the beans ate more like a soup. I didn't even bother with dessert. The server who was also my waiter never came to check on me after my food was brought out. I honestly felt forgotten about while I was eating. I am not sure if I would go back. I have had better Mexican food. read more

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Been looking for a quality Mexican restaurant since we moved from Arizona and this is it! Came in for weekend lunch and it wasn't crowded, service was friendly with great recommendations. Al pastor and chicken were really delicious, will definitely go back! read more

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Hands down the very best Mexican restaurant in town! Please stop in and be treated, and served very well. The staff is phenomenal and the food is seriously awesome!....not to mention the killer cool atmosphere and delicious margaritas. I'll be back! read more

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we have eaten at ElJefe many time and each time the food is fabulous. the service is alway great. tonight was no exception. I have know Martin many years. we met soon after he opened ElJefe we have many family and friend gathering there. read more

Went for lunch. Why are there not more ppl here? Burrito was excellent, so were the margaritas! read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - a drink in a glass - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

I absolutely love this place. It is one of my favorite go to Mexican restaurants in the area. The food always comes out quick and is absolutely delicious. The decor is bright and colorful and there is ample seating, however I usually sit at the bar area. I have met the owner a couple times and he is a really down to earth friendly guy. Service is good when you eat in. If you like spicy salsa, their hot salsa is amazing. Warm thick chips! Yum. The jalapeño margarita is absolutely Phenomenal! It has a sweet spice to it. I haven't ordered anything here that I didn't like. Highly recommend this local gem. read more

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I was belighted upon my arrival and observed the atmosphere. Place is very colorful & Illustrated with Mexican heritage. I was pleasantly surprised with the food and the quickness of the arrival. The portions were large and included a lot of side options. Most of the entrees fall below 20 bucks. The gentleman and the young lady taking care of us were very pleasant and I appreciated their service. They made me feel welcomed with their presence. I also was able to practice my Spanish with no judgement. I will come back gladly 10/10 ! read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

This is good authentic Mexican food. We enjoyed our meal - all the food we ordered was hot and fresh and flavorful. We had a large party (6 adults, 4 teenagers and a baby - my sweet grandson!) and the waitress did a good job taking care of us all. Several of the people I was with used to work at El Jefe - we got to meet the owner and his adorable toddler son, so that was nice. Overall, we had a great dinner and I would recommend it to anyone. read more

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To be fair, this was late last year.... but half of my party got sick almost immediately leaving after eating here. Like... disgustingly sick. Everyone but the kids. We shared a few things so I'm not sure what did it... but never going back. Kids liked it - they thought the inside was fun, so it's a shame. They'd like to go back. But the server had no interest in us... just hanging out at the bar and acting annoyed. * in noticing other reviews - yea, same. We should have taken the empty restaurant at lunch on a Saturday as a warning and listened. Our bad. read more

Awesome place! I got food for work with a humongous order, and the manager was extremely accommodating, helpful, and went above and beyond to make sure my food was ready early. Everyone loved what they ate. read more

Don't let their dingy, worn sign in the dilapidated Astro shopping center fool you. This restaurant is top notch ! It was like walking from Dorothy's black and white farm into the colorful land of Oz full of festive, brightly hand painted furniture and walls. We started the meal with margaritas all around which were made with their own special margarita mix. They were light on alcohol but delicious. I maybe will ask for a few more lime slices next time. Next came the nachos w guacamole. The guacamole (delicioso) was served in a handcrafted tortilla bowl with yummy light tortilla chips which were delicious alone. Their fresh salsa was so good I might return for a take out container of it sometime. Each meal was created completely from scratch but didn't take a crazy long time to arrive. However, there were not many customers on a Sun night. At our table was ordered: a seafood molchajete, regular molchajete (chicken and beef), chicken enchiladas, and a beef fajita. Everyone raved about their meal and the generous portions but I can only speak to mine, the seafood molchajete. Oh my Goodness ! It came in a giant stone molchajete bowl which kept the sauce boiling for at least 10 minutes (It was still painfully hot when I loaded the leftovers into a takeout container 40 min later!) I wish I had taken a picture because it was a piece of art brimming with a cluster of 4 crab legs, shrimp, squid, octopus and fresh fish. It was in a mild spicy sauce and served with generous sides of refried beans, rice, lettuce/tomato and homemade tortillas. OK, I'll comment about the other molchajete bowl. The meat portions were thin, juicy cutlets that were so large they had to be removed from the bowl to be cut! For dessert we shared ice cream served in a tortilla bowl that was nothing to write home about but it topped a spicy meal nicely. It was my birthday so we had to get some, right? The service was good. My only complaint was that the waitress did not ask if we wanted drink refills. We are big kids, we could have asked for ourselves. This is also a place where they are not in a hurry to bring the bill but ready when we wanted it. We definitely will return to this Mexican oasis again. Gracias, El Jefe ! read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Seafood Molcajete Bowl leftovers - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

Maybe good for Delaware, but certainly not the best Mexican food I've had. The only reason I came here was because I was overcome by a suspicious hankering for carnitas tacos while shopping. A quick review of yelp led me to El Jefe. After reviewing the menu, it was clear I wasn't going to get my way, as actual carnitas tacos are not featured, although acceptably similar lomos and deshebrada tacos were available, so I settled. I first ordered up 2 each of the shredded beef and shredded pork tacos, Mexican style. I couldn't taste the difference between the two, I actually had to look inside to figure out which one I was eating as the taste and textures were so similar. They were meh, at best, but for the price, stingy in size. Upon finishing, I also ordered up 2 beef enchiladas. Again, they were just ok, albeit, curiously void of cheese, which made them kinda dry. It would have been easier to eat the damn things if I could get a friggin drink refill. Alas, I managed to finish 2 entrees and an entire basket of chips and salsa before I got my refill, despite 4 trips back and forth from my waitress. This place seems to be more of a bar, and favorable reviews of the drinks and happy hour specials support that. Again, good enough for some, but I've had better. read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Lomo and carne deshebrada tacos - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

I'm from Arizona where the Mexican food is on another level but I had so many people recommend this place so I had high hopes.. only to order the enchiladas and the red sauce tasted like they poured a can of cheap salsa on top.. Mexican food in the east is trash, change my mind read more

I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood outside of Chicago. One of the things I loved was the fantastic food in the area. El Jefe absolutely lived up to the standard that I have for my Mexican Cuisine. My wife and I both loved it! We had the Queso Dip and the Guacamole to start off with. Both were delicious. For our meal, I had the Tex-Mex Burrito which was amazing. My wife had the combo Steak and Chicken Fajitas which she loved. She also got the Horchata to drink which I tasted too. It was fantastic. The service was very friendly and prompt. The atmosphere in the restaurant was great too. It goes without saying that we'll be coming back to El Jefe! Edit: I noticed some Facebook reviews complaining about the prices. The cost is no more than any standard restaurant these days. Also, we used Groupon and got a GREAT deal on our bill. If you want a dollar menu then go to Taco Bell. You'll get low quality food at your price. If you want FANTASTIC food, great service, and a fun atmosphere, then El Jefe is your place. read more

Everything comes from a can, I'm used to authentic Mexican being from Phoenix but this was a big let down.

Delicious! Fajitas were fantastic and so was the seafood enchiladas. Free chips and salsa but we paid for a small guacamole. Also delicious. Our server was attentive. We will be back. read more

There are only 3 places in Delaware that offer truly delicious guacamole: Border Cafe, El Tapatio, and El Jefe. Not the fastest service yet we come here to relax so we never really notice. Everything I have ever ordered or tasted here is delicious. Norma is an excellent server who indulges me with my broken Spanish and corrects me to help me learn. Always a wonderful experience. Favorite dish: fried beef chimichangas ... simple yet amazing. read more

Hands down the worst Mexican food I've ever had! The nachos came out without cheese?!! The waitress acted like I was insane to ask where the cheese was. No flavor and no customer service skills. Save your money and time and go to Taco Bell as bad as it is, it's a step up from this place. read more

Stopped in on a Tuesday night and the place was empty. Stayed anyway because the staff was extremely nice. Had three tex-mex tacos (beef, roasted chicken and shredded chicken) with rice. Meal was decent enough. Tuesdays and Thursdays they have a margarita special. Ordered one and it was good. Overall the place is clean, the staff is friendly and the food is ok. read more

The food wasn't hot, we ordered the "El Jefe" Nachos, both the shredded chicken and beef weren't hot, and the meat was dry.... read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

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My favorite Mexican restaurant in or out of Delaware...except for that transient fish taco stand in San Diego...Tom Robbins and I are on the hunt for the perfect taco...I've found mine: Tacos Mexicanos con al pastor. Translated: BEST (soft) taco EVER with marinated (secret ingredients ;-) roast pork, perfect amount of delicately diced onions, and fresh cilantro...side of lime for just a juicy bit of citrus to cut the (welcome!) richness of the pork. Tip: ask for a corn instead of flour tortilla for enhanced flavor ;-) Also: the salsa is guaranteed to be different in heat level every day; but, every day, it is fresh & really flavorful...sometimes it's smoky! read more

Walked out tonight. Starving, so that sucked. Waitress ridiculously slow. No chips and salsa offered. When we walked out I told the the moron at the door we'd given up. "Ok. Have a nice night!" She said, cheerfully. Off to forage for dinner! read more

I've heard a lot about El Jefe but have never eaten there before. I'm a La Tonalteca kind of guy. It was time for El Jefe's shot to win me over and unfortunately they didn't. Don't get me wrong. It was good, just not great. The chips and salsa were really good. Point Jefe Tacos. Really expensive, cheese cost an extra .50 EACH. Taste Ok. Point Tonalteca Fajitas. The tortillas were amazing. I found the rest of the dish disappointing. I like it when fajitas come out still sizzling on the skillet. Not here. And why not cut the tails off of the shrimp for me? Point Tonalteca Cheese Enchilada. My wife ate this and she said it kicked the pants off of Tonalteca's. Point Jefe Overall Menu. Only ONE juice option for my kids. Boo Other than that there were some good choices. This one is a draw. Service. They were very friendly and accommodating. Quick service. This one is a tie also. All in all El Jefe is a fine place to go. But they didn't earn the title of my favorite Mexican Restaurant. read more

LOVE this place. Doesn't look like much from outside but go in anyway. Food is awesome and the staff is always nice and welcoming. Best guacamole. Haha Lauren and Aaliyah, beat you both here :) read more

I don't often write reviews, but I feel that it is my civil duty to tell you NOT to come here. We should have taken an empty restaurant at dinner time as a warning, but Mistakenly ate here anyway. After about 20 minutes of sitting in a dark, sticky, dingy corner surrounded by fruit flies, we finally got our drinks and ordered. I will say that their chips and salsa were good, but that did not make up for the rest of the food. I got three tacos and had to pick through the insides because the taco shells were cold and stale. My friend got the burritos and found multiple chicken bones, which might have been forgivable if they tasted better. We ended up leaving behind half of our food, which is something I never do. The only reason I am not giving this place one star is because it used to be good a few years ago and I hope that one day it can dig itself out of it's current state. I'm also reserving my one star review for a rundown truck stop diner with glory holes in the bathroom... But, my friend and I were actually too skeeved out to use El Jefe's bathroom and literally decided to wait til we got home, so maybe my 2 stars are too kind.. Where is the 1.75 star option when you need it? read more

Went here for lunch with the misses. I ordered chicken enchiladas with mole sauce. I enjoyed my dish a lot, but I was not blown away. I've had mole sauce at various Mexican restaurants and I can definitely say that the mole sauce at El Jefe definitely has a stronger chocolate flavor and is a lot thinner. I will return and try a different dish. Think I may be in the mood for quesadillas the next time I go. read more

1st time and me and my wife loved it!! Service was great and food was yummy and authentic and came out fast. Good ambiance and prices good for all the value read more

El Jefe Restaurant & Mexican Grill - Very good! - Mexican Near Me - Newark, Delaware

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I just had the vegetarian Molcajete earlier this evening, and I really, really enjoyed it. I am not fully vegetarian myself, but I do enjoy vegetarian meals sometimes if they are prepared well, and this definitely was. Tasty vegetarian dishes can be hard to find, as most restaurants would just offer a basic salad or something equally boring, so I really appreciate it when a restaurant and their kitchen staff actually go out of their way to make sure they have really good vegetarian and/or vegan options. And the price was really affordable (under 20 bucks for mine), especially with the huge portions they gave me. Definitely enough food for 2 more meals. Also, the staff were super nice and helpful. I wasn't super sure how to pronounce my order at first, but I think I can do it now thanks to my waitress lol. I will for sure be coming back next time I'm in Newark and in the mood for some Mexican food. read more

Excellent food. Great customer service as well. If you like sports or just want to stop in for a snack very nice community restaurant near YMCA, nail salon and gas stations! I'll be back!!!!! read more

We ate here on a Friday night. It wasn't very busy. From the outside, this doesn't look like a restaurant you can trust. It's not located in a very fancy shopping center, so there's really not much they can do about that. The inside is covered in cheesy mexican decor, but we thoroughly enjoyed the environment and it was fun to look at their restaurant's decorations. The salsa was awesome. Spicy and awesome. I had the seafood enchiladas. They were very good too. (they are made with corn tortillas, but you can request flour tortillas if that's something you prefer). Big lumps of crab. The service was average. It wasn't busy, so the waitresses just collected at the hostess stand and chatted a bit while they waited for something to do. While that's not really an issue, it did draw my attention when we were waiting for a refill. It's a little weird to approach/ interrupt a conversation between 4 girls and ask for a refill. Certainly not docking stars for this... just an observation. Our waitress was very sweet. Pricing was spot on. We didn't leave feeling guilty at all about what we had spent. read more

Don't bother. We tried this place a few times and will not be going back. They claim to serve authentic Mexican but they do change it a bit. My Mexican husband tried a few different meals and agreed it's altered for the clientele. We loved the seafood queso but not much else. Service is so so at best and don't ask for something different from the menu they will just ignore it (and we speak Spanish so it wasnt a communication issue). If you want good authentic Mexican try Lili across the street or Los Compadres both are wayyyyy better. read more

We love this place and probably visit every other month or so. Have never been disappointed with the authenticity of the food here. I do not eat salsa ANYWHERE else because it just doesn't compare! read more

Our favorite place to go. Great food and drinks. Staff are friendly and helpful. We especially like the chimichangas and fajitas.

Let me first say that this is NOT a Americanized Mexican spot. It's REAL Mexican like what I had in Mexico. So if you don't know what I mean, just head to Don Pablo's instead of coming here and giving it a bad rating because you're comparing it to Taco Bell or some other commercialized place. Mine and my daughter's favorite dish here is the Mocajete. I've traveled to various parts of Mexico, from Cancun to the remote villages around the Mayan temples. This place here is the closet I've found to an authentic Mocajete in the many states I've traveled to. I lived up in West Grove, PA next to Avondale, PA which is known for its Mexican food and mushrooms, of course. But this place is a gem for Delaware especially because of their Mocajete. The sauce alone is amazing even before adding the grilled veggies and meats. My twin teen sons kill the tacos and burritos and they can't get enough of the salsa and chips. I recommend the Mocajete but honestly everything I've had over the years is great. The staff is professional, friendly and the drinks are on point. This place is a gem in the small wonder state. read more

Not at all hygienic. We ordered chicken enchiladas and got pork instead. The plates were not clean. Seats were all torn. Churros were not baked inside. Had to waste the food, as we couldn't eat it. Wouldn't go back here. read more

Ask for a Fresh Margarita, they are fantastic. Seafood enchiladas are the bomb too. Lots of different tequila at the bar to try out. Great authentic Mexican food. read more

I've been coming here for a while and now I know why. Recently I revisited La Tolnateca and Taqueria Moroleon (in Avondale). They didn't cut the mustard. At. All. I'm very judgey when it comes to the salsa. If your salsa ain't right, then chances are the rest of the menu isn't either. One thing I can say about the Jefe. Their salsa is relatively the same every time but it does vary. Which means it's freshly made. Either way... It's the best by far. Taquerias salsa specifically turned me off to the whole menu. The salsa was super generic. The margherita( while there are many variations) didn't hold a candle to the strength and quantity of El Jefe. El Jefe is a very under rated boss. Fresh food, large quantities, tasty AF, and at a very reasonable price. The only downside for Jefe is the service can be slow sometimes. Very small price to pay for a better more genuine experience. All I can say is that if the wait bothers you, pick up your small talk game. El Jefe is THE BOSS read more

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This place is awesome!! My husband and I have tried multiple places such as the Mexican table in hockessin, taqueria moroleon in Avondale, and el tapatio in bear and you know what we keep coming back to el jefe!!! The folks that work here are super friendly and accommodating. You get so much food for thought he price, the margaritas are big and strong. We typically order the Tex mex burrito with shredded beef ( comes with other options including veggies), or if you're looking for spicy order the ranchero burrito and there is the Quattro flautas shredded beef, just to name a few things and did I mention the hot chips and salsa?!? In any case you just can't go wrong here people! Love el jefe!!!!! read more

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