After hitting the ball more times than I want to admit too at Apple Valley Golf Course we decided to drive down the mountain to Lake Lure to celebrate or for some to drown their sorrows and have a few cocktails and beers at El Lago. This is a spacious restaurant but unfortunately there were very few customers today so we were able to grab a seat at the small bar in the back of the restaurant straight away from the entrance they also have a large patio for outdoor seating. The staff here was very friendly and eager to grant our every wish, the draft beers are large and cold and lucky for me they serve Dos Equis Amber on draft which is one of my favorites to start before switching over to a top shelf Margarita (Don Julio) which are the same price as the house margaritas $16.50. The staff set us up with warm tortillas and salsa and introduced us to the "salsa bar" which had a number of different salsas and with different levels of heat so pick your poison and chase it with the drink of your choice. The restaurant appeared clean but although they weren't busy there were still bus bins filled with dirty dishes sitting around which I thought was odd. All in all we had a great experiences the pours were generous but it's not cheap. We decided not to eat here and our tap was still well over one hundred dollars without gratitude for the four of us - it's definitely a place I'd returned to for the margaritas... read more

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Not a lot of options for Mexican food at Lake Lure. The food was fine, a little bland. The chips and salsa were good. Service was slow and the waitress seemed disinterested in our table.The restaurant was very grimy and the bathrooms were unpleasant. I would go if I was really craving Mexican food but it wasn't a great experience. read more

El Lago - Shrimp tacos. You get three, I ate one already before I remembered to take a picture. - Mexican Near Me - Lake Lure, North Carolina

Casual Mexican restaurant in Lake Lure. Lots of menu options. The margaritas were pricey at $13 each and I think a mix so maybe go with a beer or just a shot of tequila instead. We did enjoy the food though. It came out quick, was hot and tasty. Liked the chips and various salsa's available. Tried a variety of tacos plus spinach and cheese quesadillas. You'll find something to like. It's a great location across from the lake. read more

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Very nice little "hidden" Mexican restaurant. I heard a lot of good things about this place so we had to try it while we were in the area. I ordered the ACP and a water. When it came out I was a little worried the chicken looked like it was really hot and spicy but I was pleasantly surprised to taste it. Excellent flavor and very little, if any, spice. It was very tasty and I cleaned my plate. They also have a really nice patio area that looks wonderful to use, but it was closed. read more

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Pretty drive to get there & when we parked! I think it's busier and tastes much better when when the beach is open and it's super busy. Tamales were tender and not dry . SOOOO FULL OF FLAVOR. I think they tried to heat the rice using butter, kinda didn't work but it was hot and edible. The chicken with cheese and mushrooms always amazing. The steak, chicken and shrimp dish was yummy too. A ton of food! Always taking some home. They have a salsa bar with 5 or 6 different salsas. Hot chips & their bean dip os great too. read more

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Great food and even better value. There were three of us and all ordered entrees-- Arroz con pollo and shrimp fajitas and shrimp ceviche. All around 12 to 15 dollars and enjoyed so much that we all ordered additional entrees to go. Staff very personable and great service. Highly recommended. read more

Right across the street from the beach. Passed by twice before realizing there was a restaurant back there. Service was tag teamed and on the ball. We had drinks, chips and bean dip immediately. They have a self-serve salsa bar near the front. My wife had a monster burrito and really liked it. I had the special dinner. Everything was excellent, but the star was the chili relleno. Neither of us finished everything, I tried. Prices were the lowest I've seen in a long time. If you want good food for very little $, this is your place! read more

The food and service is always wonderful. The best value around. The owners and staff are continually kind and patient. . read more

El Lago locate near the Lake Lure Inn at historic district. This Mexican restaurant is popular among the local people due to food and reasonable prices. They have patio and inside seating. Bar is available close to the kitchen. They have large margarita to share in the menu. We have order the carne Asada and the and the house fajitas. They good enough meat for the carne Asada. It come with yellow rice and re fried bean. The house fajitas has shrimp, chicken, and beef. It is multi meat and seafood combo. Shrimp is big considered this is inland restaurant. Food are well prepared. We also have the horchata. The rice drink. Refreshing. Service is good. Experience is great. Reasonable price. Good amount of food. No wonder local love it. The restaurant is near the prime lake area. read more

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Food was good but ended up being cold as the plates where ice cold. Service was quick and very attentive read more

We enjoyed this place. Seated right away. Our server Orlando was excellent. We were brought piping hot fresh Tortilla chips with bean dip right away. This is complementary as is the delicious Salsa bar! We got a couple chicken taco salads and a #1 lunch special. We definitely preferred their shredded chicken over the ground beef. Also good drinks. My wife got a pina colada. Which she loved. read more

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After another local Lake restaurant messed up our wedding rehearsal dinner reservation for 30 ish people, we went to El Lago, who gladly seated all of us and saved the day! It wasn't easy for them to take 30 people unannounced but they did it and the service was fantastic. Food and prices were great as well. Thank you El Lago for stepping up where others dropped the ball. You have earned customers for life! read more

Probably closed for the winter. I was looking forward to some great Mexican food at affordable prices.

We received a recommendation from a local and they didn't disappoint! The restaurant appearance isn't fancy, but the food is plentiful!! My son, who is picky, said it was the best rice ever! Both of my kids cleaned their plates. The fajita quesadilla was overflowing with chicken, onions and papers. It was delicious and not heavy at all. Highly recommend! read more

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Went there because it was about the only place open in town. It was really busy as a result. Service was kind of slow. Food was a okay but not great. read more

In town with family friends and decided to try this spot and we were so surprised we returned for a second visit. The food quality was great, the service was exceptional and the prices were very reasonable. Will definitely come back when in this area. Best chicken quesadilla I've had in years. read more

This place was great. Our server was nice and attentive. The food was also great. Between the 4 of us, there wasn't a negative comment. Definitely a place to hit when in Lake Lure read more

El Lago - Mexican Near Me - Lake Lure, North Carolina

Drove 20 minutes to come here as their Facebook, google, and yelp said they were open. They were not open when we arrived. There was no sign on the door, no posts on social media, nothing indicating they were closed. Hours were updated a week ago on yelp. Very disappointed to drive there to just turn around and leave. read more

Just out taking a drive and we stopped at El Lago. 35 miles from home and El Lago is now a go to Mexican restaurant. Pollo Ranchero (breast and not shredded) and the chicken chimichanga, both seasoned just right. read more

Food is overpriced and unseasoned. service is trash. Theres gnats all over the place. I don't recommend.

So I moved to NC from San Diego Ca almost 2 years ago, after living in San Diego for almost 30 years, I've been on a mission the entire time here in NC, the search for authentic Mexican food with no success until the other day while visiting Lake Lure I found this place, absolutely amazing and delicious! Finally authentic Mexican food! Not only was the food authentic & bursting with flavor, but it came to the table very quickly after I ordered and everything was fresh and hot. I was beyond impressed. Servers were also very kind and accommodating . This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant by far. If you're looking for amazing authentic Mexican food, look no further, this is the place. read more

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Great selection, great food. Salsa bar, bean dip is awesome goodness. Staff is friendly, our weekly Mexican fix.

Food was good. I at the fajitas, while my wife ate the chicken covered with spinach. My daughter loved the beef burritos. All fresh. Staff is friendly. What ever you order make sure you get their Margaritas on the rocks. Hint: order the large one ! read more

Y'all, cheap food, giant portions, and amazing flavor! I started myself off with a margarita fishbowl. Cheap and strong, just the way I like it. We started out with some chorizo queso and wow was it tasty! I also ordered a texicano quesadilla filled with flavorful shrimp, chicken, and carne asada. It was huge! I got like 2.5 meals out of it. The chips, salsa, and bean dip was endless. The waiter was attentive. Would definitely go again. read more

On our yearly labour day trip to NC we stayed in Lake Lure this time. Wonderful city. Very quaint and beautiful! With Covid it was a challenge finding spot to eat, but we found El Lago. We called in for a good 30 minutes and could not get anyone to pick up the phone. So we opted to go there and place the order while there. The place was extremely busy (for only allowing 50% capacity). The wait for take out as long. I saw some very agree customers but also happy ones eating their meals at the tables. One customer was a regular and boasted about the flavor and portions...which I agree were large. But I also noticed take out customers returning to restaurants. Seems like they did not get all they had ordered. I didnt pay much attention to that... We finally got our large order. We rushed back to our cabin and started divvying up the entrees. And to our dismay we were missing food. We called the restaurant but no one picked up...we kept calling until it closed. I even contacted them via Facebook...message was read, but no response was given. We ended up just splitting the meals so everyone could have food. I understand how busy restaurants can be during this pandemic, but I do not accept that a customer is ignored after their message was read. Another minor issue is that when 8 entrees are ordered, including two orders of dip and salsa, I would expect to get more than a single serving of chips. Food was decent. Just make sure you check each item before you leave...regardless of how busy they might seem read more

Normally, my family LOVES to stop at El Lago when we come through. Great people and great food. Unfortunately when we stopped by the other day it was CLOSED when it was supposed to be open. To say we were devastated is an understatement. I hope they are able to get a more reliable schedule and we can stop by El Lago soon. read more

Decided to give El Lago a try today during our trip to Lake Lure. It was mid afternoon so they were not busy. We were seated right away, drinks served up quickly and food came out shortly after. We are Mexican food snobs (at least eat Mexican once a week) and we thought it was pretty good. Not as good as our preferred local in Virginia, but would definitely visit El Lago again on another visit to Lake Lure. read more

My wife and I ate here when our initial plans fell through. The place was not crowded and had plenty of seating on a Saturday night. We loved the bean queso that was served with the chips. We really loved the bowls of chicken soup. The bowls were large enough and the chunks of chicken big enough to make that the meal by itself. We also had some burritos that were also delicious. The service was a little slow but friendly. Overall a great find. read more