Great from the start! inviting music and decorated authentically hispanic. The food came and was all excellent! Chips were great and even had specials going! Would love to try the dessert next time! Great time and attentive service. read more

I never generally leave reviews, but today I'm going to review. I stopped today to get lunch. The first problem that I encountered was the bill. I was probably their first customer when the girl at the counter rung me up the bill came to $20.76. I could see it cause I was standing there at the register and she said it's $21. This waitress rounded up my bill when I said I was paying cash instead of opening the register and giving me my coin change. The photo you see is of the tacos. I ordered when the waitress told me about the tacos. They came with lettuce and tomato. I asked for no lettuce and if they could put sour cream on it as you can see what the sour cream looks like that they put on it and there was no tomatoes, so it was just chicken.. I discovered this when I got home since I got it to go. There are at least six Mexican restaurants in Jacksonville and this one I will not ever come back to. read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - This is how the restaurant served the sour cream on my tacos - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Food; to die for. Service; impeccable. Restaurant; Mexicano vibe. Overall 10/10, would come again! read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - Steak Mariachi, Devil Dogs, etc. - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

This food was never great, but after today, I won't be going back. The lunch special was $6.99 on the menu I was ordering from at home. I asked to clarify the price, and the young lady on the phone told me it was going to be $7.99 because it was Saturday. When I finished ordering, she told me the total was $9 and change. When I got the restaurant to pick up, the price had morphed to $10 and change. When I asked why, the young man in charge muttered a bunch of nonsense and couldn't give me a straight answer. At one point, he actually said the price is higher because it's a smaller portion at lunch. (And there's also a "To-Go charge," common with Mexican restaurants but seemingly not assessed by any other kind of restaurant.) My lunch was marginal. And cold. And salty. Go somewhere else. I will be. read more

FUCK YESSS!!! I'm from CA and my wife and I got Huaraches and fried shrimp, so far best Mexican spot in Jacksonville

This is by far the best Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. The food is hot, fresh and plentiful. The service is always impeccable. Great mixed drinks. Very authentic and impressive Mexican ambiance. read more

I don't know how I drove past this place so often but I'm glad I got an invite to lunch there. The decor, the staff and service were cheerful and the prices are good. We ordered the cheese dip to go with the nachos, which were plentiful. I had tacos, and chicken fajitas. I definitely recommend this place for the food and atmosphere. read more

Very, very disappointed this is the second time they have messed my order. I ordered the green salsa enchiladas. I received the white enchiladas. They were cold and I could not eat them. I am lactose intolerant. Packaging was good. I also ordered guacamole for $4.99. I expected more than three bites. The salsa was bland and I don't know why I'd have to pay for chips and side of salsa?? That's ridiculous. I should automatically get a small bag with my order. I don't think I'll be coming back here. They've messed my order up twice now. What's worse is I ordered through DoorDash so I wasn't able to see what I was getting versus if I had picked it up. They looked very pretty sad. I couldn't eat them. read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - White enchiladas - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

The food was amazing. I had the ceviche topped oyster plate, Jamaica and of course some Victoria beers. well worth it. The sauces that came with the plate super complimented the dish. It's worth giving it a try. read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - This is the ceviche topped oyster plate. - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

We were trying to define where to go out to eat tonight. Found a little Mexican place next town over. Really weren't expecting too much , but we we're pleasantly surprised by the decor , the service and most importantly the food. All were really great ! It's our new favorite place in the area! read more

I mean this in the best way possible, you get what you pay for! It's decent food, great drinks, and a fun colorful atmosphere for a decent price. The waitresses and waiters are always friendly and happy to serve. Some of the mixed drinks are GIGANTIC and very fun to drink. Traditional music plays as-well. read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - The restaurant area - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

The food was nothing but salt old chicken in my raps, service person spoke so fast on the phone it was like she was in a hurry to get the next customer. I ordered to go asked that they would not put cilantro on my taco meat, they put salt instead chicken was hard the wraps where cold like they had just took them out of the refrigerator. I went to pick it up. There was nobody there so sad looks like a good restaurant, but the food is horrible. It's a shame. We'll never spend a dollar there again. should have just gone to Mi Cabaña at least they service hot food good chicken. I will not waste my cash read more

Mid sized Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville NC. Food was very good, service was awesome and beer was cold! Will definitely come back when I roll through. read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - Fajita nachos - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Tonight I ordered shrimp and crab quesadillas and it was delicious. Also enjoyed a pomegranate margarita. Ambiance was typical family style restaurant. Service was good read more

El Mariachi Mex & Grill - Shrimp & crab quesadilla - Bars Near Me - Jacksonville, North Carolina

Ordered through Uber Eats........steak was ok, shrimp was horrible. Overall, not good. May be better in the restaurant, but if ordering through Uber eats it's a hard pass! read more

Such a great spot for Mexican food! The portions are big and the food always tastes fresh! When dining in the food doesn't take long to come out and if you call for pick up it's always promptly made. Definitely recommend compared to other places around! Edited to add pictures of some of the food tried. read more

See all

HUGE portions, and more importantly, the food is excellent. The service was spectacular too. Get the El Mariachi dip (a mix of cheese, beef, and enchilada sauce) to eat with the free chips. The prices are darn good, especially considering how much food you get. Plenty to take home for another meal. When you walk in, there's a bar to the left and the restaurant seating to the right. Give this place a try & enjoy! read more

Colorful, popular, has bar and recorded mariachi music. Probably the "Mexican" version experience expected out here. Servers are fine. If you are from the Southwest, you'll wonder why you are in here. Food is mediocre. In California or Arizona, I'd just say bad. Fortunately there are at least two awesome Mexican places in Jacksonville (El Cerro Tacos and Taqueria la Mexicana). El Cerro Grande down the street is much better too. Sorry. Also I tried the flan just to see if I could leave happy but it was actually bad. read more

Terrible food I ordered taco Cameron and birria tacos I ordered pickup and receive literally shrimp and tortillas very bland no toppings 0/1000. read more

The food here was good! We usually go to Plaza Del Mariachi but the music is so loud there that we stopped going. Tonight we came here instead, the restaurant was clean and they have cute decorations inside, even a little Christmas tree! They play good music here at a reasonable level, not too loud. There was a lot of popular pop songs playing. Our waitress was very attentive and welcoming. The horchata unfortunately was flavorless but the food made up for it, the tacos Al pastor were good. We will definitely come back read more

I wish I had pics but I ate it so fast. I ordered the enchiladas El Mariachi which comes with shrimp and requested Salsa Verde. I was a bit weary of trying yet another Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. I recently moved here from San Diego and the Mexican food I've had so far hasn't met my standard at all. I was pleasantly surprised with my meal, the enchiladas were good and fresh the shrimp was fresh and well cooked. And the highlight for me was the salsa Verde! It was so creamy and spicy just like how I love it. I would rate this place higher than the other popular Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. read more

2nd time trying to eat here and the service is just absolutely horrendous. Having to go to the bar to get drink refills and then having to go to the hostess station to pay the bill because our waitress was just missing in action. Food was so/so not the best by far. Not to mention the place is absolutely DISCUSSING!! They don't clean anything. Menus and table were sticky. Just over all disappointing and we won't be back again. read more

I will definitely not go to this place again, the food is bad, the place is dirty, the service is bad, and part of my family went to eat and got a virus for several days, they were in the hospital, the virus is salmonella, my grandchildren are a baby. and a 2-year-old child was very sick with salmonella. It was very sad and painful to see my children so sick. I do not recommend this restaurant. It does not have enough hygiene to provide a service. read more

New Gem. Cool interior design. Very extensive menu. Food was fantastic. Fast and great service. Very nice locally owned I assume. Music nice touch not too loud a bonus. We will be back! read more

So we moved here 6 month ago and we were coming here because we live nearby. We really like it. I must also say they have improved steadily in the last 6 months. We went last week and it's brighter, looks cleaner, and the staff kept asking us if we needed anything. The food is... SO good. The benches don't wobble anymore and the food... oh man. I always eat the spicy tacos and the shrimp. They have a really nice bar and beers it's really good. We come here with my kids and make a huge mess and they always welcome us. read more

I was surprised at how unpleasant my experience was with "El Mariachi". I love Mexican food and have eaten in every other Mexican restaurant in Jacksonville. I decided I give them a try. I ordered approximately $43 of food to go plus a little tip. I did not get the California Burrito I ordered, instead I got something with shrimp and white sauce on top. That was my plate, instead of fussing about it, I decided to give it to someone else and instead eat a little of someone else's food. The Carne asada plate had a weird agave cactus thing hiding the small amount of steak underneath that was extremely tough and chewy; I could not eat it and had to frequently spit my food. Not only was the steak tough and chewy, there was very little hidden underneath the weird tasting agave cactus thing. Even the tacos al pastor was too dry. Look guys, I don't criticize food that much. I even give people the benefit of the doubt. As you can see, I accepted the mistake, but there were too many problems for me to be quite. Me siento extremadamente decepcionado. read more

The Resturant had good food but the only problem with the place was they inflated their tip more then from what I originally had on the receipt. It was only a couple dollars but still wasn't happy that they decided to tip them self's more then what I wanted. read more

Service was great, I ordered carne con red chile, not a fan. We also got the queso birria, oh man they were amazing! Husband got the carne asada tacos, he said they were good. read more

Good food, good pricing, clean place, nice staff, good food portions, tasty meals. WOULD REC.

Too darn yummy! I can't recommend enough. Great service also. I've worked 5 years in a Mexican restaurant so I know a great one when I experience it. Thank you El Mariachi! read more

The service was amazing! The Mexican flag colored chips served for free are hot and fresh out the oven. The salsa served with the chips was perfect. The quesabirria and shrimp and crab quesadillas are to die for. The aqua frescas, specifically the Jamaica, was perfect. Not too sweet. And to end off with dessert the tres leches cake and churros were so good. Inside it's very colorful and festive. Very easy to order because they have pictures of the food on their menu. They deserve business. They took care of my boyfriend and I very well. Definitely going back. read more

Don't let this hole in the wall restaurant fool you. El mariachi has fantastic Mexican food, especially the fajitas. We get take out a couple times a week. The prices are lower than other Mexican restaurants in Jacksonville, but their food is much better, and their service is excellent. Great job, you guys! read more

First time here and I will NEVER be back. Music is so loud it was making me nauseous!! I had to leave my friends and go out to the car. I had asked the waitress shortly after arriving if they could turn it down a tad and I swear they turned it up!!! Never going back!!!! I like to be able to talk and listen to my friends when in a restaurant. Food was just ok and service was so so. read more

We've come here a few times in the past and it's stayed the same. The service here is good as well as the food which is in my opinion one of the best locations to eat Mexican. They have a full bar in a different section and let me tell you if you are wanting to celebrate Cinco De Mayo make sure you get here early. Our food was served in a timely manner and hot which I'm very pleased about. The menu isn't overwhelming like a lot of Mexican restaurants. Tons of good dishes to choose from with an explanation if you aren't sure what the dish entails. There's one thing that seems to be a problem and that's their central air which doesn't seem to be working half the time. I'm in high hopes management will fix this issue soon. Its not an ideal eating situation when it's stuffy. This is the reason for 3 stars as I feel this could be fixed. The prices are reasonable there's no complaints there. It has a dark ambience not every well lit inside , but that's okay. Perhaps they didn't turn lights on due to the central air not working which is understandable . I do recommend this restaurant if you have a love for some good Mexican food. Now it's not the real deal in my opinion , but for this area it's as close as you'll get without getting on a plane a flying cross country. Enjoy!! read more

See all

Very good Mexican food. I had the seafood chimichanga and it was to die for! Big pieces of crab!

This restaurant, I would say, is average, not good but not bad. The food was a little on the charred side and more bland and not quite as good compared to other restaurants that serve this kind of food. That being said, the portions were more generous than most places. The service was adequate, and prices were similar to other restaurants like this. The biggest factor for my rating being so low is that while the ambiance is cheerful and clean, it was miserably HOT! It was over 90° F outside, and it was hotter inside the restaurant. It is a terrible experience when you go to a place to eat and feel like you are going to get heat stroke while doing so at an indoor establishment. At least outside had a slight breeze. Maybe their air conditioning is malfunctioning ? read more

We had lunch there. I had the chicken taco salad and my husband had chorizo and eggs. It was really good!! It was our first time and we were very impressed. Authentic Mexican food! read more

i came here about 5 yrs ago and it was good. however, I went there the other day with spouse & friend and the food tasted awful! i ordered regulars carne asada tacos but the meat tasted as if it was expired. my spouse & friend only ate about a 1/4 of their plate. the waiters comes with the check and asks if we want a box, we all said no at the exact same time. the waiters says we are throwing away a lot of food. i should have let her try my taco meat to see her reaction. definitely not going back read more

This place is worth the drive from Porters Neck. The shrimp and crab quesadilla is freaking incredible!!! The queso dip is great too!

Awesome Mexican restaurant...service, food, drinks all were very good...may seem a little seedy from the outside but really nice inside