El Mariachi saved me many of days! This is my go to for this particular area, whenever I am craving arroz con pollo! They always get it right and I haven't found too many places to duplicate the quantity of food provided and the taste for that particular dish. I have not tried many other dishes here, but the service is decent. They do get a little busy, due to the lack of options in the area, so be conscious of that if you go during prime time (ie lunch or dinner). read more

Very good queso and margarita! The shredded chicken quesadilla had ample chicken and queso but lacked a little flavor. Service was phenomenal read more

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Everything is fantastic here! Never disappointed! The service and food is a10 out 10! read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

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Food and drinks are pretty good, but the parking lot is very tight and have attempted to stop for a meal but had to keep going with no parking. read more

Serviceable Tex-Mex-style food. Portion sizes are generous and the prices are reasonable. Table service is responsive and refills happen with regularity. If you want meat + queso + tortillas. they deliver this in all different configurations. I wasn't bowled over by anything, but for lunch or a family dinner, there will be something for most people. Seating is standard Mexican restaurant and I'd say, depending on the time you come in, it is medium to loud. read more

Standard Mexican menu. Food came out QUICKLY as it does at most Mexican spots. Seasoning was a little lacking on my chimichanga meal, but it was okay. Great prices. read more

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The food was good. The Ensalada Texana was enough to feed 3! Yummy. But the dressing came in a pouch without any "Mexican" flavor options. Although tasty the Hubs cheese enchilada appeared to be made with string cheese sticks. And the plates had large chips on them. The service was adequate but we had to wait for the water which came with the cocktail. It took two requests to get guacamole, when it came out, it was less than 1/4 c for $2.50! We frequently eat here & will do so again, but this visit left something to be desired. read more

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Great and cheap! Always good ! Tip for good service ! Always ! It's our favorite restaurant ! They need to take over the restaurant at the lake! Love the tamales read more

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El Pastor tacos were the best I've had ANYWHERE! Just trust me! The spice blend in it is amazing!!!

Lacking flavor I got the chicken burrito and taco it was not good. The salsa and guacamole were pretty good though. Service was good. Nice vibe. read more

Waited quite a bit for okay food, the worst part was there was no communication to the line at the door until probably after 5 minutes. I wasn't impressed with anything, not even the service at the table. She was running around like she was busy, but the restaurant was dead. read more

I had mixed feelings about eating here after reading the reviews. I agree with the negative reviews I'm afraid. If you eat Mexican from multiple places and you love Mexican food this is not good food. If you never eat Mexican and think of it as fast food Mexican is is good food. I eat a lot of Mexican food everywhere I go. Anytime I find a New Mexican restaurant I try it. I always get the same thing. The first reason is because I love chicken fajitas. The second reason is it gives me a good comparison to the flavor of the food from the previous place that I've eaten. The food here the chicken looked like it went through some kind of food chopper. It is hard to tell from the picture. I have never seen such chopped up chicken at any restaurant I've ever eaten. It was not cooked to order which is probably why it lacked flavor. It was brought out within 4 minutes of ordering. It lacked flavor of any kind. I had to add salsa to my fajita to try and add some flavor. The beans were okay. The rice was underwhelming. They also only gave two tortillas and for fajitas you should give three in my opinion. Without pico, sour cream and guacamole it had no way to add flavor. The bathroom was rundown, but clean enough. When I go to a restaurant, I always ask myself a question would I return. With this place the answer is no. However, I am not mad at this place because they have their food appropriately priced for the lack of flavor that it provides. read more

El Mariachi - a plate of mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

I am writing this review on behalf of my sister. She was extremely disappointed in the service rendered. First impression is a lasting impression. She arrived there around 6pm and a taller young man was taking orders. He did not acknowledge her standing there so she had to ask him if he was ready to take the order. She also called four times to place the order, but the calls were unanswered. Also, she wanted extras that she was willing to pay for, but his attitude was poor when asked if she could get more. This establishment can fail if the front greeter does not give good customer service. My sister mentioned that the food is great, but customer service is lacking. read more

This was my first time to eat at El Mariachi. I had the carnitas and they were the best tasting carnitas that I have ever had. I look forward to returning for more, or maybe something different. The service was slow and their business was brisk. Their chips and salsa had a good taste. This place becomes very busy at night so you may want to stop here in the afternoon, if possible. They aslo have generous selection at their bar, if you are more into a liquid diet. My favorite Mexican restaurant was Picante's in Chantilly, but they closed so I had to move on. read more

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We have been there 3 times now and they are very consistent and very good esp. the enchiladas stuffed with brisket...which is their special. This is my new favorite Mexican food restaurant. read more

In town for work and got a referral from our client. Drinks were excellent. Ordered Tacos Al Pastor. They were very good, flavorful and reminiscent of old Mexico. Highlight of the evening was our waitress, Sky. She was hospitable and very attentive to our needs. Sky was awesome. read more

El Mariachi - Tacos Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

Food was really good, did take out, had to wait a bit longer than I desired but I will for sure go back.

The best food in a 4 county circumstance we go usually once a week and very satisfied with the food , service, atmosphere and everything is always fantastic read more

The food was good, I had lunch steak Fajitas very tasty, large portions in fact I took some home and ate them the next day.The service was good they were very busy at lunch. Fast service but noisy , the outside area was closed which was a letdown for me. The Margaritas were good but weak according to my wife. read more

Amazing!!!! Great food, amazing service. It is my spot to go to to get good Mexican. Love the atmosphere. It's well thought out.

Taco Tuesday was a success! My husband and I stopped in and grabbed the wheel of tacos to split. Each and every taco was incredible. It's a a little pricey but when you're splitting it as a meal it's a great price! The salsa that comes with the chips packs a little heat but I am super impressed with the place and I will be back! read more

El Mariachi - Wheel of tacos - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

The food was more than plentiful. It was seasoned very well. The service was quick and the ambiance was festive. This is definitely on my go back for seconds list! read more

El Mariachi - Steak fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

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Nice, clean and inviting restaurant. The staff is always friendly and responsive. Today we ordered the queso fundido as an app, minus the chorizo. Nicely flavored, thick queso. I ordered the Carnitas and it was very flavorful, with not a lot of fat. My wife ordered the enchiladas supreme and she said they were "ok". She is from the mean streets of Albucrazy, and judges every Mexican restaurant on the quality of their enchiladas, so "ok" is not as bad as it sounds. read more

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Very bland chicken fillings in all their dishes; not even a hint of spice. They use very little cheese in anything, and the refried beans are just awful. The chimichangas were thin..about the size of a large cigar. I've never had a chimichanga that small anywhere before. To make matters worse, the restaurant was so cold inside that we were all freezing while we tried to eat our dinners. Not sure what the advantage is to having the A/C set so low that you expect it to start snowing indoors at any moment...but needless to say, we won't be returning here. read more

The food was amazing!! We ordered it to go, but got it home and it was like eating it in the restaurant. It was hot, fresh and amazing! I only met the Hostess/employee at the front door, but she was kind, friendly and helpful. The atmosphere looked welcoming, fun and clean. We will in DC and the food here is so much better than any place serving up the same style of food as this place! Thanks so being kind, warm and welcoming! read more

So normally they are great. Today I placed an order for a kids quesadilla just chicken and cheese and my food. Got there and they can't find it. Waited thirty minutes and said they had to remake it. I asked the quesadilla will be just chicken and cheese right because my daughter won't eat onions and it was in there the last time. They said yes. Got all the way home and there's still onions in it. And they didn't offer anything but a sorry for the inconvenience. read more

The service was good and the staff is friendly. The food was average. I ordered the chicken tortillas and carne asada soft tacos. Unfortunately, the chicken was not fully prepared. It was cold in the middle. I was not able to finish the dish. The carne asada was overcooked and lacked flavor. I looked forward to El Mairiachi to be my go to place. I will try the restaurant one more time. It could be just a bad day. Look forward to a better experience and review next time. To be continued. read more

As a white person, I'm offended by the lack of spice. So that should tell you all you need to know about this place. There's no way you should ever eat here. I was charged for under seasoned chicken that I took a bite of and spit into the napkin. The server was upset because I didn't tip her but the food was awful, she came around 3 times. To take our order (drinks) to take another order (food) and to give us the box and bill. That's horrible service and the food was so bad I gagged while eating it. I was still charged for the entire meal even though I didn't eat it and the server was upset she didn't get a tip and ripped my card out of the machine. Do better and you'd get a tip. Season your food & check on your customer and you might get a tip. Yall better go to Walmart across the street and get the same food and add some seasoning to it. This business won't stay open for long, you can't treat people like crap & have returning customers. No returning customers = no revenue. I sure hope Yall learn to put some season on that chicken. "Pulled chicken" does not mean you take a boiled chicken breast and shred it with a fork. I'm gagging thinking about this. read more

El Mariachi - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

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Yeah, don't listen to the bad reviews. This establishment doesn't claim to be some "gourmet" Mexican restaurant - this is standard mexican-american fare and pretty darn good. They have menu options that you really don't see at other run of the mill mex-am restaurants, too! The drinks are great and not too expensive. If you are in the area and want some Mexican food, just go here. We haven't been let down yet. read more

Sleezy, Terrible Service and Mediocre Food I've been to El Mariachi several times since my parents moved out into this area. They always insist on taking me here, so I grin and bear it if they're paying. Look, the food isn't awful. The chips, cheese, and salsa are all great. The plates, while VERY pricy (you WILL end up paying at least $18 a person), are passable. But order a side item? Inedible garbage. And then there's the impatient, slow, and untrustworthy service. Not only will you be spending a minimum of 2 hours at this restaurant, but I have yet to meet a server that is kind. My sister ordered two chicken enchiladas the other night with a special request of cheese sauce layered on top of them. Not only did they look like a used condom (and maybe taste, though I wouldn't know), it was COLD! I don't have a photo of the enchiladas, but you should get the picture. But wait... hehe it gets worse. Keep those condom enchiladas in your head because they're comjng back into play. They wouldn't let us split the check because we had 6 people. For some reason, that's their policy. But, that's fine, so we just Venmo someone and he pays the bill. After we leave, he goes over what everyone has to pay and we find out that the 2 side chicken enchiladas which should have been only $6.95 now cost $14. Did putting cheese sauce over two enchiladas more than double the price?! Why weren't we told? What in the world is going on here? We immediately called the place, but apparently, they were too busy to talk to us. Look, if you have a craving for mediocre, overpriced food, El Mariachi might be your kink. But I will not be returning to this place anytime soon. Sorry mom and dad... read more

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Kind of surprised by the bad reviews here. This is some of the best and best priced mexican food around. The other place in cville has gotten outrageously priced since Covid and no better. This menu is better and more diverse. Food is always hot. Beer is good. Drinks aren't cheap but they aren't anywhere anymore. I do always sit in the bar area for better service and am in groups of two or less. Maybe that has something to do with no service complaints. For Mexican in cville area...it is one of the best. These are the people that started the Guadalajara's in town. Inflation...things are more expensive. Everywhere. read more

After recently moving to Palmyra, I've been searching for local places outside of Charlottesville for meals. I stumbled across El Mariachi online and thought their menu looked great! And it was! Upon arriving on a Thursday around 7:00 we were seated at a booth for my husband and I right away. The restaurant was decently busy and I'm surprised we didn't need to wait. Our server brought us to our table and took our drink and food orders. Our server was very pleasant, knowledgeable, and prompt. We began with the Cheese Fundito appetizer which includes a blend of cheeses, jalapeños, and chorizo. We opted for the dip without the meat and it was delicious! The chips that came as we sat down were also very yummy and had a good, fresh, crunch. My husband ordered the margarita which came out picture perfect and I opted for a frozen strawberry margarita mocktail. All of the drinks and food came out in a very timely fashion and we never had to wait without service. My husband ordered fish tacos which he loved and he is pretty picky with his fish. I believe you can also order the tacos fried. I ordered a standard chicken quesadilla which comes with either shredded chicken or grilled chicken and cheese on the inside. I also ordered a side of traditional rice and beans and a guacamole salad for our entrees. Overall this place was a definite win for finding our new favorite local Mexican restaurant and I'm already looking forward to returning soon! read more

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It is OK for a bean and cheese Americanized Mexican place. But in Zions Crossroads you have little choice. The salsa is bland, and nothing special about the food. Expensive. They do have a lot of opportunity, but since they are the only game, I guess they don't care. Don't get a table. The bar is the only place that will get you service. You can meet the waiters sitting there. Learn to make a decent salsa, maybe make some actual Mexican food. Some tequila in the drinks would be good as well. The only reason we go is there are only 4 restaurants around there and sometimes the day gets late. The grand kids like it, but they also like dinosaur chicken nuggets. I wish them the best, but as the area grows, they will have to step up their game. read more

Good atmosphere, salsa had just the heat, not too mild like many restaurants. Good good and fair prices, will be back read more

El Mariachi - Beef chimichanga - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

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This was my first time visiting the restaurant. I came in from out of town to see family and they took me here. We had wonderful service, food, and drinks. I would highly recommend this place of business! read more

This is what $5 gets you. Placed the order ahead and said to take 45 mins for rice and beans. I usually dine and everything is great but I highly do not recommend take out. read more

El Mariachi - Rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Zion Crossroads, Virginia

Excellent! The food was fantastic. Service was good. The best nachos I have ever had!

Food is always great! Best Mexican restaurant in the area. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Can't say enough good things about this place. read more

Food is great but the music is just bad. I don't know who gave them the idea that Mexican food has to be accompanied by drooping red ties and bad Mexican music. The wait staff is friendly and fast. Just put them back in their black T-shirts! read more

First time here in the area and decided to come here for lunch. My husband and I ordered margaritas and they were delicious. Flavor was great and weren't weak, they were so good I had to order a second one. I got the fish tacos with mahi-mahi and added guacamole. They were amazing! The heat on the jalapeño sauce was fantastic, not too hot but definitely a good flavor and spice. The fish was cooked perfectly and there was plenty of it on the tacos. If I'm ever back in the area I would order those again. My husband got the fajita taco salad and he enjoyed it as well. Staff was also super friendly and the atmosphere was great! read more

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