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    El Matador Mexican Restaurant

    3.1 (33 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    El Matador Mexican Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL MATADOR MEXICAN RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Matador Mexican Restaurant

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    Chimichanga Santa Fe
    Chris S.

    Located on Lafayette near Battlefield, they have a good location with decent parking. From the outside it looks like a typical Mexican restaurant. You come into a small waiting area with the cash register, so it can get a little crowded working your way into the dining area through the line waiting to pay. Inside looks like a typical Mexican restaurant. Seating includes a mix of tables and booths. Decor is traditional, with a TV screen against one wall. Salsa and chips were brought to our table fairly quickly. The chips are standard from a bin. They were not warmed. The salsa comes in a small decanter. I think they fill them the night before and leave them in the refrigerator. The first pour into the bowl was thick, but had liquid separated out. The next pour was more uniform. Flavor is nice but no heat. Cilantro is evident along with onion pieces, but the rest is a smooth puree. Pretty average. We ordered two items from the vegetarian menu for a change of pace. The chimichanga Santa Fe was a good size and came with rice and refried beans. It also had a "salad" consisting of shredded iceberg lettuce, 1/2 slice tomato, and sour cream. It started out nice with a grilled flavor, possibly from the zucchini, but then sort of faded away. There was nothing wrong with it, but vegetarian does not mean bland. The vegetarian combo #4 was a chalupa, quesadilla, and tostaguac. It was a nice variety, but again rather bland. Service was quick and efficient. Our water was not refilled, but I didn't empty mine either. The waiter was was attentive but not obtrusive. Certainly nothing to complain about. Overall, this is a typical Mexican restaurant. There was nothing wrong with it, but nothing made out stand out either.

    The burnt piece of steak that was completely inedible.
    Sara P.

    Absolutely horrible! I'm stuck at home and ordered dinner delivered. I get my food and its inedible!! I ordered steak fajitas, it should have been called pepper and onion fajita bc there was very little steak and the few pieces that was there was so burnt they were inedible. There was no chips and salsa with the meal. There was grease dripping from the plate and there was absolutely no spice or seasoning. I will never eat at this disgusting place again!

    The front eating area.
    Sean C J.

    They have been around a loooong time. They do a very fine job with their menu, their service was spot on, the place is clean, the prices a modest, and we we're seated fast!

    Charro Beans at El Matador. They are great!
    brent s.

    I have eaten at El Matador many times over the years and have not been disappointed. Is it the "best" Mexican restaurant in the Chattanooga area? I am not sure I would necessarily say that but the food is typically very good and prepared well. The staff and owners have always been very nice to me and do a great job. One of my favorite things to order are the charro beans. Not sure they are listed on the menu but they typically have them available and are very good. So, if you are looking for a good place to eat in the Ft. Oglethorpe area ~ check out El Matador.

    Large portion kababs

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    23 days ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food is great here! I love this place..very nice and clean! I come here with my family ALL the time will recommend!

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Don't waste your time or money. Hostess rude, food greasy and the wait stall nonexistent. Worst restaurant in Fort O.

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    5 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Out of all of the chicano places to eat.... Hands down fast, friendly and cute guys... Lol.

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    Ask the Community - El Matador Mexican Restaurant

    Review Highlights - El Matador Mexican Restaurant

    Best Mexican I have found in the Chattanooga area and some dishes are authentic instead of just blanded down to American palates.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Little Coyote

    Little Coyote

    4.3
    (122 reviews)
    5.4 mi

    We had a fun meal. Our focus was on the small plates which we ordered and shared - 4 in total, but…read moreplenty of food for our date night. The selections were both interesting and traditional - a combination of old Oaxacan classics and modern Mexican faire. Plenty of opportunity to broaden your gastronomic range! Liberty, our server, was fun and engaging and full of helpful hints. We dined outdoors and the weather was perfect for it. Great view of the incline railway too. Overall our experience was muy excellente!

    This was spotted by my wife and she immediately added it to our must try list while visiting. This…read moreis a cool establishment with awesome, young and hip waiters. We had our two young girls and they were very understanding and accommodating (high chair and coloring sheets). The menu is interesting but to be honest, we enjoyed almost none of our items. The cocktails were very meh. Not awful but not great. The food is really where this place lacks in my opinion. No one was a fan of almost any dish we got. The puffy tacos with redfish were likely the worst. Under seasoned and close to being gross. The catfish dish was so so. The fish itself was good but the grits were hard and the green tomatoes were so sour that they overpowered everything else. The ribs tried but I'd suggest going to a legit BBQ joint for real meats like this. The potatoes were greasy and mostly bland. I'd rank this our least favorite meal in the city. Interestingly enough. We were just at a Michelin star restaurant less than a week before and had the complete opposite experience.

    Photos
    Inside view
    Inside view
    Smoke oxtail chili ..different style of chili
    Smoke oxtail chili ..different style of chili
    Spring Onion Queso

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    Spring Onion Queso
    Los Potros Mexican Restaurant

    Los Potros Mexican Restaurant

    4.0
    (89 reviews)
    3.1 mi
    $

    I eat here at least once a week. Everything I have had on the menu has been excellent. The…read morepeople here are the big seller. They are all really hard working people who care about you and your experience. They work hard to take your order and get your food out very quickly. If you are looking for good food and good people, this is a must try. I know you will enjoy it as much as i do. The decor is done in a traditional fashion with agave light fixtures and hand painted morals on the walls and chairs.

    Over the holiday, we went to visit family in the area and one evening decided to try Los Potros…read moreMexican Restaurant on Ringgold Rd. The food was delicious! I'm a queso lover, so of course I had to start with their queso and chips - it did not disappoint. For my entree, I ordered the Pollo Picoso (chunks of grilled chicken and onions covered with cheese sauce and hot sauce, served with rice and refried beans - $15.99), and it was fantastic. The chicken was perfectly grilled, the sauce had just the right amount of heat, and the portions were generous. I also enjoyed a refreshing lemonade with my meal. Our server did an excellent job managing our table of 7 people, including kids, which is no easy feat. While there were a couple of minor hiccups - two orders were initially forgotten and we did find a hair in one of the meals - the way the situation was handled made all the difference. The restaurant manager stepped in immediately and addressed everything professionally and courteously. These things happen, especially with larger parties, and their response showed they truly care about their customers' experience. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, perfect for a family dinner. It had that authentic, comfortable vibe that makes you want to settle in and enjoy your meal. Despite the small bumps, the overall experience was positive, and the quality of the food combined with the professionalism of the management team has earned my recommendation.

    Photos
    The owners' town in Mexico.  Wall mural.
    The owners' town in Mexico. Wall mural.
    Chips and salsa
    Chips and salsa
    Pollo Picoso

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    Pollo Picoso
    El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant

    El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant

    4.5
    (20 reviews)
    6.9 mi

    We had a reservation for 22 and got there early - they were awesome and got us seated quickly. The…read morefood and drinks were great and the wait staff was excellant! We had wonderful time!

    We're Traveling from Ohio on business. This restaurant had great reviews so we decided to try…read more It's a nice, simple restaurant back in a strip behind some other businesses- so you may not see it from the road. Decor is simple, but plenty of seating and even plenty of large tables for large groups. We were seated promptly and given salsa & fresh warm chips right away. Salsa is something we're particular about. This was great salsa! A little more cilantro than I prefer, but still edible for me. The heat was perfect- between a mild & medium- maybe closer to medium, but didn't make my mouth burn after eating a bunch. The tortilla chips were white corn, thin and crisp. Not salted, so I salted each of mine before dipping in the salsa. Also, they bring a bottle of salsa and 2 bowls, so we each had our own bowl for double-dipping. We both ordered chimichangas. He ordered the ground beef, I ordered shredded chicken. They came with cheese sauce poured over, and served with refried beans that also had a little cheese melted on top (I really liked that!), Spanish rice, and a pile of shredded lettuce with pico, guacamole & sour cream. I really liked how the chimichanga was just a single one and wasn't too huge. It was still more than I could eat! But I'd rather have a reasonable size meal at a reasonable price, instead of a huge meal for a huge price, that you could never finish. I ate 1/2 the beans & rice and maybe 1/3 of the chimichanga. That was a very good chimichanga. It was packed with meat! And the meat was juicy & tender. I loved the cheese sauce on top. Our server was working very hard to serve quite a few tables. It took him a while to take our order after bringing our drinks. Because he also had a huge party of 20, that he was serving. He was nice and our food came out very soon after we ordered. The next time we travel here to Chattanooga, we plan to come back!

    Photos
    El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant
    Enchiladas Tapatias
    Enchiladas Tapatias
    El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant

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    El Matador Mexican Restaurant - mexican - Updated August 2026

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