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    El Matador Restaurant

    3.2 (259 reviews)
    ModerateTex-Mex
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

    El Matador Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL MATADOR RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Matador Restaurant

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    Chili Relleno and tamale
    Ashley J.

    We've lived here over 7 years and finally tried El Matador. I grew up in SoCal and like authentic Mexican food. This is not that. But I also love Mexican-American type food too (not Taco Bell- better and closer to the real thing than places like that). We have good places like that in SoCal too and I've decided it's time to fill that hole in my life here in Utah. This places does the job. It's not amazing. But it's pretty good. The enchilada sauces are phenomenal and cover a multitude of sins. My husband loved his enchiladas. Most of the meat we had was well cooked. My chili relleno was really good, especially with the sauce, but it was too much like fair food to eat more than a few bites. There is tons of cheese and it's battered and (deep?) fried. The tamale was pretty good, again, especially with the sauce. The chili verde, though....I had to try it because it's my favorite dish. Luckily we got it in addition to our 2 entrees. The a la carte bowl comes like a soup, and it's not green. I ate a few bites straight out of the bowl and it was ok. But once I put it in a tortilla, it was almost inedible. Everything was dry and hard to chew. I won't be getting that again. The place has a fun vibe. It was very busy on a Friday night at 7:30, but they got us seated within 10 minutes. There are a ton of tables and it seats a lot of people. It's also very well staffed and we never had to wait for anything. Because there are so many people, though, it is kind of loud. Or maybe it was just the party near us. They were pretty crazy. This wont be a regular stop for us, but we'll be back when we need what they offer.

    Cabo Tacos
    Elaine T.

    We had a nice lunch today. The custom drinks are yummy! I had Mello Yello with Mango. I had the Cabo Tacos. Loved the mango salsa on it. The beans are vegetarian but not the rice.

    Cathy S.

    Love the decor and hand painted murals. Our server was friendly and prompt with drink order and food order. Food was served fast and HOT. We had queso blanco dip, this was ok. I was expecting a little heat, and it didn't have any or really any flavor. The salsa was served warm and was good, tomato base. El Paso chicken with tomatillo sauce was ok. Chicken was tender and had flavor, Chicken quesadilla was tender and flavorful, Maria's enchilada was good, tender chicken. This is an ok place. I can't say I will come back - not really memorable.

    AMAZING CHICKEN TENDERS
    Andrew L.

    Yeah not bad, but man their chicken fingers and ranch are the real secret around here. The Mexican food is good, but honestly, get the chicken tenders. They are crispy, the ranch is dilly, and the fries are good...ly. Just get them.

    Sopapilla dots

    Austin was the best server very attentive and nice! Bravo burrito was great and very filling. Love the decor and themed rooms.

    Inside
    Amanda N.

    If your in the mood for American style Mexican food at a sit down restaurant come here. The staff was so friendly from the moment we walked in and walked back out! The food was so yummy but I couldn't get over the Chile relleno. They specialize in chili rellenos so if you like this come here! The chicken enchiladas were yummy too! Nothing amazing or out of the ordinary just a basic delicious enchilada!

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    2 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    Todd J.

    Thank you so much for your review, Shaun!

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

    We love this food, service is great and the owner is magnificent! She is always there to greet you. It is clean and a fun ambiance.

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    4 months ago

    The food and service was amazing. I hadn't been here in quite awhile but was impressed with my visit. Will be back for sure.

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    Todd J.

    Thank you so much for your review, Joseph!

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    Thank you so much for your review, Dennis!

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    4 years ago

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    Sheryl, thank you so much for your review!

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    1 year ago

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    Thank you so much for your review, Kira!

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    Thank you so much for your review, Hillary!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Food is excellent and they have a wide range of dishes to order. I have ordered many of their dishes and all were great.

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    Todd J.

    Thanks so much Jim!

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    2 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - El Matador Restaurant

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    Red Iguana

    4.4(5.4k reviews)
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    Very different from the Red Iguana 2, looking more like a dive bar from the outside, and inside…read morebeing small compared to 2. Again we had to do take out, and settled on the pork shank and a con leches dessert. Service again extremely polite and personable. I am really impressed. Our stuff was prepared quickly and well packaged. And wow, the food was awesome. The shank was large and the sauce incredible. The dessert I frankly don't remember any details because we inhaled it immediately! Pretty big parking lot and easy to get to from downtown where we were staying. Both locations were great and if I was to eat in, the R2 would be more fun with kids, while the OG might be better for adults.

    I had heard a lot about this spot before we checked it out. This place is always packed lol…read moreWe waited 40 mins for our table. The vibe of the place was very unique and fun! Every corner had something interesting to look at. Paintings, posters, stain glass lights, and more! The food was fresh and true to its description. I tried the days special Pistachio mole. It was wonderful! The chicken was slightly overcooked however it was forgivable. I did ask for hot sauce on the side but it was not spicy at all. If you are into non spicy aromatic foods, this is the go to spot.

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    Red Iguana - Can't miss the giant Red Iguana in the parking lot.

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    Chile-Tepin - Carnitas chimichanga smothered

    Chile-Tepin

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    8.3 miDowntown
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    Family suggested Chile Tepin when we came in from out of town. We were a large group of 20 and they…read moreaccommodated us perfectly. The service was excellent and everything came out much more quickly than I would have expected for a large group. I had the chile relleno and it was the best I've ever had. Perfectly portioned and delicious. Family had everything from fajitas to quesadillas and everyone was quite happy with their meals. The salsa for the chips had a slight kick to it but not enough to stop you from digging in for more. Great experience and staff.

    I'm baffled with both the review count and the high scores. Why?…read more Ambiance. None. Just a bunch of cafeteria style tables spread out in a non-descript space. Service. Fast. Too fast. Food came out within minutes of ordering and all at once. Entrees on top of appetizers. Beer selection. Just the big name brands. Fine. But weirdly the rim of my beer glass was coated with a powder that tasted like ground up Doritos. Yuck. Food. Generic burritos and tacos were acceptable. The queso: Within minutes it cooled into a blob of chewy cheese. The chicken with mole: Chicken was dry and tasteless; the mole was thin and watery, and lacked any hint of chocolate. Did we dine here on an off night? Perhaps since it's a really popular place. Hard to say. All I can say is, it's not for us.

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    Chile-Tepin - Hostess area missing the hostess

    Hostess area missing the hostess

    Chile-Tepin - Chile relleno , rice and beans

    Chile relleno , rice and beans

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    Red Iguana 2 - Beef Taquitos

    Red Iguana 2

    4.3(1.4k reviews)
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    My son and I missed his soccer team lunch today at The R.I so we decided to try it for dinner…read more Reading the reviews got me excited to try their moles. Brennan was our server at the counter and he helped us choose our meal. We started with a sampler which is complimentary to help us decide on our meals. After ordering drinks and sampling the moles, we both chose from the sampler; Brody ordered red pepian with carnitas with corn tortillas and I order the poblano mole with carnitas and gringo tortillas. Sipping a modelo waiting for our meal..... The flavors in the mole sampler were unique with an assortment of spices and other ingredients. We both picked our favorites but they flavorful. The negro and the mango mole were a bit too sweet but I was a fan all of all the others. The Red Iguana has its reputation and positive reviews for a reason. Outstanding meal, outstanding service in a fun atmosphere! Give it a go!

    Although parking was tough and the location near the railroad, we were pleasantly surprised with a…read morewelcoming vibrant interior. We were so tempted to eat in as many people were but we had to run and order for takeout. The staff was immediately helpful and attentive, and we settled on sharing a dish which soo delish! Enchiladas in a mole. Rather than really taking it with us we ended up devouring it sitting in the outside spillover waiting area (which at 2pm was empty, fortunately) which is normally used for people waiting for a table. I can see why it's so popular. The food is great, along with the bag of free chips and salsa, but I also feel the service is very personalized and personable. In a couple days later we found ourselves going to their OG Red Iguana location!

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    Red Iguana 2 - Plate of Rice and Beans

    Plate of Rice and Beans

    Red Iguana 2 - Enchiladas

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    ROCTACO - Jimmy Churri, Holy Kalbi, Amy Hates Fish

    ROCTACO

    4.3(470 reviews)
    8.3 miDowntown, Central City
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    Stopped by here and had a great experience. The Rude and Angry tacos absolutely live up to the name…read more-- excellent spice, bold flavor, and a really solid balance of protein to toppings and sauce. Everything felt intentional and well put together. I didn't try the gelato this time, but saw a few tables order it and it looked very tempting -- definitely on the list for next visit. I didn't catch the name of the person at the register, but the staff were fantastic, friendly, attentive, and checking in with tables throughout the meal. Great service paired with great food. It's tucked a bit off the main road and down the alley, but absolutely worth seeking out. A solid spot I'll happily return to.

    I stumbled upon this place on my way to the liquor store. I was in town for work so I was just…read morelooking to grab some drinks and food to take back to the hotel. After I grab the alcohol, I stopped in for some food. I really dig the place as it has that nice hole in the wall type of feel. The menu was also pretty interesting as you can mix and match a lot of combos. I was pretty hungry so I went with the burrito rude bull. I ordered the food to go and it only took about 5 minutes before it was ready. The cashier also gave me some coupons when she found out it's my first time visiting the place which is a very nice touch. Now the burrito was amazing! It was delicious, huge portioned and the fried cheese on the tortilla just took it to the next level. I'll definitely try to stop by next time I'm in town for the tacos.

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    ROCTACO - Artistic atmosphere

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    ROCTACO - Edison Alley entrance

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    Lorena's Restaurant - Chips and salsa

    Lorena's Restaurant

    2.8(307 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $

    The food we had was really good. The smothered burrito is popular for a reason. Sometimes I just…read morewant generic Mexican food you can get in a combo plate (as in a super cheesy enchilada with a taco or tamale or whatever right next to it). This fills that need. The service and atmosphere are a little weird though. The menu is confusing and needs to be explained. When we tried to order a combo plate we were told not to and to find something else. After he explained it, it made sense. But the menu was not clear that it just included one specific type of each item listed, and you didn't get a choice. It was awkward when he teased us for thinking we could get choices at the listed price. We felt a little out of place the whole time we were there, but we would go back now that we understand how the menu/food works, since it was good. Oh yeah, we were also confused about the chips and salsa and the way things were set up here. They bring you an empty bowl and then you squirt the salsa out of a bottle (like a ketchup bottle) into it. No one explained any of these weird things, and we kind of just looked around. The waiter described it as a place for truckers and locals. That's makes sense.

    I review restaurants with my OAT method:…read more O= Overall experience - This place is very nostalgic because I grew up coming here with my grandparents. I honestly am not a huge fan of smothered burritos and enchiladas which is what they are known for. I go for a basic kids cheese quesadilla and hits the spot. They have really good homemade tortillas that have always been my favorite. A= Appearance - It's a more run down place and nothing fancy. The service is good. They brought the food out quickly. T= Taste - I am not a fan of their chips and salsa. They have the salsa on the table in a ketchup bottle that you can just refill your salsa bowl with, which means it's not a fresh salsa. They also have a spicy seasoning on their chips that I do not like. My parents usually get the smothered burrito and have expressed that it is bland.

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    Lorena's Restaurant - The murals are very nice.

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    Menu

    El Matador Restaurant - tex-mex - Updated June 2026

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