Friendly staff, but unfortunately the food and overall experience were very disappointing. As soon as we walked in, there was a strong odor that immediately triggered my allergies. The restaurant was also very dimly lit and the booth seating felt cramped. We started with the cheese dip, but it looked more like broccoli cheddar soup than traditional queso, which was already a red flag. We ordered two quesadillas (chicken and spinach, and ground beef). The chicken looked pale and completely unseasoned, and the ground beef resembled sloppy joe (Manwich) meat rather than taco filling. We didn't feel comfortable eating the food, so we left it untouched. We didn't make a scene, we paid our bill, tipped our server, and left. Sadly, this place didn't meet expectations and didn't feel like an authentic Mexican restaurant. read more

A most disappointing visit to this place. The food was cold, I had asked for flour tortilla's with my street tacos, and I got corn. I let them know that the food was cold, and they came back a few minutes later with the right tortilla's, but the food was still cold. My friend ordered chilli relleno , but it had no chili in it. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

You know the place is good when the chef is the owner, because they take pride in what is produce. Love this place!

Wow this place is so good! First our servers were so sweet and attentive and kept our glasses full all night. The chips and salsa were complimentary and really warm. I had the three taco, rice and beans combo, and my husband got a combo with chile relleno, enchilada and burrito. So good! The manager on duty swung by as well to check on us and felt like I was welcomed as a guest, all in all a really nice experience read more

My husband and I enjoyed this place. We sat at the bar and the services was quick. The ambiance is relax and a bit more upscale than a local Mexican restaurant. The food taste good and a lot of the plates are great to share. read more

The food and service was great! A little $$$. I would definitely recommend! Had a great time.

Great visit. The food came out fast and was delicious. Our waitress checked on us multiple times, which I like. And the atmosphere was hipster. If back in town I will stop by again. read more

El Matador Restaurant - Sangrita - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

Ordered queso and yellow cheddar broccoli soup came out. I was disappointed it's hard to go to a Hispanic spot and receive poor food. It was below average and at least I know where not to go again. read more

Wow! I've lived in greenville for over 28 years and I'm just now getting to try this place. The building is very unique and pretty. When we walked in the door was immediately opened for us by a friendly gentleman who we found out was the owner. He shook my husband's hand and introduced himself and told us to make ourselves feel at home. He was so friendly and kind. It didn't feel like we were walking to his restaurant but more into his home and he was super genuine about it. The food is good. I got the fajitas and they were pretty tasty. The salsa was good and they give you different flavors. They were pretty tangy. The service was good but not great but I think they were pretty busy. I would definitely come back to this joint! read more

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El Matador Restaurant in Taylors South Carolina (right outside of Greenville) was nothing short of phenomenal!! Being from California, where there is a Mexican restaurant on practically every corner, I assumed I would never find one that compared, but, oh, was I wrong! I've dined in many Mexican restaurants from San Diego all the way up the State, and beyond, and I don't think I've ever had such a delicious chili relleno! Everything was absolutely delicious! The atmosphere was great, and the staff truly made the experience superb! The owner came over and asked me if it was my first time dining there, and when I said yes, he brought me a delicious dessert! I couldn't help but eat every bite, even though I was already stuffed! Thank you All At El Matador for an excellent dining experience! You will most definitely be seeing me again! read more

Great food, but when I tried to call to place an order she asked if she could put me on hold (totally fine, I understand it was a Saturday and probably busy) but after ten minutes she said "hello?" To see if I was still there, and when I said hello back she hung up. Extremely rude, and when I called back it only rung once before being declined. read more

Love this place. I've been eating chili rellenos since 1968, before they moved to their current location. They are the best and I have never seen anything like them anywhere else. It has that warm familiar homey feeling. The decor hasn't been changed in a while. But it feels like an old friend and a lot of their customers are just that. I'm so glad that David enjoys this work and puts out wonderful food every day. I highly recommend El Matador as an outstanding Tex-Mex restaurant. read more

very good , salsa is very good, chips were warm and out of the oven recently. We had vegetarian burrito, although not on the menu, he is always accommodating and does a superb job. The owner always walks around, thanking everyone for coming and he is the chef, extremely accommodating, knows his clientele. Again, the food is fantastic, prices are reasonable, older building but it adds to the ambiance, this is our go to for local mexican food. read more

Been eating there all my life. Always great food-great service-great people. David the owner always makes time to welcome you.

Just another typical dinner at the BEST Mexican restaurant. I have been supporting this amazing business since the 1970's. Their food is consistently great and the service is awesome. I want to give a shout to my server Phebe. This young lady gives stellar service. Something happened this evening that is extremely rare to find in most places. The restaurant was very busy and Phebe got concerned about me not having my food. Was it taking awhile longer than normal? Sure, but they were very busy and I was not even giving a thought about where is my food but Phebe being the professional and the stellar quality person she is was concerned. I was working on my chips and as I was getting to the bottom of the basket the big chips were gone and I was getting to alit of small broken ones. She walked by and saw that and immediately said let me take these and I will bring you a fresh basket. My glass of water never got under a half before she refilled it. Are you beginning to understand what a rare treasure she is? I rarely meet a server like her. A message to the owner, I am telling you what you already know but I just want to emphasize it. You have consistently the best Mexican restaurant that I know of anywhere and with an awesome server like Phebe you have the complete package for your customers. Restaurant owners everywhere would give anything to have a business like you have. Great job!!! Look forward to seeing you again soon. read more

First and last time in. We live right up the street and have been wanting to try this place. I had asked the server two questions about the taco salad since I had never been in, one is what was on it since the menu just lists taco salad and a protein to pick from. She listed some but not all ingredients that arrived at my table. I also asked her if the chicken was chunks or shredded, she said they had both. I asked for shredded. When my salad arrived with which was clearly the chunks she "reassured" me it was the shredded chicken even though there was nothing shredded about it. My partner also ordered a chimichanga without cheese. It arrived filled with cheese. Our server would have known that if she checked back on us before we were ready to leave and had asked for the check. (Which listed no cheese under the chimichanga) needless to say there are too many other delicious Mexican restaurants to eat at to even give this place a first chance let alone a second one. read more

Sad to see this place go so downhill. We use to go here all the time and tonight was the first time in two years and safe to say the last. Service wasn't able to clarify what we wanted and brought out a margarita when we asked for water. We asked for a burrito and clarified that it doesn't have cheese and she said it doesn't then we asked for no red sauce and it came out of course with both cheese and red sauce. Then we clarified again please we asked for it dry and it comes out AGAIN with red sauce and this time the burrito only has chicken inside no peppers or anything and red sauce on top. I've never been so embarrassed. I couldn't even turn it away cause at that point all my friends finished their food already cause I had to wait two times for it to come out and I didn't even in the end get the meal I wanted. So sad and such a waste of money. She never deducted the bill, never apologized. She didn't care. On top of it. Burrito was not flavorful at all. Sad times. Never supporting this place again. read more

My wife & I love Mexican food so we decided to try it. When we first arrived we were told it would be 45 minutes before a table was ready. We thought that was odd because there was only one other party in front of us. We still put our name down & made our way to the upstairs bar for a drink. We ordered drinks & chips & salsa & in less than 5 minutes we were for our table. We would've just sit downstairs if that was the case. Not to mention I ordered a Dos equis amber but got a regular lager. No worries. We go downstairs sit & here comes our waiter. He was super nice but put in the wrong appetizer. He later apologized and we had to wait longer but again another misha/mistake. Finally halfway through our meal right beside us they let a couple come in & the man has on a sleeveless shirt which the sides were halfway down his side. Looked more like he was about to go to the gym not a sit down restaurant. The food was great. I'll give them that but the overall experience was just below average. Friendly service yes but just mistake filled. Not worth the price read more

Highly disappointed. My husband and I were so excited to finally be able to come here. We were seated in booths and it was awkward because it was like I was watching the people sitting across from us eat. Just very awkward. The outside of the place looked charming but as soon as I started walking in it felt like a weird funeral home. The staff were very sweet and the service was attentive. But the food was just awful. There were raw carrots in our salsa. Yuck! My tacos had shredded Kraft American cheese on it and I would expect better than that for a Mexican restaurant. The taco meat was sweet?..Sloppy joes anyone?.... This place just screams "White people taco night".... Taco Bell is better than this. There were big flies flying around the booths. Very uncomfortable atmosphere. read more

Eh. We came here after a long drive from New York State and I wasn't really impressed with the food. I ordered a chicken chimichanga, and although it was fried so perfectly, the chicken inside wasn't shredded and had NO seasoning. Not at all what I would expect from an authentic Mexican restaurant. read more

Dear El Matador Restaurant, Thank you for restoring my faith in the Mexican Joint here in South Carolina! We came across this place and decided to try it based on the reviews and come on, who can pass up a visit to the oldest Mexican restaurant in the state?! Everyone was super nice and made us feel like we were regulars. The menu is not the same as a lot of other Mexican restaurants. It is so much better! Trying some new items, we had the guacamole with ranch dressing. It's as good as it sounds, especially with their house made ranch. I also highly recommend the Fundido. It's a huge plate of goodness! The margarita is one of the best I've had in a long time and their sangria is home made and superb! I will definitely be back next time I am in the area! read more

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SC's oldest Mexican joint is a must visit if you're in the area. Wow! A little bit country and a little bit mariachi it has everything you want and some things you didn't know you needed. You can tell this is a family run establishment from the awesome service throughout your visit and the care they take in making every guest comfortable and welcome. They really went above and beyond to help us when we left some items behind and had to drive back and get them too. Try the ranch + guac option for a dip, you won't be disappointed. Also the margaritas and sangria are awesome as well. If I'm ever back in the area this will be on my list again! read more

El Matador Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

A bit costly I ordered the fajitas they were small for the price. And it took too long to wait for food; The food was reasonable, and I liked the music. read more

Fundido, let's start there. I had never tried such a thing. But its basically a hot pocket meets a chimichanga but tastier and I presume better for you. Not sure. But it's deep fried with your choice of meat. (I just made myself LOL because I said "presume better for you" and my next sentence was, "it's deep fried". Hey who cares, I like fried food. Grease is a condiment right? Back to reviewing- I chose chicken. The chicken was mixed with that famous queso blanco at most mex restaurants then deep fried in a flour tortilla then topped with a yellow cheese sauce. I like the creativity of finding something new on a mex restaurant menu however the chicken was bland. I should stick to my favorite staples which are Enchiladas, Chimichangas and Tacos! So I will order from here again and try those items. The Chile Relleno was much more flavorful. It had ground beef and onions and a crispy crunch. This was good. The salsa and homemade fresh guacamole were both very flavorful as well. The rice was yummy and the beans were pretty good but too dry. For dessert, the chocolate chimichanga and homemade whipped cream were very tasty. I like that they were creative here again with choosing to go with a chimichanga vs a churro. Now I really enjoy my churros but this was a cool change of pace. Just a disclaimer- I've ordered take out so often for awhile now due to my career that I can still give a legitimate and fair review. As it stands I give this a 3.75. I need to try the other staples. If they are as tasty as the classic staple of the chile relleno then the score will get bumped up. read more

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FILTHIEST RESTAURANT IN GREENVILLE!!! We decided to try the El Matador because we were out and looked at some of the reviews and it looked like a good place to try. Being that we are still in the middle of the COVID crisis we were surprised that every table was getting seated and that social distancing be dammed. When you walk in the door the first thing that you notice is the filthy carpet and the smell that came with it. Against our better judgment, we decided to continue. When we were seated we ordered some margaritas, but before the drinks even came out the waitress asked us if we were ready to order. (This will lead to an issue that happened at the end of our meal) She kept coming by about every 1 to 2 minutes until we felt that we had to pick something off the menu before she would be satisfied. What is interesting was that after we ordered we only saw her one more time to be asked if there were any problems. As we were looking and the menu we started to look around the restaurant and realized how filthy the place was. All you have to do is look up at the ceiling and you will see all the filth and dust that has collected around the air vents since the place opened in 1968. We were surprised that a deep clean was not done while El Matador was closed during the past few months due to COVID. Even the service station that was near our table was dirty and not being cleaned. This was our second warning and we should have walked out then. Again, against our better judgment we still ordered a meal. After we did place our order we did start to wonder if the part of the restaurant that we could see was this filthy, how dirty was the kitchen? We also saw multiple waitresses with their masks pulled down around their chins carrying food and drinks right below their nose and mouths. Given the current state of COVID, it is a huge risk to eat at El Matador. Unfortunately, we did not really notice the huge problems until after we had begun eating our dinner. We ordered the Pollo Fundido and an enchilada/chili rellenos combo. If you have ever had a chili rellenos anywhere, and I mean anywhere, west of the Mississippi you will not recognize the giant ball of fried cheddar cheese that comes out on your plate. After digging through the cheddar I was finally able to find a little square of pepper floating on top. There was also a small amount of beef drowning at the bottom of the sea of cheese. The chicken in the enchilada looked and tasted like it was boiled then cut into cubes and mixed with peppers and onions. There was quite a bit of liquid that came out and it was not a pleasant texture. The chicken had almost no flavor and the enchilada sauce was brown and had an "interesting" taste. It was accompanied by some refried beans that had that great "fresh" out of the can flavor. The rice was overcooked and yet was still full of water. The Pollo Fundido was quite the interesting dish. If you have ever been eating a chicken Hot Pocket and thought,"I really need this with cheese poured on top and the Hot Pocket chicken has way too much flavor" this is the dish for you. It is like a chimichanga and a hot pocket had a weird baby. The chicken had a boiled taste and texture just like the enchilada. It came with the same overcooked rice and was full of water just like the combo that we ordered above. To bring the whole experience to a close, we waited over 20 minutes to get our check. After we had been borderline harassed to order immediately after sitting at the table, we were surprised that she never came back. We finally got up and went to the hostess to pay our bill and leave. read more

El Matador Restaurant - The airvent over our table - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

Wonderful Mexican Restaurant! We've been in Greer for 2 years and have wanted to come here all that time. Now that we have, we'll be back, often!! Great food & very good service. read more

Hands down by far the best Mexican restaurant I've sampled (and I've had quite a bit in these two years!). Their salsa is flavorful, chunky and full-bodied. You can't go wrong with an establishment that puts effort with their salsa when most places don't bother with this 'free' appetizer. Btw I had their quesadilla. It was loaded with cheese and meat! Thumbs up. read more

El Matador Restaurant - Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

We love this place, the service is always great and they are so welcoming. The food is amazing!

Without a doubt the worst Mexican food I've ever consumed on planet earth! Restaurant was dark, chips were stale salsa out of the can! Ordered chicken fajitas which are hard to mess up but they were over seasoned, dry and cold! The beans and rice that came with it tasted like an old tin can with lime juice on it! Usually fajitas come out sizzling but none of the 3 of us who ordered them were. Had to retrieve our own silverware from wait station nearby. The whole experience made me long for Taco Bell! read more

Good food served for many years!! Great service too! Nice feeling in restaurant. Served like it should be. Norman Belk.

Oldest Mexican restaurant in Greenville. Great food. They know how to do the basics. Anything with chicken is cooked perfectly. Guacamole is blended well, best I have ever had. Margaritas are excellent, just the right amount of tequila. Overall this is one of my favorite places. Casual friendly atmosphere with amazing food. read more

El Matador Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

I love the vibe here. Everyone is super friendly and the lighting is nice its clean and I live the decor and wall murals. The menu is small but covers most of the good Mexican plates. The owner and his wife are almost too friendly and always have smiles on their faces. The food is amazing. Seriously guys, try it out read more

El Matador Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

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I , for some unknown reason, haven't eat here in 20 years . I promise it won't be 20 more ! We were welcomed by Robert, such a warm friendly guy who is super personable . He made us the BEST Margarita I have ever had . My mom got the sangria and it was delicious as well. We were a party of 9 and it was a Thursday night so we didn't have to wait , although I'd gladly wait for the amazing meal we had . Our table had Fajitas , fresh Spanish and cheese quesadilla, chicken polo , cheese dip , owls shit ( not on menu but ask ) Shrimp taco salad and guacamole. Everything was delicious and hot and plenty of it . Christina is a rock star and never missed a beat taking care of us . This restaurant was the first Mexican restaurant in Greenville and the standards are high. Go ! Take a friend and enjoy. read more

Great mexican food! The staff was great as well! Everyone gave outstanding customer service at El Matador! This is how every business should operate daily. I have a new mexican restaurant in Taylors! Thank you El Matador for outstanding service and dinner! read more

El Matador Restaurant - Beef Pollo fundido with rice, quacamole, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, onion and sour cream - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

Excellent food, great service, family friendly atmosphere, always worth the wait!! Fantastic place!

Great food. Really good margaritas. Best guacamole I've found in Greenville in two years. read more

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First time here and definitely not the last. I came to meet a few friends for dinner and it is a quaint and cozy restaurant. The inside is welcoming like someone's house. I was promptly greeted and joined my friends. The chips were warm and fresh and I appreciated that we each had our own bowl to pour the salsa into - no sharing and less spilling. The menu is pretty straight forward without being overwhelming. I enjoyed a combo meal of a chicken enchilada and a beef taco with refried beans and rice. I almost asked for black beans instead because I'm not the biggest fan of refried, but to my surprise they were pretty good. One of my friends ordered the chile rellenos they looked terrific and she said they weren't too spicy. Looking forward to coming back and trying something different. read more

I'm so glad they are open for dinner! That food has always been good. In the past gotten shrimp quesadillas three times in a row with perfectly cooked shrimp. Tonight I got the El Matador combination and Not only was the meal as a whole good, every part and component of every piece of food was unbelievably delicious as was their homemade sangria which actually came included with the combination! I called the owner over to say the food was good but before I even got to speak he said " yes, yes whatever you need the answer is yes!" But I just needed to tell him how good everything was. And he's always friendly talking to the customers and opening the door for people. I wish they were open for lunch but you know what? They're closed because they spend all day cooking dinner! Good food good drinks good atmosphere perfect for a date or a family. I could not recommend this place more heartily. read more

This is the oldest Mexican restaurant in SC. It stays busy. It's different than many other Mexican restaurants. But it's good, and I've been eating there since I was a kid. The chili rellenos are what they're famous for making. We're pretty sure they use some form of magic to make those. The chimichangas are good as well. Try it. You'll like it. read more

El Matador Restaurant - This is the form of chili relleno. All other chili rellenos are mere shadow. - Mexican Near Me - Taylors, South Carolina

I've been going to El Matador since the 70's and I've never been disappointed. We were going there last week for an annual birthday dinner so I looked at the reviews and menu here to decide what to have to avoid holding up everyone else while deciding. I was surprised to see so many bad reviews, I wondered if it was under new management so I was happily surprised to find everything was as good as I remembered but I've never been there when there wasn't a line waiting out the door for a table so I felt compelled to share my experience. There were 10 of us-ages 19-69 and everyone was happy with everything! The service was prompt, the food delivered steaming hot and delicious and the manager came around to check on us as a curtesy. Glasses were filled very quickly. The Chile rellenos were hot, crispy on the outside and full of delicious, melting cheese and a pepper. My Chimichanga was also crispy and filled with flavorful shredded-not greasy or ground beef. The guacamole was freshly made, tasty and not mushy and the lettuce crispy. (I'm not going to lie or brag but I've been to Mexico and several countries in Europe and you wouldn't find this exact type of thing there but it's an American version, ok, and much better and FRESHER than what you're going to get at most local Mexican places.) I took half of everything home and heated it up the next day in a toaster oven and it was almost as crispy and flavorful as it was when served, again-not greasy. There are some people who will find something to criticize about everything and some people who enjoy everything. If you like reasonably priced Mexican food I recommend you check out this original establishment that has been a staple in not only Greenville but in South Carolina for decades and come to your own conclusion. read more