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    El Mex-Kal

    3.7 (156 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Desserts
    Open 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

    El Mex-Kal Photos

    EL MEX-KAL ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - El Mex-Kal

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    Pork Brito

    Ordered the pork brito, defiantly stay away from it. Pine colada was good. Nice waiter. Salsa could have been more thick.

    Sherry W.

    This place has great food and service. They bring you complimentary chips and salsa. I had a combo plate with a tamale and burrito. The tamale is stuffed with seasoned pork. The burrito was filled with shredded beef. The beef was so tender and flavorful. We had the green chili sauce for the tamale and it didn't have much flavor for the $2 upcharge. My friend had a taco and it's a basic gringo style hard shell taco. We went on a Saturday night and there were tables available. There is no outdoor seating or bar. Plenty of parking.

    Quiet at 430pm on a Thursday. Horchata.
    Amber S.

    Delicious and as close as possible to authentic that you are going g to get in EP. We had the tamale & enchilada meal and carne asada burrito. The food was hot, tasty and huge portions. Service was impeccable and the hortchata was just right, not too sweet, not too heavy, very flavorful & came with free refill! Yum. Highly recommend this small restaurant that's just outside the touristy area. Its a solid 3.5 stars-- rounded up for service, cleanliness and location. Enjoy!

    Maila L.

    They have roasted jalapeños, just ask. They also have complimentary chips, which some restaurants charge for. Food was very good and we'll definitely come back to try other dishes.

    Lunch special: chicken enchilada and beef taco
    Kelly A.

    Of you want good ol' fashioned Tex Mex this is the place for you! The complimentary chips and salsa are great. The chips are light and crispy and the salsa has the right amount of heat. The beans and rice that come with the lunch special are good. The chicken enchiladas are tasty and do not disappoint. The star of the show is the taco. Hot, crispy, and packed full of flavor. Could have and should have eaten about five of them! The service is great!

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    6 months ago

    great service everyone so nice. chicken enchiladas so yummy and perfect. would come back

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    1 year ago

    Wasn't thrilled. Food was mediocre a best.low flavor and higher prices. Was recommended by a local and wasn't happy.

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    3 years ago

    great food ! The staff is really nice. This is our second time here. We had the fajitas, so good. Way too much food!

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    Page 1 of 4

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    La Cabana Mexican Bar & Grill

    La Cabana Mexican Bar & Grill

    2.5(330 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Saturday night on March 1st wasn't too busy as we expected. We were seated right away in a…read morecomfortable booth. It appeared that many of the waitstaff congratulated around the bar area and we had to wait a bit to submit our order. We ordered the Vallarta Margarita which was tasty. For dinner we had the traditional #8 and the Cabana Burrito. Both were delicious, especially when topped with chile verde which was spicy and fresh. We'll definitely be back to enjoy the food while seated on the huge patio.

    As a local we've tried every Mexican restaurant in town except this one and coming from TX none…read moreseems to compare to Texas TexMex. In my opinion there's a difference between Mexican and TexMex. The Yelp reviews are not good for this place. That's why I do what I do. I give my honest opinion and don't rely on what others say. So it is, yes it place is more expensive than most Mexican restaurants, it is however in a tourist town so that will explain some of it, but the small things matter to me. I got water served in a glass glass and not those cheesy red plastic cups that never feel clean even if they are. So nice glass #1. Good service #2, fantastic presentation #3 and good tasting food #4 so that's a winner for me. The best tasting Mexican restaurant in town!!! Yes it's more expensive and I'm fine with it being a little more expensive with what I just mentioned. 8.95 for chips and salsa well that's a bit too crazy, when I come from the Dallas area where chips and salsa are free, that's a little hard to swallow. There no apps that are under 15 pretty much a bit crazy. Otherwise my fish taco were really good. I loved the salsa everything had great flavor so this is a winner for me oh and a good selection of nice sipping Tequilas

    Photos
    La Cabana Mexican Bar & Grill
    La Cabana Mexican Bar & Grill
    La Cabana Mexican Bar & Grill

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    Casa Colina - Giant Quesadilla

    Casa Colina

    3.8(23 reviews)
    0.2 mi

    My wife and I decided to actually visit during a Locals Night. It wasn't too crowded probably…read moresince it was not really a good night to drive! But our fridge and pantry were bare so.... The place was inviting and we could sit any open space. We were quickly waited on and looked at the local special. Since we weren't really in shot and Taco mood we went to the menu. Ordered a beer and a margarita while waiting. The margarita was a bit on the small side but still enjoyable. Our food came out quickly and looked and smelled great. It was just enough food too. About the only downside was the live music. The musician was good but too loud for the space. If we didn't take a table that wasn't speaker facing we would not have been able to chat.

    Casa Colina was such a surprise gem -- just steps from the Estes Park Visitor Center and the…read moreStanley Hotel, inside the Trailborn Rocky Mountains boutique property. We came in for breakfast and ended up coming back for dinner -- it was that good. Shout out to their Super friendly staff, great service! In the morning, we sat indoors with a beautiful view of the Rockies -- warm, cozy, and absolutely stunning. I had the chorizo burrito bowl and it was delicious -- fresh, flavorful, and just the right amount of spice. Easily a contender for #1 breakfast with a view in Estes Park. Dinner was just as memorable. The smoked margarita? A solid 10/10. The bourbon from Hogback distillery was such a pleasant surprise -- great to taste something truly good from a local business. We also shared the Carne Asada quesadilla and tacos -- and wow, the portions were generous and packed with flavor. Plus, the fresh-made guac? I could've snacked on it all day. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and intentional. Highly recommend for both breakfast and dinner -- especially if you're staying nearby!

    Photos
    Casa Colina
    Casa Colina - Chips and all three dips

    Chips and all three dips

    Casa Colina

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    Wapiti Colorado Pub

    Wapiti Colorado Pub

    3.7(578 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Wapiti is a great spot in Estes for a hearty meal!…read more The bun on the ranchhand burger was a bit thick, but a really good burger - juicy and cooked really well! My husband loved and would recommend it. We both grabbed some Parmesan fries and DEVOURED them! Incredible, 10/10. I had the pulled pork and was admittedly a bit disappointed in it being somewhat dry. Though the coleslaw on top was nice, as was the overall flavor! I wouldn't rule it out, I just may not have gotten it on the best night. I should also note that some say it's downtown estes. And it is technically walkable, I THINK, because you can walk along the river, but it's a bit far from what I would personally call "downtown" if you were to walk. I'd recommend driving unless you want a longer walk. They have plenty of parking, though we are here in the off season. The staff was kind, but we had little interaction. Overall, I'd try it again.

    The ambience here is very nice. Comfortable and clean, situated near Nicky's resort and has some…read moreoutdoor seating. The food on the other is just ok. Nothing special. It was prime rib night and i was excited to order. The prime rib was blah and unseasoned. The baked potato was good. My husband ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich and it was not good. Very thin and dry, no sauce on the bun, he had to ask for mayo. Maybe our orders were a one-off because i see other reviews raving about the food here. Drinks, on the other hand were fantastic.

    Photos
    Wapiti Colorado Pub - Oh yeah what a Bourbon selection

    Oh yeah what a Bourbon selection

    Wapiti Colorado Pub
    Wapiti Colorado Pub - Margarita

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    Margarita

    Tacos La Tradicion - Mole enchiladas

    Tacos La Tradicion

    3.4(56 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    We spent the day in Estes and decided to walk around Main Street looking for somewhere new to eat…read morewhen we came across this little Mexican restaurant. The place is definitely small inside, but it had a nice atmosphere and the service was really good from start to finish. For appetizers, we ordered the chips, queso, and salsa. The queso was definitely different from what I'm used to, but it actually wasn't bad at all. I ordered the street tacos -- three carne asada and two chicken -- topped with cilantro and onions, plus an extra al pastor taco because I wanted to try it. Out of all of them, the al pastor was my favorite. The meat was super tender and flavorful. I wasn't a huge fan of the mango on it though; I would've preferred pineapple instead, but I just picked the mango out and still enjoyed it. My husband and I also shared a side of rice and beans. The beans were decent, although a little salty. The rice, unfortunately, was the low point for me. It honestly had almost no flavor and kind of tasted burnt. I definitely wouldn't order the rice again. Overall, the food was decent and the service was great. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to eat here again, but it was still a solid stop while spending the day in Estes.

    This is a quaint little place (we loved the decor and the music)…read more We had Chicken Chimichanga & Chicken Tortilla Soup. The food serving is enough for 2 meals (at least in our perspective) -- which was a bonus for leftovers! Flavor of the soup was a little salty, but I can revamp it as my leftover. We came day after V-day...also President's Day weekend. They were not busy, the food came out fairly quickly (no complaints). The services was minimal. Young lady who was nice, but was not attentive to the 5 (including us) guests that were there. We had to ask for another round of water, there was no 2nd attempt to make sure everything tastes ok -- and we had to ask for to-go containers. This will not be our first choice for Mexican in Estes.

    Photos
    Tacos La Tradicion - Interior

    Interior

    Tacos La Tradicion - Asada Fries.

    Asada Fries.

    Tacos La Tradicion - Pork Street tacos

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    Pork Street tacos

    El Mex-Kal - mexican - Updated June 2026

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